Give Me Another Smile

"Should we take this back?" Mo Shu asked as she pointed at the plump succulent. The succulent was something they picked up from the road in the residential area, and a florist must have accidentally dropped it while transporting it. If they hadn't picked it up, a passing vehicle would have most certainly crushed it, which would be a pity.

"Let's take it back; it won't be much of a hassle," Chen Ci answered.

…

The afternoon classes were dull, and Yin Zhao-an was mentally exhausted by the time she returned home.

Yin Zhao-an walked straight to the bedroom but heard a strange sound when passing by the studio. Immediately, she grew alert and stopped in her tracks.

"Ah... You can't… Stop... Someone, hel—mm!"

Yin Zhao-an's eyes widened, and she hurriedly pushed the door open. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. She thought she would see a sight that would make her angry enough to want to kill someone, but what she saw inside was...

…Tang Yu, gasping for breath in front of the condenser microphone, with an expressionless face.

Tang Yu had already stopped recording the moment Yin Zhao-an opened the door. When she saw her beloved walking over to her with a powerless look, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Yin Zhao-an weakly embraced Tang Yu, her heart gradually calming down when she felt the bundle of warmth in her arms. Then, she asked, "What are you doing?"

Tang Yu could tell Yin Zhao-an had most likely misunderstood her actions, so she gently patted her beloved's back and said, "I'm recording a play."

"You can't record this kind of thing!" Yin Zhao-an suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with anger. But when she saw Tang Yu's sincere eyes, her anger waned. After all, this was Tang Yu's interest. What qualifications did she have to tell Tang Yu to abandon it?

Meanwhile, Tang Yu smiled and asked, "What can't I record?"

"You can't record something so explicit," Yin Zhao-an said, her voice sounding less firm than before. It was as if she would give in so long as Tang Yu insisted even a little more.

But to Yin Zhao-an's surprise, Tang Yu actually agreed, "Alright, I won't record it, then."

"Huh? Really?" Yin Zhao-an was a little taken aback as she looked at Tang Yu.

"Mhm. If you don't like it, I won't record it."

After saying so, Tang Yu turned around and contacted Gugu'ran, explaining the situation to her.

Gugu'ran: But why? Is it because you can't get the right feeling?

Gugu'ran felt a bit disappointed as she wouldn't get to listen to Tang Yu making erotic voices anymore.

Yu-An: No, it's because my partner doesn't want me to record this.

Gugu'ran: Σ（OvO"）You have a boyfriend?

Yu-An: [Smile]

Gugu'ran: Oh, alright, then I'll make changes to the script.

Yu-An: Thank you for your trouble.

Yin Zhao-an cuddled with Tang Yu for a while, fascinated by the serious expression Tang Yu wore as she stared at the computer. However, her drowsiness quickly overwhelmed her, and she quietly yawned, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Take a nap if you're sleepy. I'll go out and buy some vegetables later. There's none left at home," Tang Yu said as she stroked Yin Zhao-an's head.

Yin Zhao-an didn't know why she was so tired, and she couldn't find a good reason to refuse, either. So, she stood up and walked towards the bedroom, saying, "Okay. Call me when you're done making dinner. I'll be napping in the meantime."

"Sure."

Tang Yu deleted the recording draft and also informed Four O'clock about her refusal to record the explicit section of the play. Four O'clock quickly replied, saying that Gugu'ran had already informed her about the changes.

After ending her brief conversation with Four O'clock, Tang Yu stretched her limbs. She had sat in front of the computer since lunch, so her whole body felt a little stiff. Then, seeing it was almost 5 o'clock, she grabbed a light jacket, took some money, and left the house.

The late afternoon sun wasn't as intense, so Tang Yu didn't bring an umbrella. While walking down the familiar road leading to the market, she received a message notification on her phone. When she took out her phone and unlocked it, she saw that it was a message from Four O'clock.

With her head lowered, she failed to notice a white car following behind her.

…

Mo Shu and Chen Ci leaned against the window, enjoying the cool breeze as evening approached.

Mo Shu had a fluffy white tail trailing behind her, and it swayed from side to side in a leisurely manner. Chen Ci shrank her neck, narrowly avoiding the tail's harassment. Then, she complained in a voice of disapproval, "Keep your tail in check; don't move it around so much."

Instead of responding to Chen Ci's complaint, Mo Shu ruefully sighed and said, "Even in a different timeline, these things still happen as usual."

Chen Ci fell silent momentarily and looked at the balcony next door where the curtains were drawn. Then, she asked, "Can we…intervene?"

Mo Shu pinched Chen Ci's face and chuckled, "Stop thinking about it. Everything that happens is predestined. What's meant to happen will happen, and we shouldn't intervene. Besides…" After a slight pause, Mo Shu whispered into Chen Ci's ear, "...giving them another chance at life is already a significant intervention. If we interfere any further, it might cause the collapse of this world. It's better to stay calm and watch how everything develops."

…

In a dimly lit bedroom, Yin Zhao-an frowned tightly in her sleep. Large beads of sweat formed on her forehead, trickling down from her fair cheeks and disappearing into the pillow. The phone placed on the bedside table vibrated frantically, and the small red dot on the screen moved rapidly until it ultimately disappeared. However, Yin Zhao-an seemingly had her senses sealed off, her slumber unaffected by these changes.

…

Tang Yu was jolted back to consciousness by a sharp pain in the back of her head. She lifted her hand to massage her forehead, but in the process of doing so, she heard a crisp sound and felt a cold sensation on her wrist.

