Without the slightest delay.
Jiang Ran grabbed his phone and rushed out the door.
Cheng Mengxue and Qin Feng immediately followed. The three of them hailed a taxi at the school gate and headed for Hang City Hospital as fast as they could.
On the way, they had already learned what had happened.
The elevator in the building where Jiang Ran’s parents lived had broken down and was undergoing repairs.
So Jiang Ran’s mother had taken the stairs downstairs. She had accidentally fallen on the stairwell, hitting her head directly as she tumbled down. She was unconscious and undergoing emergency treatment at the hospital.
The hospital said the situation was very bad. There was a large amount of blood clotting in her brain, and she had to undergo craniotomy immediately.
The three of them hurried in a panic to the outside of the hospital ICU...
Relatives and friends were all there, their palms slick with sweat.
Several hours passed, yet Jiang Ran’s mother still had not escaped danger.
When the doctor had them sign the critical condition notice, he said that even if they managed to save her life, her brain function would likely be impaired, and told the family to prepare themselves mentally in advance.
Jiang Ran’s heart pounded like a drum. Cheng Mengxue kept holding his hand, gripping it tightly.
Qin Feng patted Jiang Ran on the shoulder:
“Let’s go back and use the space-time text message.”
Jiang Ran’s brows were tightly furrowed:
“But...”
They were both parents. They were both someone’s child. If he saved his own mother, then should they save Qin Feng’s father or not?
Although one had happened only a few hours ago, and the other ten years ago—the butterfly effect and risks they would trigger were on completely different scales...
Parents were parents all the same. Could there really be a difference?
“Don’t think about my matter.”
Qin Feng urged him:
“Save Auntie first. My wish can wait until later. Don’t worry, I know the butterfly effects of these two things are worlds apart. You don’t need to have any misgivings.”
“And don’t feel guilty either. After the worldline changes, Xiaoxue and I won’t have this memory. Just handle it properly yourself. In the space-time text, tell the you from a few hours ago not to tell us about this.”
“That’s impossible.”
Jiang Ran shook his head:
“There’s no way I could hide it from you.”
“Jiang Ran...”
Cheng Mengxue’s eyes were brimming with tears as she squeezed Jiang Ran’s palm:
“Let’s hurry back... Save Auntie!”
...
After another two-hour taxi ride at breakneck speed, the three of them returned to Donghai University and the club activity room.
Jiang Ran stood beside the transformer distribution box. The text message had already been written.
The solution this time was very simple.
The elevator malfunction had been caused by a loose bottom buffer. This was not, in itself, a major problem. As long as it was discovered and repaired in time, everything would be fine.
As long as it was discovered and repaired one day earlier, then the elevator could have operated normally today, and Jiang Ran’s mother would not have needed to take the stairs. Naturally, she would not have fallen.
Therefore, all they had to do was notify the property management two days earlier and have them repair it in advance.
“The text is ready!”
Jiang Ran shouted toward the window.
Cheng Mengxue was sitting astride the windowsill. She made an OK gesture, then looked toward Qin Feng.
With the visual control panel for the positron cannon, everything had become simple.
Qin Feng turned the knobs, setting the numbers on the year, month, and hour screens to zero, and turning the day screen to 2.
This way, they could send the space-time text message to two days ago.
“I’m set over here too!”
Cheng Mengxue nodded and faced out the window:
“Then I’m counting down! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! 0!”
The positron cannon roared. Jiang Ran pressed the send button—
Buzz!
Buzz!
Buzz!
The world spun, gravity vanished, and a wave of discomfort struck.
Jiang Ran gritted his teeth and endured it.
Two seconds later, everything dissipated.
He opened his eyes.
And discovered... his position had changed again; from the distribution box outside just now, he had shifted to the sofa in the activity room, sitting upright.
He hurriedly took out his phone and dialed his father’s number:
“Hello? Dad! Where’s Mom?”
“Huh? Your mom just came back from grocery shopping. She’s cooking right now.”
