At this moment, a mottled wall appeared in Chen Xiao's mind.
On that wall hung a calendar with a faint golden glow, its cover featuring a chubby New Year's baby.
Clearly, there was no wind in the room, yet the calendar seemed to be fluttering its pages rapidly.
.........
"Hoo!"
Chen Xiao abruptly tore off the damp towel covering his face, his eyes fixed ahead as he gasped for breath.
He was currently in a steaming bathing pool.
But why was he in the bathing pool?
He remembered vividly that he was definitely lying weakly on a hospital bed!
And the calendar that just appeared in his mind, radiating light.
What was it?
Could it be...?
Before Chen Xiao could think further, a large face suddenly emerged through the misty steam, approaching him.
The face was full of a lewd, mischievous grin.
"Hey, Brother Chen, you stay in the pool, I'll head up to the third floor for a bit. I hear there's plenty of new teas recently!"
New teas?
Chen Xiao was taken aback, but when he saw the large face about to leave, he suddenly grabbed hold of it.
"Who are you?"
The large face instantly froze: "Brother Chen, are you out of your mind? I'm Luo Dali!"
"Luo Dali! How can it be you!"
The large face rolled its eyes: "Brother Chen, don't tease me; I really need to release right now. You're a family man; why not stay here properly, okay?"
The large face said this while attempting to leave again. Yet, Chen Xiao's heart mirrored the waves created as the large face moved through the water.
"How can he be Luo Dali?"
"Didn't Luo Dali die in 07?"
"Damn… could I… have been reborn?"
Chen Xiao found it incredible, but the old bathing pool in front of him, along with Luo Dali, who had suddenly turned young, made him have to suspect that he truly might have been reborn from his critical illness on the bed.
But to when was he reborn?
He remembered vividly that Luo Dali was killed in 2007 one day, in an alley, while protecting a female high school student he had never met.
Back then, someone discovered Luo Dali and immediately reported it to the police, but the female high school student hid in fear until a year after the incident when she was found.
And it was no one else but Chen Xiao's wife who found her.
At the time, the police Lin Xi, who served in Dongzhou City Hongshan Branch's Criminal Police Team!
Now, Luo Dali was energetically climbing out of the pool, heading to the massage room upstairs to unleash his pent-up energy.
Therefore, Chen Xiao was likely reborn to a time before 07.
This means that he is not critically ill now, and that he has a wife, and the two have not divorced.
Thinking of Lin Xi brought a sudden twist of pain to Chen Xiao's heart, with scenes from before his rebirth surfacing in his mind.
It was when the long-absent Lin Xi unexpectedly came to visit him in the hospital room.
She held his hand, gently pressing it against her cheek.
She cried, continuously apologizing to Chen Xiao.
But Chen Xiao never blamed her.
Before his rebirth, he never held a proper job.
He liked to play, liked socializing, liked to idle about on Phoenix Street.
And Lin Xi, she was a police officer, once held in esteem at the Phoenix Street Police Station. Later, due to various achievements, she transferred to the Hongshan Branch, and the last time he saw Lin Xi, he heard someone call her — Director Lin.
Scenes from before his rebirth resurfaced in his mind again, and Chen Xiao couldn't help but clutch his chest.
In his mind, the words Lin Xi said to him before he passed away continued to echo.
"Chen Xiao, did you know that all these years I have been waiting for you to turn around, yet you never took a single step!"
"Chen Xiao, in my heart, you always remain the boy who would protect me at the age of sixteen when we met."
"Chen Xiao, right now I don't want to do anything else, I just want to be with you... be with you till the very end!"
......
"Hoo!"
Chen Xiao once again gasped deeply, but suddenly, Luo Dali ran back.
"Brother Chen, don't forget the main task today after I'm done!"
Chen Xiao frowned: "What main task?"
Luo Dali was speechless: "I knew you'd forget, today your mother-in-law is coming, sister-in-law asked us to go to the station to pick her up!"
Chen Xiao's eyes suddenly widened: "What day is it today?"
"August sixth."
"August sixth! Damn... are you going to the third floor later?" Chen Xiao hurriedly asked.
Luo Dali was befuddled: "Yeah, there are quite a few newcomers on the third floor, hehe... I'm going to have fun. But you better not go, sister-in-law is a police officer at the station, if she finds out, she's not going to let you off lightly!"
With that, Luo Dali pranced upstairs, not noticing the changing expression on Chen Xiao's face.
He definitely wouldn't know that the sixth day of August was about to change Chen Xiao's life!
Because, in the predetermined trajectory, Chen Xiao did not remain in the bathing pool, but also went to the third floor!
In the end, Chen Xiao, Luo Dali, and a young girl wearing absolutely nothing were found by the police from the Phoenix Street Police Station and cuffed in a room illuminated by pink lights.
Chen Xiao's wife, Lin Xi, was among the police present!
Although Chen Xiao went upstairs because he encountered an enemy downstairs and was concerned about Luo Dali's safety.
But instead of going to meet his mother-in-law, Chen Xiao was caught with a naked young woman under pink lights. For a police officer like Lin Xi, the impact was indescribable.
Recalling everything from his past life, Chen Xiao knew that in about ten minutes, the police from the Phoenix Street Police Station would deploy all their forces to raid this bathhouse.
Watching Luo Dali's back, Chen Xiao hurriedly shouted, "Luo Dali, stop right there."
But whether it was too noisy in the bathhouse, or Luo Dali was too eager for new teas, the guy didn't stop at all.
Helplessly, Chen Xiao could only chase to the stairway leading to the third floor.
Luo Dali looked at Chen Xiao: "Brother Chen, didn't I tell you not to come? I have to tell you, don't think I'll cover for you on this matter. Sister-in-law is such a good person, if you dare let her down, I'm the first to disagree as your brother!"
Chen Xiao: "Enough nonsense, I got insider info that the Phoenix Street Police Station is about to raid here!"
Luo Dali's eyes widened: "What? How can that be, this place is quite hidden!"
"If you don't want to be taken on a fifteen-day tour of the detention center by your sister-in-law, then follow me and let's get out of here." Chen Xiao said.
Luo Dali nodded repeatedly.
Compared to a fifteen-day tour of the detention center, he'd rather stay pent-up again for a while.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiao felt as though an endless chill swept into the hallway in front of him.
Luo Dali also inexplicably shivered: "Brother Chen, why do I feel a bit cold?"
As soon as Luo Dali finished speaking, a group of police suddenly surged from the stairway on the other side of the corridor.
"Damn... the police are really here!" Luo Dali shouted, and Chen Xiao felt his scalp tingling.
This is wrong!
In his memory, the police from the Phoenix Street Police Station should arrive in about ten minutes.
At that time, he had come upstairs for Luo Dali's safety, finding Luo Dali just putting on pants in the room, when a group of police rushed in and pinned them on the bed, mocking them for their game of two dragons playing with the phoenix.
Why is it early now?
Could it be related to his rebirth?
The situation didn't allow Chen Xiao more time to ponder, he grabbed Luo Dali and wanted to rush down the stairs where he stood.
But before he could turn around, he heard a woman's voice filled with disbelief behind him.
"Chen... Xiao, why are you here?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao's body instantly froze in place.