Film and Television Time Travel: Why Do I Always End Up in Romance Dramas?

Saturday morning at 10 a.m., the weather was unbelievably good.

Nie Xiguang stood at the old spot at the east gate of the factory area, with several rental information sheets stuffed in his canvas bag.

Today she wore a pair of casual jeans and a light-colored striped shirt, her hair loosely tied up, looking much more lively than when she goes to work.

Nie Xiguang's phone vibrated, and he quickly opened it. It was a message from Yu Chen: "I've gotten off the high-speed train, in twenty minutes."

A smile curved her lips as she replied, "No rush, I'll wait for you. You really ate breakfast?"

"have eaten."

"That's good."

After putting down his phone, Nie Xiguang gently kicked a small pebble at his feet.

The thought of going to see a house together later filled me with a sense of excitement, like bubbles rising in a soda.

Compared to that horrible phone call last Friday, today feels like a completely different world.

At 10:30, Yu Chen got out of the taxi.

Nie Xiguang immediately jogged over and scanned him with her eyes like a scanner: "He looks alright... but there are still some dark circles under his eyes, he definitely hasn't slept enough."

"That's enough, I dozed off on the high-speed train." Yu Chen naturally took the bottled water she offered, unscrewed it, and took a couple of sips. "House information?"

"Here it is!" Nie Xiguang pulled out a few sheets of A4 paper from his bag and unfolded them like a treasure. "I've narrowed it down to three places, all two-bedroom apartments. I'm not saying this to be mean, but one-bedroom apartments are either ridiculously expensive or so old they look like antiques, not worth it. The two-bedroom apartments are about the same price, so let's pick one that looks good to us."

Yu Chen took it and quickly scanned it, nodding in approval. It seemed that Nie Xiguang had done his homework thoroughly.

"Let's start with the closest one."

The first one is in the neighboring community, on the third floor.

The landlord was as enthusiastic as an insurance salesman.

The house has an old-fashioned style of decoration, a large living room, and two bedrooms that face south.

The furniture was an antique made of deep red solid wood, and a huge cross-stitch of "Welcoming Pine" hung on the living room wall, its needles a bright green.

Nie Xiguang winked at Yu Chen, and a barely perceptible smile flashed across Yu Chen's eyes.

He focused on checking whether the bathroom was damp, whether the kitchen water pipes were rusty, and whether all the sockets had power.

"Grandpa, how's the soundproofing?" Yu Chen asked.

"Great! This building is sturdy!" the old man patted his chest.

Before the words were finished, the sounds of children running and jumping, along with the bouncing of a ball, came from upstairs.

The old man's smile instantly froze on his face.

Yu Chen nodded: "We'll take another look, thank you."

The second place is a new residential complex, on the sixteenth floor.

It has a wide view, modern decoration, and is ready to move in.

The problem is that the landlord has also turned the second bedroom into a bedroom, making the whole house feel like a shared apartment.

Moreover, the monthly rent of 2,300 is over budget.

"This view is really beautiful." Nie Xiguang leaned against the window and looked into the distance.

"Hmm, but paying an extra five hundred for a better view isn't worth it," Yu Chen said decisively. "Next place."

The third place is in an older but clean residential area with a well-known property management company, but it's on the fifth floor and there's no elevator.

When Nie Xiguang climbed up, he was panting, while Yu Chen took two steps at a time without even breaking a sweat.

When the door opened, both of them were stunned for a moment.

The house had clearly just been painted; the walls were so white they were almost blinding.

It's a standard north-south facing building, with a bright and square living room connected to a small balcony.

Both bedrooms are small but well-organized. The master bedroom faces south and has a bay window, while the second bedroom faces north and has a large window.

The kitchen and bathroom were excessively clean, and although the tiles were a bit old-fashioned, there was no strange smell at all.

"This house was empty for two months and has just been completely cleaned up." The landlady was a straightforward woman. "The previous tenants were a family of three, and they kept it in good condition. You can see that the floor is solid wood and there are hardly any scratches."

Yu Chen went straight to the point: checking the water pressure of all faucets, the flushing power of the toilet, every socket, the window frame seals, and the balcony waterproofing.

He even knocked on the wall between the master and secondary bedrooms, the sound was solid.

Nie Xiguang secretly planned in his mind: a desk would be perfect for the living room, a few succulents could be kept on the balcony, and a cushion could be laid on the bay window for sunbathing and reading...

"Rent?" Yu Chen asked after finishing the inspection.

"Eighteen thousand, one month's deposit and three months' rent in advance, property management fee eight hundred a year." The older woman read out the numbers. "For this location and this size, it's a very reasonable price."

Nie Xiguang looked at Yu Chen and asked with his eyes: How is it?

Yu Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Is the internet connected to a separate unit? Who will repair the furniture if it breaks? How is the penalty for early termination calculated?"

The landlady answered all my questions, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of the house.

"Okay." Yu Chen nodded. "Sis, did you bring the contract?"

Signing the contract, transferring the money, and getting the keys all took less than half an hour. Before leaving, the older woman smiled and said, "You young people are so efficient! I hope you two have a comfortable stay!"

The door closed, and the room fell silent instantly.

Sunlight streamed in through the glass.

"It's... settled?" Nie Xiguang paced around the empty living room, still somewhat incredulous. "It went much more smoothly than I expected!"

"Hmm, clean, quiet, well-designed, and reasonably priced." Yu Chen placed the keys on the bare windowsill. "Next, we just need to fill in the gaps."

