Ch 37: Text Messages Across Time

【Who are you?】

After sending that message, Lin Wu kept waiting for a reply. But like a stone sinking into the ocean, there was nothing. Even when the time channel closed, no response came.

“Why did you ask who they are?” Qin Weidong felt the question was strange. Other than being an unknown number, who else could it be?

“I just… we haven’t been in contact for five days. Not sure if it’s the same person,” Lin Wu said, making up a casual excuse, though his thoughts were still unsettled.

“I see.” Qin Weidong didn’t think too much about it. After confirming Lin Wu was safe and sound, he said seriously, “We can’t open the fifteenth ending again. And nothing involving the factory either. Got it?”

“Got it.” Lin Wu planned to return to the sixth ending for now and figure out the rest tomorrow.

Qin Weidong was very satisfied with that answer. He slipped on his sandals and went outside. “Hot or warm?”

Lin Wu was in good health, but Qin Weidong always worried he was undernourished. So a couple days ago he had bought a whole case of milk. Luo Xiaorong didn’t like milk, so he bought her cheese sticks instead. Every night before bed, he and Lin Wu would heat up a cup.

“Warm,” Lin Wu replied helplessly. He still wasn’t used to letting a “guest” do things, but Qin Weidong insisted he was picky about milk temperature, so Lin Wu couldn’t interfere and instead tidied up the room.

While Qin Weidong busied himself outside, Lin Wu arranged the bedding, still analyzing the message in his head.

Bang!

Half a minute later, a heavy crash sounded from outside, followed by Qin Weidong’s pained shout.

“What happened?” Lin Wu rushed out immediately. The noise was loud enough that Luo Xiaorong had woken up too.

“My foot got hit!” Qin Weidong leaned against the wall, grimacing and clutching his foot. At his feet lay a gray whetstone. It had been sitting on the windowsill. After heating the milk, he had tried to pick it up one-handed, lost his grip, and it dropped straight onto his foot.

“Sit on the stool first, let me take a look.” There was a small stool in the hallway. Lin Wu helped him sit down, then crouched to examine his toes.

Qin Weidong was wearing open-toe sandals. His big toe and second toe were already swollen, and blood was seeping from the big toe.

“We need to go get this checked.” Lin Wu pressed a cool towel against it, then immediately went back to change.

“Do we have some antiseptic? Just put some on and it’ll be fine,” Qin Weidong said, not wanting the trouble.

“It’s already bleeding. That’s not enough.” The whetstone weighed over ten pounds. It could easily be a fracture.

“…Alright.” Qin Weidong had no choice but to follow his lead.

Half a minute later, Lin Wu came out holding Qin Weidong’s school uniform.

“Your pajamas are warm enough. Just put this on over them.”

“Okay.” Qin Weidong didn’t want the hassle of changing. He pulled on the uniform, then looked for socks.

“Here.” Lin Wu handed them to him.

“Thanks.” Qin Weidong put one on, leaving the injured foot wrapped in the towel.

“Mom, I’m heading out,” Lin Wu called.

“Okay…” Luo Xiaorong answered sleepily.

Lin Wu helped Qin Weidong downstairs. Outside, it was pitch black. Qin Weidong leaned against the wall and on Lin Wu for support. The pain had intensified. His injured foot didn’t touch the ground, but every step still hurt sharply.

Three minutes later, they reached the building entrance. There were still over two hundred meters to the gate. Seeing Qin Weidong starting to sweat, Lin Wu calculated the distance.

“I’ll carry you.”

“I can manage,” Qin Weidong instinctively refused. He wasn’t fat, but he was tall, at least 160 pounds. Then he suggested, “How about we ask the guard to let a taxi in? I’ll wait here.”

“That’s too much trouble. Carrying someone isn’t heavy.” Lin Wu laughed a little at his reaction. He knew he was strong enough. He didn’t understand why Qin Weidong thought he couldn’t handle it.

