Ch 43: Text Messages Across Time

【Is there a new outcome?】 At 10:12, the seventeen-year-old Lin Wu sent the message right on time.

【Zhao Fangli and Guo Chengchun have been arrested. No one was injured. After their capture, there were no further victims…】 After hanging up, the thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu carefully edited the current outcome.

“Everything is perfect now.” On Xuhu Bridge in 2004, Lin Wu sat on the ground reading it, an unconscious smile forming at the corner of his lips.

An hour earlier, after confirming that Zhao Fangli had been arrested, they had left the scene.

“The weather’s pretty nice today. Want to walk around a bit more?” Lin Wu had originally planned to take a taxi, but Qin Weidong asked casually. He knew they should go their separate ways now, but walking side by side with Lin Wu like this, he found it hard to leave.

“Does your foot still hurt?” Lin Wu had been worried about his injury the whole time.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. The doctor said it would be fine in three to five days anyway,” Qin Weidong replied immediately.

“Alright!” Lin Wu had already told Hao Shuqin before leaving that he might be back late, so it wasn’t a problem. They were now standing on a road near Li Jing’s house. Ahead was Xuhu Bridge, with quite a few people strolling on it.

“Want to sit on the bridge for a bit?” Lin Wu pointed toward it. Qin Weidong might be fine, but Lin Wu didn’t want him walking too long.

“Anywhere’s fine.” Qin Weidong didn’t mind.

Three minutes later, the two of them sat on the curb by the bridge. Behind them was a railing, and in front of them the road. The breeze was gentle that day, and sitting there, both of them felt at ease.

“What are you planning to do from now on? Will you keep sending messages?” Qin Weidong asked a practical question. They had met through the phone, and now that everything was resolved, it seemed like their connection might end.

“I want to take a look at today’s outcome first. If everything’s confirmed to be fine, maybe we can keep in touch for a few more days.” Lin Wu had already thought about it. He mainly wanted to know how Luo Xiaorong’s future would turn out. After speaking, he looked at Qin Weidong. “Is that okay?” The request felt a bit like pushing his luck.

“I’ve got nothing going on anyway. If you want to talk, we can talk.”

Qin Weidong couldn’t help the slight upward curve of his lips, then steadied himself and asked, “You seem pretty close with your mom?” Luo Xiaorong was different from most people. Visit HololoNovels dot com for the complete chapter. Being around her often made others feel burdened or emotionally overwhelmed, but Lin Wu seemed patient with her.

“It wasn’t very good when I was little,” Lin Wu said after a moment’s thought.

Luo Xiaorong had grown up in a mountainous rural area in the county. She had an intellectual disability from childhood. Besides her, there had been an older brother, but he drowned when she was twelve. Her grandparents were not well off, but they treated her very well.

When Luo Xiaorong was nineteen, her grandparents fell seriously ill. They wanted to arrange a marriage for her, so that someone would take care of her after they passed.

That year, she went through many matchmaking attempts. Given their poor circumstances, either the other side rejected her because of her intellectual disability, or her grandparents found the other party unreliable. In the end, through an introduction, they chose Lin Haiming.

At the time, Lin Haiming worked at a steel plant and owned a house in the city. More chapters on HololoNovels dot com. If there were drawbacks, it was that he was ten years older than Luo Xiaorong, disabled, not good-looking, and somewhat dull and withdrawn.

But Luo Xiaorong also had an intellectual disability. After the matchmaker’s efforts, the grandparents found that the two got along fairly well and considered letting things develop further.

“We don’t want a bride price. Our only request is that you register the marriage. After marriage, treat Xiaorong well. You can’t hit or scold her. If there are things she doesn’t understand, teach her patiently,” the elderly couple said.

“Alright,” Lin Haiming agreed.

Two months later, they registered their marriage. Lin Haiming was timid by nature, but he treated Luo Xiaorong well. Later, Lin Wu was born. After the grandparents passed away, the family of three lived a simple life together. From a young age, Lin Wu knew his family was different. After starting elementary school, his self-esteem grew strong. On one hand, he felt he should love his parents, but on the other, he felt ashamed of them.

Aside from getting back at people who bullied Lin Haiming and Luo Xiaorong, he would avoid them whenever he saw them outside.

“What happened later?” Qin Weidong became interested. Lin Wu didn’t seem ashamed of Luo Xiaorong now. It felt very natural.

“Later, when I was nine, I got sick with smallpox, and no matter what we tried, it wouldn’t get better…”

In fourth grade, he developed a severe case of smallpox. They went to many clinics, but none could cure it. Lin Haiming somehow heard that a temple in the county was effective. He took Lin Wu and Luo Xiaorong, transferring between three buses before finally reaching the place.

