"Is this thing even reliable?" I stared at the thing in Lin Chaoying's hand that looked like a burnt pocket watch. "It looks like it was fished out of a scrap yard."
Lin Chaoying slapped the back of my head. "It's handcrafted by an MIT PhD. Show some respect!"
I rubbed my head and muttered, "Who knows if you even bought that diploma..."
"What did you say?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Nothing!" I quickly changed the subject. "How do you use this thing?"
Lin Chaoying proudly shook her "handcrafted" item. "Spacetime Compass Version 2.0. It can open a spacetime tunnel in a short time, allowing us to sneak into Passionless Valley undetected."
Yang Guo scurried over, bruised and battered but with shining eyes. "Grand-ancestor, how many people can this precious thing carry?"
"At most three." Lin Chaoying calculated on her fingers. "Me, Huan Tiezhu, plus..."
"Me!" Yang Guo blurted out.
"No!" Lin Chaoying and I said in unison.
Yang Guo pouted aggrievedly. "Why? That's my aunt!"
"Too dangerous." I patted his shoulder. "You have to stay here as backup."
"That's right." Lin Chaoying chimed in. "Just in case we fail, you'll still be able to find a way to rescue us."
Reluctant though he was, Yang Guo knew the stakes and had no choice but to nod. "Then you guys must bring my aunt back safely!"
"Don't worry." I clenched my fists. "I'll do it even if it kills me."
Lin Chaoying began calibrating her Spacetime Compass, and its metal parts emitted an eerie blue light. I seized the opportunity to pull Yang Guo aside. "Guo'er, there's something I need to tell you."
"Brother Huanxi?"
I took a deep breath. "According to the original history... you and Xiao Longnü are supposed to be a couple."
Yang Guo's eyes widened, and then he burst out laughing. "Brother Huanxi, what kind of joke are you playing! Aunt is my master, I respect her like a mother!"
"Really?" I looked at him suspiciously. "You don't have... any other feelings for her?"
"Of course not!" Yang Guo wore a look of utter disgust. "Even though Aunt is as beautiful as a celestial being, she's always wearing a poker face and constantly punishing me by making me copy books. Who could possibly stand that?"
I: "......"
"It's you, though," Yang Guo poked me teasingly. "Ever since you laid eyes on Aunt, you've looked like you lost your soul, haven't you?"
My aged face flushed red. "Kids shouldn't talk nonsense!"
"Getting ready to depart!" Lin Chaoying shouted from over there.
I checked my equipment one last time—not that I really had any equipment, just a dagger I'd swiped from the Ancient Tomb and half a leftover sesame flatbread.
Holding the Spacetime Compass in one hand, Lin Chaoying grabbed my arm with the other. "Hold on tight! Here we go!"
With a dizzying spin, I felt like I'd been stuffed into a front-loading washing machine, and my internal organs threatened to spill out. When I finally managed to stand steady, we were already in an unfamiliar stone chamber.
"Ugh—" I leaned against the wall, dry-heaving. "Next time... give a warning... beforehand..."
Lin Chaoying stepped aside in disgust. "Such a weakling. We've arrived, this is the dungeon of Passionless Valley."
I forced myself to straighten up and look around. The stone chamber was cold and damp, various instruments of torture hung on the walls, and a suspicious dark red stain lingered in the corner.
"Where is Xiao Longnü?" I lowered my voice.
"Don't rush." Lin Chaoying pulled out the compass. "Let me sense it..."
Right at that moment, footsteps echoed from outside! We hurriedly hid behind a stack of wooden crates.
Two men in black marched a woman in white inside—it was Xiao Longnü! Her hands were locked in specially made metal shackles, and though her face was pale, her expression remained calm as usual.
"Stay put!" The man in black roughly shoved her into a cell. "Wait until the boss comes to deal with you!"
Xiao Longnü swept a cold glance over them and said nothing. Cursing under their breath, the men in black locked the door and left.
The moment their footsteps faded, we rushed straight to her cell door.
