[12/11, 06:15, Nanyi City]
“…Hmm.”
Lin Heyu furrowed his brows deeply, waking up from a long, complicated dream. His mind was exhausted, and he stared blankly at the plaster ceiling.
A flood of complex information poured into his mind—an intense and thrilling series of cases that had entwined his and Yi Shi’s fate in a bewildering manner. The last scene in his memory was at Cheng’an Mountain. He had already seen the green walls and white tiles of the ancestral shrine in Linjia Village. He just needed to hold on for ten more minutes, and he and Xiao Shitou could be rescued.
Life and death were separated by just those ten short minutes. He closed his eyes as the torrential rain pounded the forest and ground. Xiao Shitou’s hoarse cries echoed in the background, his small hands desperately pushing at Lin Heyu’s arm, trying to get him to stand up again.
Lin Heyu wanted to lift his hand to wipe away the child’s tears of despair, but his body, severely damaged internally, couldn’t move at all, not even to open his eyelids. He had the feeling that if Xiao Shitou were to witness his death, it would deal a fatal blow to the boy. He longed to stroke the child’s soft black hair to comfort him, but he was powerless. His consciousness gradually faded, the sounds of rain and crying growing distant, until he fell into a deep, quiet darkness.
Lin Heyu slowly sat up and looked around. From the furnishings, it was clear he was in a hotel single room. Why was he here? What day was it today?
“Knock, knock.” Two knocks sounded at the door, and he immediately looked up. “Who is it?”
“Ge, why aren’t you up yet? I’m waiting for you to have breakfast with me.”
Lin Zhizhi was outside the door. Lin Heyu reached for his phone. It was now 6:05 in the morning. No matter how big the disaster, his biological clock was still punctual. He checked the date. It was December 11, the year before—the day before the kidnapping incident.
To wake up at this exact point in time, with his memories still intact—was this a rebirth?
“Ge, ge!”
“I’m awake.” Lin Heyu responded, getting dressed and ready to leave. He picked up the placard on the table and noticed the hotel was in Nanyi. He tried to recall why he was here today—why he had come with Lin Zhizhi.
As soon as he opened the door, a blinding phone screen was thrust in front of him. “Ge! You slept so late today! Is it because you’re not used to Nanyi’s climate?”
Lin Heyu pushed the phone aside. “I have a bit of a headache.”
“Huh? Are you okay?” Lin Zhizhi stood on her toes, placing her hand on her brother’s forehead, looking worried. “Do you want to rest in the room? I can go to the apartment by myself. I just need to figure out the way.”
A flash of clarity struck Lin Heyu. He remembered—after the New Year, Lin Zhizhi was coming to Nanyi for an internship. He had helped her find an apartment in October and signed the contract. They had come here now to familiarize her with the area.
“I’m fine. I’m feeling much better now.” Lin Heyu went to wash up, and Lin Zhizhi blinked. “If you really don’t feel well, tell me. Don’t push yourself.”
It wasn’t the climate—his headache was from the flood of memories crammed into his mind. He needed some time to sort them out. Since he had returned to before the incident, everything had reset, giving him another chance. He had to make the most of this opportunity and carefully devise a plan.
Washing his face wasn’t enough. Lin Heyu ran a cold, wet towel through his short hair as Lin Zhizhi, leaning against the door, reminded him, “Brother, it’s freezing cold. Don’t catch a cold. Do you want me to get you a hair dryer?”
“It’ll dry soon.” Lin Heyu turned, hanging the towel on the rack. “Compared to Haijing, Nanyi isn’t that cold—”
His words abruptly stopped, and he froze. Just a moment ago, a scene flashed in his mind. In a similarly cramped bathroom, Yi Shi had his arms around his waist, face buried in his chest, softly asking to be held for a while.
This was… Lin Heyu didn’t have time to dwell on it as more memories of Yi Shi rushed into his mind—sleeping defenselessly in the study, a tender kiss on the couch, teary eyes in the kitchen, their breaths intertwined at dawn…
A slight smile tugged at Lin Heyu’s lips. It seemed Yi Shi had found him much earlier than he’d thought, leaving behind such profound memories. No wonder that even after losing most of his memories, Yi Shi’s presence still lingered faintly in his hippocampus.
