Dual-track time division
For a time after the engagement, life was like a clear and peaceful sky after the first snow. The gear-shaped jade ring had become a part of Lin Zhiyi's body memory. Only under certain lights, or when she unintentionally touched the ring, would she rediscover the heavy joy and promise it carried.
On Lu Shixu's workbench, an interesting object had appeared—a dual-track pocket watch in need of repair. This watch didn't simply display two time zones; its brilliance lay in its two relatively independent yet interconnected timekeeping systems, sharing a single casing but each recording a different rate of time. The client's request was to repair it, but preserve the minute, almost imperceptible timekeeping error that had developed between the two systems due to its age.
“Isn’t it interesting?” Lu Shixu said to Lin Zhiyi one afternoon, pointing to the open pocket watch. “They are in the same body, following almost the same physical laws, but due to slight wear and tear and adjustments, they keep a slightly out of sync.”
Lin Zhiyi leaned down to look, and saw the intricate gears inside, complex yet orderly, like two dancers walking side by side, each with their own thoughts. She watched as Lu Shixu carefully cleaned, oiled, and adjusted the system with extremely fine tools, not trying to forcibly erase the inherent differences, but respecting the unique "historical traces," allowing the two systems to continue to maintain their own slight individuality while coexisting harmoniously.
This made her think of herself and Lu Shixu.
Aren't they like this dual-track pocket watch? Each possesses their own independent world and life trajectory—she deals with words and publishing, searching for meaning in the fast-paced city; he, on the other hand, is immersed in the microcosm of clocks, guarding the slowly passing time in a corner of an old street. Their "frequency" was originally worlds apart.
However, the wondrous hand of fate, or rather, love itself, acted as the most intricate "linkage mechanism," bringing these two seemingly parallel worlds into the same shell of life called "us." They began to share the same space, breathe the same air, and their heartbeats gradually found a rhythm of resonance.
But they didn't lose themselves because of it. She would still stay up all night thinking about a tricky manuscript, and he would still spend all day poring over a complex repair problem. They respected each other's "time zones" and understood the "minor errors" that arose from the characteristics of each other's own worlds—such as his sudden fatigue or her brief anxiety under work pressure.
This coexistence is not a simple addition, but a deeper fusion and reflection. Her presence brings a breath of fresh air and vitality to his tranquil world; his composure provides a solid anchor for her somewhat restless professional life. They calibrate each other, yet retain the most authentic "rhythm" within their souls.
That evening, they nestled together on the old sofa in the shop, covered by the same blanket, with the cold winter moonlight streaming through the window. Lin Zhiyi's hand rested on Lu Shixu's lap, the gear ring gleaming faintly in the dim light.
Lu Shixu's hand covered the back of her hand, his fingertips unconsciously and gently tracing the outline of the small gear on the ring.
“Sometimes I feel,” Lin Zhiyi suddenly spoke softly, breaking the silence, “that we are like that pocket watch.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Shixu looked down at her, then looked up at the double-track pocket watch on the workbench that was not yet fully repaired, his eyes revealing understanding and approval.
"Mmm." He responded, pulling her closer and gently resting his chin on the top of her head. "The outer shell is one, but inside... it holds two worlds."
His words are always like this: precise and concise, yet they get straight to the point.
"This is good." Lin Zhiyi found a more comfortable position in his arms and murmured, "Your time, my time, in the end, all of it becomes our time."
Lu Shixu did not answer, but tightened his arms, giving a silent hug as the most affirmative response.
The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly.
Inside the shop, the two hands of the double-track pocket watch moved slowly and steadily on their slightly different tracks, making a barely audible, harmonious ticking sound.
Like them, through the interplay of love and understanding, we are jointly composing a unique concerto of time called "We".
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