Zongman: Succubus Shota, a new ability every day

"The school will arrange a car to pick us up, and Kaguya and I will go." Rio continued, trying to find a reason for Shiraishi not to go.

"What about you? Bai Shi?" She finally asked the question in her heart.

"I... I'm not going." Shiraishi's voice seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat, mechanical and indifferent. He knew he should face it, should say goodbye, but he couldn't do it. He was afraid to see Mai's figure walking away from him, afraid that the pain would consume him again.

Rio didn't force him, but just sighed softly. "Yeah, there will be a lot of people there, and the media will be there too." She tried to find an excuse to comfort Shiraishi, but she knew how weak that excuse was.

"Bai Shi..." She opened her mouth again, but she didn't know what to say. She wanted to say a lot of things, wanted to tell him to be strong, to face it, to let it go, but she knew that these words were empty comfort to Bai Shi now.

On the morning of the 28th, the weather was even colder. Rio and Kaguya prepared to go out for the funeral. They were dressed in uniforms, looking particularly solemn. Rio looked at Shiraishi again, her eyes filled with mixed emotions. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just sighed softly.

"Bai Shi..." She began again, but didn't know how to continue. She knew she couldn't change Bai Shi's decision, nor could she bear his pain for him. She could only silently accompany him and offer him some insignificant support.

Chapter 218 Sad Interview

"Be careful on your journey," Shiraishi finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly. He knew he should see Rio and Kaguya off, wishing them well, but he couldn't. He could only utter these simple words to express his inner gratitude and blessing.

"Yeah." Kaguya responded briefly and left side by side with Rio. Their backs gradually blurred in Shiraishi's sight and finally disappeared outside the door.

After the door closed, Shiraishi fell silent again. He knew what Rio wanted to say—say goodbye properly. But he couldn't. He would rather escape this pain, choose to continue sinking in this cramped space. He curled up on the carpet, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

"I...as expected..." Bai Shi's voice was low and hoarse. These few words seemed to have exhausted all his strength. However, he was only halfway through his words when he was interrupted by the sudden sound of the TV in the living room.

The sound was not loud, but it seemed particularly harsh in this quiet space, like a stone thrown into a tranquil lake, causing ripples.

Nasuno, Rio's cat, was sitting on the sofa, happily playing with the remote control as if it were a toy. The screen flickered through the colorful images, but none of them caught his attention. Finally, the scene froze on the exterior of a Tokyo funeral home. The solemn and heavy atmosphere was at odds with the relaxed atmosphere inside.

"No way..." Shiraishi muttered to himself. He stood up and strode towards Nasuno, almost subconsciously snatching the remote from him. His finger hovered over the green power button, his fingertips trembling slightly, as if it wasn't just a button, but a heavy decision. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and wanted to press that button to end it all. But he couldn't.

On the TV screen, Mai's farewell ceremony was underway. The afternoon rain continued, as if the sky itself was weeping for the passing of this young life.

Mai's mother, always a gentle yet strong woman, now stood before the flower stand, holding the deceased's portrait, her eyes filled with reluctance and grief. Mai's smile was radiant in the photo, as if she had walked side by side with him through those familiar streets only yesterday.

Clusters of white flowers covered the flower stand, each one carrying the people's grief and remembrance for Mai. Some were as white as snow, others as pale yellow as chrysanthemums. They bloomed quietly, as if telling a story of youth and dreams.

The camera slowly zoomed out, revealing the entire farewell venue. The spacious venue was bustling with people, yet there was not a trace of noise. Each person, dressed in dark clothing, wore a solemn expression. Some bowed their heads in silence, while others looked up, commemorating this young and brilliant life.

The figure of a famous film director appeared on the screen, dressed in black mourning clothes and looking haggard. He walked to the flower-laying stand, picked up the microphone, and his voice trembled with emotion.

"Mai Sakurajima, no, Miss Mai..." His voice choked, tears welling up in his eyes. He recalled every moment he had worked with Mai, those times of laughter and tears, which have now become the most precious memories.

Inside the venue, more voices joined in. Actors, directors, and staff members who had worked with Mai expressed their nostalgia and reluctance to part with her in their own ways. Some wept, others bowed their heads in deep thought, but their hearts were filled with admiration and gratitude for Mai.

