Chapter 97: The Original World

After Miaomiao left, Ming Can and Chi Xiao didn’t move back to the school dorms or switch to a place closer to campus. They still chose to live in this apartment.

Miaomiao’s room was kept almost exactly the same. Only a few items that were hard to keep clean were put away by them.

This apartment was rented, but after living in it for so long, they had developed a deep attachment to it. One day, Ming Can suddenly had the idea of buying it.

Although the place wasn’t in the city center, within a few hundred meters there was a top-tier private elementary school, Morning Star Elementary. Within two kilometers were prestigious universities like A University and B University. On top of that, the residential complex was luxurious, and the high-rise, large flat units were going for 140,000 to 150,000 yuan per square meter. If the owner wasn’t planning to sell, they’d have to offer extra just to persuade him. All things considered, even 40 million wouldn’t be enough.

Ming Can did a bit of mental math—she needed to buy a house in the next few years, start her own business, and she still owed Chi Xiao eight million… Forget it, better not to calculate at all.

It was morning. Chi Xiao had class at eight and had already left for school. Ming Can leisurely finished the breakfast her boyfriend had made, and with nothing better to do, wandered into Miaomiao’s room—officially to do some cleaning, but really, to indulge in her memories.

While tidying up the miscellaneous items in the cabinet, Ming Can accidentally spotted a broken children’s smartwatch at the bottom.

It seemed to be the one Miaomiao had been wearing when she picked him up by the roadside last year.

Back then, she had used that watch to call the number saved as “Mom,” and then her own phone rang. After that, the watch completely broke down. That moment had left a deep impression on Ming Can.

There were several noticeable cracks on the surface of the watch, likely caused by an impact, presumably the reason it had stopped working.

Ming Can remembered that the day she found Miaomiao, he was neatly dressed and clean, and his clothes and pants were all high-end brands. So why would he be wearing a broken, battered watch? She couldn’t quite figure it out.

In any case, the watch was something from the future, and that suddenly sparked a strong sense of curiosity in her. When she headed to class later, she brought the watch with her. During lunch break, she ran over to A University to find Chi Xiao and handed it to him. After all, A University was also known as a top-tier technical school, maybe he could find someone capable of repairing this futuristic piece of tech.

A few days later, the watch was indeed fixed. Chi Xiao brought it back home and sat on the couch with Ming Can to study it together.

“If it could make a call before, it must have had signal,” Ming Can suddenly thought aloud. “Do you think… it might be able to contact Miaomiao?”

Chi Xiao tried dialing the contact labeled “Dad,” and sure enough, the call went through. His own phone started ringing almost immediately.

After fiddling with it for a while, Chi Xiao said, “Looks like it can only connect with the signal in our world.”

“Alright then,” Ming Can sighed. “I miss Miaomiao so much… I also wanted to get in touch with the future me. Miaomiao said she owns several big villas, she must be loaded. I was hoping to borrow some money from her.”

“…” Chi Xiao couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if you could reach her, how would she lend you money?”

Ming Can replied, “Even if she can’t lend me money, she could tell me which lottery ticket to buy, give me some guidance on the company’s development, and tell me which talents are worth keeping, help me avoid a few detours.”

“You’ve got it all planned out,” Chi Xiao chuckled, raising his hand to ruffle her hair. “Still, even without a prophet, I’m sure you’ll succeed.”

Ming Can grinned, “That’s idealism. But… I like hearing it.”

The two of them lowered their heads again and went back to examining the smartwatch.

Miaomiao had only registered for QQ and WeChat after coming here, he hadn’t had any social media accounts before that. So there weren’t many apps on the smartwatch; the only thing worth looking at was the photo gallery.

Technology was more advanced in the future, and the camera on this watch was far more powerful than the one Miaomiao used here. The photos were very clear. Ming Can and Chi Xiao saw the faces of many unfamiliar children in the gallery, likely Miaomiao’s classmates from the other world.

Then they came across the corgi Miaomiao often talked about—Xiao Er.

“What a round butt,” Ming Can laughed. “Feels like it’s as big as five Xiaoxiaos.”

Chi Xiao said, “More than that, probably. Xiaoxiao’s barely four jin (2 kg), and this one looks like forty jin (20 kg).”

Ming Can replied, “No badmouthing the dog behind its back.”

