“Yumeng, I’m waiting for you at the bus stop outside my neighborhood!”

　　It didn’t take long for her to reply: “Okay!”

　　With nothing else to do, I sat down on the bench and pulled out my phone, browsing Pinduoduo for some stickers. I remembered that I hadn’t put any on my parents’ door yet.

　　After searching for a while, I found two items: a large dandelion flower and a sleeping cat. Both looked really pretty, so I added them to my favorites.

　　Just then, I heard a man’s voice nearby.

　　“Hey, little girl, all alone?” I looked up to see a young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a blue, spiky “killing Matt” hairstyle. He had short hair on the sides and long hair in the middle that stood straight up. He wore a black earring and had a tattoo peeking out from under his collar. Dressed in a black shirt and ripped blue jeans, he was skinny and didn’t seem like the kind of person you’d want to mess with.

　　I ignored him. After glancing at him, I moved to the other side of the bench. By now, the bus stop was empty.

　　He saw me move and chuckled, then slid over closer.

　　But just then, a taxi pulled up, and the guy moved away.

　　The back window of the taxi rolled down—it was Yumeng!

　　“Xia Ning, hop in!” she said with a smile.

　　I smiled back, stood up, and got into the car.

　　“Driver, there’s a dumpling place nearby. Let’s go there,” I said to the driver.

　　“Got it!”

　　“Yumeng, let’s talk while we eat!” I grabbed her slightly cold hand and smiled.

　　She smiled back and nodded.

　　As the car started moving, I didn’t even glance at the punk outside.

　　The dumpling shop was called Manpanxiang, known for its shrimp dumplings.

　　The place was packed, but we managed to find a seat on the right side near the entrance. From here, we could clearly see outside through a transparent glass wall.

　　I ordered two plates of shrimp dumplings and started chatting with Yumeng.

　　“Yumeng, did you come to see me because something’s wrong?” I put down the menu, crossed my arms, and smiled at her. Although we were friends, I’d always treated her like a little sister.

　　She nodded at first, then shook her head, leaving me a bit confused.

　　Looking down, a little embarrassed, she said, “It’s nothing, really. I just wanted to treat you to a meal and thank you in person. If it weren’t for you, I…”

　　“I thought it was something serious. Alright, I get it. But listen, this is the only time you’re allowed to bring it up, okay?” I tilted my head and smiled at her, watching her lower her face."Xia Ning… but I still have to say it. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it back. I know now… you almost lost your life saving us…” As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion.

　　I scooted my chair closer and gently cupped her tear-streaked face, lifting it up. Seeing her cry like that made my heart ache, but I couldn’t help but chuckle.

　　Grabbing a napkin, I wiped away her tears and said, “Alright, alright, alright. This is the first and last time we’re talking about this, okay? Besides, if I were the one unconscious, I know you both would’ve come to save me too, right?”

　　She nodded vigorously!

　　“Good, so no more crying. You don’t look as pretty when you cry!”

　　She nodded again and finally started to calm down.

　　Just then, our dumplings arrived. I got up to pour some sauce for her and paid the bill while I was at it.

　　“Xia Ning…” she whispered, still looking down.

　　“Yumeng, are we friends?”

　　“Yes!” She nodded.

　　“Don’t overthink it. I saved you because we’re friends, not because I expect anything in return,” I said seriously, placing a dumpling into her bowl.

　　She hesitated before saying, “That’s not what I meant…”

　　“I…” She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

　　“Alright, alright, let’s eat.” I smiled and put another dumpling on her plate.

　　Finally, she picked up her chopsticks and carefully took a small bite.

　　“Xia Ning, do you remember Zhang Yang?” Yumeng suddenly asked after a while.

　　“Hmm? What about him?” I paused, puzzled.

　　“The day you left, he came to the hospital looking for you… and he brought flowers too!”

　　“What, are you trying to set me up with a boyfriend like Wu Jing, the tomboy?”

　　“No, no!”

　　“Then let’s just eat, okay?” I laughed, shaking my head.

