If Time Stood Still, What Would People Do?

Some might do naughty things on buses or in stores.

Others would use it for pranks.

Some might even use it to punch centenarians.

But if Mujin had this power, she wanted none of those things right now.

She just wished to freeze time this instant, then vanish from this man’s sight.

Having grown used to being a sparrow, she’d adopted pecking as her way to show anger and attack. Before, during arguments with Zhou Ruiyang, she’d often flown to his face and pecked him.

But she’d forgotten she wasn’t a sparrow anymore—she was human, a young girl.

What was aggression to a sparrow was affection to humans.

Mujin’s face flushed crimson. She’d kissed her "brother" multiple times in broad daylight! The horrified stares of onlookers told her the consequences.

"Uh, what was that supposed to mean?" Zhou Ruiyang covered his face, stunned.

"It’s… punishment! Who told you to say such nasty things!" Mujin retorted, cheeks burning.

"Punishment? Was that just now considered punishment?"

"I say it is, so it is!"

Zhou Ruiyang frowned, stroking his chin as if deep in thought.

If this counted as punishment, why not have more?

He wasn’t just a pervert—he recalled Uncle Li, who raised him, punishing him fiercely as a kid. Ten kilometers of running, a hundred push-ups, squats, and pull-ups were just the warm-up. That was real punishment.

His silence made Mujin even more embarrassed. She waved. "Bye!" and tried to slip away.

She had no time to waste. The transformation timer in the top-right corner showed barely over a minute left. She needed to retreat.

But as she turned, Zhou Ruiyang grabbed her hand.

The girl’s hand felt small and delicate, almost boneless.

"What? Let go!" she snapped, turning back.

"Anyway, thank you for helping me," he said, expression conflicted like a nervous speaker.

"Got it. Let go—I’m busy."

"So you’re not mad?"

"No! Let go!" Mujin’s timer now showed under a minute, the font flashing warning red.

"Hmm, you’re Mu Mu, right? Full name? We’ve met three times, and I still don’t know it."

Mujin ignored him, focused only on the countdown. Each tick made her heart race.

Desperate, she yelled, "Help! Assault!!"

Zhou Ruiyang released her instantly. "No, I—hey, don’t run!"

The girl broke free and dashed toward the nearest woods.

Only thirty seconds of transformation time left—she needed a hiding spot fast.

Damn Little Sheep, always causing trouble now!

Could she really be angry?

Zhou Ruiyang chased after her. Normally, he’d catch her easily, but he couldn’t run at full speed. His pants were tented. To avoid attention, he bent over in a weird posture, barely keeping pace.

He followed her into the woods.

But inside, his eyes widened in shock.

The girl had vanished without a trace.

Staring at the empty trees, Zhou Ruiyang froze.

That girl… disappeared?

Yes—he didn’t think she’d escaped. The grove was at least ten meters deep. They’d entered almost simultaneously, less than a second apart. Even a sprinter couldn’t cross it that fast.

Could she have supernatural powers?

Zhou Ruiyang accepted it easily. He’d seen his roommate turn into a sparrow—why not a teleporting girl? If aliens landed, he’d just say, "Oh, good morning, alien."

Walking back to his dorm, he pondered: Who was that girl?

From their talk, she was surnamed Ye—a young lady Director Luo respected highly. But Zhou Ruiyang had never met her. Why did she know him so well? Why rush to save him from kidnapping?

Did she like him? Why would a rich girl like him?

He couldn’t figure it out.

But he wasn’t the only one puzzled.

Luo Sheng, who’d just dropped off Mujin, sat in his car’s back seat. He’d been relieved—one punch had earned him a watch worth millions.

He raised his wrist to admire the Patek Philippe, crafted by masters with seventy-plus patents.

His smile froze.

"Where the hell is my watch?!"

...

Zhou Ruiyang pushed open his dorm door. A fluffy sparrow pressed against his face.

"Little Sheep! You’re back!"

He scanned the room nervously. Seeing no roommates, he sighed. He tickled the sparrow’s head. "I’m back. Thanks for calling help, Mujin."

"Hehe, welcome!" Mujin chirped, eyes crinkling. She circled him. "Did my helper actually help?"

"Well, sort of. Made my return easier," Zhou Ruiyang thought. He could’ve fought out of Director Luo’s place, but no chauffeured ride back.

"Oh, good it helped."

Mujin smiled outwardly but fumed inwardly.

This jerk! As a sparrow, he was gentle and respectful. As a girl, he was blunt and harsh. Other men forgot morals for beauty—this guy ignored women entirely. It made her angry and helpless.

She wasn’t mad he didn’t like her—just his attitude. For three years, Little Sheep had been her kind, high-EQ "brother." Suddenly becoming a blunt guy was unbearable.

But she wasn’t petty—otherwise, she wouldn’t let him pet her now.

Zhou Ruiyang stroked her gently, then paused. Something felt off.

That girl said Mujin found her at school and brought her.

Thinking carefully, Zhou Ruiyang spotted flaws.

Why would she trust a sparrow so easily?

Even if she accepted reality like him, the timeline didn’t add up. Mujin would’ve needed to find Zhou Ruiyang’s location, fly back to the dorm for proof, find the brown-haired girl at school, explain everything, and bring her to Linhai Garden. That’d take thirty minutes minimum. But the girl appeared only ten minutes after he was locked up.

And if Mujin brought her, why was Mujin here in the dorm, not at Linhai Garden?

Zhou Ruiyang looked down at the obedient sparrow in his hand.

"By the way, Mujin—where did you meet that girl?"

"Huh?" The sparrow blinked. "At school. Her long brown hair’s memorable."

"Why ask her? You don’t know her. Hao Ren or Meng Xianyong would’ve made more sense."

"Uh… they were out eating. And she claimed to be your girlfriend—must like you. I thought she’d save you."

Mujin thought she’d covered it well. But Zhou Ruiyang frowned.

"No, Mujin. When she said she was your girlfriend… you weren’t there, were you?"

Mujin froze, eyes wide.