Chapter 101: Love Can Traverse Time and Space
A voice filled with endless obsession echoed through the room.
It twisted into Shen Yu’s consciousness like a curse.
His vision blurred.
His mind began slipping away.
The overwhelming grief wasn’t his...
Yet it threatened to consume him.
Shen Yu bit down hard on the tip of his tongue.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
Then, through clenched teeth, he softly recited,
"The thread in a mother’s hand...
Becomes the clothes upon her wandering child.
Before the child departs,
Every stitch is sewn tightly,
Fearing only that home will take too long to return."
As the ancient poem left his lips...
His consciousness stabilized.
The illusion loosened its grip.
Slowly—
Shen Yu reached into his pocket with his trembling left hand.
His fingers found the bloodstained paper crane.
The thousandth paper crane.
Thud.
The crimson crane gently landed against his forehead.
At that instant—
Countless memories flooded his mind.
A little girl’s innocent laughter echoed around him.
"Mom..."
"Dad..."
"Do I look pretty in this dress?"
Another memory followed.
"Mom..."
"Dad..."
"I want to memorize lots of poems just like you."
Another.
"I caught a cold..."
"I feel awful..."
Another.
"It hurts..."
"It hurts so much..."
Then—
The smallest voice of all.
"...Mom..."
"...Dad..."
"I want to go home..."
Silence.
Only one final whisper remained.
"...I miss you..."
"...so much..."
The blood-red paper crane slowly unfolded.
Blood seeped through the paper.
Its tiny wings fluttered gently inside the distorted pavilion.
The little girl’s voice drifted through the air once more.
Someone once said...
If you fold one thousand paper cranes...
You can make a wish.
Now—
After crossing a distorted timeline...
The thousandth paper crane...
Had finally returned...
To the parents who had waited a lifetime.
The illusion trembled violently.
Yun Han’s translucent figure flickered before them.
"Little Han!"
"Little Han!"
Two elderly figures slowly emerged from the light.
Their cloudy eyes fixed upon the crimson paper crane.
Neither could stop their tears.
They reached toward it with trembling hands.
Unable to touch it.
Unable to let go.
Ding!
Main Objective Completed!
Unravel Yun Han’s Heart.
Progress: Completed.
Yun Han’s Favorability +15
Current Favorability: 80
CG Scene Unlocked.
Would you like to play it?
[Yes / No]
"No."
Shen Yu declined without hesitation.
His body gradually regained control.
He silently stepped away.
Giving the grieving parents the reunion they had waited decades for.
Creak...
The second bedroom door slowly opened.
Shen Yu froze.
His eyes reddened.
Unlike the blood-soaked nightmare outside...
This room was warm.
The pink bed sheets.
The little wardrobe.
The dolls.
The bookshelf.
The study desk.
Everything had been carefully cleaned.
Not a speck of dust could be found.
Golden sunlight poured through the window.
Filling the room with warmth.
With love.
Shen Yu remained silent for a long time.
"So..."
"For your daughter..."
"You were willing to sell everything."
"But..."
"This room..."
"You never sold."
"You preserved it exactly as she left it..."
Every corner carried traces of a child who had once laughed here.
Luxian slowly entered behind him.
She, too, stood speechless.
After a long silence—
Shen Yu walked toward the desk.
A pink notebook rested there.
It had already been opened.
Its childish handwriting filled the first pages.
December 13
"Wow!"
"Mom and Dad know so many ancient poems."
"I want to become someone who loves poetry too."
December 16
"I caught a cold today."
"It feels terrible..."
"But Mom and Dad stayed with me."
"Little Han feels very warm."
December 19
"The boys downstairs are playing in the park again."
"When I recover..."
"I’ll go play too."
As Shen Yu continued turning the pages—
The room suddenly changed.
A smiling little girl wearing a princess dress appeared.
She ran happily through the bedroom.
Laughing.
Spinning.
Playing with dolls.
That carefree child...
Was completely different from the silent little bride trapped inside the village.
Then—
The final page arrived.
Snap.
The illusion disappeared.
The diary ended abruptly.
Every remaining page was blank.
Only dried tear stains remained.
Luxian slowly whispered,
"So..."
"She was abducted..."
"On her way to the park..."
Shen Yu gently closed the notebook.
His fingers tightened around it.
After carefully searching the bedroom—
Nothing else remained.
No toys.
No keepsakes.
No photographs.
Only this diary.
This...
Was the last treasure Yun Han’s parents had left.
Shen Yu lowered his head.
"I’m sorry."
"For the sake of your true freedom..."
"I’ll have to borrow this."
"I’ll exchange this diary..."
"...for one thousand paper cranes."
Dong...
Dong...
The rattle’s sound gradually weakened.
Reality blurred once again.
When Shen Yu opened his eyes—
He was back inside the filthy wooden room.
Outside—
The familiar conversation echoed once more.
"Are you sure?"
"You’ll burn everything together?"
A venomous male voice answered,
"Hmph."
"I won’t let that bitch leave my son."
"Not even after death."
Shen Yu looked toward the door.
This timeline...
Had finally lined up correctly.
After the chefs searched the small room—
He and Luxian had remained hidden.
No one had discovered them.
Luxian slowly lowered her hand.
"I just activated my ability."
"This..."
"This room..."
"It’s where Yun Han suffered for years."
"That’s why..."
"It bleeds."
"It cries."
"It remembers."
She looked at Shen Yu.
"So this entire dungeon..."
"Revolves around Yun Han."
"If I’m right..."
"Our mission..."
"Is to save her somewhere within these chaotic timelines."
Shen Yu shook his head.
"No."
"The past has already happened."
"We can’t rewrite history."
"The future is fixed."
He slowly looked toward the notebook in his hands.
"But..."
"After history ends..."
"There is still one final chance."
"Wait here."
He walked quietly into the corner.
Closing his eyes, he spoke softly,
"System."
"Open the Affection CG."
Playing Scene One...
A riverside park.
The setting sun dyed the water orange.
An elderly couple sat quietly on a wooden bench.
Their eyes had long since become cloudy.
The old woman whispered,
"I’m sorry..."
"If I hadn’t left home that day..."
The old man gently shook his head.
"It wasn’t your fault."
"It was those damned traffickers."
"Our Little Han..."
"She was always so delicate..."
"After all these years..."
"I wonder how much she’s suffered."
"Has anyone beaten her?"
"Does she still remember us?"
The river rippled quietly.
Both elderly figures stared silently into the water.
"Little Han..."
"Mom and Dad miss you..."
"So much..."
"We’ve spent every last cent searching..."
"I’m sorry..."
"We’re still looking for you..."
Splash.
A bundle of patched clothes fell into the river.
Scene Two...
Thunder roared.
Heavy rain poured over Harmony Burial Village.
Little Yun Han clutched a paper crane tightly.
She pleaded with the two gatekeepers.
"Please..."
"Please let me go..."
"My Mom and Dad..."
"They can’t find me..."
"They won’t be able to sleep..."
"They’ll be so worried..."
One gatekeeper sneered.
"I don’t know if they’re worried."
"But if you escape..."
"The whole village will be."
"Go back."
Little Yun Han lowered her head.
Then whispered through trembling lips,
"Mom said..."
"If I fold one thousand paper cranes..."
"My wish will come true..."
"I..."
"I want to go home..."
"I want to go home..."
She suddenly ran toward the village entrance.
BANG!
A shovel smashed into the back of her head.
Her neck twisted violently.
She collapsed into the mud.
Blood slowly spread beneath her small body...
As the crimson paper crane slipped from her fingers and floated away in the rain.