Chapter 380: I Said I Loved You Centuries Ago

Creak—

Under the dim light of a few oil lamps, the old safe of Wei Sheng Jin slowly opened, releasing a small puff of dust into the air.

Lin Xian, CC, and Angelica leaned forward, their curiosity piqued, and peered inside.

It was nearly empty. The only thing inside was a small, flat metal box. Despite its age, the box hadn’t rusted. It seemed to be made of some high-tech material. However, the box was quite small—just big enough to hold a book or a notebook.

Seeing this, CC looked puzzled. “Why are there so few items in these safes? And why is everything so small? There’s barely anything in them.”

Lin Xian explained, “Most man-made objects can’t withstand time and oxidation. This is something customers are told before buying a safe. Anything that’s not metal—like fabric, crafts, or wood—will slowly oxidize, become brittle, fade, and eventually crumble. Even plastics last longer, but it depends on the type.”

He continued, “Even metals are tricky. The storage rooms for these safes have specific humidity levels, and rust and corrosion are inevitable. That’s why customers are advised against storing metals that rust easily.”

“If it’s a short period, like a few years or decades, most things can survive. But if it’s a century or more, most items will break down into fragments or dust.”

“So, the best things to store are specially treated books, documents, and the like.”

CC nodded. “You sound like you know a lot about this.”

Lin Xian smiled but didn’t say anything. After all, he owned Time Bank; he knew these things well.

Mr. Wei Sheng Jin stared at the metal box inside, his heart pounding. He knelt down, carefully reached into the safe, and gently took out the box. It was small and delicate. Why would his younger self put something so small in such a big safe? Was it valuable? Did it have a special meaning?

He unlatched the metal box and opened it. Inside, there was a letter. The envelope was still in great condition, likely made with advanced anti-corrosion and anti-oxidation technology—not ordinary paper.

“It really is a letter,” Angelica said. “The other safes we opened had similar envelopes, most of them written to their future selves. This kind of paper has high-tech content, not something you’d find on Mars. It shows that before the great disaster in 2400, Earth’s technology was way more advanced than Mars’s today.”

“So, this letter was probably written by this gentleman to his younger self,” Angelica continued. “But if he suspects he’s not Wei Sheng Jin, then this letter is pointless, because this safe belongs to Wei Sheng Jin, and the person who wrote this letter was also young Wei Sheng Jin. Trying to prove he isn’t Wei Sheng Jin through this safe is a paradox.”

“Exactly,” Lin Xian agreed, sensing that Mr. Wei Sheng Jin’s trip to Earth might end in disappointment. At best, he might find some closure. Trying to prove his identity with just a safe was unrealistic.

Wei Sheng Jin stared at the letter. His hands trembled as he carefully unfolded the thin sheet of paper. Human nature thrives on curiosity, and Lin Xian, CC, and Angelica leaned in closer, holding their oil lamps forward, eager to see what was written.

Wei Sheng Jin didn’t mind. He unfolded the letter that had been folded for over two hundred years, and on it were rows of neat handwriting. It seemed to be written by a young girl. The heading in the top left corner read “To Classmate Wei Sheng Jin,” confirming it was a letter written to young Wei Sheng Jin.

It was quite surprising—they had all guessed this letter was written by Wei Sheng Jin himself. Who would have thought it was actually written by a young girl to him?

Their curiosity grew, and they eagerly read the contents:

“To Classmate Wei Sheng Jin,

They say that after waking up from hibernation, people lose their memory, so naturally, you wouldn’t remember me—your classmate and deskmate. I was really sad to see you go, but this era couldn’t cure your illness. I truly hope you get better in the future.

There’s a ‘thank you’ I never got to say to you. I feel now is the time. If I don’t say it now... I might never get the chance again.

Do you remember our time in elementary school? I had bad teeth, and my front teeth were big. The other students often teased me about my teeth, saying I was a rabbit stealing other people’s corn.

I was afraid to speak, afraid to open my mouth, for fear of being mocked. But back then, you stood up for me. You weren’t sick then; you were tall and brave. You stood in front of me and said you’d knock out anyone’s teeth who dared to make fun of mine.

