Trapped on the Same Day for a Thousand Years: Take the Freebie

Welcome to Trapped on the Same Day for a Thousand Years, produced exclusively by Feilu Novel Network, written by Sang Ze and narrated by Wang Xiaomo and Lao He.

Su Qingying called earlier than Wu Chen had expected. He had figured it would take a few days—he couldn't say exactly how many, but it would be soon.

He hadn't expected her to call after just one day, without even sending a text first. Clearly, she was desperate to settle the matter.

A day was also enough for her to investigate Wu Chen's background thoroughly.

When Li Ruobing had looked into Wu Chen, it had taken only one phone call. In less than an hour, his information was on her desk.

Su Qingying could learn about Wu Chen with a single call too, but that would only give her the basics: his age, education, and family background. Beyond those details, there was nothing remarkable about him.

Before July 7, 2020, Wu Chen really had been utterly ordinary. Nothing in his twenty-two years of life had been particularly worth mentioning.

But once July 7 had truly passed, Wu Chen's life had suddenly become extraordinary.

Even so, today was only July 10. It had been just three days.

A great deal had happened in those days, but it was all recent and involved only a handful of key people. That actually made it easier to investigate.

The fact that Su Qingying had called meant she already knew Wu Chen was Li Ruobing's boyfriend and that he had once clashed with Lu Guangnian.

She was probably even more alarmed than she had been yesterday. She had discovered that Wu Chen wasn't an ordinary man—he had been ordinary until he suddenly wasn't.

That told her she would have a hard time buying his silence or forcing it with threats and inducements. Wu Chen was someone even the Su Family would find difficult to touch.

"We don't need to meet, do we?"

Wu Chen smiled faintly. "I've already told you: your secret is safe. I won't tell anyone else."

"No, Mr. Wu. I think we absolutely need to meet."

Su Qingying's voice remained calm and cool. "Some things are better discussed face-to-face."

"I don't know where you got your information, but I think you may have misunderstood something."

"You trust me that little?" Wu Chen sighed with a smile. "All right, then. Tomorrow morning at nine, at Tangsha Private Club. Call me when you arrive."

Su Qingying had given him the time and place directly.

"Sure," Wu Chen said. She hung up, and he had just slipped his phone into his pocket when a slightly tipsy voice sounded beside him.

"Who was that?"

"It sounded like a woman."

Li Ruobing was walking arm in arm with Wu Chen beneath the trees. She had vaguely heard a woman's voice, though she couldn't make out what was said. From Wu Chen's replies, she gathered that he knew something about the caller and that the caller didn't trust him.

That did fit Wu Chen's identity as an information broker.

"What, women aren't allowed to call me?"

Wu Chen tilted his head and smiled. "Jealous?"

"Didn't I lose to you?"

"Am I not allowed to be jealous?"

Li Ruobing smiled as she spoke. A little drunk, she had a captivating charm when she smiled.

"Then why ask whether it was a woman?" Wu Chen said.

"Can't I ask?"

"Just making conversation."

"What, have you got a new job?"

"Does someone want you to keep a secret?"

Li Ruobing asked again.

"I wouldn't call it a job, but it does involve a secret."

Wu Chen smiled. "Want me to tell you?"

Li Ruobing said, "You don't seem that curious. It's not like you to want to know someone else's secret."

Wu Chen sounded taken aback. "Who says I'm not curious?"

Li Ruobing tugged his hand, turned to face him, and poked a finger against his chest. Speaking slowly, she said, "I'm very curious about you right now." The alcohol really had made her a little different.

"You want to understand me that badly?"

Wu Chen smiled. "Can't I?"

"Am I not allowed to get to know you?"

"There really is something about you that fascinates me."

Li Ruobing couldn't have put it much more plainly.

"Have you fallen in love with me?"

Wu Chen smiled and asked her outright.

"No, not that."

Li Ruobing denied it first, then added, "I just think... I have to admit, you fit what I look for in a partner rather well."

"Wow. That doesn't sound like good news."

Wu Chen's smile turned strange. "Are you putting me down on purpose again?"

Li Ruobing narrowed her eyes. "No, I'm just—"

Wu Chen never finished. Li Ruobing suddenly wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him. It was even more sudden than that night at the mouth of the alley, though this time she wasn't as forceful. She kissed him slowly, carefully, her breathing heavy. She truly didn't know how to kiss.

Wu Chen guided her and kissed her back.

And so they held each other beneath the trees beside the busy square, lingering over each other's taste.

Li Ruobing's bodyguards stopped in the distance rather than coming any closer, keeping watch from where they stood.

Some passersby noticed them, including a few young couples. They gestured toward the shade and shared quiet laughs. A gentle breeze stirred, and no one disturbed them.

No one noticed what was happening farther away.

