That warning from Future Lin Xiaoxia—"Beware those closest to you"—pierced Lin Xiaoxia’s heart like an invisible thorn. She grew restless, eyeing everyone around her with suspicion, even Xu Yuan, whom she had trusted implicitly all this time.
His concern now seemed laced with ulterior motives. Were his constant, tender inquiries just a ruse to keep her complacent? Did those fleeting hesitations and unease mask some unspeakable secret? To her own horror, Lin Xiaoxia realized she was scrutinizing the man she once loved through a lens of doubt.
The suspicion tormented her. She knew it was unfair to Xu Yuan, yet the bloodstained warning from the future, coupled with the oppressive aura of that mysterious man with the silver ring, left her drowning in paranoia.
Determined for answers, she took action. Together with Xiaoya, she intensified their investigation into the silver-ringed man. Through unofficial channels, they uncovered fragments about him: his name was Li Mingzhe, a freelancer drifting through gray zones—elusive, his background murky.
What chilled her more was their discovery: Li Mingzhe had briefly collaborated with Xu Yuan on a project. Though their association was short, this thread, thin as spider silk, tied him to the future’s ominous warning.
Could Xu Yuan’s impending accident truly be linked to Li Mingzhe? Was he the "one closest to her" that Future Lin Xiaoxia had meant?
Just as her doubts deepened, Lin Xiaoxia stumbled upon an unread message on Xu Yuan’s phone—sent from an unknown number, its contents curt: "Move the timeline up. Be careful."
"Timeline? What timeline?" Her heart plummeted, a tidal wave of dread crashing over her. Was this about a proposal… or something darker, tied to that future tragedy?
Unable to resist, she snooped further. In an encrypted album, she found blurred photos of unfamiliar faces—and in one corner of a shot, the unmistakable glint of a silver ring.
Her mind went blank. The fear and suspicion she’d fought to suppress now surged like a breached dam. The text, the photos, Li Mingzhe—every clue pointed toward an answer she refused to accept.
Suddenly, she feared facing Xu Yuan. His every glance, every word, felt loaded. The intimacy between them now stood divided by an invisible wall, thick with distrust. The foundation of their bond was crumbling, one crack at a time.
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