Two mornings ago, when Xu Yi awoke in the hospital, he immediately realized he faced two choices:

Continue as Xu Yi, or become Zhang Jingchan.

If he continued as Xu Yi, since Zhang Moyun could hand backup evidence to Li Jinxiong, he certainly had the original evidence himself. Xu Yi could take advantage of his position as the son to trick Zhang Moyun into handing over the evidence and destroy it, eliminating the crisis. But if Zhang Moyun could collect evidence once, he could collect it a second time. This man still had to be killed, and tonight’s arson plan had to proceed as scheduled.

…No, that plan had already fallen through. Because Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi had also come.

What if he became Zhang Jingchan?

Xu Yi avoided the doctors and nurses, quickly left the hospital, and immediately called Liu Ying.

“Dao Fu Bank, account number XXXXXX, password XXXX.” His first words were to give out the siblings’ overseas bank account number and password. Liu Ying was shocked. He said, “Sis, it’s me. Only the two of us in the entire world know this account and password. No time to explain—a supernatural phenomenon has occurred. My soul is now in Zhang Jingchan’s body. What kind of behavior is the person with you showing?”

Liu Ying’s mouth hung open for a long time. She asked about several other things only the siblings knew, and Xu Yi answered quickly.

Liu Ying couldn’t explain why, but indeed, this morning, her “little brother” had felt different from usual. And the person on the phone had a tone that really was too similar to her brother’s, and besides her brother, it was impossible for anyone else to know those things.

“He… speaks a bit less, unhurried and calm, looks about the same as you.”

Xu Yi immediately said, “He’s Zhang Jingchan. He and I switched souls. Control him immediately! Send people to chase him—see if he runs!”

Soon, Xu Yi learned that Zhang Jingchan had fled, leaving only his phone behind. By this time, he had gotten out of the taxi and was standing outside the Zhang family villa. He already had his answer.

He had no other path to take.

If he continued as Xu Yi, then Zhang Jingchan could continue being Zhang Jingchan. If he could win his sister’s trust, then Zhang Jingchan could win Zhang Moyun’s trust. If this father and son joined forces, they could immediately take control of him, then hand the evidence to the police, just waiting for three days to pass before he and his sister went to prison.

But if he became Zhang Jingchan, then Zhang Jingchan couldn’t be Zhang Jingchan.

…

The afternoon sunlight streamed onto the villa’s second-floor terrace. Before Xu Yi sat a bottle of red wine and several crystal glasses. He had only poured himself a small glass to drink. Even he needed a bit of alcohol to give his brain, which had been running at high speed for two days, a moment’s relaxation.

On the coffee table sat two phones—one loaded with Zhang Jingchan’s number, the other one of the numbers he’d obtained over these years using ID cards of poor, elderly workers. Liu Ying and the others each had such a number for convenient contact.

Further to the side was a black handbag. Yesterday he had gone to see Liu Ying, instructing her to hide with the others, and had brought some things back with him.

Xu Yi’s gaze looked out calmly at the distant sunset glow, then he bent forward and lowered his head, very focused as he took three crystal glasses and arranged them in a row.

Zhang Jingchan was currently evading the police’s citywide manhunt. His three most important sources of help were:

Xu Yi looked at the first crystal glass: Ding Chenmo.

Up to now, Ding Chenmo had behaved perfectly normally in front of him, personally applying for the arrest warrant and manhunt order for “Xu Yi.” His attitude toward him was both affectionate and disdainful—clearly he actually liked Zhang Jingchan very much. Moreover, police work placed the greatest emphasis on evidence. Ding Chenmo was unlikely to believe nonsense about soul-switching.

But Ding Chenmo was an old fox, and Xu Yi wasn’t certain whether he too had been affected by the timeline.

So, Ding Chenmo was questionable—fifty-fifty.

Xu Yi raised his finger and knocked over the first crystal glass, his gaze falling on the second glass.

Zhang Moyun.

Xu Yi picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The wine tasted authentic. Yesterday, the red wine he had served to the Zhang couple had been poured from this bottle.

Actually, he hadn’t planned to move against Zhang Moyun so quickly. He’d intended to wait until after these three days, finding a less sensitive time to act. But last night…

After returning from giving his statement at the police station, apart from the bodyguards, only their “family of three” remained in the villa. Xu Yi had been very cautious, trying his best to imitate Zhang Jingchan’s tone and manner. Zhang Moyun was also very kind to him, his gaze loving. But Xu Yi always felt something was wrong all over his body, always felt that when he turned around, two sharp eyes were staring at him from behind.

He quickly realized this was a terrible intuition. He’d been Zhang Moyun’s assistant for several years—he understood this formidable man too well.

Zhang Moyun suspected him.

Later, when the two were chatting casually, Zhang Moyun smiled and, as if inadvertently, asked a question:

“By the way, which loop is this?”

Xu Yi only paused briefly before smiling and answering, “The fourth.”

Zhang Jingchan and Li Weiyi’s abnormal behavior lasted three days each time. In his memory, it had occurred three times. And this was the fourth time.

Zhang Moyun nodded. “Finally over. I hope you never come again.”

After returning to his room, Xu Yi took from the black handbag a small bottle containing cyanide.

He had to act immediately. Zhang Moyun was different from others. The police wouldn’t touch him, and even if Ding Chenmo suspected something, he couldn’t. But if Zhang Moyun had private bodyguards at his disposal, a father tying up his son and locking him away for three days—nowhere in the world would there be a place to argue reason. Then he wouldn’t be able to do anything, just waiting for three days to pass before switching back and going to prison.

…

Having Liu Ying send Zhang Fengming to put on an act was truly risky. But Ding Chenmo was too sharp. If only he and his parents had been in the villa that night, it would be too dangerous—someone had to take the blame. Xu Yi always made a habit of keeping a backup plan for everything.

After Zhang Fengming ran off, Xu Yi made a disturbance to alert the bodyguards. At that time, the Zhang couple had already fallen unconscious. Taking advantage of the bodyguards’ flustered confusion, Xu Yi secretly removed the two glasses and washed away the remaining wine. There was quite a bit of wine left—the couple hadn’t drunk much, but it was enough. The doctor said their condition was very poor, and Xu Yi’s heart settled.

Xu Yi raised his hand and knocked over the second glass. The glass rolled off the table and shattered into pieces.

He looked at the third glass.

Li Weiyi.

Xu Yi recalled yesterday at the villa, the way she looked at him—clear and warm eyes like a thin veil covering his entire body. He remembered holding hands with her, her shy yet bold demeanor, how she defended this man wholeheartedly.

Thinking of these things, the corners of Xu Yi’s mouth finally curved into a small arc, but his eyes remained very cold and still.

He also remembered the night before last at the hospital, when she briefly left the bodyguards’ line of sight for a minute or two. He remembered last night when Liu Ying’s people sent word that they had spotted suspicious individuals near the street where Li Weiyi lived.

In the end, Xu Yi only lowered his head with a self-mocking smile, picked up the third glass, and gently placed it back on the tray.

He glanced at his wristwatch—it was already 2:40 PM on the third day. He had waited until now.

Indeed, under the police’s watchful eyes, trying to capture or kill Zhang Jingchan was a very difficult matter. It still required some luck.