Early Morning.

The hallway was empty, and even the city’s usual noise had quieted significantly.

The neighbor lady stood motionless, staring at the door, without speaking or making any movements. It didn’t seem like she was there to knock.

But at such a late hour, who would stand silently at their neighbor’s door? Was she not planning to sleep?

In the dim light, Song Qinglan stood behind the door, observing the woman for a full five minutes.

He wondered if she was sleepwalking.

A woman, unarmed, posed little danger. After confirming she wasn’t making any further moves, Song Qinglan checked the door lock and then turned back to the sofa. The cat was still sitting on the armrest, tilting its head at him.

Song Qinglan reached out and petted the cat’s head, and to his surprise, it didn’t shy away or make a sound.

The atmosphere was definitely unusual.

Retracting his hand, Song Qinglan thought for a moment before heading toward Ji Yushi’s bedroom.

He needed to check on Ji Yushi.

The bedroom door handle turned, and warm light filled the space.

Song Qinglan recalled that the rumors said Ji Yushi loved books but was afraid of the dark, which was why he never took night shifts at the Ningcheng branch.

So, Ji Yushi usually slept with the light on?

Sure enough, a night lamp was glowing beside the bed.

Ji Yushi was lying on his side on the soft bed, half of his pale face buried in the pillow, his expression relaxed in the warm, dim light, appearing to be in a deep sleep.

The room was chilled with low air conditioning, and Ji Yushi was covered with a thin blanket that rose and fell gently with his breathing.

Asleep, Ji Yushi seemed very delicate.

Just like during the Chaos mission.

Back then, Ji Yushi had been frozen stiff, and Song Qinglan had held him in his arms for hours.

At that moment, something furry brushed against his feet.

The orange cat, plump but light on its feet, thanks to its soft paws, moved into the room without Song Qinglan noticing. It jumped onto the bed, curling up beside Ji Yushi’s neck.

Everything seemed to return to normal.

Song Qinglan didn’t enter the room, standing there for only a few seconds before gently closing the door and returning to the living room.

After this incident, the little bit of sleepiness Song Qinglan had vanished completely. He scrolled through his phone and noticed that Li Chun had posted a new update.

Li Chun: [If my girlfriend says I’m wrong, then I’m wrong, no questions asked. 🐶]

A cheater with a surprising variety of lines.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Song Qinglan realized—when did Li Chun get a girlfriend?

Before their last mission, Li Chun had mentioned not getting the phone number of a girl he liked and regretting it.

Song Qinglan sent a message to Li Chun, telling him to contact him when he woke up.

After thinking it over, Song Qinglan also messaged the rest of the team: [Contact me as soon as you wake up.]

These guys were notorious for sleeping in during their breaks, so Song Qinglan figured they wouldn’t wake up too early. But since he and Ji Yushi were still trying to figure things out, reaching out to the others would just be for updates on their situation.

Early in the morning, Ji Yushi woke up.

There were traces of the orange cat by his pillow, meaning it had snuck into his room last night, and he hadn’t noticed at all.

Ji Yushi hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time.

Despite the unsettling conversation before bed, he hadn’t even had a single dream. Could it be because someone else was in the house?

But even when Ji Minyue stayed over, this rarely happened.

To Ji Yushi’s surprise, when he stepped out of the bedroom, the smell of breakfast and coffee greeted him.

In the kitchen, Song Qinglan was frying eggs.

He was so tall that the reasonably spacious kitchen looked much smaller with him in it.

Ji Yushi was surprised: “You—”

“I’m not going to my grandfather’s house anymore.” Seeing Ji Yushi awake, Song Qinglan immediately said, “I booked tickets for the next train, so after breakfast, we’ll head straight to Jiangcheng.”

Song Qinglan had already washed up, though it was clear he hadn’t slept much. Yet, he seemed full of energy, as if he had an endless reserve.

Ji Yushi hadn’t been about to ask why Song Qinglan hadn’t left, but rather how he knew how to cook.

Song Qinglan slid the eggs onto a plate with practiced ease. The edges were perfectly golden, just the right doneness.

Song Qinglan cracked a second egg with one hand, deftly tapping it on the pan’s edge before sliding it into the skillet with a sizzle. His movements were almost graceful, a man of such presence and intensity seeming perfectly at ease with cooking.

“Oh.”

Ji Yushi didn’t have the heart to remind him that the eggs were probably expired.

Living alone, Ji Yushi rarely cooked, and these eggs were from before he left for Jiangcheng. Not to mention how long they’d been there before he left—the mission had kept them away for nearly a month.