"Xiao Longnü!" I grabbed the iron bars excitedly.
She jerked her head up, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes before returning to her usual indifference. "Why did you come? Leave quickly! This is a trap!"
"Knowing it's a trap, you still jumped right in?" Lin Chaoying was already picking the lock. "We aren't stupid."
"Then you guys..."
"We're even more stupid." I grinned. "Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, we charge right into the tiger's mountain anyway."
A shimmer of moisture welled up in Xiao Longnü's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. "Foolish..."
The lock clicked open. Lin Chaoying proudly shook a hairpin. "Twenty-first-century lock-picking technology, worth having."
Xiao Longnü frowned. "You shouldn't have taken the risk..."
"Shut up." I grabbed her hand. "Let's get out of here first."
Her hand was icy cold, trembling slightly in my palm. I wanted to hold it tighter, but she gently pulled her hand back.
"This way." Lin Chaoying took the lead, creeping toward the end of the corridor. "The compass indicates there's an exit over there."
We tiptoed through the dim hallway, when suddenly a commotion of voices erupted ahead!
"Search! Search every inch!" It was Gongsun Zhi's voice. "They're definitely here to rescue people!"
We hurriedly scrambled into an empty cell nearby. Through the crack in the door, I saw Gongsun Zhi stride past with a dozen men in black, every single one of them holding strange metal devices.
"What are they looking for?" I asked in a low voice.
"Us." Lin Chaoying's expression turned grave. "To be precise, they're looking for you."
"Me?"
"Your traveler energy fluctuations." She explained, "Even though Passionless Water covered up a portion of it, at close range..."
"Over there!" A shout cut her off.
We had been discovered!
"Run!" Lin Chaoying grabbed us and bolted in the opposite direction.
Arrows whistled through the air behind us. Xiao Longnü spun around sharply, her sleeves sweeping out to send several arrows clattering to the ground. But more men in black swarmed in from all directions!
"There's no way out!" I stared desperately at the stone wall in front of us.
Gritting her teeth, Lin Chaoying pulled out the Spacetime Compass. "We have no choice but to jump again!"
"No!" I pressed down on her hand. "Consecutive jumps are too dangerous!"
"Still better than waiting to die!" She was already spinning the compass needle.
Xiao Longnü stood before us, single-handedly engaging the charging men in black. Although her martial arts were formidable, the heavy shackles restricted her movements, and she gradually began to lose ground.
"Hurry!" I stamped my feet in panic.
The compass emitted a blinding blue light, and Lin Chaoying shouted, "Hold on tight!"
I grabbed Lin Chaoying with one hand and reached for Xiao Longnü with the other. Just as the spacetime jump activated, an arrow pierced my shoulder!
"Ah—" A sharp wave of pain plunged my vision into darkness.
When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself floating in a vast expanse of nothingness, surrounded by flowing bands of colored light, like being tossed inside a kaleidoscope.
"Wh—where is this?" I tried to move, only to realize I had no physical body.
"The spacetime rift," a voice replied.
I turned my head (if such a motion even applied in nothingness) and saw Lin Chaoying floating beside me in a semi-transparent state.
"Where's Xiao Longnü?" I asked hurriedly.
"We got separated." Lin Chaoying's expression was ugly. "The jump suffered interference, and we got stuck in the spacetime rift."
"Then what do we do?"
"Wait for the compass to recharge." She pointed to the piece of "scrap iron" floating not far away, which was slowly absorbing the surrounding points of light. "It'll probably take... a few hours."
Despairingly, I "lay" in the nothingness. "So we're just going to wait here?"
"You could take a nap," Lin Chaoying suggested, "or contemplate the meaning of life."
"Contemplate my foot..." I muttered, yet I really did start letting my mind wander.
If I hadn't clicked on that ad in the first place, if I hadn't time-traveled to this world, if I hadn't met Xiao Longnü... I should still be eating instant noodles and binge-watching shows in my rental apartment, worrying about next month's rent.