There was music on the other end of the phone too. He was probably watching TV. Jiang Ran let out a breath of relief:
“That’s good. You and Mom are getting older, so if you take the stairs downstairs in the future, be careful. It’s easy to slip.”
“Pah! Who takes the stairs when there’s an elevator?”
His father did not take it seriously:
“Speaking of which, the elevator was out of service for repairs two days ago. It won’t drop halfway down, will it?”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang Ran smiled:
“For elderly people like you, even if an elevator malfunctions, it’s still much safer than the stairs. There are so many locking structures. It basically can’t fall.”
After chatting for a few more moments, he hung up.
Qin Feng and Cheng Mengxue looked over:
“You just experienced a worldline transition?”
Jiang Ran nodded.
He did not hide anything, and told them about how he had used the space-time text message to save his mother.
“What are we doing right now?”
He put away his phone and synchronized their memories:
“What were we discussing just now? Where did we leave off?”
“We were talking about Qin Feng’s wish...”
Cheng Mengxue hugged the Rhine cat and said softly:
“Qin Feng said he wanted to use the space-time text message to bring back his father, who died ten years ago.”
...
All right.
What was meant to come would still come. What was meant to happen would inevitably happen.
Judging from the atmosphere in the room, they must have already been deadlocked over this matter for a long time.
“Let’s vote.”
Cheng Mengxue raised her head:
“Just like how we solved problems before. When we run into something we disagree on, we vote. The minority obeys the majority.”
“I abstain.”
Qin Feng rose from his chair and walked toward the door:
“I know this matter is no small thing. Bringing a dead person from ten years ago back to life and rewriting ten years of history... The space-time butterfly effect is far too intense. It can’t be measured.”
“But that person is my father, after all. My reason may not be able to make a sufficiently rational choice, so I abstain.”
Smack.
As he passed by the sofa, Jiang Ran grabbed Qin Feng’s wrist:
“Don’t go.”
He did not raise his head:
“We’re a trio. How are we supposed to vote if you leave? We’ve never split up when making decisions.”
“I have to go.”
Qin Feng glanced at Cheng Mengxue, then lowered his head to look at Jiang Ran:
“You understand, Jiang Ran. If the three of us vote together, the result will definitely pass.”
Jiang Ran knew what he meant.
Because Cheng Mengxue would definitely vote in favor, and with Qin Feng added, that would be two votes in favor. The minority obeyed the majority; even if Jiang Ran voted against it, it would be useless.
“I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”
Qin Feng’s voice was very soft:
“I miss my father very much, but I cherish you two friends just as much. To me, both sides of the scale weigh the same.”
“So... the two of you should discuss this matter. Take as long as you need, whether it’s a few days or a few months. I’ll wait for your answer.”
With that said,
he gently closed the door to the activity room and walked away.
...
Only Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue were left in the room.
But that silence and heaviness did not disperse. Instead, it grew even more intense.
Jiang Ran lowered his head, propping his elbows on his thighs, covering his face with both hands.
“Am I... very selfish?”
He said it to Cheng Mengxue, and also to himself:
“When we saved Xu Yan, I objected. When it came to saving Qin Feng’s father, I stayed silent too... But when it came to saving my own mother, I only pretended to hesitate for a moment.”
Cheng Mengxue stuffed the warm rice-cooker-like Rhine cat she had been hugging into Jiang Ran’s arms; her body heat still lingered on it. Then she stroked the back of Jiang Ran’s neck and rested her head against his shoulder:
“Because it’s different.”
She closed her eyes, her voice gentle:
“In the end, you still saved Sister Xu Yan. And Qin Feng’s father passed away ten years ago, after all. The butterfly effects over ten years... even Qin Feng himself said it was a gamble they couldn’t afford to take.”
“Jiang Ran, I understand your courage better than anyone... You’re not a coward, and you’re absolutely not a selfish person.”
Jiang Ran’s breathing grew heavier:
“Then what if...”
He bit his lip.
Paused.
Then voiced the question he had repeatedly not dared to think too deeply about:
“Then what if the person who died ten years ago had been my father? Qin Feng... would he agree?”