Chapter 53, Chapter 53, the cycle repeats itself...

Yun Jin invited many top watch repairers to repair the watch. With everyone working together, they finally restored the broken watch to its original condition.

The display has been restored, but the time travel function has disappeared.

Hua Yu twisted the crown of the watch again and again, watching the hands spin again and again, but nothing ever happened.

Yun Jin sat beside him, quietly keeping him company during his heartbreaking moment.

When Hua Cheng came in, he saw the two of them sitting side by side on the living room carpet, like two small potted plants.

Hua Yu was still immersed in her own emotions, her head down as she twisted the crown of her watch, like an animal exhibiting stereotypical behavior, completely ignoring the people and things around her.

Yun Jin looked up at him.

Their eyes met, and Hua Cheng felt a sharp pain in his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Two days have passed since his confession in the cemetery. In these two days, he has seen Yun Jin several times, and every time their eyes meet, his heart will clench uncontrollably.

No, he can't always be so miserable; Yun Jin doesn't like that.

Hua Cheng took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions: "I invited a master; he might know how to fix it."

Hua Yu paused for a moment before finally raising her eyes.

Yun Jin knew he wouldn't joke at a time like this, and she became curious, wanting to know what kind of expert he had invited.

Hua Cheng didn't keep them in suspense and simply made way for a Native American to slowly appear in front of Hua Yu and Yun Jin.

Yun Jin: "..."

Hua Yu: "..."

The air was too silent, and Hua Cheng couldn't help but defend himself: "He really is a master."

The Native American gave the two people a haughty and aloof look.

“Really, you believe me.” Hua Cheng emphasized again, and told them about the previous judgment that this person was ‘far away but right before your eyes’.

Of course, the fact that he and Fatty later realized the other party was a fraud and were beaten up and ran away with their tails between their legs was omitted.

Hearing his confident promise, Yun Jin turned to Hua Yu and asked, "Want to give it a try?"

Hua Yu didn't say anything, but silently handed the watch to her.

Yun Jin took the watch and gestured for the Indian to come and get it.

The Native American remained motionless, posing as if waiting for her to deliver it.

Although he won that fight with Hua Cheng, he had a lot of feathers plucked off, and when he got home he found that his butt crack was exposed.

Although he came back to help because Hua Cheng gave him so much, it doesn't mean he wasn't angry at all.

Hua Cheng realized that he was deliberately making things difficult for people.

Although he was very annoyed, Hua Cheng lowered his stance because he still needed his help. Just as he was about to present the watch to Yun Jin, Yun Jin suddenly said indifferently, "Come here and take it yourself."

Hua Cheng's heart skipped a beat. He was just about to remind Yun Jin to be more polite to the master when the master suddenly bent over.

Hua Cheng: "..."

Why did you give in so quickly?

The Indian sneered, thinking to himself, "Don't you know how scary your wife looks?"

The living room was quiet, and the ample warmth created the illusion of spring.

After studying the watch for a while, the Native American suddenly began chanting strange incantations with an air of importance. He then took out a handful of turmeric powder from his small bag and vigorously sprinkled it around him.

The clean living room was instantly filled with dust. Hua Cheng frowned and was about to tell him to tone it down when he was hit with a handful of glutinous rice.

Hua Cheng: "..."

The master continues to combine Chinese and Western styles as always.

In the large living room, the three hosts remained silent, while the Native Americans sang and danced, creating a ridiculous and laughable scene, but no one could laugh.

After a long while, the Native American finally stopped and returned the watch to Hua Cheng.

"...What do you mean?" Hua Cheng's voice was a little tense.

Native American: "We've used it too often; the energy's already gone."

"So, if we stop using it for 12 hours, will it be fine?" Hua Cheng frowned slightly. "This watch has a cooling-off period, which is..."

"There's something here that's been used up, so it's useless no matter how long it's cooled down," the Native American interrupted.

Hua Cheng was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Hua Yu.

Hua Yu lowered her head, her expression calm, lost in thought.

Hua Cheng looked back at the Native American: "What is it? How can I buy it?"

