Chapter 1:The three characters Shen Jichuan…

The end of the lunar year, 2011.

Students were about to start their winter break, and the two streets near the school that were usually bustling with shoppers had grown quiet.

Shen Zhi had rented a place in a prime location about a kilometer from the school. The apartment was on the second floor, above an old bookstore that sold secondhand study materials and mysterious notebooks.

The apartment was over 80 square meters, with one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—more than enough for one person.

After tidying up the rented space, Shen Zhi could finally move out of the hotel and have a place to call his own.

This desk is really heavy, the bookstore owner grunted as he carried the desk up to the second floor. Despite the cold weather, he was sweating profusely. He turned his head and asked curiously, Young man, isn’t there already a desk in the rental? Why buy another one? When you move out, you’ll have to figure out how to move it. What a hassle.

Shen Zhi smiled. That desk is too old and wobbly. It’s uncomfortable for writing or reading.

The bookstore owner chuckled, Just don’t end up leaving it behind and giving the landlord a bargain.

*Thud!*

The desk was finally moved into the second-floor apartment. The bookstore owner wiped his sweat and said cheerfully, All set! Let me know if you need anything else.

Shen Zhi nodded, Okay, thank you.

Mr. Zhou, the bookstore owner, waved his hand and headed downstairs.

Before descending, he glanced back. The new tenant upstairs had been wearing a black mask the entire time, never taking it off. But even just from his eyes and brows, it was clear he was a tall, handsome young man with long legs.

He wore a light white down jacket and a dark red scarf, with semi-long hair that probably reached his shoulder blades, tied into a low ponytail at the back of his head.

His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he looked relaxed and carefree.

Though he had rented the place, he didn’t seem to have any luggage. Mr. Zhou had noticed that over the past few days, the young man had been bringing things over, including clothes, all of which seemed to be newly purchased.

That must have cost quite a bit.

And the desk they had just moved upstairs was exquisitely crafted and must have cost at least four hundred yuan.

It was both expensive and heavy. Mr. Zhou hadn’t planned on helping move it, but the young man knew how to handle things. He had given him a bottle of oil and a bag of eggs, saying, We’re neighbors now, so please look out for me. He also mentioned that he had injured his arm before and couldn’t exert much force, so he asked for help moving the desk upstairs.

Mr. Zhou quickly expressed concern and, after a few polite refusals, cheerfully agreed to help.

Shen Zhi closed the door and surveyed his temporary home.

It faced the sun, clean and tidy. He had replaced the dirty curtains with new ones and covered the walls with warm-toned wallpaper, which would likely stay stuck in the dampness of the dry northern weather for a long time.

The bedsheets, duvet covers, and comforter were all newly bought. The bedding set had been washed and sun-dried at the hotel, so it was ready to use, though the comforter didn’t really matter and could be used directly.

The built-in wardrobe held a few newly purchased clothes, some still with tags attached.

Just as Mr. Zhou had guessed, Shen Zhi wasn’t moving—he had traveled through time.

In the early spring of 2022, he was walking home when, suddenly, time and space shifted. He found himself inexplicably transported to the end of 2011.

The phone he carried with him had transformed into a 2011 model. His ID card still showed his face, but the ID number had changed, as if the world’s consciousness had corrected all inconsistencies.

Fortunately, the balance in his bank card remained unchanged, allowing him to spend money to find a place to stay here.

The room had heating radiators, so it wasn’t too cold. Shen Zhi took off his coat, wiped the table clean, and glanced at the assembled bookshelf filled with high school exam prep materials, along with books on design and medicine.

He had collected all these books by visiting various bookstores over the past few days. By the time he finished tidying up, it was already evening—the hour when high school students were dismissed.

The once desolate street lights now buzzed with vibrant energy as boisterous laughter and chatter drifted into the room.

*Ding-a-ling!*
*Ding-a-ling—*

Bicycles whizzed past like fleeting shadows.

The high school students burst out like caged beasts set free—some buying snacks, others purchasing study materials. Most pedaled furiously toward home, chatting loudly with their rowdy friends.

One voice stood out particularly, howling like a wounded animal at a figure ahead while cycling: Chuan-ge! Chuan-ge! I know you finished half the winter break math worksheets during evening self-study—let me take a look! Chuan-daddy! I’m begging you!!

Shen Zhi, seated amidst piles of books, finally looked up and walked to the window to draw the curtains aside.

He stood by the window, gazing down at the street.

The boy called Chuan-ge appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen, with sharp features and neat black hair. He wore the school’s black, white, and red uniform with a youthful flair, layered over a black turtleneck sweater. Despite the cold, he left his coat unbuttoned—a testament to his vigorous energy.

Piss off, do your own work, Shen Jichuan retorted with a laugh. If I lend them to you again, your mom will storm over to my place.

No way—she’d never find out! I don’t want to drown in homework all winter break… Ji Su fake-sobbed. If you agree, I’ll buy your dinner for a whole month next semester!

Shen Jichuan raised an eyebrow, about to snap back, when his peripheral vision caught a faint figure standing at the second-floor window of the bookstore—

Someone was there, tracing something on the glass with their fingers.

His eyesight was sharp enough to glimpse the person’s flickering fingertips against the window.

For some reason, Shen Jichuan froze for a split second, his hand instinctively gripping the bicycle brakes.

