You on the other side of time

But to Song Wanxi, these words sounded quite different.

In all her years, apart from her deceased grandmother, few people had ever sincerely acknowledged her, let alone someone with whom she had little interaction, or even whom she was barely familiar. This recognition seemed devoid of any formality, and felt more genuine than the encouragement from those around her.

For over a decade, she grew up in this small house, living a frugal and uneventful life. When her grandmother was alive, she felt like she owned the whole world. After her grandmother passed away, her world consisted only of Liu Meiyue, her only close friend.

The period immediately following her grandmother's passing was the most agonizing time for her. She couldn't eat or study, and with the college entrance exam fast approaching, her spirit was already broken. It was Liu Meiyue who put aside her own study plans, moved in with her, and supported her through the toughest week. The two girls squeezed onto a small bed, doing practice problems and encouraging each other. They weren't sisters, but their bond was closer than that of blood sisters.

She and Si Chuying were also good friends. Si Chuying was cheerful and sincere towards her, but she knew in her heart that there was an insurmountable gap between them. Si Chuying came from a well-off family and was pampered by her parents since childhood. She didn't have to worry about tuition and living expenses, so she could study with peace of mind and had the confidence to pursue what she liked.

For her, even settling down required an immense effort; no matter how hard she ran, she couldn't cross that chasm. Si Chuying's level seemed impossibly distant, even to her own eyes.

When Si Yang ignited a warm feeling of recognition within her, Song Wanxi cautiously asked, "Can...can I?"

She didn't really want to move to a better place, nor was she seeking comfort. It was just that at that moment, his words were like a ray of light shining into her mundane and gloomy life, allowing her for the first time to secretly hope that she might be able to escape her current predicament and live the life she wanted.

"Definitely." This time, Si Yang was startled by Song Wanxi's bright eyes. Her gaze was clean and pure, and he blurted out instinctively.

Song Wanxi's ears turned red instantly; Si Yang's sudden approval left her somewhat flustered.

The two stood there at the doorway, looking at each other, the atmosphere momentarily awkward. Song Wanxi was the first to react, softly inviting, "Senior, it's not convenient to talk here, how about... you sit on my balcony for a while? It's not very big, don't mind."

Si Yang paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, thank you."

He knew that it was inappropriate to stand at the door chatting, especially in such a mixed neighborhood of bungalows. A girl living alone with a boy standing at the door for a long time would inevitably attract gossip.

Song Wanxi took out her key and opened the door.

The moment the door opened, a round, chubby little thing suddenly darted out, quickly ran to Si Yang, and rubbed against his jeans, startling Si Yang into taking a half-step back. Looking down, he realized it was a mixed-breed dog, its front leg slightly lame, walking with a limp, but its fur was impeccably groomed. It was clear its owner took good care of it.

The puppy ran up to Si Yang, startling him. He looked down and saw that it was a mongrel, walking with a limp, but its fur was very clean.

The puppy rubbed against his trouser leg, wagging its tail and barking twice at him.

"Nian Gao, stop fooling around." Song Wanxi quickly stepped forward, gently patted the puppy's head, and scolded the puppy sternly.

As if understanding her words, Nian Gao immediately sat obediently on the floor, motionless, with only her tail wagging slightly.

"Don't be afraid, senior. It doesn't bite. I found it."

Song Wanxi squatted down and stroked Nian Gao's head, revealing her shallow dimples again. "Back then, it followed me for a long time, limping and injured. It looked so pitiful, so I took it home. Grandma healed its leg, and from then on, it refused to leave and stayed with me."

At this point, Song Wanxi smiled again. In the lonely nights of the past few months, it was these two little ones who made the nights feel less long.

Song Wanxi's eyes curved into crescents as she looked at the little creature wriggling inside the room. "And that little thing, its name is Tangyuan, I also found it. But I found it last year, when it was so thin it could barely stand, weighing less than five pounds. Now it's almost ten pounds, as plump as a tangyuan, our family's number one fat guy..."