The atmosphere on the talk show was equally solemn. The male host stared at the farewell scene on the screen, his eyes red and his voice low. Next to him, the female assistant announcer, Nanjo Fumika, also appeared particularly solemn. Her words were filled with regret and respect for Mai, which made Shiraishi even more deeply aware of Mai's influence in the industry and the people's love for her.

Shiraishi sat on the sofa, his eyes fixed on the screen, as if he wanted to deeply engrave all of this into his mind. His heart was filled with complex emotions: grief and reluctance for Mai's passing, self-blame and regret for his own powerlessness, and nostalgia and cherishment for the good times Mai had in her life.

He knew that all of this was real, not a movie or a dream. He couldn't escape the pain of loss, but could only endure it silently, remembering the partner who had walked side by side with him in his own way.

"That's true." The male host's voice echoed in the quiet living room with a barely perceptible tremor.

He looked up at the ceiling, as if searching for an escape from reality, yet he had to face everything before him. Wenxiang stood by, giving him silent support with her eyes, her deep eyes also filled with unspeakable sadness.

"Actually, I went to Kanazawa City, where the movie set is, with Ms. Mai two days before she had the car accident in order to record scenes for another program..."

Chapter 219 Irreversible

The host's voice gradually deepened, each word coming from the depths of his heart, laden with emotion. He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the mist from his eyes, but the grief surged over him like a tidal wave, making it nearly impossible for him to contain himself.

Fumika gently patted the back of his hand, giving him a touch of warmth and strength. He took a deep breath, forced himself together, and forced a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, really... She's a really good girl... Today we're changing the program. We're showing you a location video from the other show I mentioned earlier, along with some of Sakurajima Mai's past performances. Please tune in."

As he finished speaking, the screen faded to black, then slowly brightened. It was a highlight clip from the morning drama that made Mai Sakurajima famous. On the screen, the six-year-old Mai instantly captured everyone's heart with her sweet smile. Her bright eyes seemed to see through people's hearts, and every expression and gesture revealed a maturity and charm far beyond her years. With acting skills that even adults could hardly match, she portrayed the innocence and loveliness of a precocious girl, drawing both heartache and endearment.

The film continued, transitioning to an interview segment featuring Mai as a popular child star. Sitting before the camera, she remained remarkably composed as she faced questions from the adults. When asked why she was voted number one in a nationwide poll of child stars mothers wanted to adopt as their daughters, she half-jokingly replied, "That means I absolutely can't do anything bad." At that moment, her smile, like the warm spring sunshine, dispelled all gloom and revealed the innocence and kindness deep within her heart.

However, as the film progresses, the atmosphere begins to grow more somber. The scene shifts to Mai's junior high school years, where her face has completely shed the childishness of her child star days, replaced by a maturity and beauty beyond her years. In a horror movie sequence, she plays a mysterious girl whose gaze alone can send chills down your spine.

The director praised her in the behind-the-scenes footage: "That child can smile just with her eyes." This statement is not only an affirmation of her acting skills, but also a recognition of her unique charm.

The film continues to showcase Mai's multifaceted persona: not only a dazzling star on screen, but also a darling of fashion magazines. Her photo albums sold like hotcakes, making her a goddess in the hearts of countless people. However, at the height of her career, she suddenly announced her retirement, a news that came as a bolt from the blue and shocked the entire society.

It wasn't until this year that Mai finally announced her return to acting. Her return, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, shone with even greater brilliance. She displayed unprecedented brilliance in television, film, advertising, and modeling, and everyone believed she would achieve even greater success than before.

However, fate played a cruel trick on her. Just as she was about to reach a new peak in her life, a sudden car accident took her life. At that moment, all her glory and dreams turned into nothing, leaving only endless sadness and regret.

When the film showed Mai discussing her change of heart after her comeback, Shiraishi felt a pang of pain. He clearly remembered Mai's words in the interview: "I feel like I can enjoy every job more happily now."

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart deeply. He understood how much unknown bitterness and hard work lay behind Mai's "happiness"; he also understood that he had missed too many opportunities to share both happiness and sorrow with Mai.

