Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, Zhu Ying suddenly stood frozen at the busy intersection.
The world around her seemed to stop turning.
Passersby, the roar of traffic, the glow of streetlights — everything blurred and lost all meaning.
In her mind, terrifying visions of the past suddenly surged forth.
The face of the demon Chen Lie, the suffering she had endured, the fear she had buried deep within her heart… all of it returned to haunt her, as if casting a spell over her mind until she could not move a single step.
She remembered every cruel act of that enemy.
The pain, the loss, the loneliness… and now, meeting someone who looked so much like Sister Xixi — Zhuzhu.
Yet this world was different, the time was different, and fate seemed to be repeating that terrible story all over again.
She felt she could not take another step.
She longed to go home, to return to her place of origin, to return to a thousand years ago — to a past that had long since vanished.
Slowly, her knees gave way.
Zhu Ying crouched right in the middle of the road, tears beginning to fall and trace paths down her cheeks.
Her chest felt tight, choking back sobs she had held in for so long.
“I want to go home… please… just let me go home…” she whispered weakly, paying no mind to anything around her.
The sky seemed to share her sorrow.
Suddenly, fine rain began to fall — and then it poured, drenching her completely in moments.
Her clothes, her long hair, everything was soaked through by the relentless downpour.
Meanwhile, Zhuzhu kept running, searching for her.
Breathless, her legs weary from running so far, yet her worry kept her from stopping even for a moment.
Her eyes swept every corner of the street — until finally, her gaze locked onto one spot.
There, in the middle of the busy road, stood that figure, crouched and motionless.
Like a statue that had forgotten how to move, standing still amidst the rushing world.
The traffic light turned green.
Engines revved, wheels began to roll forward.
But the girl remained in place, not moving an inch — as if unaware of the danger rushing toward her.
Zhuzhu realized the danger in an instant.
Her heart pounded wildly with fear.
“NO!
DON’T STAY THERE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, sprinting as fast as she could toward the center of the road.
Beneath the pouring rain, Zhu Ying slowly began to stand.
Her eyes were empty, unfocused.
She stepped forward blindly, looking neither left nor right.
Her mind was broken — she felt no longer able to face life in this strange world.
The enemy was not defeated, the danger was not over, and she felt too weak to face any more challenges that kept coming one after another.
Suddenly, from the side, a large motorcycle shot forward at breakneck speed, roaring like a racing wind.
The rider seemed not to see the lone figure standing in the road at all.
Zhu Ying remained still, her eyes empty — making no move to get out of the way.
In that most heart-stopping moment — Zhuzhu lunged forward.
Her hand reached out and seized Zhu Ying’s wrist with all her strength, yanking her backward with every ounce of power she had!
Just in time!
A split second before the motorcycle roared past them!
Zhu Ying stumbled backward, falling right into Zhuzhu’s arms.
The two bodies clung tightly together beneath the pouring rain.
As if two sisters who had been separated for a thousand years had finally found each other again.
Zhu Ying wept into that embrace.
All her grief, all her fear, all her despair — poured out at once.
And the moment their skin touched… Zhuzhu’s heart trembled violently.
Deep within her soul, visions from the recurring dreams that had haunted her for seven years rose up once more.
This girl’s face… her voice… her feelings… Zhuzhu felt as though she had known her for a very long time.
That they had known each other for thousands of years.
That between them lay a bond that neither time nor death could ever sever.
Zhuzhu held her tightly, her own tears mixing with the rain.
“You are not alone…” Zhuzhu whispered softly, her heart aching yet warm.
“I don’t know why… but I feel… I have known you for a very long time…”