Alright, there’s no need for an eighteen-year-old like you to worry about these things. Ye Wu patted Song Shimiao on the head. These are issues for the twenty-six-year-old you to consider.
You don’t need to overthink it either. We rarely go back, and we basically have almost no contact, Ye Wu continued.
Song Shimiao fell silent.
She had long guessed that Ye Wu’s parents wouldn’t accept them easily, but she hadn’t expected them to still harbor resentment after all these years.
What’s the specific attitude of my parents over there? Song Shimiao asked with a bit of curiosity.
A bit better than my parents. Ye Wu interrupted Song Shimiao’s deep thoughts. Alright, your only concern at eighteen should be your wonderful youth.
Time travel is something very few people ever encounter, so don’t waste your time on boring things! If you keep dwelling on all of this, it’ll make me feel incompetent, Ye Wu said with a serious expression.
That’s way too dramatic, Song Shimiao pouted. Got it, I won’t think about it anymore! I was just worried whether your relationship with your uncle and auntie went bad because we got together.
If family conflict arose between Ye Wu and her parents because of their relationship, the pressure on Song Shimiao would be far too heavy, making her feel quite flustered.
Our relationship was already mediocre to begin with; it has nothing to do with you. Their desire for control over me is simply too strong. As long as I make choices that don’t align with their vision, the result is always the same, Ye Wu explained. They probably just can’t accept it either- that both my career path and my partner didn’t follow their blueprint, yet I’m living better and better.
They just can’t save face. Ye Wu let out a light laugh.
I really don’t understand. Song Shimiao frowned.
It’s completely normal not to understand.
Song Shimiao let out a sigh. I always thought that as long as you have money, life can be completely awesome. Yet even with money, there are still so many annoying problems.
That part is definitely awesome, though. Ye Wu nodded in agreement. We go on trips several times a year, frequently fly abroad for concerts, and always manage to secure seats with a great view.
She has an entire room dedicated to merchandise. The last time a certain piece of merch required a lucky draw, her luck was terrible; it took twenty tries just to pull a single E-prize item she wanted. But because we have money, she just bought the rest to complete the collection anyway.
You can eat whatever you want; any restaurant you’re curious about, you’ll definitely visit within a week. Whatever you like, you can buy the moment you see it. Although buying super expensive luxury items purely on a whim can still be a bit difficult, you can buy the vast majority of things you love without even looking at the price tag.
Song Shimiao:
I’m starting to get jealous of myself!
Ye Wu laughed cheerfully. Just head back and work hard! Follow your own path, and you’ll eventually live a life like this too.
Ye Wu took Song Shimiao to buy a phone first, without overthinking it at all. She bought Song Shimiao the latest model, which was the exact same one the twenty-six-year-old Song Shimiao used.
The very first thing Song Shimiao did upon receiving the device was enter Ye Wu’s phone number. The second thing she did was bind her Alipay account. Seeing the balance displayed on the screen, she pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
In all eighteen years of her life, she had never laid eyes on so much money.
She suddenly believed the wonderful life Ye Wu had painted for her, and she wanted nothing more than to head right back and crank through another hundred sets of exam papers.
When you know that hard work will inevitably lead to a wonderful outcome, even the grueling process of studying begins to feel delightful.
The two of them walked side by side along the street. April was right in that comfortable sweet spot, and with the sun shining brightly today, the weather was exceptionally nice for a stroll.
Ever since entering her senior year of high school, Song Shimiao rarely had the luxury of wandering around so leisurely.
Now that she thought about it, her primary entertainment during senior year mostly consisted of bickering back and forth with Ye Wu.
Song Shimiao glanced at the storefronts lining the street. While the shops hadn’t changed much, her mood while window shopping was completely different. Her walking pace was very slow, but Ye Wu followed closely behind without rushing her, her gaze lingering constantly on Song Shimiao’s face.
Why do you keep staring at me? Song Shimiao caught Ye Wu’s behavior through the reflection in a glass window.
Because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face make an expression like that. It’s quite interesting. And very cute, she thought.
Song Shimiao turned her head in confusion. Have I changed that much?
Not drastically, but that kind of elementary-schooler look of eager anticipation is relatively rare nowadays.
Song Shimiao:
I feel like you haven’t changed at all. Your mouth is still just as infuriating, Song Shimiao retorted.
Hearing Song Shimiao’s evaluation, Ye Wu let out a delighted chuckle, then pulled out her phone, threw an arm around Song Shimiao’s neck, and snapped a selfie of the two of them together.
Looking at her own puffed-up, irritated expression in the photo, Song Shimiao had a lingering suspicion that she had fallen right into Ye Wu’s trap.
So why on earth did she end up dating someone like Ye Wu anyway?