Qin Weidong wanted to refuse again, but seeing the concern in Lin Wu’s eyes, the words changed to a single: “Okay.”

Lin Wu turned around. Translated on Hololo novels. Qin Weidong climbed onto his back, arms hanging in front of Lin Wu’s chest. Lin Wu adjusted to the weight, found it manageable, and began jogging steadily toward the gate.

Under the dim light, Qin Weidong’s face was only about twenty centimeters from Lin Wu’s. A little closer and their cheeks would touch. From this angle, he could see Lin Wu’s straight nose, pale profile, and the fine soft hairs along his cheek.

Watching Lin Wu run forward with a focused expression, wind brushing past his ears, the pain seemed to fade.

His gaze drifted lower, to Lin Wu’s pale ear. Behind the earlobe was a small mole, the same one he had noticed the first time they met at the bus stop, small and strangely delicate.

His throat felt dry.

His hands, which had been hanging in front, slowly curled inward, wrapping lightly around Lin Wu’s shoulders, almost like holding onto him.

Three minutes later, Lin Wu reached the gate, breathing hard. He set Qin Weidong down by the roadside. Just then, an empty taxi passed by.

“Over here!”

The taxi stopped. Lin Wu spoke briefly with the driver, then helped Qin Weidong into the back seat.

“You sit in the back so you can stretch your leg. I’ll sit in front.”

“Okay.”

After getting into the car, Lin Wu said politely to the driver, “My friend injured his foot. Let’s drive safely, but as fast as we can.” Then he turned to Qin Weidong. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not really anymore.” Qin Weidong sat in the darker part of the car while Lin Wu was under the light. He could see the concern on Lin Wu’s face. He told himself not to worry, that it would be fine once they reached the hospital.

But he no longer heard what Lin Wu was saying. All he saw was Lin Wu’s lips moving, soft and moist.

Qin Weidong felt his heart pounding wildly. And then he realized something terrifying.

He wanted to kiss him.

Like in those TV dramas, under dim, ambiguous lighting, lifting the other person’s face and kissing them, tender and uncontrollable.

No, not just tender or uncontrollable.

He wanted to kiss him fiercely, like a storm, to leave his mark all over those lips.

In short, he wanted to kiss Lin Wu.

…

Ten minutes later, the car arrived at the Central Hospital. Lin Wu paid, then opened the back door and helped Qin Weidong out.

“It’s fine, I can manage.” The moment Lin Wu’s hand touched his arm, Qin Weidong stiffened.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Wu asked, puzzled.

“Nothing…” Qin Weidong tried to walk on his own, but the pain made it difficult. In the end, he still leaned on Lin Wu, limping into the hospital.

They registered for the emergency department. There weren’t many people there. After examining Qin Weidong’s toes, the doctor applied some medicine and said, “It’s nothing serious. Just keep it dry and avoid spicy or irritating food for a couple of days.”

Qin Weidong hadn’t brought his wallet, so Lin Wu paid. His toes were wrapped up thickly like rice dumplings. It didn’t affect walking, and he would recover in three to five days.

“Thank you,” Qin Weidong said, watching Lin Wu carefully ask about precautions, his tone complicated.

“It’s good that it’s nothing serious.” Lin Wu smiled, clearly relieved. He had been worried the whole way that it might be a fracture or something worse.

“Mm.” Qin Weidong turned his face away, feeling awkward.

At 12:20, the treatment was done. Lin Wu gathered the stack of receipts, preparing to leave. Just as he finished organizing them, the emergency room door opened.

“Xiao Qin.”

The man who came in was about thirty, wearing a black jacket and jeans, looking sharp.

“Brother Zhao,” Qin Weidong greeted him, then turned to Lin Wu and said, as if following a prepared script, “This is Zhao Hongyu, my relative. I’ll have him take you home. I won’t be going to your place tonight.”

The man was actually his family’s driver, not a relative. But that didn’t matter.

