No. 61 Echoes From Parallel Dimensions
The relentless rain washed over the city, a somber backdrop to our weary journey. After a tiring lunch break spent fending off those delinquents, Xiaodie and I boarded the crowded bus that would take us to her house.
The weather forecast had promised a break in the rain, but the sky remained a gloomy gray, as if the world were about to be swallowed by the relentless downpour.
Fortunately, we managed to snag two empty seats at the back of the bus.
Traffic in Upper Capital City was a constant headache, with frequent gridlocks and delays. It was a cruel irony that the bus you needed would always seem to arrive in droves when you weren’t waiting for it, only to vanish into thin air the moment you actually needed to board.
To make matters worse, some of the busier intersections lacked traffic lights. On rainy days, when the traffic police were off duty, the roads descended into chaos.
“Yi Yao, are you… disappointed in society?” Xiaodie asked softly, her voice barely audible over the rumble of the engine.
I turned to her, surprised. “Why would you ask that?”
“You told me about your past life, about your family…”
“People are what they are. There’s no point in being disappointed.”
“But you must have been lonely… Living alone in that empty apartment, with no family, no one to love…”
“So you’d rather I be penniless, sharing a cramped apartment with strangers, at the mercy of a tyrannical landlord?”
Compared to those who were still struggling to make ends meet in their thirties and forties, I had been quite successful in my previous life, both financially and professionally.
But as they say, you can’t take it with you when you die.
“That’s not what I meant… I just… don’t you have any… dreams? Aspirations?”
“Like what?”
“Things you wanted to do as a child but never got around to.”
I thought for a moment, a wry smile touching my lips. “My parents always told me to study hard, to be a good person. But when I tried to follow their advice, I realized I wasn’t very good at fitting in. Luckily, I had good grades, so I could at least find a decent job. I didn’t have any grand dreams, really. I just… existed. I didn’t even know what I wanted out of life.”
“What about this time?”
“You believe me?”
“I do. I believe everything you say, Yi Yao.”
“This time… I want to fulfill her wishes.”
“Her wishes? What are they?”
“She wanted me to listen to my parents, to get into a good university.”
“But wouldn’t that mean living the same life as your past self?”
“We’re essentially the same person, just different genders.”
Same family, same name, same habits, same interests. The only difference was our personalities, shaped by our vastly different experiences.
“I understand…” She took my hands, her gaze unwavering. “Your past self changed you. Now let me change you.”
“Huh?”
“You know what’s going to happen in this city, right?”
“Yes…”
“And you watch anime, so you’re not averse to that world. So, from today onwards, let’s embrace the world of anime! We can learn to dance, stream online, draw, write, cosplay…”
“Wait, why are you suddenly suggesting all this?”
“Because I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes of your past. I want you to experience new things, to live a different life.”
Her words struck a chord.
She was right.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, I had been unconsciously retracing the steps of my past life.
Studying diligently, attending classes, worrying about my parents.
Even in the hacker world, I had gravitated towards the familiar, joining the Queen Bee alliance.
Was I… afraid?
“Hey! I swiped my card! Are you deaf?”
A woman’s voice, shrill and indignant, cut through our conversation. The bus driver was arguing with a passenger.
“What about that man? Isn’t he your husband?” the driver retorted, refusing to budge.
“How should I know who that man is? It’s just me and my daughter! Don’t you dare accuse me of anything!”
“You were clearly with him.”
“You’re the one who’s with him! My husband’s at work! What’s your complaint number? I’m reporting you!”
Apparently, the woman had swiped her card twice, once for herself and once for her daughter. The driver, assuming there were three passengers, demanded she pay the remaining fare. The woman, understandably offended, had taken it as an accusation of fare evasion.
“Show me the man who didn’t pay! I only know my daughter!” she spat, marching down the aisle, her young daughter clinging to her side.
“Whoever didn’t pay, come forward and insert your coin!”
The driver, his pride wounded, stormed down the aisle.
“The man, around forty years old. Come forward and pay! You’re wasting everyone’s time!”
The passengers exchanged nervous glances, but no one stepped forward.
The bus was packed, and there were at least seven or eight men who fit the description. The driver, however, seemed unable to identify the culprit.
He stood in the aisle, refusing to move.
“Come on, who is it?”
“Yeah, it’s just one yuan. Just pay and let’s go!”
“I need to go home and cook dinner for my kids!”
The passengers grew increasingly agitated, but no one confessed.
“People get so irritable on rainy days,” Xiaodie observed, watching the scene unfold.
She pulled out a yuan from her pocket, walked up to the driver, and dropped it into the fare box. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. “I don’t know who it was, but here’s a yuan. Now please drive! Everyone wants to go home!”
The driver, his face flushing red, could hardly scold a young girl in front of a bus full of people. He grumbled something under his breath and returned to his seat, starting the engine.
“How did I do, Yi Yao?” she asked, beaming, drawing the attention of the other passengers.
They probably couldn’t imagine that this cheerful, helpful girl had just lost her father.
She was strong, even in the face of tragedy.
She was kind, just like the mayor had said.
“You did great,” I said, my heart swelling with pride. I swallowed the words I had been about to say.
This girl… I would protect her.
The tension on the bus dissipated as we continued our journey. Xiaodie and I chatted about anime, the familiar topic a welcome distraction from the weight of our burdens.
We reached our stop, a short walk from her villa.
I was staying the night, helping her pack her belongings and move into my apartment.
She had suggested skipping the packing altogether, claiming that, as girls, we could share clothes. I had vetoed the idea.
I couldn’t imagine her reaction to my meager wardrobe.
We weren’t wealthy. My father rarely bought me new clothes.
“Hey, Yi Yao, you said your dad is going to remarry a year from now, right?” she asked as we packed her belongings.
“Yes, what about it?”
“She has a son, and after your father dies, they’ll take all your money and leave you with nothing, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you hate them?”
“…”
“Have you thought about what you’ll do if it happens again? Now that you know the outcome?”
I shook my head, unsure where she was going with this.
My relationship with my stepmother and her son had been strained, to say the least.
“You’ve experienced loss, Yi Yao. And you know that the deeper the bond, the more painful the separation.”
“What does that have to do with my stepmother?”
“Well… if you want revenge, I have a suggestion.”
“Revenge? Against the woman who seduced my father and her son?” I frowned. “I doubt anything I do would make a difference.”
“You’re so naive, Yi Yao.”
She tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Who says revenge has to be physical or material?”
“What do you mean?”
“Make her son fall in love with you. He calls himself your brother, right? Be the best sister in the world.”
She folded a dress and placed it in the suitcase. “Of course, maintain your distance from your stepmother. That way, when they eventually leave, he’ll be devastated. He might even fight with his mother. That’s when you strike, using his mother’s actions to make him doubt her, to make him feel betrayed. If you play your cards right, you can drive a wedge between them.”
Her words startled me. I almost dropped my phone.
“Xiaodie…”
“What?”
“That’s… brilliant.”
“You’re learning fast, Yi Yao…”
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