"So... I didn't have the chance to be your brother back then, but can I be your boyfriend now?"
It was as if boiling liquid was flowing through the central nervous system.
In an instant, Jiang Que even forgot to breathe.
The magma-like heat surged and invaded all his senses, burning and devouring the remaining rationality in his brain, as if to swallow him up and melt him completely.
But at the same time, the sparks it emitted were like a sudden alarm bell, suddenly awakening the nightmare that had been lingering in his heart for a long time and had been temporarily soothed.
Those few seconds seemed like a century.
Jiang Que stared at the person in front of him, but his throat seemed to be blocked and he could not utter a word.
He knew that Song Yecheng's words were not casual, which was evident from his obviously unstable breathing and embarrassed gaze.
He also knew that he shouldn't be so unromantic at this moment, or at least he shouldn't be detached from the situation with a completely opposite emotion.
But he had no choice.
After struggling for a long time, he finally broke the silence with difficulty: "...I have something to tell you."
Song Yecheng's fingers stroking his lips paused slightly, as if he didn't understand why he had to say it at this moment. But even so, he still raised his eyes again patiently and gently: "What is it?"
Jiang Que swallowed and said, "...about that online article, and the date on my watch and calendar."
Hearing this, Song Yecheng finally realized that what he was going to say was what he had promised to explain after filming was finished. His expression became more serious and he said seriously, "Well, go ahead."
Frankly speaking, he was initially extremely curious about how the prophecy in the online article could be fulfilled, but after so long, that curiosity had actually faded with time and was no longer as strong as it was at the beginning.
However, although he could ignore the online article, he could not ignore the countdown on Jiang Que's watch and the date on the calendar, because his intuition told him that it was very important to Jiang Que.
Jiang Que lowered his eyelashes as he looked at her, as if he was still struggling inside.
It wasn't until more than ten seconds later that he finally seemed to have made up his mind and spoke with difficulty, "...I've died twice."
Like a bolt of thunder suddenly struck.
Song Yecheng's mind went blank. He almost doubted that he could understand. "...W-what?"
However, this time Jiang Que didn't hesitate at all. It was like he had completely removed his armor and there was nothing left to hide. He continued to strike down with the thunder: "This is already my third 2020. The first two times, I died on November 14th."
The floor-to-ceiling windows were clearly sealed, but Song Yecheng inexplicably felt a cool breeze brushing against the back of his neck. His blank brain was turning slowly, as if he was trying to understand the meaning of the words, but it seemed as if he couldn't understand them at all.
In fact, there is nothing difficult to understand about this statement.
If he was watching a science fiction or fantasy film and heard the protagonist say such a line, he would probably understand the meaning behind it instantly.
But the thing is, this isn't a movie.
In other words, he is no longer a spectator, but has become a character in the play.
Song Yecheng fell silent.
Reason told him that this was too unrealistic, just like the original story of "traveling through a book", it was simply like a fairy tale.
But at the same time, his emotions were desperately reminding him that Jiang Que must have gone through unimaginable contradictions and torments before he decided to tell this matter, and every second of his doubt and silence at this moment was hitting the trust line that Jiang Que had worked so hard to build in his heart.
The facts were just as he expected.
Song Yecheng's silence at the moment was like an endless psychological torture to Jiang Que. It was precisely because he knew clearly what Song Yecheng's attitude was towards "traveling through a book" in the past that he now dared not imagine his reaction to this matter.
——Tick, tick.
It was as if deep water was gathering around him, gradually covering his waist, chest, and neck as time passed. Every drop made him doubt whether his decision to tell the truth was right or wrong, and every second pushed him closer to the abyss of regret for speaking out.
Jiang Que waited silently, and the longer he waited, the more desperate he became.
However, just as the flood was about to overwhelm his eyes, ears, mouth and nose, and the overwhelming suffocation was about to swallow him up, he suddenly heard Song Yecheng ask softly: "What happened those two times?"
——Crash.
That was the sound of the water receding, drowning the ears and noses.
Jiang Que felt a gust of air pouring into his lungs, reawakening all his limbs.
He raised his eyes to meet Song Yecheng's gaze, and saw in that look a seriousness and concentration that he had never expected. This concentration was like a shot of adrenaline, warming his heart that was on the verge of freezing.
"Both times it was an accident."
He whispered, "The first time was when I was driving on the highway and got into a pileup. The second time was when I was hit by a bus on a city road."
"Then what?" Song Yecheng asked.
