After Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping left Xiaojing City and parted ways with Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, they quickly handled their remaining affairs and began investigating the events that had transpired in Xiaojing City.
Their first stop was the Liang family. However, when Liang Ping, using a pretext, brought Nie Chongyang and Xiao Miaomiao to visit, they were astonished to discover that Ding Yijie, who should have been dead in reality, had come back to life!
Furthermore, Ding Yijie hadn't just come back to life; his entire past experience had changed. This meant that at a critical turning point in his life in reality, something had gone awry. Ding Yijie hadn't died in the ruins of the hotel, and thus, he had survived.
By the time Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping met Ding Yijie, twenty years had passed according to the timeline. Ding Yijie was now around forty years old, considerably older than Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
Upon seeing Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, Ding Yijie gradually began to recall certain events. These were memories that Ding Yijie had previously only vaguely remembered. Before recalling these memories, Ding Yijie remembered having nightmares before a trip twenty years ago. He had forgotten the specifics, but he ultimately refused to go on an adventure to the haunted ruins. He had also strongly advised his companions against going. Unfortunately, his companions refused to listen. As usual, they set off, just as they had in the past, and none of them returned. It was a complete annihilation.
There was no definitive conclusion as to what had happened to them. Some had committed suicide by jumping from buildings, and others had been murdered. However, upon autopsy, the victims' bodies bore the fingerprints of their companions. This suggested that for some unknown reason, they had turned on each other, resulting in a mutual destruction. This event had also caused immense grief to Ding Yijie, who had miraculously survived in reality. He had not been able to let go of this incident for many years.
However, the memories of Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping's presence in Xiaojing City did not exist in Ding Yijie's mind in reality. But after Ding Yijie reunited with Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, these memories from Xiaojing City resurfaced in his mind. Naturally, Ding Yijie found it strange to suddenly remember so many things he had no prior recollection of. It was also a coincidence that Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping had come to visit at that very moment.
What Ding Yijie found even stranger was that although Liang Ping's familial connection to his family was very distant, in terms of social connections, it wasn't so remote that there wouldn't be some interaction between their families. Yet, over the years, he had no recollection of Liang Ping and had never heard anyone mention him. This was truly bizarre. Furthermore, after careful comparison, Ding Yijie found that his own memories had become very vague and unreliable. Ding Yijie sensed that something was amiss.
Naturally, Ding Yijie desperately wanted to understand what was happening. So, after Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, along with Xiao Miaomiao, concluded their visit, and before Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping could figure out how to approach the resurrected Ding Yijie, Ding Yijie himself sought them out, stating he had something to discuss. Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, who had come specifically for Ding Yijie, had no objections. Ding Yijie, having a closer connection to Liang Ping, initiated the conversation with him. Liang Ping responded and asked Ding Yijie where he intended to have their discussion. After some thought, Ding Yijie suggested going to a nearby hotel and booking a private room for greater security. Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping agreed, and the proposal was unanimously approved.
Since Xiao Miaomiao was in the form of a little girl, she appeared to be a child. Therefore, Ding Yijie didn't pay much attention to her presence. This was normal; in most people's eyes, children could be overlooked in adult matters and were not considered significant enough to warrant much attention. Xiao Miaomiao was not displeased with this situation. She found it quite good and had no objections.
Soon, Nie Chongyang drove them to a nearby hotel, where they booked a private room, ordered some dishes, and requested no service staff. After all, having service staff present would make their discussion less convenient. Ding Yijie, twenty years later, was a mature man in his forties, a stark contrast to his past flamboyant appearance. He was also quite considerate, ordering some food that a child could eat because Xiao Miaomiao was present.
Before this, Ding Yijie had asked Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping if Xiao Miaomiao's presence would be inconvenient for their discussion. To be honest, Ding Yijie found it quite strange. He couldn't understand why Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping had a little girl with them, nor what their relationship was with her. However, Ding Yijie was also perceptive, so he didn't ask anything about Xiao Miaomiao's identity or status. Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping naturally assured him that Xiao Miaomiao's presence was fine. When Nie Chongyang mentioned that Xiao Miaomiao was a member of their clan, Ding Yijie was even more shocked. Were they employing child labor now?
It could only be said that Ding Yijie's memory was indeed abnormal. It was likely not that he had lived the twenty years he had missed in reality, but rather that his life had been resurrected in reality due to the alteration of his experiences in Xiaojing City. Neither he nor those around him had noticed anything unusual, perhaps due to some degree of memory tampering. It remained unknown how these events were accomplished or if there were any side effects or risks.
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping were also very surprised. If Ding Yijie had appeared, didn't that mean the divine artifact, the Kunlun Mirror, could truly alter the past and resurrect the dead? Considering Lin Yanqin's situation earlier, this was something that Nie Chongyang and the others couldn't help but be shocked by and pay close attention to. Who knew how many matters that mirror was involved in? If such incidents occurred multiple times, wouldn't it become even more troublesome? Who knew what chaos it might cause?
Moreover, Lin Yanqin's fate had also been altered by Ye Tiancheng and the others. So, after Lin Yanqin's fate was changed, had it caused any impact? Besides, Lin Yanqin's incident was a hundred years ago; how could they verify it? The ruins of the hotel still existed, and there were still inexplicable events occurring. After all, in Ding Yijie's restored memories, all his companions had gone and never returned. It was clear that the matters involved here were not simple.
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping vaguely explained the situation to Ding Yijie, clarifying why Xiao Miaomiao was a member of the Special Operations Team. Ding Yijie became even more shocked and more certain that there was indeed something wrong with him. After the waiter served the dishes, they asked the waiter not to disturb them in the private room, allowing them to discuss important matters.
Liang Ping first asked Ding Yijie, "You asked us to meet, what is it about?"
Upon hearing Liang Ping's question, Ding Yijie nervously rubbed his fingers, lowered his head, and after a long silence, said to Liang Ping, "May I ask you a question first?"
Liang Ping looked at Ding Yijie thoughtfully, then nodded slightly. Liang Ping replied, "Yes, what do you want to ask? If I can answer, I will."
Ding Yijie nodded slightly and then asked his question. Ding Yijie asked, "Your sudden visit to my home, it's not because of the excuses you mentioned earlier, is it? You... you came to my home because of me? This visit is actually related to me, right?"
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping were surprised by Ding Yijie's perceptiveness. Liang Ping thought for a moment, exchanged a look with Nie Chongyang, and then replied to Ding Yijie, "You guessed correctly. We did come to your home today because of you."
Ding Yijie became even more nervous, rubbing his fingers vigorously. "You are from the Special Operations Team. I had no impression of its existence before, and I don't know what's going on with me. But after hearing your explanation, I have a general idea..."
"You came for me, is it because I... I'm not normal?"
"Is there something wrong with me?"
"I never noticed this before, but the moment I saw you, I had a feeling. And I think it's very important to figure this out."
"After hearing what you said just now, I feel even more that my decision was not wrong."
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping were both extremely surprised. Ding Yijie could actually sense that his state was not normal? And he only realized this after seeing Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping. They didn't know the reason why. Could it be because of the interactions they had in Xiaojing City, where Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping primarily interacted with and helped Ding Yijie, altering his fate? Because they were closely related?
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping looked at each other. For a moment, the atmosphere in the private room was tense, and everyone remained silent, not speaking immediately. Ding Yijie also looked at Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping with great nervousness.