In the next photo, Xiao Er was still there, but now there was someone else in the frame.

A man in a dark gray suit stood tall and cool, his back exuding a calm sharpness. He held the dog leash in one hand, and as if hearing someone calling him from behind, he turned his head—revealing a sharply defined profile. His irises were a pale color, carrying a fierce intensity that the twenty-something Chi Xiao didn’t have, along with the faintest trace of a smile.

“That’s you!” Ming Can exclaimed excitedly. “Walking a dog in a suit—classic you.”

“Maybe I just got off work and didn’t have time to change,” Chi Xiao replied.

“Did you grow even taller later on?” Ming Can teased. “Your legs look longer than they do now.”

Chi Xiao shot back, “And who was the one yesterday, clinging to me and saying she was scared of heights, begging me to lower her a bit?”

“…” Ming Can’s face instantly turned bright red. Pretending she hadn’t heard anything, she said quickly, “Let’s look at the next photo.”

Flipping through a dozen or so more photos, the future Ming Can finally appeared.

She was seated in the back of a car, wearing a tobacco-brown dress. The finely tailored fabric outlined her slim, graceful figure. Her fair neck was slightly bent as she looked down, and her softly curled long hair was simply tied back. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on her face, giving her an air of refined elegance. She was focused on the document displayed on the tablet in her hands.

“You’ve become nearsighted,” Chi Xiao commented. “Reading documents even while riding in a car, no wonder your vision declined.”

“Ah—” Ming Can immediately covered her eyes in alarm and started doing eye exercises on the spot. “Starting today, I’m going to take proper care of my eyes!”

Chi Xiao said, “Don’t worry, the lenses look thin, so your prescription probably isn’t that strong.”

They continued scrolling through the photos.

Ming Can exclaimed, “Wow, there’s a video of you skiing! In your thirties and still as dashing as ever!”

Chi Xiao quipped, “The footage is so shaky, and you can still tell I’m dashing?”

Ming Can grinned, “Just listening to all the screaming from Miaomiao and those older sisters and aunties, obviously you were killing it.”

…

Chi Xiao said, “You were on TV. Look how excited Miaomiao was, he took over thirty photos of the screen.”

Ming Can laughed, “Hahaha, what does that tiny line of text under the screen say? Is it something like Interview with Outstanding Entrepreneurs of Beicheng?”

Chi Xiao replied, “Can’t really make it out. Might even be Interview with Fortune Global 500 Entrepreneurs.”

…

It took them two full hours to finish looking through all the photos. From the brightness of day to the dimness of dusk, their interest never waned. But both of them silently noticed the same thing—there were lots of photos of Chi Xiao, and even more of Ming Can, yet not a single one where they appeared together. Miaomiao hadn’t captured even one shot of the two of them in the same frame.

Ming Can powered off the smartwatch and placed it back where she’d found it.

By then, dinner time had nearly passed. Chi Xiao headed into the kitchen to make two bowls of noodles.

While the water was boiling, Ming Can followed him in, saying she wanted to help—but all she did was cling to his arm and chat, not lifting a finger to actually do anything.

Chi Xiao lowered his head and kissed her. “Why are you so clingy?”

“Can’t help it,” Ming Can said. “I just love watching a man cook.”

As she spoke, she affectionately leaned her head against his shoulder. Chi Xiao bent slightly so that her head could rest snugly in the curve of his neck.

A few strands of her soft, long hair slipped down over his shoulder. For a moment, time seemed to accelerate—sun and moon spinning past in a blur. The sky outside grew darker, the night thick and deep, as if it could swallow every trace of light. A single, burning tear slipped down the woman’s cheek, fell with those few strands of hair, and landed heavily on the man’s chest.

A soft, barely audible sobbing sound came from beside his ear. The woman’s cheek was pressed against his shoulder—this was her most broken moment in an entire week, as if she could no longer hold herself together, forced to find something to lean on and share the weight of her pain. And that something was his shoulder. Chi Xiao bent down just a bit more so she could lean more comfortably against him. One of his hands slowly lifted, hesitantly resting near her shoulder without fully embracing her, a restrained, gentle gesture. As he listened to her muffled crying, his own eyes burned with an unbearable ache.

A few minutes later, Ming Can calmed down. She silently pulled away from Chi Xiao’s shoulder, as if nothing had happened at all.

