Chapter 48: A Different Time 14

Chapter 48: A Different Time 14

The bright moon hung high in the sky. In the serene and refined chess room, the atmosphere was tense and fraught.

In another corner of the vast courtyard, under the same moonlight, things weren't much better.

The phone in Yu Bai's hand kept ringing incessantly. As he left the chess room, he walked quickly, scanning the unfamiliar houses and scenery on both sides as if searching for something.

As he searched, he asked Yan Jing, who had at least explored the garden earlier, "I need to take Tian Ge's call. Do you know where I can…"

Yu Bai's question was hurried, and his words stumbled as he momentarily struggled to find the right description.

But Yan Jing, who had fled with him, understood his tone and glance at the incoming video call from Tian Ge on the screen instantly.

He immediately pulled Yu Bai in another direction, "Let's go to that room! I saw a huge TV and a gaming console just now. Uncle said we could use them freely!"

Yan Jing had long decided what he wanted to do that night. He had purposefully observed the surroundings during their stroll through the garden. If not for Yuan Yuhang insisting on using them as cover to watch that utterly boring game of Go, he would have already been happily munching on snacks, watching TV, and playing games with He Xi!

Yu Bai breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards the room, urging him, "Quickly turn it on!"

Yan Jing was faster than him, needing no reminder to dash into the room they had been eyeing, turning on the lights, TV, and grabbing the remote with seamless fluidity.

It was reminiscent of their childhood summers, when they would swiftly turn off the TV, cover it with a cloth, rush to their desks, and grab their pens as soon as they heard their strict parents returning home from work.

When the persistent video call finally went through after ringing for the third time, a middle-aged man with an imposing demeanor and anxious expression appeared on the screen, greeted by a heartwarming scene.

"Why did you take so long to answer? I've called you several times!"

On Sun Tiantian's rugged face, concern was etched deep. "What happened, Little Bai? My flight just landed, I'll head over right away!"

However, upon seeing the video feed clearly, his anxious words ceased, and he changed his tone. "Oh, Little Yan is there too?"

In the glow of warm yellow light on the phone screen, a brown-haired young man lounged in a seemingly cozy sofa with a casual expression, the faint sounds of a lively TV show playing in the background.

In the bottom right corner of the screen, a tousled head popped out, apparently surprised by the incoming call. The eyes widened abruptly, a radiant smile blooming as a cheerful greeting was offered, "Wow, it's Brother Tian!"

"..."

Beside him, Yu Bai's face twitched imperceptibly, silently suppressing a wave of goosebumps.

It wasn't that he was being picky; the acting was genuinely over-the-top.

In a film set, the director would have thrown a tantrum and smashed a teacup in frustration!

Fortunately, Brother Tian's emotions were fluctuating wildly, so he didn't notice anything amiss. Instead, he heaved a sudden sigh of relief at Yan Jing's exaggerated performance.

"I feel more at ease with Little Yan around. Those idiots like Qiang are just..." Sun Tiantian sighed, his face softening into a loving smile. "Are you two watching TV at home?"

He studied the background of the video and was surprised. "Hey, this isn't your place or Little Yan's, is it?"

"We're hanging out at a friend's place," Yu Bai chimed in promptly, lying without a hint of guilt. "I had my phone on silent, so I didn't notice your call earlier. Sorry about that, Brother Tian."

Sun Tiantian walked while chatting. "Oh, don't apologize for that! It's no big deal."

The background of the video showed an airport, with glimpses of other hurried underlings in the vicinity.

Yu Bai asked, "Aren't you supposed to be out of town? Why are you back tonight?"

"I heard you had an incident at the police station, and Qiang couldn't be with you since he's locked up," Sun Tiantian said, his tone filled with frustration. "And that bastard, Li, wouldn't pick up my calls! How could I stay put? Of course, I had to come back and check on you!"

Recalling the afternoon when Uncle Li treated him as a suspect, Yu Bai dared not respond. He quickly brushed off the topic. "Oh, about that... I've texted you already. Really, I'm fine. It was just a misunderstanding, and I got quite a scare, but I've recovered completely."

