After a long pause, Nie Chongyang was the first to speak, breaking the silent atmosphere.
Nie Chongyang asked Ding Yijie, "You said that after seeing Liang Ping and me, you felt something was wrong. What did you feel was wrong? Can you tell us first?"
Ding Yijie hesitated and said, "Then my question..."
Seeing Ding Yijie's hesitant attitude, Nie Chongyang said decisively, "We did visit you because of you, that's correct. You can continue answering the question."
Having received Nie Chongyang's affirmation, Ding Yijie knew he couldn't harbor any侥幸 (jiǎoxìng - hope for a lucky chance).
Ding Yijie could only say with a wry smile, "Actually, I can't quite explain it clearly. It's just that when I saw you, I suddenly felt that the memories I firmly believed in were somewhat abnormal, appearing very false and hollow."
"In an instant, I realized that in this entire world, I was the only one out of place, an abrupt existence."
"I was very puzzled as to why I had such a feeling. I began to investigate it in my heart, and the first thing that came to mind was an old incident from twenty years ago. I thought, could it be related to that matter?"
"If it is related to that matter, then your finding me would also have a reasonable explanation."
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping were truly surprised that Ding Yijie could have such a premonition.
And it was no wonder Ding Yijie had such an attitude when facing them. If Ding Yijie had all the memories of their previous interactions and recalled the experiences in Xiao Jing City, he might not have been so nervous when facing Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
Nie Chongyang pondered for a moment before nodding slightly.
He said, "It is indeed related to that matter. Your feeling was not wrong."
Hearing Nie Chongyang say this, Ding Yijie couldn't help but become anxious.
Ding Yijie immediately pressed Nie Chongyang, "Can I ask what happened twenty years ago? My companions... what happened to them? What exactly happened?"
Looking at Ding Yijie's anxious expression, Nie Chongyang asked him seriously, "Are you sure you really want to know what happened twenty years ago?"
The events of twenty years ago had become a knot in Ding Yijie's heart.
No matter what the truth was, Ding Yijie wanted to get to the bottom of it. Otherwise, he would probably never let this matter go in his lifetime, and he would take it to his grave, unable to rest in peace.
Ding Yijie answered Nie Chongyang firmly, "I'm sure. I really want to know. No matter what the truth is, I want to understand it. This matter has been weighing heavily on my heart, and I can't let it go."
"So, please let me know!"
Nie Chongyang, Liang Ping, and Xiao Miaomiao exchanged glances, then huddled together and discussed in hushed tones. After that, Nie Chongyang said to Ding Yijie, "Alright, if you truly believe you can bear it."
Ding Yijie nodded very firmly again, replying to Nie Chongyang, "I am very sure I can bear it, no matter what the truth is."
Nie Chongyang nodded.
He thought for a moment. Some parts of the truth definitely needed to be concealed and absolutely could not be told to Ding Yijie. This was partly for protection, and partly because some things did not need to be known by Ding Yijie in too much detail.
Otherwise, if something went wrong, it would cause considerable trouble for their subsequent investigation.
Therefore, Nie Chongyang considered his wording and how he would explain it before speaking to Ding Yijie.
Nie Chongyang said, "What happened twenty years ago is a bit complicated. Listen carefully, it might seem a little convoluted. But I'll say this beforehand: we can tell you, but this matter is of utmost importance, and you absolutely cannot leak a single word of it to anyone."
"If you can do that, then I can continue."
Ding Yijie immediately assured Nie Chongyang, "I absolutely will not reveal a single word... I, I..."
"If you cannot trust me, you can even install surveillance in my home and place a listening device on me. If I show any intention of revealing it, you can arrest me immediately."
This was indeed a very strict and solemn guarantee.
Nie Chongyang nodded again.
Then, Nie Chongyang said to Ding Yijie, "It's good that you have this awareness. After we finish telling you about this matter, you will have to come to the Special Operations Team with us. For the sake of secrecy, we must take some measures. I believe you can understand that, right?"
Ding Yijie nodded seriously and replied, "I understand. I will cooperate with your secrecy measures."
Nie Chongyang then continued, "Speaking of which, I don't know if you'll believe it, but twenty years ago, you were supposed to have already died."
The first sentence Nie Chongyang spoke dropped a bombshell, leaving Ding Yijie speechless for a while.
Ding Yijie was so shaken by the news that after a long time, he finally spoke somewhat dazedly, "I... died twenty years ago?"