Jiang Que said, "Then when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back to a year ago, November 14, 2019."
Rebirth.
This familiar definition immediately popped up in Song Yecheng's mind. He was silent for a while again, as if trying to digest this information.
After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Jiang Que was suddenly startled.
He originally thought that even if Song Yecheng asked further questions, he would definitely ask about some details of what happened to doubt or verify the authenticity of his words, but he didn't expect that his focus would be this.
These words were like a feather, gently landing on the softest part of my heart, dispersing the dust that had accumulated there, and silently soothing some chronic illnesses.
Jiang Que smiled faintly and shook his head: "It doesn't hurt. Accidents happen in a split second and you lose consciousness quickly."
"What about after you wake up?" Song Yecheng pinched his earlobe soothingly, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Jiang Que recalled and shook his head again: "After waking up, there were no scars on my body, and no obvious changes. I just felt a little sleepy occasionally, and...my memory might have been affected a little."
"memory?"
Jiang Que nodded: "After waking up twice, my memory of the last time between 2019 and 2020 has become very vague, and I can only remember some things that left a particularly deep impression on me."
Something that left a particularly deep impression on me.
Hearing this, Song Yecheng quickly seemed to understand something: "So the prophecy in that online article..."
"Yes," Jiang Que said, "Those trending searches are the things I remember very clearly after waking up twice."
He added, "When I first woke up, I didn't actually believe I was back from the dead. I just thought it was a dream that was too real. It wasn't until the events of the 'dream' happened again and again in real life that I began to suspect it might not be a dream. But perhaps it was because I reacted too late - although I deliberately avoided going to the highway on November 14th, it didn't change the outcome of the car accident."
Song Yecheng pondered for a moment, then recalled the online novel. He then speculated, "So after you woke up this time, you decided to completely abandon your original path?"
This inference is actually very reasonable.
When he realized that he was really "reborn", in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes, he used that online article as a "prophecy" to cause a widespread sensation from the very beginning, affecting the story line of countless people. This was equivalent to creating a huge butterfly effect, which was the most likely approach to change the final outcome.
However, Jiang Que did not give a positive answer immediately this time. He lowered his gaze as if to avoid the question, and after a long while he said, "...This is just one of the reasons."
Song Yecheng didn't understand what he meant and waited patiently for him to continue.
For some reason, Jiang Que's expression at this moment was filled with guilt. He opened and closed his lips several times, as if he was having trouble speaking, and finally said, "Actually... I shouldn't have involved you in this matter. Even if I wanted to cause a butterfly effect, I shouldn't have used your trending searches to attract attention."
Song Yecheng actually didn't care about these things, but he knew that Jiang Que might not have finished speaking yet, so he didn't rush to express his opinion and interrupt him.
"but……"
Jiang Que quickly reached the turning point, "After the second car accident, I realized the only common point between the two accidents... might be related to you."
This was something Song Yecheng had never expected.
He confirmed with a look of surprise: "Is it related to me?"
Jiang Que's face was filled with even more apology: "Actually, that's not the way to say it. It should be said that..."
He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to explain himself. Finally, he gave up on summarizing and continued, "The first highway accident was caused by the collapse of a giant billboard. That billboard and the bus in the second accident were both advertising your Eternal Spring Water."
Song Yecheng was stunned at first, and then he remembered that when Douzi was talking to him about the advertisement of Yongquan Water at Liangji Villa, Jiang Que had acted uncharacteristically to ask for details.
At the time, he felt a little puzzled. He didn't understand why the usually taciturn Jiang Que would ask so many questions, as if he was particularly interested in this matter...
I see.
But before he could say anything, Jiang Que explained again: "I know this reason sounds ridiculous, but... this is the only connection I can find, otherwise I..."
"Otherwise, you won't write about my hot searches, and you won't approach me?" Song Yecheng suddenly interrupted.
For some reason, Jiang Que actually heard a hint of threat in these words, which made him choke and subconsciously looked up at Song Yecheng.
Song Yecheng's eyebrows were slightly raised, showing a playful and teasing expression. His eyes seemed to be saying in a scolding tone, "Do you dare to nod and try?"
Jiang Que was stuck.
In fact, Song Yecheng's guess was correct. If it weren't for the only common point between the two accidents that gave him a vague and uncertain idea of "whether there would be a turning point", even if he wanted to trigger a butterfly effect, he would not use Song Yecheng's hot searches to build momentum.
