Ch 16: Text Messages Across Time

【Is this Lin Wu.】

At the Xuhu hotel in 2024, after sending that message, Lin Wu stared at his phone. In his mind was the seventeen-year-old version of himself he had “seen” today.

From what he had figured out, every night at 22:12, his memories from age seventeen would refresh, covering everything from “last night” at 22:12 up to the present 22:12, like watching a documentary that had just happened.

Today, he saw himself going to school as usual, eating at a Sichuan restaurant with Wang Manshan’s family, even picking out Luo Xiaorong’s favorite blueberry yam for her… Everything was vivid, even sitting downstairs with the tall boy felt as fresh as if it had just happened.

Three seconds after sending the message, the reply came:

【Who are you?】

He had just “seen” his seventeen-year-old self sitting downstairs with the phone, but he wasn’t sure if anything had changed in those few seconds. After thinking for a moment, he asked:

【What did you eat this morning?】

Seventeen-year-old Lin Wu: ???

He found the question strange, but still replied:

【Millet porridge, tea eggs, and two vegetable buns.】

【Chive and egg?】

【Fennel and egg.】

【Are you the only one looking at the phone?】

Lin Wu was now certain the person holding the phone was himself.

【Yes.】

The younger Lin Wu didn’t want to keep answering meaningless questions and was about to ask something back when a new message appeared—

【I am you, twenty years from now.】

…

Downstairs in the 2004 residential compound, Qin Weidong and Lin Wu sat three meters apart, listening to the constant stream of message notifications. Lin Wu kept his head down, typing. His phone had a color screen, and from Qin Weidong’s angle, the glow made Lin Wu’s face look smaller.

“Still not done?” Qin Weidong didn’t have a phone to check the time, but it felt like ten minutes had passed.

“Almost…” Lin Wu pressed his lips together, typing seriously.

Qin Weidong grew irritated again when Lin Wu ignored him. “What time is it?”

“22:22.”

Lin Wu looked calm, but his mind was already a mess.

Ten minutes earlier, when the other side claimed to be his future self, his first reaction had been disbelief. But the other side seemed to understand his thought patterns perfectly and, before he could question anything, listed a series of private details only he would know. Childhood hiding spots during fights, his least favorite vegetables, even his habits when solving problems. Every single thing was correct.

“On my side, it’s September 16, 2024. Every night at 22:12, I refresh your memories from 2004,” the unknown number said.

“What did I write in my notebook during third-period math today?” Lin Wu asked.

“You drew a circle with a compass, then felt it wasn’t right to daydream in class, so you crossed it out. About twenty seconds between drawing and erasing.”

“What did I eat for lunch?”

“Tomato and egg, two liang of rice. You brought 7.2 yuan today. The meal cost 1.5.”

“You…”

“You’re wondering how I know so clearly, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I told you. I am you, twenty years from now.”

Lin Wu found it all too unbelievable. But he couldn’t explain how the unknown number knew everything so precisely.

His thoughts spiraled. At 22:25, a long message came through—

【Lin Wu, you must remember this:
On November 19, 2004, at 8 p.m., Wang Jiahui is killed.
On December 15, Luo Xiaorong is in a car accident.

This was the original timeline. On the night of September 9, after the tall boy told you the information, you tried to stop it, and the outcome changed:
November 19, Wang Jiahui is killed.
You prevented the accident, but on December 17, Luo Xiaorong is killed.

This is my mistake. I didn’t say Wang Jiahui was murdered, which led you to believe she only needed to watch traffic… Now both have become random murders. You must pay attention to these two times.】

【Tomorrow, September 17, 2004, Uncle Wang will win a rice cooker in a supermarket lottery. At 10 p.m., he will bring you five jin of autumn pears.】

【All of this is real. You must pay attention to these two times!】

…

In 2024, after sending all that, Lin Wu collapsed back into his chair, exhausted.

The memory for September 17 hadn’t refreshed yet, but in both timelines, “Luo Xiaorong changing jobs and celebrating a week later at a Sichuan restaurant” had not changed. He clearly remembered Wang Manshan winning the rice cooker the next day and insisting it was thanks to the “good fortune” of Luo Xiaorong’s new job.

Lin Wu knew that wasn’t true, but it had been one of his few happy memories in senior year, so it stayed vivid.

He checked the time. 22:28. The messages had stopped.

…

Back downstairs in the residential compound, Qin Weidong hadn’t heard any notification sounds for a while. He looked over.

“Still not done?”

Lin Wu stood up at that moment and handed the phone back. “Done.”

“Let me see.” Qin Weidong took it, wanting to read the chat, only to find everything had been deleted. Not just the chat, even the recycle bin was wiped clean.

“Deleted that thoroughly, huh…” Qin Weidong muttered.

He was about to joke when he noticed Lin Wu’s face was deathly pale, completely drained of color.

“What’s wrong with you?!” Qin Weidong startled. Then a thought struck him. “Did he threaten you?”

He remembered Lin Wu had been bullied before. Maybe the unknown number was one of those people.

“Who is this guy?!” Qin Weidong grew angry, feeling like he had helped the wrong person.

“No one threatened me.” Lin Wu tried to steady himself, then looked at him. “What’s your name?”

“Qin Weidong. Wei as in guarding the country, Dong as in east, west, south, north.”

“My name is Lin Wu.”

“I know.”

“You’re a high school student?”

“Yeah. Lide High, Class 2, senior year.” Qin Weidong hesitated, still worried. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine…” Lin Wu felt he should say thank you, but his thoughts were too tangled. He couldn’t even trust himself right now, let alone Qin Weidong. The words wouldn’t come out.

“It’s late. You should head back and rest.” Qin Weidong wanted to ask more about the unknown number, but seeing Lin Wu’s condition, he decided to drop it for now.

“I’ll walk you out,” Lin Wu said, putting away the cushion and stool.

“Just go home already! I’ll grab a taxi.” Qin Weidong seemed almost afraid of being seen off. He tightened his jacket and quickly left.

Lin Wu tried to follow, but Qin Weidong walked too fast. Translated on Hololo novels. Soon, only a red silhouette disappeared into the night.

Lin Wu stood there for a while, then picked up the stool and cushion, his mind still in chaos, and went home.

Inside, Luo Xiaorong was lying on the bed drawing. She looked up happily when she saw him. “Wuwu’s back?”

“I’m back.” Lin Wu changed into lighter clothes and sat beside her. She was drawing flowers with colored pens, something she loved to do.

Still restless, Lin Wu gathered her dirty clothes into the laundry basket and returned to his room.

He replayed the conversation in his mind, then thought of the final message—

【I don’t know why this connection between times appeared, or whether it will disappear. I will wait for you to believe me. The connection opens from 22:12 to 22:27. I’ll wait for you to contact me.】

He went over every detail again and again. Finding no flaws, a strange thought flickered through him—

Had he really just contacted himself from twenty years in the future?

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

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