Chapter 68: A Sudden Turn for the Worse

The moment he landed in S City, Zhu Zhixi called Fu Rangyi to let him know. Fu Rangyi, having been tricked in the same way, wasn’t angry, just a bit helpless.

“Did you really have to get revenge?”

“Of course, that’s the only way it’s fair,” Zhu Zhixi said with a laugh. “Now you know how I felt back then. And your experience was nothing compared to mine. I was much more upset; I thought I had overslept and was so scared it took years off my life.”

Fu Rangyi chuckled and seemed about to scold him a little more, but a voice calling “Professor Fu” came from the other end of the line.

Zhu Zhixi had no choice but to say, “You go get busy. I’m heading back first. Call me when you’re free.”

Fu Rangyi grunted in agreement. “Be careful on your way.”

Unlike the bright, sunny weather in C City, it was gloomy and rainy here, with a thick fog rising over the elevated highways. In the vast white mist, the red taillights of the cars were linked together like pairs of eerie red eyes.

He didn’t go home, instead taking a taxi directly to S University to meet up with Yu Heng. The two of them went to the security office together to check the surveillance footage.

“This is all the footage we could find from that day.” The security guard opened a video file showing a car entering the garage. “This is Professor Fu’s car, right?”

“Yes.” Zhu Zhixi recognized it at a glance.

They pulled up the footage from several cameras corresponding to the parking spot and watched dozens of videos together. One of them caught everyone’s attention. At 3:16 PM that day, a person dressed in all black, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, appeared. They loitered near Fu Rangyi’s car for a few minutes and, upon circling to the other side of the car, made a crouching motion.

An older security guard standing by pondered, “Judging by this person’s height and build… they don’t look much like an Alpha.”

“Doesn’t look much like a student either,” said another.

Zhu Zhixi asked, “Is there a clearer angle? Even just getting a glimpse of their eyes would help.”

“Exactly,” Yu Heng said. “It was obviously this person. Their hands were in their pockets from the moment they appeared. They must have been hiding some sharp object.”

The security guard checked all the camera angles, confirming again and again. “Sigh, this person kept their head down the whole time. We can’t see their eyes at all.”

This attire and behavior were clearly premeditated.

“And here, at 3:23 PM, they left. All in all, they stayed for 7 minutes.”

Zhu Zhixi stared silently, a strong premonition suddenly rising in his heart. This person was very likely Xiao Xiang. But if it really was him, what was the purpose of slashing Fu Rangyi’s tires? Was it like the harassing text messages, purely to disgust Fu Rangyi and cause him trouble?

Did he come all the way to S City just to slash a tire? Or did he intend to do something more, but ultimately failed?

Zhu Zhixi thought for a moment, then pulled over a nearby chair and sat down. “I want to watch the rest of the footage,” he said.

The two security guards were somewhat surprised. The older guard asked, “There’s a lot. Are you sure?”

Yu Heng also whispered, “Do you think something’s wrong?”

“It’s hard to explain right now.” Zhu Zhixi glanced at the time on his phone and, of course, inevitably saw the countdown on his hand.

[21 days 22 hours 09 minutes 34 seconds]

“I have time. If you have other things to do, you can go ahead. I can watch it myself,” Zhu Zhixi said and began to check the surveillance videos for that parking spot after 3:23 PM, one by one.

An hour later, the sky had darkened, and Yu Heng had been picked up by his family. Zhu Zhixi remained in the monitoring room, mechanically clicking open video after video, examining them second by second, frame by frame. Over two hours later, the hand he was holding the mouse with suddenly froze. His pupils, reflecting the surveillance video, trembled slightly.

Just as I thought.

“He really did come back.”

“What? He came back?” The security guard on duty also walked over and rewound the video. “It really is him! This is… 5:10 PM?”

“That’s around the time Fu Rangyi gets off work.” In that instant, it felt as if all the blood in Zhu Zhixi’s body was flowing in reverse.

He looked around, found an unobstructed camera angle, zoomed in, and continued to stare at the terrifying black figure in the video. This time, the person didn’t loiter but walked directly towards the trunk of the SUV.

Seeing this, the security guard’s voice rose several octaves. “Is he trying to hide? To ambush Professor Fu?”