The temple was an ancient structure over two hundred years old. It had not yet been developed into a tourist site at that time. From the foot of the mountain to the temple was a long, winding stone path, about seven hundred meters in elevation, with roughly two thousand two hundred steps. Lin Wu had a high fever then, and Lin Haiming, being disabled, could not carry him up.

“Are we just going back like this?” Lin Haiming grew anxious. Then he looked at Luo Xiaorong. “Xiaorong, can you carry Wu-wu up to pray?”

Knowing Luo Xiaorong had trouble expressing herself, he bought paper and a pen from a nearby shop and wrote that their son was sick, his wife had an intellectual disability, and asked anyone who saw the note to help them go up to the temple.

After writing it, he put the note in Luo Xiaorong’s hand and repeatedly explained how to use it.

He thought she wouldn’t remember, but after hearing it twice, she actually carried Lin Wu on her back and started up the mountain.

“I was already pretty tall back then, but my mom still carried me up like that, holding that piece of paper tightly in her hand the whole time…” Lin Wu had been delirious with fever, but still somewhat conscious. In his hazy memory, what stayed with him most clearly was the setting sun, Luo Xiaorong’s back, and villagers tending cattle in the distance.

After being helped by kind strangers to pray at the temple, Luo Xiaorong carried him back down step by step. Near the bottom of the mountain, he saw Lin Haiming holding a flashlight, dragging his leg as he struggled upward. His disability was severe. Climbing the mountain was extremely difficult for him.

At that moment, looking at the two of them, all of Lin Wu’s grievances suddenly melted away. No matter how abnormal Luo Xiaorong and Lin Haiming might seem, they were his parents. Disabled or not, foolish or not, they loved him in their own way. That bond could never be severed.

Lin Wu’s thoughts seemed to drift back to that winding stone staircase. When he came back to himself, he found Qin Weidong looking at him.

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

“Nothing. Just feels like you’ve had it tough,” Qin Weidong said, turning his head a bit awkwardly.

“I had food to eat and could go to school. That’s not really hardship.” Lin Wu smiled, then asked, “What about you? Any memorable moments from childhood?”

“Nothing particularly memorable. I think I was also nine. I stayed here for half a month, got bored, and went back. My mom passed away early, and my dad’s busy with business, but he treats me well.” Qin Weidong stretched his long legs as he spoke.

His family situation was simple. His mother died early, and he was raised by his grandparents. When he got a bit older, he came to Xuhu. His whole life story could fit on a single page.

“You’re pretty optimistic,” Lin Wu said sincerely. Qin Weidong’s optimism wasn’t forced. Ever since confirming he had no ill intent, Lin Wu had always felt he was a positive person.

“Haha, maybe it’s because my grandparents treated me well. My dad can’t always be around, but I know he loves me.” Qin Weidong felt that “optimistic” was a compliment, and he was genuinely happy.

At 10:12, the connection between the two timelines opened. They hadn’t done anything outside the plan today, but they weren’t sure if there had been any other changes. After sending the message, they both stared at the phone nervously.

【Zhao Fangli and Guo Chengchun have been arrested. No one was injured…】 Five minutes later, the reply came.

Phew—

The moment they saw the message, both of them let out a sigh of relief.

【How’s my mom?】 Over the next ten minutes, Lin Wu asked about Luo Xiaorong, and the other side replied carefully. He couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful that the time-crossing phone couldn’t send multimedia messages. Otherwise, he would have been able to see what Luo Xiaorong looked like twenty years later.

Ten minutes later, the connection between the timelines ended.

“Let’s go,” Qin Weidong said, glancing at the time. He wanted to stay a little longer, but Lin Wu had class tomorrow and needed to rest early.

“Mm.” Lin Wu stood up. They couldn’t stop cars on the bridge, so after a quick discussion, they decided to walk past the intersection ahead before hailing a taxi.

“Should we meet at the burger place again tomorrow?” Qin Weidong asked.

“Sure.” Now that the killer had been caught, Lin Wu, like Qin Weidong, didn’t really want to know more about the future. If you’re not reading this on hololonovels dot com, the chapter is not complete. That way, he could still look forward to his own life. After thinking about it, he felt that if nothing else came up, he might not need the time-crossing phone anymore.

They walked along the sidewalk, Lin Wu on the left and Qin Weidong on the right. It was already late at night. Aside from two workers repairing a billboard ahead, the street was very quiet.

