Chapter 21: Tying up Loose Ends (Please Vote for Recommendation, Bookmark)_1

Jiang Yu talked a lot with Yang Dong, from her childhood in the Northeast to the amusing incidents he encountered at school.

In the middle of the night, Yang Dong gradually showed signs of weariness, over these past few days she had been in constant psychological torment and hadn't rested well for several days.

As they talked, Yang Dong finally collapsed onto the table, asleep.

Jiang Yu carried her to bed, and she merely mumbled something indistinctly in her daze that Jiang Yu didn't catch.

Glancing at the living room clock, it was the latter half of the night. While Yang Dong was asleep, Jiang Yu became restless again.

What to do? How to handle the butterfly effect of Yang Dong not dying?

He had been focusing on chatting with Yang Dong just now and hadn't had the chance to think it through; the more he thought about it now, the more he found it to be a headache.

The person was saved, he surely couldn't persuade Yang Dong to commit suicide, right?

That would be crazy!

Jiang Yu paced back and forth in the living room, suddenly recalling the scenes when he discussed sociology with Ye Wenjie.

It felt like he was making the unfolding plot become sturdier, and he even had the illusion of making things "return to the right track."

Following this train of thought, Jiang Yu remembered the "Poison Apple Project," which hadn't appeared in the original work.

He wondered if the unseen, untouchable force that allowed him to time travel and gave him a golden finger was meant to prevent these deviations from the original story from happening?

Jiang Yu lit a cigarette, feeling his thinking clear up significantly.

The force that sent him through time might exist or not, it was impossible to confirm, it was like banging one's head against the wall to keep thinking in that direction.

Changing his line of thought, Jiang Yu immediately considered there was no concept of "deviation from the original story"; Yang Dong's survival indicated that the so-called "events of the original" were changeable.

With this in mind, Jiang Yu had some inspiration.

Since Yang Dong being alive would trigger many butterfly effects, then perhaps he could intervene elsewhere, steering events back onto the right track.

For example, Ye Wenjie's encounter with Logic—even if they couldn't meet at Yang Dong's grave, what's wrong with meeting in a park, a supermarket, or anywhere else?

They just needed the right moment, so that Ye Wenjie felt the desire to confide in Logic when they met.

If nothing else worked, Jiang Yu thought that he himself might also give Logic a nudge.

As for proposing the "Dark Forest Law" himself, he thought about it and then shook his head; the law was worthless once someone figured it out.

The precondition for it to be a deterrence was the readiness to press death upon oneself at any time.

Jiang Yu didn't believe he had such resolve or determination, and even if he proposed the "Dark Forest Law," it would likely do more harm than good and not achieve the intended deterrent effect.

At that moment, Yang Dong's cellphone on the coffee table began to ring; Jiang Yu looked at it and saw it was Ding Yi calling.

Jiang Yu yawned; although Yang Dong was asleep, he still had to keep an eye on her.

He couldn't keep watch by himself; he needed a helper.

So, Jiang Yu answered Ding Yi's phone call, "Professor Ding, hello, I..."

There was a "crash" from the other end, as if something had shattered.

Jiang Yu was startled, "Professor Ding? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Ding Yi paused briefly, then asked, "You, how come you're at Yang Dong's place?"

Jiang Yu cracked a wry smile, thinking to himself, "Do you think I want to be here!"

He sighed and said, "Sister Dong was in a daze this afternoon, and I was a bit worried about her, so I followed her upstairs, only to find that Sister Dong actually wanted to kill herself!"

Ding Yi on the other end sighed, "I knew she wouldn't be able to get through this. I was afraid something might happen to her, which is why I called."

Brother, if it were up to you, she would've been dead a long time ago!

Although he grumbled, Jiang Yu continued, "Right now, someone has to stay with Sister Dong at all times. Professor Ding, come over as well, and we can take turns watching her."

After hanging up, Jiang Yu called Shi Qiang and briefly explained Yang Dong's current situation, asking if there was still any danger to Yang Dong.

Shi Qiang yawned before saying on the other end of the phone, "Generally speaking, if she isn't subjected to any severe shocks in the near future, she won't have a strong desire to commit suicide again.

"However, just to be safe, we should pay close attention to her mood for the next few days and hide things like knives and sleeping pills!

"We should also try to comfort her and, if possible, take her out to distract her mind, or find some games or something to shift her focus."

Jiang Yu took Shi Qiang's advice to heart and, after hanging up, went to collect all the knives in the kitchen.

Another half-hour passed when a drunken Ding Yi arrived.

Jiang Yu thought to himself how lucky it was that the traffic cops had finished their shifts, or they would've certainly arrested you for drunken driving.

He briefed Ding Yi on the situation and then found a blanket and went to sleep in the living room.

Ding Yi sat by Yang Dong's bed, staring intently at her, lost in thought.

Jiang Yu slept until after nine o'clock. He woke up to the sound of voices and saw that Ye Wenjie had returned.

Jiang Yu quickly got up, "Teacher Ye, Sister Dong... she..."

Ye Wenjie smiled, "I heard all about it from Xiao Ding. Thank you so much, Xiaoyu. If you weren't there, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"It's nothing, I'm just glad Sister Dong is okay." Jiang Yu glanced at Yang Dong's bedroom and saw her discussing something seriously with Ding Yi.

He yawned, "Teacher Ye, I'm going to go back to get some more sleep. I'll come over again in the afternoon."

Ye Wenjie escorted him to the door, "Okay. Ah, it's such a shame about your studies."

Jiang Yu thought let it be a shame then; his expertise in his major far exceeded most of his professors', and the only reason he went to classes on time was that he couldn't get a leave slip.

Now with Kong Xiang's backing, he wasn't worried about losing credits.

After a few more hours of rest, Jiang Yu went to Ye Wenjie's house in the afternoon. Ding Yi had already left, and Yang Dong's mood didn't seem to have improved at all; she was still sitting at her desk, staring blankly.

Jiang Yu reminded Ye Wenjie, "Teacher Ye, it might be good to take Sister Dong out to get some fresh air."

Ye Wenjie sighed, "What good is it going out with an old lady like me? If you have time tomorrow, why don't you take her out to get some fresh air?"

"Why not have Professor Ding step in?" Jiang Yu didn't want to be misunderstood by Ding Yi again.

Ye Wenjie whispered, "They had a fight just now."

Jiang Yu didn't insist further, "Alright then." He rubbed his hands together and smiled, "But you see about the travel costs, tickets and all that, could you reimburse me?"

Ye Wenjie pointed at Jiang Yu with a chuckle, "You little rascal!" She went to her bedroom and came back with a stack of money, handing it to Jiang Yu, "Forget reimbursement, I'll give you an advance."

Jiang Yu didn't bother to count and simply pocketed the money, "I'll come back later tonight to watch over Sister Dong for you, Teacher Ye."

Ye Wenjie sighed, "You've been such a help!"

In the early hours of the next day, Yang Dong, who was a light sleeper, was startled awake by a faint sound.

She saw Jiang Yu squatting by the bed making a silencing gesture, then he whispered, "I'll take you to watch the flag-raising!"