Chapter 0242

[Little Black: "Lin Ran, time paradoxes are incredibly difficult to explain. Honestly, even I don’t fully understand them. Let’s just hurry to where you want to go."]

Little Black’s voice carried a hint of urgency as it tried to pull Lin Ran out of his chaotic thoughts.

It knew that in this time tunnel, meddling with the past could trigger a chain of unpredictable consequences.

Lin Ran had to admit—this was beyond his imagination.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Alright… Wait, what’s that? Is that… the future?"

His gaze was drawn to another scene, one that left him stunned all over again.

[Little Black: "Yes, but this future no longer exists. Just treat it as a timeline that never happened."]

Little Black’s voice echoed mysteriously in the vast space.

Lin Ran saw something he never wanted to witness—himself desperately trying to stop Luo Yao from leaving the basement in a distorted timeline. His face was etched with panic.

In his haste, he stood up too quickly and slammed his head straight into a hanging lantern above.

The lantern swayed violently from the impact, creaking ominously.

[Little Black: "If you don’t stop her this time, Luo Yao will be in danger. She’ll get hurt… and then hide it from you—"]

Before Little Black could finish, Lin Ran already knew the outcome—he’d just seen it.

The moment Luo Yao was involved, Lin Ran lost all rationality.

His eyes burned with desperation as he shouted, "Dammit, you have to help me!"

His voice reverberated through the space, filled with unshakable resolve.

[Little Black: "How am I supposed to help? I’m just a cat Luo Yao stabbed, meow— She’s ruthless, meow meow—"]

[And this isn’t even real! It’s just a projection, like a movie. It won’t actually happen—you already changed the outcome. This is just a possible scenario based on time predictions…]

But before Little Black could react, Lin Ran suddenly grabbed it with lightning speed.

Like a crazed pitcher, he hurled Little Black straight at the lantern, yelling:

"Go, Pikachu!"

[Little Black: "Holy— Lin Ran, you absolute monster!"]

Little Black let out a horrified shriek as its tiny body flew through the air in a perfect arc. Its eyes widened in terror and fury—it never expected Lin Ran to do something like this.

Mid-air, Little Black twisted its body and landed a solid kick on the lantern.

The lantern swayed even more violently, teetering on the brink of collapse.

With feline agility, Little Black leaped back into the time channel, quick as a startled rabbit.

—In the time projection, the lantern wobbled wildly before finally crashing down with a loud smash.

Lin Ran’s eyes widened. "Look out!"

He shoved Luo Yao out of the way just in time—she narrowly avoided the falling debris, but he wasn’t so lucky.

Blood seeped from the wound, staining his clothes crimson.

"Ah Ran—!"

Luo Yao noticed immediately. Panic flashed in her eyes as she rushed to his side, her voice trembling with worry. Her hands steadied him, her gaze filled with heartache.

—

[Little Black: "What the hell was that for, meow meow meow?!"]

Little Black yowled in outrage, its fur bristling with anger.

It glared daggers at Lin Ran, looking ready to spit fire.

Lin Ran scratched his head awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, got a little carried away. Won’t happen again."

He tried to placate the furious cat, but his mind was racing. Why did this happen? And why is Little Black keeping secrets from me?

["Can you think about anything other than Luo Yao for once?"]

"I can’t help it. Even if I know it’s just a projection, I still want to stop it. You’ll forgive me, right? You’re the cutest cat in the world, after all."

Little Black’s eyes gleamed—it seemed to have an idea.

["We can go back now."]

Its voice was suddenly cheerful, as if it had already forgotten its earlier rage.

Lin Ran nodded, clutching a note in his hand—a promise to Luo Yao, something he could never forget.

Little Black sidled up to him with an eerily human-like grin, leaving Lin Ran baffled.

"What’s with that look? Why are you smiling like that?"

Lin Ran eyed the cat warily, a sense of unease creeping in.

Little Black didn’t answer. Instead, it kicked him hard and shouted:

["Go, dumbass!"]

Lin Ran: "…"

Before he could process what was happening, an overwhelming force surged like a tidal wave, hurling him out of the time space. His vision blurred with light—and when it cleared, he was back in the cave.

[Little Black: "You’ve got one minute, max."]

Its voice echoed in Lin Ran’s mind, firm and unyielding.

The cave was just as damp as he remembered. Luo Yao sat motionless, her hollow gaze fixed on empty air. Her lonely figure looked especially fragile in the dim light.

"Luo Yao."

Just two words—but her eyes instantly lit up.

"I only have a minute. Here, I made these snacks for you. You have to remember to eat, or you’ll get stomach problems."

Lin Ran hurriedly pulled out an ornate box from his pocket, filled with homemade pastries—though they’d gotten squished from his "backflip" through time. Still, Luo Yao cradled it like a treasure.

"And this… It’s a doll of me. If you miss me, take it out on this thing. When we meet again, you can take it out on me instead. Remember—I’ll be waiting for you in the future."

He handed her a plush doll resembling himself, his eyes brimming with reluctance.

"Oh, and here’s that rope you like using to tie me up. Keep it. You can use it on me anytime in the future."

Hope flickered in Luo Yao’s eyes, replacing the emptiness.

If I tie Ah Ran up with this… I’d be so happy.

She threw herself into his arms…