Chapter 191

Chapter 191

No. 110 Lijiangbei Street.

“You’ve thought it through? You really want to go back to October 8?” Qiu Ziyu asked Nan Mu gravely.

Nan Mu lowered his eyes. No emotion disturbed his voice as he gave a quiet hum of assent.

Wen Miao’s letter had proven that Nan Mu truly altered her fate during his second trip through time.

But because Nan Mu killed someone, Wen Miao tried to change his fate in turn-and the world shifted once more, ending with Wen Miao’s death.

That was where everything had begun.

To stop Wen Miao, Nan Mu had to return to that moment in time and change one event: Nan Mu killing Xu Lei.

But that was easier said than done.

When Nan Mu returned to that day, his first priority would be avoiding the other two Nan Mus.

Since they could not meet, he had no way to tell his past self not to kill anyone. The only thing he could do was prevent that Nan Mu from ever crossing paths with Xu Lei.

And perhaps the most painful part of all was…

Qiu Ziyu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came.

He knew this really was the best point in time Nan Mu could choose.

But still…

“If you go back to October 8… if you succeed this time… then everything will start over.”

In that new timeline, Wen Miao would not remember any of the time they had spent together. She would not remember investigating cases at his side or weathering danger with him. She would not remember how he had traveled through time again and again to save her, meeting and getting to know her anew each time…

“Even knowing that, you won’t regret it?”

Nan Mu closed his eyes, as though waiting for every thought and feeling inside him to settle. When he opened them again, he was perfectly composed.

He even lifted his gaze to meet Qiu Ziyu’s and said evenly, “I know what the consequences are. You really do talk too much.”

Qiu Ziyu choked on his response.

Of course Nan Mu knew. He had always been cautious. How could he make a decision without understanding its consequences?

But while this was unquestionably the best choice for Wen Miao, what about Nan Mu?

From that day forward, he would have to carry every memory of their past alone. Would he truly never regret it?

Of course he would.

If he had no regrets, why would he avoid the question?

But Qiu Ziyu knew Nan Mu would always put Wen Miao first. Nothing could change his mind.

“Fine,” Qiu Ziyu muttered. “I’m starting it.”

Nan Mu closed his eyes without answering.

Qiu Ziyu waited several seconds. When Nan Mu still did not tell him to stop, he gritted his teeth and pressed the transmission button.

===

October 8, 2022.

This was Nan Mu’s fifth trip through time.

He had arrived earlier than usual, because he needed to finish every preparation before the “second Nan Mu” met Wen Miao.

He had just changed clothes in the dorm when Qiu Ziyu and Wang Zheng came roughhousing through the door, a basketball tucked beneath one of their arms.

“I’m showering first!”

“You always go first! It’s my turn this time!”

“I’m first!”

Wang Zheng was much craftier than Qiu Ziyu. When he spotted Nan Mu by the door, he circled behind him and gave him a shove.

Caught off guard, Nan Mu stumbled several steps forward and landed directly in Qiu Ziyu’s path.

Wang Zheng seized the opportunity to dart into the bathroom and lock the door. He even called out a taunt for good measure. “See? You’re no match for me!”

The two friends who had been getting along just moments earlier instantly turned on each other. Qiu Ziyu was so furious he tried to kick down the door, but Nan Mu had him firmly by the arm, leaving him to flail and kick uselessly at the air.

“Knock it off. You’re covered in sweat!” Nan Mu hauled Qiu Ziyu back and gave the hand that had touched his arm a look of disgust.

Qiu Ziyu noticed nothing and continued cursing under his breath.

“I need to ask you something,” Nan Mu said.

“Huh?” Qiu Ziyu finally stopped ranting when he saw Nan Mu’s grave expression. “What is it?”

“Well…” Nan Mu’s gaze wandered around the room. He rubbed his nose, then scratched his forehead, apparently trying to decide how to begin. “Look, can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back later.”
“Oh, I thought it was something serious. You’re just borrowing money-why make it sound so dramatic?” Qiu Ziyu grumbled. He pulled out his phone to transfer the money and casually asked, “How much do you need?”

Nan Mu smiled before answering. “How much do you have?”

Qiu Ziyu shot him a startled look. Nan Mu received a generous monthly allowance, and more importantly, he was always sensible with money-nothing like Qiu Ziyu, who spent without restraint. It was strange enough for Nan Mu to ask for a loan at all. Judging by his tone, though, he apparently needed a lot.

After hesitating, Qiu Ziyu ventured, “Two thousand?”

His own monthly allowance was only three thousand. If it were not the beginning of the month, and if his advisor’s stipend had not arrived a few days ago, he would never have had even two thousand available.

Nan Mu frowned and shook his head. “Not enough. I need at least ten thousand.”

Qiu Ziyu’s eyes widened.

He rubbed his ear, wondering whether he had misheard. His voice rose involuntarily. “How much did you say?”

Ten thousand?

Was Nan Mu asking for a loan?

Or was the bastard trying to bleed him dry?

He was still a broke college kid!

“Ten thousand,” Nan Mu repeated. Before Qiu Ziyu could explode, he seized the initiative and shoved him down into a chair. “I know you have it! Lend me your New Year’s gift money.”

Qiu Ziyu gaped at him.

Unbelievable! Nan Mu did not merely want to bleed him dry-he wanted to dig up his grave and rob that too!

Nan Mu never wasted money, much less this much at once. Qiu Ziyu eyed him suspiciously. “What do you need all that money for?”

“It’s urgent.” A trace of genuine anxiety showed on Nan Mu’s face.

“What’s so urgent?” Qiu Ziyu pressed.

If Nan Mu wanted to buy something expensive, he would have asked his family. If the purchase were reasonable, there was no way Uncle Nan-who doted on his son-would refuse.

Instead of asking his family, Nan Mu had come to Qiu Ziyu. That meant he believed his family would never give him the money…

What could Nan Mu possibly want that he would not dare ask his family to pay for?

The more Qiu Ziyu thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

When Nan Mu saw the look on his face-*Give me a good reason, or you’re not getting a cent*-he had no choice but to use his trump card.

Putting on a mysterious air, he draped an arm around Qiu Ziyu’s shoulders and lowered his head. “Come on, buddy. Help me out just this once. I really do need it urgently. I can’t explain exactly what it’s for. All I can tell you is that it involves a girl…”

Before Nan Mu could finish, Qiu Ziyu practically leaped into the air. His face lit with wild excitement as he shouted, “What?! You have a girlfriend?!”

He was so loud that even Wang Zheng heard him over the shower. “What? Did you call me? I’m almost done.”

Nan Mu instinctively clapped a hand over Qiu Ziyu’s mouth and gave him an urgent look. “Shh! I’m only telling you. Don’t say anything to anyone else.”

Qiu Ziyu nodded with Nan Mu’s hand still over his mouth, then suddenly felt oddly heartsick. “I can’t believe a guy like you actually got a girlfriend.”

Once his envy subsided, he felt a little aggrieved. “You’re the one who got a girlfriend, so why am I the one paying for it? You haven’t even treated the guys to a meal…”

But then another thought struck him. What kind of relationship required that much money all at once?

Qiu Ziyu had grown up with Nan Mu and understood the Nan family’s approach to money better than anyone: live within your means. Nan Mu had always followed that principle himself. He would never spend beyond his means merely to buy a gift or put on a show.

If that was not the reason, why did he suddenly need so much money?

Qiu Ziyu’s gaze roamed over Nan Mu before abruptly stopping below his waist. Realization dawned, and he asked in disbelief, “You… didn’t forget to use protection, did you?!”

Nan Mu was speechless.