Chapter 25: Doomed 01

Chapter 25: Doomed 01

In that moment, Yu Bai swore he missed the sensation of blacking out and feeling the world spin. He wished he could restart right where he was, in the next second.

What is this guy talking about? !

Why does it sound like he has memories from the loop too?!

"You just said…."

Just as Yu Bai was about to question in terror and despair, he suddenly realized something.

After Yu Bai had abruptly returned from the infinite loop to this reality, Xie Wufang's behavior had initially been normal.

He didn't seem to have any strange new memories; he was merely apologetic and disheartened by the neighbor's unfriendly behavior. He had also been distracted by physical contact with a human.

It wasn't until that mysterious grayish-white ball exhibited unusual behavior that the non-human neighbor's expression changed significantly.

With this thought in mind, Yu Bai swiftly strode towards the coffee table, grabbed the ball, and almost instinctively –

He tucked it under the cushion of a nearby sofa and promptly sat down on it, pressing it firmly beneath his body and the thick padding of the couch.

...

Apologies, but perhaps this is just how humans instinctively hide things.

"..."

The confusion in those gray-blue eyes did indeed dissipate for a moment because of this action, only to be replaced by a new sense of bewilderment.

Xie Wufang gazed at the figure that seemed to be exerting all its strength to sit on the sofa and uncertainly whispered, "Are... you alright?"

"I'm not alright at all!" Yu Bai, in a state of utter despair, shot back, "What on earth is this gift you gave me?!"

Yu Bai had received this small ball twice.

The first time was Xie Wufang's return gift for the watermelon in this timeline, and the second time was in a loop where almost every event of this timeline was replicated, again as Xie Wufang's response to the watermelon.

Yet in both instances, he hadn't had the chance to inquire about its nature. Yu Bai had once even imagined asking Xie Wufang directly what kind of return gift he would give, but the latter had replied that he didn't know – he wasn't good at imagining.

In the subsequent cycles where Yu Bai didn't attempt to replicate the events of this timeline, he indeed never received the small ball again, but instead received many different gifts from Xie Wufang. Gradually, he forgot about the little ball...

Well, now was not the time for reminiscing.

Yu Bai held his breath and dared not blink, intently watching the man before him with nervous anticipation.

Please, please let it not be the answer he feared.

Xie Wufang gazed back at him, seemingly hesitating for a moment, but still answered honestly, "It can preserve something for an incredibly long time... You could call it an Eternal Ball."

Half of Yu Bai's heart sank instantly, yet he still clung onto a sliver of hope. "What kind of things can it preserve?"

The god with black hair and blue eyes fell silent for a moment, giving up on concealing the truth as he whispered, "Anything that exists, but only once."

At that, Yu Bai gave up all resistance.

Fantastic, a horrifying storage device that can preserve anything permanently – he actually traded it back with just half a watermelon. Haha.

Though that watermelon was indeed enormous.

...Could this mysterious non-human, Mr., please not be so generous?

No wonder Yu Bai felt a strange sense of familiarity when the orb turned blue.

That **was the memory of him being stored inside the ball!

He only wanted to keep the cycle's events eternally imprinted in his heart, not in an everlasting orb!

Seeing Yu Bai's fluctuating expression, Xie Wufang spoke candidly, "I sensed some memories earlier... They were very familiar. It seems like I've spent a lot of time with you."

It's over.

Yu Bai closed his eyes tightly, covering his face with a hand. He barely mustered a response, "Oh."

"But I haven't had time to recall more yet."

!!

Yu Bai abruptly opened his eyes, barely daring to believe his ears. "Really? You don't remember what happened at all?"

Did he not utterly embarrass himself after all?

Shaking his head, Xie Wufang replied, "I don't recall. Now that they're fully inside the Eternal Sphere, I can't sense them for the time being, so I can't be sure what's inside."

Yu Bai straightened up, releasing his hands from his face. Suddenly, he felt as though he could carry on living with resilience once more.

Strictly speaking, it was temporary resilience.

Because Xie Wufang had said he couldn't sense anything for now.

Lost in thought, Yu Bai gazed at the man before him, oscillating between the urge to punch him and gratitude for his honesty.

Regardless, there was no way he could defeat Xie Wufang.

In one of the loops, he had forbidden Xie Wufang from using extraordinary abilities, and then...

Enough, no more wandering down memory lane.

Yu Bai labored to sort through the nearly overwhelming memories in his mind, attempting to distinguish the looping world that only he currently remembered from the long-separated reality.

It had been a week since the elevator accident. Doctor Chen had retired on schedule and embarked on a journey of relaxation.

Uncle Li, the head of the Criminal Investigation Unit, deemed Yu Bai's description of the enigmatic neighbor as a trauma-induced fantasy, believing Xie Wufang posed no danger. He even advocated the idea that a good neighbor is worth more than a distant relative.

Sun Tiantian continued his legitimate business, promptly arranging for a new elevator to be installed after learning of the malfunction. The replacement was currently underway, while Yu Bai maintained his distance from Sun Tiantian and the bodyguards assigned to him.

Mr. Wang, whom Yu Bai had met in the faulty elevator, continued running his hardware store and recently volunteered to reinstall soundproofing throughout his house.

As a result, the strange noises within the walls barely affected Yu Bai now. He knew their source was a little girl playing inside, but was unaware that she was regularly beaten by her alcoholic father, He Xi.

Similarly, he hadn't trespassed into the long-haired man's apartment to listen to the drumming that seemed to embody life itself.

