Chapter 15: That World
Chapter 15
That evening when Yuan Luoyi returned home, she was surprised to find both her father and mother at home. The atmosphere between them was tense. Her mother sat on the sofa with a stern look on her face, while her father flipped through the newspaper with cold eyes.
Based on Yuan Luoyi's experience, the two must have just had a fight, but it didn't seem to be too serious since her mother hadn't flung knives into the walls yet, and her father was still unharmed.
When Yuan's Mother married Yuan's Father, she declared that in her life she would only become a widow, not a divorcee.
Yuan's Father readily accepted this condition, saying it would be difficult to kill him since he was also a veteran.
And so, with everyone's blessings, the two were married and began their happy married life of loving each other to death.
Seeing Yuan Luoyi return, her mother's expression softened. "Darling, you're back. How was school today?"
"It was okay," Yuan Luoyi replied.
Yuan's Father coldly snorted. "Just okay? You've already been demoted to Class D, and you still don't study hard. What exactly have you been doing all day?"
Yuan Luoyi was unaffected by her father's words. She was used to his severity and had decided to completely ignore him and stick to her happy, carefree ways.
But her mother was incensed by his words. "Can't you care a little less about studying and a little more about people?"
Yuan's Father didn't make a sound.
Yuan's Mother angrily stood up. "There you go again, not answering when I ask you a question! Just now I asked who the woman in the photo was, and you didn't say anything!"
"She's my junior martial sister. There's nothing between us," Yuan's Father said.
"Then tell me, if she and I both fell in the river, who would you save first?" Yuan's Mother demanded.
Yuan Luoyi realized this didn't bode well. Her parents' marital crisis had begun. She looked back and forth between her father and mother.
Her mother looked ready to erupt, while her father's brows were tightly knitted.
As a major arms dealer, he could casually direct armies amid explosions and storms. But when his wife posed this age-old question, he seemed a bit stumped.
It was well known that with this hypothetical question, no matter how you answered, your wife would clobber you in the end.
After careful consideration, Yuan's Father said, "I won't answer any of your questions until my lawyer arrives."
Yuan Luoyi hadn't expected her father to be so nervous that he had to use a "Miranda warning." Fortunately, her second elder brother Yuan Fa wasn't here. Otherwise he'd surely get dragged into this marital war. Her father didn't dare touch her mother but had no qualms about framing his sons.
Yuan Luoyi glanced at her mother's face. Hmm, she looked murderous now. Clearly her father had answered incorrectly, and the price would be spending the night in a hotel, preferably in a bulletproof vest when sleeping.
However, from memories of her past life, Yuan Luoyi knew her father really hadn't cheated. That martial sister was entrusted to him by a dying comrade, which was why he took special care of her. The ambiguous photos her mother saw were maliciously taken by the Yuan family's enemies.
In short, this was just a minor tiff between husband and wife, not an outright battle to the death yet. They would resolve the misunderstanding themselves.
Yuan Luoyi turned to leave. Her father yelled at her, "Where are you going?"
The Yuan family had an unspoken agreement that no matter how big the disagreements, everyone had to get along harmoniously in front of Yuan Luoyi, because she cried easily and her mother never demonstrated violence before her.
Clearly her father hoped Yuan Luoyi would stay so her mother wouldn't attack him.
With a pained expression, Yuan Luoyi said, "My studies have been neglected lately, so I'm going to hurry and learn." Then she trotted off, gleefully hearing the sound of her mother drawing a blade.
Don't worry, her father was still very capable. He would survive.
As soon as she returned to her room, Yuan Luoyi flung her schoolbag away.
Study? No way she could study at night past 8 pm. She had to play.
After scrolling through some videos and novels on her phone for a bit, she logged into her alt account and saw that her followers had grown to 290,000.
She hadn't done anything lately, yet the system alone gained her so many followers.
【Ding! System Notice: Influence has reached 30. Welfare period has ended. Please increase your influence by yourself from now on, host.】
Yuan Luoyi suddenly understood. So it was the welfare period's effects!
【Ding! Does the host want to unlock the regression function?】
Yuan Luoyi was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected to unlock it so quickly. Since she was quite curious about this mysterious function, and had nothing to do right now, she might as well try it.
"Activate regression function," Yuan Luoyi said.
【Ding! Activation successful! Please prepare to faint, host.】
"Huh?" Before she could react, a sudden dizziness overcame her. She felt the room flip over. One second later she realized it wasn't the room that flipped, but rather she had collapsed onto the bed.
Everything sank into darkness...
Yuan Luoyi heard the noisy sounds of cars and countless footsteps. She opened her eyes to find herself standing in a busy square, with people rushing past her as if they didn't notice her sudden appearance.
Where was this place?
As Yuan Luoyi looked around, it seemed familiar yet strange.
In front of her was a skyscraper embedded with huge display screens, currently broadcasting news.
The female announcer read from the script: "After police investigated for several consecutive days, the last remaining member of the Yuan family was confirmed dead today..."
Yuan Luoyi's mind buzzed loudly. On the screen she dazedly saw photos of her grown-up self, her father and mother, and her five elder brothers. Under each photo were the words "Deceased."
The announcer continued reporting as several spirited commentators in the studio excitedly discussed the bizarre deaths of the Yuan family members.
The noisy sounds of the square faded away. All Yuan Luoyi could hear was her increasingly heavy heartbeat.
After repeatedly regulating her breathing, Yuan Luoyi could finally think normally again.
She understood now. This was the future. After her wrongful death, her five brothers had begun investigating the perpetrator and avenging her, only to also die bizarrely, one after another. This was the Yuan family's fate.
【Ding! System Notice: Regression time is almost up.】
【3】
【2】
【1】
【Regression terminated】
The surrounding scenery twisted again. Another bout of dizziness and Yuan Luoyi jerkily sat up, bumping into something that could breathe.
"Ow! Your little head is so hard!" her second elder brother Yuan Fa yelped in pain.
Yuan Luoyi rubbed her forehead in bewilderment as she looked at Yuan Fa. "Why are you in my room?"
She saw the snacks spilled on her desk and understood. Her food stash had fallen again.
"What just happened with you? You looked like you were in a lot of pain. I was going to wake you up but you suddenly bolted up and bumped me," Yuan Fa said.
The brief glimpse into that doomed future left Yuan Luoyi's hands and feet icy cold. Death loomed over the Yuan family. Not just her - everyone would meet the worst ending.
She wanted to confide everything to her second elder brother, but her neck felt choked by invisible hands, rendering her totally mute.
The system didn't allow her to speak of it.
Noticing his sister's abnormal behavior, Yuan Fa covered her small hand with his large one. "You're trembling. Did you have a nightmare?"
Yuan Luoyi nodded.
"What did you dream about?" Yuan Fa asked.
"I dreamed you died," Yuan Luoyi said.
Yuan Fa smiled and hugged Yuan Luoyi. "Silly girl, how could your second elder brother die?"
Yuan Luoyi shivered even more violently. She clutched Yuan Fa's white shirt with both hands, her large eyes fixed on him.
This reminded Yuan Fa of 3-year-old Yuan Luoyi who would shrink into his arms when scared.
He enveloped Yuan Luoyi in his arms and soothingly said, "It was just a bad dream. Don't be afraid, I'm right here with you."