2002
"I do!"
After going through untold hardships, Xu Xingluo finally found Xu Yingxi.
The story begins three days ago.
Three days ago, he was a freshman in the first year of high school at Xiuli Private Middle School.
That afternoon, Xu Yingxi drove to pick him up from school.
Yes, Xu Yingxi is Xu Xingluo’s mother, his real biological mother.
"You're a high school student now." Xu Yingxi held the steering wheel and looked ahead, her tone light, "I don't expect high grades from you. As long as you can get into university and have books to study, that's enough."
Xu Xingluo curled his lips: "Mom, why are you saying exactly the same thing as my dad?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Yingxi frowned slightly.
Xu Xingluo had been observing Xu Yingxi's expression, and he felt a little weird when he saw it.
As far as he could remember, his parents' relationship had never been good.
To say they were not very good was an understatement. The truth was, apart from having a marriage certificate, they didn't look like a couple at all.
We don’t live together, rarely eat together, and have very little contact on a daily basis.
Xu Xingluo remembers that when he was a child, he basically stayed with his mother. If he met his father, it was at his grandparents' house.
In recent years, he has occasionally gone to live with his father for a while, but most of the time he is with his mother.
A few years ago, Xu Xingluo once asked Xu Yingxi: Since you two don’t love each other anymore, why don’t you just separate completely and get a divorce.
Xu Yingxi smiled after hearing this: "The situation you are talking about is based on the premise that the two people are in love when they get married."
Xu Xingluo didn't understand immediately, but after thinking about this sentence over and over again, he finally understood its meaning.
From the very beginning, this marriage was not based on love.
So why did the two of them get married in the first place?
Among Xu Xingluo's classmates, some of their parents got married for business interests, but those classmates' parents would attend events together from time to time to maintain the dignity of the couple.
Although both his parents were wealthy, they almost never appeared together in public, so it was probably not an arranged marriage.
Xu Xingluo asked again, but Xu Yingxi said: Wait until he grows up and tell him.
His father's response was: "If your mother doesn't want to talk about it for the time being, I respect her opinion."
Come to think of it, his father seemed to have said something similar more than once.
…
Xu Xingluo looked at his mother in the driver's seat.
"Mom, you and Dad both underestimate me," he complained. "My grades aren't particularly good, but at least I'm in the upper middle of the class. I shouldn't have any problem getting into a decent university in three years."
Xu Yingxi raised the corner of her mouth slightly: "I hope so."
"Of course I can!" Xu Xingluo emphasized. "I'm not addicted to the internet, and I don't fall in love prematurely. I'll continue to study step by step in high school. What accidents can happen?"
Xu Yingxi: "That's good."
There was silence in the car for two seconds.
Perhaps noticing the quiet atmosphere, Xu Yingxi spoke again, her tone teasing: "But it's okay to fall in love, I won't stop you."
Xu Xingluo: "Mom?"
Xu Yingxi's eyes curved slightly. "I'm serious. After all, you look like me, so you must be very popular in school, right? If there's a girl you really like, it wouldn't be a big deal to have a relationship with her."
After a pause, she warned: "But you have to treat her seriously. You can't hurt her mentally or physically."
Xu Xingluo: “…”
Xu Yingxi glanced at him: "What's wrong? Why aren't you talking?"
Xu Xingluo hesitated for a second, observing her expression before speaking, "My dad said the same thing today."
He first asked if there were any girls at school who liked him, and after getting the answer "a lot," he smiled and sighed, "Yeah, you look a lot like your mother."
At that time, Xu Xingluo was still a little confused: What does whether there are girls who like him have to do with whether he looks like his mother?
Now after hearing what Xu Yingxi said, he realized: his father was praising his mother's beauty in disguise.
After saying that, his father followed up with a few more instructions, which were similar to what his mother had just told him.
Xu Xingluo knew that Xu Yingxi didn't like him always mentioning his father, but after discovering that what they said was almost exactly the same, he couldn't help it.
He thought, this shouldn't be considered selfish...
Which child doesn’t want his parents to have a good relationship?
His parents obviously have a tacit understanding, so tacit that even if they don't meet, they can still say the same thing without any prior agreement.
In the words he heard from others, isn't this... a soulmate?
But his mother obviously didn't think so.
Hearing him mention his father again, the smile in Xu Yingxi's eyes faded.
"Really?" She didn't comment.
Xu Xingluo loves his mother very much.
Most of the time, the two of them get along like friends, and Xu Yingxi rarely acts like an elder and teaches him a lesson.
Even when he skipped class and his parents were called to the school, she didn't scold him, but just asked him seriously why.
Compared with most of his classmates, Xu Xingluo feels that his relationship with his mother is already very good.
But deep down, he always felt that he still didn't understand his mother well enough.
Just like now, although the distance between them is very close, he feels that he can never touch his mother's heart.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Xingluo would definitely not mention his father, so as not to upset Xu Yingxi.
However, today he didn't know where he got the courage from, or perhaps he was unwilling to give in.
