The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

I went to the side of the gate, found the large rock, and moved it to the wall with some effort. Perhaps because I wasn't very strong, dragging the rock was quite strenuous; I even had to catch my breath and rest a few times after pulling it to the wall. My lack of strength also affected my mobility; the wall that I could easily climb over with the stones as stepping stones now seemed difficult, and it took a lot of effort to get over it.

Fortunately, the wall I climbed over was much lower... I sat down to rest for a bit, then stood up again and walked towards the old teaching building. Although I didn't see anyone, I still walked cautiously along the edge of the bushes, just in case someone suddenly appeared and I had nowhere to hide. I couldn't help but laugh at myself for being overly cautious, but my actions and thoughts didn't align.

I arrived at the foot of the old teaching building and glanced casually upstairs. The old building was rather dimly lit. I turned my gaze back to the iron gate downstairs and saw the chain that had been so loosely wrapped around it, hanging there on the gatepost. I felt a little uneasy. I looked around but saw nothing. I cursed myself inwardly, placed my hand on the iron gate, slowly opened a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to pass through, squeezed in, and then casually closed the door behind me.

I'm not particularly afraid of anything terrible happening, after all, nothing is more terrifying than death. But death is just a beautiful fantasy to me right now, so I'm not particularly concerned about anything deadly happening.

I followed the handrail up the stairs until I reached the top floor accessible by stairs—the floor where my classroom was located. I walked past the lecture hall and went straight to the classroom. This time, coming to the school classroom at night, my purpose was very clear and singular: I only needed to confirm and write down the phone number filled in the March section of the student roster, and then find another time to ascertain the meaning of those numbers.

I tentatively pulled on the front door of the office, and sure enough, it was still locked. I went to the classroom door, pushed it open, and went inside. The classroom was empty; there was no one there. Without lingering, I went to my seat, found my pen and paper that I had left at school, and then walked toward the side door of the office. I easily pushed open the side door, found the homeroom teacher's seat, and started looking for the class roster in the drawer.

The roster wasn't particularly special, but I figured I couldn't have mistaken it. Just to be safe, I turned on the small flashlight I kept in my pocket and easily found the roster. I placed it on the table and started flipping through it. I quickly found Lin Xue's name and looked down from there, but something was missing…

I wondered if I was seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes and carefully checked the information on the roster again. I still couldn't find the personal phone number that should have appeared in the March section. My fingers gently ran over it, but I didn't feel any scratches or any texture different from the paper.

It was as if nothing had ever been written in that column.

I felt a chill run from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, and my whole body became icy cold.

Chapter 246 Ancient Deception

I checked several times to make sure there was only this one class roster in the drawer, and that it only had two pages with the information of all the students in the class listed. There were no duplicates, no torn pages, and the page numbers were all in perfect order. But this was definitely not good news for me.

I've been scammed.

For a long time, I focused my attention on a non-existent, or rather fabricated, piece of information, trying to find clues. After realizing that the string of numbers was entirely fabricated by someone else, I felt very angry, but I didn't know how to vent this anger. Moreover, it wasn't just anger; a feeling that I was always under someone's control spread through my mind, making me feel uneasy.

I quickly put the roster back in its original place, walked out of the office, and threw the torn-off paper I was going to use for writing, along with my pen, into my drawer. I came out of the classroom and quickly checked my surroundings, looking for any signs of activity nearby. But finding anything in such darkness was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and I couldn't help but feel discouraged.

But now is not the time for me to be discouraged. I quickly went downstairs, opened the iron gate, walked out of the old teaching building, and then put the iron gate back to its original state. I think I'm heading home.

I walked through the darkness with unease and fear. For the first time, this profound darkness brought me no peace. I constantly felt that something was watching me, perhaps from the roadside bushes, from the sky, from the ground, or perhaps like a ghost hovering around me. This feeling made me very uncomfortable, and all I wanted was to get home as quickly as possible. But once again, my physical strength became the biggest obstacle preventing me from moving forward.

I arrived at the school gate. The low wall that I could easily climb over before became difficult to climb under the combined pressure of physical strength and mental strain. I even felt that the wall seemed to have grown taller, but after shaking my head, I found that it had not changed at all. My current situation was not good.

