Chapter 32: Reunion
“At ease!”
“Attention!”
“Eyes left—look.”
“Eyes front—look.”
…
The clear, loud commands echoed in his ears. Su Yu numbly followed the orders, his mind still replaying Xia Qian Ge’s smile when she had turned around.
She hadn’t given him a reason, perhaps because there wasn’t enough time. He had been dragged away from the training ground by Gu Chuan and the others, not even having a chance to say, “Long time no see.”
Later, Su Yu slowly calmed down. He had seen the deep confusion in her eyes when she turned around, as if she was equally surprised by his presence. Xia Qian Ge hadn’t known he was coming to Qingchuan.
Had she failed the gaokao? How could someone with grades that guaranteed her a spot at Jiangnan University fail? What had happened to her? There could only be one explanation. He was the only variable here, a bug in the already-written program of this game. And that bug was his rebirth.
It was like a circle, starting and ending at the same point, nothing changed.
She was still as dazzling as ever, attracting so many gazes wherever she went. Su Yu had wanted to take her hand and leave the crowd, to ask her for an explanation. But he had hesitated. Holding her hand, the first time they had been so close in this life, yet he had frozen, mistaken for a pervert.
After lining up the platoon, they barely passed inspection. The instructor shouted “dismissed,” and they were free for lunch.
The formation instantly dissolved, the training ground filled with students in camouflage uniforms, the exit crammed with people.
Su Yu was pushed aside by the crowd. Gu Chuan and the others had gone off campus to eat, but Su Yu wasn’t in the mood. He just wanted to find Xia Qian Ge and ask for a reason, but there were too many people, he couldn’t even see her shadow.
Anxiety… the stuffy air made him irritable. He wanted to escape, to break free from this crowded cage.
Suddenly, someone tugged on his shirt, a light touch accompanied by a pleasant fragrance.
Su Yu turned around, the restlessness in his eyes fading. The girl behind him tilted her head, their gazes meeting in the center of the crowd, a subtle reaction in the stuffy air.
“Did you not wear sunscreen?”
He looked at Xia Qian Ge’s flushed face, probably from the sun, and felt a pang of pity.
“I did, but it doesn’t seem to work.”
Silence. A sudden silence fell between them, spreading like spores in the stuffy air, taking root and sprouting.
“I’m hungry,” the girl suddenly said.
“Let’s go eat then.”
“Okay.”
…
“I didn’t do well on the gaokao. I could have gone to Jiangnan University, but I wouldn’t have gotten into the major I wanted.”
Su Yu’s chopsticks slipped from his grasp, the food falling onto the table. His voice trembled. “Wh-why? With your grades, that shouldn’t have happened.”
He could guess the reason for her failure. Many who missed out on Jiangnan University chose Qingchuan, which was understandable. But the reason for her failure, what was it?
“I had a fever. I had a low-grade fever for a few days before the exam.”
“A fever?”
Su Yu repeated the word, suddenly remembering the afternoon he left school, the terrifying downpour, sharing an umbrella with Xia Qian Ge, his entire left side drenched.
All the coincidences seemed fated, like an unbreakable string tying their wrists together, impossible to escape.
“Did you get a fever from getting caught in the rain that day?”
“Yeah, probably.” Xia Qian Ge nodded slightly, then quickly added, “Or maybe it was the air conditioning, or because I was too nervous. It has nothing to do with you, Su Yu.”
“Nothing to do with me…”
Su Yu looked down, his face filled with an indescribable sadness. He sighed deeply. He hadn’t heard a hint of blame in her voice. The girl was always so understanding, the smile on her lips like the warm spring sun, capable of melting a thousand years of ice.
But how could such a gentle, water-like person… change so drastically in the blink of an eye, turning into a pool of murky water, slowly creeping up his ankles, threatening to drown him?
“Of course it has nothing to do with you. Even if you hadn’t shared your umbrella with me that day, I would have gotten drenched. I might not have even made it home.”
Xia Qian Ge’s eyes were still dim. A look of deep anxiety flashed across her face, as if she really couldn’t bear to see Su Yu blame himself. “Qingchuan University is great too. The dorms are new, the classmates are nice…”
“Is that so? That’s good, that’s good. As long as you’re okay.”
Su Yu smiled along with her, but it was a forced smile. In this second life, his acting was still as bad as in his previous one. A keen observer could see through his hidden thoughts with just a glance.
And the person in front of him now… was someone who wanted to see every single detail of him. She saw through him but said nothing.
Xia Qian Ge’s delicate, almond-shaped eyes crinkled into a smile. When she smiled, faint dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was beautiful, attracting many gazes in the crowded cafeteria. Some looked at Su Yu with envy.
“That’s good. After all, it’s a coincidence that we ended up at the same university. Such a coincidence.”
“Yeah, a real coincidence.” Su Yu nodded, still absent-minded.
She saw the remorse and guilt in his eyes, but she pretended not to, her smile growing brighter, stunning the boys at the next table.
Guilt, remorse, self-blame… these were the best bait. He blamed himself, so he wouldn’t leave so easily.
In the past, she would have disdained such methods. But she was forced. She had come to Qingchuan alone, a cornered villain. Anyone who dared to touch what belonged to her would have a piece of them bitten off, leaving them bleeding.
“Are there any other classmates who came to Qingchuan?” Su Yu asked casually as he ate.
“I don’t think so. Maybe I haven’t run into them.”
Xia Qian Ge ate her food in small, delicate bites, her movements graceful like a noblewoman, a pleasure to watch.
“Only… us two?”
“Yes, only us two.”
A bright smile melted into the brilliant afternoon sun. Xia Qian Ge’s short hair, which had once been ear-length, now reached past her shoulders, just the way Su Yu liked it. The strands of her hair, growing with her wild ambition, formed a dense, lush forest, concealing the mad, perverse look in her eyes.
From now on, it will only be us two…