Aside from Yu Bai, Yan Jing was the sole witness to the kitchen explosion and subsequent restoration, the giant yoga ball-sized watermelon, and was convinced that the neighbor, Xie Wufang, was not of this world.

Of course, at this point, neither of them knew the man's name was Xie Wufang.

Before angrily pounding on his neighbor's door tonight, Yu Bai had just returned from Yan Jing's place after dinner, deeply preoccupied with the sunflower that had appeared on the countertop in the adjacent kitchen. He couldn't fathom why that enigmatic, academically proficient non-human would choose to mimic his actions.

...But now, Yu Bai understood.

Consequently, he found himself unable to say anything too harsh to Xie Wufang, someone whose name they had exchanged countless times before.

Lost in thought, Yu Bai struggled for a while before settling on a somewhat annoyed glare. "Why didn't you tell me its purpose when you gave it to me?"

Xie Wufang was about to offer an explanation but decided against it, promptly apologizing instead. "I'm sorry, I assumed you'd know."

How could any ordinary human possibly know that this was a heaven-defying storage device!

He had even suspected it to be an extraterrestrial egg and attempted to incubate it with a doll.

Wait, speaking of incubating eggs...

Yu Bai suddenly realized that he was sitting on this small ball.

Though, there were thick couch cushions between them.

...It feels so awkward.

Yu Bai considered switching seats or retrieving the small ball, but at the thought of it, he held back, caught in a dilemma and unable to settle comfortably.

In the silent exchange of glances, Xie Wufang seemed to have deciphered the source of Yu Bai's discomfort.

The man with blue eyes spoke softly, "You can take it out. I doubt I'll gain more memories from it."

But you said "doubt"!

Yu Bai was not about to take that chance.

He replied sternly, "I don't intend to remove it."

The man across from him respected his denial, "My apologies."

"No more apologies!"

Xie Wufang paused before responding, "Alright."

...Why is he so obedient to him?

Just like when they were adventuring together in the loop.

Yu Bai felt an indescribable discomfort.

After realizing he had left the loop, he had resolved to keep his distance from this unpredictable non-human, to return to his mundane and solitary days, and to live out his dream of a quiet, ordinary life.

But still.

Yu Bai, unwilling to leave the couch, instinctively instructed him, "Turn around now, close the door for me, and then go back home."

This time, Xie Wufang didn't say "okay." He remained standing there silently, then spoke after a brief pause, his eyes shimmering with profound regret.

"In this continuous timeline, those memories don't exist here. Did I leave you trapped all alone—"

This guy was clever in all the wrong places.

Yu Bai hastily interrupted him, deliberately emphasizing his words, "It doesn't matter, I had fun anyway."

He was genuinely, truly happy.

He turned away and urged, "Hurry up and go home. I’m going to lock the door and sleep."

Yet, when Xie Wufang, who had believed his excuse, seemed to be really turning around, Yu Bai couldn't help but call out again, "Wait, I have one more question for you."

Those breathtakingly beautiful gray-blue eyes looked at him once more.

Yu Bai asked, "Why did you give me this... Eternal Sphere?"

Aside from its size, the ordinary watermelon was no match for the extraordinary device that could preserve everything. They were not comparable gifts by any means.

The latter was far too grand, surpassing any guesses he might have made.

In the loop, Xie Wufang often said he wasn't good at imagining things, but now, he didn't need imagination to know why he did it a week ago.

They were in the single, correct timeline with an undeniable answer.

Yu Bai waited earnestly for him to speak.

He knew this was someone who wouldn't lie.

Sure enough, Xie Wufang didn't hold back.

He said, "That night, I received the watermelon you left at my door, but there were no utensils in the kitchen, so I went out to the supermarket to buy some."

Yubai had witnessed this scene firsthand in that loop that almost replicated the current timeline.

He sat on a small stool in the kitchen, secretly observing the neighbor's movements. He saw Xie Wufang open each cabinet in the kitchen one by one, only to find them all empty.

Thus, Yubai reacted instinctively, "But when you came back from the supermarket, you went straight home. Nothing unusual happened on your way there or back, right?"

How did this experience relate to delivering the small ball?

Xie Wufang was taken aback. "How do you know that?"

"..." Yubai's gaze wandered. "Don't worry about it."

Upon hearing this, Xie Wufang seemed to be deep in thought.

"Stop thinking too much!" Yu Bai, realizing his slip of tongue, hastily interrupted his thoughts. "Continue with your story."

He did as instructed.

"I saw many sights along the way," Xie Wufang spoke softly. "...And countless fleeting moments."

"I used to believe that time was the least significant thing."

Under the dim indoor light, the frozen lake that seemed to be captured in his eyes was eerily still.

Yu Bai suddenly understood the reason and found himself lost in thought.

On that moonlit night, he had witnessed Xie Wufang pausing in front of a fruit store brimming with seasonal produce, stopping by the entrance of a luggage store adorned with clearance banners, and standing before supermarket shelves, picking up brightly packaged food items, flipping them over, and silently reading the tiny printed words on the back.

In the world of humans, time was omnipresent.

A spicy Sichuan pepper-flavored instant noodle could only be preserved for six months – a short lifespan, yet a single day could stretch long enough for dust to accumulate on closing-down sale banners. A deep green watermelon enjoyed an entire summer, but once cut open, its crimson flesh would remain sweet for just one more night.

Fragile and insignificant humans hurriedly moved forward, paying great attention to the chaotic and transient nature of time throughout their journey.

And so, the deity, with eons at their disposal, received their first gift from a mortal.

In return, they secretly offered eternity in kind.