The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

The octagonal pavilion is hidden under the shade of trees. If you look from the entrance of the alley, it is difficult to see anyone unless you are looking very carefully.

Moreover, there are streetlights at the entrance of the alley. After dark, when the streetlights are turned on, they can observe the situation at the entrance of the alley more clearly from the dark octagonal pavilion.

Zhou Yanruo chose the best spot where she could observe the entrance to the alley across the street and sat down.

She stretched out her legs, pointed her toes, and stared at the person opposite her.

Wang Jie sat next to Zhou Yanruo, also observing the Audi parked at the entrance of the alley across the street.

"I've loved dancing, singing, and performing since I was little," Zhou Yanruo said, as if speaking to Wang Jie but also as if talking to herself. "I want to become an actress; I want to try my luck in the entertainment industry."

Wang Jie glanced at Zhou Yanruo; her lips were flat and pressed into a straight line.

She said in an unquestionable tone, "I have been practicing hard for many years behind my parents' backs. I am not afraid of hardship. I am not the pampered girl they think I am."

“I’ve also seen your stubbornness during this time,” Wang Jie said admiringly. “However, many times you don’t understand your parents. I don’t know how you usually get along.”

Wang Jie withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyelids to look at the ground, and said in a low voice, "If it were in the past, I would definitely stand by your side. But now, I think you should cherish your parents' love for you, because they are your blood relatives and they definitely love you. Don't do anything you'll regret in the future."

“I never doubted their love for me, but it was suffocating. I always wanted to prove myself right, so they would support me,” Zhou Yanruo said, feeling wronged. “But they wouldn’t give me the time to prove myself.”

"What are you trying to prove? To whom? To your loving father and mother?"

Zhou Yanruo didn't quite understand what Wang Jie was saying. She looked at Wang Jie in confusion and said, "I just like it and want to follow my own likes and dislikes, is that not allowed?"

Wang Jie gazed at Zhou Yanruo, whose bright eyes shone exceptionally bright in the dim light. Her eyes trembled slightly, as if glistening with tears.

“If you can pass the training course assessment this time, you can go to Hancheng for training. Let’s achieve this small goal first, and we can talk about the rest later.” Wang Jie didn’t want to see her helpless and aggrieved expression, so she encouraged her, “No matter what, you’ve taken the first step. Whether you succeed or not, there’s no regret. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s what I mean,” Zhou Yanruo said firmly.

"It would be even more perfect if we could debut in Hancheng. I heard from Zhang Yang in your class that the actors who can truly emerge from the grueling training in Hancheng are all outstanding individuals."

"Well, I wouldn't dare to have such a wishful thought," Zhou Yanruo said shyly.

There wasn't really anything to worry about; it was just a little girly mood swing when things don't always go her way, and it would pass after a bit of venting. With Wang Jie's words of comfort and encouragement, Zhou Yanruo felt much better.

Then she realized that Wang Jie only had his grandfather as a relative, and his grandfather was in poor health. She had to take care of his grandfather, study, and work to earn money. Compared to Wang Jie, what were her own problems? She was being too dramatic.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yanruo couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

She glanced sideways at Wang Jie sitting beside her.

As always, Wang Jie wore a crisp white shirt, the hem of which was tucked into the waistband of his suit pants. He wore white sneakers, and because of the rain, there were a few drops of mud on the shoes. Unlike before, the white shirt was short-sleeved, revealing a section of his forearm. He looked lean but muscular, and his skin was the kind of reddish-brown that only those with fair skin could tan.

She remembered that Wang Jie was wearing this outfit that morning, and even now that it was evening, it was still so neat and tidy on him.

If it weren't for the teacher's filter, which made him appear serious and mature, Wang Jie would just be a college student, and a rather aloof and handsome one at that.

Sure enough, just as Jian Zheng often said, Wang Jie is good-looking and should join the training class to become an actor. He's better looking than all the other boys in the training class.

Zhou Yanruo looked away, her face slightly flushed, feeling a little embarrassed by her earlier daydreams.

"Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

"It's so hot today, and the more it rains, the more stifling it feels."

Zhou Yanruo fanned herself with her hand, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her face was burning, and she was worried she might turn red; she was afraid Wang Jie, sitting next to her, would see.

"Yes, low air pressure makes you feel stuffy."

"We've been talking about me for a while now, let's talk about you."

"What can happen to me?"

When Zhou Yanruo mentioned "his affairs," Wang Jie couldn't help but feel flustered.

His situation was far more complicated than it seemed, and besides, Wang Jie dared not tell anyone before fully understanding the circumstances. He couldn't predict whether it would affect others. Perhaps he was just one link in the chain of events, and he had no idea what other people and things were involved in the intricate web of connections.

One thing is certain: he didn't travel here for no reason; he traveled back to the year he was born.

Seeing Wang Jie remain silent, Zhou Yanruo felt a little guilty and thought to herself, "I've been talking to Wang Jie about my parents and how much they doted on me. Did I touch on something painful for him? He only has his grandfather, and I've never heard him talk about his parents or Jian Zheng."

"I...I didn't mean to talk about my parents in front of you. It's just that something happened, and I don't have any other friends here. I ran into you—no, you're not my friend, you're my teacher—so I just complained to you a bit," Zhou Yanruo stammered, trying to explain.

Wang Jie was confused. Everyone was having a nice chat, so why did Zhou Yanruo suddenly start awkwardly explaining things to him?

He thought to himself, "My grandfather and I depend on each other for survival. She complained to me about how her parents spoiled her, probably to avoid upsetting me, to avoid making me sad? That's why she started explaining. Sigh, what does this have to do with her? What a kind girl. How could she know that both Wang Jie and Shang Yibo are orphans? To describe them as 'pitiful' is an understatement; they are simply 'pathetic.'"

“I always hear Jian Zheng say that you want to study in the United States.”

Zhou Yanruo changed the subject from family affection to academics.

"Yes, I've already received the offer."

Where is it? Which school?

"University of Virginia."

“Awesome!”

"School starts in September, right? You're leaving next month."

"September is the fall semester, but I'm starting in the spring semester, so I won't be registering until January next year. I won't be leaving until almost the end of the year."

"That's great! I was worried that if you weren't here in September, you wouldn't be able to see my test results."

"Didn't you finish training at the end of August?"

"Yes, there will be a test at the end of training, and only 6 people will advance."

"There are 40 students in your class, and only 6 spots are available. The competition is fierce."

"Of course, I'm under a lot of pressure," Zhou Yanruo said with a pout.

Wang Jie's heart skipped a beat, as if something had flicked at him. He quickly looked down at his toes.