But what about now? I touched the spot where my non-existent arrow wound had been. The pain was real enough, and the fear was real too, but strangely, I didn't regret it at all.
"Hey," Lin Chaoying asked suddenly, "how far have things progressed between you and Xiao Longnü?"
I nearly choked on my own saliva. "What—what kind of progress! We're completely innocent!"
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "Even Passionless Water couldn't wipe your memory, what does that mean? It means the two of you already..."
"Already what!" Sweat poured from me in anxiety. "We just... we just kissed, that's all!"
"Ooh!" Lin Chaoying perked up. "Who made the first move?"
"...Her."
"Whoa!" She let out a whistle. "The iceberg beauty initiated a kiss, not bad, Huan Tiezhu!"
I grew angry out of embarrassment. "Can you take this seriously! We're trapped in a spacetime rift here!"
"That's precisely why we need to find some amusement," she shrugged. "We've got nothing else to do anyway."
I decided to ignore her and closed my eyes to rest. I had no idea how much time had passed when the compass suddenly emitted a beeping sound.
"Recharge complete!" Lin Chaoying cheered. "Prepare for a secondary jump!"
"Wait!" I hurriedly asked. "Can we jump directly to Xiao Longnü this time?"
"Theoretically... yes," she said uncertainly. "I left a tracking talisman on her."
"What do you mean by theoretically..."
Before I could finish, the familiar wave of dizziness washed over me again. This time I clung desperately to Lin Chaoying's hand, terrified of being flung into some bizarre dimension once more.
When my feet touched solid ground, I immediately scanned my surroundings. It was an opulent bedchamber, with low-hanging gauze curtains and wisps of smoke curling from an incense burner. Xiao Longnü sat near the window, staring at us in astonishment.
"You..." She stood up; the shackles were gone, replaced by a set of simple, elegant robes.
"Xiao Longnü!" I rushed forward, wanting to embrace her, but slammed the brakes at the last second, awkwardly changing it to a scratch of my head. "Are... are you okay?"
She shook her head slightly. "They locked me in here, saying they were waiting for some 'director' to arrive before dealing with me."
Lin Chaoying was already beginning to set up some device in the room. "Perfect, we'll wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."
"What do you mean?" Xiao Longnü and I spoke in unison.
"The Director of the Spacetime Administration coming out in person means this is a big deal." Lin Chaoying explained as she busied herself. "I'm guessing they discovered the historical deviations expanding and had to step in to correct them themselves."
"How do they correct it?" I had a bad premonition.
"The simplest method..." She looked up at me. "Eliminate the source of interference."
I swallowed hard. "Meaning... me?"
"Bingo!" Lin Chaoying snapped her fingers. "Don't worry, though, I have a plan."
She pulled a heap of parts from her bag (heaven knows when she'd brought a bag) and began assembling a strange apparatus.
"What is this?" I asked curiously.
"A spacetime disruptor." She said proudly. "When that Director fellow gets here, we'll activate it and create a miniature spacetime vortex..."
"And then?"
"Then we throw him in!" Lin Chaoying made a throwing motion. "Let him taste the joys of spacetime travel too!"
I: "......"
Xiao Longnü nodded earnestly, however. "This plan is brilliant."
I slapped a hand to my forehead. "You two really are a match made in heaven..."
The rest of the time, we hid in the room and waited. Lin Chaoying continued perfecting her device, while Xiao Longnü sat to the side to regulate her breath. I tried to strike up a conversation, but she only gave brief responses, deliberately keeping her distance.
Was it a side effect of the Passionless Water? Or was she regretting that kiss? Tumultuous thoughts swirled in my chest, but I didn't dare ask directly.
By evening, movement finally stirred outside.
"They're here!" Lin Chaoying signaled us to hide.
The door pushed open, and a man in a black trench coat walked inside. He looked to be in his early forties, with a stern expression and the commanding air of a superior in every gesture.
"Dragon Girl." He spoke, his voice low. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Xiao Longnü stared at him coldly. "Who might you be?"
