Chapter 54
Modern Story
Extra 10

Li Mu asked Lin Que about his condition, and he also inquired about hers. She was luckier than him. Apart from a mild concussion and some skin abrasions, which had already scabbed over by the time she was discharged, she was mostly fine. However, given the mild nature of her concussion, she shouldn’t have been unconscious for an entire day. Therefore, the hospital kept her for further observation.

Both of them experienced unusual comas, and Li Mu suspected her coma was related to her time-travel journey.

As for Lin Que, Li Mu wasn’t sure if he had traveled into the book like she did or if it was something else. The Lin Que she knew in the book world was indeed an ancient person with no modern memories.

Facing Li Mu’s confusion, Lin Que said over the phone, “My situation is a bit complicated.”

Li Mu: “?”

Lin Que: “I’ll explain it to you in person when we meet.”

Li Mu: “Okay!”

They both wanted to meet, but Lin Que was still unsteady on his feet, and Li Mu had trouble getting time off work.

After the car accident, her company’s exploitation of her was quite outrageous. She had been relieved that her boss hadn’t mentioned promoting her to management, but it turned out she had celebrated too soon.

A colleague, who was on good terms with Li Mu, secretly told her that the company had treated her well and planned to promote her because they found out another company wanted to poach her. After the car accident, the boss assumed she wouldn’t dare to switch jobs in her condition, so they stopped trying to retain her and even made things difficult for her.

“They’re taking the opportunity to PUA you, making you doubt your abilities so you won’t leave,” the colleague said. Li Mu had been in a bad mood, waiting for Lin Que’s call, and the colleague, worried she might overwork herself, kindly warned her to avoid blaming herself.

Li Mu had indeed been contacted by another company before the accident, offering a much higher salary than her current one. However, her severe social anxiety made her resist changing environments. Her savings and current salary were sufficient, and she had no dreams of getting rich overnight, so she hadn’t accepted the offer.

Sometimes, the thought process of someone with social anxiety is just that simple and unadorned.

However, even in this situation, Li Mu reconsidered resigning.

Moreover, the company that had previously tried to poach her recently contacted her again, offering even better compensation than before the car accident, clearly trying to take advantage of the situation.

Li Mu carefully researched the company’s information. Late at night, after working overtime, she video-called Lin Que. When she mentioned the company’s name, he smiled and said, “Maybe we would have met even without the car accident.”

Li Mu asked, “How so?”

Lin Que replied, “This company collaborates with my mom’s side.”

Li Mu muttered, “Collaboration doesn’t help.”

With her level of social anxiety, even if the company collaborated with Lin Que’s, she wouldn’t necessarily meet him, even if they lived next door.

Lin Que said, “You never know. Maybe our fate is destined, and nothing can stop it.”

Then, Lin Que sent Li Mu more information about the company. After considering it, Li Mu asked Lin Que to help her rehearse multiple times over the phone, deciding what to say and what questions to ask. Finally, she contacted the company.

Deciding to switch jobs, the moment she sent her resignation letter, Li Mu felt an indescribable relief. Although there was still a month of handover time according to the contract, the resignation letter finally granted Li Mu a vacation, allowing her to visit Lin Que.

After the car accident, Lin Que was transferred to another hospital. To avoid affecting the company, his assistant had temporarily kept the news under wraps, which is why Li Mu couldn’t find him in the initial hospital.

Following Lin Que’s location, Li Mu arrived at the hospital. While confirming if she was in the right ward, she saw a man in a hospital gown sitting in a wheelchair near the elevator in the lobby.

The distance was too far for Li Mu to see his face clearly, but she had a hunch. She looked down at her phone to confirm the direction and walked towards him. As she got closer, she slowly saw the man’s face, and her lips couldn’t help but curve into a smile as her steps quickened.

Finally, seeing the man open his arms towards her, she ran.

In the warm autumn sunlight, she ran towards him.

…

Later, Lin Que often mentioned how the image of Li Mu running towards him in the sunlight always made his heart race.

“If only I hadn’t been in a wheelchair at that moment,” Lin Que thought it was the only flaw in an otherwise perfect reunion. He wished he could have recovered faster and walked towards Li Mu.

Li Mu, however, felt their reunion was perfect. Afterward, Lin Que took her to his hospital room and introduced her to his father, Lin Huaijin.

Lin Huaijin and Lin Que looked alike, appearing gentle and approachable. In reality, he didn’t talk much. After greeting them, he found an excuse to leave them alone.

Lin Que pulled Li Mu close and quietly held each other for a while. Even without speaking, just exchanging light kisses now and then, they felt their hearts filling up.

Lin Que explained his situation to Li Mu, which was quite complicated.

“From your perspective, someone wrote a novel, you read it, had a car accident, and then came back,” Lin Que said.