Seeing that Ding Yijie seemed to have recovered and could continue listening, Nie Chongyang nodded and continued, "That's how it was supposed to be. You know, Liang Ping is a distant relative of your family. Your family did have this relative."
Ding Yijie subconsciously replied to Nie Chongyang, "Yes, yes, I know, and I'm sure of it."
He was still somewhat dazed, processing the facts he had just heard.
If anyone else had told Ding Yijie that he had died twenty years ago, Ding Yijie would have considered them a liar.
However, the person telling him this was someone of Nie Chongyang's status, and Ding Yijie had indeed had premonitions when he met Nie Chongyang and the others, and those premonitions were not false.
Nie Chongyang said, "In Liang Ping's memories from childhood to adulthood, he knew of your existence, but he had never seen you in person, not even when he visited your home for New Year's."
"That's precisely because, in Liang Ping's memory, you had already died twenty years ago."
"It's just that Liang Ping at that time couldn't have foreseen what would happen later. He only knew that he had a relative like you who died in an accident at a very young age."
"Your family was deeply saddened by your death and remained tight-lipped about the cause of your death."
"However, Liang Ping's relationship with your family wasn't that close, so he never delved into the matter. Moreover, Liang Ping was still young when he heard about it and couldn't think about many things, let alone care about it."
Ding Yijie could understand Nie Chongyang's explanation.
Putting himself in Ding Yijie's shoes, if he had learned as a child that a child in his relative's family had passed away, he probably wouldn't have paid much attention. At most, he would have retained an impression that he should have had another relative, but that relative had already passed away.
Nie Chongyang continued, "And twenty years later, until not long ago, you were still technically a dead person."
Hearing this, Ding Yijie couldn't help but ask curiously, "Then what exactly am I now? Why did I suddenly come back to life? And my family... they don't seem to know that I died?"
"Am I still considered human?"
Nie Chongyang replied to Ding Yijie, "Whether you are still considered human, we cannot confirm for now. We will only be able to confirm further after you return to the Special Operations Team with us and undergo examinations."
Ding Yijie understood and stated that he would cooperate with the examinations.
Then, regarding other questions, Nie Chongyang said, "As for the other questions you asked, just keep listening."
Ding Yijie nodded and said, "Okay."
Nie Chongyang continued.
Nie Chongyang said, "Not long ago, Liang Ping and I went on a mission. During the mission, by chance, we traveled to the time and space of twenty years ago, and we happened to appear in a ruin, which was known as the haunted house."
"I think you should know what that place is, right?"
Ding Yijie's expression indeed changed.
He certainly knew what place Nie Chongyang was referring to as the ruined haunted house.
His deceased companions had met with an accident there and all died tragically. Because in his memory, Ding Yijie had failed to dissuade them, he could not let go of the matter after their deaths.
Moreover, Ding Yijie was a sufficiently intelligent person.
Almost upon hearing this, Ding Yijie quickly connected a fact.
Ding Yijie suddenly looked up at Nie Chongyang and asked him word by word, "So, actually, twenty years ago, I agreed to them and went to that ruined haunted house for an adventure, right?"
The moment he received an affirmative answer, it was as if something had settled.
Ding Yijie suddenly slumped back into his chair, his back no longer straight, and leaned against the backrest.
"What happened next?"
Nie Chongyang said, "Actually, Liang Ping and I don't know what truly happened twenty years ago. After all, when we went there, we inevitably changed some of the past events."
Ding Yijie asked Nie Chongyang, "So, the reason I suddenly came back to life twenty years later is a result of you changing the past?"
Nie Chongyang did not evade the question Ding Yijie asked.
Nie Chongyang thought for a moment and replied to Ding Yijie, "Regarding this matter, we cannot be entirely sure of the exact reason. We can only say that there should indeed be a connection."
Ding Yijie asked Nie Chongyang again, "Then why did only I come back to life? Why didn't my friends come back to life? Did they also die twenty years ago?"
Nie Chongyang glanced at Ding Yijie.
He said to Ding Yijie, "In the original twenty years ago, all five of you had actually died. But after Liang Ping and I accidentally went to twenty years ago, only you survived."
Ding Yijie asked, "Why?"
Why only me?
Nie Chongyang answered frankly, "That's naturally because only you were somewhat obedient and didn't knowingly transgress."