Titanic: Parallel World

In the cinema, there were pairs and groups of people everywhere, only Shen Rui was alone. She held a pile of junk food in her hands and quickly found her seat, waiting for the movie to start. To her left sat a couple who looked like middle school students, with their school bags placed aside. They gave her an impatient glare as she stepped over them. Before the lights even dimmed, they were already kissing passionately, making smacking sounds as if they were gnawing on chicken bones. This made Shen Rui feel too embarrassed to eat her original recipe chicken, as it might disturb their mood. She awkwardly turned her head away. Although she was considered an old auntie in the eyes of these kids, she had never been in a real relationship. Seeing a live passionate kiss was a bit overwhelming for her. Fortunately, the movie started soon. Shen Rui chose this state-owned cinema not only because it was cheap but also because they didn’t show ads before the movie. Although this time it was only a 3D movie about an iceberg collision, she was still very much looking forward to it. Shen Rui had first watched this movie fifteen years ago when she was just in middle school. Back then, she didn’t understand anything about love or romance. She was just excited to watch a foreign blockbuster for the first time, never having seen such luxurious decorations and beautiful gowns before. And there was the incredibly handsome and devoted male lead, Jack. Shen Rui secretly sighed in her heart. If the man from her recent blind date had been even half satisfactory, she wouldn’t be sitting here alone now. She silently took out a bottle of water from her bag, opened it, and took a sip. Once a person is reduced to going on blind dates, all their past merits are forgotten by their family. Moreover, Shen Rui had always been very ordinary—average looks, average talents, the kind of person who wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. At her current age, marrying a good man had become her mother’s biggest worry, who constantly nagged her to go on blind dates and get married quickly. By the time she finished watching this movie and got home, it would already be nine o’clock. At least this time she could fool her mother. Shen Rui rolled her eyes. Even when picking cabbages at the market, one would choose a decent-looking one, let alone a person. She sighed again, borrowing a popular phrase: Jack and Rose had given her fifteen years, yet she still came alone. The lingering theme song began, and Shen Rui gathered her thoughts, immersing herself in the movie. No matter how miserable she was, there were always people worse off than her. Having been on numerous blind dates, Shen Rui silently complained in her heart: if lovers cannot stay together, it’s better not to have met at all. The smacking sounds still wouldn’t stop. Shen Rui got angry, opened her plastic bag deliberately making a lot of noise, and after rummaging for a while, she took out her original recipe chicken. While they were kissing, she gnawed on her chicken. As she looked up, she caught sight of the face of the unfortunate second male lead. In the past, she only knew that Jack was handsome, but now it was clear that this second male lead had more masculine charm. She unconsciously swallowed; he was the typical tall, handsome, and rich type. Shen Rui’s mind wandered as she watched this movie that had once deeply moved her. She stared blankly at the screen, unconsciously gnawing on her chicken, moving from the breast to the wings, the plastic bag rustling incessantly in her hands. The young couple beside her glared at her several times, but she didn’t respond. If she had to be picked and chosen like a cabbage—judged for her looks, then her height, then her family background, then her education, then her job, and finally her personality—she might as well have listened to her parents’ arrangements back then. She took a big bite of the chicken, ready to swallow it without chewing, but accidentally choked. Shen Rui frantically searched her bag for her mineral water. Suddenly, the boy next to her stood up and bumped into her hard. The water bottle slipped from her hand and rolled away somewhere. Shen Rui fell to the side, the piece of chicken stuck in her throat, neither going down nor coming up. Choking, she could only roll her eyes. Before she could even utter a word for help, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the chair. ——————————————————————————————————"Is the lady awake?" "Not yet, sir. I gave her some wine as you instructed." Shen Rui heard these words in a daze. She lifted her hand to rub her eyes. The room was dim. Had she been taken to the hospital? How embarrassing! She had choked on chicken nuggets while watching a movie. She moved her body, trying to turn over, but then she realized something was wrong. Which hospital would have such a soft bed? Shen Rui had never slept on such a soft bed before. She opened her eyes, not caring if she would embarrass herself in front of the nurses. Her eyes slowly adapted to the dim light in the room, and she found herself lying on a four-poster bed with oil paintings on the ceiling. Her heart skipped a beat. She scrambled out of bed using both hands and feet, looking for the light switch. As she turned around, she