Tan Jiao's Perspective

  "Ah Yu......" In a daze, I felt myself being released, and subconsciously leaned towards Wu Yu's side again, but only felt the cold bed sheet and air.

  Bed sheet?

  I opened my eyes to see the sunlight outside the window and the familiar decor. This was my home in Dali, and I was curled up in bed, having just woken up from another world.

  It's such a warm day, but I feel chilled all over. I suddenly sit up and search around the house: "Yu? Yu!"

  Empty and desolate, with only me alone, just like before.

  I stepped out onto the balcony, gazing at the familiar view. The sun had just risen to mid-sky and it was already scorching hot, its rays burning my skin. A certain notion began to form in my mind, I didn't know what it meant but I knew it would mean a lot of things. I turned around and rushed back into the house, seeing my phone lying by the bed. I picked it up, lit up the screen, and saw the date on it.

  July 9, 2000.

  A year ago. Half a year before the Chen family case, the Yan Yuan case had occurred for a year. And it was not long after Wu Yu and I boarded the Dian Mei Ren that we fell into that cave, more than 20 days later.

  I can only feel the blood in my body, as if it's all gradually boiling. Closer, even closer. Time is really accelerating, and another half year has jumped by, bringing us even closer to that point of intersection, the end point of time.

  I suddenly thought of a question - when was Wu Miao murdered?

  My blood seems to be boiling, but still suppressed. I picked up my phone just wanting to check, but then remembered that there might not even be any news reports yet. I put down the phone, closed my eyes, and slowly recalled what Wu Yu said, as well as what Wu Miao emphasized...

  Wu Miao was first attacked on August 5th of last year.

  Later, history changed and it became August 7th.

  I opened my eyes, and although Wu Yu was nowhere to be found now, I somehow felt a burning sensation in my chest, and my eyes were slightly moist. Where is Wu Yu now? What is he feeling right now? He also knew as clearly as I did what all of this meant.

  I started dialing his phone number. Luckily he still had the same number from half a year ago.

  Yes, it is the same one. Because it has always been Suzhou's number.

  Occupied line.

  Busy again, always busy.

  This makes me a bit anxious, suddenly stunned, understand, put down the phone, tell myself to wait patiently.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  "Sure enough, after about ten minutes or so, my cell phone rang. The incoming call display showed an unfamiliar number, but it was exactly the number I had just dialed and was still fresh in my mind. I almost immediately picked up: "Hello..."

  There was a moment of silence, followed by Wu Yu's slightly hoarse voice: "Jiao Jiao..."

  I don't know whether to cry or laugh, he called out to me and fell silent, as if there were a thousand words to say but no way to start. Just the moment before, we were still embracing intimately in the underground.

  "Are they... still alive?" I asked.

  "Mm." His voice was heavy with amusement, "I just called them on the phone. Wu Miao... she's in class at school, my mom... is fine at home."

  I also burst out laughing: "That's really... great!"

  "It was bright and I woke up in my dormitory in Beijing," he said. "I immediately bought a ticket to Dali, where we met up, and then we went to Suzhou together."

  "I immediately said: 'Okay! But... why don't I just fly directly to Sichuan, that way it's faster?'"