Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 97: Reset

“What should we do next?” Cheng Zhenqing asked.

He Wei’s voice was still hoarse, “I’m not sure either, let’s just take it step by step.”

The two of them had already left the mansion, with Cheng Zhenqing supporting He Wei. Now He Wei belonged to old, weak, sick, and disabled, and even walking was difficult for him without help.

The fog on the downhill road had finally cleared, and Cheng Zhenqing chattered on, “What should we do? Should I take you to the hospital first? Can you use your ID for registration? I can’t use mine either; I’m practically a dead man here…”

He Wei felt like there was a fly buzzing around him, finding Cheng Zhenqing annoying. “Go to the hospital? I’ll just rest, that’s all.”

“Come on, the bruise on your neck is so deep, I feel like your bones are about to break!”

“If my bones were broken, could I still talk to you?”

“…” Cheng Zhenqing conceded, “Alright, alright, it’s up to you. Anyway, with the way things have turned out, even if you died, you wouldn’t know where to go. We can always start over from scratch.”

Finally, they left Fulong Mountain, and He Wei breathed a sigh of relief as if he had escaped a nightmare. It was still late at night, and there wasn’t a single car passing on the wide road, making it impossible for Cheng Zhenqing to even hail a taxi.

“Do you even have money to pay for a taxi?” He Wei taunted.

“You didn’t bring any money either?!” Cheng Zhenqing was surprised, and He Wei gave him a look as if he were an idiot. Didn’t he notice that his clothes had been changed? If he still had that loose change from before, that would be truly strange.

Cheng Zhenqing helped He Wei along the highway for nearly half an hour, and finally, they saw a gas station, which excited him. “Hey, there’s a gas station ahead; getting a glass of water shouldn’t be a problem.”

He Wei nodded, and the two of them quickened their pace toward the gas station. However, when they arrived, even though the lights were on, and the convenience store was open, there wasn’t a single staff member working. The entire gas station was empty and lifeless.

Cheng Zhenqing sat He Wei down on the steps and touched the gas nozzle, then looked at the display screen, saying, “The oil hasn’t dried up, and there’s a record of the last car that refueled. There must have been someone working here.”

But where were the people? Why was there not a single person around?

“Hello! Is anyone there?”

“I came to refuel! Fill up with 95 octane! Since no one is here to collect money, I’ll just fill it up and leave!”

Three minutes passed, and Cheng Zhenqing gave up, shaking his head as he returned to He Wei’s side. “There really is no one here.”

He Wei furrowed his brow, looking around, and suddenly realized something, “Have you noticed how quiet it is?”

Cheng Zhenqing hadn’t noticed it until He Wei pointed it out. Once he did, he perked up his ears and listened carefully, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

There was no sound at all.

If there really were no people, that wouldn’t be so scary, but what was eerie was the absence of the usual sounds in the environment—the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects—everything was absent. It was as if they were in a vacuum world, shrouded in complete silence.

Cheng Zhenqing shivered with goosebumps. The gas station was brightly lit, but it seemed even more eerie now. He Wei was becoming more certain that they might not have left the loop’s world at all; instead, they had entered a silent and mysterious space, facing new challenges.

“Darn it, can’t we get out of here? Are we going to be trapped here until we grow old? Or rather, until we die of thirst or hunger?” Cheng Zhenqing changed his tone. 

“It’s not that bad,” He Wei pointed to the convenience store. “Let’s go check it out. If there’s something edible in there, we won’t starve for a while.”

Cheng Zhenqing helped He Wei to the convenience store, and inside, the shelves were neatly stocked with all sorts of food and supplies. Cheng Zhenqing opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it over. He Wei took a sip and nodded, “It’s fresh.”

“Well, that’s a relief. At least this loop doesn’t seem intent on turning us into jerky.”

There was even hotpot available at the checkout counter, and Cheng Zhenqing picked up a few skewers and grabbed a bucket of braised beef instant noodles. He hummed a tune, feeling carefree. He had been in the woods for so long, then fought with He 2, and now, while supporting He Wei down the mountain, he was completely drained.

“Damn! There’s someone here?!”