Si Yang looked in the direction she pointed and saw a plump, white thing curled up into a round cat pancake in the corner of the room. Its round eyes looked at him timidly. When it saw him looking over, it quickly shrank back into the corner and wrapped itself up even tighter.

Cats are ultimately not as brave as dogs; when they see strangers, they will instinctively avoid them.

Si Yang listened quietly as Song Wanxi rambled on about the two animals. He knew that the girl was probably trying to cheer him up and ease the awkward atmosphere. After all, it's natural for a girl living alone to bring a boy she wasn't particularly familiar with home, and for them to share the same roof, to feel a little uncomfortable.

But beyond that, Si Yang was mostly shocked.

Si Yang was utterly shocked by what he saw, a shock that went straight to the heart. He had grown up in a well-off family and had never seen such a place before. This "slum" in a bustling city was far more dilapidated and rudimentary than he had imagined, looking like it had stepped out of an old photograph from the 1980s, completely out of place with the high-rise buildings surrounding the city center.

The uneven cement floor was riddled with cracks, and in some places, chunks were missing, exposing the soil underneath. Although the walls had been plastered with whitewash, most of it had peeled off, revealing the dark gray cement underneath, making it look mottled and unsightly.

The living room was empty, with hardly any furniture. A wooden cabinet stood by the door, its doors slightly loose, the paint completely worn away, revealing the wood grain underneath. A long table lay across the middle of the living room, its legs probably broken, covered with densely packed threads, barely maintaining its balance.

Even so, the table was spotless, with a mineral water bottle on it, tied with a pink ribbon in a bow. Inside, half-filled with water, were a few purple wild chrysanthemums, their petals fresh, likely just picked. This small splash of color instantly brought life to the otherwise simple living room.

In addition, there is a sofa in the living room with a metal frame that is rusted, with reddish-brown rust stains covering the frame. Fortunately, the seating area is covered with thick old cotton wadding.

The entire living room had no television, no TV stand, and not even any other appliances.

Si Yang had never imagined that in such a bustling metropolis, there were people living such lives. He also never imagined that Song Wanxi was working part-time while studying diligently in such an environment.

His gaze inadvertently swept over the corner of the sofa, where the cat named Tangyuan was still curled up, plump and round, with snow-white fur all over its body. If Song Wanxi hadn't explained beforehand, he would most likely have thought it was a small, luxurious fur cushion.

After walking a few steps past the living room, you arrive at a fully enclosed balcony. The balcony railing is made of welded thick steel bars, protruding outwards to form a small platform, which serves both as a security measure and to expand the storage space.

On the steel platform, many flowers and plants were neatly arranged, mostly purple. Si Yang didn't know the names of any of them, but they grew exceptionally lush and vibrant. These flowers and plants were all planted in white styrofoam boxes.

Si Yang recognized them as insulated boxes from express delivery, which Song Wanxi had cleaned and reused as flower pots—saving money and being practical.

Two simple plastic stools sat on the balcony, looking rather flimsy. Song Wanxi quickly walked into the bedroom, took out a newspaper, gently unfolded it, and carefully laid it on the plastic stools. "Senior Siyang, please sit down. We don't have much to offer you..."

Si Yang sighed, his gaze falling on the flowers and plants. "You grew up here?"

"Yes." Song Wanxi nodded and smiled. "I think it's fine, I'm used to living here. By the way, senior, do you want some water? We don't have any paper cups at home. If you're thirsty, I'll go to Aunt Guo's braised food shop next door and buy you a cup."

She smiled gently, without a trace of inferiority in her eyes; this kind of life had not worn away the light in her heart.

Si Yang knew she genuinely wanted to treat him, but this sincerity only made him feel more guilty. He was never a guest; he was just there to bother her, or even to "use" her.

"No need, no need. I'm not thirsty, don't bother." Si Yang quickly waved his hand, feeling a surge of guilt.

Meeting Song Wanxi's sincere and clear gaze, Si Yang knew he couldn't lie anymore. He took a deep breath, stared blankly at the flowers and plants in front of him, and asked earnestly, word by word, "Little Song, if I told you that I'm not from this timeline, that I'm from the future, would you believe me?"