"How could it just be a scare?!" Sun Tiantian disagreed. As if reminded by something, he spoke urgently, "That incident this afternoon almost scared me to death!"

Yu Bai was slightly confused. "What? You're talking about the police chasing me?"

"That's nothing! Even if you did cause trouble, I could fix it for you!"

Yu Bai hastily interrupted the former mob boss's bold statement. "No, no, no — there's no need! I really didn't cause any trouble!"

As a law-abiding citizen, such words were unsettling to him.

"Anyway, if anything did happen, you don't have to worry. I've got your back!"

Sun Tiantian waved his hand, returning to the previous topic. "I'm talking about the sky turning into a mirror, isn't that what's playing on TV right now? Every TV in the world is discussing this now!"

It was then that Yu Bai came to his senses.

Indeed, the massive television screen ahead was broadcasting news, with a striking headline displayed beneath it: "Breaking Event! Unprecedented Phenomena Simultaneously Emerge in Skies Across the Globe!"

To the left of the newsfeed was a silent video loop of a dusky blue sky that seemed to mirror the earth below like a tranquil lake. On the right, a female anchor sat with poise, her expression grave as she read from her teleprompter.

"Is this an omen of Armageddon? An unprecedented global mirage? Or some other possibility beyond our current foresight? More than five hours have passed since the occurrence, and as yet, no definitive conclusion has been reached. Now, let's connect with a renowned astronomer for insights..."

Beside him, Yan Jing also belatedly noticed the content flashing across the hurriedly turned-on television.

He had come across similar news in the real world before.

However, that time, the anomaly in the sky occurred at night, making it appear more striking and eerie. He was so worried then that he even called Little Bai to discuss it for a while.

But on that call, Little Bai was surprisingly calm about the global sensation, which left Yan Jing in awe. Amidst his astonishment, Little Bai even found the humor to joke, claiming that the reflection in the sky was his doing.

...

Wait a minute!

At this moment, Yan Jing, upon seeing that familiar shade of gray-blue in the news footage that had become increasingly recognizable over the past two days, suddenly realized something.

Was that statement not a joke? !

Just as he was about to exclaim in utter astonishment, someone kicked him lightly as if to remind him to keep quiet.

Taking advantage of the moment when Brother Tian turned his head in the video, Yu Bai promptly covered his phone and whispered to Yan Jing, "Switch channels!"

Yan Jing, who had just pieced everything together, hastily grabbed the remote control to change the channel while looking at Yu Bai with an expression of discovery, silently exclaiming in amazement, "It really was you!"

Yu Bai shot back a somewhat defeated glare.

All he had done was tug at Xie Wufang's collar in the real world and casually grab Xie Wufang's wrist in this timeline.

Who would have thought that such chaos would ensue in both worlds!

Besides, he could at most be considered an accomplice.

The main culprit was that otherworldly being with terrifying powers!

...Even though he was the one who initiated both incidents.

How could he have foreseen that Xie Wufang, in a moment of distraction, would cause the entire Earth to be enveloped by this bizarre lake?

Come to think of it, should he be grateful that this guy usually exercises at least some control over his powers when he's conscious?

Amidst the chorus of his underlings' voices, Sun Tiantian turned back, startled, and grew worried once more. "Look at that face! I knew you were scared too! I'll come over right now, don't be afraid, Little Bai!"

No, he wasn't scared.

He was merely apologetic for the billions of people worldwide who had been frightened.

At the same time, he was particularly disinclined to face this chaotic alternate world, nor the equally chaotic real world.

This made him feel a touch of despair, a hint of wishing for death.

And a dash of wanting to laugh.

...That was all.

"No need, no need!" Yu Bai's expression swiftly changed as he yawned genuinely. "I'm quite exhausted now. Brother Tian, you've had a long journey too. Why don't we both get some rest and meet tomorrow?"

