According to the rules, each student at Xiangcao Vocational School’s library could borrow a maximum of four books.

The library reportedly featured the most advanced computerized book management system. Students were free to browse all four floors. To borrow a book, just take it to the self-service kiosk on the first floor, swipe your student ID and the book’s barcode—and you’re good to go. Each book could be kept for 44 days. Overdue? A 4% daily fee of the book’s price applied. Lose it or exceed 25 days overdue? Full-price compensation required.

I had no idea what grudge the previous librarian held against the number “4,” but since it was free, I naturally borrowed the full allowance. Even the toughest reads could be finished in 44 days with just an hour or two daily.

*Meet Yoga, Meet the Best You*, *Sound and Art*, *Bare-Face Goddess: Listen to Your Skin*…

After spending half an hour hunting down my target books on the fourth floor, I took the elevator back down.

Honestly, at a vocational college like this, students in the library at this hour were incredibly scarce—fewer than those hitting the sports field after dark.

“Find your books?”

At the borrowing counter, I spotted Lu Tianxing operating the self-service terminal. Seeing me approach, the “captain of the Sanda club” grinned with a slightly goofy expression. “Planning to take up yoga, beauty?”

“You give me… the feeling you just keep popping up everywhere.”

I stepped to the adjacent terminal and slid my student ID into the slot.

“Hehe, girls in our class usually borrow joke anthologies or those ‘domineering CEO’ romance novels.”

[Registering… Please wait…]

As the screen flashed the prompt, I glanced at the titles in his hands:

*Black Holes*, *The Multiverse*, *UFO Mysteries*, *Occult Studies*.

“Interested?”

Noticing my gaze, Lu Tianxing perked up. “I’ve loved this stuff since I was a kid—celestial bodies, black holes, white holes, quantum mechanics, occult phenomena… you name it.”

“Not really.”

For some reason, my past life flickered in my mind. “What exactly do you mean by ‘occult’?”

“Phenomena science can’t explain.”

His eyes lit up. “Like that mysterious event in our city over a week ago—a brief micro-burst of radio waves and X-rays that vanished as suddenly as they appeared. That night, the entire Shenbin River glowed like the Milky Way. Media didn’t even know how to report it.”

“Shenbin River? A mysterious phenomenon?”

I froze. “What did it look like?”

“You really want details?”

Lu Tianxing, finished with his borrowings, leaned in eagerly. “A few days ago… the night shifting from October 20th to 21st, around 12:13 AM. A spot deep in Shenbin River’s estuary flared with intense blue-white light. Experts called it ball lightning; others said bioluminescent jellyfish. But no one could explain the faint X-rays and radio signals detected nearby.”

October 21st?

Wasn’t that the very day I crossed over from another world into Bi Xinxue’s body?

According to memory, Bi Xinxue had gone alone to Shenbin Bridge after dinner and jumped around 7:50 PM. I regained consciousness—taking over this body—around 10:00 PM. Woke up in the hospital. Grandma had just arrived; Mom was still on the train. Hospitalized the 22nd, discharged the 23rd.

Could Shenbin River’s glow… be tied to my crossing?

“Why didn’t I see any news about this?”

I tucked the borrowed books into my backpack. “What even are X-rays and radio bursts?”

“Well, it wasn’t a true radio burst—if it were, the whole city, maybe Earth, would’ve blown. But the Academy did confirm detecting cosmic rays that night. Weird, right? Hence… mysterious phenomenon.”

Lu Tianxing got chatty fast. “Remember the 2012 doomsday hype? Everyone thought the planetary alignment on December 21st would end the world. Eighteen years later—nothing. After Shenbin River lit up, Tieba users claimed it was a miscalculation: the *real* alignment happens October 21st, 2030.”

“2012? I was just born then.”

“I didn’t see any news.”

Walking out with him, I pulled out my phone and searched.

Wait… there really were articles.