Tears welled up in Shiraishi's eyes, but he fought hard to hold them back. He knew he couldn't wallow in grief; he knew he had something more important to do—carry on Mai's spirit and legacy. He wanted to remember Mai in his own way, cherish the time they spent together, and pursue the dreams she never realized.

The scene remained shrouded in a profound darkness, as if even the light had been swallowed by some invisible force. Yet, within this boundless darkness, a familiar and gentle face quietly emerged, as clear as if seen in daylight. It was the figure Shiraishi had searched for countless times in his dreams—Sakurajima Mai.

Shiraishi sat in front of the TV, staring blankly at the invisible screen. The tears that had been accumulating in his eyes finally found an outlet. They silently slid down his cheeks, leaving behind cold traces. This wasn't the first time he had felt grief, but at this moment, all his defenses seemed to collapse.

Ever since the sudden car accident, Shiraishi's world has been shrouded in endless darkness. The lights of the operating room, the doctor's solemn pronouncements, Mai's mother's tearful reproaches, Kazuka's endless lamentations...none of it managed to bring him to a tear. He seemed bound by an invisible force, unable to express or vent his inner pain.

Until this moment, the emotion that had been suppressed for so long finally burst out like a flood.

"We've tried our best... but unfortunately." The doctor's words were like icy daggers, piercing Shiraishi's heart again and again. From that moment on, he knew that some things were lost forever, something he could never recover no matter how hard he tried. And that belated, brutal emotion finally found its home in his heart: sadness.

Is there really no room for redemption?

Chapter 220 Only You Can Save!

For the first time, he truly felt that he was powerless. Bai Shi felt that something in him was gradually collapsing.

He could not see any ray of hope.

Even so, a slight sound could still be heard nearby. A person stood beside Shiraishi gently and tenderly.

"You are the only one who can save Miss Mai."

Moonlight's gentle voice shone like a beam of light on Bai Shi. However, the news was so sudden that Bai Shi couldn't even react for a moment. His first thought was still that this was impossible.

But his subconscious still forced him to raise his head. He had never seen Medea with such an expression before.

"Why are you here?"

His face even revealed a hint of tenderness and heartache. "There's nothing we can do about it. If the master is too heartbroken, I'm afraid I won't be able to continue in this world."

Then he said the words that Bai Shi wanted to hear the most in the past few days but did not want to admit at all.

"Come on, you still need to go save Miss Mai."

"where to?"

"Where else could it be? Back in time, of course."

Such words shocked Bai Shi. "Is such a thing possible?"

Medea suddenly laughed. "Who do you think is standing before you? I am one of the best magicians."

These words seemed to give Bai Shi endless strength, and he slightly returned to his former self. Medea wanted to reach out and pull Bai Shi up from the ground, but Bai Shi shook his head and supported himself to stand up.

"This is the you I know," said Medea.

"Then please follow me now."

Along the way, Bai Shi had so many things he wanted to ask Medea, but every time he opened his mouth, he couldn't think of how to ask, so he could only keep silent. The two of them walked in silence, and Bai Shi couldn't say anything. He just stared at the figure of Medea walking in front of him.

The two of them walked for an unknown amount of time before Bai Shi saw a familiar building.

"here it is--"

A shrine for friendship!

"Because today is Miss Mai's farewell ceremony, there is no way anyone would be here." Medea said confidently.

"And even if someone finds out, I will use my ability to make him lose this memory."

Medea patted the shrine's large pillars with a hint of pride. Though the sound was quiet, it seemed rather out of place on the empty mountain. The shrine was usually unlit, and now it seemed rather dim. From the dim flickering streetlights along the road below, the shrine's several buildings could be vaguely seen, cloaked in darkness.

"Owner."

"what happened?"

"Why are you walking behind me?" Medea asked a somewhat nonsensical question.

"Because you just asked me to go with you." Bai Shi's answer did not seem to satisfy him.

"If it were your normal self, I'd probably just brush that off as a joke. But I'm afraid you're not in that mood right now."

Medea looked back at Bai Shi, and there was a lot of encouragement in her eyes.

"Even now, I still think I'm in a dream." Bai Shi said with his head down.

Medea said nothing, but turned around and gently held the White Snake's hand in her own, then slowly pressed his palm against her chest.

"You can feel my heartbeat," Medea said. "This is not a dream, and you now have the opportunity to change this, so you must accept it."