saw a foreign woman standing in the mirror. She was startled and stepped back, bumping into the bedpost. The door suddenly opened, and a tall man stood at the bedroom doorway, his face obscured by the light behind him. Shen Rui instinctively took two steps back and sat down on the bed. "You're awake. Why didn't you say something?" Carl looked at his fiancée, who had been causing him trouble since their engagement. He turned on the wall lamp in the room. In the soft light, she was sitting on the edge of the bed in her nightgown, barefoot, with an innocent expression like a naive little girl. But it was this little girl who had embarrassed him in front of Esme. Carl took a deep breath and tried to soften his expression. He walked over and stood in front of Shen Rui, asking, "What exactly happened on the deck? Did that Jack Dawson really not do anything to you?" Shen Rui was terrified. She didn't know how to react. She swallowed her saliva, and her stomach suddenly growled. Carl frowned, rang the bell, and footsteps stopped at the doorway. Carl said, "The lady is hungry. Prepare some food." Shen Rui heard a response from outside the door. She jumped onto the bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and stared at Carl with wide eyes. Her mind was in a mess. Was she Rose now? Was she on a ship that could sink at any moment? Shen Rui opened her mouth but quickly closed it again. Her spoken English was poor. She thought of the technical posts about time travel she had read online in the past. Don't ask her why she had such posts. No technique could make it happen. Now, she could only bitterly smile. If she spoke Chinese, would Carl throw her out into the sea? She closely watched Carl's every move, guarding against him as if he were a ferocious beast that would bite. This misunderstanding made Carl even more frustrated. He opened his cigarette case, took out a cigarette, and lit it. The atmosphere was too awkward. The taste of tobacco relaxed him, but Shen Rui was choking. She coughed, noticed Carl looking at her, and immediately stopped, pulling the blanket up to cover her mouth. Carl put out his cigarette. He took a frustrated step forward. When she was disobedient, he wanted her to be obedient, but now that she was acting like this, he felt that her previous actions of resisting him were not so bad. The maid soon brought in the food. Shen Rui looked at the steaming soup and swallowed her saliva, but she remained seated on the bed, motionless. The maid glanced at Carl, and he nodded. The small table was placed on the bed. Shen Rui's eyes widened. She could eat in bed? But she didn't have time to ponder further as her stomach couldn't wait. This time, even though Shen Rui was hungry, she ate slowly, chewing carefully. She didn't want to choke on the food again. The maid stood by her side, cutting the beef into small pieces. Shen Rui was not used to being served like this and blushed, feeling uncomfortable. Carl waved the maid away, and she bowed and left the room. After she left, Carl walked over. With the dining table in front of her, Shen Rui couldn't move or hide. She watched helplessly as Carl picked up the knife and fork, cut a piece of beef, and brought it to her lips. Shen Rui was stunned and*** opened her mouth to eat it. Carl smiled at her and said in a child-like tone, "If you're always this obedient, I won't have so many worries." She understood but didn't know how to respond. She could only nod continuously. She would be obedient, very obedient, until the ship sank. After all, as a woman, she could get on the lifeboat first. Carl handed her the soup and watched her lower her head to drink it. His gaze darkened. What had that Dawson done to his fiancée? She looked like a frightened lamb ready for s*******r. Shen Rui drank half a bowl of soup and ate a croissant. She felt satisfied when her stomach was full. She had planned to think carefully about her current situation after eating, but the reality was that she was full but sleepy. This body was very tired. Shen Rui recalled the scenes from the movie. It should be that Rose tried to commit suicide but was pulled back by Jack, and then Carl, who arrived later, thought he was a villain. That meant there were still more than two days before the ship sank. Shen Rui stared at Carl, hoping he would understand that she wanted to sleep and leave on his own. But Carl didn't seem to notice. He sat at the head of the bed, gazing intently at Shen Rui, or rather, at Rose. The expression on this woman's face had completely changed. Although she occasionally looked confused in the past, it was never as obvious as today. Her past confusion was because she wanted to leave him but didn't know where to go, while today's confusion seemed to stem from not knowing where she was at all. Carl examined Rose's face carefully. She was indeed beautiful. He reached out and touched her face without caring about her stiffness. It was because of this appearance that he had noticed her at the horse race. Even though he knew it was just a trick played by Mrs. Calvert, he still approached her. Rose was not like her mother. She had not been tainted by the world, and her eyes were as pure as a pool of water. Carl immediately knew that this was the woman he wanted to marry. He had countless wealth