Cheng Zhenqing’s voice came from the back, still holding the bucket of noodles, and he rushed out urgently. “Come and take a look! What’s going on?!”

He Wei walked to the back and found a man lying curled up on the floor, as if asleep. His face was buried in his arms, and when He Wei pulled his arm away to look at him, he and Cheng Zhenqing exchanged puzzled glances.

The man lying there had the same face as He Wei, and he was in a deep sleep. When he was disturbed, he furrowed his brows and reluctantly opened his eyes.

Once he saw He Wei, he was also startled, immediately getting up and retreating to a corner of the room. “You, you, you…”

He Wei approached him cautiously. “Don’t be afraid, I’m He Wei too. First, tell me, are you an employee?”

Encountering someone who looked exactly like himself was already terrifying enough. The man nodded hesitantly, and He Wei realized that this was the missing He Wei from this world, whom he had been searching for.

“How long have you been here?”

The Employee He Wei looked at him cautiously. “I don’t know… the clocks here don’t move. I feel like it’s been at least a few hours.”

If they calculated based on when the employee He Wei disappeared, it had indeed been roughly that long. Cheng Zhenqing asked, “Why were you sleeping here?”

“I wanted to go home, but I couldn’t leave this gas station.” The Employee He Wei had a mournful look. “I tried running outside, but no matter which direction I went, I ended up back at the gas station… I got tired, so I ate something in the store and found a place to sleep.”

He Wei and Cheng Zhenqing fell into silence. It seemed that he too was trapped in a small loop and couldn’t escape. Perhaps it was because they were all the same individuals; both Officer He Wei and the employee He Wei were struggling with their fates.

Now, the three of them were stuck together in this vacuum world with no way out. Cheng Zhenqing continued to prepare his noodles, while the employee He Wei and Officer He Wei sat facing each other, observing each other closely.

“Do you know who I am?” He Wei asked.

The Employee He Wei shook his head. “I don’t know, but you are He Wei, and I am He Wei too.”

“Well, we met when we were kids. Do you remember?” He Wei reminded him. “Fulong Mountain, you and your family got lost.”

The Employee He Wei tried to recall. “I remember Fulong Mountain, where I met a child who looked exactly like me… Was that you?”

He Wei nodded, and the employee He Wei was surprised. “You’ve appeared again… I’m sorry, I don’t remember what happened when I saw you that day, but it’s nice to see you again.” His fear of He Wei gradually diminished, and he moved closer, asking, “How did you get here?”

“I came down from the mountain,” He Wei replied. “What about you?”

The employee He Wei bit his lip, as if finding it difficult to speak. He Wei said softly, “Is it because of He Lu?”

He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock. “…How do you know?”

“He Lu wanted to take me to his house, but I was afraid to go. He would… he would—” The employee He Wei hugged his arms tightly, cowering in the corner, his voice trembling, “I’m really scared of him. Why does he treat me like this…”

He Wei felt sympathy for him. If it weren’t for the exchange that had happened before, he might have had a gentle and kind younger brother, and wouldn’t have had to suffer this torment.

In an instant, He Wei recalled the question that voice asked him in that cube made of timelines:

“Is all of this your life?”

“Do you want to have it back?”

His throat tightened, and he stared at the timid employee He Wei, feeling that he was approaching the true end of the loop.

He grabbed the employee He Wei’s arm and asked cautiously, “Do you remember anything before the age of eight?”

The Employee He Wei seemed confused. “I don’t remember much, but it’s like I dreamt that Mom and Dad were going to divorce, but they didn’t in the end. And there’s A-Lu, he used to be very obedient and well-behaved, not like this…”

“Yes, because after the age of eight, it wasn’t your life anymore.” He Wei said slowly. “After we met, we went to each other’s worlds. Your parents got divorced, and the He Lu who hurt you is my younger brother.”

The supermarket became even quieter, and even Cheng Zhenqing, who was eating instant noodles, held his breath. The Employee He Wei was in shock and couldn’t close his mouth. “I—we swapped worlds?!”

He Wei nodded.

Suddenly, everything around them turned pitch black.