The eggs in the pan seemed normal, and as long as they were fully cooked, it should be fine, right?

Looking at the eggs Song Qinglan had fried, Ji Yushi found himself wanting to eat them.

Two grown men should have enough immunity and gut bacteria to handle these eggs, as long as they didn’t eat too much.

Ji Yushi convinced himself.

Then… he watched Song Qinglan fry five eggs in one go.

Ji Yushi: “…”

Joking aside, with Song Qinglan’s height of 193 cm and weight of over 90 kg, five eggs wouldn’t even fill the gap in his teeth. If Ji Yushi’s fridge hadn’t been practically empty, he would have cooked more.

“I was planning to explore Ningcheng during the three-month break.” Song Qinglan chatted with him, “Didn’t expect to have to go back so soon.”

Ji Yushi said, “There’s not much to see in Ningcheng; cities are pretty similar.”

Song Qinglan: “Not quite. I went to kindergarten here for a few years, so there are childhood memories.”

Ji Yushi replied, “Hmm, three-time kindergarten drawing champion?”

It seemed Ji Yushi really remembered everything, even the jokes.

Song Qinglan didn’t mind the teasing and joked, “Not just memories of the drawing championship, but also my ‘first love.’ I remember a very pretty little girl in kindergarten; we got along well. When I returned to Jiangcheng, she even cried…”

He glanced back at Ji Yushi, “What’s that look? Can’t I have some charm as a kid?”

Ji Yushi’s beautiful eyes were wide open, as if he didn’t believe a word.

As soon as Song Qinglan spoke, he remembered that Ji Yushi had already seen him as a kid. The image of himself stumbling around in adult clothes, trailing behind his teammates, was too embarrassing. He coughed lightly, trying to save face, “Hmm, I even remember her name… something like Huanhuan. Maybe I’ll try to find her.”

Ji Yushi mercilessly responded, “You probably won’t find her.”

By now, the eggs were done.

Song Qinglan didn’t mind the jab—he was just making small talk.

He sat down, pushing two eggs toward Ji Yushi: “Consultant Ji, does your chatty neighbor have a sleepwalking disorder?”

“The neighbor lady? She has a sleepwalking disorder?” Ji Yushi pushed the eggs back to Song Qinglan’s plate, “What do you mean?”

Song Qinglan recounted the events of the previous night.

It sounded eerie, and Ji Yushi was surprised. He had never noticed his neighbor’s sleepwalking before. During his sleepless nights, it had never occurred to him to look through the peephole to see what was happening outside.

For now, they put the matter aside.

Song Qinglan had checked earlier in the morning; the neighbor lady was gone.

Ji Yushi asked, “So you didn’t sleep at all?”

“Hmm, a bit of trouble sleeping in a new place.” Song Qinglan tapped the edge of his plate with a fork, smiling slightly, “Don’t like eggs either?”

Ji Yushi: “…”

Song Qinglan hinted, “Don’t like canned meat, don’t like eggs—Consultant Ji, you’re not easy to please. No one ever told you that you should speak up if you don’t like something?”

Ji Yushi stayed silent, making one wonder if he really hadn’t been told that.

Song Qinglan added, “I’m not picky. I can handle anything.”

If he had known earlier that Ji Yushi didn’t like canned meat, he wouldn’t have forced him to eat so much in the big bearded man’s space capsule.

Ji Yushi simply wasn’t in the habit of expressing personal preferences. He didn’t like canned meat but did like eggs. He hesitated, “I like… I thought you didn’t like canned meat.”

Song Qinglan quickly replied, “I like it too.”

As soon as he said it, both fell silent for a moment.

It was early in the morning, and they were just discussing food, but it felt like they were awkwardly trying to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Strangely enough, despite having gone through countless life-and-death situations together, perfectly synchronized in thought and action, they found themselves realizing how little they knew about each other in everyday life. Besides their roles as captain and temporary team member, they hadn’t even reached the level of friends. In fact, Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi weren’t particularly close.

Ji Yushi didn’t have many friends and didn’t know how to initiate or maintain a relationship.

But he could feel Song Qinglan getting closer.

The possibly expired eggs were delicious, and the coffee Song Qinglan made was excellent.

As he quietly chewed, Ji Yushi suddenly understood something—so in the space capsule, all those cans of luncheon meat had been given to him by Song Qinglan?

No wonder the bearded man had misunderstood.

Ji Yushi lowered his eyelashes slightly, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the fork handle.

