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

Shang Yibo looked up at the sky outside the window, a nameless anxiety welling up inside him. He tried to pull himself out of his chaotic thoughts, but the various questions about his biological father lingered in his mind like ghosts. This sense of disorientation and confusion, like invisible shackles, made him feel extremely agitated and uneasy.

He stood up, went into the bedroom, lay down on the bed fully clothed, and stared at the dappled light and shadow cast on the ceiling by the lamp.

The light and shadow seemed to be the chaotic thoughts in his mind, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, constantly jumping before his eyes.

He positioned his body in a "大" (big) shape and closed his eyes.

She tried to evoke Wang Jie's memories of 1999, the year she was born, the time closest to when the incident occurred, and also about Tsinghua and Peking Universities.

……

September, 1999

The student dormitory at Sunan University was unbearably hot. An old-fashioned floor fan stood in the corner, panting and shaking as it surveyed the room.

When Wang Jie woke up, Jian Zheng had already left.

Zhang Qian stood in the middle of the room, wearing Wang Jie's shirt. Seeing that he was awake, he quickly said, "Wang Jie, may I borrow your clothes for a moment?"

"Oh no, I have to go to class. What should I wear?"

"In the sweltering summer heat, as you know, I'm always wearing shorts and a tank top. I really don't have any more formal clothes to wear."

Zhang Qian said, "Today I'm going to report to Professor Zhou's lab. I heard that in addition to the college leaders, Professor Zhou and Professor Yang also brought three of their students, all of whom are top students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. I can't let our school down."

“That’s true.” Wang Jie jumped up, wearing a tank top and briefs, and paced around the room. “What am I going to do? I’ve already packed all my clothes and taken them home.”

"You wear my tank top."

"You're so thin, I can't fit into your clothes."

Wang Jie looked at Zhang Qian and saw that his clothes were almost up to his knees, and couldn't help but laugh, "You can wear my clothes as a skirt, hurry up and take them off."

Zhang Qian always wrote 1.7 meters in the height column when filling out the forms, but it's hard to say whether his actual height is 1.65 meters.

Wang Jie is 1.85 meters tall, and when he wears a shirt on Zhang Qian, it doesn't look like he's wearing a skirt.

Zhang Qian tucked the hem of his shirt into his pants, solving the length problem. However, the shoulders weren't quite right; the short-sleeved shirt had become a mid-length sleeve on him, but it was still much better than before, barely acceptable, and certainly more formal than wearing a tank top.

"This is much better, I'll wear this one."

Zhang Qian didn't care whether Wang Jie had any objections or not, and made the decision on his own.

Then, he turned around, opened Jian Zheng's wardrobe, picked out a royal blue polo shirt, and handed it to Wang Jie, saying, "You wear Jian Zheng's clothes. He's taller and stronger than me, so you'll definitely be able to wear them. He probably didn't want the clothes he left behind when he moved out."

Wang Jie had no other choice but to take it and put it on.

The shirt was a size too small. The knitted polo shirt was a bit stretchy, and when worn by Wang Jie, it accentuated his physique. His pectoral and biceps muscles made the shirt bulge, and his broad shoulders and narrow waist formed a perfect triangle, making his legs look exceptionally long.

"Tsk tsk, not bad!" Zhang Qian said with envy in his eyes. "Do you want to come with me to the lab?"

"I still have to go to class."

“Yesterday, my senior left me a message on QQ saying that he was on summer vacation and hadn’t gone back to his hometown. He was coming to our school today.”

Zhang Qian always looks at his senior with admiration.

"Next time, let's invite Jian Zheng and your senior to have beer and skewers together. We can also get to know your outstanding senior."

Wang Jie suddenly felt a pang of panic, his heart clenching inexplicably, and then he broke out in a cold sweat.

"It's settled then." Zhang Qian agreed happily, then looked up and saw that Wang Jie's face was pale and his forehead was covered with a fine layer of sweat.

"Wang Jie, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?"

Wang Jie quickly sat on the bed, paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and waved his hand to indicate, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm probably just hungry and have low blood sugar."

He calmed himself down, quickly grabbed his bicycle keys, and hurriedly went out.

Behind him, Zhang Qian called out, "Go downstairs to the convenience store and buy something to eat to fill your stomach."

However, as soon as I stepped out of the room, before I even reached the stairwell, that feeling of panic miraculously disappeared, and everything seemed to return to normal.

Wang Jie was puzzled. This was the second time he had suffered from hypoglycemia. When did he develop such a problem?

He went to the convenience store, bought a cup of iced soy milk, and specifically asked the owner to add two extra spoonfuls of sugar.

He can't eat breakfast yet because he made a promise with Ruoruo that she would bring him 'sticky rice cakes'. If he eats his fill now, he won't be able to eat the breakfast Ruoruo brings later, and she'll definitely be unhappy.

The route from Sunan University to the cram school was much shorter than the route from Yangxi Road; it only took him twenty minutes to cycle there.

As agreed with Zhou Yanruo, he waited for her at the bus stop.

Wang Jie straddled the back of the bicycle, his long legs supporting the bike, and pulled out a book, just opening it.

A bus pulled up to the stop, and as soon as the door opened, Zhou Yanruo jumped off and hopped towards him.

"You arrived early. I even took an earlier bus, but I still arrived later than you."

Zhou Yanruo's short hair was tied in a small bun at the back of her head. It was too hot, and two wisps of hair clung to her forehead and temples, making her look even more playful and cute.

A knee-length blue and gray floral print mini skirt paired with a white t-shirt, looking fresh and pure.

"I just arrived too. Where's the rice cake I was given? I'm starving."

"I've never seen you wear this before," Zhou Yanruo asked, handing the paper bag to Wang Jie and pointing to his clothes.

Wang Jie pulled down his clothes and said apologetically, "These are Jian Zheng's clothes. They're too tight. Don't they fit?"

"Why are you wearing his clothes?" Zhou Yanruo pouted, but her eyes didn't leave him, looking him up and down.

Feeling embarrassed by the stares, Wang Jie tore open the paper packaging of the glutinous rice and took a big bite.

"But it's quite beautiful," Zhou Yanruo said with a smile.

Zhou Yanruo rarely saw Wang Jie try this style of clothing. This royal blue polo shirt truly suited his age's vitality and energy, making his already fair complexion appear even brighter. Previously, Wang Jie always wore the same shirt, dress pants, and white sneakers, so this change was indeed a refreshing surprise.

"I'll go shopping with you next time. Wearing some colorful clothes will make you look more energetic."

"I'm leaving my styling to you."