Qin Weidong’s mind was a mess.

He had wanted to kiss Lin Wu.

Why?

Yes, he liked sticking close to Lin Wu lately. That was because of the time messages, and because Lin Wu had a good personality. He considered him a close friend.

But Hu Wei and Gao Mingming were his friends too.

Did he ever want to kiss them?

Not at all.

Everything was too chaotic in his head. That was why he had secretly messaged Zhao Hongyu earlier after the examination.

He couldn’t keep staying this close to Lin Wu.

Otherwise everything would spiral out of control.

“Hello, you must be Xiao Qin’s classmate. Thank you for bringing him here,” Zhao Hongyu said warmly.

“Hello…” Lin Wu shook his hand, slightly dazed.

After some polite conversation, Zhao Hongyu asked the doctor about Qin Weidong’s condition. Once he confirmed it wasn’t serious, he relaxed, then helped Qin Weidong and walked with Lin Wu to the parking lot.

He had driven a black business van today. Lin Wu didn’t know much about cars, but he could tell it was expensive. And Zhao Hongyu’s attitude didn’t feel like that of an ordinary relative.

“I’ll just head back myself,” Lin Wu hesitated.

“No need, we’ll take you,” Qin Weidong said, having Lin Wu sit in the back with him. Translated on Hololo novels. Worried his behavior might seem strange, he added, “Don’t overthink it. It’s just that my foot is injured, so it’s inconvenient to go upstairs. I’ll head home tonight. I’ll come see you tomorrow evening.”

“It’s fine.” Lin Wu didn’t think much of it. He knew it would be more convenient for Qin Weidong at home. He handed him the medicine. “Remember to apply it on time.”

“Mm.” Qin Weidong tried his best to stay calm.

Twenty minutes later, the car reached the residential compound. The gate was open, so they drove straight to the building.

As Lin Wu got out of the car, looking slightly tired from staying up late, Qin Weidong suddenly called out, “Lin Wu.”

“What is it?” Lin Wu turned back.

“…Nothing. Good night.”

“Good night.” Lin Wu waved.

After returning home, he put away Qin Weidong’s bedding and went to sleep.

The next morning, he arrived at the classroom. His deskmate Li Jing greeted him, “Morning.”

“Morning.” Lin Wu smiled.

Like usual, his day was spent attending classes and analyzing the message from the previous night. Beyond that, he didn’t know whether there would be another message tonight, or if it would still be from himself… or someone else.

While lost in these thoughts, at 7 p.m., he received a message from Qin Weidong:

【I’ve got something today, can’t go to your place. Let’s meet at Jianna Burger at ten.】

Jianna Burger was a restaurant near No. 1 High School, open until midnight, with a nice environment. Students often went there to study while having snacks.

Knowing Qin Weidong was injured, Lin Wu didn’t think too much about it and replied:

【Okay.】

At 8:40, he arrived at the restaurant with his backpack. Not knowing what Qin Weidong liked to eat, and since it was still early, he decided to order a snack platter after sitting down so it wouldn’t feel awkward.

The place wasn’t busy today. Lin Wu sat down and started looking at the menu. At that moment, a staff member approached after looking him up and down.

“Hello, are you Student Lin? Phone number ending in 6888?”

“Hello.” Lin Wu froze for a moment. He didn’t have a phone of his own, but the one Qin Weidong had lent him did end in 6888.

“It’s like this. A student named Qin called earlier. He has a membership card here. You can charge your order directly to it. There’s still quite a lot of balance left, and it will expire by the end of the month.” The server emphasized the expiration.

“Oh…” Lin Wu responded, a bit dazed.

“To confirm your identity, we need to verify your phone number,” the server added.

Lin Wu took out the phone. After confirming the number matched, the server gestured for him to order. Lin Wu knew Qin Weidong was generous, but using someone else’s card when they weren’t present still felt wrong to him. In the end, he took out twenty yuan from his wallet. “Just a snack platter.”

