Ch 15: Text Messages Across Time

Qin Weidong wore a white hoodie today with a red jacket over it. The outfit wasn’t thin, but after waiting downstairs at Lin Wu’s place for two hours, with the cool breeze blowing, he was starting to feel cold.

He felt like he was looking for trouble. He had already decided to ignore the messages, but there were too many things about the unknown number that didn’t make sense. After thinking it over again and again, he decided to make one last attempt.

It was Sunday. No. 1 High School let out at three.

He made up his mind at five in the afternoon while playing basketball with Hu Wei and the others. Once he decided, he grabbed his jacket and left like a gust of wind. Translated on Hololo novels. He first took a taxi to Lin Wu’s home, but no one was there. After waiting a while, he went to the bookstore from last week, but it was empty too.

With no other choice, he returned downstairs to Lin Wu’s building and waited. From seven to eight, then nine. He cleared level after level on his Tetris game, while Lin Wu’s apartment remained dark.

“Damn it!” Qin Weidong was getting cold. He wanted to leave, but after waiting so long, it felt frustrating to go now.

After hesitating, he decided to keep waiting. Just then, his phone rang.

“Yeah?” It was Hu Wei. Qin Weidong answered casually.

“Brother Qin, we’re back at school. Why haven’t we seen you? When are you coming back?” Hu Wei and the others had just finished hot pot and were now lying comfortably on their dorm beds.

Hearing the relaxed tone on the other end, Qin Weidong replied faintly, “Probably around eleven.” It was seven kilometers back to school. He planned to wait another hour. If no one showed up by ten-thirty, he’d head back.

“That late?” Hu Wei sat up, curious. “Where did you go?” Qin Weidong had been acting mysterious lately, and he felt something was being hidden from him.

“Just some personal stuff. Why do you care so much?” Qin Weidong snapped back. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Hu Wei, but he hadn’t figured things out himself. No point making it more confusing.

“I was just curious…” Hu Wei quickly backed off.

They chatted a bit more. Hu Wei mentioned going to the store and asked if Qin Weidong wanted anything. On the other end, Qin Weidong seemed to jump off the steps and suddenly said, “I’ve got something to do. Hanging up.” Then he ended the call immediately.

Hu Wei: ???

He just hung up like that?

…

“Go back and get some rest. You’ve got school tomorrow.” On a small path in the steel factory residential compound, Lin Wu walked with Wang Manshan’s family.

Today was the sixth day since Luo Xiaorong changed jobs. Over the past few days, Wang Manshan had quietly checked in on the second cafeteria. There were twenty employees there. They weren’t particularly warm to Luo Xiaorong, but no one bullied her behind her back either. She worked diligently, and the manager treated her well.

“Uncle Wang, thank you for everything. I get off early on Sundays. I was thinking we could find a place and have both families get together sometime…” Lin Wu didn’t seem sociable, but he understood basic courtesy. Wang Manshan had helped them a lot recently, and Lin Wu wanted to return the favor.

“Let’s just pick somewhere nearby. No need to go far,” Wang Manshan said, understanding Lin Wu’s temperament. In the end, they chose a modest Sichuan restaurant. The prices were low, the portions generous. After eating their fill, they headed back.

“Huihui’s monthly test is coming up. If she doesn’t understand anything, she can always ask me,” Lin Wu said as they neared home, holding Luo Xiaorong’s hand.

“We just started school and already have exams. It’s too early…” Wang Jiahui was lively and sensible, but the mention of exams made her slump.

“You’re just getting started. For the next three years, you’ll be taking tests constantly,” Hao Shuqin said, teasing her.

“Ahhh!” Wang Jiahui groaned dramatically.

Laughing and chatting, they arrived downstairs at Lin Wu’s building. Just as Lin Wu was about to say goodbye, he looked up and saw the tall boy by the flowerbed.

At first, Qin Weidong had been standing. Then he sat on the edge of the flowerbed. His backside got cold, so he switched to squatting. After half an hour of squatting, when he suddenly stood up, both legs went numb.

He ignored it, rubbing his legs while looking at the group, finally fixing his gaze on Lin Wu. Casually, he said, “Back already?”

“Why are you here?” Lin Wu pulled Luo Xiaorong slightly behind him, looking at Qin Weidong with caution.

“I had a math problem I couldn’t solve. Just happened to pass by your place, so I thought I’d ask you,” Qin Weidong said, making up an excuse on the spot.

“Do you know each other?” Wang Manshan asked suspiciously. He knew Lin Wu had been bullied before. Seeing this tall boy, he worried there might be trouble.

“Uncle, Auntie, I’m Lin Wu’s friend. We’re not from the same school, but we’re pretty close. I often ask him for help with studying,” Qin Weidong answered first. Though he was a troublemaker, his sunny demeanor and dimples made him seem sincere and polite.

“Your friend?” Wang Manshan looked at Lin Wu.

“…Yes,” Lin Wu said after a brief pause.

He was furious. This felt worse than being followed before. It felt like his territory was being invaded. Translated on Hololo novels. He wanted to confront Qin Weidong and ask why he kept pestering him. But with Wang Manshan’s family and Luo Xiaorong present, it wasn’t the time to escalate things.

“Uncle, Auntie, I came in a hurry tonight and didn’t bring anything. Next time, I’ll definitely make it up,” Qin Weidong continued, fully committing to the act. In his upbringing, visiting elders meant bringing gifts.

