The massive pillar separated two worlds, inside and out. Yu Mo and Li Qingqing gradually walked away under the brilliant sunlight.
Meanwhile, Shen Shuyu hid in the corner untouched by sunlight, feeling as if the world was crashing down around her. She had thought Yu Mo’s help moving classrooms this morning was something she did willingly. She never imagined that, out of her sight, Yu Mo had asked Li Qingqing not to bother her with such things again. She still didn’t want any contact with her. All the surface harmony, the occasional intimacy—now it all seemed like Shen Shuyu’s own wishful thinking. Yu Mo was merely maintaining a facade of friendship, still unwilling to have excessive contact with her in private.
Shen Shuyu leaned against the cold, uneven red bricks. The chill seeped relentlessly into her thin body. She hadn’t really expected that in just this short half a year, Yu Mo could completely let go of her resentment from their last life and face this life’s Shen Shuyu with open acceptance. She had truly failed Yu Mo too many times, failed to recognize her true intentions time and time again, even in ways she herself hadn’t been aware of.
Even though it was incredibly difficult, she still held Yu Mo’s shattered heart in her hands, piece by piece, trying to put it back together with her own hands. Day and night. Yet just when she thought she had managed to piece one corner back together, Yu Mo would brush past her hand, ruthlessly and coldly smashing that piece once more. Even just by her hand sweeping past, reaching through it, making Shen Shuyu realize the mended corner was only her illusion. Looking down, it was still a floor of shattered fragments. She stood barefoot in this space, stabbed bloody by the broken pieces. She had brought this upon herself. She deserved it.
Shen Shuyu’s five fingers clenched tightly. Her nails, grown out slightly, were smooth and pure white, as if trying to embed themselves into her flesh, pinching her palm white. She wanted to use this pain to vent the helplessness in her heart. But she tragically realized she couldn’t feel a shred of pain from her palm.
The bell signaling the next class rang from the teaching building not far away, a melodious reminder for Shen Shuyu that time was up. Shen Shuyu released her tightly clenched fingers, stiffly wiping the moisture from the corners of her eyes. She knew she couldn’t stay here grieving and sorrowful any longer. She had to go back to class.
After the summer solstice, the days gradually shortened. The sun started preparing to leave during the last class of the afternoon. The final sunlight of the day was brilliantly intense, like a dying flash, stinging Shen Shuyu’s eyes the whole way. She struggled to calm the emotions in her heart and returned to class, utterly dispirited.
Grade 11 was different from Grade 10. Not all afternoon classes were self-study anymore. Even the last period, which was an unwritten self-study block in Grade 10, now had a scheduled class squeezed into the timetable. Especially since today was Monday. As the class bell rang, the biology teacher, wearing a Floral Print Dress and carrying her limited-edition designer handbag, strolled leisurely into the classroom.
Shen Shuyu absently followed the teacher’s prompt, opening her brand-new book. The freshly cut pages were exceptionally sharp; her fingertip brushed past, as if trying to slice it open. “Hiss—” Shen Shuyu reflexively retracted her nicked finger. It hadn’t drawn blood, just stung, leaving not even a mark for her.
From the podium came the “tap-tap-tap” sound of chalk striking the blackboard. The biology teacher’s small, elegant handwriting appeared on the board. A framework of the main knowledge points for this chapter was gradually written out by her. Holding her textbook, she explained the chapter’s key points using the large screen while simultaneously filling in the knowledge framework on the board. Shen Shuyu took notes according to the words on the board, but her thoughts were far, far away from the classroom.
Had Yu Mo, on that last day they were together in the bathroom in their past life, felt the same heartache Shen Shuyu felt today? Or even more pain than she felt now? She had offered her whole heart completely to another person, only to receive a cold, even disdainful, treatment in return. Just hearing that one sentence from Yu Mo today—barely a fraction of the cruelty of her own words back then—the bubble before her eyes was mercilessly popped, and she had almost rushed out to demand an explanation from Yu Mo. Let alone the Yu Mo of that time.
