Ten Day Ultimatum

As the seconds ticked by, the traffic finally began to move—but at a much slower pace than Qi Xia had anticipated. It seemed the area closest to the entrance had indeed experienced a traffic accident caused by the emergence of this strange climatic phenomenon.
By the time the eerie crack disappeared and cars began entering Qingdao again, it was already eight o'clock in the morning.
During this time, Qi Xia had repeatedly called Yu Nian'An, but there was still no answer. After much contemplation, only one explanation seemed to account for the situation: Yu Nian'An had already been detained by the police.

"Driver, let’s change the destination," Qi Xia said, the realization hitting him hard. Knowing that returning home was no longer an option, he continued, "I have a new address for you." After searching for the location on his phone, Qi Xia handed it to the driver.
"Oh?" The driver took the phone, glanced at the destination, and said, "Okay, it’s about the same distance. I’ll head there directly."
Finally, around ten-thirty in the morning, the driver brought Qi Xia to his new destination—a rundown rental property in the old district of Shibei.

"Here we are, young man," the driver said with a sigh of relief. "I never expected it would take so long."
"It’s fine." Qi Xia pulled out one thousand five hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to the driver. "Thank you for your hard work."
"No problem at all! It's all part of the job!" the driver said cheerfully as he accepted the money. "If you need anything else, just call me!"

Qi Xia nodded and was about to head toward the rental property when a sudden thought struck him. He turned back and said, "Sir, I know you’re tired, but don’t go home before noon. If you’re exhausted, just rest in the car for a bit."
"Uh?" The driver paused, confusion crossing his face. "What do you mean? Why shouldn’t I go home?"
"I have no reason to lie to you," Qi Xia replied. "Something significant is about to happen. It’s safer if you stay outside."

Ending the conversation, Qi Xia turned away and headed toward the rental unit. It was a backup location he and Yu Nian'An had secured specifically for emergencies like this. He intended to grab a few clothing items before deciding on his next move.
After taking seven steps, Qi Xia’s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Startled, he quickly pulled it out—it was a call from {A}.
"An?" Qi Xia was taken aback, suddenly doubting his earlier deduction. Could it be that Yu Nian'An hadn’t been detained by the police after all?

Or perhaps... someone else had asked her to make this call?
"Hello?" Qi Xia answered, keeping his tone neutral. Even if the police were on the line, he had to make sure they got Yu Nian'An out of the building. Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.
"Xia!" Yu Nian'An’s voice was faint. "I’m so sorry… I think I’m sick. I’ve been in a deep sleep since yesterday afternoon and only just woke up."

"Sick?" Qi Xia furrowed his brow. "Did you feed the fish yesterday?"
"Pfft..." Yu Nian'An chuckled softly. "Why are you using the {secret code}? Nothing happened; I really just feel unwell."
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Qi Xia quickly replied, "An, listen to me. Pack your things and wait for me downstairs. I’m coming to get you right now."
"Huh?"

"There’s no time to explain—just trust me," Qi Xia urged. "I’ve swindled many, but never you."
"Alright…" Yu Nian'An agreed. "I’ll pack now. How long will it take you to arrive?"
"I…" Qi Xia glanced at his phone, anxiety tightening his chest. Getting a ride from here would take at least an hour, and he feared it might coincide with that catastrophic earthquake. "Don’t worry about how long it’ll take me. Just get out of the house as quickly as you can—even standing outside the door will make a difference."

"Oh… alright," Yu Nian'An replied. "I just need to wash my face. I’ll be down in about ten minutes."
"Excellent."
After hanging up, Qi Xia quickly looked for the taxi driver and was relieved to find he hadn’t left. The driver was sitting in the front seat, examining counterfeit bills with a small ultraviolet flashlight.

"Sir!" Qi Xia knocked on the window, startling him.
"Aiya! Goodness!" The driver quickly tucked away the money, only to realize it was that same {big client}.
"Young man?" The driver rolled down the window, glancing around. "What’s the matter now?"
"Take me to the spot where I got in yesterday!" Qi Xia said urgently. "And make it quick. I’ll give you a hundred!"

"Sure thing!" The driver smiled, waving Qi Xia in. "Get in!"
As Qi Xia settled into the car, his expression stayed tense. He kept glancing at his phone, frustrated that he hadn’t noted the exact time of the earthquake. All he remembered was that it was expected around noon—but whether it was eleven or twelve, he couldn’t be sure. With that troubling thought, he urged the driver again, "Could you please drive a little faster?"
"Come on, young man, you’re really asking too much of me; I’m already driving while fatigued…"

"Sir, I’m really in a rush."
"Ok, ok, ok..." The driver relented, pressing harder on the accelerator.
What should have been an hour-long journey took only forty minutes.

"Thanks." Qi Xia tossed a hundred yuan at him and jumped out of the car without looking back.
However, as he scanned the area, a strange feeling washed over him—Yu Nian'An wasn’t waiting downstairs at all.
"What’s going on?" His first thought was that she might have stepped into a nearby convenience store. He dialed her number, but there was no answer.

‘An, where are you...?’
Before he could make sense of the situation, a series of deafening roars erupted in the distance. The thunderous sounds came one after another, like the cacophony of thousands of trains barreling down the road. In the next moment, the ground shook violently, and Qi Xia lost his balance, crashing to the pavement.
‘This is bad!’ He realized with a sinking heart that he was in the exact same position as before, the last time an earthquake struck. It felt almost as if fate had orchestrated this moment—same time, same place. Even though everything had reset, nothing had truly changed.

Nearby vehicles began to collide in a multi-car pileup, the air filling with frantic screams.
Qi Xia had no time to think. He sprinted toward his residential building. Even if there was only the faintest chance that Yu Nian'An was still inside, he had to rescue her. Yet navigating through the chaos proved exceedingly difficult. He stumbled five or six times before finally regaining his footing.
"An!!" he shouted toward the upper floors. Since they lived on the third floor, she should have heard him.

Steeling himself, Qi Xia entered the unit. He vividly remembered that the last time he’d come in, the entrance balcony had collapsed—an event that cost him his life. Keeping that in mind, he quickly dodged to the side just as a massive rock came crashing down where he’d been standing seconds earlier. The stone was enormous; there was no way anyone could survive being hit by it.
"It seems I really did die before..."