Yummy So Delicious

Fang Qi looked at her, opening his mouth slightly.

She was talking about that trap on the mountain?

Falling into darkness before he could even struggle...

A nonexistent void?

Nonexistent...?

Ah...!

Lin Xiaoyou picked up another steamed bun and started chomping away at it, making "ahm ahm" sounds.

But Fang Qi stood frozen in place.

...That made sense.

It made, perfect, sense!

If the world really was singular, then the other timeline no longer existed!

It had been replaced, erased by the current world!

But his previous save point...

Was still anchored to that timeline that no longer existed!

If he reverted now, where would he go back to?

...He didn't know.

Because...

That coordinate no longer existed!

That living room on the morning, that cup of tea at 52 degrees, that silver-haired girl across the coffee table...

All of it was gone!

The whole world might still restart from that morning, but...

Anchored to the wrong coordinate, what would he fall into?

Would he...

Fall into a complete, total void of nothingness?

Just like...

That pitch-black darkness on the mountain that swallowed him whole.

A void that didn't belong to this world.

Fang Qi's eyes trembled.

...It all made sense now.

That was the explanation!

So on the first day, even though Liguang was so jealous it triggered a global catastrophe, she still protected the area he was in!

She didn't dare let him die!

Didn't dare let him suffer irreversible harm!

Didn't dare let any external force push him...

Out of this timeline!

So she carefully guarded this city!

Then in the middle of the night, she "descended from heaven" and brewed him that cup of tea.

She was saving him.

Making him save his progress in this world!

Making him anchor himself to this new world's coordinate!

So that after he reverted...

He could still open his eyes in this world, just like now!

"Mm...!"

Lin Xiaoyou swallowed the bun in her mouth.

"Looks like big bro has figured it out now."

Seeing the look of sudden realization on Fang Qi's face, she giggled.

"Get it now, big bro?"

She picked up another bun and started chomping again!

Her cheeks puffed up!

"Mm...! So good, so good—this bun shop hasn't changed, still as delicious as ever!"

"Back in the day, I used to drag Xiaoqing here to eat all the time!"

She chewed while muttering indistinctly.

"Who would've thought—the whole world changed, but this bun shop is still here!"

"Mm... the owner likes opening bun shops in every world, huh... so good...!"

Fang Qi looked at her puffed cheeks, but his brow furrowed slightly.

Wait...

Something was off.

"...No."

"Hm?"

Lin Xiaoyou still had half a bun stuffed in her cheek, blinking at him.

"What's wrong?"

Fang Qi stared at the bun in front of him, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Lin Xiaoyou, did you forget..."

He looked up at the round-faced girl still chewing.

"How exactly did we get to this 'timeline'?"

The movement of Lin Xiaoyou's chewing paused slightly.

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes.

...He remembered very clearly.

It was in that chaotic rule-space, when Liguang bit him to death, then destroyed herself...

They had only arrived in this world thanks to reverting!

If the save anchor wasn't in this world, if that timeline no longer existed...

Then he should have gotten lost right then and there, fallen straight into the void of nonexistence!

He never would have made it to this world!

Never would have been sitting here listening to Lin Xiaoyou's analysis!

Lin Xiaoyou blinked, her cheeks still full.

Then...

"Mm...!"

She suddenly swallowed the bun in her mouth, looked at Fang Qi, and her expression turned a bit surprised.

"Big bro, you really have gotten smarter!"

Fang Qi: "..."

You little...

He stared at her expressionlessly.

"Explain it to me clearly. You're not... messing with me again, are you!"

"No way!"

Lin Xiaoyou shoved the last bite of bun into her mouth, speaking indistinctly while chewing.

"Big bro, how about this... is there a possibility... hmm..."

She forced the bun down and tilted her head at Fang Qi.

"That you were originally supposed to get lost right then and there?"

Fang Qi: "?"

Huh?

What did that mean...?

"It's just that..."

A somewhat meaningful smile appeared on her round little face.

"Someone, in order to save you..."

She raised her hand and pointed at Fang Qi's eyes.

"Became your 'eyes,' helped you see the 'path.'"

"So that's how you made it to this world?"

...?

Fang Qi stared blankly at her.

Became his eyes, helped him see the path...

...Liguang?

His wife?

"As for me...!"

Lin Xiaoyou grabbed a tissue and wiped her greasy lips.

"Mm... I probably wouldn't have had a problem, right?"

She giggled.

"After all, I'm not like big bro—I don't exactly have an anchor."

"I'd probably just change along with the world?"

But then she put on an innocent look.

"But it's really weird, though. Logically, if I changed along with the world..."

She blinked.

"I feel like I shouldn't have kept my memories, right?"

Fang Qi: "...?!"

His eyelids twitched slightly.

Changed along with the world, wouldn't keep memories...?

...He thought of An Lian.

An Lian hadn't kept her memories!

