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"Ah, I slept so well! How long has it been since I slept this soundly?" Chen Lin stretched and looked at his watch. It was already ten o'clock.
Chen Lin, 23 years old, stood at 175 cm—not particularly tall, but the one thing he was genuinely proud of was his looks. He thought highly of himself, and some might call it narcissism. He didn't finish his undergraduate degree and was now working as a health product salesman. To put it bluntly, he sold medicine. After not getting into a good program, he realized his financial prospects were slim and decided to look for work before graduating. With no diploma or special skills, he ended up becoming a "glorious" health product salesman. Thanks to the persistence and charm he honed while pursuing women in college, he was able to support himself. His outstanding performance even earned him a promotion and a bonus, along with three days of paid leave, the first in a year and a half.
As the saying goes, people feel rejuvenated when they're happy. Chen Lin felt that the weather was much fresher today. After a quick breakfast, he decided to go out and enjoy himself.
"How about climbing the hill in the western suburbs of the city? It's one of the most popular scenic spots for beautiful women," he thought. With that, he left his home.
As soon as he boarded the bus to the western suburbs, he saw a car full of young men and women. He hesitated for a moment but then walked to the back of the bus to find a seat.
"Unbelievable... what luck," he muttered. As he searched for a seat, he spotted a beautiful woman sitting alone on a two-person seat.
She had big eyes, a small nose, delicate lips, and two dimples when she smiled. Though her figure wasn't curvy, it was very well-proportioned. Her long hair was tied up with a simple blue hairband, and she wore a plain white T-shirt with skinny blue jeans. Her overall look was pure and refreshing.
After a brief pause, Chen Lin smiled and walked over, sitting down next to her. He struck up a conversation.
Soon, Chen Lin learned that she was a college student named Zhang Hui, a junior who had just finished her classes and was out for a bit of fun. As they talked more, Chen Lin grew more familiar with her, even shamelessly calling her "Xiaohui."
When the bus reached the base of the small hill in the western suburbs, Chen Lin quickly made an invitation. "Xiaohui, why don't we climb together? I know this place well. I used to come here every week in college!"
"Really?" Xiaohui replied. "I heard this is a famous 'couple's mountain.' Sounds like you bring a lot of girls here."
Chen Lin was caught off guard by her teasing but quickly laughed it off. "Haha, no way! How could I be so lucky to date a girl alone?"
Despite his embarrassment, Chen Lin continued to joke around, making Xiaohui laugh non-stop. As they made their way up the mountain, they reached a halfway point.
"Are you thirsty? Wait here, I'll buy you some water," Chen Lin said, noticing that Xiaohui's lips looked a bit dry. Without waiting for her reply, he rushed to buy water.
However, when he returned, he saw a man in his thirties chatting with Xiaohui. "Damn, am I being poached?" Chen Lin thought, running back as fast as he could.
To his surprise, it was just a fortune teller. Chen Lin had wondered why the man looked so ordinary but gave off such a friendly vibe. The fortune teller wore a simple Tang suit, giving him the appearance of a hermit.
"Xiaohui, don't believe him. They're all scammers, let's go!" Chen Lin interrupted.
"No, he's very accurate," Xiaohui replied, clearly believing the fortune teller.
At that moment, the fortune teller turned to Chen Lin, studying his face with a knowing look. "My little brother, I can see that your face is glowing—it's clear you've just had a happy event and met a 'peach blossom.' Hehe." He glanced at Xiaohui, who shyly lowered her head.
"Anyone can see that!" Chen Lin replied, trying to brush it off. "Come on, Xiaohui, let's go. There are plenty of fun spots behind the mountain that you haven't seen yet!"
The fortune teller raised his hand to stop them. "Don't rush off, little brother. Listen to me for a moment." He took a deep breath and continued, "Your face is glowing, but there's a dark haze between your brows. There's good luck on the surface, but a disaster is looming. Your life could be in danger soon..."
Chen Lin was about to get angry when the fortune teller reached into his bag and handed him a yellow talisman folded into a triangle. "Since our paths have crossed, take this talisman. It may not prevent the disaster, but it can boost your luck!"
Chen Lin hesitated, but the fortune teller added, "Don't worry, I won't charge you anything." Without waiting for a response, he shoved the talisman into Chen Lin's hand and walked away.
"That guy's really weird," Chen Lin muttered, about to toss the talisman.
But Xiaohui stopped him. "Don't, just treat it as a good luck charm," she said, taking the talisman and gently smoothing it out before placing it in his shirt pocket.
Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat at the way Xiaohui handled the talisman. "Fine, since Xiaohui said so, I'll just pretend to go along with it."
The two continued their climb and soon reached the summit. They'd both been to this mountain many times, so there wasn't much to see at the top. There were a few caves behind the mountain, though, and few people ventured there since the paths were narrow.
"Xiaohui, I heard there are some interesting caves behind the mountain. You've never been, right? I'll show you!" Chen Lin suggested.
"Really? I've never heard of any caves on this mountain!" Xiaohui said, intrigued but a bit concerned. "Is it safe back there? No wild animals or anything?"
"Don't worry, I've been there plenty of times, and it's really fun!" Chen Lin reassured her.
"Alright, I'll go take a look..." Xiaohui finally agreed.
So, they made their way from the top of the mountain to the back. The caves behind the mountain were a mystery, with some saying they were air-raid shelters from the Anti-Japanese War, while others speculated they were the dwellings of ancient people.
When Xiaohui saw the dark caves, she hesitated. "It's so dark... it's scary!"
"It's fine, I'm here. What's there to be afraid of?" Chen Lin said, convincing her to enter.
The cave was pitch-black, and Xiaohui was clearly nervous. Chen Lin knew it was time to play the protector, so he kept talking to her, helping ease her fear.
As they ventured deeper into the cave, their closeness grew, and their relationship became more ambiguous. At one point, Xiaohui grabbed Chen Lin's arm, and the softness of her touch made his heart race.
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Xiaohui shyly suggested they leave. As they exited the cave, the two spent the rest of the afternoon together, their hands never parting.
As the sun began to set, they both felt a sense of reluctance to part ways. But time had flown by, and before they left, they exchanged phone numbers.
While Chen Lin was still basking in the happiness of meeting Xiaohui, a speeding luxury car came barreling down the road, crashing into a taxi. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
In that final moment, Chen Lin remembered the yellow talisman the fortune teller had given him. He instinctively reached for his shirt pocket, but before he could react further, everything went black.
When Chen Lin finally regained consciousness, he found himself back at the scene of the accident. Doctors, police, and bystanders were all around, but no one seemed to notice him—he felt invisible.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of him. The bubble he was in started moving faster and faster, rushing forward…
With a burst of light, Chen Lin's vision slowly cleared, and when he saw where he was, he was stunned.
"Is this… is it possible that I've traveled through time?"
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