Xu Xingluo took a deep breath and spoke with a fearless attitude, "Mom, you and Dad have such a good understanding, it shows that your souls are very compatible! Why...haven't you ever thought about sitting down and having a good talk, getting to know each other, and trying to live together? Maybe, maybe..."
Maybe you will fall in love with each other?
He couldn't utter the last half of the sentence.
Just saying all of the above had exhausted all of Xu Xingluo's courage, and he even began to regret it immediately.
He shouldn't have said that. He shouldn't have brought up these things even though he knew his mother didn't like it.
Xu Xingluo was about to apologize when he suddenly saw Xu Yingxi smiling.
"Well, you're right, maybe." Xu Yingxi's expression was very calm. "But unfortunately, I'm very satisfied with my current life, so I don't plan to make such an attempt."
…
That night, Xu Xingluo had a dream. In the dream, a strange voice asked him:
"If you had the chance to travel back in time and change your mother's feelings towards your father, would you like to try?"
Xu Xingluo didn't hesitate at all: "I want to!"
"Your body will not change after the time travel. I will also tailor a new identity for you to ensure you can maintain contact with your parents and lead a normal life."
Xu Xingluo: "Okay!"
"In that time and space, every action you take will lead to unpredictable consequences. If you are not careful and make the wrong choice, you may disappear."
This time Xu Xingluo thought for a few seconds.
"In other words, if what I did backfired and triggered a butterfly effect, preventing my parents from getting married and having me in the future, then I wouldn't exist?"
"That's right."
Xu Xingluo: "Even if that's the case, they will live their lives well, right?"
"That's right."
Xu Xingluo: "Okay, I do!"
Perhaps he subconsciously thought it was just a dream, so he answered "I do" very easily.
However, after waking up from his sleep, Xu Xingluo found that everything around him was wrong.
He really traveled through time!
Xu Xingluo, who was less than a month away from turning sixteen, traveled back to twenty-one years ago, a time before he was born.
…
I have to say, when Xu Xingluo first came here, everything he saw was new to him.
So this is what the era when my parents lived in was like!
Obviously, the difference is not that big at first glance, but there are many small details that are different from the future.
For example, although mobile payment has become popular now, many people still use cash.
Unlike his time, you rarely see banknotes in your life anymore.
For example, the screens of smartphones at this time are very small compared to those in the future, and the old-fashioned mobile phones with nine-square physical keyboards have not completely disappeared.
Xu Xingluo had only seen pictures of this kind of mobile phone on the Internet, and now his own mobile phone turned out to be just such a non-smart phone.
He thought that his financial situation was tight because he was an orphan and he couldn't afford to buy a new phone.
Yes, in this world, he is an orphan without a father or a mother. He grew up in an orphanage and is now a freshman in the High School Affiliated to S University.
At first, Xu Xingluo thought this identity was very good. The identity of an orphan made it easier for him to find his relatives. Otherwise, wouldn’t he have two sets of parents in this world?
The school was exactly what he wanted. This middle school was his mother's alma mater, and he could experience his mother's middle school life at the same time.
But soon, the novelty was defeated by reality.
Xu Xingluo discovered a serious problem——
He has no money!
The school waived his tuition and accommodation fees, and he could wear old clothes, but food cost money!
After realizing this problem, Xu Xingluo quickly checked all his assets, and the result was disappointing -
The balance on my bank card was zero, and I didn't have a penny of cash on me.
The eligibility for receiving the national orphan subsidy has just expired, and you need to go to the relevant department to submit materials for review again before you can continue to apply.
The only thing to be thankful for was that he had two hundred yuan in his meal card.
Xu Xingluo stared at the orphan subsidy qualification review form he had found for a long time, and finally decided -
Don't apply for subsidies yet.
He is not really an orphan, his parents are in this time and space!
The education Xu Xingluo received since childhood told him that subsidies should be reserved for those who really need help!
Besides, isn’t there still two hundred yuan in the meal card?
If you eat sparingly, it should last for a while.
Xu Xingluo remembered that the voice in his dream told him to be careful of the butterfly effect and not to act rashly.
So he planned to save money first, use this time to make a plan, and then go find his biological mother to recognize him.
Xu Xingluo, a young master from a wealthy family who had never known how to write the word "poor" since childhood, began to live a frugal life.
On the first day, lunch was two steamed buns and dinner was a bowl of ramen for five dollars.
The next day, steamed buns and ramen.
Day 3…
Xu Xingluo couldn't bear it anymore.
He wants to find his biological mother!
…
S University Affiliated High School is very close to S University, and it only takes about ten minutes to walk there.
On Friday afternoon, Xu Xingluo pretended to be sick and took half a day off. In order not to attract attention, he changed into clothes other than school uniform and sneaked into the S University campus.
After asking a few passersby, he found out that his father was not lying to him: Xu Yingxi was indeed the school belle that everyone knew in school.
It didn't take Xu Xingluo long to find Xu Yingxi's dormitory building, but he was treated as a suspicious person by the dormitory manager, who questioned him and kicked him out.
There was no other way, so he walked aimlessly around the campus for almost two hours before finally finding his biological mother.