Tang Yu's breath froze. Then, she despairingly opened her eyes, attempting to get a clear look at her surroundings.

Through the hazy lighting, she judged that she should be in a small room. The bed beneath her was soft, and a faint, refreshing scent permeated the room. It was so subtle that one wouldn't notice it without taking a closer sniff.

She moved her limbs and discovered cold shackles on all four of her limbs. However, they didn't restrict her movements completely, and she could still walk around the room.

Tang Yu tentatively groped along the wall, trying to find a lamp to illuminate the room. At this time, only the sound of her unsteady breathing and the crisp clanking of chains could be heard in the quiet room.

Through her exploration, Tang Yu roughly understood the layout of the room. It was just an ordinary small room with a soft carpet under her feet. Even the corners of the desk were wrapped in special material, as if to prevent anyone from getting injured. Besides that, there was only an empty desk, and she failed to find any switches that allowed her to illuminate the room.

Tang Yu leaned against the door. She was under no illusion that the door was unlocked. She also did not doubt that the doorknob was nothing more than a decoration.

This time, Tang Yu did not wake up with any visible injuries on her body. She only experienced a lingering pain coming from the back of her head.

This situation caused Tang Yu to scratch her head in confusion. This didn't seem like Du Yuqing's way of doing things. Wasn't she supposed to be thrown into a damp basement and get beaten up by a group of thugs?

While Tang Yu was lost in thought, a faint sound came from outside the door, startling her. Instinctively, she wanted to run, but then she realized there was nowhere to go. So, resignedly, she sat down where she was, praying Yin Zhao-an would discover her disappearance soon and come to her rescue.

"Who allowed you all to hurt her?! Get out!"

A sharp and angry shout came from outside the door, startling Tang Yu and giving her the urge to run away yet again.

Following this, Tang Yu heard someone mumbling on the other side of the door. She couldn't tell what was being said, but she quickly heard a flurry of footsteps that disappeared with time.

Did they leave?

Tang Yu leaned against the door, failing to hear any sounds.

Click—

Suddenly, the door behind her made a sound as it was being unlocked. Then, someone pushed it open, and blinding light flooded through the gap and illuminated Tang Yu's panicking figure stumbling away from the door.

Tang Yu instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. But in that split second of covering her eyes, the door slammed shut again, followed by a crisp and decisive locking sound.

Although the light only appeared for a moment, Tang Yu wasn't foolish enough to think that whoever had opened the door did so just to give her a glimpse of light. She was certain the other party had entered the room.

The room was silent. But if one listened closely, it was possible to hear two distinct sounds of breathing. Amidst this silence, two individuals stood facing each other in the darkness, neither taking the initiative to speak up.

A moment later, Tang Yu sensed the other person in the room walking toward the desk, the other party's lack of hesitance in this dark environment indicated they were incredibly familiar with the room's layout.

"Du Yuqing, is that you?" Tang Yu suddenly asked.

The other person paused their actions upon hearing Tang Yu's words. Then, the other party spoke softly, "Do you still remember me?"

It is her!

Tang Yu gnashed her teeth as she cursed at Du Yuqing hundreds of times. How could she ever forget the person responsible for her death in her previous life?!

Soon, the room brightened as a soft yellow light emanated from the moon-shaped desk lamp in front of Du Yuqing. She positioned the lamp, then turned to scrutinize Tang Yu. Then, her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she said, "I knew you would look stunning in this outfit."

At Du Yuqing's remark, Tang Yu suddenly snapped back to reality and lowered her head to look at her attire. Her original floral dress was gone, replaced by a light, silk chiffon dress. Through the faint yellow light, she could see a beautiful scene in front of her chest, with fresh vines and green leaves adorning the focal areas, obstructing the gaze of those who looked. The length of the dress fell just below her knees. It was the same length as the floral dress she originally wore, which was why she hadn't noticed the change in her attire until now.

Du Yuqing was dressed in a white chiffon shirt, with the collar slightly open to reveal a silver necklace around her neck. She also wore a pair of black tailored pants that accentuated her figure perfectly, and her slightly curled long hair cascaded down her chest. The pearl-white earrings swayed subtly among her black hair, giving her an alluring vibe.

Du Yuqing walked toward Tang Yu with a deliberate pace, all the while maintaining her gaze on Tang Yu's face as if she were appraising a piece of artwork. Then, she said in a voice with an inherent sense of aggression, "I need to correct you. I am no longer called Du Yuqing. My name is Zoe Jones, and you can call me Zoe."

As Du Yuqing spoke, she had already reached Tang Yu, her eyes shimmering with a peculiar light and her hand slowly extending toward Tang Yu's ear.

Tang Yu tried to dodge, but she was pushed against the door with her hands held down. While immobilized, she felt Du Yuqing's hand reaching around to the back of her head, gently rubbing the back of her head with chilly fingertips.

"Did they hit you here? Does it hurt?" Du Yuqing asked in the same aggressive tone.

Tang Yu's body began to tremble, but she dared not make any sudden movements. At this moment, she desperately hoped Yin Zhao-an would appear before her and take her away.

Seemingly sensing Tang Yu's fear, Du Yuqing pressed her face close to Tang Yu's ear, her breath lightly brushing against Tang Yu's fair neck. Then, switching to a gentle voice, she said, "Don't be afraid. This time, I won't let you die."