　　By the time we parted ways, it was already afternoon. After lunch, we bought some popcorn and watched a movie, an Indian film called Eega. It was so funny that our stomachs hurt from laughing. Yumeng paid for the movie, insisting that since I treated her to lunch, she should cover the movie. I didn’t argue.

　　I waved goodbye to Yumeng as she smiled and waved back from the taxi before it drove off.

　　Ring ring!

　　Ring ring!

　　My phone rang. When I pulled it out, I saw it was an unknown number.

　　"Hello, is this Miss Xia Ning?" A familiar male voice came through the line.

　　"Hello, yes, this is Xia Ning. And you are…?" The voice was familiar, but I just couldn’t place it.

　　There was a brief chuckle on the other end before the person continued, "I’m Professor Li!"

　　That’s when it clicked, and I felt a bit embarrassed. “Oh, I’m sorry, Professor Li! I didn’t recognize your voice.”

　　“No worries, no worries. Here’s the thing—I’m currently researching this hallucinogen, and I’d like to invite you to be my assistant. You’ve entered this kind of altered state twice, so you’re the perfect candidate. You can name your price. What do you think?”

　　His words left me stunned for a few seconds, and then a wave of anger surged through me. I replied coldly, “Professor Li, you’re well aware of how dangerous this drug is. I’m warning you, if you continue with this research, I will sue you!”

　　I hung up right after saying that. The potential harm this drug could do to society was unimaginable. If he dared to continue his research, I wouldn’t hesitate to send him to prison!

　　My hand was trembling as I held the phone, barely able to control my anger. Suddenly, I remembered the number Wei Junliang had given me before I lost consciousness. I have to admit, when it comes to certain things, my memory is unusually sharp.

　　I dialed the number.

　　Ring…!

　　"Hello?"

　　“Hello, is this Wei Junliang?”

　　“Xia Ning? Haha, what made you suddenly decide to call me?” He recognized my voice immediately.

　　“I need to tell you something. Professor Li just called me, asking me to be his assistant. He said he’s researching that hallucinogen!” My voice was laced with anger and urgency.

　　“Oh? Miss Xia Ning, you can rest assured, if Professor Li is indeed doing this, he will face legal consequences.” His voice was as commanding as ever.

　　Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my head, just like the first time I woke up in the hospital!

　　“Alright… that’s good to hear!” I muttered, holding my head as I ended the call.

　　“Ha…” I whispered in pain.I shoved my phone into my pocket and staggered toward home. All I wanted right now was to lie down. The pain grew more intense, and the sounds of the cars honking on the street began to fade. All I could hear was my own breathing and the pounding of my heart, getting louder and louder.

　　My vision started to blur. I had no idea where I was going. I leaned against a wall, closed my eyes, and shook my head, trying to clear it. An indescribable emotion began to rise from deep within me.

　　I don’t know how long I stood there, but when I slowly opened my eyes, it was as if the whole world was covered in a veil of red.

　　A man stood in front of me, smirking as he grabbed my chin.

　　My hearing gradually returned to normal.

　　“Well, well, we must be fated to meet again like this. How about you come home with me, sweetheart?” the man said.

　　I recognized him instantly—he was the same punk I had seen earlier that morning!

　　Suddenly, a grin spread across my face. My right hand shot out, grabbing his neck, and with a quick movement, I drove my knee into his stomach, knocking him to the ground. I followed through, pinning him down with my entire body.

　　He groaned in pain, trying to pry my hand off his neck, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t budge me!

　　I tightened my grip around his throat, laughing as I did.

　　“Aww, sweetie, didn’t you say you wanted to play with me? How about I have a taste of your fingers, hmm?” I laughed as I squeezed even harder.

　　His face turned beet red, and when he heard my words, pure terror flashed across his features.

　　“No…!” Suddenly, I let go and staggered back a few steps, clutching my head.

　　Inside my head, my own voice echoed, “What do you mean no? He was going to hurt you! Let me kill him! Let me taste his blood!!”

　　The sound of that voice sent a shiver down my spine.

　　I had thought it was all over, but I never imagined that this was just the beginning...