"Director of the Spacetime Administration, you can call me Mr. Mo." The man smiled faintly. "It seems the person I wanted to see has also arrived."
Just as his voice fell, he suddenly turned toward the folding screen where we were hiding. "Come out, hiding and sneaking around isn't much fun."
We had no choice but to step out. I shielded Xiao Longnü behind me. "If you want something, take it out on me. Let her go!"
Mr. Mo looked me over with keen interest. "Mr. Huan, we finally meet. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"History has already been churned into a complete mess by you." He sighed. "Originally at this point in time, Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü should have developed mutual affection, but now..."
"Crap!" I couldn't help cursing aloud. "Yang Guo said with his own mouth that he treats Xiao Longnü like a master!"
"That doesn't matter." Mr. Mo waved a hand. "What matters is that history records them as husband and wife, and your appearance changed that."
Lin Chaoying chimed in, "History isn't unchangeable! Have you never learned parallel universe theory?"
Mr. Mo looked at her, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. "Dr. Lin, long time no see. I didn't expect you to meddle in this."
"Spare me the pleasantries!" Lin Chaoying raised her device. "If you know what's good for you, get lost right now, or else I'll let you taste a spacetime vortex!"
Unflustered, Mr. Mo pulled a compact remote control from his pocket. "What a coincidence, I happen to have a similar little gadget."
He pressed the button, and the entire room suddenly distorted! The walls flowed like melting wax, the furniture drifted into midair, and the floor beneath our feet began to spin.
"Holy crap!" I grabbed Xiao Longnü's hand. "Hold on tight!"
Lin Chaoying shouted, "Activate the disruptor!"
Her device erupted with a glaring red light, colliding with the blue light generated by Mr. Mo's remote. The two forces tore at each other, forming a miniature spacetime vortex!
"Right now!" Lin Chaoying yelled at me. "Push him in!"
Xiao Longnü and I lunged at Mr. Mo simultaneously. He clearly hadn't expected us to fight back, and in his haste he only managed to sidestep Xiao Longnü's palm strike, taking the full brunt of my tackle instead!
"Get in there!" I threw all my weight into shoving him toward the vortex.
Struggling, Mr. Mo grabbed my collar. "If I'm going down, you're coming with me!"
"Huanxi!" Xiao Longnü cried out, reaching out to grab me, but it was already too late.
Mr. Mo and I tumbled together into the spacetime vortex!
Amid the dizzying spin, I saw Xiao Longnü desperately reaching out to catch me, while Lin Chaoying frantically adjusted her device nearby in an attempt to close the vortex. But it was all too late...
I was sucked into the endless turbulence of spacetime.
I have no idea how much time passed before I crashed heavily onto a patch of grass. My whole body ached as if my bones had been shattered, but miraculously, I was still alive.
"Cough, cough..." Struggling to climb up, I saw Mr. Mo lying not far away, already unconscious.
Looking around, this seemed to be a desolate wilderness, with the silhouette of a city in the distance. Evening was falling, and a bright moon hung high in the sky.
Where was this? What time was it? I was completely lost.
Worse still, I discovered a strange metal ring fastened around my wrist, impossible to remove no matter what. Mr. Mo had a similar one on his wrist.
"Dammit..." I tried smashing it with stones and biting it with my teeth, all to no avail.
Mr. Mo woke up at that moment. Taking in the surrounding environment, his expression turned utterly grim.
"Where is this?" I stepped back a few paces in vigilance.
"Outside Lin'an City in the Southern Song Dynasty." He said with a dark face. "And the worst part is..." He raised his wrist to show the metal ring, "The spacetime locator is locked, we're trapped at this point in time."
"What do you mean?"
"It means..." He smiled bitterly, "We can't go back."
I froze in place, my brain turning completely blank. We couldn't go back? Then what about Xiao Longnü? And Lin Chaoying?
Mr. Mo stood up, dusting the dirt off his clothes. "Let's cooperate, at least until we find a way back."