———

When he regained consciousness, he was in a lush forest, with the evening sun casting a warm glow. He wiped the sticky sweat from his neck and realized that his hands were short and chubby. When he looked down, he saw that he was wearing a white summer school uniform with navy blue shorts. There were two small bears embroidered on his shoes, and he was carrying a school bag with a school emblem on it.

This was… He Wei kept examining his hands, pinched his own cheeks, and felt the realness of it all. It wasn’t his imagination; he had indeed turned into a child.

The school emblem read, “Dingjia Road Elementary School.” He Wei furrowed his brow; he should have been attending the Upgraded Normal School Affiliated with Xingzhou University.

“Hello…”

A soft, timid voice came from behind, and He Wei turned around to see another child. The boy was wearing a pale yellow T-shirt and white shorts and carrying a small water bottle. At first, his gaze was shy, but as he looked at He Wei’s face, his eyes widened in surprise.

He Wei was equally stunned and instinctively touched his own face. The boy standing in front of him looked exactly like He Wei did during his childhood.

“Who are you?” He Wei walked over, his large, bright eyes fixed on the boy. “A-Lu?”

The boy shook his head and replied in a soft voice, “…He Wei.”

He Wei shivered and turned to look at the familiar mountain scenery. This was Fulong Mountain, and the boy’s attire matched exactly what he remembered from the dream.

He had returned to his childhood, to the time when he first met the employee He Wei from that world.

To confirm that this wasn’t He Lu, He Wei reached out and gently pinched the boy’s right cheek. Soon, the fair skin turned red, and the boy with the yellow T-shirt teared up. “Ouch…”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure you’re not He Lu.” He Wei withdrew his hand and handed him a handkerchief from his pocket, displaying the calm demeanor of an adult. “Wipe your tears.”

“Th-then who are you?” The boy asked timidly.

“I am also He Wei.”

The young He Wei tilted his head, nodded with a puzzled expression, and took the handkerchief to wipe his tears. However, the more he wiped, the more tears seemed to flow. Finally, he sat on the ground, hugging his knees, and buried his face in his arms, crying softly and weakly.

“I shouldn’t have run to Fulong Mountain by myself… My mom, dad, and little brother are all gone, and I can’t find them…” 

The boy repeated the same words, and He Wei sat beside him, comforting him, saying that everything would be alright and they would find them soon. The young He Wei stopped crying and peeked at him with one eye, asking, “You don’t seem scared at all. Are you familiar with this place?”

“More or less. I’ve been here quite a few times.” He Wei smiled. “It’s just that this place has seen too many things, and it’s hard not to get used to it.”

“What things?” The curious child held onto He Wei’s arm. “Are there monsters here? They say ghosts come out at night.”

“It’s not ghosts. Sometimes, what’s scarier than ghosts is fate.” He Wei explained.

The young He Wei looked puzzled, not fully understanding the meaning, but he seemed to find it profound. He clasped his hands together and sincerely praised, “You’re amazing.”

He Wei smiled again. This child was really cute and obedient. He couldn’t help but reach out and pat his head. Then he realized that he was also of a similar age, and the gesture might seem strange.

“Why did you come to Fulong Mountain alone?” 

Upon hearing the question, little He Wei pouted, his emotions written all over his face. He lowered his head and played with his toes peeking out of his sandals. “My parents got divorced, and they want to separate me and A-Lu. I’ll live with my mom from now on, and A-Lu will live with my dad.”

“Even after you’re separated, your bond won’t change. You’ll still be like real brothers. My relationship with He Lu—” He Wei recalled the conversation in the dream and continued, following his current identity, “My relationship with my younger brother has always been filled with conflicts. He Lu doesn’t like me, and we don’t get along.”

“Your younger brother is also named He Lu?”

“Yes.”

The young He Wei sighed, “A-Lu and I have a really good relationship. But the saddest thing for me is my parents’ divorce. I wanted to keep living with them… Did your parents get divorced too?”

He Wei hesitated for a moment and shook his head, “No.”

The young He Wei’s bright black eyes sparkled, “Can we swap then? My little brother is very well-behaved.”

