The Girl Who Restarted Time

The lab was ablaze with light.

The instrument had been activated. Lying on the bed in a coma, Lu Jia’er was delivered into the space capsule slowly.

“Check all the vitals!” Chen Ming instructed.

Yuan Miaomiao loaded the program. In a moment, the VR image of Lu Jia’er’s body showed up, followed but many sets of data. Yuan Miaomiao checked them and reported to Chen Ming. “All vitals are normal.”

Professor Chen Ming read the data as well. Upon confirming that everything was right, he was about to push the activate key on the optical wave instrument. At that exact moment, Yuan Miaomiao stopped him. “Professor, wait!”

Professor Chen Ming left his hand in the air and turned over to her.

“Professor, here!” Yuan Miaomiao said and pointed to Lu Jia’er’s brain in the virtual image.

Hearing this, Chen Ming looked to where she pointed. Yuan Miaomiao said, “There seems to be a foreign object in here!”

“A foreign object?” Chen Ming squinted his eyes.

“You may not tell from the image, but the scan data indicates that there is a foreign object.” Yuan Miaomiao pointed to the data set.

Chen Ming read the data from the scan. Indeed, there was a foreign object. He put on a stern look. “Has she received surgery before?”

“I don’t know!” Yuan Miaomiao shook her head.

Chen Ming walked to the door. He pushed the button. Jason thought it was over and hurried over, “So soon?”

Chen Ming shook his head and asked, “Has she received any surgery on her brain?”

Jason had heard information from Jin Xiangdong. Jason was just wondering if Professor Chen Ming knew about the truth. But his question indicated that he did not. Jason could not help but wonder about something else: how did Jin Xiangdong persuade Professor Chen Ming?

Seeing that Jason did not answer, Professor Chen Ming pressed him. “Reasons for that surgery?”

“What is up?” Jason asked while knowing the answer.

“The data from the scan shows a foreign object in her brain.” Professor Chen Ming said.

“It must be a crush injury.” Jason found an excuse.

“It is not a crush injury!” Professor Chen Ming made it clear.

Jason felt a bit guilty. “What is that?”

Professor Chen Ming frowned. “I should not have said yes to this experiment!”

Jason hurried to say. “Professor Chen, this is a pressing matter. Don’t mind the foreign object. Just get started! I will take responsibility for anything that goes wrong!”

However, Professor Chen Ming said, “Neither of us can take the responsibility if something does go wrong.”

Jason was filled with worry and anxiety. Of course, he knew that he could not shoulder the responsibility. However, Jin Xiangdong had already made his position clear. Later, when Lu Jia’er woke up, the team that created her could trace her back to this place soon. By then, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

Jason begged him. “Professor Chen, there is no greater merit than to save someone’s life!”

When Jason was begging, Yuan Miaomiao happened to come over. Jason pulled her over and said in a hurry, “Miaomiao, Professor Lu is too important to us. Just consider this a favor to Ace and me!”

Before Yuan Miaomiao could say anything, Professor Chen Ming had asked, “Professor Lu? Which university is she from?”

“Department of Chinese Language and Literature in G University!” Jason made up a lie.

Yuan Miaomiao was surprised. What was Jason doing? Why would he lie to Professor Chen Ming?

Right at that moment, Yuan Miaomiao heard her phone ringing.

It was Jin Xiangdong again.

Yuan Miaomiao picked it up at once. “Brother Xiangdong.”

“Have you started yet?” Jin Xiangdong sounded impatient.

“Not yet. The scan shows that there is a foreign object in Professor Lu’s brain. Professor Chen is trying to get a clear understanding of the situation!” Yuan Miaomiao replied.

“Miaomiao, give your cell phone to Professor Chen Ming!” Jin Xiangdong told her.

Yuan Miaomiao had to do so. “Professor, he is asking for you.”

Chen Ming took over her cell phone. Not long afterwards, he hung up the phone but the look on his face was awful. Then, Chen Ming turned to Yuan Miaomiao and gave her an instruction, “Miaomiao, stay here. I will finish the experiment on my own!”

Yuan Miaomiao was startled. “Professor!”

Professor Chen Ming said nothing more. He went to the lab and closed the door. Yuan Miaomiao followed him. When she was about to enter, Professor Chen Ming had turned on the locking mechanism of the door.

Yuan Miaomiao frowned. She saw through the window that Professor Chen had stepped to the operation console.

Yuan Miaomiao turned around to Jason. “Jason, what kind of hidden secret does this Professor Lu carry?”