Zhu Zhixi, usually eloquent, was unusually silent at this moment. He sat motionless, his eyes fixed on the screen, not missing a single second. Soon, he noticed something strange and frowned. The suspect was about to disappear from the camera’s view—probably having crouched down. But soon, he stood up again, turned his head sharply, then looked down again. His movements were odd, and he even retreated from the rear of the car all the way to the front headlights.

Not long after, he quickly walked away, looking back after a few steps, his movements appearing somewhat panicked.

“His reaction here is very strange,” Zhu Zhixi said. “Can you help me find the surveillance footage from nearby parking spots? I want to see what happened to him here.”

“Sure, let me take a look.”

With the guard’s help, they finally found a camera angle that could capture the rear of the car. Although the image was not very clear and only a part of it was visible, after repeated viewing, Zhu Zhixi finally realized something.

For a few seconds, he clearly saw the suspect bent over, pulling hard on his right pant leg with both hands. This detail confused Zhu Zhixi. He examined those few frames over and over, his heart pounding heavily against his chest, faster and faster. Finally, from another angle, he found the corresponding ground footage from that exact time.

On the ground, or rather, at the suspect’s feet, there was nothing.

But the corner of the person’s pant leg was clearly moving! He saw it very clearly. It wasn’t blown by the wind; the wind in an underground garage could never create such a fold—it must have been pulled.

The surveillance couldn’t see it, and the suspect couldn’t see it either, which is why he panicked and fled in fear. It all made sense.

Zhu Zhixi’s throat tightened, and his scalp tingled. He suddenly lowered his head and stared at the palm of his hand.

Was it you, Snowball?

Zhu Zhixi’s eyes began to sting. Just a few days after the tire was slashed, on You’an Street, Snowball had also appeared, guiding him to save the old woman. It turned out that it had sensed danger more than once, and more than once, it had desperately tried to help its two masters. It was so small, existing only as a soul, yet it protected the humans without reservation.

Looking at the person fleeing the scene, Zhu Zhixi was almost certain it was Xiao Xiang. He was terrified, not daring to imagine what this person, ambushing from behind the car, would have done if Snowball hadn’t appeared. Knock him out? Attack from behind?

“I need to call the police,” Zhu Zhixi dialed the number and looked at the security guard. “We might need your cooperation with the investigation later. Sorry for the trouble.”

Half an hour later, the police arrived. Since there were no casualties, they could only investigate it as a case of intentional destruction of property. After getting the facts and collecting the surveillance data, they took Zhu Zhixi to the police station to go through the procedures.

By the time it was over, it was already late. Zhu Zhixi had originally planned to visit the old lady at the hospital and pick up his car, but it was too late now and would disturb her rest. He decided to go home first to handle his museum work and go in the morning. On the taxi ride home, Zhu Zhixi couldn’t stop thinking about Xiao Xiang. Right now, Xiao Xiang was hiding in the shadows, but if the police could actually catch him, his whereabouts would be exposed. Even if he was only locked up for a few days, they could have someone tail him after he got out. That way, Xiao Xiang’s every move would be under their watch.

With this thought, Zhu Zhixi called Zhu Zeran and told him everything.

“Alright, got it. Which police station? Send it to me.” It was noisy on the other end of the line, and Zhu Zeran’s voice was louder than usual. “I’m not in S City right now, but I’ve already got people following up on it. You stay out of it. I’ll be watching you too.”

Zhu Zhixi verbally agreed, then asked, “Are you with He Xueyao?”

At the mention of his name, Zhu Zeran became somewhat irritable, as if he was laughing out of anger. “Why would I be with him? Do you think your brother has nothing better to do than to revolve around an Omega all day? What’s my relationship with him? Am I not going to work and make money anymore?”

Zhu Zhixi had been on edge, but hearing his own brother break down made him laugh. “Bro, I was just asking casually. You gave me six such grand rhetorical questions in response.”

Zhu Zeran fell silent. After a moment, he said, “That guy He Xueyao is full of tricks. Who knows if he’ll try to trip me up again? If you have any news about him, tell me immediately.”

Are you sure you’re just worried he’ll trip you up? Zhu Zhixi knew the truth in his heart, but he wasn’t in the mood to tease Zhu Zeran right now, so he obediently agreed.