“Not everything can be bought with money. Some things depend on chance, but it’s clear that you’ve used up your chance,” the Indian said, glancing at Hua Yu meaningfully. “Actually, going back to where you came from isn’t such a bad thing.”

"Stop trying to be mysterious. I don't believe there's anything money can't buy. Tell me what it is," Hua Cheng said immediately.

"You can't talk about ice with a summer insect, I can't be bothered with you." The Native American turned and walked away.

Hua Cheng immediately chased after him: "Hey, hey, come back here! I'll give you a seven-figure reward, and you just leave after saying a few words? Are you...?"

"That's enough," Hua Yu suddenly said.

Hua Cheng stopped, and the Native Americans took the opportunity to slip away.

“Enough…” Hua Yu raised her head, her expression calm. “I admit it.”

Hua Cheng's eyes flickered slightly: "Well... it's not over yet, don't admit it yet. I still have the medium's book that Fatty gave me. You wait, I'll contact other mediums, maybe we can find it..."

"Shouldn't you be happy that I can't stay?" Hua Yu interrupted coldly.

Hua Cheng's lips moved, and after a long silence, he slowly said, "Whether I'm happy or not is not important. I hope Yun Jin is happy."

Hua Yu was slightly taken aback, and the aggression that had arisen for a moment vanished because of his words.

Hua Cheng scratched his head and sighed, "Just wait, I'll think of something."

After saying that, he turned and left, but when he reached the door, he couldn't help but turn back and find that Yun Jin was still looking at him.

His heart ached and then warmed; a myriad of emotions coalesced into a comforting smile.

A faint smile appeared on Yun Jin's lips. She only looked away after he left, and then she realized that Hua Yu had been staring at her the whole time.

There was a brief silence in the living room.

Yun Jin was really bad at comforting people, even if that person was Hua Yu.

She thought for a long time before asking, "Do you want a hug?"

Hua Yu was amused, but after laughing, tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked at her pitifully like a puppy: "I want it."

Yun Jin raised her lips and straightened up to hug him.

Hua Yu buried his face in her shoulder, nuzzling her affectionately. He thought he would cry, but his eyes were dry, and even his emotions suddenly became calm.

"Is the watch... beyond repair?" he asked in a low voice.

Yun Jin paused for a few seconds, then said, "It should be."

Although Hua Cheng sought help again, the chances were clearly slim.

Hua Yu let out a soft laugh, and when she looked up again, her eyes were a little red: "Can't you say something nice to comfort me?"

Yun Jin pursed her lips, unsure of how to begin.

She had tried everything to fix it, but it was no use. Faced with the overwhelming reality, she found it difficult to offer any words of comfort.

"Never mind." Hua Yu snorted and rested her head on her shoulder again. "I knew what kind of person you were from the very first time I met you."

Yun Jin gave up as well, and smiled, saying, "But you still like me."

Hua Yu sighed: "Yes, I know you're a jerk, but I still like you."

"There's really nothing I can do," Yun Jin said, feigning helplessness.

Hua Yu raised the corners of her lips: "Yeah, there's really no other way."

Yun Jin hugged him tighter and gently patted his back.

She's still not very good at comforting people; all the comforting skills she's mastered so far come from when she was very young.

Back then, whenever Yunwei hit her, her mother would hug her and gently pat her back.

She felt it would be useful, so she treated Huayu in the same way.

Hua Yu seemed to have been truly comforted. When she got out of Yun Jin's arms again, she was no longer dejected: "Yun Jin, let's go out and play."

"Now?" Yun Jin raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Hua Yu nodded vigorously: "Yeah, speaking of which, it seems like we haven't had a proper date since we started dating. Let's go on a date today."

Yun Jin looked at him for a moment, then said, "Okay."

Hua Yu was even happier when she saw that she had agreed, and pulled her outside.

Yun Jin kept turning back to look at herself, noticing the watch was still on the floor, and couldn't help but remind her, "Watch."

"Let's leave it there. Hua Cheng might bring back some random people to repair the watch." Hua Yu said this with a rare cheerfulness.

Yun Jin could tell he was in a good mood, so she didn't say anything more.

Today's date is entirely arranged by the young people; Yun Jin is simply to follow along.