Shen Shuyu had once been unable to understand the look in Yu Mo’s eyes back then. Her eyes were bloodshot, an uncontainable ferocity written with despair, and the last, faintest sliver of hope. Had she already been in complete despair by then? The string, taut for eight years and inscribed with crimson love, had finally been pressed to its breaking point by her own hand under that brilliant sunlight.
Vines of self-loathing tore through Shen Shuyu’s heart, growing wildly within her.
“Shen Shuyu!” A harsh reprimand cut down from above Shen Shuyu’s head. The biology teacher was standing before her, holding her textbook, her face stern. Shen Shuyu jolted back to reality, the self-loathing in her eyes not yet tidied away. She hurriedly stood up from her seat. Although she maintained her usual calm exterior, inside was a mess of flustered embarrassment.
“Answer this question,” the biology teacher tapped a problem on the projector screen, her voice still displeased.
Shen Shuyu quickly scanned the question. Although she hadn’t been listening earlier, she rapidly determined the correct answer: “This question should be B.”
“Mm,” the biology teacher nodded, but had no intention of letting this daydreaming student off the hook. “Explain what’s wrong with options A, C, and D.”
“First, from the question stem, we learn this is a human epidermal cell, not a plant cell, so it lacks a cell wall. Option D’s premise is wrong from the start. Then we look back at A, it says…” Shen Shuyu concisely and incisively explained the error in each option.
The biology teacher nodded in approval at this, motioning for Shen Shuyu to sit down while reminding her: “Still need to pay attention in class. Don’t let your mind wander.”
Shen Shuyu nodded slightly, expressing her apology, and sat back down properly.
Though she possessed unparalleled sharpness in business, when it came to discerning emotions, she was as slow and cumbersome as an old, heavy clock. Just as she could instantly spot the flaw in every multiple-choice option, yet only today, having experienced it herself, did she understand her own glaring mistake from that day.
Shen Shuyu touched the exquisitely bound notebook in her backpack. Inside were finance-related notes she had painstakingly compiled for Yu Mo while confined to the hospital by Shen Lin for self-reflection. Originally, she had planned to give it to Yu Mo after school today.
Shen Shuyu placed the notebook on her lap and slightly turned her head, looking across the courtyard towards the Grade 11 Class A (13) classroom opposite. Sunlight fell on the corridor window glass over there, making that classroom bright. Yu Mo’s new seat was roughly similar to Shen Shuyu’s, near the corridor window. Shen Shuyu easily spotted Yu Mo. She was looking up attentively at the blackboard at the front of the classroom, her head small and round. The distance was still a bit far; Shen Shuyu couldn’t clearly see Yu Mo’s expression, but she felt she must be absorbed in concentration, just like the profile she had secretly admired during the summer.
Shen Shuyu bit the inside of her lip lightly. She wouldn’t be easily defeated. She would learn to be honest with Yu Mo, to care for her, to give her everything within her power—even bias that came at great cost. Even if she were repeatedly rejected and shattered by Yu Mo in the process of piecing this heart back together, it didn’t matter. Sooner or later, she would pull the shards embedded in the soles of her feet, use her blood as adhesive, and piece it together once more. To reawaken it.
The dismissal bell rang when the hour hand landed precisely on six. The biology teacher assigned the homework, then picked up her bag and left the classroom with light, graceful steps, bathed in the setting sun. The teachers’ workday was over, but the students, newly promoted to Grade 11, were about to face their very first evening self-study class. A few students, unaccustomed to this, packed their bags to leave, only to be stopped by their friends, causing a burst of laughter in the classroom.
Just then, Li Qingqing walked over to Shen Shuyu with a book, smiling: “Here you go.”
Shen Shuyu looked at the book placed on her desk. Its plain cover bore a few simple, bold characters. Her heart instantly plummeted. They had spoken so nicely this morning, and now she was having someone else return her book. She was just that unwilling to have too much contact with her.
