Chapter 1 – An accident and the ability to turn back time
Hiss......
It hurts......
Am I dying?
The strong smell and taste of blood could be felt in the nose and mouth. Dong Xuebing could not move even his fingers, and it was total darkness. He tried to move his neck, but there was no reaction. He finally mustered all his strength to open his eyes, but he could only open a slit. He could make out a blurry vision of an overloaded dump truck. Beside him, there was an old man in his 70s or 80s and a beautiful woman in her late 20s lying in a pool of blood motionless. There was a crowd of onlookers. From their mouth movements, they seem to be shouting something. However, Dong Xuebing could not hear anything.
The old man was dead. Aunt Xuan was dead. He was badly injured...... Most likely he would not make it.
Looking at the pretty face of the woman he secretly admired, Qu Yunxuan, Dong Xuebing felt like his heart was being stabbed by a knife.
Neighbour Qu Yunxuan was a kind woman. Earlier at the traffic junction, she saw the old man having difficulties walking and offered her help to help him cross the road. Despite the traffic lights in their favor, a truck came speeding towards them. The driver might be drunk or had fallen asleep on the wheel. Dong Xuebing, who was some distance away saw the danger and came running towards Qu Yunxuan. He wants to push her out of the way of the truck. But he was too late, and he was also knocked down by the truck.
Regrets.
Dong Xuebing had never regretted so much in his life.
If Dong Xuebing noticed the out-of-control truck earlier and rushed out to save them, the 3 of them does not need to die.
But now...... It was too late.
Dong Xuebing could feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He could no longer bear to see the twisted bodies or Qu Yunxuan and that old man. He shut his eyes and waited for his time to be up.
Kaboom!
There was a loud thunderclap. It was so loud that it could shatter someone’s soul.
The next moment, Dong Xuebing felt his vision blurred, and he felt jumped out of the darkness.
Dong Xuebing could feel his strength, hearings, and vision coming back to him. He was in a dazed and looked around him. He noticed that he was all fine and standing in front of the traffic junction. Around him was the traffic in Beijing. Cars, taxis, and vans were zooming past him. Under the dim lightings of the streetlights, people were walking as if nothing had happened.
“Sir, let me help you cross the road.”
“It’s fine. Thank you, young lady. I am fine by myself.”
“I am just staying opposite, and it is not a hassle. Come, let me help you.”
Dong Xuebing turned around towards the voice in shock. A smiling Qu Yunxuan was at the pedestrian crossing not far away. She also saw Dong Xuebing and said: “Xiao Bing, you are back? Are you out with your friends?” The person beside her was the old man who had just passed away. The old man also looked at Dong Xuebing and coughed.
“Ah... Ya... I am back.” Dong Xuebing was looking around him and answered unconsciously. He was still trying to figure out what had happened.
What happened? I am not dead? Aunt Xuan was not dead? The old man was also not dead?
Dong Xuebing slowly lifted his hand up and opened his palm. He clenches his fist and then opened it up again. There was no blood or wounds.
Was he dreaming? There was no accident? Everything was only a hallucination?
The traffic lights changed from red to amber, and then the traffic lights opposite the road turned green and showed the green pedestrian man. The pedestrians start to cross the road. The old man with his walking stick was the slowest, and Qu Yunxuan was helping him to cross the road.
This was familiar.
This was a very familiar scene.
Suddenly, there was the roar of an engine, and Dong Xuebing instantly turned towards the engine sound. A truck was moving on the right turning lane from another road. The truck was overloaded with gravels and was not traveling very fast, at about 40 Km/h or 50 Km/h.
Dong Xuebing rubbed his eyes. He was shocked. Wasn’t this the scene before the accident?
What was happening? Time had rewinded? That was not a hallucination?
Dong Xuebing had no time to think and immediately shouted: “Stop, look out for that truck!”
Everyone paused for a while and started looking around them.
“What truck?”
“Where’s the truck?”
Qu Yunxuan saw that truck and turn to Dong Xuebing: “Why are you shouting? It’s red light there.”
The old man also felt there was nothing to be worried about. That truck was turning and would not affect them crossing the road.
Dong Xuebing knew that this truck will not slow down and will be knocking them down. He immediately ran over while shouting: Aunt Xuan, move! Move away from there!”
Qu Yunxuan paused for a while and smile: “Xiao Bing, what’s wrong with you? That truck is ......”
Before she could finish, the truck had crossed the stop line, and there was no indication of the truck slowing down.
In front of all the pedestrians at the crossing, the truck beat the red light.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Run......”
“It’s going to knock someone down!”
People were shouting.
Qu Yunxuan was stunned. When she finally came back to her senses, she immediately pulls that old man: “Hurry up. Run!”
“Leave me and run by yourself.” The old man gave Qu Yunxuan a push.
There was not enough time. The sounds of the roaring engine were getting nearer.
4 meters......
3 meters......
Qu Yunxuan and that old man had given up hope.
When everyone there thought the both of them would be killed by the truck, Dong Xuebing, who knew the truck would be beating the red lights, rushed to the backs of the two of them. Using the momentum, he used all his strength to carry both the old man and Qu Yunxuan by the waist with both his arms outstretched. He continued to run forward with the old man and Qu Yunxuan on his left and right. He roared as he carries on running ahead with all his might and two people hanging on his arms.
“Shit!”
“They are going to die!”
Many of the more timid bystanders closed their eyes.
Zoomed...... The truck brushed just Dong Xuebing’s back with only centimeters to spare.
The old man was sent sliding on the road forward for half a meter.
Qu Yunxuan was also sent tumbling forward from Dong Xuebing’s push.
Dong Xuebing fell the worst. He was gasping for air while lying on his side in the middle of the road. He could feel the pain in his waist and legs.
Time seems to be frozen for a while and then there were cheers.
“All of them are still alive!”
“Young man, you are so brave!”
It was not sure who started clapping and soon everyone was clapping and cheering for Dong Xuebing.