I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

To the three girls, Feng Qi's interference didn't matter at all.

When he struck back, they were already prepared to retaliate. As for potential punishment from Star City Academy, they weren't worried. Winterfell Academy would step in to negotiate on their behalf. At worst, they'd be sent back to their academy.

In fact, compared to Star City Academy's stricter rules, Winterfell Academy's environment suited them better. They never felt comfortable with Star City's structure, and being sent back didn't sound like a punishment at all.

But with Lin Ran appearing, the situation changed entirely.

Lin Ran was not just an ordinary exchange student—he was their team leader, tasked with coordinating affairs between Winterfell Academy and Star City Academy. Moreover, his reputation in Winterfell Academy was untouchable.

Having been preemptively accepted into the Tiger Soul Research Institute, Lin Ran was considered a prodigy in Winterfell Academy. He was an idol to countless students, someone they looked up to and tried to emulate.

Offending Lin Ran would mean not only crossing him but also alienating a large portion of Winterfell Academy's student body. That was a risk none of them wanted to take.

As Lin Ran approached, fury evident in his eyes, the three girls grew visibly flustered. They weren't sure where they had gone wrong to incur Lin Ran's anger.

They soon understood.

Lin Ran walked straight to Feng Qi and, with a somewhat embarrassed look, said, "Qi-ge, I'm sorry for the trouble. They're exchange students from Winterfell Academy."

Hearing Lin Ran address Feng Qi as "Qi-ge" left the three girls stunned.

They knew Lin Ran well—beneath his polite demeanor was an unmistakable arrogance. Though he treated everyone with respect, earning his genuine recognition was rare. Even within Winterfell Academy, there were only a handful of people Lin Ran truly admired.

Now, Lin Ran was not only referring to Feng Qi as "Qi-ge" but also apologizing on his behalf. The implications were clear: Lin Ran held this young man in extremely high regard.

Feng Qi ignored Lin Ran's words for the moment. He turned his attention toward Mu Qing, still curled up against the wall, and said coldly, "Apologize."

The three girls instinctively looked at Lin Ran, hoping for his intervention, but his gaze remained cold and unyielding.

Seeing no way out, they hurried over to Mu Qing, their demeanor noticeably more subdued. "We're sorry, Mu Qing-jie. We went too far."

"Get lost!" Feng Qi snapped.

Startled by his sudden shout, the three girls quickly turned and ran out of the Body Refining Room without daring to look back.

With the room now silent, Feng Qi walked over to Mu Qing. He crouched beside her, gently reaching out to help her stand.

That's when he noticed tears streaming down Mu Qing's face.

Following her gaze, Feng Qi looked down and saw it—a broken harmonica, snapped cleanly in two on the ground.

Feng Qi's expression stiffened. He knew what that harmonica meant to Mu Qing because of the Nightmare ability, which had shown him glimpses of her memories.

It was a gift from her father—his last parting gift.

Every time Mu Qing played the harmonica, it was a quiet moment for her to think of her family and remember her loved ones.

Now, the harmonica that had been by her side for over ten years was broken.

"Wu… wu…"

Tears poured down Mu Qing's face as her sobs grew louder. The cold, aloof mask she always wore finally crumbled, and she wept openly, releasing the emotions she had been suppressing for so long.

Feng Qi said nothing. He crouched next to her, silently accompanying her as she cried.

As an orphan himself, he understood the feeling—how someone might attach their grief and longing to an object, using it as a fragile thread connecting them to the past.

When that object broke, it was like losing that connection all over again.

He lightly patted Mu Qing's shoulder and said softly, "Mu Qing-jie, let's go eat. Once we're full, we'll feel better."

Mu Qing lifted her tear-streaked face to look at Feng Qi. For a moment, she was taken aback—his words reminded her of something her father had once said to her.

"Mu Mu, eat well, and you'll have the strength to stand up. Don't cry."

This was the first time someone had protected her. The first time she had felt warmth like this.

Feng Qi's words lingered in her mind as a fresh wave of tears fell. But this time, there was no sorrow—only relief.

Mu Qing picked up the broken harmonica from the ground, her eyes still brimming with sorrow. Yet she quickly suppressed her emotions and turned to Feng Qi.

"Let's go eat."

"Alright! The 'Three-Person Eating Squad' is ready to roll!" Lin Ran chimed in cheerfully beside her.

As for those three girls, Lin Ran already knew exactly how to deal with them.

By the time they arrived at the cafeteria, lunch hour had passed.

Fortunately, the self-service area was still well-stocked with food. The three of them filled their plates and began eating heartily.

Mu Qing ate more than usual, and as the meal progressed, her emotions gradually stabilized.

After they finished eating, the three parted ways. Feng Qi returned alone to his dormitory.

Just before entering the room, he noticed a package placed at his door.

It was the Twilight Wolf Rune Crystal he had ordered online the day before.

After stepping into the dormitory, he unpacked the parcel and retrieved the crystal. Without hesitation, he bit into it and swallowed.

As his body temperature slowly rose, the energy progress bar began to climb. Finally, it stopped at 141.76%.

Compared to the previous Twilight Wolf Rune Crystal, this one was slightly less effective, but still acceptable to him.

With the energy threshold met, Feng Qi was now ready to enter the Dream Realm.

However, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he sat down to plan carefully.

He was determined to maximize the value of every trip into the Dream Realm.

His bank account balance no longer allowed him the luxury of being careless.

The purchase of this Twilight Wolf Rune Crystal had cost him 880,000 yuan, leaving only 1.87 million yuan in his account—barely enough to fund two more trips.

Before finding a stable source of income, he had to be extremely cautious. He couldn't afford to repeat the recklessness of previous entries.

Feng Qi's mindset was like a gamer preparing for a major investment, carefully strategizing how to spend money for the maximum return on investment.

Sitting at his desk, he powered on his tablet and navigated to a shopping website.

Mu Qing's harmonica was broken beyond repair. Feng Qi decided to gift her a brand-new one.

For the future World-Ending Overlord, he really felt like he was worrying over every detail of her life.

After searching for "harmonica," several listings appeared on the screen.

One particular silver harmonica caught his eye.

[Voice of Nature (Harmonica)]

Holes: 10

Type: Chromatic

Material: Radiant Spirit Domain Field - Lightwood Resin

…

Feng Qi wasn't particularly knowledgeable about harmonicas, so he clicked into the reviews section to see what other buyers had to say.

After browsing for a while, he noticed that the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Satisfied, he clicked "Buy."

This harmonica was not cheap. The material used to craft it included rare spiritual plants harvested from domain fields, which significantly drove up the price.

It cost him 30,000 yuan.

As he finalized the purchase, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. But more than anything, he hoped this small gesture could make a difference.

At the very least, it might help Mu Qing see that not everyone in this world despised her—that some people were willing to offer her warmth.

With that done, Feng Qi opened his notebook and started drafting his next "conversation with the future."

In addition to the three key messages he had written before, he began jotting down some new thoughts that might prove useful.

For example:

"If possible, marry early and have children. Leave behind a family legacy, and ensure you establish a rule for your descendants—help me gain access to the Star City Database permission account. Although you will die young, one of your descendants might eventually enter Star City Shelter and obtain database credentials."

"Hint: You must act quickly. You never know when you might be gone for good."