For a whole week, she had been teetering between breakdown and composure. Most of the time, she managed to stay steady, clinging to the doctors’ assurance that Miaomiao’s vital signs were stable and he would wake up soon.

But… seven whole days had passed, why hadn’t he woken up yet?

Seven days ago, Ming Can had gone to pick Miaomiao up from school. After he got in the car, the two of them sat chatting inside. Since the car was parked by the roadside and hadn’t started moving yet, neither of them had fastened their seatbelts. No one could’ve expected that a car on the nearby road would suddenly lose control and slam violently into the rear of their vehicle. Ming Can was thrown forward uncontrollably, and after hitting the driver’s seat, she lost consciousness.

Not long after, she woke up in the hospital. Her head ached, her arm had a cut that required stitches, and aside from a few scrapes, she was mostly unharmed.

The moment she thought of Miaomiao, she threw off the covers and got out of bed—only to run into Chi Xiao in front of the neighboring hospital room, just as he was rushing over.

Ming Can didn’t have the strength to speak. She completely ignored the man’s anxious questions and strode straight into the hospital room.

Miaomiao was lying on the bed. The doctors said his lungs had been compressed and he’d suffered a mild concussion, but there was no danger to his life. All his vital signs were stable—he was simply unconscious and hadn’t woken up yet.

Ming Can let out a long breath of relief. If anything serious had happened to Miaomiao, she truly would’ve killed herself.

No one had expected that this “just unconscious” state would stretch on without end—that Miaomiao simply wouldn’t wake up.

Ming Can had him transferred to a VIP room, and the couple stayed by his side almost day and night.

The doctors ran countless tests on Miaomiao, using the most advanced equipment available, but still couldn’t determine why he remained in a deep sleep. Ming Can and Chi Xiao pulled every string they could to assemble a panel of the top neurology experts in Beicheng, but the conclusion was vague and cautiously optimistic at best: it was likely the child’s concussion hadn’t fully healed, and he should wake up in time.

Seven days later, deep into the night, Ming Can could no longer bear the helpless waiting. If she weren’t worried that moving him might hinder his recovery, she would’ve already taken Miaomiao out of that hospital. “If he’s still not awake by tomorrow morning,” she said, “we’re transferring him. We’ll fly to Shencheng. Auntie said they have a more advanced neurology team there. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll take Miaomiao abroad.”

Her voice had returned to calm. As she spoke, she hastily wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. At some point, a warm, heavy bundle had nudged up against her feet. It was Xiao Er. The little corgi sprawled out, four stubby legs splayed flat, lying completely across her feet. He looked up at her with round, innocent eyes, and somehow, that simple gaze eased the storm of anxiety in Ming Can’s chest.

The VIP hospital room was a suite. Xiao Er had been staying in the outer living area these past few days. Closer to the hospital bed, there was a companion cot where Ming Can and Chi Xiao took turns resting. Both of them were swamped with work, and though they wished they could stay by Miaomiao’s side twenty-four hours a day, they had no choice but to take turns, rushing through their jobs during off-hours to make time for shifts.

Besides, there was only one companion bed.

Chi Xiao had no objections to the idea of transferring hospitals. Ming Can nodded, got up, and walked into the bathroom to wash her face clean with cold water.

When she came out, she plopped down onto the companion bed without caring about her appearance, casually sweeping her hair back as she said to Chi Xiao, “I heard Xingchi’s got a pretty major acquisition deal going on lately? You can go back and handle your work. I’ve got things covered here.”

Chi Xiao replied, “If we’re transferring hospitals in the morning, then I’m not going back tonight.”

Ming Can said, “It’s fine. I’m here, that’s enough.”

The same words repeated twice, unmistakably a subtle way of ushering him out.

“Mm,” Chi Xiao responded blandly. “I’ll head out after I finish this document.”

Ming Can nodded. She’d planned to review some more reports, but exhaustion weighed her down. Before she realized it, she had slumped sideways onto the bed and fallen asleep.

These past few nights, she often woke up in the middle of the night. And tonight was no exception.

The lights in the room were off, leaving it quite dark. She picked up her phone from the bedside table and glanced at the screen—3:00 a.m.

She looked down and noticed that at some point, someone had covered her with a blanket. When she’d lain down, the blanket had clearly been tucked underneath her.

