Chapter 24: Seeing Your Past/Future Self Through Your Present Self

Chapter 24 Seeing Your Past/Future Self Through Your Present Self

The next morning, Xu Moxing woke up very early. He glanced at his phone; it was only seven o'clock.

The curtains were drawn tightly, leaving the room in dimness. He lay in bed for a while, spaced out, then turned his head to look next to him—Su Lichen was still asleep.

Su Lichen happened to be sleeping facing him, with his hand resting near his own shoulder.

Xu Moxing gently took Su Lichen's hand and squeezed it lightly.

Having a cast was really inconvenient. He struggled to turn on his side to face Su Lichen, and stealing a kiss was even more difficult.

While Xu Moxing was still struggling, Su Lichen spoke, though his eyes remained closed.

"What are you trying to do while I'm asleep?"

Xu Moxing stopped struggling. "Nothing! I just woke up too."

He let go of Su Lichen's hand, trying to act innocent.

Su Lichen opened his eyes and grabbed his hand back. "Are you trying to get fresh with me? Hmm?"

"No! Who's trying to get fresh with you? You're good-looking, but you can't just accuse me like that."

"Then I'll be the one getting fresh with you."

Su Lichen leaned over and gave Xu Moxing a kiss on the cheek.

The two of them fooled around in bed for a while before getting up to brush their teeth.

Xu Moxing spotted a bulge under Su Lichen's loose, flowy pajamas. His eyes darted around. "Do you need me to help you?"

"What?"

Su Lichen helped him up and carried him to the wheelchair.

Xu Moxing, sitting in the wheelchair, was about the same height as that area. He reached out his index finger and gave a gentle poke to the little A Li that was already raring to go in the morning.

"... "

Su Lichen didn't need to ask further. "Don't mess around."

"I'm not messing around. Aren't you worried about hurting yourself by holding it in?"

"It's a normal morning reaction. I'm not holding it in."

Xu Moxing didn't reply, wearing an expression that said, "Do you think I buy that?"

"I'll handle it myself."

Su Lichen left him and went to the bathroom first.

"Okay, let me know if you need help. I'd be happy to help."

Su Lichen was resigned. He could have made it go away, but that poke from Xu Moxing forced him to head to the bathroom to deal with it.

After they both finished washing up and had breakfast, they packed up to check out.

"Since we're here, how about checking out the central landmark of Yangcheng?"

"Great!"

Su Lichen drove to the city center and spent a long time looking for a parking spot.

After finally parking, he pushed Xu Moxing around as they explored.

"So many people!"

"Yeah, there are too many workers here, and it's always a popular tourist city. This place is packed every day."

Xu Moxing curiously observed the local landmark buildings. The cityscape here was very similar to Shencheng's.

It was clean, wide, and sturdy—very different from the old town with its sense of history.

Xu Moxing snapped photos from time to time.

"A Li, come, let me take a picture of you."

Su Lichen casually posed, and Xu Moxing took his photo.

"Nice! So handsome! Change your pose! Let's take another one! Great!"

Xu Moxing showered him with praise.

Su Lichen cracked up at his exaggerated antics. It reminded him of their previous trip, when Xu Moxing had been just like this—cheerful, enthusiastic, innocent, with a stream of flattery.

Later, such moments became rarer, and his outlook on life grew more negative.

They took a selfie together and continued walking.

After a while, a woman approached. She looked around thirty, dressed simply, holding a plastic bag.

She stood by the side of the road, looking around as if searching for something.

Xu Moxing didn't pay much attention and kept chatting with Su Lichen while enjoying the view.

The woman glanced around, her eyes landing on Xu Moxing, and then she walked over.

"Young man, can you help me?"

Xu Moxing looked up at her.

The woman leaned in and lowered her voice. "My phone was stolen. Can I borrow yours to call my family?"

Xu Moxing was startled and instinctively went for his phone.

Su Lichen, standing close by, watched the woman and verbally stopped Xu Moxing.

"Mo, use mine."