"Cooperate with you?" I sneered. "You were just trying to kill me!"
"Killing you now is useless anyway." He sighed. "History has already changed, and my mission is a failure."
I looked at him suspiciously. "Why on earth are you so obsessed with 'correcting history'?"
"Because it's my job." He looked at me as if I were an idiot. "The duty of the Spacetime Administration is to maintain the stability of the timeline."
"But parallel universe theory..."
"Theory is theory." He cut me off. "In reality, too many timeline branches will lead to an unstable spacetime structure, which in severe cases could trigger the collapse of the entire universe."
A shock went through my heart. "For real?"
"Why would I lie to you?" He rolled his eyes. "Do you think we have nothing better to do than chase time travelers everywhere?"
I fell silent. If what he said was true, then I really had caused a massive disaster...
"What do we do now?" I finally asked.
"Find a place to settle down first." Mr. Mo looked around. "Then figure out a way to contact my subordinates."
"In your dreams!" I immediately objected. "Who knows if you're just calling people to capture me!"
"Then what brilliant plan do you have?" he asked sarcastically.
Before I could retort, the sound of horse hooves drifted from afar. A troop of cavalry was galloping straight toward us!
"Hide!" Mr. Mo pulled me down into the tall grass.
The cavalry quickly approached, and their leader raised a torch to sweep the area. "Strange, I clearly saw someone over here..."
I held my breath, my heart pounding like a drum. By the light of the fire, I made out the cavalry's attire—Mongolian military uniforms!
Was this... the period of the Mongol invasion of the Song? A bad omen struck me. If captured by the Mongol soldiers, I wouldn't escape with a whole skin even if I survived.
Mr. Mo seemed to realize the danger as well, pressing flat against the ground without moving a muscle.
Just as the cavalry was about to leave, my nose suddenly tickled, and I couldn't help but sneeze!
"Achoo!"
"Who's there!" The cavalry leader instantly wheeled his horse around, pointing his lance straight at the patch of grass where we were hiding.
Mr. Mo glared fiercely at me, cursing under his breath, "More trouble than you're worth!"
Before we could react, the cavalry had already surrounded us. Seeing escape was impossible, Mr. Mo suddenly stood up and raised his hands. "Don't attack! We're merchants who ran into bandits and fled here!"
I hurriedly followed his lead. "Yes, yes! We're law-abiding citizens!"
The cavalry leader eyed us suspiciously. "Strange accents, suspicious behavior. Take them back for interrogation!"
Just like that, we were hoisted onto horses and headed toward the distant city. Along the way, I racked my brains trying to figure out how to escape, only to find with despair that I had no clue at all.
Mr. Mo, on the other hand, looked completely calm, even attempting to strike up a conversation with the escorting soldier. "Honored guard, might I ask what year and month this is?"
The cavalry leader sneered. "Feigning madness and playing the fool? It's the eleventh year of Chunyou, April."
I quickly calculated in my mind—1251 AD! More than a dozen years earlier than our original point in time!
Mr. Mo's expression shifted slightly, and he muttered to me in a low voice, "We're in trouble, we've been thrown to an even earlier point in time."
"What does that mean?"
"It means..." He smiled wryly, "Xiao Longnü is probably still a child right now."
I was struck as if by lightning, nearly tumbling off my horse. Xiao Longnü... was a child? Then what about me...
Mr. Mo seemed to read my thoughts and added a sarcastic dagger. "What, disappointed?"
"Get lost!" I glared at him. "I'm just worried about how to get back!"
"Quiet down!" The cavalry leader barked. "Behave yourselves!"
We had no choice but to shut our mouths. As the city drew closer, my heart sank to the bottom.
The outline of Lin'an City looked particularly majestic under the moonlight. The two characters "Yuhang" were clearly visible on the city gate. This was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty...
Upon entering the city, the cavalry hauled us straight to the magistrate's office. The examining official rubbed his sleepy eyes and waved a hand impatiently. "Lock them up first, we'll interrogate them tomorrow!"