I climbed over the low wall, almost falling to the ground, but I managed to regain my balance. I was about to go home when I remembered I hadn't moved that big rock back. Some people might not understand what it meant, but Yezi and Sanyue definitely did. If they saw the rock had been moved, they would definitely suspect me… No, this time I didn't tell Yezi that I knew the way to climb over the wall and sneak into the school. As for Sanyue, she should know the same thing as Yezi, since I had already taken care of her before she was followed. She wouldn't know that I also knew about this way, and neither of them had ever told me.

No, I can't think straight like this. I tried to quicken my pace as I walked home, but because of my physical condition, it still took me almost twenty minutes even at my fastest pace. I only felt a little more at ease after I quietly opened the front door, slipped inside, closed the door, changed my clothes quietly, and lay down on the bed.

I was initially a little sleepy and hungry, but in this state, I had completely lost the desire to sleep or even think about satisfying my hunger. I lay on the bed, closed my eyes, and thought about everything that had just happened in the classroom, or rather, everything that should have happened in some office but didn't.

I've been scammed, completely and utterly. I have absolutely no idea what happened… but this won't do. I rubbed my arm, using the pain to force myself to calm down. I have to figure out what really happened…

As planned, I returned to the office next to the classroom around 3 a.m., solely to copy down the numbers that appeared in the March personal phone information column, intending to use them as a basis for verifying other things. But this very number, which definitely existed, had completely disappeared from the roster when I checked it tonight, or rather, in the early hours of the morning? Moreover, I found no traces of erasing, scraping, or covering on that blank space. In other words, at least the column that should have belonged to March's personal phone numbers was completely blank, never filled in, and never modified.

Why is this happening?

I'm not mistaken, I absolutely cannot forget this. There was indeed a string of numbers there, and I even tried to write it down. However, March discovered me, and fearing for my life, I failed to memorize the numbers. Even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered, because I died from blood loss afterward, returning to twenty-four hours earlier.

In the section of that roster belonging to March, I couldn't find any trace of modification, and the texture that changes over time is undeniable... Right now, I have no conclusion other than concluding that it was the roster in its original state. However, considering the timeline, the fact that I haven't died and started over after so much time means that my current time must be after the time before I saw that roster. If that roster truly contained what I wanted, it absolutely couldn't have disappeared at 3 AM this morning, absolutely not.

The only answer is that something has been changed, and the result is obvious.

Before I even opened that roster, information appeared in the March section, which originally contained nothing. Whether that information was meaningful is now impossible to prove, and thinking about it is pointless. The result was that the roster, which originally contained no information worthy of my attention, had been altered before that night, and the previous alteration was different from this one. Since I already had the information I wanted, there was no need for me to flip through the roster again, so the false information simply disappeared…

This is a deception against me. There is a decisive difference between these two days. Someone who knows me inside and out is trying to mislead me with false information.

My brain gave me the answer in an instant.

I sat up instantly, staring at the wall, as if I could see through it to the face of Zhiyun, who was fast asleep.

There is no other possibility but my sister.

Chapter 247 Fatal Mistake

If the occurrence of an event can be seen as a result, then the occurrence of this event must also have a cause and corresponding conditions.

One thing is now completely certain: there is no trace of the information I'm looking for in that roster. In other words, when I found that string of numbers, I was still in a trap. I didn't find anything to use to find the truth. That's the current result.

The reason why this happened is the cause of this outcome. This is not difficult for me to imagine now, considering the conditions for completing this task.

First, just as I suspected, to deceive me on this matter, she would need to be fully aware of my actions. Only then could she get ahead of me and quickly set up the trap, randomly filling in a string of numbers on the roster and then making her escape. Zhiyun was perfectly capable of this; she testified that she knew all my whereabouts through her phone and was fully aware of them. That night, I chose to bring my phone because I needed lighting equipment, so Zhiyun naturally knew what I was doing.

Besides, there's other evidence proving that Zhiyun was at the school and was nearby when I died—in the old teaching building. The school security guard I tried to control in March, whom I didn't actually see, was patrolling the school at that time, which was highly unusual. I also felt a sense of familiarity with the voice. After learning that the seemingly omnipresent laughter came from Zhiyun, I had this suspicion. Now, based on the information I've obtained, that person is most likely Zhiyun. The timing of her appearance is too coincidental; I simply can't ignore the thought that she was deliberately waiting for me there.