Hua Yu rode his bright red motorcycle, carrying his beloved girlfriend, through the streets and alleys of 2025. After traveling through half of Pingcheng, they arrived at a steamed bun shop at the entrance of an old residential area.

The steamed bun shop has been in business for decades. The old man who made the buns has retired, and now his son runs it.

The once dilapidated shop has been renovated, and the handmade xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) have been transformed into large packaged finished products. In front of customers, the young owner boldly slides the thawed youtiao (fried dough sticks) that have just been taken out of the refrigerator into the oil pan.

“…This is awful,” Hua Yu sighed. “It’s 2025 already, shouldn’t human life be better now? Why can people still tolerate such terrible food?”

“Because human life hasn’t gotten any better, and this steamed bun shop at least sells pre-made dishes from a big factory,” Yun Jin said, taking a bite of a steamed bun.

Hua Yu couldn't stand it anymore and pulled the steamer aside: "Don't eat this."

"Then what should we eat, meat fritters?" Yun Jin asked back.

Hua Yu blushed at her question and muttered, "You just know how to make fun of me."

His once furrowed personality has gradually been smoothed out by Yun Jin's hands, and at this stage, he has learned to be a little more honest.

"That was the best thing I could offer at the time, and you still complained that it was too oily," Hua Yu complained softly.

Yun Jin nodded: "So you suddenly said you never want to see me again because you realized we're not on the same path?"

"...You still remember?" Hua Yu felt a little embarrassed when her thoughts from a few months ago were exposed, but she was also happy that the other person remembered, so she was conflicted.

A hint of a smile appeared in Yun Jin's eyes: "I always remember what happened to you."

Hua Yu was even happier, no longer as conflicted as before about how much of the so-called 'your business' actually belonged to him and how much to 32-year-old Hua Cheng.

"Let me take you to get something else to eat," he suggested.

Yun Jin put down the half-eaten steamed bun in her hand and readily agreed.

So they put on their helmets and set off again.

Pingcheng was bustling with activity on Sunday. Hua Yu wanted to avoid the crowds, so she simply walked along the ring road.

Today the sky is clear and there's no wind. When the sun shines on my skin, it feels like springtime.

Hua Yu knew that there was no future for him and Yun Jin, but at this moment, he still felt the warmth of spring.

They went out for oden together, watched a movie together, and took a walk in the park together. During this time, Hua Cheng called Yun Jin to ask where she was, but Hua Yu snatched the phone away.

"We're on a date, don't bother us." He said, and then hung up.

Yun Jin took back her phone and said, "If you do this, he might search the whole city for us."

“He won’t,” Hua Yu turned her face away, “He won’t bother us.”

For the rest of the day, Hua Cheng remained quiet and did not call again.

Yun Jin could roughly guess Hua Cheng's thoughts, and when she looked at Hua Yu, who was engrossed in the dating game, she felt a pang of pity.

The two played outside until dark, and finally went to a famous mountain to climb to the top and look at the stars.

On the way up the mountain, Hua Yu bought a small plastic tent and started studying it as soon as she reached the top.

Yun Jin sat on the rock, quietly watching him bustle about, until he looked up with a blank expression. Then she smiled and jumped off the rock to help him.

The tent we bought by the roadside was not up to standard in any way, but thankfully the two of us managed to set it up after a lot of effort.

It was late at night, and there was a wind on the mountain, but because of the tents, it didn't feel cold.

The two lay in the tent, gazing at the starry sky, neither of them speaking for a moment.

After a long silence, Hua Yu suddenly spoke up: "Weren't the things we did today something you and Hua Cheng did a long time ago?"

Yun Jin gazed at the sky without answering.

Hua Yu chuckled, then gradually drifted into thought: "It must have been done before, or even many times. After all, he and I are the same person. The things I long to do with you are definitely the things he longs to do with you too."

They have more time than he and she do, allowing them to perfect every thing they cherish, unlike him who feels like he's on a cheap tour and has to rush through the entire itinerary in a single day.

"If our story were made into a movie, I would probably be an unlikable villain. Even though I've only known you for less than half a year, I always overestimate myself and try to take the male lead's place. I also stubbornly stay at your house and enjoy the fruits of your labor without a care in the world."

