"I am the embodiment of the modifier, Meow... but not yours."

The mysterious boy in front of these words bowed his head slightly, then smiled and said,

"I am your fan～"

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

In front of him, Bai Yi’s Star Eyes slightly contracted.

The modifier’s...

Embodiment?

"But you’re not... Yan Ye... you..."

But at this moment, a flash of realization struck Bai Yi’s mind like a bolt of lightning, a phrase Yan Ye once said,

"Yan Huan also has an embodiment of the modifier, Meow..."

And if the cat in front of him isn’t his own embodiment, yet looks just like Yan Ye, then Yan Ye he...

"!!"

Suddenly realizing something, Bai Yi’s Star Eyes widened abruptly.

Then, teardrops almost uncontrollably burst out.

In each teardrop, there seemed to be a reflection of the scenes along the way, of her and that white cat inseparable.

"You fool, Meow!"

Whenever she did something foolish, he would urgently pat her face with his paw.

"Meow?! Wait... wait, Meow!"

Then, when he saw her changing clothes or taking a bath, he would quickly turn his head away.

"Bai Yi?!"

Previously, when she collapsed in a crisis, she could barely see his anxious gaze.

"Yan Huan has always been lying to you!!"

In order to persuade her to go back, he angrily said many bad things about Yan Huan.

She always told him not to speak ill of Yan Huan...

Little did she know, it was all to save her, sharing his genuine thoughts with her...

And in the end, when she irresponsibly continued to travel through time, he showed that kind of...

Sad look...

"Yan Ye... Yan... Page... Yan Page... Yan... Yan Huan?! How could I... how could I be so stupid... how could I be so stupid... sob..."

When she realized that it was Yan Huan, who had traveled back in time doing all of this, Bai Yi couldn’t bear her own foolishness, wiped her tears and started silly laughing.

But as she laughed, her smile was completely swallowed by sadness.

"Ka ka ka!"

But at the same time, as Yan Huan’s time travel was exposed, the already fragile world line could no longer withstand and completely exploded into annihilation.

"Buzz!"

Everything around began to crumble like an if-line, turning into dust, making Bai Yi’s expression change slightly.

But at this moment, the cat in front of her showed no change in expression.

Its originally pitch-black feline body dissipated bit by bit like mist, suddenly spreading in all directions, swallowing everything in the world.

"Buzz!!"

In an instant, the originally petite cat body expanded unimaginably...

The whole world?

The entire segment of the world line!!

All of it was enveloped by its body.

At this moment, the annihilation that should have destroyed everything, acting on the world line, shifted objects, blossoming on that black mist.

Yet those emerald green eyes didn’t move, they just stared at Bai Yi,

"So, can you understand now, Bai Yi? Yan Huan traveled back from the future to save you, to prevent you from disappearing."

"!!"

Bai Yi, full of tears, lifted her eyes to look at those eyes in front of her.

They looked down from above, whispered softly,

"You are not alone, you are not by yourself... There is always someone accompanying you and willing to give everything for you...

"So, Bai Yi...

"Do not regret, do not let yourself disappear...

"Do not let him down."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yi’s eyes widened, lifting her gaze in the midst of the black mist.

"Yan Huan... where is Yan Huan?"

Meow didn’t speak, just said,

"He has some words he wants to tell you... let me convey them for him..."

"..."

Bai Yi’s eyes widened, a teardrop slowly fell.

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

"Fan?"

That teardrop, before it fell from Bai Yi’s face, was gently caught by the compassionate Yan Huan.

His complexion, pale beneath a mask, his eyes unfocused, so he could only lower his head, with a faint smile,

"Yeah..."

"But... but, I’ve just started singing... and haven’t gotten first place yet... Mom, she... Mom, she..."

As soon as Bai Yi heard she had a fan, she was immediately thrilled.

But that hint of excitement didn’t last for even a second before it was quickly overshadowed by sadness.

Like a child, she waved her hand meaninglessly, wiping away tears, expressing her grievance,

"I’ve really worked hard, but Mom keeps saying I don’t sing well, saying that even if I sing, no one would like it... I’m really sad..."

"...It’s okay, Bai Yi... really, it’s okay... Look at me, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Huan shook his head and said,

"You sing really well, Bai Yi. Don’t listen to your mom, believe in your own talent and effort... In the future, you will definitely become a great singer..."

"Re... really?"

"Mm, really. I am your first fan... although I just met you today, and we might not meet again, but..."

Yan Huan smiled slightly, lowered her head, and murmured,

"Your songs are really beautiful, really beautiful... I will always support you from the shadows, look forward to your songs, look forward to your voice..."

Listening to this, Bai Yi, who had never received encouragement before and could only cry, saw her Star Eyes gradually brighten.

Yan Huan in front of her shakily extended her Little Thumb toward her and softly asked,

"So, promise me, okay...

"Keep being confident, keep going...

"Pinky swear?"

Hearing this, little Bai Yi wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

Beneath those tears was her radiant optimism, like the stars.

So, she also gently extended her Little Thumb, hooking it with Yan Huan’s Little Thumb,

"Okay!"

"That’s great..."

Watching her smile, Yan Huan also broke into a smile and lowered her head.

"Sniff... sniff..."

But in the next second, little Bai Yi vaguely caught a whiff of something fishy, making her curiously seek the source of the smell.

But just as she started searching, Yan Huan’s eyelashes slightly trembled before she suddenly spoke,

"Well, I... I have something to tell you."

"Huh? What is it?"

Children’s attention shifts quickly, so she immediately looked up again.

Without noticing, beneath Yan Huan, behind her, a sinister flow of oozing blood was beginning to collect.

The clothes wrapped tightly around her body were thoroughly soaked, sticking to her and constantly binding her in excruciating pain.

Her eyes grew dimmer, unfocused, consciousness and memories started to decay...

Yet even so, her increasingly faint voice remained gentle and sincere,

"Yeah...

"I...

"What was I going to say...

"Important words... words only for you..."

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

[滴滴...嗒嗒...]

"Bai Yi..."

Amid the black haze, Meow’s voice gradually distorted, transforming to sound just like Yan Huan’s.

And just upon hearing Yan Huan’s voice, Bai Yi’s tears could no longer be held back, falling one by one,

"Yan Huan... wah..."

In front of her, he continued to speak,

"Thinking back, I promised you so many things before, told you so many words, yet very few were true, few were fulfilled...

"About the fans, the gala dinner...

"I feel guilty and regretful.

"But at least, there’s one thing I promised you, something I owe you, that I genuinely want to fulfill no matter what..."

As Meow softly spoke for Yan Huan, the dense fog seemed to drain all of Meow’s strength, using it all to restore the world line to its extinction.

Between two points, everything that should have been changed was restored.

The world is about to fall silent, and the pocket watch in Bai Yi’s hand gradually comes to a halt, marking the end of her journey,

All those painful things, those nostalgic things, those things full of regret...

All of them transformed into eternity.

But all those are in the past now...

Thankfully, now...

At the moment when this long journey ended, Yan Huan’s voice gently fell into Bai Yi’s ear.

It was his sincere, earnest, heartfelt words he wanted to say to Bai Yi, his lasting, important, belated promise.

In the moment where Bai Yi’s Star Eyes gradually brightened once again before the world line returned to an unchanging calm...

He softly confessed to Bai Yi, his beloved,

"I really... really, really like you, Bai Yi."