The reason is simple. It's just that over the years, he has always positioned his feelings for Song Yecheng as the feelings of a fan for his idol. As a fan, he can watch from afar and look up to him, but he should not disturb the other person's life without authorization, let alone try to enter the other person's world.
——This is also the reason why he repeatedly declined Zhuang Yan’s invitation to visit the set during the filming of “Twins”, because he was afraid that he would not be able to control the desire to get close to him, and he was also afraid that the desire would make him cross the line and cause unnecessary trouble to Song Yecheng.
However, at this moment, facing Song Yecheng's angry questioning, he couldn't nod his head in accordance with the truth, and could only remain deadlocked, almost in a dilemma.
Seeing that he was really intimidated by him, Song Yecheng couldn't help but feel a little amused and helpless. He smiled and sighed without temper and pulled him into his arms: "Do you know how lucky I am that you wrote that online novel, and how lucky I am that you joined the group, which finally gave me the opportunity to meet you?"
Jiang Que felt the warmth of that fiery body as he continued, "When we were filming 'Twins,' I was eagerly waiting. I kept following Director Zhuang around asking why you weren't coming. Didn't you hear he already called me a crazy fan? You think your appearance is bothering me and bothering me, but I feel like I've won the jackpot—Teacher Bai, who's so big, has finally landed in front of me. I can't wait to put you in my pocket and take you away."
The straightforward words accompanied by the warm air flow penetrated the cochlea, dissolving the little thoughts of self-deprecation in Jiang Que's heart bit by bit, letting him know that he was also the one who was expected and desired, and not an uninvited guest in someone's life.
Jiang Que listened quietly, and warm mist once again appeared in his moist eyes, as if all the melted hesitation and wavering had turned into substance and were evaporating through those beautiful eyes.
He thought that was all, but unexpectedly, Song Yecheng was considering more than that at this time: "Since the Eternal Spring Water advertisement is a hidden danger, then we won't shoot it. If the butterfly effect is not strong enough, we will make it stronger. If we still haven't found the root cause by November 14, then I will handcuff you and lock you in the room with me. I want to see what else can touch you under my nose."
Although Song Yecheng has a background and capital that others cannot match, he rarely speaks or acts like a superior. But at this moment, he said this decisively and unrestrainedly, even with a hidden arrogance and ruffian spirit, as if his opponent is not the unpredictable fate, but just an unknown rat who is hiding his head and showing his tail.
Jiang Que had never expected that he had already considered the future. He listened to him in a daze, and a strange feeling inexplicably arose in his heart -
The confidence in these words was like a barrier falling from the sky, or like the whisk in the hands of an enlightened person, which easily swept away the gloomy haze, making the originally desperate and terrifying nightmare seem not so scary anymore.
Song Yecheng didn't know what he was thinking, but he knew he must still be immersed in his previous emotions, so he patted the back of his neck soothingly, deliberately lightening the mood and said, "By the way, you didn't write that online novel again. Was it because the original route had changed and the subsequent things were also affected?"
Jiang Que quickly regained his composure, and then his attention was diverted. He leaned against his shoulder and nodded, "I didn't join the group the first two times. After joining this time, many things are different."
Song Yecheng's original intention was just to change the subject, but unexpectedly, this question aroused his curiosity: "What's different? What happened before?"
Jiang Que recollected it carefully, but the fragments of his multiple rebirths piled up in his mind, making it difficult for him to recall. "Actually, I don't remember much. I just remember... you adopted a wild cat in the mountain village of Yinling, posted its photo on Weibo, and called it your son. Then it became a trending topic."
Song Yecheng was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "White hair?"
Jiang Que nodded: "It should be this one, the fur color and body size are similar."
Hearing this, Song Yecheng quickly remembered the pile of cat food he saw in Jiang Que's suitcase, and finally understood why he brought cat food all the way to the mountains to join the crew.
However, the next second, his thoughts suddenly jumped, and then the corners of his mouth curled up, and he suddenly leaned back and stared at Jiang Que: "So you stole my son?"
Jiang Que: “…”
This sudden turn caught him off guard, and Song Yecheng didn't give him time to react at all. As if he had caught some leverage, he immediately pressed on, "Then should you compensate me?"
Jiang Que felt like he had dug a huge hole. Blinking guiltily, he said, "But it's... not being kept downstairs from you..."
"That won't work either," Song Yecheng raised his eyebrows, as if he was holding a chicken feather as a token of authority, "What's the point of just keeping it with me?"