Ji Su slapped him on the shoulder and, in a lightning-fast move, snatched the backpack from his bike basket. Hah! He swung Shen Jichuan’s backpack triumphantly. Thanks, Chuan-ge!

With that, he sped away.

Shen Jichuan snapped back to reality and chased after him. Ji Su, you bastard!

The dark red hem of his school uniform fluttered fiercely under the streetlights and night sky, like blazing spirits igniting the chilly darkness.

On the second floor of the bookstore—

Shen Zhi’s finger continued gliding across the windowpane until the cold seeped into his fingertips. Then, lowering his gaze, he finished the final stroke on the glass.

What he wrote was—

Shen Jichuan.

That was the name he had used from birth until he was nineteen.

After turning nineteen, he changed his name. For nearly a decade since then, he had been called Shen Zhi.

Yes.

He had traveled back to 2011. At twenty-eight, he now coexisted in the same timeline as his eighteen-year-old self.

Shen Zhi didn’t know whether he had crossed into a parallel universe or traveled back in time. All he wanted was to intervene in Shen Jichuan’s life—to snuff out the event that had fractured and altered his destiny before it could even begin.

He wanted to see what his life would look like if he took the right path… and whether it would be as joyful as he had endlessly imagined.

Shen Zhi started a new line, continuing to write on the frost-covered glass. The characters for Shen Jichuan soon densely covered the windowpane.

Though his hand moved in writing, his gaze never wavered. Through the gaps between characters, he watched his younger self and friend disappear into the distance.

Only when they were completely out of sight did he lower his hand.

Many thoughts crossed his mind, but first, the twenty-eight-year-old Shen Zhi needed to meet the eighteen-year-old Shen Jichuan.

How to make that happen?

Plans flashed through Shen Zhi’s mind one after another. Suddenly, he chuckled softly.

There was no need for elaborate schemes. His eighteen-year-old self was quite gullible and easily fooled, incapable of seeing through clumsy acting tricks.

–

Shen Jichuan reclaimed his backpack and made his way home, ignoring Ji Su’s dramatic wailing.

Senior year of high school ended late, and it was already 9:30 PM when he got home. This wasn’t even the latest – he’d heard students in the neighboring city didn’t get out until 10 PM.

His home was the first house on the left after turning at the large locust tree on Wukou Street, featuring a small courtyard of about ten square meters.

Shen Jichuan parked his bicycle in the yard, picked up his backpack, and bent down to duck under the frozen-stiff laundry hanging in the courtyard.

Chengzong, I’m back.

Shen Chengzong emerged from the house, waving at him. Brother!

He wore black-rimmed glasses for his 600-degree nearsightedness – without them, he couldn’t distinguish people from animals. He looked obedient and rather shy.

The Shen family had two children: Shen Jichuan and Shen Chengzong.

Shen Jichuan was in his final year of high school, while Shen Chengzong was a year behind. Both faced heavy academic pressure.

Shen Jichuan entered the house, warming his hands and feet on the barely functional radiator. Grandma’s asleep? he asked quietly.

Shen Chengzong nodded gently, then went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of dumplings, placing it on the dining table in the main room.

Grandma saved these for you. They’re still warm.

He then poured a cup of hot water and set it beside Shen Jichuan, bustling about attentively.

The second-year students finished school forty minutes earlier than the third-years. Every day after returning home, Shen Chengzong would boil water and heat food in advance so Shen Jichuan could eat immediately upon returning.

After dinner and washing up, Shen Jichuan checked on his grandmother in the master bedroom before returning to his room to continue working on test papers.

After a while, someone knocked on his door.

Come in, Shen Jichuan said.

Shen Chengzong peeked in, holding his exercise book. Brother, I have some problems I can’t solve.

Without looking up, a red pen tucked behind his ear, Shen Jichuan hooked a nearby stool with his foot and gestured with his chin.

Shen Chengzong quickly sat down.

Even after getting help, Shen Chengzong didn’t leave. The two brothers worked on problems together.

Brother… Shen Chengzong hesitated before speaking timidly.

More problems?

No, it’s about school.

Spit it out. Don’t make me hit you for stammering.

Shen Chengzong said, It’s about the winter break competition intensive class. I want to sign up, but it costs two thousand yuan.

Shen Jichuan: That’s all?

Yeah!

Shen Jichuan: If it can improve your grades, go for it. I handle the family finances. Don’t worry, we have enough.

Shen Chengzong’s eyes instantly lit up. Okay.

Shen Jichuan: When do you need to pay?

Shen Chengzong: The first day after winter break when classes start. We pay after the program begins.

Alright, I’ll give it to you then, Shen Jichuan ruffled his hair and laughed. You’re something else. Get out of here, go to sleep.

You should sleep too, brother! Good night!

After the door closed, Shen Jichuan continued working on problems, but his pace gradually slowed until his pen tip paused completely. He sighed.

Money.

Where would the money come from?

Grandma’s mind was muddled, and with only the three of them in the household, he was the one managing the finances, so he knew exactly how much money they had.

Grandma received government subsidies and occasionally worked washing dishes, giving most of her earnings to him. The rest was kept in a shared drawer for daily expenses like groceries and school supplies.

All in all, they had less than four thousand yuan left at home.

After deducting Grandma’s medication costs, daily living expenses, and the upcoming semester’s tuition and book fees for both him and Chengzong, there was barely anything left.

If he wanted to enroll his younger brother in the competition class, he would need to find a way to earn more money.

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