Next morning.
The sun rises early during the summer, and it’s up before 6 am.
Dong Xuebing woke up and rubbed his eyes. He immediately got off his bed and went to wash up. Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian had stayed at Qian Lihua’s apartment yesterday, and it seems they will be staying there for a while. He didn’t want to disturb their family reunion and did not call them. He prepared a simple breakfast for himself and looked at the time. It’s still early for work, and he looks out from his living room windows.
Yu Meixia called.
Dong Xuebing answered and heard Sister Yu say in a soft voice. “Xiao Bing, it’s me. Are you awake?”
“Yes. Where are you now?”
“I’m at my mother’s apartment.”
“Where are they?”
“They are still sleeping.”
Dong Xuebing smiles. Liu Chenlong and Qian Lihua had been divorced for years, and both of them are not attached. He can guess what they had been doing last night. He wants to ask if Sister Yu had heard anything last night, but they are her parents, and it’s too embarrassing to ask.
“How do you feel?”
Yu Meixia replied. “My Mum wants Qianqian and me to live with her. I want to ask you for your opinions.”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Why are you asking me this? You can decide for yourself.”
“Qianqian likes your grandmother a lot, and I think I will be living with her.”
“Haha…. Qianqian likes your grandmother, and what about you? You don’t like her?”
“No….”
Yu Meixia suddenly asks awkwardly. “Xiao Bing…. I…. I want to borrow money from you. I will repay you after I start working. Can…. You lend me money? It’s fine if you can’t.”
Dong Xuebing blinked. “Why do you need money?”
“I…. I want to buy some gifts for my parents. I had not been around them for years, and I hope to make up for them. I…. I also don’t want to use their money.”
Dong Xuebing readily agreed. “No problem. Are you still using the same bank account? I will transfer money into your account when the bank opens. Is 200,000 enough?”
Yu Meixia got a shock. “No need…. I don’t need that much. 5,000 is enough.”
“Then I will transfer 50,000 to you. Just keep it and let me know if it is not enough.” Dong Xuebing will never reject Yu Meixia.
“Ok. Thank you.”
“We have been together for so long. What’s there to thank?”
“Yes.”
Dong Xuebing is feeling thankful after hanging up. Yu Meixia would rather use his money than her parents’ money. This means she treated him closer than her parents. Although blood is thicker than water, they had only met each other for one day. They need time to bond.
Slightly past 6 am.
Dong Xuebing looks at the time and opens the window to enjoy the fresh air and scenery.
Too many things had happened yesterday, and Dong Xuebing needs time to digest it.
For example, Sister Yu had reunited with her birth parents.
The discovery of FORWARD’s uses.
Saving Qian Lihua’s life.
Dong Xuebing recalls everything that had happened yesterday, and his focus is on FORWARD.
FORWARD can forward the time of the newspaper box to the next day, and the next day’s newspaper will appear in it. There’s no doubt about the authenticity of that copy of the newspaper as the time, location, and description of Qian Lihua’s accident had been accurate. This matter had cleared many doubts in Dong Xuebing’s mind. He concluded that the future could be changed. He had stopped the accident, and it gave him the confidence to change the future. No one else in the world can do this except for him.
Suddenly, there are noises outside of the apartment.
It sounded like footsteps and rustling of newspapers.
Dong Xuebing turned to the door and walked over immediately. He looked out through the door viewer and saw a man delivering a newspaper. That man turned and left after delivering today’s newspaper.
Today’s newspaper is here.
It’s the copy of the newspaper Dong Xuebing got yesterday with FORWARD.
Dong Xuebing’s heart is racing as he opens the door. He looked at the plastic newspaper box and took out his keys to open it.
A copy of the newspaper is in the box.
Dong Xuebing took it out and looked at the date.
Dong Xuebing returned to his living room after closing the door and sat on the sofa to read it.
The headlines and contents of that political news remained unchanged.
But the article about that accident was changed to an article about Nan Shan District’s meeting on environmental issues. Dong Xuebing flipped the newspaper, and that drink driving accident news article is on the third page. Qian Lihua’s name was also not mentioned in the article. Other news articles and advertisements in the newspaper are still the same.
The future had been changed, and a new question arose in Dong Xuebing’s head.
FORWARD had pushed forward the time of the newspaper box to turn it into the ‘next day’s’ box. Then why is the newspaper he received today not the day after that ‘next day’s’ copy?
Dong Xuebing thought for a while and concluded. FORWARD’s power can only work on an object for that moment. He pushed forward the time of that newspaper box to the next day, and the next day’s newspaper appeared in it at that moment. This is the power of FORWARD, but it will not continue. This means the newspaper box’s time had been pushed forward, and the time has no connection with the next day. When the delivery man delivered today’s newspaper, the box became today’s newspaper box again.
Dong Xuebing got the answer and took out that newspaper with Qian Lihua’s article. He looks at it and burns it with his lighter.
FORWARD.
Dong Xuebing knows he must put this new command to good use in the future.
