[12/10, 07:34, Haijing City Bureau Criminal Investigation Division]
Yi Shi was dressed in that awkward female outfit, forced to wear makeup. Despite protesting several times, he was ruthlessly ignored by Song Ping.
“Oh, it’s the same procedure as last time. What’s the rush?” Song Ping observed the little handsome guy up close, internally praising: The skin is really good—not a pore in sight, no blemishes, acne, or moles; the whole face is like a blank sheet of white paper. The base is too good!
With a face like that, even bare-faced he would be stunning. The only flaw is the dark circles. Song Ping asked, “Do you stay up late every night?”
“Not really,” Yi Shi replied, “I don’t sleep late; I just don’t sleep well.”
“If it weren’t for the dark circles, you’d be perfect. Definitely the best-looking guy in Nanyi!”
Yu Ping, standing beside her, said with a laugh, “He’s not just good-looking.”
“I know, I know, everything—he’s good at!”
Yi Shi: “…”
He really wanted to distance himself from these boring people.
At 8:20, Teacher Shi Yiyi arrived late. The first class was noisy, with the children in their school uniforms and their little backpacks bulging with snacks and toys, clearly treating today’s activity like a winter outing.
Jiang Yuanmin was the first to spot Yi Shi, grabbing his hand and saying in a soft, milky voice, “Teacher Shi, I missed you yesterday.”
Yi Shi patted her little head, his expression and tone becoming much gentler: “I’ll be with you all day today.”
“I brought you a gift.” Jiang Yuanmin took out a small bag tied with a bow, “We’re good friends, okay?”
This bag was quite special, filled with the little girl’s treasures—exquisite clips, hair ties, and small decorations. Yi Shi could only accept it with gratitude, though he couldn’t use any of it.
To avoid dampening the little girl’s enthusiasm, Yi Shi accepted the bow-tied bag. Jiang Yuanmin smiled with her eyes curved, hugging his waist: “Teacher Shi, I want to sit with you in the car.”
Before Yi Shi could answer, the little tyrant Zhao Yaoyao came over with an air of arrogance: “I want to sit next to Teacher Shi!”
Jiang Yuanmin glared at him angrily: “Teacher Shi promised to sit with me.”
“I didn’t hear that!”
Two pairs of big, round eyes looked at Yi Shi. Yi Shi was troubled; this inexplicable “popularity” was really a headache.
On the bus, the battle for seats continued. Zhang Rui observed everything through the rearview mirror, shaking his head with a click of his tongue: “What a beautiful disaster; even the kids are charmed. Good thing Yi Shi is a guy; otherwise, who knows how many people would fight over him?”
Zhang Rui had also been urgently assigned to cover for the driver. Originally, the task was given to another colleague with the most driving experience in the team, but that colleague was hospitalized overnight, leaving Zhang Rui, who had a driving A license, to substitute.
A hand patted his shoulder, and Yi Shi whispered, “It’s time to depart. You know the route, right?”
“Of course, I know. You trust me, don’t you?”
Yi Shi’s lips curled into a smile as he checked the children’s seat belts one last time. After the bus started, Jiang Yuanmin began playing matchmaker again: “Teacher Shi, how long have you known my uncle? What do you think of him?”
“Not long. He’s a good person,” Yi Shi said lightly, “But unfortunately, I have a boyfriend.”
Jiang Yuanmin’s eyes widened in surprise: “Last time you said you didn’t have one.”
“The person I was with yesterday is a police officer.”
“Is he more handsome than my uncle?”
“Hmm, taller, more handsome, and more reassuring than him.” Yi Shi’s lips curved slightly, and his eyes carried a smile.
“Is that so…” The little girl’s head drooped in disappointment, finally ceasing to matchmake. Yi Shi sighed with relief; Lin Heyu was indeed useful, an all-purpose shield.
“……?” Zhang Rui, in the driver’s seat, was surprised. What’s going on? Yi Shi’s expression didn’t seem like he was just talking nonsense?