The emotions Shen Shuyu had just managed to settle in class churned again. She realized that no matter how strong her mental fortifications were, Yu Mo could still easily break through them. A complete rout.
Shen Shuyu forced herself to stay calm, taking the book and asking, “You met with her?”
Li Qingqing nodded: “Yeah.”
“What did she say to you?” Shen Shuyu appeared composed, but her fingers were digging into the book’s pages. She still remembered Yu Mo’s last exchange with Li Qingqing.
Hearing Shen Shuyu ask this, Li Qingqing adopted a gossiping, complaining tone, pulling over an empty chair to sit down: “I suspect your family’s Little Fish has a screw loose in her head. I asked her why she didn’t give you the stuff personally, and she said she’s about to differentiate and needs to minimize contact with Omegas. It’s like she’s afraid that too much contact with Omegas will make her differentiate into an Omega herself! Not even the biology textbook says that. Do you think your differentiation from Alpha to Omega scared her? She even told me to stay away from her when Wei Lai and I are being lovey-dovey…”
Shen Shuyu’s eyes suddenly widened. She didn’t even finish listening to Li Qingqing before getting up and heading for the classroom door.
Li Qingqing quickly called out to her, baffled: “Hey, what are you doing?”
Shen Shuyu gripped the doorframe, turning her head back towards Li Qingqing, leaving her only with a hurried yet brilliant smile. What else could she be doing? Of course, she was going to find Yu Mo. To give her this notebook she had carefully prepared for her.
The wind in the corridor whistled past Shen Shuyu’s ears. She crossed the courtyard, heading towards Yu Mo’s class. Looking at Yu Mo’s empty seat, a tumult of emotions surged within her. First great sorrow, then great joy. So this was what it felt like to recover something lost.
Shen Shuyu clutched the notebook in her hand, laughing at herself for being such a fool. She had gone full circle, only to realize she had misunderstood because she hadn’t heard the full story.
At the doorway, a former classmate saw Shen Shuyu approaching and greeted her warmly and familiarly: “Hey, Academic Rep, you’re back?”
Shen Shuyu nodded: “Could you call Yu Mo for me?”
“Sure,” the classmate nodded, then turned towards a boisterous group at the back of the classroom and shouted, “Yu Mo! The Academic Rep is looking for you! Yu Mo!”
Shen Shuyu turned slightly, following the person’s line of sight. Everyone was wearing the same School Uniform; clustered together, it was indeed a bit hard to tell them apart. Yet Shen Shuyu found Yu Mo in a single glance. Just from a back view.
The setting sun poured into the back of the classroom. Hearing the call, Yu Mo also turned around to look towards the source of the voice. Time seemed to hit the pause button in Shen Shuyu’s eyes. Yu Mo turned her head in confusion, her long hair lifting gently. Bathed in light, she was brilliant in Shen Shuyu’s heart.
“What’s up?” Yu Mo walked up to Shen Shuyu, maintaining a slight distance.
Shen Shuyu looked at the distance Yu Mo deliberately kept. Right in front of a nearby classmate, she directly reached out and grabbed Yu Mo’s wrist: “I need to talk to you about something.”
But Yu Mo reacted as if shocked, twisting her wrist and immediately escaping Shen Shuyu’s grasp: “Didn’t I tell you before? Don’t just grab me like that.”
Shen Shuyu’s hand froze awkwardly in the air for a moment before she unnaturally pulled it back. What Li Qingqing told her was probably Yu Mo using the excuse of an upcoming differentiation to fob her off. In reality, she was still unwilling to have contact with her.
A sense of loss, mixed with unwillingness, filled Shen Shuyu’s heart. “But you can follow me, right? Is that acceptable?”
Yu Mo glanced at the notebook in Shen Shuyu’s hand, thinking she might truly have something to discuss, and nodded: “Alright.”
The corridor was full of the sounds of chasing and laughter, but the space occupied by Shen Shuyu and Yu Mo was eerily silent. Yu Mo followed behind Shen Shuyu. The golden sunlight spilling through the courtyard was divided into strips by the railing’s grating, flickering on and off Shen Shuyu’s figure. Her long hair swayed, her expression aloof and cool, a unique patch of crisp clarity amidst the intense colors.