The An Lian of this world didn't remember any of it.

...But Lin Xiaoyou remembered.

She remembered everything.

"So, you see..."

Lin Xiaoyou rested her chin on her hands, her apricot-shaped eyes curving as she looked at him.

"Big bro, I have a feeling that maybe..."

Her expression was pure and innocent.

"Your Liguang is the one who helped me keep my memories."

Fang Qi was silent.

"The purpose..."

She raised a hand innocently, pointing at Fang Qi.

"Was to have me help you out?"

"Because I'm super smart! And Liguang right now... well, you know."

She winked at Fang Qi, not finishing the sentence.

Fang Qi was stunned.

Stunned for a long time.

He lowered his head slightly, staring at the bun that had gone cold on the plate.

...Was that it?

Was that it, Liguang?

So everything—from the moment of reverting, all the way until now...

It was all you working behind the scenes, wasn't it?

You became a "goddess," not because of some highest authority.

Just... so I could safely reach this world?

So you became my eyes.

And used your last bit of power to let Lin Xiaoyou keep her memories?

Because you knew I needed someone to help me.

Someone smart.

Someone who could understand all of this.

Someone who could...

Say these words for you, when you couldn't speak.

Fang Qi's breathing began to tremble slightly.

If that was really the case, then yesterday...!

He thought of yesterday, after reverting, how he searched for Liguang until he nearly went mad!

...Liguang must have been worried sick at the time.

He couldn't find her, frantically searching every corner of the room, even ready to jump off the building to force a reset!

...At that moment, Liguang must have panicked.

Thankfully.

Thankfully An Lian had called at the time and stopped him.

Fang Qi's hand tightened around the chopsticks in his grip.

No wonder.

No wonder she had been so emotionally unstable yesterday!

The whole world was suffering!

Social media was exploding!

Earthquakes in the desert, tsunamis at the equator, typhoons in the Pacific...!

It wasn't just about jealousy—there was a deeper layer of anxiety and worry behind it all!

So that night, after he'd fallen asleep...

She had "descended from the heavens" to brew him tea, anchoring him to this world!

Giving him...

The ability to rewind time once again.

Fang Qi's gaze trembled slightly.

Liguang.

His wife.

Thank you, truly.

When we get back...

I'm going to thank you properly!

A thousand kisses, at least!

"—!"

He took a deep breath.

...His wife was amazing!

Simply amazing!

Then he looked up and saw Lin Xiaoyou picking up another steamed bun and taking a bite.

Still smiling, eating with gusto, looking absolutely delighted!

"Wait...?"

Fang Qi couldn't help but ask, watching her:

"So why are you so happy right now?"

"We can't go back, and you're this happy? You..."

His eye twitched:

"Don't you want your Xiaoqing sister anymore?"

"Smack!"

Lin Xiaoyou slammed the table at that!

"That's not it at all!"

She glared, swallowing the bite of bun in her mouth.

"Of course I want to go back!"

"I still have to create the perfect world!"

Her voice rose a bit.

Nearby customers eating breakfast all turned to look, murmuring among themselves.

Lin Xiaoyou, however, didn't care in the slightest.

"Senior, I'm happy because..."

Her almond eyes curved into crescents.

"Because of my dad!"

"In this world, he's still alive!"

And with that, she didn't bother to explain further. She lowered her head and went back to chowing down on her bun!

Fang Qi: "?"

Huh?

Isn't that something you knew from the moment you first arrived in this timeline?

Why are you this excited about it now?

His brain struggled to keep up for a moment.

Lin Xiaoyou's dad?

Lin Zhouyuan...

He's still alive in this world too...

...Oh!

He suddenly got it!

In a flash of realization!

Right!

In the other timeline, Lin Zhouyuan was nothing but an empty shell!

His "soul" had long since vanished without a trace!

Back then, Lin Xiaoyou had stood in that corridor, staring at that face, eyes red as she said, "So everything was already beyond saving."

But in this timeline...

He was alive!

Alive and well!

Yesterday he'd been on the phone fussing over who his daughter was calling so early in the morning, and this morning he was asking where she was off to again.

If the world was singular, if a person's "soul" was singular...

Then the fact that Lin Zhouyuan was still alive in this world meant what?

It meant his "soul"—his underlying code—was still here!

Even if he was just an empty shell in the other timeline...

The root still existed.

Maybe he was just lost!

And those "ghost eyes"—the invisible watchers—were the same.

Maybe they...

Could all still be saved?

Fang Qi was struck by sudden understanding.

No wonder.

No wonder Lin Xiaoyou had asked him before...

"If we really do go back, what will happen to this timeline?"

She'd been suspecting it even then, hadn't she?

Suspecting that the father in this world wasn't her original father!

Suspecting that this was a parallel world!

No wonder Lin Xiaoyou had been so happy since just now!

Because...