“Oh, you don’t need to bring anything. If we’d known you were here, we would’ve invited you to dinner,” Wang Manshan said quickly, charmed by his politeness.

“It’s alright. There’ll be plenty of chances in the future,” Qin Weidong replied easily.

Lin Wu couldn’t stand it anymore. “Uncle Wang, Auntie Hao, I’ll take my mom upstairs first. It’s cold outside. You should head home too.”

“Alright. Don’t stay up too late studying,” Wang Manshan said. Seeing that Qin Weidong wasn’t there to cause trouble, the three of them left with peace of mind. Before leaving, Wang Jiahui glanced at Qin Weidong a couple of times, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.

Three minutes later, Lin Wu brought Luo Xiaorong home. Once inside, he actually didn’t want to go back down, but he worried the other person might do something inappropriate, like coming upstairs and knocking on the door. After thinking it over, he peeked through the curtain and saw the boy was still downstairs. In the end, he told Luo Xiaorong and went down.

When Lin Wu came downstairs, he was still seething, but by the time he stepped out of the building, he had already suppressed all his emotions.

“Hello. Do you need something?” Lin Wu asked politely.

“Got a few math problems I can’t solve. Thought I’d ask you,” Qin Weidong continued his nonsense.

Lin Wu stared at him in silence, then asked, “Which problem?”

Qin Weidong spread his hands. “Ah, forgot to bring them.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” Lin Wu turned to leave.

“Hey, hey, hey, do you really have no sense of humor at all?” Qin Weidong quickly stopped him, dropping the act as he pulled out his phone. “These are the chat records I had with that person. I didn’t lie to you. Those two car accidents before, he told me to pass them on to you.”

He had been scrolling through the messages just now. First it was two car accidents, then suddenly two murders. It sounded ridiculous even to him. Rather than struggling to explain, it was better to let Lin Wu see for himself.

“Start from the sixth,” Qin Weidong said, handing over the phone.

Lin Wu found it strange, but curiosity made him take it.

The message screen was already set to September 6. Lin Wu read—

【Then how did you know the time of the fire?】

【Since I told you about the fire, please go to Class 5, Grade 3 of Xuhu No. 1 High School and find Lin Wu…】

【Please make sure to tell him! Thank you.】

…

That was from September 6. Then came September 7 to 14. During those days, all the messages were from the other side, mostly things like “Hello, please reply” and just a “.”.

Lin Wu scrolled quickly. Then came last night—

【I can tell you why I know, on the condition that you go tomorrow to Class 5, Grade 3 of Xuhu No. 1 High School and find Lin Wu…】

【Tomorrow night between 22:12 and 22:27, hand the phone to Lin Wu…】

【Please make sure to help! Thank you!】

…

“Let me explain first! I’m not crazy. This number is a blank number. I thought it was strange, so I followed the message instructions to find you…”

Qin Weidong explained why he had followed him, then pulled out the receipt for his new phone and yesterday’s repair invoice. “Look at the dates. My phone was broken before and only got fixed yesterday. I didn’t receive any messages during that time. I think it’s pretty bizarre. Enough for a three-part documentary.”

He felt incredibly proud. Chat history, phone receipt, repair invoice. Everything was there. Surely that proved he wasn’t playing a prank. And even if it was a prank, it definitely wasn’t him!

While Qin Weidong kept rambling, Lin Wu felt his thoughts in chaos. His instinct said it was a prank, but he had no money or influence. Why would anyone target him? And even if it was a setup, what was the point?

After thinking in circles, he asked, “You really don’t know?”

“I really don’t! I’m helping someone out of the goodness of my heart!” Qin Weidong emphasized his noble character.

Five minutes later, Qin Weidong sat on the stone where Lin Wu usually washed clothes, a cushion placed underneath. Lin Wu sat about three meters away on a plastic stool he had brought down. After discussing, they decided to wait together until 22:12. If it was a prank, they could figure it out through the conversation.

“This is my phone. There’s no need to stop me from looking, right?” Qin Weidong was annoyed. After their discussion, Lin Wu had taken his phone and didn’t want him to see it.

“The message said he wants to talk to me alone,” Lin Wu replied.

He knew it sounded a bit unreasonable, but his reasoning was simple.

If this was a prank involving the boy and someone else, then it didn’t matter whether Qin Weidong looked or not. The other side would know the conversation anyway. But if it wasn’t a prank, and the unknown number kept insisting on contacting him, then the content might involve something personal. Until he understood the other party’s intent, he didn’t want a third person involved.

Seeing Qin Weidong still unhappy, Lin Wu added, “I’ll check what he says first. If it’s nothing important, I’ll let you see it, alright?” When he said “alright,” there was clear apology in his tone.

He was cautious, but not unreasonable. If Qin Weidong really had been trying to help, then Lin Wu’s earlier attitude hadn’t been fair.

Qin Weidong softened immediately. He was the type who responded better to softness than force. With a snort, he said, “It’s not like I’m dying to read someone else’s messages anyway. Just don’t scroll through my other messages or click any weird links.”

“I won’t,” Lin Wu nodded.

Under the faint warm light, the two sat three meters apart, waiting for 22:12.

At 22:12, as if triggered by some signal, the message screen lit up in Lin Wu’s hand.

Then he saw a new message:

【Is this Lin Wu.】

It was phrased like a question, yet ended with a period, as if the sender already knew the person holding the phone was Lin Wu.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

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