After stepping out of the bathroom, Bing Shi resumed organizing Lu Kai's apartment while he followed her around with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"It's a bit messy," he remarked casually.

"A bit?" Bing Shi narrowed her eyes as she picked up his keys from a flower pot and hooked them to the key holder near the entrance which she bought from a store close by.

Xuan Mu never bothered to organize his stuff. He could remember where he placed his things even from five years ago. Bing Shi on the other hand couldn't function normally when her keys weren't at their designated spots.

So whenever she saw him toss his keys randomly at the couch or behind a statue, she would get a small heart attack. What if they get stuck inside the couch and he would be unable to find them, ever?!

"..." Lu Kai kept his thoughts to himself and went to prepare a simple breakfast. Giving Bing Shi a protein shake, he asked if she wanted to get some exercise in his garage near this apartment complex.

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Lu Kai had worked diligently on his physique to present himself in the best possible light, preparing himself for his first meeting with Bing Shi.

His garage gym was an "organized" and compact space. It boasted a variety of exercise equipment that was arranged along the walls. Dumbbells of different weights were stacked on a rack, while an adjustable bench sat in one corner. Against another wall, there was a squat rack with a pull-up bar attached. The gym floor was cushioned with rubber mats to absorb impact.

Sitting on a bench after their workout, Bing Shi sipped on her protein shake, "You look so cute."

Sporting only a pair of sweatpants, his well-defined abs were on full display, as if they were vying for Bing Shi's attention. He looked like a charming mix of science genius and accidental heartthrob.

"..." With a towel draped around his neck, Lu Kai attempted to tame his damp hair while taking a seat next to her. He extended a cigarette from a pack he had, offering it to Bing Shi in a somewhat cheeky manner.

"Are you going to take one too?" she asked nervously. Taking a last sip, she placed her bottle aside to study the package, "I can get addicted very easily, and never tried one before."

"Don't worry," Lu Kai reassured her as he took a cigarette between his fingers and lit it with a lighter. Demonstrating how to do it, he held the smoke in his mouth briefly, savoring the familiar taste, before exhaling a plume of smoke.

He then gently placed the cigarette between her lips. "Inhale the smoke slowly. Don't rush," he advised with a hint of playfulness.

Bing Shi nodded and followed Lu Kai's instructions, taking a deep breath to draw the smoke into her lungs. The initial irritation to her throat was discomforting, but as she exhaled, her brain experienced an instant, addictive rush.

Without even thinking, she took another drag, finding the act soothing and calming as it seemed to affect the areas controlling her emotions.

Sensing that something wasn't right, Lu Kai swiftly extinguished the cigarette by stubbing it out in an ashtray on the floor.

"Give me more, please," Bing Shi requested, her brief 'high' from the cigarette quickly fading. As it subsided, she was left with an immediate sense of withdrawal, accompanied by anxiety. "I still can't remember," she admitted with frustration.

"No. That's enough," Lu Kai firmly declared, watching the disappointed Bing Shi.

"But I want to remember..." she insisted.

"Are you sure?" he asked. The last time it was something bad that triggered her past memories.

She nodded with determination.

Lu Kai pressed his thumb against Bing Shi's forehead, attempting to transmit a scene from his previous timeline to trigger her memories.

However, as soon as he did it, he regretted his decision. He quickly caught the falling Bing Shi.

"Ngh!" Bing Shi held her head in pain, seeing the scene through Lu Kai's astral form. She fought Lu Kai with all her strength and screamed with all her might, "Save him! Why are you removing his breathing tubes?! He's still alive! You can't take away his life support! Get away from him! I don't care what he instructed you to do! Don't touch me! Leave him alone!"

As the scene played out before her, Bing Shi's past memories, which held eerie similarities to Xue Bi's, began to blend. The overwhelming emotions and the striking resemblance between Lu Kai on the deathbed and Xuan Mu in her memories confused her endlessly.

Bing Shi felt a powerful urge to approach the motionless man on the bed, but she found herself unable to move, just as Xue Bi had been rooted in place in her past memories. The timelines became hopelessly entangled. In one moment, she was Xue Bi, quietly shedding tears, and in the next, she was Bing Shi, fighting fiercely with the doctors, her tears pouring like waterfalls.

The agony she felt was indescribable, tearing at her very core. Gasping for air, she found herself uttering both of his names with each breath, the weight of her emotions almost suffocating her.

"Bing Shi, wake up!" The terrified Lu Kai didn't know what to do as he tried to wake her up with little slaps against her cheeks, enduring her sharp nails and kicks. But nothing was as heart-wrenching and painful as her agonized cry. "I don't care anymore, you don't have to remember, so wake up, please!" he pleaded desperately.

The painful memories were deep and horrible. Xue Bi had managed to move forward, while Bing Shi remained trapped in a relentless cycle of grief. Her heart was consumed by sorrow, and there wasn't a moment that passed without thoughts of him. She resented her past self for trying to forget him.

Bing Shi found herself perpetually returning to the period just before and after his death, reliving the same agonizing nightmare repeatedly. Her primal cries were a raw form of communication, the most straightforward way one soul could beg another for help.

"Bing Shi, please wake up," Lu Kai pleaded with a hoarse voice, his hand gently rubbing her back as he heard her calling for him in her prayers, particularly during the times when she had cared for his lifeless body.

Her screams were like agony seeping into his skin. He took it in, let himself feel it, and stayed right there helplessly. How much did love hurt? He thought it would only get better, but it didn't. He somehow found himself chained, confused as to why he continued to allow himself to go through this torture.

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Suddenly, after two agonizing hours, Bing Shi's red eyes shot open. She clung to Lu Kai's chest like a lifeline, ensuring that he was indeed alive. Her throat was constricted with fear, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead. Her hands were ice-cold as she spoke, the words filled with pain, "You... left... you left me... again."

"No... I didn't. I was with you the whole time," Lu Kai reassured her, his arms wrapped tightly around her trembling form as he concealed the sight of his own bloodshot eyes.

The wait had always been excruciating, slowly chipping away at him. Was it worth it? He wasn't sure. But there he was, waiting for her, unconditionally.

"You... are right," Bing Shi admitted as she leaned against his body, fatigue finally claiming her. "I love... you... more... than Xue Bi... so much more... it's scary..." Her whispered confession was filled with the depth of her feelings, and she drifted into sleep with those words lingering in the air.

"I know... but I still love you more," Xuan Mu held her close to his heart. Nobody taught them how to love and this was the result. They taught each other how to do it.

He was not going to allow anything to stand in their way again, not even death. He would stick to Bing Shi until the end of time. No, not Bing Shi. Bing Shi's soul. He could never be sure with this woman. What if another version of her appeared, catching him off guard like Xue Bi?

Well, that version would have a hella hard time changing his opinion. But he knew that eventually, he would fall for her the same way she fell for all of his lifetimes.

If Lu Kai had a choice, and Bing Shi couldn't remember, which one would he choose? There didn't exist a substitute for Xue Bi nor Bing Shi.

Lu Kai pecked Bing Shi's head. Of course, he would choose the one who loved him the most, the one most deserving of his love. Now, he understood why she asked for Xuan Mu, the version that not only made her fall in love but also taught her how to love.