What Should I Do If I Time-Traveled Forty Years Later and My Lover Has Become an Old Man? - MLFYL: 33

As Jiang Zhonglin slowly came to, he was met with the sight of Yu Yao lounging in a plush armchair beside his bed, her eyes fixed on a terminal as her gaze drifted lazily across the screen. Her attention seemed divided, as if her mind was elsewhere, consumed by thoughts she couldn’t shake.

He watched her for a moment, taking in the soft curves of her face, before Yu Yao finally sensed his presence and set the terminal aside.

She poured him a steaming glass of water, her movements economical and gentle.

“Hey, drink some of this first,” she said, her voice low and soothing, as she placed a hand on his forehead and handed him the cup with the other.

Jiang Zhonglin took a couple of sips, feeling the warm liquid soothe his parched throat, before speaking up in a voice that was still a little rough around the edges, “I’m feeling a lot better now.”

His eyes scanned the room to take in the time—it was already afternoon.

A look of concern etched itself on his face as he asked, “Have you eaten lunch?”

Yu Yao’s response was calm and measured, “I’ve already had lunch, and I made you some plain porridge, just in case. Are you hungry now? Do you want some?” She paused, her eyes never leaving his face, before adding, “Let’s take your temperature again, okay?”

The fever had broken slightly, but Jiang Zhonglin’s body still felt warm to the touch.

She tucked the thermometer away, got to her feet, and headed to the kitchen to fetch the porridge, accompanied by a selection of appetizing side dishes that she arranged artfully in front of him.

But he didn’t make a move to touch the food. Instead, his eyes locked onto her face, his expression hesitant.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. “You seem a little off—is everything okay?”

Yu Yao’s eyebrows shot up in surprise; she hadn’t realized he was so attuned to her moods.

She’d thought she was doing a pretty good job of keeping her emotions in check, so she raised an eyebrow and said, with a hint of wryness, “You’re the one who’s been sick—it’s not like I’d be walking around with a big smile on my face, is it?”

It seemed he hadn’t quite conveyed his intended message, as Yu Yao appeared different from her angry self the night before, but she wasn’t having any of it. Instead, she’d already picked up the porridge bowl and was scooping out a spoonful to feed him, completely disregarding his unspoken thoughts.

“Come on, I can do this myself,” Jiang Zhonglin protested, feeling a bit frustrated that a slight fever warranted someone to feed him like a child.

But she was insistent, pushing the spoon to his lips until he had no choice but to open up and let her feed him, all while the old man and his wife exchanged a knowing glance.

Once she had finished packing and headed to the kitchen, Jiang Zhonglin seized the opportunity to check his terminal, where he found several unread messages from an old friend and a few students.

His friend had invited him to an academic discussion, a casual gathering of like-minded individuals, but he politely declined, citing his current state. His students, on the other hand, were inquiring about his health, likely having gotten wind of it from Yu Yao herself.

After responding to their messages, his eyes landed on the last one, which was from a contact named Yang Mengshan—one of his former students from his early days as a high school Chinese teacher in Gangshi. What struck him as peculiar was that, unlike the students he’d later taught as a professor at Haida, Yang Mengshan had pursued a career in biology, dedicating years to the study of life sciences, and was now working at the prestigious New Life Research Institute.

“It had been ages since I’d stopped by to see my old teacher, but with my research finally wrapping up and some fresh achievements under my belt, I figured it was high time for a visit. I’d heard through the grapevine about your recent situation, and I was stoked for you—I’d even heard whispers about the teacher’s wife, and I was curious to meet her. But was it a good time to drop by? And what about that student you’d mentioned last year—had you changed your mind about them? I was itching to have a face-to-face chat with the teacher and get the lowdown.”

Jiang Zhonglin scanned the message he’d sent, and without much fuss, shot back a positive response.

As it happened, Yang Mengshan was online at the time, and he quickly got back to him, suggesting they meet up in a couple of days.

“A student of mine is coming to visit in a bit,” he mentioned to Yu Yao when she got back.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise—didn’t he adore his students and go out of his way to visit them? She asked him point-blank, her curiosity piqued.