After hanging up, he opened WeChat. There were four pinned messages. Seeing the nickname he had changed again on the plane, Zhu Zhixi couldn’t help but smile.

[Ciao Hubby: Why did you leave by yourself? You lied to me.]

[Ciao Hubby: Are you still angry that I didn’t let you see me off last time? I just wanted you to sleep a little longer.]

[Ciao Hubby: When you called just now, your tone seemed a little different from usual. Did something happen? You have to tell me if something’s wrong.]

[Ciao Hubby: When I checked in that day, the hotel room felt so small. When I came back today, it seemed so empty. Where are you? Have you had dinner?]

Reading the last message, Zhu Zhixi felt an inexplicable sting in his nose. He replied with a cute rabbit sticker and, after getting out of the car, called him.

He felt that it was likely Xiao Xiang and was worried that Fu Rangyi might be in danger, so he gave him a general account of what he had discovered that day. However, he wasn’t sure if the matter concerning Snowball would upset Fu Rangyi, so he decided to wait until he returned to mention it. After explaining, Zhu Zhixi reminded him to be extra careful recently and not to walk alone.

But after listening, Fu Rangyi said, “You’re the one who needs to be careful. You’ve been busy enough lately. You could have waited for me to get back before looking into this.”

“It’s fine, I’ve already handed it over to the police,” Zhu Zhixi said. “I also asked my brother for help, so don’t worry.”

Fu Rangyi was silent on the other end. After a while, he asked, “The countdown. How much is left now?”

Zhu Zhixi said, “There are still 26 days, don’t worry.”

“Zhu Zhixi, tell me the truth.” Fu Rangyi’s tone became a bit stern. “Is it really 26 days?”

Zhu Zhixi was quiet for a moment. He could have continued to hide it, but perhaps because he had been through too much that day—returning from a sweet, almost illusory world for two to a reality fraught with danger—he couldn’t fully adjust and felt exceptionally tired.

“21 days,” he finally admitted. He thought Fu Rangyi would be angry at him for concealing it and had prepared an explanation.

But Fu Rangyi asked instead, “Is… being with me… not having much effect anymore?”

Zhu Zhixi was stunned. His heart felt as if it had been pricked by something. He quickly said, “No, it has an effect. Actually, the day I went to find you, it was already 21 days. Without you, the remaining time would be even less now.”

After hearing this, Fu Rangyi said softly, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. Be good at home and wait for me.”

All day, Zhu Zhixi had acted extremely calm, rational, and independent. But the moment he heard Fu Rangyi’s comforting words, he truly felt sad and anxious. Sitting in the empty living room of the apartment, Zhu Zhixi stared blankly and nodded at the receiver.

“Kiss me,” he said to Fu Rangyi, pursing his lips before hanging up.

Only after hearing a very light kissing sound did Zhu Zhixi feel at ease. He went back to his room to wash up and rest.

The next morning, Zhu Zhixi arranged to meet Liang Yi’en and went with him to S Hospital to visit Snowball’s owner.

As they got out of the elevator, Liang Yi’en said, “Actually, I’ve been coming these past few days and have met the old lady. I told her I’m your friend and that you were out of town, so you asked me to check on her.”

Zhu Zhixi nodded and asked, “You need to pick up Xiao Yu, right?”

“Mhm, he’s in a crucial stage of recovering his strength right now and needs to be in the same space as me every day. Plus, I can lend a hand here.” As they spoke, the two arrived at the hospital room. To Zhu Zhixi’s surprise, the old lady, who had been able to talk and laugh at their last meeting, was now lying unconscious in bed. It had only been a few days.

“Why has her condition suddenly…” Zhu Zhixi lowered his voice and looked at Liang Yi’en.

“It started the day before yesterday. The doctor said she has many underlying health issues, including insufficient blood supply to her heart, and needs surgery as soon as possible.” Liang Yi’en sat down familiarly and reached behind the bedside table. A moment later, a small white hamster crawled into his palm.

“Then arrange the surgery quickly,” Zhu Zhixi said, a little anxious. “You can’t wait on something like this. Every day you delay, the difficulty of the surgery increases.”

“I’ve tried to persuade her, but she’s not very willing,” Liang Yi’en sighed. “On one hand, it’s the cost. On the other, she’s afraid it will fail. In the few days she’s been conscious, she’s been constantly murmuring Snowball‘s name. I think she’s afraid she won’t get to see it again.”