He Wei once again found himself at a crossroads in his destiny. He had initially intended to simply shake his head and refuse the proposition. However, all the emotions and relationships he had built over the past three decades existed in that other world. If he chose to return to that world, all the people he knew and the feelings he had for his family would be erased. Although there would still be a He Wei in that world, it wouldn’t be the same Officer He Wei.

He Wei pinched his forehead, realizing that he had worked tirelessly to break the time loop. If he chose to exchange places now, wouldn’t it mean abandoning all his previous efforts and letting fate play with him again?

At this critical moment, the faces of his mother, He Lu, Lian Jingyuan, Chong Zhen, and others appeared one by one in his mind. People were creatures of emotion, and He Wei, rarely seen hesitating, was caught in a dilemma.

After a moment of silence, he helped the little He Wei to his feet and said, “Let’s go; let’s find the way down the mountain first.”

The two little boys, though half-grown, supported each other. He Wei, despite being an adult in mind, had the physical abilities of a young child. Climbing the mountain left him tired and thirsty after a short while. The young He Wei was in even worse shape; he was hungry and gave up first, sitting on the ground and refusing to walk any further.

“You can’t go on?” He Wei asked, supporting him.

“Yeah, my health isn’t good, and too much walking makes me feel out of breath.”

Thinking about his allergies and asthma, He Wei knew that vigorous exercise would affect him. He chuckled and said, “Your physical fitness isn’t up to par. Maybe you should find an office job in the future.”

The young He Wei looked at him and asked, “What do you want to do in the future?”

“A policeman.”

His eyes lit up with admiration again. “That’s amazing!”

As evening fell, the two of them continued walking, stopping occasionally. At some point, a thick fog enveloped the forest. He Wei looked around, and the visibility had dropped to less than three meters.

It had arrived.

The young He Wei held He Wei’s hand tightly. “Wow, the fog is so thick. What if we get lost and can’t find our way?”

“Yeah, stay close to me.”

The two of them walked along the mountain path in the darkness, stumbling and tripping. Suddenly, they heard shouts in the distance.

“Young Master! Young Master!”

The little He Wei in the yellow shirt looked up, his eyes bright. “I heard Uncle Qin’s voice!”

“Ge, where are you?”

He Wei turned his head, looking in the opposite direction. 

In the midst of the thick fog, two voices came from two different directions. He Wei pointed to the right. “Your family is looking for you.”

The little He Wei in the yellow shirt was still holding He Wei’s hand, biting his lip, his eyes darting around. “…Should we exchange?”

Once again, the question of the final choice arose. He Wei fell silent for a few moments, his mind flashing through everything that had happened. The last image that appeared was Cheng Zesheng’s smiling face.

This time, with this choice, he and Cheng Zesheng might finally be able to break free from the endless loop.

He Wei made up his mind, shaking his head. “No exchange. Go back quickly.”

The little He Wei in the yellow shirt hesitated for a moment, seemingly not expecting this outcome. He let out a soft “Oh” and said, “Thank you for today. Then I’ll… I’ll go back.”

He took a few steps, then turned around, looking back until he reunited with Uncle Qin. Uncle Qin was overjoyed when he saw the young master, lifting him up in his arms. The little He Wei in the yellow shirt answered Uncle Qin’s questions absently, his attention focused on the other side of the fog.

A hand grasped He Wei’s arm, and the little He Lu shouted urgently, “Where did you go? Dad and Mom were so worried! Come back with me now!”

“…,” He Wei glanced at him. Just as Cheng Zesheng had described, he really looked like a troublemaker when he was little.

“Why are you speaking like that? Call me ‘Ge’.'”

“?” He Lu was confused. “Is there something wrong with your brain?”

“Hurry up and call me that, or I’ll hit you.”

“…,” He Lu refused to obey, and He Wei seriously extended his hand, snapping his finger and tapping him hard on the forehead.

He Lu was stunned, then burst into tears and ran back to find his parents. “Mom! Ge hit me!”

He Wei turned around, and Uncle Qin was holding the little He Wei from the other world, who was getting farther and farther away. The yellow-shirted little He Wei’s eyes were still fixed firmly on He Wei. Finally, he smiled and waved at him.

He Wei also smiled and waved back. This was a parting moment.

Returning to their respective destinies, He Wei hoped they would never meet again.