I sat in the corner of the classroom by the wall, looking at your back as you stood in front of me. You felt like a ray of light that shined into my life.

I remember you liked Ultraman. You told me your favorite was Ultraman Tiga. You said Tiga was a hero of justice, and you wanted to be like him, to protect the world and maintain peace.

I thought you would always be so cheerful and bright.

But after we entered middle school, everything changed. People no longer teased me about my teeth because they became straighter after I lost my baby teeth. But your name became everyone’s joke. People were always mocking your name and saying mean things.

After that, I rarely saw your bright smile. You became quieter and more withdrawn, rarely speaking or lifting your head.

You told me you hated your name and resented your parents for giving you such an awful name.

But I never thought that way.

I never found your name hard to say. To me, it was the name of a hero—a name that belonged to my deskmate, who I admired and looked up to. No matter how many times I was asked, I always thought it was a name as brave as Ultraman Tiga’s.

But I didn’t get the chance to do anything about it... because you suddenly got sick and had to go into a hibernation chamber and leave this era.

I really didn’t want you to go. The adults said that once someone goes into that hibernation chamber, there’s a high chance they won’t see them again in this lifetime. I regret not talking to you more before, always being too shy to say a sincere ‘thank you.’

Finally, besides wishing you good health, I don’t know what else to say to bless you.

If you really hate your name, I believe it’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. So, I hope that when you wake up from hibernation... there will be no such thing as ‘sanitary pads’ in this world, and you’ll never be bothered by your name again.

Goodbye, Classmate Wei Sheng Jin.

Will we ever meet again?

If you forget my name and what I look like after losing your memory... next time, can we switch places, and I’ll protect you?

—Your deskmate, Liu Shiyu”

Angelica, having read the letter, straightened up and looked at Lin Xian and CC. “What is a sanitary pad? Why would they laugh at him because of it?”

Lin Xian and CC hesitated to explain. This wasn’t the right time to get into that. Nowadays, Earth definitely doesn’t have the industrial capability to produce sanitary pads; they likely use something like “menstrual cloths” instead. On Mars, there are clearly better alternatives to handle such issues, and sanitary pads are long outdated.

Even though Angelica had left behind many notebooks and videotapes, who would bother to specifically introduce sanitary pads in them?

As a result, neither Mr. Wei Sheng Jin nor Angelica knew what a sanitary pad was or understood why Wei Sheng Jin’s name was so infamous.

Seeing Angelica was about to press further, Lin Xian quickly changed the subject, “So, it seems this letter was written by a girl who was Mr. Wei’s deskmate before he went into hibernation. Now... over two hundred years have passed, and she must have passed away.”

CC nodded, “Actually, whether it was the issue with buck teeth or Mr. Wei’s name, they weren’t big problems in society. But in school, where kids are immature, don’t understand respect, and like to give others nicknames, it can be a form of unbearable verbal bullying.”

Lin Xian spread his hands. “There’s no helping it. Kids are like that. It’s an inevitable part of school life. But this letter... doesn’t seem to contain anything significant. As Angelica said, what’s written on it can’t prove anything, let alone that Wei Sheng Jin is Wei Sheng Jin.”

“Not only that,” Angelica added, “Don’t you both feel like reading this letter is like drinking plain water—no special feeling at all? The same goes for me. From an adult’s perspective, looking at these trivial matters between children doesn’t evoke any emotion. It just feels like making a fuss over nothing.”

“My memory was restored by looking at notebooks and videotapes, but as I mentioned earlier, those memories don’t evoke deep emotional resonance. One has to force oneself to accept them, to convince oneself they are real, to forcibly immerse oneself in those memories.”

“But, I must say, long-term self-suggestion is quite effective. You can indeed develop feelings. Like you, Lin Xian... I never knew you or Ji Lin, only saw your photos and data on the tapes.”

Then, 27-year-old Liu Shiyu and 27-year-old Wei Sheng Jin met again.

He didn’t remember her, but she had crossed time and space just to see him.

Their love found a way, and Liu Shiyu’s wish came true. It was an era without sanitary pads, and no one mocked Wei Sheng Jin’s name.