Hua Yu spoke of these things with remarkable calmness, as if she were chatting casually or telling someone else's story.

Yun Jin turned to look at him: "Are you at peace with yourself?"

Hua Yu turned her head and looked at her for a long time before smiling and saying, "No."

Living in the big house she and Hua Cheng bought together, and driving the motorcycle she bought for Hua Cheng, he felt so miserable he felt like he was going to die, and he had no sense of peace at all.

“So, the conditions don’t apply, and you’re not the villain,” Yun Jin said calmly.

Hua Yu chuckled and looked up at the sky again.

After another silence, he said, "Actually, I can sense that you don't want me to stay here... Although you keep saying that I can stay if I want to, I can sense that you want me to leave."

Yun Jin paused for a moment, then let out a soft "hmm".

Hearing her admit it herself, Hua Yu's eyes instantly reddened, but he just smiled and didn't hysterically ask why.

Yun Jin spoke up first: "Don't you want to know the reason?"

“…Don’t go too far,” Hua Yu said calmly, but her voice was nasal. “I’ve tried my best to stay calm, and you’re still provoking me.”

“Because you’re not at peace with yourself,” Yun Jin said.

Hua Yu paused for a moment, then looked at her again.

Yun Jin avoided his gaze and calmly looked up at the starry sky.

"If you don't have peace of mind, you won't be happy. Although as long as you can live well, I don't care how the cause and effect will be messed up, or whether you stay or go back, I still hope you can be happy."

At 20 years old, Hua Yu has so little. If even the last bit of positive emotion is taken away, it would be too pitiful.

So she hopes he can go back.

But that's on the condition that he goes back willingly; the situation today is not what she wanted.

Hua Yu stared at her intently for a long time, then suddenly turned to the side and buried her face in the crook of her shoulder.

"Do you love me?" he asked softly.

Yun Jin: "Love."

"Do you love me more than him?" Hua Yu asked again.

Yun Jin: "You are one person."

"Can you love me more than you love him?" Hua Yu was determined to get an answer.

Yun Jin paused for a moment, then asked in return, "Isn't it good to love you more and more?"

"...That's quite a tactful answer," Hua Yu chuckled, her voice becoming more nasal. "So I can never compare to him, is that right?"

"No." Yun Jin turned her head to look at him, but he held her even tighter and she couldn't move.

No.

She said it again.

Hua Yu sniffed: "Then what do I have to do for you to love me more than he does?"

“You don’t need to do anything, just live well,” Yun Jin’s voice softened as a star streaked across the sky, “and I will love you even more when you live to be older than him.”

“You have already changed my destiny. After I go back… will I still be able to meet you?” Hua Yu asked.

What he really wanted to ask was, having met the 30-year-old Yun Jin, even knowing that the 19-year-old Yun Jin was the same person, could he still fall in love with that Yun Jin?

Or perhaps, if he still has feelings for 30-year-old Yun Jin, would 19-year-old Yun Jin still like him?

“I could have met you naturally, and then fallen in love with you naturally… but you’ve gone too far, ruining my 20s and suddenly adding a lot of uncertainty to my future,” Hua Yu said, her eyes closed and small lakes appearing on the bridge of her nose. “What would we do if we weren’t together?”

"It doesn't matter, as long as you live well, nothing else matters," Yun Jin whispered.

Hua Yu deliberately asked, "You don't care if you and Hua Cheng can't be together?"

Yun Jin paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Hmm, it doesn't matter."

Hua Yu remained silent for a long time before saying, "I don't know whether to pity him or myself."

After saying that, without waiting for Yun Jin's reaction, he lowered his head and wiped his tears on her shoulder.

"You're such a jerk..."

The jerk didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only accept all his tears.

Before they knew it, it was already past midnight. They talked a lot, about Hua Yu's childhood, Yun Jin and Hua Cheng's first meeting, the first cigarette they ever shared, and the lighter Yun Jin stole from Hua Cheng.

They chatted until the sky began to lighten, watched the sunrise together, and then fell into a deep sleep in the tent.

When Yun Jin woke up, it was already past nine in the morning, and there was no one beside her.

