Useful Information

Ye Shuang had now completely calmed down, sipping goji berry water from his thermos as he pondered.

At the moment, he had no idea how to re-enter that strange state again. After his conversation with An Shiyu, he had tried once more but failed.

The clock was still ticking away in reverse, yet nothing happened.

Perhaps it needed to recharge, like a battery—but how could he choose the specific point in time to return to?

What a headache…

"Systems in novels and TV shows are always so intelligent. Did someone from the future gift me a defective product?" Ye Shuang took another sip of water and shook his head helplessly.

Even if he could alter the past, it wouldn’t change his own future. It would only create a new timeline, like a parallel world—one he couldn’t see or touch.

"If my parents could live well in another timeline, wouldn’t that count as a form of redemption for me?" Ye Shuang murmured to himself.

"……"

If only he could change his own future or stay forever in a certain moment.

Clearing his thoughts, Ye Shuang shook his head and checked the time—it was already the end of the workday. Due to the stalker incident and Gu Wanqing’s suicide attempt, he decided to drive Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke home.

After sending a message to Bai Yuyou, he stepped out of the school infirmary.

"Brother, over here!"

Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou were waiting on the first floor. Spotting Ye Shuang, they waved at him.

"Let’s go. For now, don’t walk home—I’ll drive you." Ye Shuang had originally encouraged them to walk together so they could experience the normal after-school routines of high school girls. But given the recent circumstances, he couldn’t help but worry.

When they reached the underground parking lot, Ye Shuang found his Audi sandwiched between two tiny electric cars—this time in different colors.

Ye Shuang: "……"

Just how many of these "spicy fish heads" did An Shiyu buy?

And were they all modified?

He glanced at the green license plates.

[Yuehai 77777]

[Yuehai 11111]

Recalling the previous Yuehai 66666 plate, did she own nine of these things?

"Brother, these baby buses are so cute! I want to buy one someday," Tang Keke said, eyeing the brightly colored mini cars with curiosity.

"That’s not a baby bus—it’s called a 'spicy fish head,'" Ye Shuang corrected before getting into the car.

As they drove out of the garage, Ye Shuang glanced toward the school gate, where a crowd of reporters and social media creators had gathered. With all the wild rumors circulating, some uninformed onlookers had even started causing trouble.

"Wow, it’s crazy. There are so many people blocking the entrance," Tang Keke exclaimed, peering out the window.

"Yeah." Ye Shuang kept his eyes on the road before turning to Bai Yuyou in the passenger seat. "Were you scared today?"

Bai Yuyou didn’t respond but gave a slight nod.

Ye Shuang reached over and gently patted her head in reassurance.

"How is… the girl?" Bai Yuyou asked softly.

"She’s still in critical condition. I’ve done all I can. Even if she wakes up, she might never walk again—or worse, remain unconscious or spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair." A fleeting image crossed Ye Shuang’s mind—the girl whispering "thank you" before jumping.

As if she had nothing left to hold onto.

"That’s so tragic. I heard the stalker still hasn’t been caught," Tang Keke added, clenching her fists.

"Still at large?"

"Yeah! He’s slippery as an eel. If only we knew where he was hiding." Tang Keke swung a tiny punch. "I just hope no other girls at our school fall victim."

"They’ll catch him," Ye Shuang said.

But then a thought struck him. "How was the girl’s abuse discovered in the first place?"

"I’m not sure about the details, but I heard it was in a daily rental apartment. The landlord heard strange noises and went in to check," Tang Keke explained.

Daily rentals…

Such places were common, even in developed cities—cheap, rundown rooms rented by the day, where no one cared about your identity.

The police were probably already tracking leads, but for now, the stalker remained elusive.

If only he could return to the day the stalker rented that room—maybe then he could uncover clues about the man’s identity.

Ye Shuang’s thoughts drifted back to the reversing clock.

Wait—if the clock could take him to specific moments in time, even if it couldn’t change his own future, he could still use it to uncover crucial information!

For example… who was behind Bai Yuyou’s abduction years ago?

The owner of that phone number.

At a red light, Ye Shuang’s gaze lingered on Bai Yuyou. He rarely stared at someone long enough to trigger the information window—partly because the text was intrusive, and partly because he disliked prying into others’ privacy.

[Character: Bai Yuyou

The adorable girl under your care—perfect for hugs, kisses, and lifting high.]

In the upper right corner, the clock ticked slowly.

Ye Shuang focused on it—

Suddenly, the hands spun rapidly backward!

It worked!

But after a few rotations, the clock abruptly stopped and reset.

Ye Shuang: "……"

Like a deflated balloon, nothing happened.

"Brother, green light," Tang Keke reminded him. The sound of impatient honking snapped Ye Shuang back to reality, and he pressed the accelerator.

"Ye Shuang, what’s wrong?" Bai Yuyou asked.

She had noticed him staring at her, then squinting as if trying to see something clearly.

The girl glanced down at her schoolbag.

Had it… gotten bigger?

As he drove, Ye Shuang considered the clock’s brief activation. It had clearly responded—perhaps it simply lacked enough energy to travel back over a decade to Bai Yuyou’s abduction.

That made sense.

The clock had moved, just not enough to complete the journey.

If only there were some kind of "electronic X-gear" to give it a boost.

"To test my theory, I’ll need to visit Gu Manman this afternoon," Ye Shuang muttered, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.