Did her Stockholm syndrome flare up? Did she somehow develop a fetish for being teased by Ye Wu?
Every time she thought Ye Wu was reliable and considerate, the older woman would invariably revert to acting childish all over again.
Though, if she had to be completely honest, Song Shimiao didn’t actually feel all that resistant to it.
So it really was Stockholm syndrome after all!
For lunch, Ye Wu took Song Shimiao out for hot pot, tailoring the meal entirely to her preferences.
Song Shimiao loved hot pot; whenever they went out, eight out of ten times she would choose hot pot.
I actually thought you were going to drag me to some super fancy, high-end restaurant.
Want to go? We can go right now if you like, though it probably wouldn’t match your palate, Ye Wu said, looking up at her.
Then I’d definitely rather eat hot pot, Song Shimiao muttered quietly. I was mostly just curious about places like that.
We can go for afternoon tea later. The dessert selection at some of the hotels is pretty decent.
Okay, Song Shimiao nodded happily and began picking out her favorite ingredients from the menu.
Ye Wu scanned the list for a couple of seconds and added a few more items.
Song Shimiao cupped her chin with her hands.
Because Ye Wu had banned any conversation regarding the future, she suddenly found herself at a loss for what else to talk about.
What did the two of them usually talk about back in high school, anyway?
Every day they used to say countless words to each other, but trying to recall them now, she couldn’t remember a thing; it was probably just endless streams of meaningless banter and bickering.
I just posted that photo on my WeChat Moments, Ye Wu remarked.
Ugh, but I look so silly in that picture. Even if it was technically the twenty-six-year-old version of her losing face.
You think so? I don’t think so at all. It’s clearly quite cute, Ye Wu said.
Song Shimiao:
Song Shimiao fell silent, struck dumb by Ye Wu’s choice of adjectives.
Who would have ever thought that Ye Wu would one day describe her as cute? It was utterly shocking, and the fact that her tone had been completely sincere made it even worse!
Song Shimiao instinctively raised her hands to cover her face.
Ye Wu picked up her phone again and snapped a quick candid photo of Song Shimiao hiding her face, mentally preparing to show it to the twenty-six-year-old version of her when she returned.
Hearing Ye Wu chuckle softly, Song Shimiao raised her head with a flash of defensive embarrassment, only for Ye Wu to slide the phone screen right in front of her face.
Beneath the photo was a new comment left by Song Shimiao’s high school deskmate:
Zhao Yue: Nemesis today, better half tomorrow~
Song Shimiao:
Song Shimiao: !!!
Song Shimiao’s face turned even redder.
Ever since the two of us got together, she makes sure to drop that same line every single time I post a photo of us or when we go out somewhere.
Song Shimiao averted her gaze, her eyes going somewhat vacant. It’s been eight years, and she’s still running that old joke into the ground!
Though, to be fair, Zhao Yue had already loved playing that exact joke back in high school.
Ye Wu quietly snapped yet another photo of Song Shimiao.
The eighteen-year-old Song Shimiao would easily grow flustered and shy, whereas the thick-skinned twenty-six-year-old Song Shimiao would usually just lean in and chime right along with the joke.
The thin-skinned, easily embarrassed eighteen-year-old Song Shimiao was truly just too amusing!
By the time the dishes finally arrived, Song Shimiao’s face was still flushed red. Although she tried her best to put on a calm and collected front, the moment she locked eyes with Ye Wu across the table, her face would inevitably start burning all over again.
I really didn’t expect that I’d still keep in touch with Zhao Yue after all this time, Song Shimiao said, desperately trying to pivot to a new topic to distract herself.
Because, generally speaking, people tended to drift far apart after graduation as they entered entirely different social circles.
Mmh, we’ve actually stayed in touch with most of our old friends.
That’s so nice. Song Shimiao’s eyes lit up.
This was yet another piece of wonderful news.
So, how are all of them doing?
They’re all doing pretty well, I’d say.
The smile blooming on Song Shimiao’s face grew even brighter, and she felt practically cheerful enough to start humming a tune.
The future turned out to be far better than she had ever imagined.
When the waiter tried to step in to help, Ye Wu politely declined. She preferred to enjoy some quiet, private time with just the two of them. She dropped the raw ingredients into the simmering broth, tracked the cooking time closely, and scooped the food straight into Song Shimiao’s bowl.
Thank you.
No need to be so overly polite, Ye Wu said. It feels a bit weird hearing you talk to me like that.
I’m just being well-mannered! Song Shimiao insisted, before picking up a slice of beef and blowing on it carefully. Are you going to work tomorrow? Tomorrow’s Monday, you know.
I am, though my schedule is fairly flexible.
