"Chacha, what was wrong with you just now? I saw you standing there dazed for a long time after walking downstairs." Bai Ze's face had become somewhat blurry in Bai Cha's memory, but at this moment, a tide of memories suddenly became clear, shaking Bai Cha's soul.
Bai Ze's hands were warm, just like in her memory.
Bai Cha wished this were an illusion, but her cells, which had sunk into a deathly stillness, were all rejoicing. Bai Cha's arms trembled slightly, and her arms instinctively began to stir with excitement, a feeling she couldn't even control.
This wasn't an illusion. Why was this happening?
"Chacha, what's wrong?" Bai Ze bent down, his eyes full of pure human concern and affection, devoid of any impurity.
"No, it's nothing." Bai Cha quickly waved her hand, suppressing the tempest within her heart. The familiar aura made Bai Cha momentarily lost.
"That's good. If you feel unwell, you must say so. With your parents gone, I must take good care of you." Bai Ze ruffled Bai Cha's hair, his eyes filled with sadness. "I remember this mission was going to take a long time. I didn't expect you to rush back in time."
Bai Cha remained silent, unsure what to do.
It wasn't just because of the man in front of her, but also because of everything that was about to unfold.
She clearly remembered every detail of that day.
She had finished her mission as quickly as possible and rushed back. She actually could have made it, but she was delayed for a long time by the scrutiny and questioning from the forces of light, causing her to miss Bai Jin's final moments.
Bai Jin was very old, and even the most skilled veterinarian could do nothing. Every time Bai Cha was injured or sad, Bai Jin would push everyone else aside and be the first to nuzzle up to Bai Cha. Not being able to reach Bai Jin in the end was one of Bai Cha's regrets.
On the pristine pet hospital bed, a beautiful Golden Retriever lay curled up. Its body rose and fell with difficulty, an IV drip attached. Upon seeing Bai Cha enter, its slightly cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, and it struggled to stand and leap into its owner's arms.
It felt as if it were still young, just like it always used to be, lying in its owner's arms and acting spoiled.
The color of its fur had already become somewhat dull. Fifteen years had passed, and it was nearing its end.
It gradually lost the ability to walk long distances with its owner. It could feel its lifespan nearing its end, but it couldn't let go of its young owner, so it persevered time and time again.
There was a scar on its body. It was left when its owner was assassinated, and it had tried its best to defend them. Even though that stab nearly took its life, it felt it was worth it.
However, when its owner's eyes turned red afterward, it worried. It was fine, but its owner still cried.
It was missing half an ear. That was lost when its owner took it on jungle training, and it was torn off by a wolf. It wasn't particularly adept at wilderness adventures, but its owner still chose to bring it along. It was because of Bai Jin that Bai Cha had the opportunity to kill that wolf.
Afterward, when its owner hugged it, it was trembling slightly. Its owner was still too young, which worried it.
Well, its owner must have been scared, but it was okay; it was still here.
Its owner would often sleep poorly and curl up silently by herself. But as long as it was there, nothing else mattered. Just as it had decided to stay with its owner for a lifetime the first time it saw her.
It was too old, but it didn't want to leave yet. It knew it had lived longer than the average large dog, but its owner was still so young.
It wondered if she would cry again, or if she would tremble. In the very cold winter, who would hold its owner, whose body temperature was so low? It truly hurt, it hurt so much. Every cell in its body was telling it to rest, but it could still hold on to one last breath.
"I'm here."
A gentle yet crisp voice, it was its owner's voice, still so beautiful, the voice it loved to hear the most. The first time they met, its owner had truly called out to it.
[What a beautiful Golden Retriever. Then you'll take my surname. From now on, your name will be Bai Jin, okay?]
This voice, it would remember for a lifetime.
Bai Jin's tail wagged with difficulty, then drooped again. It was too tired to even control its tail.
"It's alright now."
That hand was still so gentle, so comforting that it made it want to sleep.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Bai Cha's bangs fell, obscuring her face, making Bai Ze unable to see her expression. However, from her voice alone, Bai Ze could hear the gentleness in Bai Cha's tone.
It hurts! It hurts a lot! But it was happy to see its owner! Bai Jin thought proudly and wagged its tail again.
"If it hurts too much, don't hold on," Bai Cha stepped forward and hugged the only pet she had ever raised in her life. "If it hurts too much, just rest. Don't hold on anymore."
Bai Cha had thought she would be calm when she revisited the past. Earlier in the hallway, she had even contemplated many theories of life and death. She thought she had built up sufficient psychological defenses.
But the moment she saw Bai Jin, she suddenly gave up. No matter what, she wanted to bid a proper farewell.
Bai Jin wagged its ears. It understood its owner's words. It looked up and saw its owner's gentle and serene face.
It hadn't changed much since it first saw her when she was young.
Humans were truly strange. They had said they would grow up together, but it had grown old while its owner remained so young.
It truly worried it.
However, this time its owner wasn't crying, nor was she trembling. Its owner had said it could rest.
Gentle and calm, it didn't sound like she was lying.
So, its owner had also grown up.
That was good…
"Chacha." Bai Ze stood to the side, watching Bai Cha holding Bai Jin absentmindedly, and finally couldn't help but call out.