In Sun Tiantian's eyes, after all that had happened to Yu Bai today – being chased by the police and discovering anomalies in the world – not to mention the unattainable phone call, a face-to-face meeting was necessary for complete reassurance.

If Yu Bai insisted on not letting him come over, it would only heighten Sun Tiantian's concerns.

Yu Bai was well aware of this, but today, he was utterly drained.

The truth was, he hadn't just been watching TV at a friend's house with Yan Jing.

It was an affluent, elderly friend who owned a sprawling garden.

And accompanying the two of them was a hunched, old-fashioned little boy, and an eight-year-old primary school student who was planning to skip school the next day.

These details might be relatively easy to explain.

The biggest issue, however...

Was the non-human entity that was now inseparable from him.

Sun Tiantian had yet to meet Xie Wufang but must have heard about him from Qiang and others. He surely harbored suspicions about this stranger who had suddenly appeared in his life and landed him in the police station.

After all, this was an ex-gang leader who had weathered storms and possessed an instinctive wariness. He cared deeply for Sun Tiantian, and that care only fueled his suspicion.

Xie Wufang, on the other hand, was honest and straightforward, with a detached attitude towards other humans.

Recalling the encounter in Yu Bai's loop where he had introduced Xie Wufang to Big Brother Tian for the first time, it hadn't been a pleasant scene.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how their meeting would play out this time.

Sigh.

The mere thought caused Yu Bai such agony that he wished to shut his eyes forever.

Enough of that, he would deal with it tomorrow.

Looking back at the middle-aged man on his phone screen, Yu Bai engaged him in more small talk, striving to portray a composed and stable demeanor. Eventually, he managed to reassure the concerned and brotherly Big Brother Tian, at least for the time being.

"Big Brother Tian, I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, alright, alright." Sun Tiantian, on the phone, waved at him affectionately, "Get some rest with a lazy sleep! I'll come find you tomorrow!"

Yu Bai hung up the call and let out a long sigh of relief, immediately collapsing onto the sofa, unwilling to move.

He was so exhausted.

He faintly heard footsteps coming from outside but didn't bother to turn around, assuming it was just an unfamiliar servant passing by.

Yan Jing, sitting beside him, nudged him with something.

Like a motionless salted fish, Yu Bai remained still, his gaze slowly drifting over, as if he would fall into unconsciousness in the next second. "What's up?"

Seeing his state, Yan Jing's tone was filled with regret, "You're not really going to sleep, are you? Are you that tired?"

As he spoke, Yu Bai noticed the two game controllers in Yan Jing's hands and the vibrant game interface on the television screen in front of them.

Previously, Yan Jing had been switching channels as per Yu Bai's request, but after flipping through numerous channels, all he found were the same earth-shattering news that had taken the world by storm, only with different perspectives and speculations.

In a hurry, he had rushed over to turn on the gaming console next to the TV, drowning out the news that Yu Bai didn't want to hear.

The game had already loaded, paused at the ready-to-start screen.

Amidst the lively and upbeat game music, Yan Jing pondered for a moment before grinning at Yu Bai. "It's already on, wanna give it a shot?"

In truth, since they were in the game room earlier, Yu Bai had been feeling sleepy and had yawned discreetly multiple times.

He wasn't lying to Brother Tian; he genuinely intended to go to sleep.

However,

the vivid, flickering television screen in his peripheral vision and the brand new game controller within arm's reach caught his attention.

Yu Bai hesitated for a second before involuntarily reaching out to take it.

He said solemnly, "Just one round."

...It seemed one could play games even while lounging on the sofa.

Upon hearing this, Yan Jing promptly sat up straight with delight, saying, "I knew you dote on me!"

Yu Bai lounged lazily on the sofa, dismissing the suggestion with a casual, "Scram, don't disgust me."

Both of them turned their gaze to the massive television screen, pressing the start button in unison.

Yan Jing was visibly delighted. "Let's play a round first. Then I'll find He Xi. Bullying kids isn't much fun; it's more entertaining to play with you. Hey, why don't you stay awake? Let's battle until dawn!"

