His family had reminded him several days in advance that he must return home for dinner today, but unfortunately, a data issue arose, and Jian Shen still couldn’t leave work on time.
The Research Institute where he worked was located in a remote area. The researchers were all treasured assets of the institute, and given Jian Shen’s seniority, he was assigned a personal car. However, his younger brother, Jian Ming, had borrowed the car today, presumably to pick someone up.
Perhaps Jian Ming had mentioned it to him, but such trivial matters never stayed in Jian Shen’s mind.
On the shuttle bus back to the city, he continued to mentally calculate the problematic data. A familiar license plate flashing past the window prompted Jian Shen to stop the driver and get off midway.
He walked back along the roadside. The car parked not far ahead should have been driven home by Jian Ming by now. Why was it here, still some distance away from home?
The car windows were completely transparent. Before he even reached the door, Jian Shen saw the woman sitting inside.
Through the clear glass, that single glance was like the most exquisite spectrum in a Fourier transform. In the time domain of his perception, no matter how he sampled or analyzed it, the silhouette inside the car exuded flawless harmony and elegance.
This was the most honest reaction triggered in Jian Shen’s mind upon seeing Lin Wanwan for the first time—she was beautiful.
Then he remembered: the person in his car was likely the guest Jian Ming was bringing home tonight. However, he had missed this dinner due to the data issue. But what about her?
It was getting late.
Jian Shen raised his hand and gently tapped on the car window, breaking the stagnant atmosphere inside the cabin, which had been thickened by the moisture at the corners of her eyes.
“Wanwan, Wanwan, wake up! We’re going to be late for morning class!”
Lin Wanwan jolted awake, drenched in sweat, blinking in confusion. Her eyes still held the lingering, real sensation of soreness from the dream, along with the rapid heartbeat triggered by the man tapping on the window.
It was Mao Xiaomin, standing below her bunk and patting her bed to wake her up.
She touched her forehead—it was cool. Thankfully, she didn’t have a fever, and the headache she’d felt yesterday was gone.
Lin Wanwan adjusted her breathing and quickly composed herself. The dream had felt far too real. She hadn’t clearly seen who the man tapping on the window was, but she was certain it wasn’t her boyfriend.
She pushed these thoughts aside for now—class was more important. Sitting up, she changed her clothes. “I’ll be ready right away. Let’s go together.”
For the first time ever, Lin Wanwan found herself unable to focus in class. However, she had a face that naturally looked attentive. Even as she stared blankly at the teacher’s notes on the blackboard, she appeared deeply immersed in the historical currents of English literature.
Her mind kept drifting back to the dream. If Mao Xiaomin hadn’t woken her, what would have happened next? Was the dream just a coincidence, or was it related to her arrival in this world?
Since her parents in this world were identical to her original ones, and aside from her younger body and the changed surroundings, everything else felt the same, Lin Wanwan had adapted quickly. Just as she was beginning to settle in, this dream, which felt almost prophetic, stirred vague and uneasy suspicions within her.
After class, Lin Wanwan went to the school gate as scheduled. As expected, Jian Ming had driven over to pick her up. In these times, even in Jingshi, cars were not commonplace for ordinary families, so his arrival caused a small stir.
Jian Ming hadn’t told Lin Wanwan yesterday that he had borrowed his older brother’s car, thinking it would be a pleasant surprise. Wanwan had surely never ridden in a car before, and he imagined she would be delighted when he drove to pick her up today.
But he never expected that Lin Wanwan had already ridden in this car in her dreams. Sitting in the exact same vehicle as in her dream, Lin Wanwan felt a disorienting sense of déjà vu—as if everything happening now was slowly overlapping with her dream.
So, in a little while, would Jian Ming also abandon her alone in the car on such an important day of meeting the parents, just like in the dream?
The car drove smoothly along the well-maintained roads of Jingshi, without any bumps or jolts, yet her heart trembled, unable to settle.
“Can I ask you a question? If—I mean, if,” Lin Wanwan began.
“Hmm?” The man driving slightly turned his head to respond. Today, he looked radiant, his hair neatly combed—just the way Lin Wanwan liked, clean, comfortable, and full of youthful energy.
Lin Wanwan pondered how to phrase her question to gauge Jian Ming’s attitude. Then, she thought of that clichéd yet classic dilemma.
“If Miss Shen and I both fell into the water, who would you save first?”
Jian Ming was taken aback, then burst into laughter. With one hand on the steering wheel, he reached over and gently tapped her forehead. “What kind of silly talk is that? Out of nowhere. How could you fall into the water? The moat is all fenced off.”
Lin Wanwan’s slender fingers unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her dress. She bit her lower lip lightly, leaving faint tooth marks on her tender pink lips, making her look even more delicate and pitiable. Clearly dissatisfied with his answer, she didn’t press further.
This moment left a deep impression on Jian Ming, one he would revisit for the rest of his life. If only he hadn’t gone, or if he had returned quickly—would things have turned out differently?
But there are no “if onlys” in life. After a sharp, screeching brake sound—
Lin Wanwan watched as Jian Ming frowned, wearing the exact same expression as in her dream. His eyes filled with concern and urgency, he jumped out of the car, leaving behind the same words, spoken in the same tone, telling Lin Wanwan to wait for him.
At that moment, Lin Wanwan felt as if she had plunged into an icy abyss. She finally confirmed the reality of her dream.
And her place in Jian Ming’s heart when faced with an emergency.
She had noticed earlier—Shen Mingyue’s blood-stained appearance and demeanor didn’t seem fake. When Jian Ming rushed out to help her, using his own clothes to shield her, his concern and urgency were genuine.
It was right for Jian Ming to help others, but Lin Wanwan couldn’t understand what could possibly delay him for so long, leaving his girlfriend sitting alone by the roadside. Couldn’t he spare even two minutes to call someone to explain the situation to her or ask her to go home first and reschedule the meeting with his parents? Or was it that Shen Mingyue had no family to handle her affairs, leaving only Jian Ming to step in? Even helping others should have its limits.
What angered her was Jian Ming’s handling of the situation and the importance he placed on her.
In her dream, she had sat foolishly in the car, waiting until the temperature plummeted and the interior grew icy cold. Her hands and feet went numb from the chill, yet Lin Wanwan never thought of leaving. She worried that if Jian Ming returned and couldn’t find her, he would be frantic.
But for the current Lin Wanwan, she didn’t want to wait any longer. She left the gifts she had prepared for Jian Ming’s parents in the car, only taking her own bag. She opened the door and got out.
She had barely taken two steps when—