*Mysterious Flash on Shenbin River in Xiangcao City, Experts: Bioluminescent Jellyfish*; *Shenbin River Phenomenon: Possible UFO Landing Site?*; *Glow Confirmed as Fallen Floodlight at Nanqi District Port*…

“You know how it is now,” he sighed, catching my stunned expression. “A celebrity shooting hoops or posting on Weibo trends instantly. Who covers unprofitable mysteries? Mass entertainment era. Stuff like this only circulates in niche circles. Mention UFOs or occult topics? People call you childish.”

“About that Shenbin River flash…”

I looked up from my fruitless search. “Any leads not online?”

“I’m no expert. Online consensus says jellyfish or a fallen floodlight.” He shrugged. “And the rumored X-rays? Academy said they lasted microseconds around 10 PM. Dive team checked next day—nothing.”

“Did you go see it?”

“Yep. Just a normal port. Nothing.”

“Nanqi District? Exact spot? Are online maps reliable?”

“The triangular zone at the estuary—clear on maps. Right at the center. Water’s over ten meters deep.”

He tilted his head. “You thinking of going?”

“No, just asking.”

“Honestly, it’s not even that mysterious. Compared to UFOs, Slender Man, or lake monsters? Pretty mundane. Unexplained cosmic rays, light vanished in seconds—no photos, no videos.”

Lu Tianxing gathered his books. “If you’re into aliens, Slender Man, or crop circles, I’ve got videos on my dorm computer. I can send them later.”

“Uh…”

I hesitated. “Alright. Let’s add QQ.”

*Don’t seem too invested,* I reminded myself silently.

“Should I add you or you add me?”

“I’ll add you.”

“Mm. Here’s my QQ. Add me.”

“Got it. Catch up on occult stuff another time. Gotta go meet my boss.”

After exchanging QQ with the martial arts club guy, I returned to my dorm and dug into online reports.

As Lu Tianxing said, few knew about the “mystery.” Minimal clicks. Details: early hours of October 21, 2030. Night-shift workers at Nanqi District Port and passersby saw a brilliant flash at Shenbin River’s estuary—lasting two to three seconds before vanishing. Next day, authorities confirmed “trace cosmic rays detected nearby.”

Come to think of it… Lu Yun, my date tonight, works at Nanqi District Port. Maybe he knows something?

“Xiao Xue, haven’t you started getting ready?”

Jiang Yuqing and the others walked in while I was closing tabs. “Xiao Rui already went out with her boss!”

“Huh? Oh—just verifying something.”

I cleared my history, shut the laptop. “Coming.”

“I even thought of having you wear a maid outfit to help at the shop… Didn’t expect our gorgeous Xiao Xue to be so busy…”

Jiang Yuqing, clutching a new outfit with a conflicted look, nodded toward my desk. “Your phone.”

“Huh?”

Only then did I see my screen glowing—an unknown incoming call.

I rushed to the dorm balcony and answered.

“Xiao… Xiao Xue?”

The voice sounded familiar, crackling with poor signal. “Is this Xiao Xue?”

“It’s me.”

Confused, I asked, “Who’s this?”

“It’s me… I’m your… your dad.”

*Dad?*

I froze for seconds. Replayed his tone again and again—no joke, no malice. “Bi Zhizhe?”

*The man who enrolled me in elementary school at six… took me for a paternity test the first weekend… found out I wasn’t his… and divorced Mom?*

“Yes… Xiao… Xiao Xue. How… how have you been?”

His voice, aged far beyond my childhood memory, trembled. “W-where… where are you studying now?”

“I’m fine.”

I skipped his question. “What’s this about?”

Truthfully, I held no deep resentment. If the test was accurate, his choice was understandable. In Bi Xinxue’s memories, he’d been kind—playing with her, touring the village, buying toys and snacks.

He just didn’t stay.

“Xiao Xue… do you have time soon? Grandpa’s sick. Doctors say… not many days left. At Sixth People’s Hospital…”

“C-could you… come see him? He misses you… very much.”