"Holy crap, I told you—I was the one who saved you that day!" Autumn Ease had never done anything heroic in his life. This rare act of bravery, accidental as it was, had finally shown his cool side. Of course he wanted to prove it was him.

He was already regretting blurting out GuanPeng’s name back then.

"You’re lying! The man who saved me—I couldn’t see his face clearly, but his figure was elegant, his jawline sharp and masculine. He’s nothing like your ugly mug!" Ji Yingying snapped, correcting him fiercely. "Daring to claim you’re him? That’s an insult to him!"

Great. Autumn Ease had just insulted himself—the first time in his damn life.

"Damn it, you must’ve seen wrong! I’m not that handsome!" Autumn Ease shouted in defense. The words slipped out before he realized he was basically calling himself ugly.

This woman had completely scrambled his logic. She looked barely eighteen, maybe twenty at most—how had she reduced him to this?

"Exactly! You’re not nearly as handsome as him, so you can’t be him! Confess—were you stalking me?" Ji Yingying glared, eyes wide with accusation.

"Ahem… alright, alright… Yingying," Dr. Ji La cleared his throat awkwardly. "Autumn Ease is our only Traveler. He’ll likely work with us long-term. Let’s leave the past in the past, shall we?"

"Holy crap, that basically means he’s admitting he stalked her!" Autumn Ease protested loudly. But seeing Captain Huang’s uneasy frown—and the weapons strapped to his belt—he bit his tongue. Better not cause trouble on their turf.

"Hmph! I refuse to work with a creep like him!" Ji Yingying pouted, cheeks puffed in displeasure.

"Now, now, Xiao Qiu—ah, ‘Xiao Qiu’ feels more natural," Dr. Ji La smiled warmly. "Don’t take it to heart. My granddaughter’s got a fiery temper, but she’s a good girl. She’s also one of our researchers for the Particle Transfer Device." He beamed kindly. "Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Ji La. La as in candle wax."

"Uh… Dr. Ji La? Ji La? Trash…?" Autumn Ease muttered under his breath, scratching his head. He thought he’d whispered quietly enough—but Ji Yingying heard every word.

"Grandpa, he insulted you!" Ji Yingying stomped her foot like a tattling kindergartener.

"Alright, Captain Huang," Dr. Ji La said smoothly, turning to Huang. "We’ll take over from here. Thank you for the escort." The dismissal was clear.

The Special Ops captain seemed far outranked by Ji La.

The institute’s corridors bustled with people, oddly casual—security didn’t feel tight. Or maybe they hadn’t reached the core zone yet.

"Yes, Dr. Ji," Huang saluted and stepped into the elevator, vanishing.

"Xiao Qiu, come. Let’s head to the physical exam room first," Dr. Ji La invited, flanked by smiling researchers. Ji Yingying sulked silently, turning her head away.

"Okay… but why the exam room?"

"We need to check your health. Initial samples will help us study why only you can traverse distorted historical nodes," Ji La explained.

"Fine… uh…" Autumn Ease hesitated, then forced the question out. "Will I die?"

"Don’t worry, Xiao Qiu. No harm will come to you."

"Really?" Autumn Ease eyed him suspiciously.

"Really," Ji La’s smile grew even warmer.

"…" Autumn Ease wanted to bolt. He felt like he’d jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. But escape was impossible now. Better to cooperate and avoid extra pain.

He surrendered.

Truth was, he just didn’t have the guts.

He lived by two rules: "Better a live coward than a dead hero," and "If it hasn’t happened yet, pretend it won’t."

"This isn’t the institute’s secure zone," Ji La added as they walked. "Outsiders here only see ‘FarSky Tech’—a civilian research firm. We’ll take you deeper only after full clearance."

"Can I skip that?"

"If we have no other candidates… we’ll have to *invite* you in." Ji La stressed the word "invite."

Invitation? More like coercion.

"…So I have no choice." Autumn Ease sighed.

"Precisely. Sometimes, you must believe in fate. Entering the core zone means signing a confidentiality agreement. Leaks… may lead to erasure." Ji La’s tone was casual, yet chilling.

"I knew it…" Autumn Ease rolled his eyes. He’d fallen into a den of thieves. But had he ever truly escaped this fate since gaining his power?

Fate really was… mysterious.

"Heh…" Ji La chuckled meaningfully.

"Honestly, I still don’t get what you’re doing or what I’ll face. I’m just a normal guy. You can’t expect me to save the world, right?"

"You’ll understand after the exam."

Autumn Ease nodded reluctantly.

They entered a room lined with sleek instruments. Even the bed in the center looked high-tech.

"Lie down. Close your eyes. It’ll be over soon," Ji La instructed.

"Will it hurt?"

"No."

"Tch. Scaredy-cat," Ji Yingying sneered.

Autumn Ease lay on the cold bed, eyes shut. His skin prickled under invisible gazes—probably some scanning rays. A slight sting pierced his finger; blood sampling, he guessed.

Researchers murmured softly, but their words blurred. He kept his eyes closed, avoiding the awkwardness of being watched. Time dragged.

"Done." A gentle voice spoke near his ear—a female researcher, masked and capped. Her face was indistinct.

Autumn Ease didn’t care. He just wanted this over.

"Alright, Xiao Qiu. You’ll stay here tonight. We’ll analyze your results and confirm whether your ability comes from your body… or mere coincidence," Dr. Ji La—*Trash*, Autumn Ease mentally corrected—said.

*So much for going home tonight*, Autumn Ease grumbled inwardly.

"Hey, lucky I don’t work tomorrow—or I’d be skipping my shift!" he complained, then perked up. "Wait… if I help you guys, will I get paid well? Enough to quit my job and whale on gacha games all day?" His mind flooded with visions of endless cash and lazy gaming marathons.

"Ahem. Compensation requires higher approval after your role is finalized," Ji La said dryly.

"But I’m important! Shouldn’t I get a ton of cash?" Autumn Ease wiped his mouth, drooling at the thought.

"Greedy," Ji Yingying scoffed.

"We’ll see," Ji La chuckled awkwardly. "Yingying, take Xiao Qiu to an empty room."

"I won’t!" Ji Yingying pouted.

"I’ll go," the gentle-voiced researcher offered with a smile.

"Fine, Xiao Shi. You take him. Yingying, stop throwing tantrums—it’s unbecoming…"

Ji La’s voice faded as Autumn Ease followed the researcher down the hall. She removed her mask and cap, revealing a soft, oval face. Around twenty-five, she radiated mature charm with a hint of youthful innocence—like an elder sister. Not stunningly beautiful, but effortlessly comforting. The kind of woman you’d want as a wife.

"Mr. Autumn Ease? Why stare?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh… ah… nothing! Just wondering where I’ll sleep."

"Almost there." She swiped a card, opening a door. "This room’s vacant. You can stay here."

"Uh… okay. Thanks." Autumn Ease scratched his head, oddly guilt-free. He hesitated, then asked, "Can I… get your name? For, uh, calling you later?"

"I’m Water Poem. Water as in surface, Poem as in verse." She smiled warmly. "If you join us, I’ll handle your check-ups. Just ring the call bell when needed."

"Uh… got it."

"Rest well, Mr. Autumn Ease."

Water Poem left. The sliding door hissed shut. Autumn Ease sat on the bed, turning her name over in his mind.

"Water Poem… why does that sound so familiar…?"