Jiang Zhonglin filled her in, “I just needed to touch base with him about something, so I invited him over. His name’s Yang Mengshan, and he was one of my star pupils from way back. The guy-s a certified genius—a total rockstar in his field.”

She picked up on the old man’s hint of hesitation, “You mean there’s more to the story, but you’re not spilling just yet? You’ve had so many students over the years, I’m not surprised if any of them showed up out of the blue. Let’s not get into all that right now, though—just focus on getting some rest while you’re under the weather. We can catch up on everything else when you’re feeling better. And if you’re still not on the mend in two days, I’m not letting you see any visitors, got it?”

He chuckled, unfazed by her stern tone, “It’s just a fever—I’ll be back to normal by tomorrow, no sweat.”

Yu Yao shot back, “Weren’t you just saying you’d be fine after a good night’s sleep? How did we suddenly fast-forward to tomorrow?”

Jiang Zhonglin caught the hint—she was basically telling him to pipe down and get some rest after running his mouth. It was a dynamic they’d established early on in their marriage, with Yu Yao often taking on a more mature role despite their three-year age gap. Whenever he messed up, she’d slip into a big-sister mode, complete with a tone that was equal parts coaxing and commanding.

But now, that “sister” vibe was long gone, replaced by a tone that was more…let’s say, “grandmotherly”—and he was on the receiving end of it, feeling like he was from a different generation altogether.

It was a pretty helpless feeling, to be honest. Still, he was happy to play the obedient little brother, while Yu Yao took on the role of doting grandmother—tolerant and all-knowing.

As it turned out, Jiang Zhonglin’s fever had indeed vanished by the next day—maybe those new meds were the real deal. But Yu Yao wasn’t about to let her guard down just yet.

She had him swaddled up in not one, not two, but three layers—two sweaters and a vest—even though the room was warm enough. And don’t even think about stepping out to grab anything—she was having none of it. The old man put up a bit of a fight, but ultimately, he was stuck at home, sipping hot water like it was going out of style.

That day, Yu Yao’s go-to phrase was, “Drink some more hot water.”

She was like a broken record, forcing him to down cup after cup of the stuff. And yeah, it might sound like some old-school internet meme, but the truth is, hot water really does work wonders when you’re feeling under the weather.

She was willing to risk life and limb to nurse her husband back to health—and that meant drinking hot water right alongside him, even though she wasn’t exactly a fan of the stuff in her daily life.

On the third day, the guest who had scheduled a meeting arrived right on time.

“Ma’am, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Yang Mengshan, a middle-aged man with a reserved expression, said with utmost respect, his demeanor unwavering despite their noticeable age difference.

His sincerity and admiration for her were genuinely heartfelt.

“I’ve heard my teacher talk about you before, and I’m thrilled that you’re back by his side—I’m also deeply grateful that you’ve returned to him,” the tall, handsome man in a windbreaker declared, suddenly bowing to Yu Yao, which caught her off guard.

What a dramatic way to greet someone, she thought, having met many of Jiang Zhonglin’s students before, all of whom addressed her as “teacher’s wife” but never displayed this level of reverence for their elders. But this guy was different—was he being overly polite?

“Mengshan, you’re being too courteous—you’re frightening your teacher’s wife,” Jiang Zhonglin intervened, trying to break the slightly awkward atmosphere.

Yang Mengshan adjusted his glasses, which were identical in style to Jiang Zhonglin’s, and apologized, “Sorry.”

Yu Yao chimed in, “Oh, it’s fine, you two talk,” and quickly excused herself, feeling like she couldn’t handle the ‘genius’ that Old Jiang was so fond of.

With only two people left in the study, Jiang Zhonglin invited Yang Mengshan to take a seat.

Yang Mengshan sat across from him, looked him straight in the eye, and said bluntly, “Teacher, I’m assuming you’ve had a change of heart. When I arrived and met your wife, I knew you’d be willing to consider my proposal.”

Jiang Zhonglin just gave a faint smile and said, “Then I’ll trouble you,” without adding anything else.

Yang Mengshan’s face lit up with a relieved grin as he heard this, his eyes welling up with tears.

