Chapter 16: The Time Trap

Every city has its outskirts.

The outskirts of Licheng could truly be called a hidden paradise: picturesque mountains and rivers, far from the city's clamor, yet not too distant from its heart.

In a block of tube-shaped apartments on the edge of Licheng, the residents were savoring the bliss of this secluded haven.

People entered, but no one ever left…

By now, dusk had fallen.

Lights flickered on one by one inside the building. Some danced in the square, some played chess, children chased each other and shrieked in delight.

On the open ground before the building, a foreign man with a wild afro and a girl with skin as fair as snow, even her eyes white as pearls, stood side by side. She was adorable.

Those enjoying their leisure nearby barely spared a glance at these two, who together looked like embodiments of night and day. Despite the winter chill, the girl wore only a T-shirt and denim shorts. No one paid her any mind. No one cared that she was… well, voluptuous.

But the residents of the building simply went on with their business; not a single lecherous gaze lingered on her revealing attire or her… curves.

The man and the girl paused beside a crowd of chess players, muttering to themselves.

Then, they circled up the stairwell to the second floor.

“Uncle Wang, have you seen my mother?”

…

…

The stairwell was thick with the scent of daily life.

They stopped before a room on the second floor, and lingered near the window, peeking inside for a long time.

Suddenly, the seemingly fragile girl grabbed the iron bars of the window and tore them down in one swift motion.

At that moment, the door to the room swung open, and a woman clad in purple stepped out.

The girl strode in boldly.

The man followed, wary.

Yet, as soon as he stepped inside, he saw the girl, arms wrapped around nothing, hurling something invisible out the window where the bars had been.

From a large tree outside the building, Li Changlu watched the scene unfold, unable to resist rubbing his body and wincing in pain.

This was the second day since Xiao Qing had thrown him out the window.

He’d discovered a huge secret.

Time inside this building was endlessly looping.

Each person repeated the day’s events over and over.

From dawn till dusk.

Wake up, brush teeth…

Cook, eat…

Sneak around, get caught sneaking around…

Dance in the square, play chess, frolic and chase…

Everything repeated.

Had Xiao Qing not tossed him out, he too would be trapped among the building’s residents.

Yet, outside the building, everything was perfectly normal…

Li Changlu had observed the color of the moon carefully.

It hadn’t turned red, nor had any bizarre eyes appeared.

The world was still safe.

But Xiao Qing—she was far too straightforward…

Faced with danger, she’d throw someone out without a second thought.

Li Changlu had been flung from the second floor, landing face-first in the dirt.

If he weren’t a monster now, and still in his human body, he’d likely be heading straight for cremation—funeral services all included.

He began to ponder.

Time in this building looped endlessly.

Blackie and Xiao Qing no longer had to worry about the tavern’s missions.

Nor would they vanish for lack of food or drink.

Their days would no longer be turbulent.

Wasn’t that… ideal?

Yes, it was.

Perhaps… should he let them be, and not disturb their peace?

But…

Li Changlu walked away, then returned.

Came back, left again.

In the end, he stayed.

He swore to himself it was only the mission that forced him to return.

He wasn’t drawn back by Xiao Qing’s beauty.

Desire and appetite are human nature, after all.

He hid beside the building, crouched there through the night.

Some residents did leave the building: the fox demon woman in the purple coat would go out.

She’d take her billion-yuan commemorative purse and head out to buy a chicken.

Then she’d return, just like any ordinary housewife—shopping, cooking, everything normal.

Yet Li Changlu noticed something odd: he never saw a chicken in her bag.

Had those two coin-operated ride demons lied to him—did she actually not buy a chicken?

A fox that doesn’t buy chicken? Would she buy eggplant instead?

He clearly remembered seeing chicken feathers in her purse.

Buying chicken feathers?

He’d intended to wait until the demon woman left, then find a way to sneak into the building and rescue Blackie and Xiao Qing.

He thought he’d figured out the solution.

Maybe the demon woman would be caught off guard.

But perhaps she was waiting for him to walk right into her trap.

Moreover, the building seemed to be a snare of time itself.

If he rushed in recklessly…

No, better not.

Maybe he should wait for the fox demon to leave.

Should he charge in and fight her hand-to-hand?

She could create such an impressive time trap—he’d end up as nothing but a victim.

Should he try seduction instead?

As he pondered, Li Changlu took out a mirror and checked his reflection.

Perfect!

Waiting is always painful, especially in the depths of winter.

A night passed.

Inside the building, everything was still repeating.

Li Changlu had a wild idea.

If everything repeated—would even the excrement revert?

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

He glanced at the wilting wild chrysanthemums in the grass.

On the open ground before the building, the joyous square dance resumed.

Blackie and Xiao Qing stood beside the chess crowd, repeating their earlier motions.

But just as they headed toward the stairwell, Li Changlu suddenly darted past them.

He rushed straight to an old man washing his face at the pool.

Li Changlu pinned the man down and rained blows upon him.

Yet the man remained unmoved, still lovingly washing his face, fetching water, lathering, and wiping.

Though his body was decorated with Li Changlu’s footprints, he acted as if nothing had happened.

A blissful smile adorned his face.

Li Changlu’s hands trembled.

What are you smiling at?

I worked so hard.

You dare to smile?

Blackie, Xiao Qing, and all the other residents carried on as usual, paying no attention to the scene before them.

The man even fell to the ground several times, but his expression stayed serene.

As if he hadn’t been beaten—nothing had happened.

Beaten and kicked? Didn’t exist.

Li Changlu’s arms grew sore from the effort.

“Drop the act, I’m telling you.”

“Your face is bruised and you’re still pretending?”

“If time in this building repeats, only the day’s events recur. But you helped us find our way, which means you’re not caught in the trap.”

After observing for two days, Li Changlu finally realized—the chess watcher… had vanished.

Yet the man finished washing his face, picked up his basin, and headed upstairs.

Blackie and Xiao Qing still hadn’t awakened from the time trap.

“Your fox tail is showing, I say, Sister Zi, can we stop pretending now?”

But how could this man have a fox tail? He happily carried his basin as he walked.

Li Changlu was only bluffing.

Clearly, it didn’t work.

Had he misjudged?

“Uncle, sorry for beating you up!”

Li Changlu turned away.

But as the man reached the stairwell, his smiling expression suddenly froze.

He cried out, clutching his backside.

When he looked at his hand, it was smeared with fresh blood.

He spun around in anger, glancing back with a look of grievance.

Li Changlu stood behind him, grinning, a fruit knife in hand—its tip still stained with blood.

“Sorry, I should’ve just stabbed you right away. Sorry for making you suffer!”

He wore an apologetic smile.

He was annoyed at himself.

I had a knife in my hand—was I stupid?

Hammered him for ages, and now my delicate hands are trembling.

The man clutched his backside, abandoned his basin, and ran upstairs to the second floor.

Li Changlu hurried after him.

Then, from a room on the second floor, cries of pain rang out.

Male and female voices.

“It hurts so much, so much…”

“My heart aches, I’m dying…”

Li Changlu cursed silently—was it Blackie and Xiao Qing?