Please Start Your Show

2. The second time being pursued

He closed his eyes and then opened them.

Lu Jianyan woke up in his own bed. He picked up his phone and checked the date: May 1, 2017. It was amazing – Dr. Chen, the one with the ability to manipulate time, had done it again. He had sent everyone back two and a half months.

May 1st, the date of Lu Jianyan's first meeting with Dr. Chen.

Or at least, the date that Dr. Chen believed was their first meeting.

Really...

...this was fantastic!

Finally, he didn't have to be a broken record, repeating the same things over and over again! He wouldn't have to keep rejecting Dr. Chen anymore! Even for Lu Jianyan, who was skilled at refusing people, there were times when he ran out of words.

Of course, most importantly, he wouldn't have to eat that seemingly never-ending dinner again! Faced with the first time he had it, he was impressed; the second time, he was happy; the third time, he felt satisfied... but after thirteen times in a row, even thinking about the Grand Opera Cake made him recall its overly sweet taste.

If there was a fourteenth time, Lu Jianyan couldn't even guarantee how he would react to Dr. Chen.

Dr. Chen was really inflexible. If it were possible, Lu Jianyan would sincerely advise him: just because you have the ability to manipulate time, it doesn't mean you can avoid seeking novelty and change! Such rigid thinking is dangerous and will eventually be outdated by the times!

The sun gradually rose, and the smart room adjusted to a more comfortable indoor temperature as its occupant woke up.

Lu Jianyan finally... sat up from the bed, abandoning his plan to sleep in. He lit a cigarette for himself, not to smoke, but merely to calm down a bit. It was advice his friend had given him – smoking helps with thinking.

Silk sheets slipped off Lu Jianyan's upper body, and he faced a full-length glass window that revealed the morning skyline of S City outside. The blue and white backdrop was adorned with the sunlight's golden hues. The rising sun, the clear window, and the panoramic view of the renowned river scenery that spanned S City, along with the city's proudest landmark, could be seen from the expansive window. Lu Jianyan's friends had often expressed jealousy over the breathtaking view from his luxurious top-floor apartment.

However, the minimalist and cold design philosophy that pervaded the interior extinguished the desires of anyone who saw it, eager to possess such a view.

Minimalism was not the simplistic impression of modern trends that the public had. It was about pursuing the literal meaning of the term – seeking extreme simplicity.

In Lu Jianyan's bedroom, there was nothing beyond the central gray-blue bed, a matching floor lamp, and a pure white wool rug. In a positive light, this was the elimination of all unnecessary clutter, simplifying life to the extreme; in a less positive perspective, it was ascetic to the point where even a monk would find it harsh.

This top-floor apartment, with a total area of 700 square meters, was imbued with this... stark, cold design.

It wasn't about finding pleasure here; as Lu Jianyan's flirtatious friend had put it, his first reaction upon entering was, "Is this a mental torture chamber? Did I spend millions to buy a monastery? Have I been kicked by a donkey?"

But Lu Jianyan liked it.

Of course, it was also because only this kind of transparent interior could make him feel safe. As for why he had this sense of crisis, that's a longer story.

Probably around the time Lu Jianyan was in middle school, one day, a certain inconspicuous student in his class suddenly underwent a dramatic change in personality. Not only did this student's academic performance improve significantly, but their social popularity also soared due to a change in appearance. Their approach to life became stronger as well, freeing them from the clutches of their horrendous biological father and stepmother...