“It’s no trouble at all,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “I’m actually really happy to see my teacher get his spark back. I have so much respect for you, and you’ve done a lot for me, so now it’s my turn to return the favor. Don’t worry, the new drug we’ve been working on has come a long way since last year, and it’s much safer now—we’ve hardly seen any adverse reactions in our trials. You’ve got more than enough credit points, so just go ahead and apply, and I’ll get it approved for you right away.”

Jiang Zhonglin nodded thoughtfully, recalling the data Yang Mengshan had shown him the previous year.

“What about that side effect you mentioned?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

Yang Mengshan’s expression turned serious as he responded, “Yes, that side effect is unavoidable, but I genuinely believe it’s a small price to pay—losing some of your sense of taste is nothing compared to the gift of extra years of life.”

As he delved into the details of the new drug, Jiang Zhonglin listened intently, eager to learn more about the treatment he had previously refused.

Although Yang Mengshan had brought it up when he was bedridden the year before, he hadn’t been interested in extending his life back then. Now that he had changed his mind, he was determined to understand the full implications of the drug, trusting that Yang Mengshan would never put him in harm’s way.

As their conversation drew to a close, Jiang Zhonglin added, “Just keep this between us, okay? Don’t mention it to my wife.”

Yang Mengshan looked taken aback, responding, “But why not? If she knew you could regain your health and spend many more years together, she’d be overjoyed.”

As Jiang Zhonglin flashed a warm smile, he whispered, “She’ll soon realize I can stick around for a while longer in good health, but let’s keep the medicine I’m taking under wraps for now.”

Yang Mengshan nodded in agreement, “Got it, since it’s what you want, teacher, I’ll keep this on the down low.”

The two of them spent almost the entire morning chatting away in the study, while Yu Yao kept her distance, not bothering to eavesdrop on their conversation.

It wasn’t until Jiang Zhonglin sent his student on her way that she approached him, curiosity getting the better of her, “This student of yours seems to have an enormous amount of respect for you—it’s like he looks up to you as a father figure. What’s behind that?”

It was clear that he held this student in high regard as well, since he rarely discussed her with others. Whenever he did open up about her, it was a sure sign that the person he was talking to was someone special, someone who had managed to transcend a mere friendship with him.

Jiang Zhonglin had no intention of hiding anything, so he began to recount some of the events that had transpired in the past. He took Yu Yao back to the time when he was a high school teacher in Hong Kong City, and Yang Mengshan was one of his students.

Yang Mengshan came from a tough background—a single-parent household with a father who had a crippling gambling addiction. As a result, his personal life was a mess, and his demeanor often reflected that. To make matters worse, he was naturally introverted and struggled to connect with his peers, which made him an easy target for bullying.

It was by chance that Jiang Zhonglin stumbled upon the bullying, and he put a stop to it not once, but twice, going out of his way to help Yang Mengshan.

However, things took a dark turn when Yang Mengshan was falsely accused of swiping 30,000 yuan in cash from a teacher’s office. The school came down hard on him, and he was even threatened with expulsion. The teacher in question was hell-bent on taking him to court, but Yang Mengshan was innocent.

The accusations, combined with his father’s brutal beatings, pushed him to the edge, and he found himself contemplating suicide, feeling like he’d hit rock bottom.

It was Jiang Zhonglin who had saved him from the edge of destruction, cleared his name, tracked down the real culprit behind the theft, and even helped him take his abusive father to court, ultimately freeing him from a life of torment. And if that wasn’t enough, he had also sponsored the kid’s education, giving him a chance to turn his life around.

“No wonder he looks up to you so much,” Yu Yao said, listening to his humble account of the events.

She could only imagine the sheer dedication and effort he must have poured into helping that young boy, especially considering he was still so young himself and had likely faced his own share of struggles.

In a sudden burst of admiration, she grasped Jiang Zhonglin’s face and planted a fierce kiss on his cheek, her praise flowing freely, “You’re absolutely amazing, teacher! You’ve done an incredible job!”

She couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride for this man, who had selflessly changed the course of someone’s life.