At the same time, just like the handwritten letter from her youth said...

“Next time, can I be the one to protect you?”

Judging by Mr. Wei Sheng Jin’s self-proclaimed happy and fulfilling life, Liu Shiyu indeed kept her promise. She took good care of Wei Sheng Jin. They loved each other, grew old together, and had a complete life.

A love spanning over 200 years.

Chasing love all the way to Mars.

And all of this started with a young boy who idolized Ultraman Tiga and a moment of bravery.

Fate, indeed, is a mysterious thing.

Time turns, roles reverse—isn’t this a kind of good karma?

“Do you regret it?” Lin Xian asked Mr. Wei Sheng Jin, “Regret... finding out only now?”

Mr. Wei Sheng Jin lifted his head, stood up, and carefully folded the tear-soaked letter, putting it into his pocket.

Then...

He shook his head solemnly. “I don’t regret it,” he said softly. “Though I feel a sense of loss, I don’t regret it.”

“Because... life is like this. Every small choice, every little action, is like a butterfly effect, affecting the following years, even the lives of many.”

“If I had known from the start that my wife approached me because of my childhood embarrassment... would we still have ended up together?”

“But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand,” Mr. Wei Sheng Jin scratched his head. “When I woke up on Mars and got my memory notebook, there wasn’t a single note about Liu Shiyu. It means that young me wasn’t very mindful of that name... Boys that age are weird; most of their energy and attention are focused on games and anime, with little interest in girls their age.”

“So why... would I place her letter so carefully in a aluminum-alloy safe?”

There was a moment of silence.

Lin Xian suddenly had a thought. Could there be another reason?

He turned to look at the safe door, its eight-digit combination code—

2373 was Mr. Wei Sheng Jin’s birth year. But what about 0907?

What could it be?

Lin Xian closed his eyes, trying to connect some clues.

0907... Whose birthday could it be?

It wasn’t Mr. Wei Sheng Jin’s or Liu Shiyu’s. Then, in young Wei Sheng Jin’s world, whose birthday would be so important?

Suddenly, Lin Xian couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ultraman Tiga.”

He remembered.

Back in Lin Xian’s childhood, Ultraman Tiga was hugely popular. Every year, when Tiga’s birthday came around, Ultraman fans would organize all sorts of celebrations.

September 7th.

That was Ultraman Tiga’s birthday—the day the show first aired.

“Ah...” Lin Xian laughed and shook his head. “Mr. Wei, it seems you really liked Ultraman Tiga when you were young.”

“0907—your reason for setting that as the password was because it’s Ultraman Tiga’s birthday.”

“At the same time, the reason you treasured Liu Shiyu’s letter in the safe is the same...”

“She said in the letter that you were a brave hero like Ultraman Tiga. For the young you, that was probably the highest honor, the brightest recognition in your life.”

Hearing this, Mr. Wei Sheng Jin couldn’t help but laugh too. “Is that it... haha... just for this little thing?”

He laughed so hard his eyes turned into slits. He chuckled, and as he laughed... He began to cry.

...

After a while, Lin Xian and CC stepped out of the warehouse and came outside. They looked up at the rising moonlight and down at their watches.

9:45 PM.

It wasn’t too late. They still had time to hurry.

Lin Xian wanted to finish another task.

“CC, let’s go back to Rhine Village.”

CC turned her head. “What for?”

“I’ve figured it out,” Lin Xian said softly. “Memories are far more important than we imagine. Just like Mr. Wei Sheng Jin—he never felt complete... until this moment when he saw that letter.”

“I thought about it. I have no right to decide someone else’s memories or to stop them from getting them back under the guise of goodwill.”

“As you said, even a half-moon is still a part of the full moon. Without the missing pieces, there’d be no full moon. Many things we find trivial might be like life-changing realizations for the person involved.”

“So let’s head back to Rhine Village and see that village chief grandma—that little girl who brought perfect moonlight to Earth all by herself.”

Lin Xian looked into the distance. “It’s time... to return Zheng Xiang Yue’s memories and past to her.”