The person she'd thought she'd lost forever—she might actually be able to find him again!

This truly deserved...

"Ah—Se~nior~!"

Suddenly, half a steamed bun was thrust right in front of his face!

Fang Qi: "?"

He blinked, staring at the bun before him.

There were two neat rows of teeth marks left on the bun's skin.

"Senior, come on, take a bite!"

She shoved the bun right up to his lips!

Her almond eyes curved, grinning with such eager servility.

Fang Qi: "???"

He snapped back to reality instantly!

Jerking backward!

His back nearly slammed into the chair behind him!

"Hey...! What are you doing!"

He glared at that bitten bun!

Damn it!

Is she trying to get herself killed again?!

Instinctively, his gaze darted toward the window!

Wife, don't be mad...!

...Huh?

He blinked.

The sunlight was still gentle, white clouds drifting lazily.

Wait?

Why isn't Liguang angry about this?

If this had happened yesterday, the bun shop would've been struck by lightning and lost all power right then and there!

...?

Since when did his wife become so magnanimous?

Fang Qi's heart suddenly tightened.

Wait...

Something's wrong—what's going on with Liguang...?!

"Se~nior!"

The half-eaten bun was shoved at him again!

"What I'm doing is testing another hypothesis!"

Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes were gleaming dangerously, her voice syrupy sweet:

"Senior, help me out here!"

"Open up, aaah~~"

She pushed the bun another few centimeters closer to his mouth!

"Just one bite! One little bite!"

The smell of chives and eggs was practically smeared all over his face!

I swear to god...!

Fang Qi was leaning so far back he was nearly falling out of his chair.

He was in the middle of worrying about Liguang!

His irritation instantly spiked!

"Disgusting!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm NOT eating a bun you've already bitten into!!"

"Senior, just eat it, come on~~"

But Lin Xiaoyou completely ignored his resistance!

Holding up that bun with the bite missing, grinning like a brothel madam forcing a girl into the trade!

"If you eat it, you might just instantly—mfff—!!!"

Her words suddenly caught in her throat...

Then her whole body shot upward, and she was yanked to her feet!

No wait...

Fang Qi's expression froze.

She was being lifted up...?

Like a kitten being scruffed—casually, effortlessly—by the collar of her shirt at the back of her neck!

Both feet left the ground!

Her almond eyes went wide, her legs flailing wildly in the air!

Huh...?

Fang Qi was stunned, slowly looking up at the person behind her.

It was a girl.

She wore the bun shop's uniform, sleeves rolled up to her forearms.

Black hair, black eyes, with her hair tied up in two little bun shapes.

She looked somewhat frail, but...

Those slender arms had effortlessly hoisted Lin Xiaoyou into the air by the scruff of her neck, leaving her dangling!

Lin Xiaoyou, choked by her collar, was kicking her legs frantically, eyes bulging!

"Mfff—!!!"

"Two guests?"

The black-haired girl smiled.

Her voice was soft and sweet.

"Please don't cause a ruckus in the store."

Fang Qi stared at her, dumbfounded.

His mind went completely blank in that instant.

In the bun shop, steam from the steamers continued to drift lazily upward.

At the nearby tables, customers chatted on, a few glancing over briefly before turning back to their breakfasts.

They paid no attention to what was happening here.

Everything seemed to still be running normally.

"This guest."

The black-haired, black-eyed girl turned to Fang Qi, smiling with her eyes crinkled shut.

The smile was so warm...

So gentle.

"You didn't join in on the 'ruckus'—good behavior. Well done."

Then, her pretty face suddenly went cold.

Still holding Lin Xiaoyou with one hand, she turned and headed toward the back room of the bun shop!

Lin Xiaoyou, dangling by the neck, legs still kicking in the air, finally managed to speak as she clawed at the constricting collar.

"Senior—Senior, save me—!!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, a mix of shock and a certain "I knew it" excitement.

"I actually managed to test it out... mfff—!!!!"

The people around still acted as if they couldn't see her struggling or her screams.

And Fang Qi wasn't looking at her either.

He was just...

He stared blankly at the girl's retreating figure.

Black hair, black eyes.

Gentle and soft, yet carrying just a hint of mischief.

Xiaoguang?

...Huh?!

Wait.

Liguang?!

Where did you come from?!

Fang Qi shot to his feet!

"Wait—!"

Just then, the dark-haired girl glanced back at him, raising a finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture...

And then she dragged Lin Xiaoyou inside with her.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut hard.

From within, faint but unmistakable, came the sound of miserable wailing!

Fang Qi stood there, staring at that door, his hand still frozen mid-air. He stayed like that for a long time.

Then...

"Heh..."

He laughed.

"Hahaha...!"

He plopped back down into his seat! Grabbed a stuffed bun and shoved it into his mouth!

Chewing fiercely!

Mm!

Delicious!

So. Freaking. Good!!