———
[12/10, 09:30, Haijing City Botanical Garden]
It was a workday, and the botanical garden was still crowded. This was the largest botanical garden in Haijing, with beautiful surroundings and a fragrant environment, making it an excellent spot for couples and family outings. Even though it was near Nancheng An Mountain, where there might still be criminals, time had gradually eased people’s fears, so even kindergartens dared to choose this place for activities.
After getting off the bus, Teacher Guan and Teacher Mao organized the children into a line. After counting them all, they led them to the group ticket window and entered the park in an orderly fashion. Yi Shi walked at the back, spotting a pair of Haijing colleagues dressed as a couple at the entrance. They exchanged glances and continued their actions.
Hours passed peacefully. Yi Shi, following the first class children, toured most of the botanical garden. During this time, he and Yu Ping continuously confirmed the surroundings, receiving answers of “safe, no abnormalities,” but his heart remained anxious.
The leaders were right; this operation had a very low margin for error. He had to stay fully focused, ensuring that every child was within his sight.
[12/10, 13:59, Botanical Garden Outdoor Plaza]
Teacher Guan led the children to the outdoor plaza. Passing by the fountain, someone shouted, “Pigeons!” The children rushed over, their laughter filling the air.
Yi Shi crossed his arms, meticulously watching over them. Zhang Rui appeared out of nowhere and whispered, “No abnormalities detected. Hey, if we could control them on the surveillance route, we could wrap things up and go home, right?”
Yi Shi smiled without speaking, fully aware that predetermined facts could not be changed.
Even with a well-prepared script and thorough preparations, they couldn’t counter the arrangements of fate. But the outcome wasn’t the only thing. What they could do was to do their best to prevent Lin Heyu’s case from perfectly replaying.
Soon, the “accident” abruptly appeared in Yi Shi’s line of sight.
By the fountain, he saw the figures of two children, a boy and a girl, dressed in tattered clothes. The two were squatting on the ground, with a pigeon in front of them. The boy picked up a piece of bread discarded by someone and tried to attract the pigeon.
Yi Shi squinted; this child… looked somewhat familiar?
The pigeon flew away, and the little girl squatted on the ground with a dejected expression. The little boy patted her head, bent down to search for another piece of bread, and as he turned, Yi Shi saw the boy’s bright, black eyes and was stunned.
This boy was none other than Xiao Shitou, who had followed Lin Heyu at the Southern Cheng’an Cemetery and was one of the orphans from the kidnapping case.
How did he end up here? More precisely, how did he end up in his world?
Yi Shi turned back and saw the children from the First Class of Aitemei Kindergarten still feeding pigeons at the outdoor plaza. The timid Jiang Yuanmin held a handful of white rice, and when the pigeons flew towards her, the little girl was so frightened she covered her head and crouched on the ground.
Yes, this was his world. The two children were the unexpected guests.
Yi Shi held his breath, took out his phone to snap a picture, and sent it to Lin Heyu to confirm. His gaze fell on the quiet little girl squatting on the ground. She should be the Gardenia, who hadn’t been rescued yet. Why was she peacefully with Xiao Shitou?
“Hey, what are you looking at?” Zhang Rui, noticing Yi Shi standing still, turned his head and asked curiously.
“Over there… two children.”
“Children?” Zhang Rui shrugged, “There are lots of children! My eyes are full of children! Don’t be dazed; if we lose one, we’re finished.”
“……” From Zhang Rui’s reaction, it was clear that he couldn’t see Xiao Shitou and Gardenia. It was like their surroundings, where the janitors swept around Gardenia’s feet without avoiding her.
Realizing that only he could see them, a subtle sense of astonishment and unease rose from his heart, spreading like ripples on the lake. He watched as Xiao Shitou held Gardenia’s hand, and they prepared to leave, pushing Zhang Rui’s arm: “Watch them. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Uh? Where are you going now?!” Zhang Rui tried to grab Yi Shi, “We’re about to head back!”
Unfortunately, Yi Shi was too quick; in the blink of an eye, he was gone, and Zhang Rui couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his clothing.
“……” Zhang Rui was genuinely exasperated. What could be more important than the mission? Or did he discover a suspicious person?
His pant leg was tugged, and Zhang Yuanmin, looking up at him, asked: “Uncle driver, where did Teacher Shi go?”
