Lingering Doubts

Time crawled forward, and the traffic finally began to move—though far slower than Jack Li had anticipated. The bizarre weather phenomenon near the entrance had indeed caused a collision, delaying their entry into Qingdao until 8 a.m. 

Jack Li dialed Aurora's number incessantly during the wait, but no one answered. Only one explanation made sense: **Aurora had been detained by the police.** 

"Change of plans, driver," Jack Li said sharply, realizing he couldn't return home. He pulled up a new address on his phone and handed it over. 

The driver glanced at the screen. "Oh? Same distance. I'll take you straight there." 

By 10:30 a.m., they arrived at a cluster of rundown rental units in Shibei's old district. 

"Finally here, kid." The driver exhaled heavily. "Didn't expect the delay to drag on so long." 

"No problem." Jack Li handed him another 1,500 yuan in cash. "Thanks." 

"Don't mention it!" The driver eagerly pocketed the money. "Call me anytime you need!" 

As Jack Li turned to leave, he paused. "Driver, stay in your car until noon. Don't go home." 

"Huh? Not even home?" 

"I'm not lying. Something big's about to happen. Stay outside." 

Without another word, Jack Li headed toward the safehouse he'd rented with Aurora. He planned to grab clothes and regroup. 

Seven steps later, his phone vibrated. 

「A」 Calling.

"An?" Jack Li froze. *Had his earlier assumption been wrong? Was Aurora free—or was this a trap?* 

He answered calmly. "Hello?" 

"Xia…" Aurora's weak voice crackled. "Sorry… I've been sick. Passed out yesterday afternoon… just woke up." 

"Sick?" Jack Li frowned. "Did you feed the fish yesterday?" 

Aurora chuckled faintly. "What's with the code? Nothing's wrong. Just… not feeling well." 

Relieved, Jack Li urged, "Listen—pack essentials and wait downstairs. I'm coming." 

"How soon?" 

"Don't worry about that. **Just get out now.** Even stand by the door." 

"Okay… I'll wash up and head down in ten." 

Jack Li hung up and rushed back to the taxi. The driver sat inside, inspecting counterfeit bills with a UV flashlight. 

"Driver!" Jack Li knocked on the window. 

"Holy crap!" The driver jolted, hiding the cash. "Kid? What now?" 

"Take me to where you picked me up yesterday. Fast. Extra 100 yuan." 

"Got it!" The driver grinned. "Hop in!" 

Jack Li checked his phone obsessively during the ride. He'd forgotten the quake's exact timing—only that it struck around noon. 

"Faster!" 

"Kid, I'm exhausted—" 

"Please." 

Grumbling, the driver floored it, cutting the hour-long trip to forty minutes. 

"Thanks." Jack Li tossed a bill and leaped out. 

Aurora wasn't there. 

"Where…?" 

He called her again. No answer. 

Then—a roar like ten thousand trains. The ground buckled, slamming Jack Li to the pavement. 

Not again.

The same spot. The same moment. History repeating.

Cars collided as screams erupted. Jack Li staggered toward his apartment building, falling six times before reaching the entrance. 

"AN!" he bellowed toward the third floor. 

Inside the crumbling stairwell, he dodged a plummeting boulder—the same death that had claimed him before. 

Jack Li steadied himself, eyeing the cracking stairs. Qingdao's earthquake-unprepared buildings groaned under the violent tremors. 

"AN! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" His shouts drowned in chaos. 

He crawled upward, knees bloodied. If Aurora died here, he'd have no reason to live. 

Five minutes of relentless shaking. Five minutes defying physics. 

On the third floor, his trembling hands struggled to unlock the door. 

Click. 

"AN?!" 

Silence. 

The apartment lay barren—a single chair, a desk. No sign of shared life. Jack Li lunged for the bedroom. Empty. 

A photo on the desk: himself alone by the sea. 

"Where…?" 

He tore open the closet. Men's clothes. One white shirt with a clumsily sewn lamb patch her work. Proof she'd existed. 

His phone clattered as the automated voice declared: "The number you have dialed does not exist."

Ceiling beams crashed down. Through dust and blood, Taylor's voice echoed: *"What kind of woman marries a liar? Someone who lets you sleep sitting up?"* 

Beneath the rubble, Jack Li's final breath carried a vow: 

"Even if you're gods… you'll give her back."