“The source is someone writing such a novel.”

“I am the Lin Que in the book. The content of the book is my first life, your arrival is the second life, and now is the third life.”

“In each life, I had no memory of the previous one. The car accident made me remember past events.”

“You traveled through time; I regained my memory.”

“From the moment I was born in this world, I was meant to find you.”

“As for why I have the same family as in the previous life and why my past was written, whether I am real or the book is real, which is the cause and which is the effect, I don’t know.”

Although it was a bit convoluted, Li Mu understood. It was a strange closed loop.

Li Mu thought for a moment and asked, “Have you contacted the online novel author?”

Lin Que replied, “Yes, the author wrote the novel on a whim. They didn’t consider that the people they wrote about might see it. Coincidentally, the novel became popular because the protagonist was named Li Yunxi, and a friend of Li Yunxi recommended it to you.”

Then Li Yunxi recommended it to Lin Qiwu, who sent it to him. Nothing was unusual, and they were unlikely to find answers explaining everything.

Li Mu stayed at the hospital for a day, accompanying Lin Que through his rehabilitation. She reluctantly left in the evening.

Lin Que escorted Li Mu to the hospital entrance, watching her get into the car. Instead of heading back immediately, he called her.

Li Mu answered the call in the car, putting on her earphones. “What’s up?”

Lin Que replied, “I miss you.”

Li Mu found it amusing. If she saw others talking like this, she would find it cheesy, considering they had just parted. But when it came to her own experience, it felt perfectly natural—lovers missing each other after a short separation was completely normal.

They spoke softly, with Lin Que sharing more. Even when they fell silent, listening to each other’s presence was comforting.

When Li Mu got home, she closed the door and told Lin Que she had arrived and needed to take a shower. They then ended the call.

Back at the hospital, Lin Que stared at his phone, lost in thought.

Lin Huaijin had been observing his son’s relationship. Initially, he could attribute Lin Que’s intense feelings to the accident and the heightened emotions that followed. However, as time passed, Lin Que’s passion didn’t wane; it grew stronger. Lin Huaijin remarked, “Before your accident, if someone told me you’d be this clingy in a relationship, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Lin Que smiled and then asked, “Dad, if Mom suddenly disappeared, would you be scared?”

Lin Huaijin frowned, “What nonsense are you talking about?” He rejected the hypothetical scenario.

Lin Que persisted, “Would you be scared?”

Of course, Lin Huaijin would be scared. Although his marriage to Gu Shu started as a business arrangement with no emotional foundation, and their relationship was rocky at first due to his reticence, they gradually grew closer, understanding, loving, and supporting each other.

Gu Shu never belittled his dreams, and he never let external gossip affect their relationship. Despite Gu Shu managing the family businesses, they respected each other’s roles.

Lin Huaijin loved Gu Shu and couldn’t imagine losing her. He would be scared.

Lin Que said, “I’m scared too.”

And it wasn’t just a hypothetical; he had truly lost her once. He watched as her time in slumber grew longer, felt her stop breathing, and sensed her body gradually lose warmth in his arms. Even though he constantly recalled Li Mu’s words about meeting again and repeatedly recited the number she gave him, he was still consumed by pain after losing her.

His body had been meticulously cared for by Wudu, and his determination to grow old with Li Mu had sustained him through those seven years. When Li Mu left, his resolve shattered, and his body collapsed. Until his last moment, he hoped to reunite with her. Now that his wish had come true, he was both happy and scared. Happy to hold her again, but afraid of losing her once more.

To avoid pressuring Li Mu, he hid his slightly twisted longing, hoping she wouldn’t find him annoying.

Lin Que fiddled with his phone, calculating the time it would take Li Mu to shower. He wanted to call her again but worried about being too persistent.

Li Mu had work during the day, and he couldn’t disturb her. Later, she needed rest and some personal time before bed.

He decided to wait a bit longer.

Suppressing his anxiety and unease, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the screen, his hand reacted faster than his brain, and he answered the call.

“Weixi,” he called out.

On the other end, Li Mu replied, “Mm.”

Lin Que glanced at the bedside table and asked, “Did you forget something here?”

“No,” Li Mu said, feeling a bit shy. “I miss you.”

Then she quickly changed the subject, “Watch a movie with me?”

Watching movies together via a conference app had become one of their favorite pastimes.

Savoring Li Mu’s “I miss you,” Lin Que happily opened his laptop and asked, “What do you want to watch?”

Li Mu thought for a moment, “Do you have any non-scary suspense movies?”

She wanted something to engage her mind without startling sound effects.

Lin Que knew a few and listed them for Li Mu. Most she had already seen, so they discussed their options. Under the enchanting moonlight, they listened to each other’s voices, feeling a satisfaction that others might not understand, enjoying this ordinary night together.