“Alright.” The server noted it down.

Customers came and went. Lin Wu took out his workbook and focused on his homework.

At ten o’clock, the wind chimes at the door rang. Lin Wu looked up and saw Qin Weidong walking in wearing his school uniform. He was still limping slightly, but looked much better than yesterday.

“Is your foot okay?” Lin Wu stood up and asked.

“It’s fine.” Qin Weidong sat across from him, his expression complicated as he looked at the snack platter on the table. His membership card was linked to his phone, so he knew Lin Wu hadn’t used it.

“Waiter, I’ll order.” Qin Weidong quickly ordered a large amount of food, then pushed his phone and half of the dishes toward Lin Wu.

Lin Wu looked up and saw Qin Weidong eating a burger, his brows slightly furrowed.

While Qin Weidong was lost in his thoughts, back in 2024 at the Xuhu Hotel, Lin Wu’s memories began to refresh.

This was his sixteenth ending.

This timeline began after receiving the message on October 15, 2004, so he clearly remembered having gone through fifteen endings already. He also knew that in the fifteenth ending, he had died.

Now his life continued from the sixth ending. In that timeline, on November 19, they successfully ambushed the suspect and saved Wang Jiahui. On November 26, Luo Xiaorong was killed…

He already knew Luo Xiaorong would die, but since he had to return to the sixth ending, he could only follow that path, anxiously and fearfully waiting for the time phone in 2024. Translated on Hololo novels. During that time, he had secretly investigated the second killer, but found nothing.

In August 2024, he returned to Xuhu, found the phone, and saw that messages had been automatically sent starting from September 5, until October 15—

【On December 5, 2004, Lin Wu was killed while lying in wait at the second factory building…】

【Return to the sixth ending.】

If he had truly died in that previous ending, then that message could not have been sent by him.

At 10:12, the new memories refreshed. He now possessed all fifteen previous sets of memories. He saw himself in the fifteenth ending, carefully lying in wait in the second factory building. Then came the raincoat, headlights, the axe… and his death at 9:30 p.m. on December 5, 2004.

It matched exactly what the unknown message had said.

Because he had died, he had no idea what happened to Luo Xiaorong in that ending…

The message was true.

But it raised a deeper question.

In the fifteenth ending, who had sent that message?

A passing car’s headlights flashed across the window. Lin Wu turned on his computer and typed:

【Xuhu Qin Weidong】

“October 10 — Tengfei Technology founder Qin Weidong…”

At the top of the news was a report about Qin Weidong being stranded abroad for five days due to a storm before returning home. Lin Wu stared at the cold, composed figure in the photo, thinking carefully.

Qin Weidong.

Were you the one who sent the message?

If it really was you, then why are you now like strangers?

He searched further. January 2005, went abroad. 2010, returned and founded Tengfei Technology… There was no trace of himself in Qin Weidong’s public records. And he himself had no memory of Qin Weidong.

In this ending, Wang Manshan’s family was living happily. Lin Wu called him.

“Uncle Wang, in the past few years, have I ever been in contact with a friend named Qin Weidong?” Lin Wu asked.

“Qin Weidong? Who’s that? Your classmate?” Wang Manshan thought hard, then seemed to recall something. “Wait, wasn’t there a tall boy who used to wait for you downstairs and even stayed at your house a few times? Is that the one you mean?”

“Yes, him. Did I keep in touch with him over the years?” Lin Wu paused before asking.

“I don’t remember you mentioning him. I think after he stayed over a few times in high school, you two didn’t keep in contact. Why?”

“It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought of that classmate.” Lin Wu rubbed his brow and hung up.

He and Wang Manshan were close. If Wang Manshan had no memory of Qin Weidong, then it meant they truly had not stayed in touch after high school.

He wrote in his notebook:

Fifteenth ending — Qin Weidong

Then, after a moment’s thought, he added a question mark after it.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.