Thus, we were tossed into a dark, damp cell.
"How the mighty have fallen..." Mr. Mo complained, brushing the dust off his clothes.
I slumped into a corner, physically and mentally exhausted. "What do we do now?"
"Wait."
"Wait for what?"
"Wait for my people to find us," he said mysteriously. "Even though the spacetime locator is locked, it still emits a faint signal."
I remained skeptical, but right now, besides trusting him, I didn't seem to have any other choice.
Late into the night, the only light in the cell came from a small window admitting a sliver of moonlight. Gazing at that bright moon, I thought of Xiao Longnü's cold yet delicate face, and my heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife.
How was she doing now? Was she safe? Had she tried to find me? Or had she... already forgotten me?
Mr. Mo spoke up suddenly. "Actually, I'm quite curious."
"About what?"
"Why was the Passionless Water ineffective on you?" He looked at me probingly. "That stuff can brainwash even immortals."
I fell silent for a moment before finally shaking my head. "I don't know either."
That was the truth. Was it because I was a time traveler? Was it because my feelings for Xiao Longnü were too deep? Or... was it just sheer luck?
Mr. Mo didn't seem entirely convinced, but he pressed no further. We both fell silent until sleepiness overtook us.
In my daze, I had a dream. I dreamed of Xiao Longnü standing in a sea of flowers, smiling at me, so beautiful, so gentle. I wanted to approach her, but no matter what, I couldn't walk over...
"Wake up!" Mr. Mo's voice snapped me back to reality. "Someone's here!"
I snapped my eyes open to see several men in black standing outside the cell door, silently picking the lock.
"Your people?" I whispered.
Mr. Mo nodded, a hint of triumph flashing in his eyes.
The door opened, and the men in black bowed respectfully to Mr. Mo. "Director, your subordinates are late."
"Not late." Mr. Mo stood up, resuming his haughty demeanor. "Prepare for spacetime jump, we're heading back."
"Wait!" I panicked. "Take me with you!"
Mr. Mo looked down at me from his superior height. "On what grounds?"
"I... I can help you fix history!" I said, grasping at straws. "Don't you want Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü to be together? I guarantee I'll bring them together!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Really?"
"Cross my heart!" I raised my hand in a vow. "Just let me go back, and I'll immediately leave Xiao Longnü and matchmake her with Yang Guo!"
Mr. Mo pondered for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright. But remember your promise."
I breathed a sigh of relief, though a massive stone still weighed heavily in my heart. Was I really going to give up Xiao Longnü? But if I didn't, even seeing her once would be an uphill battle...
The men in black placed strange metal helmets on our heads, then activated a certain device. The familiar wave of dizziness washed over me again...
When my vision cleared once more, I found myself standing in the clearing outside the Ancient Tomb. Dawn was breaking, the morning dew dampening the hem of my clothes.
"This is..." I looked around, discovering that both Mr. Mo and the men in black had vanished. I was entirely alone.
"Huanxi?" A trembling voice came from behind me.
I turned around to see Xiao Longnü standing there, her white robes outshining the snow, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Xiao Longnü!" I rushed forward, wanting to embrace her, but at the very last second, recalling my promise to Mr. Mo, I slammed on the brakes and awkwardly scratched my head. "Are... are you okay?"
The light in her eyes dimmed slightly. "I am fine. Lin Chaoying said that you were caught in a spacetime turbulence..."
"I'm back." I forced a weak smile. "Though... I probably can't stay for long."
"What do you mean?" She frowned.
I took a deep breath. "Xiao Longnü, I made a promise to someone... that I would leave."
Her face instantly turned pale. "Why?"
"Because..." I struggled to find the right words. "I don't belong here. My existence has changed too many things, and I have to set them right..."
"Who told you that?" Her voice was icy. "That Mr. Mo?"
I nodded. "He said history needs to get back on track... You and Yang Guo..."
"Absurd!" Xiao Longnü raised her voice, a rare occurrence. "My own heart's desire—why should it be arranged by others!"