Su Lichen said to the woman, "What's the number? I'll dial it for you and put it on speakerphone so you can talk to them."

The woman didn't respond to Su Lichen but kept talking to Xu Moxing, looking a bit anxious.

"I'm no scammer. Do I look like one? I just want to call my family to come get me. Handsome guy, please help."

Xu Moxing looked at her, then at Su Lichen.

He figured she might think Su Lichen was too overbearing and was too scared to talk to him.

Xu Moxing was thinking, Su Lichen spoke again.

"Since you don't trust my phone, I'll take you to the police. There's a police booth fifty meters ahead. Let's go together."

The woman was stunned for a moment, then looked at Su Lichen.

Su Lichen's face was expressionless, his tone flat—no anger, no joy at catching a liar, only the calm statement of taking a citizen in need to the police.

Xu Moxing thought that made sense—a phone call might not be enough, but the police could still help her find her phone.

Xu Moxing nodded as well. "Yeah, ma'am, let's go to the police. Maybe they can find your phone."

The woman muttered a few words in a language Xu Moxing didn't understand. Judging by her expression, it was likely curses. After cursing, she left.

Xu Moxing was confused.

"A Li, why did she curse us in a language we couldn't understand? Isn't it right to seek help from the police when in trouble?"

"Exactly. There are police on duty at the scenic spot ahead, yet she specifically came to you for help. Why do you think that is?"

It finally dawned on Xu Moxing. "She was lying?"

"Based on her reaction afterward, yes, she was lying."

"Oh my God, that's insane. Exploiting a stranger's kindness to scam people."

Xu Moxing got a little angry. He felt it was the first time he had encountered the dark side of strangers.

"Kindness has a price. Many scammers take advantage of others' goodwill to do bad things. When you're out, no matter what, if someone asks for help, tell them to go to the police or call the police to assist them. That way, you won't guilt-trip yourself for not helping, and you won't easily be scammed."

Su Lichen felt as if he was seeing the Xu Moxing from five years ago—kind, innocent, and enthusiastic, thinking everyone was a good person, with a kind of innocent foolishness.

But then he reconsidered—wasn't that exactly the case?

Xu Moxing's memories were stuck at the time he just graduated, fresh out of the ivory tower. Of course he still naively believed the world was all good and was easily deceived.

Xu Moxing later on didn't lose this trait entirely; he just hid it away.

And since these qualities had no occasion to be used, after hiding them for so long, even he couldn't find where he'd put them.

Xu Moxing was puzzled. "How did you know she was lying? What if she didn't think of asking the police for help? What if she was afraid of the police?"

"You're quite good at making excuses for her. If she's afraid of the police, wouldn't she be afraid of two strangers? Do you think that reasoning holds up?"

"Alright, I'm being a contrarian. Sorry."

Xu Moxing apologized, feeling he had been too foolish.

"You just don't want to believe that someone approaches you with bad intentions. That's not being a contrarian. You'll learn as you go; just find a balance. I don't want you to think everyone is bad and completely shut yourself off."

Su Lichen gently guided Xu Moxing.

In the past, Su believed everyone had their own way of living, and he didn't want to give too many opinions on others' values and conduct, including his lover.

Xu Moxing was first and foremost an independent person, and only then his lover.

He believed adults should be responsible for themselves; he had no right nor need to tell Xu Moxing how to live.

The basis of his love was trust and respect.

It wasn't that he didn't care; he showed he cared by not interfering—he believed Xu Moxing was capable of handling his own affairs.

But in later arguments, he found that was not the case.

Xu Moxing, this fool, didn't know how to ask him for help.

He was just as dumb. He didn't realize that his partner who constantly complained was actually asking him for help. He just felt that Xu Moxing was becoming more annoying. Even until the breakup, he never reached out to his lover.

He didn't want to interfere with others' choices because it might backfire on him, but Xu Moxing often just lacked someone to tell him there were other solutions.

Even if told other solutions, if Xu Moxing still chose the same path, Su Lichen would only respect his choice.