Bai Shi looked at Medea in disbelief. He silently walked forward, step by step, and naturally hugged Medea tightly.

Bai Shi needed more energy to deal with Medea's silent surprise. All he could do now was to confirm that he was not dreaming. The reassuring warmth, touch, and breath all proved that he was still alive.

"Master, if you continue to report it, you will be unfaithful." Medea said softly in his arms.

The two of them let go and continued towards their destination.

In order to protect the dry well from being discovered by others, Medea set up multiple barriers. If Bai Shi didn't observe carefully, he would even overlook it.

"You are really amazing." Looking at the precisely set magic barrier, Bai Shi couldn't help but admire.

"But why are we here?"

"You discovered it the last time you came here, didn't you? This dry well is actually a passage to another world," Medea explained. "Actually, calling it a passage isn't quite accurate. It's more like a door, but what the world outside it looks like depends on the user."

Medea gently placed her hand on the stone pestle of the dry well and slowly poured her magic into it. As if reawakening, a strange friction sound began to emanate from within the dry well.

"So how do I get back to the past?"

"You only need to inject most of your magic power into this dry well, and this channel will open for you, but correspondingly, your real body will not leave this world."

Chapter 221 Back to That Place

"In other words, the world inside the well is a parallel world. You can use magic to transmit a part of yourself to that time. Correspondingly, you can change what happens and thus change the current situation."

"Medea, you're giving me a headache by saying that." Bai Shi found it difficult to accept such a complicated concept. He scratched his head and patted the slightly glowing stone, feeling a little embarrassed.

"In short, after you travel to another world, you will exist in this world in the form of energy. There will definitely be someone in this world who can find you. Find that person and save Miss Mai!"

"I can still keep in touch with you in the world within our borders, but once you enter the parallel world, there will be no way for us to get in touch. To put it in an extreme way, if you do everything perfectly in the parallel world, our timeline will be directly deleted."

"Wouldn't that mean you'd disappear too? And the entire world would vanish with you?" Bai Shi was shocked. He hadn't done anything yet, and yet, was an entire universe about to be wiped out?

"No, no, it's not that exaggerated. It's like the butterfly effect. You use your special power to flap your wings again in the past, and countless possibilities will appear in the future. The magic you leave in this world, as long as it can support your consciousness, the entire universe will not collapse."

"In that case, can't I travel to any time I want through this well?" Bai Shi said.

"That's the theory," Medea scratched her head. "But anyone who plays with time will eventually suffer the consequences." "I advise the master to be cautious. Try not to change other people's timelines."

"Okay, without further ado, I'll be leaving first."

Bai Shi seemed to have figured something out in an instant. He patted the well, and the stone, which was originally only glowing slightly, instantly became transparent and bright.

"As long as I can maintain the minimum magic power within my own limit, it will be fine." Bai Shi thought, continuously injecting his vast magic power into the well.

A purple light flashed, and Bai Shi fell down.

A light snowfall began. Medea looked up at the dark sky and exhaled a puff of white mist. "Bon voyage, Master."

Bai Shi felt a damp, cold breeze blowing on his face. It was already late autumn, and the temperature was starting to get colder.

It was this slight chill that made Bai Shi more sober.

He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a familiar ceiling. It was the ceiling of the school. Although Bai Shi hadn't often looked up before, he was incredibly familiar with every inch of the school.

He raised himself slightly and realized that he was lying on the bed in the infirmary. The window was slightly open, so that was the source of the cold air.

The warm afternoon sun irritated Baishe's eyes. He couldn't help but squint slightly. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he searched for something to determine the time. His eyes rested on the small cabinet beside the bed, where there was a small alarm clock.

It happened to be the afternoon of the day when the midterm exam ended, and there were still 10 hours before Mai's accident.

"Am I really back?" Bai Shi raised his hand and looked at his body in disbelief.

Even though he was personally in this situation, it was still hard to believe. Despite this, Shiraishi accepted the current situation in his heart.

0Request flowers

Perhaps it was the cold that made Bai Shi accept it so quickly. He remembered very clearly that the cold that day was extremely cold. When he looked at Ma Yi lying in a pool of blood, the cold wind from the street seemed like it could tear him apart at any time.