Then what on earth am I supposed to do by myself at home all day tomorrow? Song Shimiao mused. Maybe I should pick up some review workbooks before heading back tonight? But I’m kind of worried I’ll run into actual exam papers from the future.
You don’t need to worry about any of that, Ye Wu said with a faint, knowing smile. You’ve already prepared everything you need for yourself.
Song Shimiao:
I honestly wonder how she’s doing over there, Song Shimiao murmured.
According to her own words, once you head back, you’ll simply return to the same moment you left, with no skipped time in between.
Song Shimiao frowned. Then where did the current me go in the meantime?
You’ll probably only find out once you manage to get back. Still, Ye Wu wasn’t particularly worried; she had a very strong intuition that the other person would return safely.
Doesn’t that mean I basically get a head start on studying compared to you?
I suppose so, yes.
It still feels a bit like cheating, Song Shimiao pouted.
There’s no such thing as absolute fairness in this world; just think of it as a special little encounter gifted to you by fate, Ye Wu noted. Besides, there’s no need to overthink it. This little twist of fate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s entirely a good thing. Without self-discipline, in a situation where you have plenty of money and no one breathing down your neck, it’s entirely possible you might just end up slacking off. The sense of urgency you feel here won’t be nearly as strong as the one you have back at school.
So stop backing yourself into psychological corners, Ye Wu added with a helpless tone.
Hearing you say that actually makes me anxious all over again.
Thinking about how easily she had gotten distracted by watching anime earlier while completely forgetting to study made Song Shimiao shudder: That’s terrifying. I was even planning to binge all the shows on my watchlist.
Ye Wu chuckled. Well, if you really wanted to slack off and just play, I suppose that’s fine too? There’ll still be plenty of time once you go back anyway.
What if I forget everything by then?! Song Shimiao’s eyes widened slightly.
I have faith in your brain.
Gee, thanks so much for the vote of confidence, Song Shimiao said, raising her cup in a mock toast accompanied by a fake smile.
Anyway, today’s outing is purely meant for having fun. You can worry about studying tomorrow. If you’re genuinely that stressed about it, I can always find a way to sneak you into a cram school.
I’ll pass on that option, Song Shimiao politely declined.
While she completely supported the idea that learning could happen at any stage in life, being completely honest with herself, if she really had to drag her twenty-six-year-old mindset into a classroom full of eighteen-year-olds to study side-by-side, she would still feel utterly awkward.
She knew intellectually that people shouldn’t care too much about the judgment of others, but actually putting that into practice was an entirely different matter; it took real courage to do something that stood completely apart from the mainstream.
Suddenly, she realized something she might actually grow to deeply, truly love Ye Wu in the future.
Noticing Song Shimiao staring at her in a daze, Ye Wu curved her lips into a smile. What are you daydreaming about?
Not telling you.
If she actually confessed what she had just been thinking, Ye Wu would definitely tease her relentlessly for it.
You can always just ask the twenty-six-year-old me.
I definitely will, Ye Wu said, swirling the contents of her cup slightly. To think you’re still leaving me hanging with a suspenseful cliffhanger.
Song Shimiao nodded. Hey, at least I’ve got it better than you. The suspense you left me with is way bigger, and it’s going to take a long, long time before I find out the answer.
At least you’re guaranteed to find out the answer eventually.
You’ll find out the answer too. I’m pretty sure I won’t forget.
And what if you do forget?
Then you can just go make it her problem, Song Shimiao blinked innocently.
Ye Wu:
The phone sitting right beside Ye Wu’s hand suddenly buzzed with a notification. She picked it up, glanced at the screen, frowned slightly, left it unanswered, and placed it back down on the table.
Are those relatives of yours? Song Shimiao asked.
Mmh, Ye Wu nodded.
Do they constantly give you a hard time?
Ye Wu looked over at Song Shimiao with a puzzled expression. Do I look like some helpless, easy-to-bully pushover to you?
So what did they text you about?
You’re entirely too nosy, little Song. Ye Wu sighed with mock resignation.
After saying that, Ye Wu paused for a fraction of a second, looking back down at Song Shimiao.
She suddenly understood why Song Shimiao had been so instinctively guarded against her relatives ever since they got together turns out the roots of that protectiveness went all the way back to right now?
It’s just some boring adult drama, Ye Wu said, sliding the phone across the table to Song Shimiao.
If she didn’t let her see it, she figured the girl wouldn’t stop worrying.
Auntie: Don’t be upset with us, Xiao Song. There was truly nothing we could do; her family is just way too traditional and superstitious. After chatting with your cousin’s husband for half a day, they even probed the idea when they got back, and their opposition is simply set in stone.
Auntie: Let’s all get together for a meal by ourselves later on. Your generation doesn’t have many siblings anyway, so cousins are practically no different from biological sisters. Helping each other out down the road is what family is all about.