In the slow-moving black Passat, Ren Hao, leaning back in the rear seat, propped his chin on his hand and asked inexplicably, "Do you think there's really such a thing as parallel universes?"

"Huh?" Jiang Wei, freeing his right hand from the steering wheel, casually turned off THEBACKHORN's music and glanced at the rearview mirror. "What did you say?"

Dong Xue in the passenger seat also pushed her glasses up and looked at Ren Hao.

After a moment of contemplation, Ren Hao shook his head self-deprecatingly. "I mean, right now, in another universe, could there be another me, maybe he's living a completely different life, maybe..."

"What's wrong with you today?"

"Nothing, just reading too many novels lately." Ren Hao stretched his arms, his eyes falling on the increasingly ominous clouds outside the window. "This question is really boring, yeah, just ignore me."

Dong Xue and Jiang Wei exchanged a glance, then turned around solemnly. "I think that's impossible. Maybe you think that in another universe, your other self might have made better choices for those things you were hesitant about, but in reality, you are you. Those inevitable choices won't change. You'll still go to the same high school, you'll still meet Teacher Gu, you'll still..."

"Alright!" Jiang Wei frowned and interrupted his girlfriend, observing Ren Hao's reaction through the rearview mirror.

Dong Xue looked at Jiang Wei. "So, even if there's such a parallel universe, you would still be here in the car chatting with us, right?"

Ren Hao pondered Dong Xue's words, then sat up straight. "Yeah, that makes sense. But, if a catalyst, even a tiny, tiny catalyst, appears, history could change."

"Unfortunately, that kind of catalyst won't appear."

Screech...

Jiang Wei parked the car in front of the Meilimei supermarket. "Go ask your other self in that other universe, then you'll know everything, haha, I have my phone here, why don't you two try it?"

Ren Hao chuckled, perhaps realizing that he was being too silly, he didn't continue the topic.

"Haozi, Xiaoxue and I are going to buy some things, you wait in the car."

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"Go ahead."

Ten minutes later, a roar echoed through the night...

Jiang Wei and Dong Xue couldn't imagine that the simple "go ahead" would be Ren Hao's last words on earth.

...

One day later.

Jiang Wei, looking haggard, rested his forehead on his hand, sighing alone in the living room.

Dong Xue sighed softly and squatted down in front of him, wearing slippers. "Don't be like this, didn't Uncle Ren ask you to contact Haozi's friends?" She reached for the phone on the coffee table and put it in her boyfriend's hand. "Check his phone book, call everyone."

Jiang Wei rubbed his eyes hard. "I know all his friends, why would I need to check his phone book?"

"Hey, there's an unread message." Dong Xue squinted and looked carefully, her face clearly stunned. "Look, Weiz... "

Jiang Wei impatiently leaned over and repeated the words on the screen. "Hao, come stay at my place tonight." Seeing this, Jiang Wei quickly flipped to the number, a global number, but since Ren Hao's phone book didn't have a record, the two couldn't tell who it belonged to.

"Why do I feel like a woman sent this?" Jiang Wei walked around holding the phone. "But Haozi didn't have a girlfriend before he died, hmm, right, you said you were going to introduce your classmate to him a few days ago, could it be her contacting him secretly?"

"Impossible, right?" Dong Xue took Ren Hao's phone from her boyfriend. "Wait, let me try calling with my phone."

Tap tap tap...

Dong Xue thought, if it's someone I know, the phone should automatically display the name when I dial the number.

"Hey, it's actually someone I know."

After dialing that string of numbers, the phone screen instantly displayed a woman's name.

Jiang Wei shook his head in dismay. "Which classmate of yours is this? Ugh, you should tell her about Ren Hao's situation... Hmm? Xiaoxue, what's wrong?"

Jiang Wei grabbed Dong Xue, who was staring blankly, and shook her. "What's wrong? Talk! Don't scare me! Xiaoxue! Xiaoxue!"

Dong Xue's hands were trembling. "Do you remember Haozi's time of death?"

"I remember, 8:34 pm, why are you asking?"

"Look yourself..." Dong Xue pointed the phone screen at Jiang Wei. "The time the message was sent, 8:34 pm."

Jiang Wei asked curiously, "What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? You actually asked what's the big deal?" Dong Xue suddenly became very agitated, grabbing Jiang Wei's clothes with one hand and shaking the phone with the other. "Look carefully! Look carefully at the sender's name!"

"Calm down!" Jiang Wei pressed down on her hand. "Is this person your classmate or colleague? I've never heard of her before."

"Classmate? Colleague? Haha..." Dong Xue let out a dry laugh, but her laughter had a chilling quality to it. "You actually don't remember? It's no wonder, no wonder, haha, Weiz, do you remember what Haozi said in the car that day? Maybe there really is another different him in another universe, and the history there is completely different from now."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Wei furrowed his brows tightly. "Okay, first, who is this woman?"

Dong Xue looked at him, quietly staring at him. "She's our teacher."

"Why don't I remember?"

Dong Xue lowered her head and read the message on the screen again, Hao, come stay at my place tonight.

"Because..." Dong Xue looked up at Jiang Wei. "She died... nine years ago!"