Bai Cha came back to her senses, letting out a long sigh. She was a little tired. She put down Bai Jin and quickly walked to the corridor.
The dazzling light made Bai Cha momentarily disoriented. In that instant, Bai Cha thought Lucifer was waiting for her outside the door, ready to give her a glass of water and drape a coat over her.
But Lucifer wasn't there.
The vast villa of the Bai family was exceptionally quiet today, at least that's how Bai Ze felt.
Normally, Bai Jin, that little ancestor, would be wreaking havoc again, tearing up the sofa and then staring at you with an expression that said, "Big brother, let's talk this out," making anyone laugh. Afterward, they naturally wouldn't pursue it further.
However, Bai Jin only acted so rowdy when Bai Cha was home. It seemed to be afraid that Bai Cha would be lonely if it was too quiet at home, so it always tried to find ways to make its presence known.
Perhaps Bai Cha could still take it out to buy a sofa. Bai Jin's trick never failed.
Without the boisterous little ancestor, Bai Cha now stood silently by the window. Bai Ze didn't know what to say. Normally, he and Bai Jin would bicker in dog language, but this time Bai Ze also felt lonely.
"The tea is a bit too strong," Bai Cha put down her teacup and sighed softly. Bai Cha looked at Bai Ze. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but Bai Ze actually saw nostalgia and pain in her eyes.
Bai Ze could hardly imagine that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl could have such eyes.
"Uh, should I go and brew another cup?" Bai Ze, feeling unnerved by Bai Cha's gaze, quickly jumped up and reached for the teapot, only to be held by a slender little hand.
"No need." Bai Cha held Bai Ze's hand and pressed his fingers to her forehead. "Brother, I wanted to say, can you be a little stronger? Can you not leave me? But now that you're really standing in front of me, I don't know what to say."
Bai Ze was a little confused. He stood there blankly, bewildered. He didn't understand what Bai Cha was saying. Only the sorrow emanating from Bai Cha didn't seem fake.
"You should go out first, brother." Bai Cha released Bai Ze. Her face was a little pale, and she didn't want to say anything more.
Just now, she took a deep breath and adjusted her mood again.
"Alright, aren't you coming out yet?" Bai Cha held her forehead, her eyes darkening. "Haven't you watched enough of the show!"
Her tone was clearly angry.
[Don't be angry, I really did my best.] The will of the World Tree echoed in Bai Cha's mind.
"Your best? What? One planar world isn't worth half a planar world?" Because of the return of her memories, Bai Cha's tone clearly carried anger. Even when facing her creator, Bai Cha couldn't suppress her rage. "Shouldn't you give me an explanation!"
Before entering the domain, the World Tree had spoken to her nicely, saying it would help her, but this was how it helped?
Moreover, she couldn't change this past. She couldn't even protect Bai Ze or let him… The timeline was a very subtle concept. If she truly did something, the butterfly effect might cause even more serious consequences.
And she couldn't stay here. She was the head of the Bai family, the leader of the Shadows, and also a test subject, a warrior. She couldn't stay here no matter what.
[I'm sorry, I will explain to you. Come to me first.] The World Tree paused for a moment before responding. [This world is a necessary stepping stone. Once you break through, I can bring you to me.]
Bai Cha sighed and suppressed the anger in her heart. She lightly tapped her forehead. "Alright."
Following that trace of power, a dazzling white light erupted. Something around her ears shattered. Bai Cha's long hair was enveloped by the white light, almost turning pure white. Her pupils were emitting a faint white glow.
White suited Bai Cha surprisingly well, pure and ethereal. However, soon, her whites of her eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, the consequence of her brain being over-developed in an instant. If Bai Cha didn't control this degree in time, her eyes and brain would directly explode.
The human brain was delicate and complex, but its development potential was minuscule. Yet, Bai Cha could control her brain's development. This was also a consequence of the experiments. Now, to break through the world barrier, Bai Cha had to do this.
The white light flowed, and Bai Cha walked in a fantastical space. This was the vicinity of the World Tree's main trunk, where the world bubbles extending from various timelines clung like leaves to branches. These branches were still continuously extending.
This was her second time here. The first time was when those people experimented on her, and she had also come here then.
"Hiss…" Bai Cha pressed her hands to her eyes, desperately controlling her abilities. After a long while, she could barely suppress her power.
Bai Cha stood up, breathing heavily. The bloodshot veins in her eyes had receded slightly, and the feeling of her eyeballs about to explode had also diminished significantly.
Humans could not yet fully control these powers, at least not now. The more Bai Cha used these powers, the more she realized this. Therefore, after discussions, everyone agreed to shut down this experimental research.
It wasn't just because the experiments were too painful and progress was slow, but also because these powers were extremely unstable. If they were lost or fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be unimaginable. It was because of this last experiment that she met the World Tree, touched the threshold of this world, and nearly cost her and those researchers their lives.
Bai Cha knew that if those crazy researchers weren't given a result, they might never give up.
And she, in terms of physical resilience and mental fortitude, was the most perfect experimental subject.
After much deliberation, Bai Cha agreed to the experiment, with one condition: she would be the only subject.
Finally, it was stopped, timely stopped, and all data was destroyed under her leadership.
"Alright, alright, rest is over. Now, explain."