Magnificent Performance

Crackle, crackle.

Jiang Ran's fingers flew across the keyboard, strings of text appearing on the computer screen, forming a dazzling array of scripts.

In the original worldline, he had written a script for the Film Club once before.

That script was adapted from his chuunibyou-esque setting book, Genius Playground, which he had written in middle school, and was eventually performed by both him and Qin Feng.

The finished short film was said to be of very good quality and received unanimous praise.

Now, he was merely recalling this script from memory, finding it very easy.

Xu Yan stood behind Jiang Ran, staring at the screen, reading each sentence as it was written, occasionally resting her chin in her hand, lost in thought.

Initially, she hadn't held out much hope, thinking Jiang Ran was just kindly offering help. Not wanting to dampen his spirits, she had lent him a computer.

But...

The current situation!

The more she watched, the more something felt off!

"Brilliant."

Finally, she could no longer contain her inner excitement and spoke, her voice full of praise.

The surrounding Film Club members looked at each other, bewildered.

What was going on?

Senior Xu Yan had been in a prickly state lately due to script issues, completely unapproachable and highly volatile.

But what had she just said?

Everyone could hear the surprise and admiration in her voice as she genuinely exclaimed, "Brilliant."

Driven by curiosity, more and more club members gathered around, forming a circle and watching Jiang Ran work.

"Whoa, this plot twist is amazing."

"Awesome, god-tier setting! Who is this master the senior brought in?"

"Shh... keep your voices down, don't disturb his creative process."

"My goodness, there's another twist! This script structure is too brilliant!"

At first, they had been whispering amongst themselves, keeping their voices low.

But as the script's plot intensified, the crowd's discussions became unstoppable, all captivated by the brilliant, suspenseful, and thrilling story... everyone's eyes were glued to the cursor, eagerly awaiting the next sentence.

Jiang Ran, however, was completely immersed in his creation, undisturbed by the commotion behind him.

It wasn't that he thought what he was writing was particularly good.

It was just that...

What he was typing now was the scene with the antagonist, Qin Feng, that had taken place on the rooftop.

Crimson clouds, setting sun, elongated shadows, wild geese flying in unison.

Both within the play and outside of it, he and Qin Feng had stood in such a similar, yet distant, confrontation multiple times.

"So, this was your trap."

"We've known each other since high school..."

"Did you just disappear with a 'whoosh,' traveling back to 2009? Or did only your consciousness travel back, while your body remained here?"

"So this was your secret. But I still want to say, you set off the fireworks too early."

"You're wrong, the one who exposed their hand was you."

"You can never defeat me in history. Because in this game of the river of time..."

"I am history!"

These familiar and incredibly fitting lines flashed through his mind one by one.

He remembered the look in his eyes as he looked at Qin Feng when he jumped off the rooftop;

He also remembered Qin Feng's final glance back before the worldline change;

It was a strange coincidence, an extreme one.

[It was as if the ending of their story had already been staged that day on the rooftop.]

In the movie, Jiang Ran was the protagonist, but in reality, it was Qin Feng's stage.

He had deceived Jiang Ran, deceived everyone, with a performance as dazzling as a magician's, ultimately achieving this perfect performance right under his nose by triggering a Worldline Jump.

Click!

The final Enter key was pressed.

The script was finished.

Jiang Ran pulled his hands away from the keyboard and quietly looked at the ending on the screen.

A silence lasting tens of seconds...

Then.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Xu Yan led the applause, which then roared like thunder. The entire Film Club erupted:

"What a huge twist at the end! The scenes between these two protagonists were so captivating! Friends and enemies, good and evil!"

"This is the great script we've been searching for! Senior Xu Yan, if we film this script, we're guaranteed to win an award at the University Film Festival!"

"Senior, senior, quickly introduce us... Where did you find this master?"

"Right, right! Senior, where did you find this savior? They're a godsend!"

Facing the excitement of her juniors, Xu Yan smiled slightly, not saying much.

As the club president, she understood everyone's psychological pressure during this period.

Even she felt the same.

The long-suppressed emotions burst out the moment they saw such a brilliant script, making her feel much more relaxed.

"This handsome guy's name is Jiang Ran."

Patting Jiang Ran's shoulder, Xu Yan said proudly:

"He's my childhood friend."

Afterward.

She looked at Jiang Ran with some concern:

"Jiang Ran, are you really willing to let us use such a good script?"

"Of course."

Jiang Ran smiled:

"This was tailor-made for your Film Club in the first place."

"Besides... you helped me so much by pulling so many strings to save the Film Club. We're helping each other out, so don't be polite with me."

With the author's personal promise, everyone in the Film Club was ecstatic, eager to start working immediately.

After all, the film festival deadline wasn't far off, and they had to hurry with casting, filming, and editing.

"Senior, senior, can we use this script to enter the film festival?"

Facing her juniors' pleading eyes, Xu Yan smiled and sighed:

"Since the author himself said it's okay, we'll gratefully accept it."

"However, we must put Jiang Ran's name on the production credits, specifically noting him as the original author, scriptwriter, and screenwriter... placed in the most prominent position."

"No, no need."

Jiang Ran waved his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed by the fuss.

Afterward.

The Film Club members printed several copies of the script and went to the adjacent activity room to discuss their roles. The crowded room quickly emptied, leaving only Jiang Ran and Xu Yan.

"This time, I should be the one thanking you."

Xu Yan crossed her arms:

"Jiang Ran, I never expected you to have this kind of talent."

"I always thought you were very smart since we were kids. Honestly, going to vocational college with your intellect is a waste."

"But, uh... there's still a long way to go in the future. All roads lead to Rome, as long as you find your way!"

As if realizing she'd said something wrong, Xu Yan showed a hint of panic.

Although the panic was fleeting.

Jiang Ran still caught it.

Strange.

This feeling was very strange.

Whether it was Xu Yan or Wang Hao, when they talked about Cheng Mengxue's death and its impact on him...

They always hesitated. They were always so cautious.

Something's wrong.

It felt very wrong.

Suddenly.

Jiang Ran realized something--

It seemed like.

They always strongly associated Cheng Mengxue's death with themselves, and repeatedly advised him to "let go of the past" and "move on."

Especially Xu Yan's words yesterday:

"No matter what, just like we advised you before, Little Xue's death wasn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself too much. No one has ever blamed you."

And Wang Hao's words:

"What's past is past. You shouldn't always blame yourself."

Right.

The problem lies here.

This way of speaking is too strange!

[Cheng Mengxue clearly died in a car accident. An accident is an accident; it's not your fault in the first place. Why did Xu Yan and Wang Hao have to emphasize it?]

Could there be some hidden story behind Cheng Mengxue's cause of death?

Thinking carefully.

Since the Worldline Jump, he had indeed only known that Cheng Mengxue died in a car accident two years ago, but no one had ever explained the details of how she died.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Xu Yan, I want to ask you something."

Jiang Ran slowed his breathing:

"Little Xue's death two years ago... it wouldn't have anything to do with me, would it?"

He paused.

He looked up:

"Did I... kill Little Xue?"