Chapter 107: Impulse
“Sir, your lemonade and milk tea are ready. Sir?”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Su Yu snapped back to reality and took the drinks. “Thank you.”
He walked out of the milk tea shop he had finally found, standing numbly in the desolate autumn wind at the intersection, dazed, not knowing which foot to take next, as if he had forgotten the way back.
The girl’s clear, bright eyes were still etched in his memory. He had clearly seen his own reflection in them, his flustered and helpless appearance making him feel a deep sense of regret.
The rich fragrance of gardenias on her body touched his senses. The fair skin peeking through her hair was as delicate as if it would break with a single touch, her skin, as sweet as cream, exuding a seductive scent at all times.
He felt a numbing itch welling up inside him, as if someone were repeatedly rubbing a soft cotton swab on his heart. The girl seemed to have grasped all his weaknesses, stirring up an inexplicable impulse within him.
That final, fleeting charm was like a loaded gun pressed against his chest. In an instant, the gun fired, the hot muzzle spewing smoke, his chest a bloody mess. In that moment… he had almost uttered the words he had locked away in a cage.
He had held back… even with the excruciating pain of his heart being pierced. He had held back from telling the girl that she was so beautiful, from telling her that he really, really liked her. He had liked her in his previous life, and he couldn’t forget her in this one. In another world, they had been together. They had shared a bed, celebrated each other’s birthdays, and had gone to the amusement park together, just like today.
He craved… and even had a possessive desire for her.
But the strong psychological barrier he had built over a long time made him instinctively and strongly reject this thought. And having to face this conflicting sense of urgency left him bewildered and helpless. A deep-rooted thought made him want to escape, not to stay and let the girl be tainted by madness again. Yet, a whisper in his ear told him that the meaning of rebirth was to prevent a tragedy from happening twice. He should change his own destiny, just as he had changed the destiny of others.
The conflicting ideas clashed like fire and water, waging a fierce battle in his heart. The violent collision erupted with immense force, almost tearing his mind apart.
Su Yu didn’t know how he got back. He walked very slowly, completely unsure of how to face the girl’s smile again. This hesitation was like a sharp knife stuck in his heart, impossible to pull out.
The rest area where Xia Qian Ge was waiting was just ahead. He could see the balloons tied to the awnings, fluttering in the wind, from a distance.
“Qian Ge…”
The words got stuck in his throat before he could say them. Su Yu’s mouth was agape. He looked at the boy who had appeared beside Xia Qian Ge. He was holding a phone and saying something to her. The girl seemed to want to refuse, but the boy still didn’t leave, even seeming to be a bit persistent.
Su Yu saw the boy’s hand on Xia Qian Ge’s shoulder, and a ripple of sourness and displeasure rose in his heart. He didn’t know what had come over him. It was as if a fire was burning his reason, making his body uncontrollably rush towards the girl.
…
“Come on, let’s get to know each other, miss. I see you’re alone.”
“I’m not alone.” Xia Qian Ge lowered her eyes, not very interested in the boy’s advances. She politely refused, not wanting him to disturb her rare good mood. “I don’t add strangers.”
The boy was persistent. He had been watching the girl sitting here alone for a long time. The girl’s pretty face really made his heart itch. “Hey, just getting to know each other. Are we still strangers after talking for so long?”
The boy reached out to put his hand on Xia Qian Ge’s shoulder to test her bottom line, but just as his fingers touched the girl’s clothes, his wrist was grabbed. He turned around impatiently and looked at the boy staring at him, a strange panic in his heart. He said angrily, “Who are you? Even in this kind of thing, there’s a first-come, first-served rule.”
“I know her. And you?” Su Yu flung the boy’s hand away. He was half a head taller than the boy, and he looked down at him.
“Hah… then tell me who you are to her. Are you a simp? Are you in a hurry? Aren’t we all the same?” The boy sneered, feeling a bit embarrassed and unwilling to leave.
Su Yu felt the warmth behind him. The girl seemed to be hiding behind him obediently, her slender, white hand holding onto the corner of his shirt, swaying slightly. The sour ripple in his heart instantly turned into a monstrous wave, crashing down. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had acted on impulse.
“I’m her boyfriend. Can you leave now?”
He suddenly pressed forward, and the boy was forced to stumble back. His face was flushed red, and he stared at Su Yu with resentment, sneering a few times. “Hmph, I hope this girl also knows she’s your girlfriend.”
Su Yu’s face suddenly changed, not because of the boy’s sarcasm. He felt the soft touch of an arm wrapped around his, the girl’s rich gardenia fragrance swirling around him, as if pulling at his nerves. It was like being on a cake covered in cream and honey. He felt as if he had fallen into the soft pores of the cake, able to clearly feel the cream and honey sliding over his skin, leaving a sweet and smooth touch, as if he had fallen into a beautiful dream.
When he came back to his senses, the boy was gone. The girl was holding his arm, playfully sticking out her tongue at the boy’s pathetic retreating figure, making his heart pound.
“Thank you. Otherwise, I would have been harassed. I really hate this kind of guy. It’s the same at school.”
“Forget it. I’m much better now. See?” Xia Qian Ge let go of Su Yu’s stiff body and jumped to the side, smiling brightly at him, as if she had completely recovered.
“That’s good… that’s good. As long as you’re not dizzy.”
Su Yu stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say. He really thought Xia Qian Ge was his kryptonite. Even in a second life, he would still be so nervous because of the girl.
“Oh, your milk tea.”
He suddenly remembered the weight in his hand and handed the milk tea he had bought to Xia Qian Ge.
“Milk tea?” Xia Qian Ge’s eyes widened as she looked at the drink in Su Yu’s hand. She glanced at him, her tone carrying a hint of playful reproach, with a touch of coquettishness. “Is this really for me?”
“Hmm? I… I’m sorry.”
Su Yu looked at the lemonade he had given to Xia Qian Ge in confusion and quickly handed her the milk tea that was still in his hand. “The lemonade is mine. This… this is yours.”
“What’s wrong with you? You’re even more out of it than I am.”
Xia Qian Ge stood on her tiptoes, wanting to get a closer look at the boy. In Su Yu’s eyes, the girl’s delicate, furrowed brows gradually enlarged. Her warm hand landed on Su Yu’s forehead. The girl didn’t seem to mind the sweat on his forehead at all and tilted her head, murmuring in confusion.
“Huh? You don’t have a fever. But why do you seem so clumsy today, Su Yu?”
Su Yu’s mouth was agape. He didn’t answer, just stared blankly at the girl’s innocent and romantic expression, her soft and fragile appearance making him want to crush her in his heart, just like the answer that had long been etched in his heart.
