If my childhood sweetheart could destroy the world

Night fell.

On the top floor of a skyscraper overlooking the entire city’s glittering skyline, a woman sat casually on a wool rug in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.

She was Luo Jinghong—the No. 1 ranked hero, the Prophet.

Tonight, she wasn’t wearing her signature silver mask. Instead, she idly played with her phone in her hands.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind her—silent, without a single footstep.

Luo Jinghong stiffened, then sighed in resignation. Without turning around, she spoke.

“Lu Qingyin! I’ve told you countless times—use the front door when you come in!”

She turned, feigning irritation.

“I’m not young anymore. My heart can’t take these scares.”

The girl known as Lu Qingyin looked a good ten years younger, with features that bore a striking resemblance to her sister.

She playfully stuck her tongue out, then raised her hands and signed in fluent sign language.

‘Sister, you can see the future—didn’t you already know I was coming?’

“I can’t keep my ability active twenty-four hours a day,” Luo Jinghong grumbled, patting the rug beside her.

“Come sit.”

Obediently, Lu Qingyin sat down, her eyes curious as they landed on the phone in her sister’s hand.

“Tomorrow afternoon, go to White Whale Café and bring Yang Yuan here.”

Lu Qingyin nodded to show she understood, then signed again.

‘Sister, do you really think what we’re doing can change the future?’

The question dimmed Luo Jinghong’s gaze. She fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

“I don’t know. But we have to try.”

“Yang Yuan’s appearance already altered one future I foresaw. Maybe… he’s the only variable.”

Her eyes settled on her younger sister, filled with complex emotions—affection, guilt, and buried pain.

“I failed to change *our* future once.”

“But this time, the fate of all humanity is at stake. I *have* to succeed.”

The next afternoon, in front of White Whale Café in Qingtai City’s west district.

Yang Yuan arrived on time, leaning against the wall as he scanned the passing crowd.

The sunlight was harsh, forcing him to squint at his phone.

2:12 PM.

“Twelve minutes late… where is she…”

Just as he muttered under his breath, a familiar figure entered his sight.

A girl approached, holding a steaming box of takoyaki. She skewered a piece and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly, her cheeks puffed with bliss.

Yang Yuan recognized her instantly—the superpowered girl who had crawled out of his shadow at the hospital.

Lu Qingyin spotted him soon after. She strolled over without hurry, stopped in front of him, and pulled out her phone.

The screen displayed a pre-written note.

“Sorry I’m late. Passed a takoyaki stand and couldn’t resist. Wasted a few minutes.”

Yang Yuan wanted to complain, but her unbothered attitude made it impossible to stay mad.

Lu Qingyin tucked the phone away, then typed a new message.

“Sister sent me to pick you up. Get ready. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a nearby empty alley.

The alley was quiet, the distant hum of traffic the only sound. Lu Qingyin released his hand and typed again.

“Relax. Don’t resist.”

Before Yang Yuan could process what that meant, Lu Qingyin skewered a piping-hot piece of takoyaki and shoved it straight into his mouth.

Rich sauce and savory flavor exploded across his tongue.

As he instinctively chewed, Lu Qingyin quickly finished the rest of the takoyaki, tossing the empty box with perfect aim into the trash bin at the alley’s entrance.

“Not bad.”

The thought had barely formed when Lu Qingyin suddenly spread her arms and pressed herself against him, hugging him tightly.

Her body was soft and slender. Through the thin fabric, Yang Yuan could feel her warmth, her heartbeat, and the clean scent of soap filling his nose.

He instinctively tried to pull away—but then remembered the [Insight] panel’s warning. This was the required condition for her ability to activate.

Lu Qingyin buried her face in his chest, even nuzzling slightly as if satisfied.

Then, the ground beneath his feet vanished.

The world spun like a broken washing machine.

Light and color twisted into streaks. Gravity disappeared. Direction lost all meaning. Nausea surged from his stomach up to his throat.

The sensation lasted only seconds—yet felt like an eternity.

When solid ground returned, Yang Yuan’s legs buckled. He nearly collapsed.

“Ugh…”

He clamped a hand over his mouth, fighting the violent urge to vomit.

“Breathe deeply. Dizziness is normal.”

Another familiar voice came from ahead.

Yang Yuan looked up.

He was now inside an extremely spacious, luxurious room.

Lu Qingyin still supported his arm. Before him stood the silver-masked woman.

“Lu Qingyin!”

Luo Jinghong clearly hadn’t expected this dramatic entrance. She’d assumed her sister would finally listen and use the front door this time.

She hurried over, yanked Lu Qingyin to her side, and pinched her sister’s smooth cheek hard.

“I told you to use the front door! Why won’t you ever listen?”

Lu Qingyin’s face squished comically. She pouted and signed.

“I forgot.”

Luo Jinghong knew she couldn’t win. With a sigh, she let go.

Yang Yuan felt like his insides had been scrambled. He hadn’t expected this ability to come with motion sickness as a side effect.

Lu Qingyin handed him a glass of warm water and helped him sit on the sofa.

The soothing warmth eased his nausea slightly. After a few deep breaths, he looked up at the masked woman.

“Now that we’ve met, can we finally talk seriously about the future?”

“Don’t worry,” Luo Jinghong said, adjusting her posture and crossing her legs. “This time, I won’t speak in riddles.”

She studied Yang Yuan with quiet interest.

“In several major events I’ve foreseen, your figure appears again and again.”

“Me?” Yang Yuan couldn’t imagine what future version of himself could possibly be involved.

“At first, I was curious too—why would a man appear at so many critical turning points?”

“Now, I suspect you might possess something extraordinary.”

The probing tone made Yang Yuan realize she was trying to uncover his secrets.

“I know what you’re getting at,” he admitted calmly. Then he added, “But I don’t fully trust you yet. So I’ll borrow a page from your riddle-loving book.”

Luo Jinghong’s lips twitched beneath her mask. She hadn’t expected this kid to hold a grudge and throw her past behavior back at her.

She didn’t press the issue. Instead, she dropped a far heavier revelation.

“You don’t have to tell me. Because our goals are the same.”

“You want to change the future where your childhood friend dies in your arms. I want to change the future where this world is destroyed.”

“The world… destroyed?”

Yang Yuan couldn’t believe it. He could accept personal tragedy—but global annihilation sounded like fantasy.

“Exactly,” Luo Jinghong replied, her tone simple but heavy.

“I only see the final outcome. The path to it—the spark that starts it all—my ability can’t reveal.”

A terrifying thought surged from the depths of Yang Yuan’s mind.

“Could a disaster of that scale… possibly be connected to Xiaoyou?”

He didn’t dare go further.

Luo Jinghong caught the violent shift in his emotions. She knew the moment had come.

She walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the bustling city below.

“So, Yang Yuan—I formally invite you to become a hero.”

“The shadow of destruction is approaching. And you… are the only flicker of light I’ve seen that can break through it.”