Chapter 43: Once Again

Jiang Yueming collapsed in pain onto the seat.

Inside his mind, a door was being frantically pounded on. Something was trying to burst out from within.

The warning he had once seen written in the Chinese textbook surfaced in his heart.

Don’t believe her.

Don’t believe who? Why shouldn’t he believe her?

Don’t believe anyone.

I wrote it. I wrote it myself.

That’s right. Why would I write something like that? If I wrote it myself, then why? Why can’t I remember anything?

The pain tore open the false shell. The real Jiang Yueming was gradually waking up.

“It’s starting again.”

Su Xiaoyue looked up at the sky.

A bright, clear moon hung there, hanging peacefully in the vast night sky.

“What… is starting again?”

Jiang Yueming forced his eyes open to look at her.

He felt that something was very wrong with himself. His head hurt so badly it felt like it was about to explode.

Helplessly, he reached out toward Su Xiaoyue.

“My head hurts so much… Take me to… the hospital…”

Su Xiaoyue grabbed his hand, her tone anxious.

“Jiang Yueming, Jiang Yueming,” she shouted his name loudly. “You have to remember me. Don’t believe her. Don’t believe her!”

The pain kept intensifying.

Jiang Yueming gritted his teeth from the agony and began slamming his head hard against the glove compartment in the passenger seat.

The glove compartment was knocked open, and a pile of miscellaneous items fell out.

Blood started flowing from his forehead, but Jiang Yueming’s near self-harming actions still didn’t stop.

“She’s going to steal you away again…”

Su Xiaoyue tightly hugged him, using her body to stop his movements.

“Xiao… Xiao Su?”

When this voice came out of Jiang Yueming’s mouth, Su Xiaoyue’s body trembled violently.

She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes widening.

“You… remembered?”

“I… I…” Jiang Yueming fell into brief confusion. He didn’t know why he had suddenly called out that name.

Suddenly, an uncontrollable force seized control of his body.

The red string on his wrist had turned so red it looked like it was about to drip blood.

Among the miscellaneous items that had fallen from the glove compartment was a fruit knife.

The fruit knife was still in its sheath. It lay on the passenger seat floor, right by Jiang Yueming’s feet.

He suddenly reached out with his right hand and grabbed the red string on his other wrist, yanking it hard.

The red string was torn off and clutched in his hand.

Then, under Su Xiaoyue’s shocked gaze, he grabbed the fruit knife from the floor and haphazardly wrapped the red string around it.

Before Su Xiaoyue could stop him, Jiang Yueming gripped the fruit knife in reverse and slashed the sharp blade viciously across his own arm.

“Aming!!!”

Su Xiaoyue screamed, her face turning pale with fright.

But Jiang Yueming didn’t stop.

Ignoring Su Xiaoyue’s attempts to stop him, there was only a strange, almost obsessive focus in his eyes.

The moment blood gushed out, Jiang Yueming felt that frantically pounding door finally crack open with a gap.

The pain intensified. His head hurt so badly it felt like it was splitting apart…

…

The steel rod from earlier had grazed past his forehead, leaving a shallow but long scrape on his head.

Jiang Yueming was currently being cornered in the narrow alley by Lu Renjia.

“I want to see,” Lu Renjia stood in front of the group and said, “after today, whether Xia He will still look at a cripple with a broken hand.”

Jiang Yueming gritted his teeth. His gaze slowly swept across the thugs. He gripped the steel rod tightly in his hand.

“Come on. Try and take it from me.”

Lu Renjia was clearly provoked by those words.

He led his men forward, rolling up their sleeves. Their eyes flashed with vicious light.

Jiang Yueming lowered his stance slightly. His fingertips tightened around the steel rod.

His entire body shifted into a stance ready to explode at any moment, prepared to swing the steel rod in his hand with maximum force at any time.

His gaze passed through the crowd and landed outside the alley entrance.

There was still light over there. If he could break out, he would be able to escape.

But the alley was simply too narrow. Both sides were tightly blocked by people. There was no gap for him to break through.

If only someone could come save me.

This thought flashed through his mind for no reason.

Jiang Yueming froze, then quickly cursed himself viciously in his heart.

At a time like this, he was actually still hoping for someone else to save him?

He shook off the stray thoughts in his mind and locked his gaze onto Lu Renjia’s head.

That was the best landing spot for the steel rod to swing out.

He adjusted his breathing. His wrist turned slightly, ready to exert force.

Suddenly, a strange premonition seized him without any warning.

Someone will appear at the alley entrance.

This thought appeared out of nowhere.

He didn’t know why, but his body sensed it earlier than his brain — someone would appear there, descending from the heavens to pull him out of danger.

The fingers gripping the steel rod hesitated for a split second.

Lu Renjia’s hand had already risen.

It’s too late!

Jiang Yueming tightened his grip on the steel rod again. The steel rod rose from the ground—

“Stop!”

The voice came from the alley entrance.

Everyone’s movements halted because of it.

Jiang Yueming’s premonition had come true.

He saw Lu Renjia turn around, then the man froze in place as if petrified. His voice became panicked.

“Xia He? Why are you here?”

Xia He?

“What are you doing?!”

Why would it be Xia He?

“I… I…” Lu Renjia was at a complete loss.

You came to save me?

Jiang Yueming stood frozen in place, the steel rod raised high in the air.

The shadow of the rod fell across his confused eyes.

“Get the hell out of here!”

Like he had been granted amnesty, Lu Renjia led the thugs and scurried away from the other end of the alley.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance and soon disappeared into the night.

Only Xia He, standing at the alley entrance, and the stunned Jiang Yueming remained in the narrow alley.

“Are you okay?” Xia He rushed over. “Did you get hurt?”

Her tone was full of heartache and panic. Her eyelashes trembled slightly from nervousness.

Jiang Yueming stared at her blankly.

You came to save me.

Xia He saw the wound on Jiang Yueming’s forehead and let out a cry of alarm before pulling him into a hug.

Eh?

Xia He’s arms went around his shoulders and pulled him into her embrace.

Her chin rested against the hollow of his shoulder.

The faint scent of gardenia from her body drifted into his nose — soft and familiar.

“It’s okay now. It’s okay. I’m here…”

No.

Xia He sensed that Jiang Yueming seemed to be in shock, so she gently patted his back, over and over, as gentle as coaxing a child.

But there was a voice inside his heart saying — No.

It’s not you.

The person who came shouldn’t be you.

Who is it?

Who should the person who came be…

His hand slowly rose, wanting to hug Xia He who was holding him tightly.

But when his hand reached halfway, an empty wrist appeared in his line of sight.

Strange. Why do I feel like… something is missing here?

“Does it hurt?”

There was supposed to be something tied here.

“I’m here now. Come back with me. I’ll help you treat the wound.”

What was it?

His arm slowly lowered and wrapped around Xia He’s waist.

The two of them embraced in the narrow alley under the dim light.

Xia He’s movements were infinitely gentle. Everything looked completely natural and reasonable.

But Jiang Yueming felt that something had disappeared from his hand.

Certain sounds had also become inaudible to him.

…

…

[World correction complete… External interference removed… Eighth simulation has begun.]