Maybe she’d felt cold in her sleep and instinctively pulled it over herself.

That’s what Ming Can thought as she prepared to go back to sleep. But just as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she caught a familiar figure in the living room.

Chi Xiao hadn’t left.

He was sitting on the sofa, still wearing the custom-tailored suit from earlier that day. The tailored cut accentuated his upright, refined figure. Even with his eyes closed in sleep, he exuded an air of quiet elegance and aloof dignity.

Ming Can didn’t get up. She simply lay on her side, quietly watching him.

After all these years of marriage, this might’ve been the first time she’d seen him asleep.

The night’s shadows softened his handsome features, making them appear deep and hazy, like a silent sculpture.

Lately, after learning certain things, Ming Can would occasionally find herself thinking back to some of her interactions with Chi Xiao during their student days.

They were alumni of the same high school, only a year apart in grade, but Ming Can had almost no impression of him. The only two things she remembered about him were, first, that one of her high school roommates had apparently liked Chi Xiao, and second, that he had been the top scorer in the college entrance exam for Beicheng that year. Both were things others had told her.

Oh, there was one thing she recalled on her own—

Chi Xiao had confessed to her back in high school.

Ming Can only remembered that she had turned him down; as for the other details, she had no recollection at all.

High school had passed by just like that, but Ming Can’s memories of her interactions with Chi Xiao during university were a little clearer.

In her sophomore year, Ming Can had gone with Xu Jiayun and Rui Yiqing to attend a lecture on digital finance at A University.

The lecture was extremely popular. After entering the hall, they couldn’t find any seats and had to stand in the aisle.

Before long, the students in the auditorium began to stir. The cause of the commotion was Chi Xiao. That day marked the beginning of Ming Can truly taking note of him, partly because Rui Yiqing exaggeratedly whispered in her ear about how amazing, aloof, and handsome this upperclassman was, and partly because, for some unknown reason, Chi Xiao came over to greet them and even gave them his ticket.

When they greeted each other, Chi Xiao reached out his hand to Ming Can and said, “Long time no see.”

Ming Can didn’t really feel like responding, but out of politeness, she reached out and shook his hand—just a brief touch before letting go.

After that, the lecture began, and she no longer paid any attention to that inexplicable upperclassman. Her entire focus shifted to the lecture; her stylus brushed swiftly across the tablet screen as she took notes, absorbing a lot of useful information.

When the lecture ended, Rui Yiqing left for something urgent, and Xu Jiayun went off to talk to the boy she liked at the time. Ming Can walked out of the auditorium alone and stood on the curb, waiting for Xu Jiayun so they could return to B University together.

In late autumn, the cold wind blew desolately. The students pouring out of the lecture hall gradually dispersed. Ming Can stared blankly at the empty campus path. By chance, she caught sight of Chi Xiao walking out alongside a beautiful girl with an elegant presence.

Because of certain things in her family, she had a natural aversion to handsome boys. She couldn’t help but mock inwardly: So-called aloof male gods probably have more female friends than male ones.

Chi Xiao didn’t walk alongside that girl for long before they parted ways. 

With his strikingly handsome yet cold face that seemed to offend the heavens, he walked toward the other side of the campus path.

Ming Can was standing right on the opposite side of the campus path.

When Chi Xiao reached the middle of the road, for some reason, Ming Can suddenly had the feeling that he was walking toward her.

The autumn wind stirred the dry leaves into a swirling dance in the cold air. On the increasingly desolate path, only the sound of the wind remained.

Just as Chi Xiao was about to approach, Ming Can suddenly turned her head, pretending not to see him, and walked away without a word.

---

Author’s Note:

⚠️ Trigger warning: The extra chapters will be a bit angsty, mainly from the male lead’s side. Ming Can will have quite a fierce temper (you’ve been warned). I’ll try to move through this part quickly (it’s necessary to explain why their relationship has been so strained over the years). Once Miaomiao wakes up, it’ll shift back into sweet territory!

P.S. One day in Miaomiao’s original world equals about a month in the main story timeline. He spent about seven months in the alternate world, which means only seven days passed in the original one.

P.P.S. Ming Can and Chi Xiao from the original world have gone through over a decade of missed chances and weariness, so their personalities will differ somewhat from the main story versions. But in the end, all roads lead to the same place~