Zhang Jingchan didn’t know why this woman was looking at him with such eyes. Like someone standing in a dark abyss, seeing the only beam of light.

“Are you alright? Is there anything I can help with?”

Li Weiyi said slowly, “My sister died. She was thirty-two years old. Her husband destroyed her family.”

“My condolences.”

His voice was calm, as if he had seen enough of the world’s suffering, and she was just one ordinary person among them.

…

“Have you cried enough?”

“I’m a finance officer at a branch of Muchen Group. I saw you at headquarters last time and heard colleagues mention your name.”

“Why… are you helping me?”

“Probably because… I also lost a loved one today.”

“Please accept my condolences.”

“Everyone is still alive. He owed a lot of debts—banks, business partners, employees, relatives… Back then, he cleared everyone else and shouldered all the debt alone. Now everyone is still alive—creditors, adversaries, executives who borrowed money with him back then. Some later embezzled and committed crimes and went to prison—two days ago they were released, and he even kindly gave them a thousand yuan. Some are now worth billions. Now only he is dead. I suppose he deserved it.”

…

Li Weiyi was wrapped in Zhang Jingchan’s expensive coat while he drove in silence.

The night was very deep. The rain had lessened. This time, Li Weiyi had stayed in the rain longer than last time. The dizzy, feverish feeling was more pronounced. She felt drowsy.

But she knew she was close to success—at almost exactly the same time, she had gotten into his car.

The car drove through the underwater tunnel.

“Zhang Jingchan,” she called.

“Mm?”

“If you had a chance to go back eight years, what would you want to say to your mom and dad?”

He gripped the steering wheel and made a smooth turn. The black-suited silhouette was silent and still.

Li Weiyi understood no answer would come. She closed her eyes and murmured, “Why couldn’t you go back with me?”

——

“Li Weiyi, Li Weiyi!” Someone was calling in her ear.

Li Weiyi impatiently turned over, burying her head deeper into the seat.

That person seemed speechless for a moment, then patted her shoulder.

Li Weiyi woke up and saw the familiar residential complex scenery outside the car window. She was a bit dazed. Zhang Jingchan had one hand on the steering wheel, turned back to look at her.

“We’re here,” he said. “Just leave the coat on the seat.”

Li Weiyi’s muddled brain finally cleared. No—why was she still in 2022! She looked at the men’s overcoat on her body, then looked up at Zhang Jingchan—suit and dress shirt, cold and stern eyes. This definitely wasn’t that nineteen-year-old proud youth. She took out her phone to check the date. Her heart sank.

Zhang Jingchan watched her dawdling without getting out of the car and asked, “Is there something else?”

“No… nothing.”

Zhang Jingchan said nothing.

Li Weiyi looked at his clear, cold, deep eyes and awkwardly said, “Thank you for taking me home,” left the coat behind, opened the door, and got out.

Zhang Jingchan glanced at her through the car window, started up, and turned around.

Li Weiyi had a sudden realization—she couldn’t let him just leave like this!

She had previously crossed over into him. Zhang Jingchan must be a key factor. This time, for some unknown reason, it hadn’t succeeded, but if he left, she feared she would never have another chance to return to 2014.

“Wait! Zhang Jingchan, wait!”

Zhang Jingchan’s car had just finished turning around. He turned to look at her.

Li Weiyi squeezed out a smile. “Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, I just remembered—I dropped something important by the river. Could you take me back to get it?”

The streetlights were dim. The rain had stopped long ago. The trees and ground were all wet—everything was silent. Zhang Jingchan’s expression was bland. “No.”

Li Weiyi: “…”

Her request was too much—she understood. But she thought that just now in the car, they had laid bare wounds deep in their hearts that no one else knew about. The atmosphere had been so gentle and moving. She thought he would soften just a little.

Li Weiyi’s face was full of sincerity as she clutched the car window and said, “One task, one person—let’s just drive over there and chat some more, okay? You mentioned your five-year goal, right? What about your ten-year goal, your fifteen-year goal! Maybe I’m that… that ordinary passerby who will witness Mr. Zhang’s great future achievements?”

Zhang Jingchan tilted his head to look ahead and smiled. This expression suddenly reminded Li Weiyi of that youth from eight years ago—that very proud feeling.

“Let go.” His fingers tapped the steering wheel.

Li Weiyi released the car window. He stepped on the gas and the car left. Li Weiyi chased for a few steps, shouting, “Zhang Jingchan! Zhang Jingchan! I didn’t drop anything—I have something very important! About your family’s fate…”

The car was already too far away to see.

Li Weiyi took a shower, took cold medicine, and lay in bed.

Her father called asking why she hadn’t come back to help with her sister’s funeral arrangements. Sister Zhou also called asking why she hadn’t come to work all day—she vaguely deflected both. Thinking again of the scene of her sister falling from the building, her heart felt like it was being cut by knives.

She would absolutely not accept this outcome.

She didn’t know what had gone wrong today, but she indeed hadn’t seen that mysterious white light in her drowsy sleep.

Was it because the timing going through the tunnel wasn’t precisely aligned? Or was there some variable somewhere that she didn’t know about?

Or perhaps, the previous time travel was just a coincidence, only that one time?

No, she would never give up. If once didn’t work, she’d try twice, three times, four times, ten times, eight times! With Zhang Jingchan at the same time at night, passing through that underwater tunnel.

After making up her mind, Li Weiyi had only one difficulty left—Zhang Jingchan.

How could she get him to accompany her in doing this utterly absurd thing?

——

January 14, 2022, the second day after Li Xiaoyi’s death.

Li Weiyi didn’t know where Zhang Jingchan lived, but she could find his company. Early in the morning, Li Weiyi went to wait downstairs at Huicui Technology.

This was in a high-tech industrial park. Huicui Technology exclusively occupied a three-story white building. The scale didn’t look large, but Zhang Jingchan had been able to pay back three hundred million in the past two years—calling his company a super treasure trove wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

The first floor had turnstile gates. Employees had to use facial recognition to enter.

Li Weiyi went to the reception desk and said, “Hello, I need to see President Zhang Jingchan.”

The receptionist: “Alright, do you have an appointment with President Zhang?”

Li Weiyi: “…I spoke with him verbally last night. My name is Li Weiyi.”

“Please wait a moment.” The receptionist made a call and spoke in low tones. Not knowing what was said on the other end, she hung up without changing expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Li. President Zhang’s secretary said there is no such appointment. President Zhang is very busy today and doesn’t have time to see you.”

Although mentally prepared, Li Weiyi was still disappointed. She said, “Could you check with President Zhang again? I really do have something very important.”

Receptionist: “I’m sorry.”

Li Weiyi had no choice but to find a sofa in the lobby to sit down and wait for her opportunity. She thought, at noon Zhang Jingchan couldn’t possibly not go downstairs to eat, right? As the big boss, would he order takeout like her? Or catch him when he went out to meet with people—that would also be an opportunity.