Chapter 102: Fleeting Years Shattered Like a Dream, Time Flows Like Water Never to Return (Part 2)

Chen Ou never expected Rona to live right across from him.

When Chen Ou saw Aunt Sun from the building opposite coming to meet this new tenant, he was utterly bewildered. Fate can be strange, but does it have to be *this* strange?

Of course, Aunt Sun and Rona were equally surprised.

Chen Ou still vividly remembered the look Aunt Sun gave him—it was as if her own pig had suddenly rooted up a tender little cabbage...

Damn it, Chen Ou and Rona were perfectly innocent; it was their very first meeting! Aunt Sun, why are you making such a fuss?

Fortunately, during their conversation, Chen Ou learned that Aunt Sun’s family was planning to move abroad and had no intention of buying property here. For Chinese people, owning a home in their hometown is still very important, so they decided to rent out their apartment. Coincidentally, this young lady was coming to Magic City for graduate studies, so they rented the place to Rona.

Even more coincidentally, Rona and Chen Ou attended the same university...

Good heavens, good heavens...

This kind of fate was no mere coincidence—it was as if the matchmaker himself had forged the connection with reinforced steel.

Along the way, Rona, who could understand Chinese, overheard Aunt Sun explaining to Chen Ou how to “win over” her, and blushed deeply. Chen Ou was utterly embarrassed. But seeing that Rona only blushed and showed no other reaction, he chose not to reveal to Aunt Sun that Rona understood Chinese.

After all, if that came out, Aunt Sun would be mortified on the spot. Since Aunt Sun had cared for Chen Ou since he was young, he didn’t want to put her in an awkward position. So he went along with it quietly, all the while apologizing silently to Rona with his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Sun didn’t mean anything by it.”

In fact, as soon as he sent that look, Chen Ou regretted it. How could he expect a stranger he’d just met to understand his silent messages? He was about to withdraw his gaze and apologize to Rona later.

But strangely enough, Rona understood...

“It’s okay, I understand,” she said with a graceful smile, returning his gaze.

Even stranger—why did *he* understand her look?

Chen Ou didn’t feel happy; instead, the whole situation seemed filled with a strange, eerie atmosphere. More importantly, his intuition told him something was wrong. Yet deep inside, another voice urged him to believe these were just normal coincidences, nothing worth overthinking. He should just let things be.

Chen Ou watched as Rona and Aunt Sun entered the building across from his own. Rona smiled at him and gave a “see you later” glance.

Chen Ou smiled back and then closed his door.

He tossed his backpack aside and collapsed onto the sofa, his face darkening.

“Very normal... just let it be...”

Bullshit! How can there be so many coincidences? A foreign beauty asks you for directions on your way home, then it turns out you live in the same complex, then she lives right across from you, and on top of that, she might even have a tiny little crush on you...

Nonsense! There’s no such thing as that many coincidences.

Chen Ou started replaying everything from the morning in his mind.

“I got up and started gaming. After winning 15 straight, I was suddenly killed by a mage. What was that mage using again...?”

“Fierce Bite... Garchomp,” Chen Ou spat out the words through clenched teeth.

An image of Garchomp appeared in his mind. Standing next to it was a figure—human-like but indistinct.

“Then Lin Xue invited me to eat... Xue?”

“I went to find Xiao Lu, no, Xiao Lv and Lao Hong… I went to pick up a book…”

“A book? What book did I order?”

Chen Ou frowned and closed his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall.

He opened his eyes, got up, grabbed his backpack from the floor, and placed it on the table to search through.

Soon, he pulled out an unopened book.

The title was *I Really Am Not a Trainer*.

Chen Ou quickly finished reading it.

Coincidentally, the protagonist of the book was also named Chen Ou. The unlucky main character was transported into the Pokémon world, befriended Red, Green, Nana, and became the apprentice of Professor Oak. He had a romance with Cynthia, and two subordinates named Xue and Meng...

How coincidental!

“Coincidental? My ass!” Chen Ou growled under his breath.

He slammed the book onto the floor, his face darkening as flames began to flicker around him.

“Who’s there? Come out! I’ll show you I’m not someone to mess with!”

Chen Ou’s anger was almost uncontrollable.

He knew he was being toyed with. Even if he hadn’t noticed the strange nature of these coincidences and had enjoyed this harmonious illusion, when he recalled this book and opened it, memories flooded back.

“Hey, hey, don’t be mad, darling!”

Suddenly, a man with silver-rimmed glasses appeared before Chen Ou, sitting casually on his sofa with a cup of coffee in hand.

Chen Ou didn’t strike him—not because he didn’t want to, but because he dared not.

When this man appeared, the sound of the air conditioner vanished, the cicadas’ chirping disappeared, and the children playing downstairs fell silent...

Chen Ou noticed a fly hovering in the air, trapped as if encased in transparent amber.

His expression shifted rapidly before settling into calm.

The man with glasses looked at Chen Ou and smiled brightly. “It seems the most comforting thing really is a bigger fist.”

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Chen Ou asked flatly.

Ignoring the man’s tone, Chen Ou stared into his eyes, searching for something.

But sadly, those deep, starless eyes revealed nothing.

The man’s playful facade vanished. He stood and bowed deeply.

“Apologies. Due to our operational error, we mistakenly placed you into the Pokémon world. On behalf of Infinite Games, I offer you our sincerest apologies.”

After speaking, he sat back down with his usual carefree expression.

Chen Ou took a deep breath, trying to suppress his fury.

But unfortunately, he failed.

“Fire Fist!!!”

A thick pillar of flame erupted from Chen Ou’s hand, striking the man with glasses fiercely.

The fire pillar pierced through the walls, melting everything before him. When the flames dissipated, the man’s charred remains crumbled into dust.

“All right, calm down now? We can talk.”

Chen Ou whirled around sharply, and the man reappeared at the doorway.

Still smiling, as if nothing had happened.