“Ge, what’s up with you again?” Lin Zhizhi leaned in, puzzled. “Who are you thinking about? You’re smiling so fondly.”
Lin Heyu touched his lips. “Fondly?”
“Yeah, sweet and helpless. Who are you thinking of?” Lin Zhizhi gasped. “Do I have a sister-in-law?!”
That wouldn’t be the right term. After all, she would become Yi Shi’s adoptive mother in the future, and the titles wouldn’t align. Lin Heyu ruffled his sister’s hair and brushed off her question with a simple “no,” then closed the door and headed downstairs for breakfast.
During breakfast, Lin Heyu carefully recalled the bits and pieces of the week they spent together. He finally paused at October 15th. Yi Shi had returned to Nanyi that day. According to Yi Shi, the original Lin Heyu had a memory lapse on that day, and he wanted to figure out the cause. Later, at the Time Flies Café, they embraced to say goodbye, never to meet again.
At the time, Yi Shi had emphasized, “Don’t come to Nanyi, just stay in Haijing.” So Lin Heyu’s presence in Nanyi today, with Zhizhi, must have been partly influenced by that.
“Brother, should we head out after breakfast? Isn’t it too early? It’s not even 7 yet.”
“Then let’s go back up and rest a bit,” Lin Heyu put down his chopsticks and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth. “I also want some quiet time.”
The two single rooms were adjacent to each other. Lin Zhizhi unlocked her door and waved. “I’ll go do some drawing. Text me before we leave.”
Lin Heyu nodded. After closing the door, he took out a pen and paper and began writing furiously. He was trying to organize the chaotic memories in his mind, arranging them in chronological order. First, he listed every date starting from October, then filled in the events that had occurred on each day.
When he wrote down “11.21,” Lin Heyu suddenly froze, quickly searching his memory. He had an impression of this date—any date that could be remembered must be special, connected to an event that influenced the case.
[… The suspect Zhao Chenghu was arrested at Pang Nengshui’s house on November 21 and detained at the Nanyi Second Detention Center.]
Zhao Chenghu was arrested on November 21, which happened to align with the time reflection point. Lin Heyu grabbed his coat, preparing to leave. He opened WeChat to send a message to Lin Zhizhi but hesitated and decided not to disturb her.
If he timed his return well, there would be no need to disrupt Zhizhi’s creative flow.
The winter sky brightened late. By the time he reached Guibei Mountain, the sun had just begun to show its energy and vitality. Lin Heyu parked at the foot of the mountain and started climbing up the familiar path. Even though it was still sunny at the base, halfway up, the weather suddenly shifted. Dark clouds rolled in like a raging beast, devouring the blue sky, with flashes of lightning mingling within. A heavy downpour was imminent.
Lin Heyu pulled a coin from his pocket, its opposite sides engraved with different patterns and characters. He had easily entered Yi Shi’s world. It seemed that as long as he was involved in a case and had a complete memory of it, the conditions for time travel were much looser than usual.
But it had to be within Yi Shi’s domain. Lin Heyu hid behind a tree, watching the dilapidated farmhouse diagonally across from Pang Daozi’s house, where members of the Nanyi Criminal Investigation Team, including Yi Shi, were lying in wait.
The records only briefly mentioned how Zhao Chenghu was captured. Lin Heyu knew that Pang Daozi’s mother was used as bait, which attracted Zhao Chenghu, the “dutiful son.” Although they hadn’t caught the mastermind, catching the second-in-command provided at least a temporary explanation.
Within minutes, the sky roared with thunder, and torrential rain poured down, drenching Lin Heyu to the bone. The intensity of the rain was too much even for the old tile-roofed house, let alone a few trees. Though night hadn’t fallen yet, the lingering light was completely swallowed by the downpour, leaving only the grand, continuous rain curtain between heaven and earth, like a waterfall.