Seeing Jiang Que's face full of "what else do you want?", Song Yecheng leaned closer with a smile as if he had won a battle, pinched his chin and shook it: "I don't mind it having another father, but you have to at least give me a name, right? Hmm?"
After hearing this, Jiang Que finally came to his senses - after all this time, this person was just taking advantage of the situation and going around in circles back to the previous topic.
He felt helpless and amused, while Song Yecheng was still holding his chin and shaking it non-stop: "Let's be together, Teacher Bai?"
The power of the wolf-dog-like coquettishness is definitely not in vain. The pair of sincere and affectionate eyes staring at people is enough to make people completely powerless to resist.
"I'll give you three seconds. If you don't speak, I'll kiss you." Song Yecheng threatened like a spoiled child, "One, two—"
Jiang Que suddenly became nervous and subconsciously opened his mouth to speak, but before he could make a sound, the next second, his lips were gently covered by soft and hot touch.
The sounds of wind and rain suddenly stopped at this moment.
Perhaps it was not stillness, but the sudden rush of blood into the brain blocked the transmission of hearing, causing Jiang Que to fall into a silent, vacuum-like state.
The kiss on the lips was gentle and patient.
Song Yecheng gently supported his chin with his knuckles and kissed his lips tentatively and soothingly, as if carefully expressing his affection, but also as if tacitly allowing him to retreat at any time for any reason that did not need to be explained.
It was not until he felt that the slightly cool lips did not avoid or dodge that Song Yecheng seemed to have finally received permission. He happily deepened the kiss gradually, gently sucking on the slightly opened lips, and tenderly entwining the soft tip of his tongue, as if he wanted to pour all the tenderness and sweetness in his heart into the person in front of him.
The receding water around them seemed to gather again, but it was no longer as deep and piercing as before. Instead, it turned into a warm and steaming hot spring, lingering and enveloping the two people's bodies and minds, making them both dazed and intoxicated, slowly sinking into the gentle whirlpool.
This sinking seems to have no end.
It was not until he noticed that Jiang Que's breathing had become somewhat intermittent that Song Yecheng finally retreated a little reluctantly, but he seemed unwilling to retreat far away. He still gently touched his forehead from a close distance, and his fingertips caressed the corners of the panting lips of the man in front of him with lingering desire.
This cuddling and affectionate posture was even stickier than the kiss just now. With their foreheads touching, the slight breathing tickled the earlobes, making Jiang Que seem to realize it belatedly, and his ears and cheeks couldn't help but burn.
Song Yecheng did not miss his subtle change. He smiled and watched him blinking helplessly as if he had just come to his senses. He found it interesting, but also felt very soft in his heart.
"You..." Jiang Que managed to squeeze out a mosquito-like sentence, "Aren't you going to check the switch?"
Listening to this question that was clearly an interruption after being suppressed for a long time, Song Yecheng couldn't help but smile even deeper: "I won't watch it anymore. It's fine just to keep it dark like this."
Jiang Que choked, as if he hadn't prepared any follow-up moves. He mumbled "Oh" and after a long while, he finally managed to find a sentence: "Then...you're not going to sleep yet?"
Hearing this, Song Yecheng pretended to pick up the phone on the ground next to him and took a look: "Oh, it's so late? It's time to go to bed."
Jiang Que breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say, "Then I'll go back to my room," but as soon as he moved, he found that Song Yecheng's hands had been clasped behind his back without him knowing when, and his arms had circled a small area on the ground, just enough to trap him firmly.
Jiang Que looked up in confusion and saw Song Yecheng looking at him warmly: "Don't leave, just sleep here?"
Without waiting for Jiang Que's response, he immediately added, "I promise not to move. I just can't bear to let you go. I want to stay close to you."
Jiang Que hadn't thought much about it at first, but when he heard this promise, his ears became even hotter.
However, the shyness is real, but the sweetness is also real - anyone who is hugged and looked at so eagerly, and hears the words "I want to be close to you", will find it difficult to escape the quagmire of fall.
The thunderstorm outside the window gradually subsided, and as if afraid of disturbing someone's sweet dream, everyone tacitly restrained themselves.
Drops of water dripped from the eaves, accompanied by the dim light of street lamps in the distance, outlining lullaby-like notes on the floor-to-ceiling windows.
On the soft big bed in the bedroom, Song Yecheng lay on his side and pulled up the quilt, tucking it neatly under Jiang Que's shoulder. Then he withdrew his hand and looked at the person in front of him with satisfaction, as if he was guarding a treasure:
"Good night, little bell."
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