Jason was aware that Yuan Miaomiao was clever. That being said, he could tell her nothing. He patted her shoulders. “Miaomiao, it is better to be ignorant in certain matters. Also, I do hope that your study is helpful to memory recovery.”

Yuan Miaomiao looked at Jason. Now, she believed more firmly of the assumption she developed.

Lu Jia’er, who was lying on the space causal bed, felt she had a long dream, one that was not so wonderful.

In the dream, she found herself surrounded by darkness and silence. Yes, darkness and silence, as if this was the dead of the night, pitch-dark.

Was it night? No, it was not. She could feel the sunshine and she could pick up the fragrance of flowers and grass, that a mild smell.

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth. “Where are we?”

She reached out her hand and put it on Ian’s lips. She found out the answer from the movement of his lips. “The park?”

“Do you like it?” Ian asked.

Lu Jia’er, who was feeling his lips, could not help but put on a smile. “Yes, I do. The sun is shining brightly!”

Ian patted her head.

Lu Jia’er went on, “Ian, is there a young girl and a papillon to our left?”

“How did you know?” Ian asked.

Lu Jia’er answered, “I smelled the papillon and picked up a touch of faint perfume. Young people like to wear perfumes. Also, at this moment the puppy is enjoying the biscuits its owner gave it!”

Ian took a look and laughed. “Well done!”

“To the right…” Speaking of the right side, Lu Jia’er frowned. “There is a man and a woman. But that man is a smoker!”

Ian turned over there. That man was whispering to his girlfriend. When he smiled, his yellow teeth were revealed.

“Jia’er, nobody can compete with you when it comes to the sense of smell!” Ian praised her.

The corners of Lu Jia’er’s mouth raised up. “I am hungry. I want to have the sandwich!”

Hearing this, Ian took out two sandwiches and two bottled drinks.

They ate and chatted, quite intimately. In order to find out what Ian was talking about, Lu Jia’er kept her right hand on his lips.

During this time, Ian got a phone call. A friend of his invited him to the movies but he refused.

After he hung up, Lu Jia’er asked Ian, “Any new movies released recently?”

“Wolverine.” Ian replied.

Lu Jia’er nodded. Something seemed to be on her mind. “Wolverine? A mutant!”

“Yes!” Lan answered.

Lu Jia’er smiled tenderly. “Ian, pretend that mutants existed in this world. What kind of special gifts would you want to have if you were one?”

Ian replied, laughing, “I would want to be able to fly sky high and go into the ground.”

“You want to be the Monkey King?” Lu Jia’er asked with a smile.

“Ha, ha, ha, right, the Monkey King!” Ian went on. “How about you?”

Lu Jia’er thought for a moment before she replied, “I want to have the ability to read people’s minds.”

Ian found this interesting. “Mind-reading? Like Charles Xavier.”

“Yes!” Lu Jia’er nodded.

“Why?” Ian asked.

“So that I can hear what people are thinking and share their happiness and sadness!” Lu Jia’er stated.

Ian laughed and patted Lu Jia’er’s head, “Do you know what I am thinking at the moment?”

Lu Jia’er shook her head.

Ian held her hand and put it on his chest. “I am thinking: I like you!”

Hearing this, Lu Jia’er blushed. She punched Ian’s chest gently.

The sun was warm, the floral fragrance was assailing the nostrils and the breeze was gentle. Though Lu Jia’er could not see the world or hear anything, she felt she was in paradise of happiness.

However, this picture of happiness began to spin around toward the worse. A cloud of terror formed a shadow over the happiness.

She felt she was pinned on the ground by a drunk man and that awful smell overwhelmed her. Lu Jia’er pushed and shoved him, she struggled but nothing worked. She heard her clothes being torn apart. That man used his smelly mouth to touch her and used his dirty hands to fumble about on her body.

She was in so much fear and terror. She struggled and fought back. She was in a world with no sound and no light. Tears coursed down from her eyes.

“Let me go! Let me go!” She screamed! But the next second, that man shoved his dirty socks into her mouth. Her tears fell, like pearls.

Despair, and fear, suffocated her. Right at that moment, she felt that the weight was off her. Regardless of what happened, she crawled up and ran to the door.

She bumped into the wall, into the chair. But pain was no longer her concern. She rushed out of her home, out of the yard and onto the street.

The next second, she felt she had wings because she was flying, flying into the sky, freely.

The police cars came. People were watching. Ian knelt on the ground, with her in his arms, bursting into rage of tears. She, who had no clothes on, was covered by a bed sheet. She lay in his arms quietly. She could not open her eyes nor listen with her ears. Yet, it seemed like she could see and hear now.