Chapter 183: Forgotten Times
Time flew by, faster than one realized, the slow, monotonous days blurring into weeks, then months, the past receding into a distant memory.
Ye Zhiyun, focused on her studies, had finally embraced her role as a senior student, her preparations for the gaokao earnest, though with her academic abilities, she could easily get into a good university without much effort. She wasn’t aiming for the top universities like Tsinghua or Peking University; she simply wanted to do her best.
Regarding her university applications, she had a clear plan: to stay in Guangnan City, the place she wanted to be.
“I heard from your father that you want to stay in the country. What are you thinking, my dear daughter?” her mother asked during their phone call, clearly surprised by her decision. She had expected her daughter to aim for a prestigious university in the capital, at least.
“It doesn’t matter where I study. I can manage my studio from anywhere, and I have my father’s… resources. I’m staying here to… experience life.”
“That’s what you say, but… aren’t you considering Stanford?”
“No, I’m staying in the country.”
Li Xiaoyue was puzzled. This wasn’t like her daughter, who had always been ambitious, driven, almost to the point of obsession, like Li Xiaoyue herself in her youth, prioritizing her career above all else, even straining her relationship with her family. Ye Zhiyun’s personality mirrored her own younger self: achieving success, then becoming arrogant, intolerant of failure.
It seemed she had been wrong about her daughter. She was quite… well-behaved now.
And her decision to stay in Guangnan City, claiming it was to “experience life,” suggested her priorities had shifted, her focus no longer solely on worldly success.
“Zhiyun, are you… interested in someone?”
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“I know you well. You must have your eye on someone, someone who has captured your interest, someone worth… settling down for. Am I right?”
“…Haven’t you quit drinking?”
“Get lost! I quit years ago! And Zhiyun, you’re just like your mother when she was young. Once you’re interested in something, you’re relentless. That’s who you are.”
Li Xiaoyue knew her daughter well. Without a significant reason, Ye Zhiyun wouldn’t choose to stay in Guangnan City.
“Anyway, I have to study now. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, take care of yourself.”
Ending the call, Ye Zhiyun was puzzled by her mother’s questions.
Time flew by, the gaokao less than a month away. Yu Linna, fully immersed in her studies, had abandoned her social media accounts, her computer games, and even her writing, attending every evening self-study session, returning home at 10:30 PM, a model student, her life devoid of distractions.
Fang Jiangning, inspired by her dedication, had also entered full-on study mode, her video uploads and livestreams suspended, a hiatus announcement on her Bilibili channel infuriating her fans.
Yu Linna hadn’t decided on a specific university yet, but she planned to stay in Guangnan City.
Though a local student, attending a local university wasn’t easy; the admission requirements were high, even higher than other cities. Even with the national standardized test, securing a place at a Guangnan City university was a challenge.
One day after school, Yu Linna and Ye Zhiyun walked home together, a rare occurrence. Ye Zhiyun had come to her school, wanting to have dinner with her, having missed their shared meals.
She even invited Yu Linna to her apartment for dinner and an overnight stay, a throwback to their time living together, an offer Yu Linna readily accepted, packing her school bag with a change of clothes and her study materials. Fang Jiangning, though wanting to join them, had a family emergency and couldn’t make it.
Seeing them together, their shared glances, the warmth in Ye Zhiyun’s eyes, Fang Jiangning felt a strange pang of… something…
Even for girls, their closeness seemed… unusual.
I’m probably overthinking it, she thought.
“Nana, it’s been a while since you’ve had dinner at my place. What are you in the mood for?”
“Let’s see… soup is essential, vegetables are a must, and of course, meat is the main course.”
They chatted as they shopped for groceries, their easy banter a familiar comfort. They used to do this together when Yu Linna lived with her, Ye Zhiyun, though not participating in the cooking, offering her opinions on the ingredients.
“I’m planning to go abroad for a while during the summer break.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’ll finalize my university applications before I leave, and then we can hang out.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You’ll be working during the summer break, right?”
Yu Linna’s silence at her question made Ye Zhiyun smile; she already knew the answer.
