Chapter 284 - Little Dumpling

VOLUME 2 - 

"No, no, no...!" Despite the confusion about what was going on, Zoey jolted from the bed as she groped her way towards the switch. 

She had lived in that place for a long time. Hence, if someone was playing a trick on her, she would know. When Zoey felt the switch, she immediately turned it on which caused her eyes to shut involuntarily. 

Slowly, Zoey opened her eyes to adjust to the light. The moment she had a clear view of the room, she gasped in disbelief. 

"No way..." She whispered, rushing towards the door to find out how the exteriors looked like. When she did, Zoey's jaw dropped. 

Although the small office had no lights, Zoey could still see what was outside due to the lights in her room. This office... it was the old office of Z Image Group! It was the set up of her office before the business flourished; before Zoey bought that old building and got it renovated! 

"Uh... am I getting ex— experimented on?" Stuttering, Zoey's breathing grew heavier. It was still a wonder to her that she wasn't experiencing panic attacks during this whole ordeal. 

"What's happening?" Still in the state of confusion, Zoey rummaged the whole room. She had turned it upside down, searching if someone was watching her but to no avail. 

There wasn't a single camera or bug in her room. It was as if she was truly in the old days. As Zoey plopped down on the floor, she unconsciously glanced at the mirror which made her eyes widen once again. 

Slowly, Zoey crawled her way towards it, examining the girl in front of her. The more she stared at her reflection, Zoey could not help but touch her own face. 

"I look... young?" Her lower lip trembled, couldn't believe that she was seeing her younger self again. How could this be?

Just then, Zoey remembered something and immediately searched for her phone. It took her quite a time to find her old phone! Zoey's hand trembled as she reached for the somewhat unfamiliar mobile. 

Carefully, she gulped as she switched it on. When it did, Zoey checked the screen just to get bamboozled again upon laying her eyes on the calendar!

It said June 10, 2012!! 

"2012!!" Zoey screamed, covering her lips as she looked around. Immediately, she searched for XI Corporation's project. 

Thanks to the fast internet, Zoey found the most recent business venture of the XI Corporation. But, all the businesses she remembered that occurred in the year 2019 weren't there yet. 

Hence, Zoey searched for a couple of companies including Enzo Li's booming resort. Alas, none of them showed the projects that Zoey remembered and Enzo Li wasn't a business man as he had just risen to fame. 

She then searched for Matthew Xi's death... the result made her gasp and tear up. Apparently, there was no article about the death of Matthew Xi nor there was a single picture of him on the internet.

���Gosh... what's going on? Please let this be reality..." In between her hiccups, Zoey bent her knees closer to her chest as she buried her face in her palms. 

In her heart, she truly hoped she wasn't just dreaming nor being played a prank upon. She would prefer being crazy and live in that delusion as her reality for the rest of her life. 

At the very least, in this delusion, Matthew Xi was still alive and everyone dear to her. At least, she could live again with everyone. 

"Chuchururu~" Just as Zoey cried silently, she heard a faint voice coming from above. 

Immediately, Zoey raised her head towards the source of the high-pitched voice of a child. What she had witnessed was a small dumpling descending down as if she was a holy being, rendering Zoey speechless. 

"Henlo chu~!" When the small dumpling with tiny hands and feet floated down to meet her eye level, she waved her cute little hand. 

"Chu?" Utterly confused, shocked, and every synonym of those words cemented its meaning that occupied Zoey's state of mind. 

"Chu," Nodding her head that made her very adorable, the little dumpling smiled as she flew closer towards Zoey. 

As the figure flew closer, Zoey crawled back. "Haha! I knew it! I was sent to a mental hospital! Hahaha!" Suddenly, everything made sense to Zoey as she was probably delusional. 

Perhaps, the severity of her situation in reality made her snap. What a joke! How could she even think she had time travelled and believed the lie her mind concocted for her to escape reality? She was really going mental from all the pain her brain had to experience in one day 

"That must be it!" Zoey maniacally laughed. Soon her laughter turned into cries of disappointment. 

"Hahaha — ah!" As she laughed and cried at the same time, Zoey felt a sting on her cheek as the little dumpling slapped her!

It didn't hurt like when a human slapped a person, but the pain was different. It was a bit painful but not at the same time. Regardless, it was enough to bring Zoey back from her chaotic mind. 

"Are you awake now, chu?" Seeing that Zoey seemed to calm down, the little dumpling nodded in satisfaction. 

"As you know, I am only granted a little screen time, so listen to me carefully, okay?" Not wasting a second, the little dumpling flew back as she cleared her throat. 

"My name is Churu, the guide for bracelets for a cause — I mean, saving the deserving pitiful humans like you to redeem myself as an angel!" Churu then pointed at the bracelet that Zoey was wearing, the one Zoey bought during her honeymoon while they were out strolling. 

"This..." Zoey saw the bracelet gleam faintly before it slowly vanished from her wrist. 

"I'm that granny!" Like magic, Churu transformed into the grandma that read Zoey's palm. 

"Ah!" Surprised by the transformation, Zoey's jaw dropped as she could remember this granny because she had remembered her words after Matthew Xi's deaths. 

"No, you're not dreaming chu!" Hearing Zoey's thoughts, Churu shook her head before she transformed back into a dumpling. 

"You were given a chance to have a second life because God is bored and I really need to be a good devil, chukay? So, this time, make good choices and don't just blow your head off once again chu!" Slowly, Churu rushed her words like a small mother, with her small hands on her flabby waist, scolding Zoey for what she did before the power of the bracelet was activated. 

"In simple terms, you're now back eight years before your suicide mission; seven years before your husband and child's death. This is neither a dream, nor a hallucination, and you're not delusional. This is like a... reset!" Cocking her head to the side, Churu rubbed her chin as she pondered on the term to use. 

"Anyway, I'm a bit busy cause I'm meeting other customers who transmigrated, reincarnated, and time-traveled like chu. Business is booming lately because you guys seemed to have a silent agreement to die at almost the same time chu!" From her calm pitchy tone, Churu's voice escalated into a frustrated one as she glared at Zoey. 

"So, live this life wisechuly! There's no next time, chukay?" Giving Zoey her last reminder, Churu placed her palm together as if a saint praying and slowly ascended. 

"Wait —!" Seeing the small dumpling leave after spouting whatever she wanted, Zoey raised her voice and shouted. 

"W — why me?" Despite the myriad of questions Zoey could ask, these three words were the only successful one that left her lips. 

"Just think that the author of your life still wants to write your story chu~!" Churu glanced down, shrugging her shoulder as she was just merely doing her job to benefit herself. "I should ask her to start writing mine since I'm popular chu!" Churu sighed, shaking her head as she continued to ascend like a holy angel until Zoey could no longer see her. 

"Second chance, huh...?" Zoey hadn't completely believed the dumplings words, but deep down, she wanted to believe her.