“They’ve got a new item at the shop now, wasabi popcorn chicken. Let’s try it tomorrow. I think it might be a bit spicy,” Qin Weidong said as they walked, already planning tomorrow’s late-night snack.

“Mm.” Lin Wu listened attentively. Just as they were about to pass the billboard, a loose sheet of metal suddenly fell from above. It was part of a hanging sign attached to a utility pole. Seeing it, Lin Wu reacted instantly and shoved Qin Weidong aside. “Watch out!”

The metal plate came crashing down. Lin Wu felt a piercing pain in his shoulder blade.

“Oh no, why did it fall?!”

“Are you guys okay?”

The two advertising workers panicked. One of them hurried down from the pole. The fallen sheet was about sixty centimeters long and thirty centimeters wide, used mainly as a support. It wasn’t large, but it had fallen from a height of seven meters, its edges warped and rusted. Being struck by it hurt badly.

“How are you? Does it hurt?” Qin Weidong saw Lin Wu clutching his arm and became extremely anxious.

“I’m fine…” Lin Wu said, but when he raised his hand to look, it was covered in blood.

…

“The CT technician isn’t here. You’ll have to get imaging done tomorrow. But judging from the shape of the wound, there’s no fracture. It’s a pretty deep cut…” An hour later, Lin Wu and Qin Weidong arrived at the central hospital.

Lin Wu had taken off his outer jacket, pulling his undershirt down halfway, exposing his right back and shoulder blade. There was a ten-centimeter-long wound across his shoulder blade. It had just been treated, but blood still seeped out from time to time. There was fresh medication applied around it, and it looked very painful.

“Hiss—” Lin Wu sucked in a sharp breath as the doctor cleaned the wound with a cotton swab. It really did hurt.

Watching him, Qin Weidong felt as if needles were grinding through his heart. But now wasn’t the time to get emotional. He forced himself to stay calm and focused, turning to the doctor and asking directly, “Will there be any lasting effects? Does he need to be hospitalized? Will it affect his ability to lift or carry things later?”

“It’s not that serious. It won’t affect lifting or carrying. But there may be a scar after it heals. Over time, or with some laser treatment, it should be removable,” the doctor explained patiently.

“Does he need to stay in the hospital?” Qin Weidong asked after taking note.

“Either way is fine. I’d recommend hospitalization for observation. If not, he’ll need to come in twice a day for wound care.”

“Hospitalize him!” Qin Weidong decided immediately, then realized he had overstepped. He looked at Lin Wu, a trace of nervousness in his voice that he himself didn’t notice. “Let’s stay in the hospital, okay? You got hurt saving me. You don’t need to worry about the costs.”

“If I stay, how long would it be?” Lin Wu asked after thinking it over.

“Depends on recovery. Probably about seven to fifteen days,” the doctor said.

“Let’s stay,” Qin Weidong said, looking at him anxiously.

“Student, this was a mistake on our part at work. The company will cover your hospitalization and nutrition expenses. Someone will also contact you regarding compensation. We’re very sorry,” a middle-aged man said as he entered with one of the advertising workers.

The man was in charge of the advertising company. It was a large firm in Xuhu with a dedicated public relations department. Lin Wu’s case was considered a minor accident, and they wanted to resolve it quickly and efficiently.

“I’ll bring your backpack and practice books tomorrow,” Qin Weidong said, looking at Lin Wu expectantly.

“Alright.” After a moment’s thought, Lin Wu agreed.

Since Lin Wu was injured, Qin Weidong handled the hospital admission procedures.

He had wanted to arrange a VIP room. By coincidence, there were no double or four-person rooms available, so with a decisive wave, he booked a VIP room. The middle-aged man, being responsible for public relations, knew that a week in a VIP room would only cost a few hundred more. Combined with the lack of standard rooms, he chose to overlook it.

At one in the morning, Lin Wu called Hao Shuqin, asking her to take care of Luo Xiaorong, then moved into the hospital ward.

While Lin Wu was speaking with the nurse, Qin Weidong stepped into the hallway and called Zhao Hongyu—

“Brother Zhao, one of my classmates got hit by a billboard while saving me. It’s the same classmate from last time. It’s not too serious. Can you help coordinate with the advertising company and try to get more compensation? Yeah, thanks.” The manager from earlier had seemed approachable, but both he and Lin Wu were just high school students. They weren’t experienced in dealing with these kinds of social matters, so it was better to leave it to someone more professional.

After hanging up, Qin Weidong replayed what had just happened in his mind. It had all been too sudden. If Lin Wu hadn’t pushed him, or if he had moved just one step differently, the one injured would have been him, or the metal would have struck Lin Wu’s head.

Lin Wu had saved his life.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.