Genius Playground

Wasn’t he just as guilty?

He was suddenly reminded of a conversation between Zhou Zhiruo and Zhang Wuji in *Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*.

After Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo’s falling out, they met for the first time when Zhang Wuji came to ask for her help.

At the time, Zhou Zhiruo said, ”We were once betrothed, yet my husband’s life now hangs by a thread. Since I spared your life today, others will surely say I still carry a torch for you. If I were to ask for your help now, all the heroes in the world would curse me for being shameless and fickle.”

Zhang Wuji quickly replied, ”As long as our consciences are clear, why should we care what others say?”

But Zhou Zhiruo’s reply left Zhang Wuji speechless:

”But what if my conscience *isn’t* clear?”

...

’That’s right.’

If Jiang Ran’s conscience weren’t guilty, how could he not have noticed that their unintentional conversation just now happened to mirror a classic exchange from the famous movie *Let the Bullets Fly*?

This scene, a showdown between three master actors, had been viral on all major video sites for over a decade. Jiang Ran naturally knew it by heart.

But just now, a pang of guilt had made him falter, allowing Wang Hao’s clumsy acting to get the better of him.

This World Line 1 was a world line that didn’t belong to Jiang Ran at all.

Everything here was foreign to him...

Unfamiliar dorm mates,

an unfamiliar girlfriend,

an unfamiliar university,

an unfamiliar history,

an unfamiliar world.

To him, this place was just a dream he would eventually have to escape.

He had to find his friends again, reclaim the life he once had, and return to his own world line.

Before his eyes, everyone in this living room...

They all knew him, were familiar with him, and had been close to him for the past two years.

But from Jiang Ran’s perspective,

he had no memories of this world line.

So, to him, they were all strangers.

Right now, he was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, mingling with a flock of lambs, trying to bluff his way through.

”Alright, alright, Jiang Ran is just too tired.”

Nan Xiuxiu quickly tried to cover for him.

”Jiang Ran has been really busy lately. He’s preparing for a competition with his friends from the East Sea University Film Club.”

”That’s East Sea University we’re talking about! A top-three university in all of Dragon Country! It must be taking up all his energy.”

WOW—

Both her group of girlfriends and his group of dorm mates were stunned.

This was the first time any of them had heard about it.

”For real?”

The blonde girl in the camisole was astonished, her eyes wide as she stared at Jiang Ran.

”You’re actually working on a project with the top students from East Sea University!”

”Of course!” Nan Xiuxiu put her hands on her hips, looking extremely proud.

With that said, she turned her head and looked at Jiang Ran with a grin.

”Jiang Ran, I’m still a little mad that you haven’t been able to spend any time with me lately.”

”But I’ve thought it over. Everyone has their own ambitions, and I can’t get in the way of your work. All in all, it’s a good thing that you’ve found something you’re passionate about.”

”When you and your friends from East Sea University win a prize in the competition, we’ll celebrate with you again!”

Jiang Ran smiled but didn’t say anything.

’The thing about lies is, once you tell the first one, you have to keep telling more to cover it up.’

At this point, he had no idea how he was supposed to maintain the lie about ”preparing for a competition with friends from East Sea University.”

He could only pin his hopes on the Time SMS being sent successfully tomorrow morning.

’Let everything before my eyes right now...’

’...turn to dust as this world line dissipates.’

”Come on, come on, let’s light the candles and sing ’Happy Birthday’!”

Wang Hao took two number candles out of a paper bag—a large ’1’ and a large ’9’—stuck them into the cake, and lit them.

Nan Xiuxiu stood up to turn off the lights. The living room went dark, with only the two orange flames on the cake illuminating everyone’s face.

”Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~”

After everyone sang ”Happy Birthday” in unison, they started urging Jiang Ran to make a wish and blow out the candles.

”Go on, birthday boy, make a wish!”

”This is your last teenage birthday! Your wish is bound to come true!”

”You guys, quiet down and let Jiang Ran make his wish!”

Facing everyone’s expectant gazes, Jiang Ran found himself caught up in the atmosphere.

He gazed at the two flickering candle flames in the darkness, as if they were two figures he was chasing who were no longer by his side.

He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

Facing the candlelight of his 19th birthday, Jiang Ran earnestly voiced the deepest, most desperate wish in his heart:

’I hope the Time SMS sends successfully tomorrow, saving Cheng Mengxue...’

’I hope the Time SMS sends successfully tomorrow, saving Cheng Mengxue...’

’I hope the Time SMS sends successfully tomorrow, saving Cheng Mengxue...’

After silently repeating it three times, he took a deep breath and blew out the candles amidst everyone’s applause.

”Woohoo~”

The blonde girl in the camisole raised an eyebrow and started teasing,

”Hehe, what do you guys think Jiang Ran wished for?”

Wang Hao immediately blurted out an answer:

”It’s definitely about Xiuxiu!”

He then burst out laughing.

”Don’t be fooled by how serious Jiang Ran usually is. He’s actually a huge romantic on the inside!”

The others nodded in agreement, casting congratulatory looks at Jiang Ran and Nan Xiuxiu.

”Aww, such a perfect couple! A match made in heaven!”

”Jiang Ran must have wished to be with Xiuxiu forever and live happily ever after!”

”Eh? Am I the only one with my mind in the gutter? Shouldn’t it be...”

Nan Xiuxiu quickly waved her hands to stop everyone.

”Hey, stop it! A wish won’t come true if you say it out loud.”

”Okay, okay, it’s getting late, and the food’s getting cold. Let’s hurry up with the presents so we can start eating!”

Afterward, everyone gave Jiang Ran the gifts they had prepared, one by one.

The guys’ gifts were all pretty casual—mostly small trinkets or random things.

For example, even though it was 2025, one dorm mate gave him a ”Brother Chicken” figurine... What kind of living fossil was this guy?

Another dorm mate just straight up gave him a carton of cigarettes.

Jiang Ran accepted it, bewildered.

”Um... I don’t smoke, do I?”

He wasn’t very confident about that detail.

On World Line 0, he definitely didn’t smoke.

But here on World Line 1, everyone said that after Cheng Mengxue died, he was a total mess and depressed all the time. ’Could I have picked up a bad habit like smoking back then?’

”Right, you don’t,” the dorm mate replied.

”But we do! Just remember to bring them back to the dorm later, ha!”

”...Heh.”

’How interesting. A gift from the left hand to the right hand—a self-contained economic cycle. Just what you’d expect from a guys’ dorm.’

The gifts from the girls, on the other hand, were much more pressure-inducing.

Nan Xiuxiu’s friends all seemed to be rich kids; their gifts were expensive, mostly designer brands, which troubled Jiang Ran about how to reciprocate.

Of course, the best solution would be to reset the world line tomorrow morning. The gifts would disappear, and there would be no need to reciprocate.

Finally, it was Nan Xiuxiu’s turn, the grand finale.

She gave a mysterious smile and placed a green gift box in Jiang Ran’s hands.

”Take a guess. What’s inside?”