Was I dreaming? I had actually heard a cat open its mouth and speak human language. Something about a messenger, Aju. It was introducing itself.
The large tabby cat named Aju told me a secret about this world, about Vanessa Liu.
Every world has a main character. The main character is the center of the world. Every action affects the operation of that world. And in the world I'm living in, Vanessa Liu is the main character.
According to the original destiny, Vanessa Liu was a genius girl who carried darkness in her heart due to family circumstances. She suffered from depression and an eating disorder. Always alone. A main character living in such darkness should meet a male lead warm as sunlight who would save her, finally soothing her wounded soul, together heading toward a beautiful future, closing with a perfect ending.
But the trajectory of fate underwent a massive change, because there was a transmigrator. The male lead had been replaced by that transmigrator. But that transmigrator fell in love with someone else, didn't follow the original destiny line. In the end, the world collapsed.
The divine intervened to salvage the world, but another problem appeared. Vanessa Liu didn't love the male lead at all. She developed according to destiny, creating a new era. But when standing at the peak, she committed suicide. The world collapsed once again.
After that, the divine salvaged it many times, but still couldn't change the ending where Vanessa chose the path of suicide. The world mutated from collapsing too many times. In the previous world iteration, the divine discovered the male lead line had been crushed to death by Vanessa's will. The male lead no longer existed.
So the divine came up with a method: summoning task takers from other worlds to transmigrate into this world to try to influence her, replacing the original male lead line. But because the world kept collapsing and regenerating over and over, continuously reborn, it seemed Vanessa had gained some awakened consciousness. She was extremely sensitive to outsiders, always able to see through the hidden motives behind their facades. Her defenses were incredibly strong. No matter how many task takers came, they all failed and returned.
The cat's mouth kept opening and closing. I listened silently, surprised but not shocked, because Tyler had already made me suspicious before.
"So then, why tell me all this?" I looked at the tabby cat calling itself Aju, cutting off its words. It paused slightly, seemingly unable to understand my unusual composure.
"Because we want to ask for your help."
As expected, secrets aren't free.
"I don't want to." I refused without hesitation.
"You haven't even heard me out yet." Aju waved its claws.
I stood up, sat down at my desk and opened a book, not planning to pay attention to it. Aju immediately jumped onto my desk, its butt pressing down on the text in the book.
"If you agree to help, then when this world stops continuously collapsing, being reborn and repeating until it completely vanishes — this destructive force will spread to other worlds, causing danger, affecting the safety of other worlds. Young man, you must save the world. This world is counting on you."
I looked at the cat fur fallen on my desk, and slowly spoke. "Haven't you already sent task takers? You saw it yourself. Those people don't even get a chance to approach her."
Aju sighed.
"So why do you think I could do it?"
Aju said the reason was that I had also shown vague signs of awakening. I had discovered the secret, and she knew it. She had been silently observing me for a while and believed I was very suitable to become this time's chosen one.
The reasons were several. First, I was Vanessa's deskmate, occupying an advantageous position. Second, Vanessa treated me more courteously than other male students. I wasn't someone from another world. She wouldn't suspect me. Third, another celestial messenger had told Aju they would help me. Finally, I was a side character to the point of not even having a clear, distinct destiny line. That so-called path of fate — my changes wouldn't affect the world at all.
Aju tried hard to persuade me, listing a series of plans, even eagerly placing its cat paws on my hand, acting incredibly passionate. I remained silent, completely unmoved.
To me, Vanessa was just an ordinary classmate. I didn't want to take on this mission, and didn't believe I could do it either. If she could erase the male lead, then she could erase me, too. Moreover, the words save and redeem were too heavy. Saving others is also redeeming yourself.
I refused Aju's request. It pestered me for quite a while, then finally gave up helplessly.
My life remained normal as before. Three-point route: school, home, sleep. The only thing causing ripples were those coming to conquer Vanessa. I was like an audience member standing outside, silently watching them hide secrets in their hearts. The relationship between Vanessa and me remained the same, no interference with each other, calmly coexisting.
That situation continued until senior year. We were still in the same class. The homeroom teacher was the same one from junior year. Under the teacher's arrangement, Vanessa became my deskmate again. Our relationship hadn't changed at all, still maintaining that courtesy and distance.
Perhaps because there were too many failed task takers, during this period things around Vanessa became completely quiet.
The tense life of senior year, for a mediocre student with average intelligence like me, was truly immense pressure, struggling through studies bit by bit. Vanessa was like a rare panda, receiving special attention from the teachers. Everyone tacitly understood she'd already set foot in a prestigious university, just waiting for the final exam.
The last two weeks before the exam, the school organized graduation photos. That day Vanessa didn't show up. They searched everywhere, but couldn't find her. In the end, everyone took photos as planned. The commemorative photo was missing her. Why didn't she come? I didn't know either.
When exam rooms were assigned, she and I were placed at two different schools.
On exam day, on the same bus, I ran into Vanessa again. The bus was packed with people. Nine out of ten were students going to take exams. Even the aisle was crammed full. Vanessa sat in the first row. When she saw me, her eyes lingered on my ankle wrapped in bandages. I embarrassedly scratched my nose. A few days ago, I'd sprained my ankle playing ball.
Vanessa stood up, giving me her seat. I was genuinely surprised. She gripped the handrail, standing right beside me. I looked up at her. Her gaze lowered and accidentally met mine. At the same time, the vehicle swayed and continued rushing forward.
The sky outside was somewhat dark. Just moments later, rain began to pour, blurring the bus windows. When we reached the stop, Vanessa didn't have an umbrella. She stepped into the curtain of rain without hesitation.
When I'd gotten on the bus, I was with another male student. He'd brought an umbrella. I looked at that solitary figure in the noisy crowd, stared at the umbrella in my hand for a few seconds, then struggled to run after her.
I raised my umbrella high above her head. She was a head shorter than me. My shadow holding the umbrella enveloped her. Vanessa stopped. Her face drenched with rain looked up at me. The hurried footsteps of examinees all around, each raindrop falling heavier. In the world beneath my umbrella, just the two of us. Everything seemed to quiet down.
She said nothing, but her eyes rippled. And I fell silent for a moment. Because I suddenly realized deep in my heart, a trace of compassion for her had emerged.
How strange. When she was hurt, I felt nothing. Knowing she would ultimately commit suicide, I barely wavered. Yet in this moment, her silhouette moved me.
"Good luck on your exam. May you get what you wish for."
I tossed the umbrella to her, turned and ducked under my friend's umbrella. Consider that umbrella my thanks for giving me her seat.
After walking a distance, I turned back to look at her. In my view, the girl held a small blue umbrella with dandelion patterns, trying hard to stand still. In just a moment, she was swallowed by the crowd behind her. I withdrew my gaze and walked toward the exam room.
At that time, I had no idea that glance was the last time in our youth I would see Vanessa Liu.