Xu Xingluo would never make a mistake. This face shape, these facial features, this dazzling and outstanding beauty—
It was Xu Yingxi from twenty-one years ago!
The biological mother who was finally found was about to turn around and leave.
Xu Xingluo had forgotten everything about being cautious in what he said and did, and thinking twice before acting.
The scripts I had rehearsed countless times in my mind along the way were of no use.
The word "Mom" just came out of my mouth.
After shouting, Xu Xingluo himself was stunned.
He just stared at Xu Yingxi blankly, and saw his own mother frowning. Her eyes were surprised at first, and then quickly turned into contempt.
"My junior fellow." Xu Yingxi's expression was speechless. "Forget about calling me mom. Even if you call me ancestor, I won't give you my contact information."
Xu Xingluo choked.
But he had already thought that no one, let alone his mother, would think that he was serious when he said "Mom".
Fortunately, perhaps because his call of "Mom" was too shocking, Xu Yingxi finally did not leave immediately.
Xu Xingluo took the opportunity to speak: "Well, I know you must think I'm sick now, but you will believe me after you hear what I say next!"
Xu Yingxi raised her eyebrows: "What do you want to say?"
Xu Xingluo took a deep breath and said, "My name is Xu Xingluo. I am your biological son who traveled from twenty-one years in the future. Your name is Xu Yingxi..."
He recited Xu Yingxi's birthday and ID number in one breath, and then said the names of her grandparents and aunt, as well as Xu Yingxi's nickname at home.
He then went on to list her favorite foods, colors, types of flowers, TV shows and movies, and the name of the cat she had as a child.
Just when he was about to start memorizing Xu Yingxi's cell phone number and their future home address——
"Alright, alright." Xu Yingxi waved her hand. "Stop it."
Xu Xingluo's eyes lit up: "Mom, you finally--"
"My classmate," Xu Yingxi raised her chin. "I can see that you put a lot of effort into chatting me up. But I'm warning you, prying into people's privacy like this is harassment. If you persist, I will tell your counselor and the school leaders, and I'll consider calling the police."
Xu Xingluo: “…”
Seeing that he remained silent, Xu Yingxi sneered, "It's good that you're afraid. To tell you the truth, I've dealt with quite a few extreme suitors like you. I advise you to give up as soon as possible, otherwise I will show no mercy."
Xu Xingluo's facial features were almost twisted together.
Xu Yingxi remained indifferent: "Do you understand?"
For a moment, the person in front of him looked exactly like his future mother when she criticized him.
Xu Xingluo shuddered and stood up straight as if by reflex: "I understand!"
Xu Yingxi's expression finally relaxed, and she nodded slightly: "That's good."
Seeing Xu Yingxi about to leave again, Xu Xingluo hurriedly said: "Well, I, I promise not to pester you anymore, but can you..."
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the other party, his voice became increasingly quiet: "Can you... lend me some money? I don't have money to eat right now, but I'm really hungry..."
The phrase "not to continue to pester" is debatable, but the word "hungry" is absolutely sincere, and it made Xu Xingluo almost cry.
In order to save money, he only had a bowl of ramen for lunch today.
The ramen in the school cafeteria is very small in portion, with only two thin slices of meat. One bowl is not enough to fill you up.
Now I have been walking in the sun for so long, not only am I covered in sweat, but my stomach is also empty.
Xu Xingluo thought, this is his biological mother after all. Even if she can't recognize him for the time being, seeing how pitiful he is, she shouldn't... just watch him die, right?
However, the next second, he saw Xu Yingxi raised her eyebrows, with an expression of "as expected" on her face.
Xu Xingluo immediately understood that his biological mother completely thought he was a liar.
He suddenly felt hopeless.
It seems that I can only go back to school, eat two steamed buns in the cafeteria, and then obediently fill out the application form for orphan subsidies.
Just thinking about this...
Suddenly, Xu Xingluo's stomach growled, loud enough for both of them to hear.
Then he saw that there seemed to be a hint of relaxation on his mother's face.
It was almost his survival instinct that kicked in. In less than half a second, Xu Xingluo made the most pitiful expression he could think of, and his voice was extremely aggrieved: "Is it okay?"
…
These were probably the longest few seconds in Xu Xingluo's nearly sixteen years of life.
Finally, he saw Xu Yingxi pull the corner of her mouth.
"Okay," she said. "I can't borrow money, but the prices at the small restaurants near the school are not expensive. If you'd like, I can treat you to a meal."
After a brief pause, Xu Yingxi added, "It can't be more than twenty yuan, and don't call me mom anymore."
Just a few days ago, his mother was very generous to him and gave him pocket money of thousands or tens of thousands.
At this moment, when Xu Xingluo heard Xu Yingxi say that she was willing to spend twenty yuan to treat him to a meal, he felt as if he had heard a voice from heaven.
He sniffed hard to prevent the tears from flowing out.
"I do!"
【Author’s words】
Thank you all for your support. I saw a lot of familiar little cuties. Love you all!!
There will be another update at 9 o'clock tonight~
80 red envelopes dropped in the comment area [Come on]
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