Beside the road in the distance, a black SUV sat with its rear window open. A man with binoculars saw the couple beneath the trees. He quickly lowered the binoculars, raised a camera with a massive telephoto lens, adjusted the focus, zoomed in, and photographed them. He kept shooting for perhaps a dozen seconds, maybe longer.

At last, Li Ruobing lowered her head and pulled back, then looked up at Wu Chen again.

She pressed her lips together and asked with a smile, "Why didn't you push me away?"

"Why would I?" Wu Chen asked in return.

"You've always acted as though you don't like me and would never fall for me. You even put me down on purpose. Shouldn't you have pushed me away?"

Li Ruobing smiled languidly. "Don't you have women who are prettier and richer than me?"

"That's a different matter, isn't it?"

Wu Chen smiled. "Isn't it?"

"Then explain it. If you dislike me so much, why didn't you pull away?"

"Is that hard to explain?"

"No? Then tell me."

"You threw yourself at me. I'd be a fool to turn down a freebie."

Li Ruobing nearly choked on her breath.

For some reason, whenever Wu Chen said things like that, he made her especially angry.

"Fine. Keep pretending you don't care."

Li Ruobing made no effort to hide her displeasure. She hooked her hand around Wu Chen's arm again and strode forward. "Come on. It's time to get back to the office."

They headed back.

By the time they returned to Huancai Fashion Company, it was past four in the afternoon. Li Ruobing had more or less sobered up by the time they reached the underground parking garage; she hadn't been very drunk to begin with.

Li Ruobing had to work late that day. With the spokesperson changed, many arrangements needed to be revised, so they wouldn't be having dinner together.

Wu Chen didn't even go upstairs. With nothing else to do, he got out of Li Ruobing's car, retrieved his Lamborghini, and drove home.

Back at Villa 36 in East Sea Splendor, Wu Chen went down to the basement to exercise. The room held a full set of fitness equipment Li Ruotai had bought earlier; it was practically a gym.

Yesterday, Wu Chen had woken with his muscles aching terribly. Only a massage had made him feel better.

So today he decided to take it easier. Instead of strength training, he would do cardio—hit the punching bag and work on muscle memory. He would probably ache all over again tomorrow, but as long as he could move, that was fine.

A little after ten that night, an utterly exhausted Wu Chen fell fast asleep.

On the morning of July 11, 2020, Wu Chen woke early. He read the news for a while, spoke to Li Ruobing on the phone, and then leisurely went downstairs for breakfast.

It was after eight when he drove his Lamborghini out.

Just before nine, Wu Chen arrived on time outside Tangsha Private Club, where he had agreed to meet Su Qingying.

He called her. "I'm here." "Come straight in. I'll let the front desk know. Head to the golf course—I'm in Area C."

Su Qingying's voice was as calm and cool as it had been yesterday. She hung up as soon as she finished speaking.

Wu Chen drove into the broad parking lot in front of Tangsha Private Club.

The club was in a remote location on the northern outskirts of Donghai City. It bordered the main urban area but wasn't within it. Yet it was exceptionally luxurious, and above all, enormous.

Unlike the pleasure venues Li Ruotai ran, this place catered more to business.

In short, it was a club for the wealthy: a strikingly designed building that wasn't especially tall but covered a vast area.

Besides dining and accommodation, it offered swimming, fitness facilities, bowling, tennis, golf, and other recreational activities, along with twenty-four-hour butler service.

It was an upscale business club that admitted members only, with no walk-in guests. To use its services, you had to buy a membership.

Even the lowest-tier Gold Card cost 200,000 yuan a year, and that was just the membership fee. Everything you spent there was charged separately.

The next tier up, the Diamond Card, cost one million yuan a year, with purchases likewise charged separately.

Then there was the highest-tier Black Card. Money alone couldn't get you one; without sufficient status or an introduction, you couldn't obtain it.

Naturally, each membership tier came with different privileges.

As far as Wu Chen knew, Su Qingying had a Black Card. Black Card members could bring an unlimited number of guests to dine and spend money there, and they could use every recreational facility.

There were plenty of luxury cars in the parking lot, but the lot was so large it still felt somewhat empty.

Wu Chen found a spot, parked his Lamborghini, and went inside.

He knew his way around. He entered the lobby and headed straight for the front desk. During his thousand years of repeating days, there had been a period when he came here often.

Membership cost 200,000 yuan, and he hadn't had that much in savings at the time. But he could use his house as collateral and take out a high-interest loan. The money arrived as soon as the paperwork was done, all in less than a morning. It was fast, and the day would reset anyway, so he never had to worry about what happened after spending it.

Besides, he hadn't bought a membership every time he came to Tangsha Private Club. Plenty of times, he had simply slipped in. With the skills he had developed, it was hardly difficult. He had thoroughly enjoyed the pastimes of the wealthy here.

"Sir, your card... Is this your first visit?"

"Would you like an introduction to the facilities?"

The receptionist smiled.

She was thoroughly professional. "I'm meeting Miss Su," Wu Chen said with a smile.