After that, I died. Until this resurrection, I had never gone to school at 3 a.m. This time, I left my phone at home and let Zhiyun fall asleep before setting off. There is a very high chance that Zhiyun did not find out, so she did not fill in false information on the roster before me.

What caused this incident? What was Zhiyun's motive? Why did she do it?

She must have something she wanted me to find, she must have, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to go to the old teaching building. But what exactly is it? Do you know what kind of impact not having a phone number in March will have on me?

Without a phone number in March, at most I just wouldn't be able to find her quickly. But there's still some kind of software on the phone that allows conversations to be made without a SIM card, relying directly on some kind of resource. March once told me she had a way to let me see her photos, but I forgot about it when I got back, or maybe March didn't mention the follow-up. I don't know what kind of software she used, but this at least proves that March can indeed send messages to others without a SIM card. Is a SIM card really that necessary?

No, that's not right... The result of Zhiyun filling in a fake phone number is that she shifted all my attention from my phone to the phone card. Does this mean that whether March has a phone card or not is completely unimportant, and what matters is what Zhiyun gains by doing this? That is, by focusing my attention on the phone card, I inevitably lose attention to something else. Zhiyun is a very smart girl; she couldn't possibly not know the consequences of doing this... In other words, the important thing isn't the phone card at all, but March's phone, or what's stored in her phone.

What important thing is hidden in her phone?

March wasn't lying; she really didn't have a phone card, and she never brought up having a cell phone until I made that request. Only then did she tell me she had a way, which was probably to send messages through a messaging app. Since March understood this, she was naturally much more knowledgeable than me, someone completely clueless about electronic devices. She was skilled at using messaging apps.

But who could possibly contact March via chat software? I could easily list them without even thinking. Lin Yin doesn't have a phone; their parents don't allow them to have them, so March naturally wouldn't contact them. Secondly, including her teachers and all her "classmates and friends" besides me and Ye Zi, she would never contact any of them. The only people she could use for practice are me, Ye Zi, and Zhi Yun, whom she might contact in the future. There are no other possibilities.

But what if Zhiyun has already started communicating with Sanyue first?

I find it somewhat absurd, but not entirely impossible.

First, there's a factor at play that night in the old teaching building—March's house has a curfew. Since there's a curfew, March couldn't have returned home after her parents went to sleep. She shouldn't have been lurking near my house before they did; this is something that needs correction. If that's the case, then why did she end up following me to the teaching building and know my location so well? She must have had access to information about me. So who possessed this information? Who else could it be but Zhiyun? My contact with March was so brief; how could she possibly have installed something like that on my phone?

This alone is enough to connect March and Zhiyun. Given that no other possibilities are currently available, this is the most likely method—Zhiyun already knew of March's existence, even before I sensed it.

That night, Zhiyun followed me to the old teaching building and revealed my information to her, so that she could go to the old teaching building with me around 3 a.m. to hunt me down... But if Zhiyun was there, why did she still want to kill me? Even now, I absolutely do not believe that Zhiyun would want to kill me. She knows everything about me, just as I know her. Even if some things are hidden very well and I have not noticed them, I am certain that Zhiyun would never let me die no matter what.

Could it be that Zhiyun's plan has made a fatal mistake? This is really no laughing matter.

Chapter 248 Some Changes

Since Zhiyun knows everything about me, she should also know that I saved Yezi on the roof of the teaching building. Zhiyun is also in contact with Sanyue, and considering that they even exchange information about me, I don't think Zhiyun would be completely unaware of Sanyue's situation. Since Zhiyun knows that I saved Yezi, Sanyue must be angry. Why would she ask Sanyue to go with her? I don't understand this.

There's no way Zhiyun wouldn't care whether I live or die.

Although I didn't die in the end, but just returned to twenty-four... forty-eight hours ago, Zhiyun shouldn't know about this incredible thing... she shouldn't know... what if she did know?

I know that even if I'm killed, I won't die; I'll just go back 24 hours. But what does that have to do with Zhiyun? In the end, I did die in that timeline, but Zhiyun has no way to go back to the past. She can only continue living along the path of my death. Can Zhiyun accept this fact?

I couldn't figure it out, I couldn't sort out my thoughts, and I was also very tired. I felt sleepiness gradually rising, and I drifted off to sleep in a daze until I felt a shaking and opened my eyes the next morning.

