Time Traveling to 23 Years Later with My Ex-Boyfriend

1 (ii)

Half an hour later, they had shed all the clothes they could, now sitting in the shade by the roadside wearing only trousers and sweaters. Chu Qing rolled up her sweater sleeves, still red-faced from the heat. "So, we've time-traveled to 2042?"

"Mm," Qi Weichen's response was brief.

Chu Qing slapped her thigh in frustration, "This is absurd! I was just dodging a car, how did we end up time-traveling?! I had plans to go to the internet cafe the day after tomorrow, how am I supposed to go now?!"

"Even without the time travel, you wouldn't be able to go," Qi Weichen glanced at her.

Chu Qing looked at him, "Why?"

"The flu situation is serious. Group entertainment venues will likely be closed," Qi Weichen's temples were also covered in sweat, but he spoke as calmly as ever. "Even if they're not, I suggest you stay home and do a couple more sets of practice papers instead of going out."

At the mere mention of going out, he started lecturing. Chu Qing, already dehydrated, deflated even more. "Let's not talk about the internet cafe now. What should we do? Go home?"

"We can't go home. The technology in 2042 can't support time travel. Our journey here was probably accidental. Without knowing the exact circumstances, if you rashly try to return, you might attract the attention of special agencies," Qi Weichen's voice flowed like a cool stream in the sweltering weather.

However, Chu Qing felt her head was about to explode. "I don't want their attention!"

"Then we shouldn't contact anyone for now," Qi Weichen said calmly.

Chu Qing stared at him blankly, then finally despaired: "We can't use our own identities, can't contact our families. Are we going to live here as undocumented residents?"

Qi Weichen remained silent for a long time before responding, "No, we'll soon know whether we can go home or not."

"How will we know?" Chu Qing asked immediately.

"First, we need to determine if we can return to 2019," Qi Weichen said, then noticing Chu Qing's confused look, he paused before explaining, "After time-traveling, there are two possibilities: either we're stuck here and can never go back, or we'll travel back to our normal time at some point in the future."

"What's the difference?" Under the blazing sun and wearing thick clothes, Chu Qing's brain was barely functioning.

"If it's the former, it means in our families' eyes, we've been missing for 23 years. In this case, there wouldn't be two versions of us in the same timeline, so we could go home directly. If it's the latter," Qi Weichen paused, his gaze cool but with a hint of determination, "I believe that if I return and grow up normally to age 41, I would come to help myself within three hours."

"What?"

"It's now 3 PM on August 25, 2042, Beijing time. We're at the intersection of Haifeng Road and Lin Yin Road in District C of City A. If my 41-year-old self doesn't show up within three hours, it means I didn't manage to travel back to 2019 in the future, and there's only one Qi Weichen in this 2042 timeline." He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of a nearby convenience store as he calmly explained this.

Chu Qing looked at him in awe, feeling like an idiot. Although she didn't fully understand, she felt he was incredibly smart.

Qi Weichen glanced at her, then went to the convenience store. He returned moments later with two bottles of ice-cold water, unscrewed the cap of one, and handed it to her. Chu Qing quickly took it and gulped down two mouthfuls. The cold sensation traveled from her throat to her stomach, making her sigh in relief. Only then did she think to ask, "How did you get these?"

"I bought them."

"...It's been over 20 years, your money still works?" Chu Qing was a bit shocked.

Qi Weichen nodded, casually explaining, "Technology has advanced rapidly. The cash register can not only verify authenticity but also determine the value of non-circulating currency. I gave the shopkeeper 100, and he gave me a bottle of water plus 300 in new paper currency."

Chu Qing: "..." As expected of you.

Although they had suddenly jumped from winter to summer and 23 years into the future, with such a genius by her side, Chu Qing had calmed down considerably. She lazily sat next to him, whiling away the time.

One hour passed.

Two hours passed.

Chu Qing had already drunk three bottles of water, but still no one had come for them. She uncertainly asked the person beside her, "Is it possible that after you time travel back, you'll forget about coming to save yourself?"

"Impossible," Qi Weichen said with absolute certainty.

Chu Qing thought to herself, "How do you know it's impossible when you haven't even gone back yet?" But knowing she couldn't out-reason him, she wisely kept quiet.

They continued to wait. With less than twenty minutes left until 6 PM, Chu Qing felt every minute and second dragging on endlessly. She looked at Qi Weichen countless times, and each time she saw the sweat on his temples, she wanted to say, "Let's give up," but couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Just as the clock in the convenience store was about to strike 6 PM, with only one minute left, Chu Qing spoke with mixed emotions, "It seems we're in the first scenario. Now we should..."

Before she could finish, Qi Weichen suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. Chu Qing paused, then quickly followed his gaze.

They saw a man in his early forties, balding, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and black suit pants, hurrying towards them. When he spotted them, he waved urgently, then wiped the sweat from his face with his hand, casually wiping it on his pants.

Chu Qing swallowed hard, then after a moment managed to say, "You're quite... well-built at 41, huh?"