Yu Bai chuckled. "As if you're guaranteed to trample over the little one."

"Of course, she still needs my guidance!"

As Yan Jing spoke, his entire body trembled abruptly.

"I find it odd. Why do I suddenly feel... crushed? I've had this feeling since earlier, but I thought it was just an illusion."

Yu Bai took it as a joke and focused intently on the game's starting screen. "Oh, so you already know you're going to lose to me? You're quite perceptive."

"No! I'm serious, it's getting clearer!"

Yan Jing's face paled as he dropped the controller, collapsing backward onto the sofa's backrest. He pounded his chest repeatedly. "I feel like I'm suffocating! Oh God, am I dying? Or is the apocalypse really here? Help, I can barely speak anymore..."

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Yu Bai, utterly perplexed, didn't finish his sentence when he heard a knock on the door.

The sharp and resolute sound pierced through the darkness of the night.

He instinctively turned his head.

And then, without warning, he found himself staring into a familiar blue.

A man with black hair and blue eyes had somehow appeared outside the house, silently observing everything before him.

The bright light from inside illuminated his chiseled, stern jawline, but it seemed unable to penetrate those clear, captivating eyes.

The usually tranquil gray-blue lake within them was now rippling with emotion, but not the unease or distraction that Yu Bai had seen before... It was a vibrant, intense feeling that sent shivers down one's spine, an oppressive coldness.

Yu Bai mused, somewhat dazed, that he had never seen Xie Wufang like this before.

There was a faint resemblance to the cold, decisive demeanor he had exhibited in the chess room earlier, as he moved his pieces with ruthless precision across the board.

But that was just a game of chess.

Unfazed, Yu Bai's first impression was that the man before him was in a foul mood. For a moment, he didn't have the time to ponder over his friend's inexplicable behavior and instinctively called out, "Little Xie? Aren't you continuing the game?"

"No more," he replied calmly. "The second round is over too."

Yu Bai blurted, "That quickly?!"

Xie Wufang had actually agreed to play a second round with the elderly man.

Moreover, Yu Bai had only stepped out to make a call and play a game. How could the second round already be finished?

It couldn't have been more than twenty minutes.

Logically, it was implausible for an ordinary human like Zhang Yunjiang to win so swiftly; he must have lost.

So why was Xie Wufang in a bad mood after winning two games in a row?

Wait a moment.

Yu Bai suddenly thought of a more serious issue.

When had this guy shown up? !

After he had ended the call with the excuse of going to sleep, he had been so eager to relax that he hadn't paid much attention to the outside world. He vaguely recalled hearing footsteps.

To be honest, this situation felt eerily familiar.

The last time he had claimed he was going to sleep but then did something else...

Xie Wufang had been the one who witnessed his lie from start to finish.

...

How could it be such a coincidence?!

He was about to embarrass himself again!

Amidst the chaotic thoughts, Yu Bai nervously stared at the man standing by the door. His fair earlobe flushed a delicate red from embarrassment, particularly noticeable under the light.

It was also reflected in that grayish-blue lake.

Their eyes met, seemingly oblivious to everything else around them. The water rippled gently, as if sinking something deeply rooted in instinct to the bottom of the lake, softening the chilling hue.

Yan Jing, who had been silently writhing on the sofa like a dried-up fish, suddenly gasped for air. He abruptly realized he could breathe and speak again, exclaiming in shock, "I'm still alive! Oh my God, I didn't die!!"

"..." So, he was indeed having a fit earlier, right?

Relieved by the sound of Xie Wufang's voice, Yu Bai couldn't spare a glance back. All his focus was on the person before him.

He didn't dare to hope much, but still held onto a tiny sliver of hope. Taking a deep breath, he tried to appear calm as he asked, "When did you come over?"

Yu Bai desperately wished Xie Wufang would say, "Just now."

Even if it were a lie.

Sadly, the non-human was nothing like him and had no fondness for deception.

Under the thick veil of night, the man gazed down at his anxious expression, his voice aloof.

"When you told the person on the phone that you were going to sleep."