"One moment, please."

She lowered her head, apparently to check for him.

"Mr. Wu?"

Just then, an attractive, poised middle-aged woman in business attire hurried over. She was the front-of-house manager at Tangsha Private Club.

"That's me."

Wu Chen turned to the manager.

"Mr. Wu, this way, please. Miss Su is waiting for you."

Manager Qin Ting promptly led the way. She didn't know who Wu Chen was, but she certainly knew Su Qingying. She couldn't be careless with a guest of Donghai City's foremost heiress. The club was so large that they walked for several minutes and then rode a sightseeing cart for another two before Wu Chen finally spotted Su Qingying in the distance.

The side of the first floor of Area C that faced the golf course was an open-air terrace garden. An awning extended outward five meters and ran a hundred meters across.

Beneath it were rows of teeing areas, each bay set apart from the next by several meters.

It was only nine in the morning, and few people were on the golf course. Wu Chen stepped off the cart and watched from afar as Su Qingying swung her club and sent a ball flying.

"Mr. Wu, Miss Su is waiting for you over there," Manager Qin Ting said.

"Thank you."

Wu Chen straightened his suit, put one hand in his pocket, and walked over.

At bay fifteen in Area C, Su Qingying wore sportswear and a sun hat. Holding a club with both arms extended, she lined up the golf ball on the teeing area, made a couple of practice motions, then swung hard. The white ball shot away.

It flew a long way.

"Not bad. You're half as good as me."

A few meters behind and to the side of Su Qingying, Wu Chen watched the ball fly off and spoke with a smile. Then he looked at her.

Su Qingying rested her club against the ground, hands clasped over its grip, and turned her head toward Wu Chen.

She had already passed through the worst of her fear and anxiety, when she had struggled most to control herself. Now she was calm, at least on the surface.

Even in sportswear and a sun hat, Su Qingying was dazzling. She had an almost ethereal beauty.

She was a few months older than Li Ruobing, yet she looked several years younger. She had a remarkably youthful air.

That was why she liked wearing her hair in large waves. Her looks and skin made her appear too young, while the curls lent her a little maturity.

"How did you find out?" Su Qingying asked calmly. Then she turned back as the ball dispenser automatically set out another ball.

After asking, she nudged the golf ball into position with her club. As before, she lined it up with a couple of practice motions, then raised the club and swung fiercely. Crack! The impact sounded sharper than her last shot.

"Does it matter how I found out?" Wu Chen smiled. "Everyone has secrets they're afraid others will learn. How those secrets come to light isn't the important part."

"Name your price," Su Qingying said.

"What price? You think I'm trying to blackmail you?"

"I won't be at ease unless you take money. Does taking it really make this blackmail?"

"I told you, you can relax. I won't tell anyone."

"And how am I supposed to believe you just because you say so? You should understand what would happen to me if that matter came out. My reputation would be ruined, my family would be disgraced, and it could even affect whether I can take over the company. If the board loses faith in me, then even with my father as the major shareholder, I..."

"My father's health is poor. He can't take another shock."

Another golf ball flew away. Su Qingying had kept playing as she spoke. Wu Chen knew she had once disliked exercise, but she had grown increasingly fond of it with age—especially golf. It let her release stress. She put everything into each swing, driving the ball at least a hundred meters. For Su Qingying, it genuinely helped.

"Are you threatening me?"

"You've deliberately made the consequences sound so dire. What kind of guarantee do you want from me?"

"If you're that worried, why didn't you bring more bodyguards today?"

Wu Chen glanced to either side, then looked back at Su Qingying.

"Bring a few more people, grab me, dig a hole, and bury me. Then I'd keep my mouth shut forever, wouldn't I?"

Su Qingying did have bodyguards nearby, though they were far away. Wu Chen had spotted two.

The golf course was wide open. No stranger could suddenly get close to Su Qingying, so her bodyguards had no need to stand right beside her.

That was why Su Qingying had arranged to meet Wu Chen here: no one could hear what the two of them said.

"I'm not Li Ruobing. Why would I do something like that?"

Su Qingying spoke.

"You're saying that about my girlfriend right in front of me. Aren't you afraid I'll get angry and let something slip?"

"I'm not lying. What do you have to be angry about?"

"You should know better than I do how Li Ruobing and her brother conduct themselves. I'm not like them."

As she spoke, Su Qingying swung her club again, preparing to hit the ball.

Suddenly, she felt someone wrap his arms around her and hold her hands still.

Wu Chen had come up behind her and embraced her. More precisely, he had reached along her arms to grip the golf club.

"That's not how you hit the ball. Stop trying to force it just to make it go farther. I'll show you."

Wu Chen spoke.

They had barely exchanged a few words at their first proper meeting, and Wu Chen had already put his hands on her.

"Wh-what are you doing? Let go!"

Su Qingying struggled in a daze.