A small lamp in Pang Daozi’s house shone brightly in the darkness, its warm yellow glow particularly striking. A flash of lightning revealed a tall figure pounding on the door, shouting, “Mom!” Two teams, already lying in ambush, closed in on him, chasing him into the fields. At the same time, another shadow crept up to the house’s door.
Lin Heyu immediately sprang into action, rushing at the person. Just as the door opened, he kicked the man square in the waist, sending him flying into the house.
“F***! Who…?”
Zhao Chenghu, barely getting up, grabbed a wooden stool and swung it backward, but Lin Heyu swiftly kicked it away. As he grabbed Zhao Chenghu by the collar, the man struggled fiercely, smashing a glass against the table and aiming it at his attacker’s face. Lin Heyu struck a nerve in Zhao Cheghu’s elbow, causing him to drop the broken glass. His arm was twisted behind his back and pinned against the worn wooden table, his legs immobilized by Lin Heyu’s knee, rendering him unable to stand.
Catching his breath, Lin Heyu ignored Zhao Chenghu’s cursing. He glanced outside the door and, after a few seconds, finally saw the person he was waiting for.
Yi Shi stood there, drenched, his eyes as cold as his skin. He locked eyes with Lin Heyu, showing no emotion in his dark, heavy gaze.
Hmm, Yi Shi’s personality had indeed changed dramatically as he grew older. Gone was the liveliness of youth, yet this was the Yi Shi he knew best, the one he’d spent the most time with.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Lin Heyu’s mouth. “Long time no see.”
Yi Shi sized him up with an evaluating gaze, confirming that Lin Heyu wasn’t a suspect, but seemed uninterested. He turned his attention back to dealing with Zhao Chenghu.
Lin Heyu watched him calmly handle things, communicating with his colleagues and cuffing Zhao Chenghu. Yi’s face remained expressionless, as if that stern look were welded on, the curve of his lips never changing.
Zhao Chenghu continued to curse until Yi Shi delivered a brutal kick, leaving him curled up on the ground with a groan. Lin Heyu, observing from the side with his arms crossed, said slowly, “You really haven’t changed.”
This finally caught Yi Shi’s attention. He stared at Lin Heyu, silent, as if trying to recall whether they had met before. After a few seconds, he asked, “Do I know you?”
Ah, the imbalance of memories… Lin Heyu smiled. “You will remember me.”
Yi Shi didn’t bother to respond. As more colleagues arrived, Lin Heyu got his first face-to-face encounter with the Nanyi police from another world. His eyes turned into scanners, memorizing their faces for potential future use.
When asked about Lin Heyu, Yi Shi simply shook his head, adding, “He caught the guy. Bring him along.”
Lin Heyu: “…”
With Zhao Chenghu being escorted down the mountain, Lin Heyu followed behind, keeping some distance from Yi Shi. He was contemplating how to break the ice when, suddenly, the rain stopped. It was as if a hand had brushed away the clouds, and bright sunlight poured down, leaving no trace of the recent downpour. The ground was completely dry, as if the storm had never happened.
Around him, the police officers were gone, replaced by a group of hikers chatting loudly.
“I told you we took the wrong path! This is Turtle Back (Guibei) Mountain, not Guiyun Mountain!”
“Blame Lao Chen for using his dialect. Even the GPS got confused.”
“We’ve wasted so much time. I can’t walk anymore—let’s climb tomorrow.”
Lin Heyu stood still in the middle of the road. The hikers soon noticed the drenched, unsmiling stranger and couldn’t help but wonder: On a day as nice as this, where did this guy go swimming?
Under their curious gazes, Lin Heyu returned to his car, roughly towel-drying himself. He checked the time—it was now 7:23. If he hurried back, Lin Zhizhi wouldn’t notice.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, he recalled Yi Shi’s cold, unfamiliar, and guarded expression. Yi had become like a block of ice, impossible to approach.
It’s all my fault. Lin Heyu covered his eyes with his hand and sighed softly.
It turned out that even a smooth stone, after being harshly ground by fate, could turn into a cold, sharp blade.