Even with all the distance she kept in her heart, an unwarranted ripple stirred within Yu Mo. But Shen Shuyu was completely unaware of the thoughts of the person behind her. She stopped in a rarely visited corner: “Here is fine.”
Yu Mo, momentarily lost in thought, abruptly halted upon seeing Shen Shuyu stop, quickly pulling her thoughts back. “Oh, what is it?”
“These are notes for you. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, you can refer to this.” Shen Shuyu handed the notebook to Yu Mo.
Yu Mo looked at the notebook being offered. For some reason, her reaching hand hesitated to accept it. She saw the elegant small script on the cover and gently declined: “You didn’t need to go to so much trouble.”
Shen Shuyu saw the resistance in Yu Mo’s eyes, guessing she had sensed the deliberation. Hiding her painstaking effort, she fabricated a nonchalant excuse: “No trouble. They’re just some notes I took while reading before. Aunt Zhao found them a few days ago while tidying up the house.”
“Really?” Yu Mo was still skeptical.
“Really. I have a few more at home. When you get to those books later, just tell me, and I’ll bring them for you,” Shen Shuyu said, a little guilty, placing the notebook into Yu Mo’s hand to end the topic: “Take it.”
Shen Shuyu’s fingers covered the back of Yu Mo’s hand. It was just an instant, but Shen Shuyu felt Yu Mo subtly and instinctively retract her hand slightly. Such a small detail became glaringly conspicuous once Shen Shuyu noticed it.
“Thanks,” Yu Mo accepted the notebook, expressing her thanks.
Shen Shuyu’s fingers, which had brushed Yu Mo’s skin, rubbed together. She looked at Yu Mo and asked, “Why are you avoiding contact with me?”
Yu Mo froze for a second. She hadn’t expected Shen Shuyu to notice, even though she had been so careful. Through this summer, Yu Mo realized that the timing of differentiation in this life could fluctuate slightly. Shen Shuyu’s had come early; Zhou Qin and Feng Ruoyu’s were delayed. According to the timeline from her last life, Yu Mo herself was also about to differentiate. But now she wasn’t sure exactly when it would happen.
She was an S-Class Alpha. If she differentiated at home, that was fine. But if she differentiated at school, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar, especially for Omegas without any resistance to S-Class Alpha pheromones. That was why she used this reason to avoid Shen Shuyu.
Because Yu Mo realized her relationship with Shen Shuyu had recently become closer than she had anticipated. This was unacceptable, even terrible.
Yu Mo brought out the excuse she had prepared long ago: “I might differentiate into an Alpha at any time. So I want you to keep some distance from me for now.”
This reasoning was very convincing. But Shen Shuyu knew it might just be an excuse to push her away, so she countered: “What if I say no?”
Yu Mo frowned slightly. Whether it was Shen Shuyu’s usual conduct, or when she explained business cases to her, Shen Shuyu always habitually chose to avoid risk. Yet this time, when Yu Mo explained the pros and cons, she chose not to avoid it.
Shen Shuyu felt she might have been too obvious. She gently clasped her skirt and added: “But if you differentiate, I’ll run away without hesitation.”
The evening breeze gently swept into this secluded corner, blowing around Shen Shuyu, lifting her loose hair. The heavy, sweet scent of osmanthus from afar had thinned slightly by the time it reached here. Shen Shuyu’s eyes were clear and bright, her predominantly silver pupils like a tranquil pool deep in the secluded woods. A stray, golden osmanthus petal fell unintentionally into this pool, creating a ripple of sweetness.
She tiptoed in Yu Mo’s heart, slowly beginning to dance.
After a long moment, Yu Mo sighed softly, still maintaining a distant stance from Shen Shuyu. Her voice was helpless, yet carried a hint of special permission.
“…Then you better run fast.”