These straight guys, their friendship is so direct and genuine.

After having homemade breakfast at Ji Yushi’s place, with a bit of luck that they wouldn’t get an upset stomach, Ji Yushi and Song Qinglan headed out together.

As they left the building, they ran into Ji Minyue at the entrance.

Ji Minyue, wearing glasses, was walking the family corgi.

As usual, it seemed like he was just out for a walk and decided to check on Ji Yushi.

When the three met, Ji Minyue just stood there, backlit by the sunlight from outside, making his expression hard to see.

“Brother?” Ji Yushi greeted him, then introduced Song Qinglan, “This is my brother.”

Ji Minyue didn’t move.

Ji Yushi walked closer and saw Ji Minyue’s face.

He had been staring at Ji Yushi the whole time, without showing any curiosity about the person beside him. He simply said, “Dad wants you to come home.”

Thinking the family was worried about him, Ji Yushi told Ji Minyue, “Captain Song and I have to go to Jiangcheng now.”

Ji Minyue repeated, “Dad wants you to come home.”

Ji Yushi sensed something was off: “Ji Minyue, what’s wrong with you?”

Ji Minyue: “Dad wants you to come home.”

From the moment they met, Ji Minyue had repeated this three times. His voice was stiff, almost mechanical.

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Ji Yushi, not even blinking, completely unlike the affectionate older brother he usually was.

Ji Yushi was pulled back by someone. It was Song Qinglan, who said, “Look at the dog.”

The corgi stood next to Ji Minyue, and despite the warm weather, it wasn’t panting to cool down. Like its owner, it just stood there, staring at them, completely still.

“It’s not sleepwalking,” Song Qinglan said. “Your neighbor isn’t right, and your brother isn’t right either. Consultant Ji, have you noticed that your cat didn’t make a sound this morning?”

When they had breakfast, the cat had jumped onto the table.

Ji Yushi thought it was interested in the fried eggs, but now that he recalled, the cat had only been lying there watching them, almost like it was monitoring them.

And when they were leaving, he had added food to the automatic feeder, but the cat had unusually stayed far away, not making a sound.

“We need to go!”

With that, Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi quickly headed for the parking spot.

Ji Minyue, holding the dog, silently followed them until Song Qinglan started the car. Even then, he just stood there, staring at them wordlessly.

The SUV reversed swiftly, and as it paused for a moment, Ji Minyue suddenly slammed into the window with a “thud.”

His familiar face was close, and Ji Minyue mechanically said, “Dad wants you to come home.”

Ji Yushi felt an overwhelming urge to open the door and follow Ji Minyue.

Song Qinglan snapped him out of it: “Ji Yushi!”

Ji Yushi realized his hand was already on the door handle. Startled, he quickly pulled it back, and Song Qinglan didn’t hesitate to drive away.

As they neared the community exit, Ji Yushi saw a chilling sight in the rearview mirror.

Ji Minyue, the corgi, the neighbor lady and her child, and the community manager were all standing behind them.

They stood there expressionlessly, watching the car drive away.

The car exited the community and merged into the morning traffic.

The city bustled with cars, bathed in sunlight; everything seemed normal, as if the strange events in the community had been just an illusion.

But Ji Yushi knew they weren’t.

What was going on?

Ji Minyue was his family, the neighbor lady and her child were familiar to him, and the community manager had once helped him find his lost cat… These were all people connected to him.

“This morning, I tried calling my grandfather’s house, but couldn’t get through,” Song Qinglan said. “I also tried my family, but no one answered. I thought it was just a coincidence, but now it’s clear something’s wrong. I suspect these strange things aren’t just happening to you; they might be affecting me as well.”

As if guessing what Ji Yushi was thinking, Song Qinglan provided this information while driving.

Why was this happening?

Both were at a loss.

“Should we still go find Minister Jiang?” Song Qinglan asked, “Do you have any other ideas?”

Ji Yushi didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”

Song Qinglan had expected this answer and drove quickly but steadily.

On the way, because of the messages sent the previous night, Song Qinglan received a call from Duan Wen.

“Captain Song.” Duan Wen’s voice was low, and his tone sounded unusual. “Is it convenient for you to talk?”

Song Qinglan said, “I’m with Consultant Ji.”

On the car’s communication system, Duan Wen seemed surprised—why were these two together again?

But knowing that Ji Yushi was also there, Duan Wen raised his voice, speaking quickly and with tension, “Damn, I think I’ve lost my mind.”

