Chapter 2202: Love Trapped in the Fate Loop 01

Here, everyone bears a different fate.

We meet again, able to stand within the time loop and glimpse the truth behind fate.

——

The story takes place in a rundown apartment building.

In just one week, three murder cases have occurred here, and the victims were all residents of this building.

This place is shrouded in a rainstorm, forgotten by time, and stagnant.

No……

Or perhaps, only they have been forgotten by time.

The protagonist (the attacker) Shao Huai, the protagonist (the receiver) Xu Yi, and the villain Xie Guan witnessed the first murder case.

From then on, they were trapped in this week, each day upon waking possibly entering any random day of this week.

After a brief breakdown, they had no choice but to believe this: only by finding the murderer of the homicide case could they escape this loop.

【Your identity is Shao Huai's high school and college classmate.】

More accurately, Xie Guan and they were also once classmates.

During the first loop, because of Xie Guan's unintentional reminder, the original Jin Chen and Shao Huai thought the man who ran into the rain curtain was the killer.

When the original body ran out to pursue, it was struck and killed by a speeding truck in the violent rain and mist.

Those who die outside the apartment building cannot enter the loop, and each time Shao Huai refreshes to the Wednesday when his brother was hit, no matter what method he uses to try to stop it, he cannot change the death.

Thus, Xie Guan and Shao Huai could not reconcile, and they suspected each other.

When the truth was about to surface, Xie Guan even did a complete turnaround from his eagerness to find the truth, began to conceal things, and frequently obstructed Shao Huai and Xu Yi's investigation.

But Shao Huai never expected that on the day they finally escaped the loop, Xie Guan would become the fourth victim.

【Transmitting original body's memory……Transmission successful!】

【Side quest: Together with the protagonist party, find the true culprit of the murder case, escape the time loop, and let Xie Guan survive.】

——

Rainstorm.

The instant Jin Chen took over the body, he saw a man wearing a heavy raincoat running into the morning mist and rainstorm.

He promptly stopped his steps and did not give chase.

This person was not the killer, and he never appeared again afterward.

"Chenzi!"

Shao Huai hurriedly followed behind, gazing far into the rain curtain at the fading silhouette, "Who is that person? Did you see clearly?"

"No, he ran too fast."

Just as Jin Chen's words fell, a truck suddenly came flying from the fog‑enshrouded street, as if it were going to slam straight into them.

"Damn it." Shao Huai hastily pulled Jin Chen back half a step, but that was merely an optical illusion, and the truck drove into the side lane next to the apartment building.

【Phew~ Death crisis lifted!】 Ling Gun Gun let out a sigh of relief.

Jin Chen withdrew his gaze, turned his head sideways to look at the person behind him.

Xie Guan stood under the eaves, about three meters away from them, his slender frame wrapped in a shirt washed to a pale white, clean yet gloomy, as if a lingering apathetic sorrow clung to his whole being.

【Detected this world's plot villain, triggering Blackening Value; current Blackening Value: 85!】

【Main quest: Reduce Blackening Value to zero, change the villain's tragic ending.】

Their gazes intertwined for a moment.

Jin Chen first chuckled, his tone even a bit flamboyant.

"I didn't have a chance to catch up earlier—long time no see, Xiao Guan."

Xie Guan, not knowing what he was thinking, twitched the corner of his eye, seriously suspecting that Jin Chen had been brewing this just to say that disgusting line.

Shao Huai also turned around, looking at this once‑good buddy, then at his current good buddy, and let out a hiss.

Grudges.

Karmic ties.

Fate……

When fate arrives, nothing can block it.

Formerly, the "beloved‑enemy trio" from their No. 1 High School would meet again after two years, right here in this dilapidated building.

Of course, he, Shao, mainly takes the third spot; the "beloved‑enemy" label specifically refers to the two who constantly rotate as the top‑ranked first place.

"Indeed… times have changed." Shao Huai couldn't help but sigh.

Xie Guan had no interest in joining them in reminiscing the past; he turned back to the convenience store and opened for business.

Shao Huai had no recourse; he could only look at Jin Chen and say, "What should we do—wait for the rain to stop, or keep going back?"

It's oddly poetic.

Jin Chen tore off a piece of mint candy and stuffed it into his mouth, heading inside without looking back, "It won't be possible to leave just yet."

This apartment building is already quite run‑down, with few residents, and the convenience store normally has little business—let alone in the early morning.

Jin Chen and Shao Huai lifted the yellowed plastic curtain and entered, seeing Xie Guan sitting behind the counter fiddling with the computer, then with the phone, finally giving up everything in slight irritation.

"No signal, right?" Jin Chen tapped the counter with his fingertip, "Xiao Guan, did you faint last night?"

Xie Guan lifted his eyelids, gave him a cool glance, and nodded.

Shao Huai stood by the shelves, holding a bottle of mineral water, about to sit down but hesitating, trying to analyze the current situation.

But he didn't know whether to speak up.

Shao Huai furrowed his brows, the mineral water bottle in his hand creaking as he squeezed it.

He glanced at Xie Guan, who was lowering his head to tidy the change on the counter, showing no interest in their conversation.

"Xie Guan, don't go yet." Jin Chen suddenly reached out and grabbed Xie Guan's arm; the force was neither light nor heavy, but enough to make him stop.

Xie Guan lifted his head, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes showing a hint of impatience.

"What do you want?" Xie Guan's voice was cold, visibly irritable.

"Nothing much, I just think you ought to listen."

Jin Chen sat opposite Shao Huai and, before Xie Guan could act, loosened his hold on him.

"You must have seen what happened last night, right?" Shao Huai asked, "The screams from the sixth floor and the sudden murder case."

He and Jin Chen went together, but afterward it seemed he also saw Xie Guan.

Xie Guan hummed, Silence for a moment, then said, "How did you guys go downstairs afterward?"

Jin Chen closed his eyes calmly, then opened them, "I also really want to know."

"This is too weird! I and Chenzi don't know when we passed out; as soon as it was light and I opened my eyes, I found myself in bed."

It seems they shared the same experience, Xie Guan thought.

Having witnessed the murder on the sixth floor, he suddenly fainted, woke up in the room after daylight, and saw a strange man downstairs in the apartment building.

Jin Chen picked some instant food, prepared it with hot water from the counter, and added, "There's no signal in the apartment building now; the emergency call won't go through."

Shao Huai only felt starving—his stomach pressed against his back—when he smelled the ramen, and he shoved a few bites into his mouth before it was even fully soaked.

"Chenzi, should we go back to the crime scene to take a look? I don't know if the police academy's student ID can substitute for a police badge."

Shao Huai muttered to himself, Xie Guan stared at him for a few seconds, and still couldn't help saying, "You're really reckless, day after day for decades."

"……"

Shao Huai's expression went blank at this familiar retort; he put down the ramen cup and muttered, "... What's wrong with me?"

Jin Chen made a gun gesture with his hand from behind, aiming at Shao Huai, and said, "If the killer is still in this building, what are you going to do?"

After saying that, he again pointed his long fingers at Xie Guan, keeping the pose for a snap, and said, "Come with me, I'm not reckless."

Xie Guan: "……"

"Crouching dragon, young phoenix."