Zhang Rui was internally complaining; I’d like to know where he went too!
An order came through the earpiece: “Zhang Rui, it’s almost time to return. Get the children to the rest area quickly and join Yi Shi on the bus.”
“Captain Yuan, can you wait a moment? Um…” Zhang Rui glanced at his watch, “In about ten minutes, I’ll take the children back and then go to the school bus to wait.”
“Reason?”
“Uh—Yi Shi is feeling unwell, has a stomachache. He says he’ll be fine soon.” While delaying, Zhang Rui also sullied Yi Shi’s ethereal image.
He only gave Yi Shi ten minutes. If Yi Shi couldn’t make it back in time, he definitely wouldn’t take the blame!
———
Yi Shi followed Xiao Shitou and Gardenia, threading through the small path in the woods. He maintained a suitable distance; the botanical garden was crowded, and the two children were completely unaware of someone following them. Gradually, the bright sunlight disappeared, the sky was covered with a layer of gray mist, and the path they walked on became increasingly deserted. After passing through a thicket, they came to a low stone wall about four meters high, with barbed wire on top, indicating they had reached the edge of the botanical garden.
“Brother, should we climb up?”
“Hmm, we’ll go over from here.”
“But there’s a wire and electricity on top.”
“No, the wire here isn’t electrified.”
The two children transformed into agile monkeys, climbing up the stone wall quickly. Soon, they reached the bottom of the barbed wire, and in the blink of an eye, they were inside the wire.
Yi Shi squinted. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hole beneath the barbed wire just big enough for the children to fit through. Xiao Shitou and Gardenia held hands and continued climbing up the mountainside.
As the small figures were about to disappear into the dense foliage, Yi Shi hurriedly followed. He removed his troublesome outer jacket and tied it around his waist, tucked up his skirt, and climbed the stone wall and over the barbed wire, all within a minute.
A gust of wind blew, and a distant scream echoed. The sounds of flowers, birds, fish, and insects became suddenly clear. Yi Shi paused: Was that… an elephant?
Through the yellowed leaves, the outline of a large building became faintly visible. The mixed sounds of wild animals echoed together, and a broadcast announcement came:
“Welcome to Cheng’an Wildlife Park! The Antarctic Ice and Snow Pavilion has been newly upgraded, with a new ice and snow feast…”
This location wasn’t unfamiliar; after all, he had seen it repeatedly in the data. In Lin Heyu’s world, the Cheng An Botanical Garden’s location was precisely where Cheng’an Wildlife Park was.
A strange thought flashed through his mind. Yi Shi broke out in a cold sweat and took out the small gift Jiang Yuanmin had given him earlier. The text and patterns on it were reversed. He had to believe that he had followed the two children into another world.
The worst unexpected event had happened suddenly.
Yi Shi pressed his temples, forcing himself to calm down. According to the time rules of the two worlds, the longer he stayed here, the earlier the time would regress when he returned. Moreover, the entire botanical garden was well-guarded, so he didn’t have to worry too much about the kidnapping case there for now.
The current problem was that a kidnapping case could also happen here, and it would be an unprepared ambush. The two children who sneaked in without tickets might become hostages in the hands of the criminals.
“Hey, hey? Captain Yu, please respond if you hear me.”
Yi Shi held his ear, repeatedly calling out, but there was no response. He had inexplicably crossed into a mirrored world, and electronic signals couldn’t penetrate the wormhole—a fact already confirmed during interactions with Lin Heyu.
He took off his earpiece, unusually irritated. His phone had no signal, and the most advanced electronic device of the modern era was like a piece of scrap metal in his hands.
The two children successfully climbed to the Lion and Tiger Mountain. Gardenia stood on tiptoe to peek into the cage, and a tiger slowly emerged from the house. She clapped her hands excitedly: “Big tiger! Big tiger! It’s a real big tiger!”
Xiao Shitou patted her head: “There are elephants ahead, with very long trunks! Opposite the elephants are giraffes, whose necks, when lowered, look like a slide.”
Yi Shi kept an eye on the children wandering in the zoo while thinking about how to notify the Haijing police about the impending kidnapping case. The large display board showed “09:06”; his time was running out.