She paused for a moment, then immediately crawled out of the tent, hurriedly changed her shoes, and headed outside.

"Yun Jin".

A familiar voice suddenly rang out.

Although the two people have the same face and similar voices, Yun Jin can still easily tell them apart.

She turned around abruptly, following the sound, and saw Hua Yu jump down from a large rock, walking towards her with a smile.

Yun Jin silently breathed a sigh of relief and waited quietly for him to walk up to her: "I thought you had already left."

“I originally wanted to leave secretly,” Hua Yu said with a smile, “but after thinking about it, I decided to say goodbye to you.”

Looking at his swollen eyes, Yun Jin felt that he seemed to have matured a lot overnight.

Just as she was about to speak, footsteps suddenly came from behind her. Yun Jin turned around and saw Hua Cheng appear ten meters away.

Their eyes met, Hua Cheng smiled and waved, Yun Jin was stunned for a moment, and looked at Hua Yu again.

“I asked him to come,” Hua Yu explained, “because I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

Yun Jin didn't speak, but continued to stare at him intently.

Under her silent gaze, Hua Yu's feigned nonchalance gradually vanished, revealing a bitter expression: "I've thought about it for a long time and made a decision, but I still think I should tell you."

"What?" Yun Jin asked softly.

Hua Yu: "I've decided... to continue letting things take their natural course."

He glanced at Hua Cheng behind Yun Jin, then looked at Yun Jin again.

"I won't deliberately try to get close to the 19-year-old you just to reunite with you at 30, nor will I deliberately follow the path he walked. If I can still be with Yun Jin from the same time and space, it can only be because I like her and she likes me, and it's definitely not for anything else. Do you... understand what I mean?"

Yun Jin was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."

“So… if we don’t end up together,” Hua Yu glanced at Hua Cheng, then looked back at Yun Jin’s face, “you can’t blame me.”

"It's not your fault," Yun Jin said with a smile.

Hua Yu looked at the smile on her face and fell into a long silence.

Yun Jin waited for a long time, but didn't hear anything new from him. Just as she was about to say something, Hua Yu suddenly asked, "Will you be sad about my leaving?"

Yun Jin paused for a moment, but did not answer.

Hua Yu smiled, but tears suddenly welled up in her eyes: "Yun Jin, you're too cruel..."

Yun Jin subconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes and said, "Take good care of yourself when you get back."

"Okay..." Hua Yu rubbed her eyes, noticing the change in the surrounding air, and urged, "Go find him, I'm leaving."

"I'll watch you leave."

"No, I don't want you to see this," Hua Yu refused.

Yun Jin stood there for more than ten seconds, making sure he was serious, before turning away with her lips pursed.

Looking at her slender back, Hua Yu's eyes reddened even more, and she finally couldn't help but shout, "Yun Jin!"

Yun Jin turned around abruptly and saw her Hua Yu pounce on her like a beautiful leopard.

She instinctively opened her arms, waiting to give him a hug, but the next second he disappeared into thin air, and her hands only caught a wisp of air.

Yun Jin stared blankly at the spot where he had disappeared until she felt a warm presence approaching from her side, which brought her back to her senses.

"Yun Jin," Hua Cheng called to her.

Yun Jin looked at him slowly: "Hua Cheng..."

"Um."

“He said he wanted to let things take their natural course and wouldn’t deliberately try to meet me in the same time and space,” Yun Jin said.

Hua Cheng smiled and said, "I heard you."

"Aren't you worried?" Yun Jin asked. "If they hadn't met and fallen in love, maybe one morning we would have woken up and become strangers."

"To be honest, I'm not worried."

"Why?" Yun Jin asked, puzzled.

Hua Cheng let out a soft breath, his brows and eyes showing the composure that comes with age: "Because Hua Cheng is destined to belong to Yun Jin."

Yun Jin fell silent once again.

After a while, she called his name again: "Hua Cheng".

"Um."

"He's gone."

Hua Cheng didn't say anything more, but lowered his head and kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Yun Jin stood there with her eyes downcast for a long time before saying, "Let's go home."

"Okay, let's go home."

Hua Cheng took her hand and walked home on a sunny morning.

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Author's Note: There's one more chapter coming up, please turn the page!