“Captain Song, do you remember the tree on the lawn in my backyard? The one I planted on my twenty-fifth birthday?” Duan Wen was so agitated he forgot to watch his language. “I made a wish that day, that I’d get married by the time I was thirty-five, and once I was married, I’d hang a swing on that tree for my kid. Yesterday afternoon, while working on the swing, I suddenly realized… Where did I get a kid?”

Duan Wen’s voice trembled: “But I have one—a daughter, a very cute one. And my wife is from our Jiangcheng branch’s research team. We’ve known each other for five years. But I clearly remember pursuing her, and she turned me down. Not long after, she even invited me to her wedding… How could this be? In my current memories, that wedding was mine. I think I’ve gone crazy—maybe this is a side effect of temporal hijacking. How could I have such severe aftereffects?”

Both Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi turned pale.

It was unexpected but not surprising.

Song Qinglan calmly reassured him, “Don’t panic; we’re experiencing similar symptoms.”

Duan Wen paused: “Damn, this isn’t something to share. How could I not panic?”

“Brother Wen,” Ji Yushi spoke, “Captain Song and I suspect that this situation might be caused by overlapping memories.”

Ji Yushi’s voice was clear and calm, and his analysis always had a soothing effect. Although he and Song Qinglan hadn’t yet figured things out, Ji Yushi quickly explained the situation to Duan Wen in simple terms.

Duan Wen asked, “So what should I do now?”

“I’ll send you some information shortly; see if it triggers any memories.” Song Qinglan referred to Minister Wang’s file and continued, “Contact the others, and check in with each other. Consultant Ji and I are on our way back to Jiangcheng.”

After hanging up, Ji Yushi sent the file to Duan Wen.

There was some traffic on the way, so they were cutting it close by the time they arrived at Ningcheng North Station.

Fortunately, both were tall and had long legs, so as long as they didn’t stop after parking, they could still make it.

The station was bustling with travelers from all over, always busy.

As they made their way through the parking lot, plaza, and hall, Song Qinglan noticed that every so often, some people would stop and stare at them.

These faces passed quickly through Ji Yushi’s memory.

He realized that anyone who stopped to look at them was someone he had met before, even if only briefly.

There’s a theory called the Six Degrees of Separation.

It suggests that any two people in the world are no more than six acquaintances apart. This means that, regardless of who you are, you’re connected to any other person on Earth by six or fewer social connections.

The world isn’t as big as it seems, and even if it doesn’t quite reach the Six Degrees of Separation, there’s always some connection in the grand scheme of things.

Ji Yushi followed Song Qinglan, weaving through the crowd.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his sleeve.

Ji Yushi turned to see it was a janitor.

He had passed this janitor in the hall several times before and had even helped pick up some litter for him once.

Now, the janitor had grabbed him but didn’t say a word. His dull eyes held no emotion, as if his only purpose was to stop Ji Yushi from moving forward.

Ji Yushi hesitated for a moment, and then five or six people approached from behind the janitor.

They came from all directions, eyes unblinking as they stared at Ji Yushi, just like Ji Minyue and the neighbor lady had. They closed in silently, as if trying to surround him.

Yet, the passersby seemed oblivious to it all.

Facing this circle of people, seeing such numb expressions on human faces felt like being in a living nightmare.

“Ji Yushi!”

Song Qinglan quickly noticed that Ji Yushi hadn’t followed and rushed back to grab his hand.

In those few seconds, cold sweat had formed on Ji Yushi’s palm, and he snapped out of it: “Captain Song!”

More and more people were gathering—what started as five or six became a dozen.

They formed a human wall, blocking their path to Jiangcheng.

Song Qinglan’s expression grew serious: “Let’s go!”

Ji Yushi followed Song Qinglan out of the encirclement, both walking quickly.

Song Qinglan didn’t hesitate to push through the crowd with his considerable strength, forcing them to make way, though they continued to follow at a distance.

After verifying their identity cards at the ticket checkpoint, they finally entered the platform.

They moved quickly enough that those without tickets couldn’t board the maglev train, leaving them to stand behind the glass outside the platform.

Being watched by so many people made the train seem to move slower.

Meanwhile, on the platform, the waiting passengers were smiling, chatting with each other, forming a stark contrast with the strangeness behind them.

Between reality and unreality, the train finally arrived.

They boarded, and due to the angle, those people couldn’t see them anymore.

As the train sped away, distancing them from the scene, Ji Yushi saw those people suddenly come to life, their expressions lively and full of vitality, as they dispersed.