“Be honest, how do you feel about your current life?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you… happy?”
“…Yes, I’m happy.”
Compared to her past struggles, her life now was a dream come true. She had savings, royalties, income from her illustrations, could afford delicious food, fun activities, and even new clothes. She no longer had to worry about survival.
Though she still didn’t own a home, living in a rented apartment, it didn’t diminish her happiness.
“And how do you feel about… your past?”
Her past?
For Yu Linna, it wasn’t a pleasant memory, filled with hardship, sadness, and even despair, culminating in her near-suicide at the train station. It was a past she preferred to forget.
But meeting Ye Zhiyun had changed everything.
“The past is the past. It doesn’t define my future. That’s how I feel.”
Yes, the past couldn’t be changed; it was simply a stepping stone to the future.
Nangong Ying’s betrayal had been a turning point, a deep wound that had changed her, perhaps even making her more like Nangong Ying, learning to compromise, to be more calculating.
The past didn’t matter; what mattered was the future.
But whether the future held happiness or sorrow… who could say?
“Does that mean… you’ve let go?”
“Yes, you could say that.”
“Including… her?”
The “her” Ye Zhiyun referred to was clearly Nangong Ying, the one who had betrayed Yu Linna, pushing her to the brink of despair.
The reason for her emotional withdrawal.
“Heh.”
Yu Linna chuckled.
Her past with Nangong Ying… it was just… that… the past. Their happy memories, lost in the river of time, irretrievable.
All those shared meals, all those ice cream cones… and yet, it hadn’t been enough, Nangong Ying choosing her dream over their friendship.
Her dream… it had been so easily discarded.
Since Nangong Ying could abandon her for her dream, why should Yu Linna cling to the past?
“I don’t know her.”
That was her answer.
Since they were no longer friends, they were strangers.
“Nana, no matter what happens, I’ll be there for you. I won’t become her, and I could never be her.”
Ye Zhiyun’s words, however, couldn’t reach Yu Linna’s heart, which had closed itself off, unwilling to trust, unwilling to be vulnerable.
The only person she could truly rely on was herself.
It was an immutable truth.
At least, that was what she believed.
“Mmm-hmm.”
She nodded, seemingly agreeing, but her heart remained guarded, her trust broken, knowing that true reliance could only be found within herself.
That was why she was determined to repay the seventy-eight million yuan she owed Ye Zhiyun.
Meanwhile, at the Nangong residence, Nangong Ying, also preparing for the gaokao, was struggling to focus…
She sat in her chair, staring at the ceiling, her gaze distant, lost in thought.
The memory of her recent encounter with Yu Linna brought a pang of guilt, a deep ache in her heart. Though she knew she was at fault, Yu Linna’s words still stung.
It was her choice; she had chosen her dream, her ambition, and she had to bear the consequences.
“Linna…”
She recalled their past, their shared laughter, the forgotten times.
How important that person had been to her…
Her feelings for Yu Linna had been more than just friendship.
The realization came too late.
She had sworn to protect Yu Linna, yet she had betrayed her, pushing her into the abyss, inflicting a deep wound, a responsibility she couldn’t escape.
She didn’t want to deny it, didn’t want to run away, but the guilt was overwhelming.
“Linna…”
Though she knew she had no right, she had still sought Yu Linna out, her selfishness evident.
Having abandoned her for her dream, now, consumed by loneliness, she wanted her back. She was truly selfish.
The pain was unbearable.
“I miss you so much…”
She hugged her knees, burying her face in them.
She remembered their promises, their laughter, their hands clasped together in the sunlight. Yu Linna, though poor, often hungry, had been happy with her, and Nangong Ying, too, had found joy in her company.
Yu Linna had been her best friend, her closest confidante.
Now, it was all gone.
The forgotten times, irretrievable, just like the past Huo Ningning longed for, lost forever.
No matter how much she yearned for it, she couldn’t go back.
Nangong Ying’s heart ached, a longing for those carefree days, a time of innocence and joy…
But it was impossible. Her decision had sealed their fate.