I was stunned. "But..."
"Huanxi." She looked straight into my eyes. "Not even Passionless Water could wash away my memories of you. How much longer are you going to run away?"
My heart pounded like a drum. "You mean..."
She suddenly stepped forward, grabbed my hand, and pressed it against her heart. "Right here, there is only you."
Feeling her rapid heartbeat, I was at a loss for words. All my reservations and promises were cast to the winds. I pulled her into my arms and held her tight.
"I don't want to leave either..." I murmured into her hair. "But..."
"There are no buts." She looked up at me with a determination I had never seen before in her eyes. "Stay."
Just as I was about to nod, a sharp pain suddenly shot from the metal ring on my wrist! I let out a cry of agony and dropped to my knees.
"Huanxi!" Xiao Longnü caught me in a panic.
The metal ring began to grow hot, and Mr. Mo's voice rang out from it: "The price of breach of contract, Mr. Huan. If you do not fulfill your promise within three days, the spacetime annihilation protocol will initiate."
"What... do you mean?" I gritted my teeth and asked.
"It means you will be completely erased from this spacetime," he said coldly, "down to the last atom."
Xiao Longnü's face went ashen. "What is this thing?"
"A spacetime locator... and a bomb." I forced a bitter smile. "Looks like I've been played."
She immediately channeled her inner energy to try and remove the metal ring for me, but the moment she touched it, she was thrown back, and her hand was badly scorched.
"Stop trying!" I grabbed her hand, my heart aching. "It's no use."
"Then what do we do?" Her voice trembled. "I cannot... I cannot lose you..."
Looking at her panic-stricken over me, I suddenly felt that it was all worth it. At least I knew she truly cared about me.
"There is one other way," I said softly.
"What?"
"Passionless Water." I looked straight into her eyes. "If I drink it and forget you, perhaps I can..."
"No!" She refused flatly and decisively. "I would rather..."
"Rather what?"
She bit her lip and finally shook her head. "There will always be another way. Let's go find Lin Chaoying."
Just then, Lin Chaoying's voice came from the direction of the Ancient Tomb: "No need to look, I am here!"
She walked over quickly, holding a strange instrument in her hand. "Just detected abnormal spacetime fluctuations. It really is you two."
"Lin Chaoying!" I looked at her as if seeing a savior. "Quick, help me think of a way!"
She inspected the metal ring on my wrist, her expression growing increasingly grave. "We're in big trouble... This is a top-level spacetime lock. Forcing it off will detonate it directly."
"Then what should we do?" Xiao Longnü asked.
Lin Chaoying thought for a moment. "In theory... if we can find the creator, perhaps it can be disarmed."
"Mr. Mo?" I gave a wry smile. "He's dying for me to drop dead."
"Not necessarily." She smiled mysteriously. "I have a plan, but I need your cooperation."
"What plan?"
"Lure the snake out of its hole." A cunning glint flashed in her eyes. "Since he cares so much about the trajectory of history, we'll put on a show for him."
Xiao Longnü and I looked at each other in dismay. "What show?"
"Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü... tying the knot," Lin Chaoying grinned broadly. "Only we'll have to swap the leads."
It dawned on me. "You mean..."
"A fake marriage!" She clapped her hands. "Throw a wedding, lure Mr. Mo out, and then..." She made a gesture of choking a neck.
Xiao Longnü frowned. "Is this plan... feasible?"
"Better than waiting to die," I sighed. "I just hate to wrong you..."
She shook her head gently. "It is nothing."
Lin Chaoying was already excitedly making plans: "We need to prepare invitations, wedding robes, guests... That kid Yang Guo will have to play along too."
"Will he agree?" I was a bit worried.
"Leave him to me!" Lin Chaoying was full of confidence. "Three days is plenty of time to set up a 'perfect wedding'."
Watching her eagerness, I suddenly had a bad premonition. Could this plan... really succeed?
And the increasingly hot metal ring on my wrist reminded me: success meant survival, failure meant certain death.