Chapter 15: Sometimes Iii (1/2)

I caught a glimpse of Xiaoqiao and had long lost the mood to continue with the film.

I turned the time back to eight years ago.

I texted Jiajia. He should be off from school by now.

”Jiajia, I'm facing a love crisis.”

I'd thought that he would've taken a long time to respond, but within seconds, my phone lit up from his reply.

”You haven't contacted me in a while.”

I looked at the date. I've been too busy chatting with Xiaoqiao to realize that half a year had already pa.s.sed in the real world and the world from eight years ago.

”Been busy with school.”

”Busy, but not busy enough that you found the time for love? And falling into a crisis at that. I'm going to your school to lodge a report.”

It was then that I recalled that Jiajia was still a junior high schooler.

”Jiajia, if Ultraman loses his voice-changing device and you happen to find it, would you return it to him?” I tried changing the context.

”Dang! Am I a kid? What Ultraman and voice-changing device…”

I couldn't help but laugh as I read his reply. It was childish indeed. I stared at my phone screen, thinking of a response.

Another message came in. ”Will I be able to transform if I use that voice-changing device?”

I was stunned.

Transformation…

I applied this thought back to the current context.

I clasped my phone tightly.

”Yes.”

”Then I'll transform, have all the fun that I want, and when I get sick of it, I'll return it to him”

All the fun...

Get sick of it...

I started getting antsy.

I must be overthinking.

We were talking about Ultraman and transformation device, not anything indecent.

Before I could return his text, a slender, lily-white hand swept past my eyes and took my phone away from me.

”Eh? I haven't seen this mobile.”

”Oh, this is an old phone that I use as a spare so I have a separate phone for work and my personal use.”

I didn't rush to take the phone back to avoid suspicions.

”Who is this is? Why are you guys talking about Ultraman?”

”Oh. He's a distant relative. My nephew. He's young so I can only talk about animated films with him.”

Xiaoqiao clicked on the home screen but there was nothing much on there.

Unable to spot anything out of the ordinary, she returned it to me. ”That is childish.”

I was relieved. It was fortunate that she hadn't scrolled through the conversation between Jiajia and me.

”This film is surprisingly lame,” she complained.

I sent her home and I contemplated what Jiajia had said.

Returning after getting sick of it? A kid is a kid.

It was something that hadn't crossed my mind.

Should I carry on pretending that this guy doesn't exist?

Or should I tell her the truth and let her make a decision?

I was in a dilemma.

Wait, wait.

Why don't I ask her directly?

Of course, I wasn't thinking about the present Xiaoqiao but the one in the future.

I took out my psychic phone and fast forwarded the time to twenty-five years.

I'd planned for a fifteen years leap but my finger slipped.

So be it.

I was in the year 2016 and the phone had been adjusted to the year 2041.

Won't everything be settled if I just ask if she's my wife?

”You there, Xiaoqiao?”

Ten minutes...

Twenty minutes...

”Yes. You are?”

Oh my G.o.d!

I quivered in nervousness. Wait. Perhaps I never used this number to talk to her.

I didn't dare to tell her my name. My chest was aching. ”I'm your old friend. Are you married?”

”No. Now's not the time.”

Not the time?

”Are you still in touch with Lu Qiao?”

”Yes. Who are you exactly?”

I turned the time back, unable to continue conversing with her any longer.

25 years later and she was still not married.

I stared at my phone screen grudgingly.

Not married. Not the right time.

Then why was she in a relations.h.i.+p with me?

To kill time? Can't find the guts to reject me?

At this point, that man came to mind.

I turned the time back to present day and sent him a message with this number.

”I've heard about your story. Why couldn't you just give her a text while you were serving in the army?”

A long while later, a response came.

”You know her?”

”Yes.”

”I'm Zhou Yu. The nature of my job doesn't allow me to contact family members and friends. I didn't wish for things to turn out this way. I'd finally managed to transfer to another department but happened.”

I pondered over his words.

”You really like her?”

”Yeah.”

It felt as though I was offering my last piece of candy to a child that I disliked.

”I can help you woo her back.”

I regretted it almost instantly but the text was already delivered.

”Really? That's great.”

I asked Xiaoqiao out to a nearby cafe that very weekend.

I thought about what I was going to say but nothing seemed right.

At the scheduled time, Xiaoqiao appeared wearing a floral maxi dress. Her lipstick was fresh red in color. She must have spent a lot of effort on her make-up.

I smiled and waved to get her attention.

We sat across each other and started chatting.

The waitress appeared and Xiaoqiao ordered her usual caramel macchiato.

I asked for an espresso.

As if sensing something amiss, she asked, ” Why are you drinking something so bitter today?”

”Nothing, just tired.”

It was the truth. I hadn't been sleeping well.

Well, here goes nothing. ”Do you know who Zhou Yu is?”

Her face immediately flushed bright red.

”How do you know him?” she asked, eyes wide and unbelieving.

”By chance.”