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The sycamore leaves curled up under the scorching sun, and Shixu stood in the shade of the tree, his fingers unconsciously tightening.
The memories of fifty-three reincarnations weighed heavily on his shoulders. He stared at that familiar step, his feet seemingly nailed to the spot. The consequences of his last attempt to forcibly change the past still haunted him.
They've arrived.
That familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the residential compound, carrying a cardboard box half her height, her forehead beaded with sweat. She approached step by step, and Shixu unconsciously held her breath.
Three meters, two meters, one meter—
It's time to go forward.
He was about to take a step when the cold news notification from his previous life flashed before his eyes. The feeling of despair gripped him again, freezing him in place.
The cardboard box grazed the edge of the steps, causing her to stumble, but she quickly regained her balance. Without even glancing in his direction, she carried the box into the building.
She doesn't need him.
This realization left Shi Xu feeling powerless. She realized she could live perfectly well without his interference.
In the days that followed, time maintained a constant distance. He watched her tiptoe to fetch milk in the morning light, and squatted to feed stray cats in the twilight. Every peaceful day reminded him: perhaps distance was the best protection for her.
Until that sweltering evening.
As usual, Shixu followed behind Yunxi, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far. Just as she turned into a side path, several shady-looking men blocked her way. She backed away, clutching her schoolbag, her back pressed against the rusty railing.
Time's heart suddenly raced. To step forward or not to step forward? The painful lesson of trying to change the past was still fresh in my mind.
"Get out of the way!"
Lu Fanxing's bicycle braked suddenly and came to a stop in the middle, and several classmates rushed out of the convenience store. Soon, Yunxi was protected by her classmates.
Shi Xu stood at the corner, watching this scene, and slowly loosened her clenched fist. It turned out that even without him, she could be protected.
Rain began to fall, wetting his shoulders. Watching her being escorted away by her classmates, he finally made up his mind.
He took out his phone and sent a text message:
"My name is Shixu, and I live in apartment 302. Feel free to contact me if you need any help."
This time, he chose to protect her in a different way. Instead of forcefully interfering in her life, he chose to be a neighbor she could turn to for help whenever she needed it.
However, just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly vibrated. A text message from an unknown number left him frozen in place:
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Shi Xu stared at the number—it was Yunxi's phone number. Raindrops fell on the screen, blurring the words, but they couldn't blur the tremor in his heart.
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