Chapter 13 Parallel Time and Space
Meng Yanchen brought Fan Shengmei to a slightly remote cultural and creative park in Jiangcheng.
When you first enter the park, you will see some carefully designed cafes, handcraft workshops and cultural and creative shops on the periphery, with the popular bohemian style and internet celebrity atmosphere. Young people in groups of three or four are taking photos and checking in.
Nothing special.
However, the deeper you go, the surrounding scenery begins to change quietly.
Modern decorations gradually fade away, and time seems to be slowly turned back by an invisible hand.
Bluestone pavements replaced concrete paving, and the buildings on both sides gradually became old-fashioned buildings with a sense of age. The windows no longer displayed fashionable items, but faded posters, old radios, and even a music store with a sign that said "Rent a CD" -
It was as if I had stepped into a time and space gap from more than ten or twenty years ago.
"This... is such a magical place."
Fan Shengmei looked around in surprise, "How did you find this place? Where on earth is this?"
Meng Yanchen held her hand tightly and led her to the core area. There were no tourists in this area, which was obviously a living area.
He smiled mysteriously, "Parallel time and space."
Fan Shengmei knew he was teasing her and nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Meng, please continue."
"The person who first built and reproduced all of this here was a painter. His wife was once his student."
His voice was calm as he spoke slowly, "Later, his wife died of illness. He lived like a zombie and even...tried to end his own life."
"Once, he saw a slogan in a museum brochure: Every lonely wait will be responded to in another time and space."
Meng Yanchen continued, "Perhaps it was his extreme longing for his wife, or perhaps it was his own desperate need to find a reason to persevere, that made him begin to firmly believe in the existence of parallel universes—that in another universe, they could still be together, or reunite in another way."
He stubbornly preserved his home and the surrounding streets as they were the year his wife left. Initially, it was just his home and the gallery, but then, unknowingly, the entire area became his obsession, and all his money was spent on its renovation. He trapped himself in a parallel universe where he believed he and his wife had spent their happiest times.
"I accidentally learned about this place a few years ago. At that time, the painter was already struggling to make ends meet in order to maintain the place, but he still refused any commercial transformation and just wanted to preserve this piece of memory."
Meng Yanchen paused. "I contacted Zhou Xun, who has done a lot of incubation and investment in cultural and creative industries. Later, we worked together to develop the perimeter of the park into its current form. This not only generates revenue to sustain operations, but also attracts more people to this place. But we promised the painter that this core area would remain intact forever, without anyone being allowed to disturb it. It would be left to him and his 'parallel time and space.'"
"Why?"
Fan Shengmei turned her head to look at him.
Meng Yanchen is a man of true character and also a businessman. Such small projects are not within the scope of investment he would consider.
Unless something touches him.
Meng Yanchen smiled and took Fan Shengmei's hand.
"Before I met you, I really wanted to know, would I be much happier in the parallel universe?"
As he spoke, he led her into a gallery with excellent lighting, but full of traces of the old times.
The painter, who looked to be around fifty years old, was wearing clean but obviously outdated khaki overalls and a plaid shirt, and his hairstyle was also a style that was popular more than a decade ago.
When he saw Meng Yanchen, he came forward with a sincere smile that also had a hint of shyness of an old-fashioned scholar on his face.
"Mr. Meng, you are here."
Then, his eyes fell on Fan Shengmei, and a hint of understanding and relief flashed in his gentle eyes.
"Is this the lady you mentioned on the phone, the one who walked to you from another parallel time and space?"
Meng Yanchen nodded and introduced solemnly,
"Yes, Teacher Lin. This is my wife, Fan Shengmei."
Painter Lin was a little excited, his eyes were slightly red, he took off his glasses and wiped the corners of his eyes,
"Good, very good, very good."
He looked at Meng Yanchen, "So, this time, have you decided to take the painting back with you?"
"Yes, thank you for your help." Meng Yanchen said affirmatively.
The painter nodded and led them to the depths of the gallery, stopping in front of a painting.
The protagonist of the painting is a minimalist marionette with gorgeous lines and lifelike details, but it is suspended by countless transparent silk threads. Its posture is elegant but reveals an indescribable passivity and loneliness.
Fan Shengmei was a little surprised. The puppet in the painting looked very similar to the birthday gift Meng Yanchen gave her.
Meng Yanchen just stood quietly in front of the painting with a deep gaze.
The painter quietly explained to Fan Shengmei, "Mr. Meng used to stand in front of this painting for a long time every time he came. I thought he liked it, so I wanted to give it to him as a thank you for his help, but he kept saying, 'I don't like it.' I was confused... until two days ago, when he called to tell me he and his wife were coming to take the painting 'home.' I was amazed at his complete transformation."
He looked at Fan Shengmei and said, "Mr. Meng said that you gave it new meaning."
Fan Shengmei smiled gently, looking at his back, she could almost imagine the countless moments when he had stood in front of the painting.
She walked forward and stood side by side with Meng Yanchen, looking at the painting, as if she was meeting Meng Yanchen from countless parallel time and space for the first time.
"Hello, I'm Fan Shengmei!"
Meng Yanchen turned his head to look at her, took her hand, and clasped her fingers together.
"If there really is a parallel universe, then I am undoubtedly the happiest in this universe."
Fan Shengmei shook his hand back, and her eyes shifted from the painting to him.
"I should too."
After leaving the gallery, I said goodbye to Painter Lin solemnly.
Painter Lin stood in the streets where time had stopped, watching them leave with a look of relief and sadness in his eyes.
In parallel time and space, some people meet, while others still need to wait.
As soon as Meng Yanchen got into the car, Zhou Xun called.
"arrive?"
Zhou Xun's crisp and clear voice came from the other end of the phone without much greeting.
"Yeah, I just landed. I'm waiting for Jiang Xiaoguo. Her flight is half an hour later than mine."
Meng Yanchen's lips curled up into a knowing smile, but his tone was calm and composed.
"Yeah, okay."
Zhou Xun quickly explained, "Isn't the Cultural and Creative Park's second phase going to include an interactive experience area? Her 'Complaint Wall' concept is pretty good. I brought her here to see it for myself. It's work."
He emphasized the last two words.
"Um,"
Meng Yanchen responded slowly, with no emotion in his tone.
“Mr. Zhou has considered things more comprehensively.
"Meng Yanchen!"
Zhou Xun's voice was filled with a hint of anger after being seen through.
"Stop being so sarcastic! I'm hanging up!"
Listening to the busy tone coming from the phone, Meng Yanchen looked at the black screen, raised his eyebrows, and whispered to himself,
"Are you getting it?"
Fan Shengmei asked curiously, "Who is Zhou Xun waiting for?"
Meng Yanchen chuckled, "His 10%."
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