Chapter 146
Xu Shuangrong had thought that after failing her mission, she would immediately be sent back along with the system.
But it seemed something unexpected had happened.
Xu Shuangrong had attracted the attention of the police.
When the police were returning seven-year-old Xu Shuangrong to the village, they learned from the villagers that she had been taken away by a strange woman.
Suspecting the murderer might have an accomplice, they immediately began pursuing Xu Shuangrong.
The system said the time-travel cooldown wasn’t ready, so tonight she couldn’t go back.
And so, Xu Shuangrong began her journey of escape.
Xie Mi: “…”
Truly a wildly exhilarating plot development.
Because her own identity made it inconvenient to be directly linked to this case, she used the excuse of having found a lost child to take Little Shen Yiqing to the police station, and ended up napping on one of the benches there overnight.
Little Shen Yiqing looked at his sister, whose face for some reason was smudged with grayish dust, and obediently got up to ask a police officer for a blanket. He then came over and covered her with it.
The sister turned over and kicked the blanket off with a single foot.
Little Shen Yiqing was startled, quickly ran over, picked it up, and covered her again. Kick off, cover, kick off, cover again.
Even the night-shift police officers found it amusing. Eventually, they raised the air conditioner a few degrees and let it go.
Little Shen Yiqing watched his sister sleep for a while, then tiptoed over to lie down on a nearby chair.
He slept very soundly—he hadn’t had such a peaceful sleep in a long time.
By the time the morning sunlight lit up the police station and the noise returned, he was still somewhat reluctant to wake.
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up from the chair, and the blanket slid off him.
He blinked, staring at the scene before him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly realized something. Sleepiness vanished immediately.
Sister? Where was his sister?
He hurriedly got up, then remembered something and ran to the police officer’s desk to retrieve the phone watch he had left there charging last night. Whispering a quick “thank you,” he ran out.
The early morning street was full of life—the aroma of breakfast, birds chirping, apricot trees swaying in the wind along the roadside.
Little Shen Yiqing ran, and in the distance finally saw a familiar figure.
She stood under an apricot tree with her back to him, hands on her hips, laughing at something—still looking a bit silly.
Clutching the phone watch, Little Shen Yiqing suddenly had an idea. He raised it and took a photo of the figure.
Just after he took it, the figure suddenly ran off, shouting as she went:
“What the—so sudden? I’m not ready yet, don’t, don’t—”
Little Shen Yiqing’s heart raced. Instinctively, he ran after her.
“Six…”
He hesitated, then shouted loudly:
“Sister Six!”
Swish—swish—
A breeze blew, and apricot petals ruffled down from the tree. Little Shen Yiqing, momentarily blinded by the wind, raised his hand to shield his eyes.
When he opened them again, all that remained was an empty street.
He froze, wanting to run forward, but a police officer who had caught up from behind stopped him.
“Little one, you can’t suddenly run off! I called for you for a long time and couldn’t get your attention. You have to wait quietly at the station until your father comes to pick you up.”
“…”
Little Shen Yiqing didn’t respond, staring at the spot where the figure had disappeared. The phone watch in his hand was still slightly warm.
He blinked, opened the watch, and found the photo he had just taken.
The police officer leaned over, ruffling his hair with a smile.
“Landscape shot? Very nice! But before taking photos, you need to let me know. Little ones shouldn’t run out alone.”
Little Shen Yiqing pressed his lips tightly.
The photo only showed an empty street and the apricot tree; the figure had been completely erased.
Sister Six…
Are you really a nonexistent celestial being?
…
Xie Mi suddenly opened her eyes.
Before her was a familiar scene:
The study, a steaming foot bath bubbling beside her, a plate of shelled macadamia nuts, and a man working across from her.
Noticing her gaze, Shen Yiqing looked up from the screen and smiled at her.
“Awake?”
“How long did I sleep?”
“About half an hour.”
Shen Yiqing chuckled softly, his voice extremely gentle. “I almost thought Teacher Xie was going to sleep early today. Turns out it was just a nap. So, Teacher Xie, until what time are you planning to play ranked tonight?”
Xie Mi narrowed her eyes dangerously.
This little brat had really grown bold—he even teased her.
But then again…
Shen Yiqing’s childhood self and the present Shen Yiqing were completely different in character.
How did that timid, obedient little poor thing grow into the current version?
Truly worth pondering.
“What are you looking at me for, Teacher Xie?” Shen Yiqing asked, smiling.
“I think you still have charm.”
“…Huh?”
“I mean, you’re very handsome. Oh, I haven’t put my clothes away yet, so I’ll leave it for now. You handle your work first, I’ll go back to my room!”
With something on her mind, Xie Mi didn’t linger, finding a quick excuse and slipping away.
“…”
Shen Yiqing watched her departing figure thoughtfully, lips slightly pursed, eyes shimmering.
…
Back in her room, Xie Mi immediately opened her computer and searched for the child abduction case from sixteen years ago.
Although she had never followed this news before, such a major incident would certainly be searchable.
Sure enough, it appeared immediately.
Sixteen years ago, a child abduction case that shocked the entire nation ended with the capture of the perverted murderer, and all seven children were rescued.
Seeing this result, Xie Mi’s heart stirred.
The plot had indeed changed. In other words, the current Shen Yiqing was the same Shen Yiqing who had survived that incident sixteen years ago.
So…
In eight-year-old Shen Yiqing’s memory, had she once appeared?
Was this the true reason Shen Yiqing recognized her?
She finally understood what the witch’s words meant:
[Met, but haven’t met yet.]
She had met the current Shen Yiqing, but had not yet experienced the moment in Shen Yiqing’s memory when they first met.
That was probably why Shen Yiqing had said, “You don’t know me.”
Because in Shen Yiqing’s memory, they had already known each other.
Lost in thought, Xie Mi again heard the voices of Xu Shuangrong and the system.
[Xu Shuangrong: How dare you mess with me?!]
[System: What are you saying! What do you mean mess with you?! Who messed with you? Who did I mess with? Who messed with whom?!]
[Xu Shuangrong: There’s no time-travel cooldown. You could have brought me back anytime, but you didn’t. Watching me being chased and running from the police, looking so messy—are you happy about that?!]
[System: Slander! That’s slander!]
Xie Mi burst out laughing.
Hey, these two are still fighting among themselves?
Earlier, she had heard their argument while outside, couldn’t help laughing, and rushed out of the police station, laughing wildly—only to then hear the system’s notification that she would be sent back, catching her completely off guard.
