I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 281 Li Wei Knows the Truth

Night fell, dark clouds gathered, as if the entire world was shrouded in a thick veil. Zhang Wanqing stood by the window, gazing through the glass at the inky black sky outside. Thunder rumbled, lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating her slightly anxious face. Her heartbeat was like a drum, and her mind kept replaying the shocking news: the rift in time and space might soon open.

"Wanqing, are you sure you want to tell Li Wei?" Fu Siyuan's voice came from behind, with a hint of worry.

Zhang Wanqing shuddered slightly, slowly turned around, and met Fu Siyuan's gaze. His eyes were filled with concern, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Siyuan, I know this is hard for you to accept, but I can't hide this from Li Wei. We are partners, and he has the right to know the truth."

Fu Siyuan was silent for a moment, and finally sighed: "Okay, I respect your decision. But you have to be mentally prepared. Li Wei has a straightforward personality, and it may be difficult for him to accept it."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, her eyes firm. She knew that this decision might change the relationship between her and Li Wei, but she had no other choice. She needed his help, and hiding the truth would only make things more complicated.

The next day, Zhang Wanqing arranged to meet Li Wei at a quiet cafe. She arrived early and sat by the window, a cup of warm coffee in her hand, her eyes occasionally glancing toward the door. Fu Siyuan stood not far away, silently watching her, his eyes filled with worry.

Li Wei pushed open the door and strode in. When he saw Zhang Wanqing, he smiled slightly and walked over. "Wanqing, why did you suddenly ask me out?"

Zhang Wanqing stood up and walked over to him with a nervous smile on her face: "Li Wei, sit down and talk. I have something important to tell you."

Li Wei nodded, sat down, and asked curiously, "What's so mysterious?"

Zhang Wanqing took a deep breath and looked directly into Li Wei's eyes: "Li Wei, there are some things I have been hiding from you. Now I want to tell you the truth."

Li Wei's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes: "The truth? What are you talking about?"

Zhang Wanqing was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I... I'm not Zhang Wanqing."

Li Wei was stunned, his eyes full of confusion: "What do you mean? I'm not Zhang Wanqing? Then who are you?"

Zhang Wanqing took a deep breath and told Li Wei everything about her time travel from ancient times. She described it in great detail, including her life in the Tang Dynasty, her time travel, and her experiences over the past year.

"My original name was Su Qimeng, and I lived in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. My father was an official, and I was the third daughter of the Su family. I loved shopping, and one day, my maid and I were strolling down the street. I bought two meat buns and ate them as I walked. Unexpectedly, someone ran over and bumped into me, and I choked to death on the buns. Isn't that ridiculous? I think so too. On the night of my burial, there was a sudden flash of lightning and thunder. A bolt of lightning struck my coffin, and I was inexplicably transported to the modern year of 2024. The people said that because my father was an upright official, after my untimely death, the heavens gave me a chance to transcend the tribulation. I ascended to heaven with that lightning, becoming an immortal, free from the suffering of reincarnation on earth.

At the same time, Zhang Wanqing, living in 2024, was dining out with her brother and a few close friends. While eating and chatting with her friends, she laughed heartily when she accidentally choked on her food. Fortunately, her brother, Zhang Chen, knew how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, lifting her from behind and thrusting hard against her stomach, dislodging the food. Zhang Wanqing was saved and rushed to the hospital. As the ambulance approached the hospital entrance and Zhang Wanqing was being carried out on a stretcher, there was a flash of thunder and light, the exact same weather as when I was buried. At that moment, I fell from the halo in the sky, landing squarely on Zhang Wanqing and absorbing her body.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by my father, mother, brother, and best friend. My mother called me by my nickname, "Little Bun." I had also become Zhang Wanqing. They all thought I had simply lost my memory and couldn't remember the past. But in reality, I... wasn't Zhang Wanqing at all. She was merely my host, and I had taken over her body.

Later, as you all know, I took her place at the newspaper, where I met Fu Siyuan and, later, you, and worked alongside you. I researched and tried many methods to travel back in time, but all failed. After the events of the search for the spirit pearl, I learned that Zhang Wanqing, that is, me, was a descendant of the Mohist school. An ancestor of the Mohist school once traveled from the modern era to the ancient world, but never returned, remaining there. Through the passage of history, Su Qimeng's generation traveled back again, fulfilling her ancestor's wishes.

By then, I also knew that only when the space-time rift opened could time travel occur. As for whether time travel was one-way or two-way, I didn't know. If it was one-way, I might be stuck here forever, unable to return. But if it was two-way, it meant that my ancestors simply hadn't found a way to open the space-time rift, and were forced to remain in the ancient past.

So, as long as I find a way to open the space-time rift, I will have a chance to go back. But I don’t know the specific method yet.”

Li Wei's expression changed from initial shock, to disbelief, and finally to silence.

Li Wei was silent for a long time, his eyes flickering with complex emotions. He raised his head and looked directly at Zhang Wanqing: "Are you kidding?"

Zhang Wanqing shook her head, her eyes firm: "I'm not kidding, Li Wei, this is true."

Li Wei stood up and paced back and forth, as if trying to digest the news. Fu Siyuan saw this, walked over, and gently patted Li Wei on the shoulder: "Li Wei, I know this is hard to accept, but what Wanqing said is true. Many things that happened this year can actually be explained."

Li Wei stopped and looked back at Fu Siyuan with a hint of anger in his eyes: "You knew it a long time ago?"

Fu Siyuan nodded: "Yes, I know. But I respect Wanqing's decision. She doesn't want to tell you because she's afraid of losing you as a friend. Many people don't know because we're afraid they won't be able to accept it."

A trace of pain flashed in Li Wei's eyes. He turned around, facing away from Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan, and remained silent for a long time. Zhang Wanqing's heart was filled with guilt. She knew that this decision might cause her to lose an important friend.