As he spoke, he led Zhu Zhixi out of the room. “Xiao Yu said that Snowball hasn’t come these past few days, and Xiao Yu can feel the remnants of Snowball‘s soul on him growing weaker and weaker.”

Perhaps because of the accelerating countdown, Zhu Zhixi was not surprised by this. He just felt a little lost. Standing in the bustling hospital corridor, all sorts of patients and their families brushed past him, their emotions seeming to flow into Zhu Zhixi’s body through the cold air.

“I’ll take care of the surgery fees first,” Zhu Zhixi said, taking out his car keys and handing them to Liang Yi’en. “My car is in Section C of the underground garage. You take Xiao Yu to the car and wait for me first. Let him change back.”

After giving instructions, Zhu Zhixi went back, found the nurse and the attending doctor, and after a brief chat about the condition, proposed to cover the surgery costs.

“Once the patient wakes up and confirms her willingness for surgery, we will arrange it as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.” Zhu Zhixi returned to the corridor, a small weight lifted from his heart. He squeezed the palm of his left hand with his right and murmured to himself, “Snowball, don’t worry, I will definitely find a way to get Granny through this. She will be cured. Don’t be afraid.”

It might have been his imagination, but Zhu Zhixi did sense the light in his palm suddenly brighten, albeit very faintly.

After finishing up, Zhu Zhixi called Zhou Ming to schedule a meeting for the afternoon, then took the elevator to the underground garage. Perhaps because he had checked the surveillance footage yesterday, he had developed a significant fear of the garage. He looked back several times while searching for his car.

Fortunately, his white car was quite conspicuous, and Liang Yi’en also flashed the lights. Zhu Zhixi found it easily and walked quickly towards it.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

He suddenly heard a phantom countdown in his mind, followed by a strong wave of dizziness. Blinding white headlights swept over him. Zhu Zhixi’s vision blurred for a few seconds, and his legs felt weak.

“Watch out for the car—”

In his blurred vision, Liang Yi’en suddenly got out of the car and ran towards him, pulling him to safety just before the car drove past. Zhu Zhixi’s entire body went limp, and he barely managed to stay steady with Liang Yi’en’s support.

“Are you okay?” Liang Yi’en looked anxious. “What’s wrong? Why are you so dazed? It’s a good thing I looked up and saw. Is it low blood sugar?”

Zhu Zhixi lifted his face, smiled, and shook his head, about to say “I’m fine,” but a warm stream of liquid gushed from his nose and trickled down. A familiar sensation. He looked down as scarlet drops of blood landed on his clothes, spreading.

“What’s happening?” Liang Yi’en panicked and shouted towards the car opposite them, “Xiao Yu, come quickly!”

“It’s okay, don’t be nervous. This happens often,” Zhu Zhixi reassured him, raising a hand to wipe away the blood. He opened his palm and suddenly froze. All the sounds in the world went silent in that instant, as if he had entered a vacuum.

Only the sound of the countdown continued clearly: tick-tock, tick-tock…

He looked up blankly, only to discover something even more terrifying. In his field of vision, in the upper-middle position, another countdown had appeared. He could see it clearly even with his eyes closed. It was identical to the one on his palm, also flashing with a golden light, also… rapidly depleting.

[19 days]

[14 days]

[9 days]

It wasn’t until Xiao Yu rushed over and grasped his palm that a dazzling silver light poured in. Zhu Zhixi’s vision went completely white. When the white light gradually faded and his vision returned, the rapidly decreasing countdown finally stabilized, even pausing for a few seconds.

It stopped at [5 days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds].

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Author’s Note:

The upcoming plot is the last wave of turmoil. The main story should be finished by the end of this month or the beginning of next month. The extras might take a bit longer to update. In the latter half of the story, I rarely wrote out the daily countdown explicitly. Part of the reason is that Xiao Zhu and Professor Fu’s interactions gradually shifted from being about delaying the countdown to genuine affection. Another part is that Xiao Zhu became more and more avoidant of the countdown itself. Because he loves more and more deeply, he cannot accept leaving. Although our baby Xiao Zhu is full of energy every day and brings joy to everyone around him, deep down, he is still afraid and insecure. But everyone can rest assured, the ending is a very happy one