"Yes, yes, yes, let's buy things!" Nie Xiguang exclaimed excitedly. "I know a huge home goods supermarket with everything at reasonable prices, and it's only three subway stops away!"

The procurement process was like an efficient and fun practical exercise.

Pushing a large shopping cart, Nie Xiguang noticed that Yu Chen had a unique "fast, accurate, and ruthless" way of buying things:

• Bed and mattress? They need to be supportive and breathable. I lay down on one for thirty seconds and decided.

• Desk and chair? The desktop needs to be large enough, and the chair needs to be height adjustable. I sat on it, wobbled a bit, and then settled in.

Pots and pans? Basic models, mainly stainless steel and thick porcelain, durable and easy to clean.

Cleaning tools? Sponge mops, squeegees, various rags, etc.

Small appliances? I picked out a small refrigerator, a microwave oven, and a kettle.

• Curtains? Nie Xiguang took a liking to a light gray linen fabric that was both light-blocking and breathable.

Yu Chen touched the thickness and said, "Okay."

When it came to choosing bedding, Nie Xiguang struggled with decision-making in front of a row of four-piece sets.

"This light blue striped one is pretty good... and the off-white one is nice too..."

Yu Chen stood to the side and glanced at the label: "As long as the thread count is high enough, you decide on the color."

In the end, Nie Xiguang chose a gray outfit and also picked up a towel of the same color.

The reason is: it is dirt-resistant.

Passing through the residential area, she tossed two soft cushions and a small money tree into her car.

"To add some life to the new home!" she said with a smile.

There were so many items, it was alarming. The supermarket offered delivery, saying it would arrive in the afternoon.

It was already past 1 p.m. when I came out of the supermarket.

The two found a small shop in the food court of a nearby shopping mall and ordered two bowls of hot chicken soup wontons.

Nie Xiguang was starving; he ate until his nose was sweating.

After wiping his nose with a tissue, Nie Xiguang suddenly asked:

"Don't you ever hesitate when you buy things?" she asked curiously.

"If it's good value for money, buy it. Hesitating is a waste of time." Yu Chen paused and then said, "But the curtains and bedding you picked out are indeed nicer than what I bought by myself."

Nie Xiguang felt a sweet sensation in his heart, like he had drunk a sip of honey water.

In the afternoon, after the delivery truck brought a large amount of stuff downstairs, it was another day of physical labor.

Carry the bed frame and mattress up to the fifth floor, assemble a simple wardrobe, place appliances, hang curtains...

Nie Xiguang was responsible for making the bed, putting on the duvet cover, and tidying up the small kitchen items.

She doesn't look like a rich heiress at all.

Yu Chen took on all the work that required tightening screws.

The two actually worked together quite well.

Once the light gray curtains were hung up and the bed was made neatly, the little money tree stretched out its leaves on the bay window.

When the desk is placed by the living room window, the desk lamp casts a warm yellow light;

When the kettle first started bubbling... this empty house transformed into a "home" almost at a visible speed.

"Mission accomplished!" Nie Xiguang stood in the center of the living room, dusted off his hands, looked around, and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Yu Chen looked at the newly created space, a rare look of relaxation on his face: "Better than expected."

He walked to the window, looked into the distance, and said, "Next time you come to Suzhou, if you work late or have something to do, there's an extra sofa here where you can temporarily stay."

He spoke casually and naturally, as if he were stating an objective backup plan.

Nie Xiguang felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, and felt that it was just right—not too intimate, but with the genuine care between friends.

"I'll remember that!" she laughed. "Next time I come, I'll bring you some good food as a 'staying fee'."

Outside the window, the setting sun began to paint the sky orange.

"What are we having for dinner?" Yu Chen glanced at the fully stocked refrigerator. "Eating out, or trying out the new kitchen?"

"Let's try the kitchen!" Nie Xiguang said eagerly. "Didn't we buy noodles and eggs? I... I'll try cooking some tomato and egg noodles? But the taste... might be just average."

"Okay." Yu Chen rolled up his sleeves. "I'll help you."

A simple tomato and egg noodle dish was created in the brand-new kitchen.

The taste is indeed home-style, but eating it hot makes your stomach and heart feel warm and cozy.

The two sat quietly at their newly bought folding table and finished their first meal.

By the time I finished cleaning up the dishes, it was completely dark.

Nie Xiguang should go back to his dormitory.

Yu Chen escorted her to the entrance of the residential compound.

The night breeze was cool and refreshing, and it felt nice on my face.

"Thank you for your hard work today," Yu Chen said. "You've been running around all day."

"It wasn't hard work, it was quite enjoyable." Nie Xiguang's eyes sparkled. "It felt like... we did something very down-to-earth together."

Yu Chen nodded without speaking, but his eyes were gentle.

The bus has arrived.

Nie Xiguang jumped into the car and waved to him from the window.

As the car started, Yu Chen's figure gradually shrank in the rearview mirror.

Nie Xiguang leaned against the car window, reminiscing about the day: the anticipation of climbing the stairs to view the house, the bustling shopping at the supermarket, the tacit understanding of assembling furniture together, and that bowl of steaming hot home-cooked noodles... trivial and ordinary, yet full of down-to-earth warmth.

She suddenly realized that having such a comforting corner, set up by hand, and such a reliable friend in an unfamiliar city was a wonderful thing in itself.

Yu Chen returned to the fifth floor, opened the door, and the room still had a faint aroma of tomatoes and eggs, as well as the smell of new items.

He walked to the living room window and gazed at the city lights gradually coming on.

The new base in Suzhou is now in place.