"Brother, it's already morning." I looked up and saw Zhiyun shaking me. Although I was still a little groggy, I managed to sit up. Not getting enough sleep had left me in a bad mental state. After yawning, I looked at Zhiyun with a slightly dazed expression.

"What time is it?"

"It's already 5:20, your alarm has already gone off. You seem a bit listless today. Should you take the day off and rest at home?" Zhiyun's face showed a hint of worry, and that expression warmed my heart, though not as purely as before.

"It's nothing, I'm just too tired these past few days." I stretched and then noticed that Zhiyun's pajamas were half-undone.

She blinked: "That's a pity, but health is more important. Let's get some rest today."

"Thank you so much." I tried to say it with a smile, but it wasn't a very strong smile. However, Zhiyun still grabbed my shoulder and gave me a kiss—a brief one, but it made me feel a little more alert. It wasn't exactly something to be happy about to feel invigorated for something like that.

"Okay, I'm going to change my clothes. You should go wash up too."

"Hmm. Do you want to go to school together today?"

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes, I do." Zhiyun's face showed an expectant expression. "It's been so long since we went to school together, hasn't it?"

"Let's go together then."

"I'm going to change my clothes." Zhiyun ran off happily, and as I watched her disappear into the room, the smile on my face vanished. I took a deep breath, patted my face, and forced a smile back onto my lips.

After changing my clothes, I headed to the washroom, where I saw Zhiyun fixing her hair. She was combing her hair with a comb in her hand, and she had a butterfly hair clip in her mouth. It wasn't very big, and it was one of the accessories that girls could wear at our school. I remember Yezi had one too, but I don't know when she stopped wearing hair clips.

Seeing me come in, Zhiyun stopped what she was doing and handed me the comb. Although she didn't say anything, I knew exactly what she wanted me to do. I took the comb and clumsily began to comb her hair from behind. It had been about half a year since then. Since starting my senior year of high school, time had become even more hectic than I had imagined, and our schedules had gradually diverged. Before that, I often saw Zhiyun combing her hair, and although my skills weren't great, she would occasionally ask me for help.

This is actually quite a long time since their last interaction.

Zhiyun's hair is very well-maintained; I only need to comb it casually.

"It's been a long time since this happened, hasn't it? Before, you would always leave while I was sleeping."

"If I hadn't arrived a little earlier, I would have been late. But you, you got up so early today."

"I was woken up by your alarm clock. It was right next to your bed, but you didn't wake up. I guess I can't let you get too tired."

Zhiyun leaned back against me and nestled in my arms.

"I can't help you comb your hair like this."

“My hair doesn’t really matter whether I comb it or not, it’s rare to have it like this, I feel so happy.” Zhiyun looked in the mirror, and looked at me in the mirror, and I looked at her in the mirror as well: “If I had more time, it would be nice for me to get up and make you breakfast in the morning. But I can’t get up that early now.”

I've told you to go to bed early tonight.

I put down the comb and put my arm around Zhiyun's waist, which seemed to make her happier.

"I'm used to it now. I'm done washing up, you can go wash up too. I'll go pack my bag." Zhiyun gently turned away from my embrace, gave me another quick kiss on tiptoe, and then left the bathroom. I quickly finished washing up and came out; Zhiyun was already ready to leave.

I also brought my own things. I felt for the small flashlight in my pocket. I originally wanted to hide it, but Zhiyun was watching me, so I couldn't hide it. For the time being, I could only keep it with me.

I left home with Zhiyun and bought some food on the way. I bought more than usual because I felt weak again after waking up and needed to eat more to regain my strength. Zhiyun was a little surprised by the amount of breakfast I bought, but she didn't say anything.

I walked with Zhiyun, talking as we went. Although the road was still dark and unchanged, it was at least a little more lively than usual. Zhiyun held my hand as we walked and ate breakfast, laughing and chatting as we went.

"Don't we go that way to school?"

There are still people waiting for me here.

"Who is it... Oh, this looks like the class monitor's house. I knew that when I walked home with her before, but I don't know exactly where it is."

On the other side of the bridge, I saw March and Lin Yin still waiting for me. They seemed to be chatting. When I got closer, they noticed me, along with Zhiyun, who was still holding my hand. March didn't seem surprised; instead, she smiled and said, "Good morning."

"Zhiyun?" Lin Yin seemed somewhat surprised.

"Good morning! My brother and I came here together." Zhiyun winked at them.

Chapter 249 A Simple Exchange