Chapter 4: Rebirth
A piercing, bone-deep pain…
The agony spread along his nerves to his brain, every muscle spasming.
Su Yu clutched his heart, his left hand instinctively clenching into a fist. The intense throbbing pain in his chest assaulted his nerves, his face contorted in agony.
“Gasp… gasp…”
The pain suddenly receded like a tide. Su Yu breathed heavily, pulling open his collar. There was nothing there, no wound, no blood, only the lingering image in his mind of the girl’s madness-filled face.
“Xia Qian Ge.”
Su Yu slowly uttered the familiar name. He looked around. Everything was familiar. On the contrary, he knew every detail of this room, every insignificant arrangement. From birth until his high school graduation at eighteen, he had lived in this room.
He held his old, outdated phone in his hand, scrolling down the notification bar. The date displayed was during his senior year of high school, the time he had created a miracle.
He was reborn, reborn in his senior year. It all felt like a dream, but the reality was, he hadn’t died… he was alive again, starting from his senior year.
Wait… today is the 5th?
Su Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He closed the notification bar. The screen showed a chat interface. The contact’s name was just two words: Qian Ge.
There was a long message in the chat, sent by him, just a moment ago. While he was gripping his phone in pain, he had accidentally sent the message he had typed in the chatbox.
“Qian Ge, I’ve been thinking for a long time, and I have something important to tell you today. Actually, I’ve liked you for a long time, since the first time I saw you. This is not just a whim. My love for you is like…”
A cheesy love letter? He wrote that?
Su Yu finished reading the message, his bare toes digging into the floor, unable to alleviate the urge to smash his phone. Was he really this cringey before?
There was still a chance to fix this. Su Yu frantically long-pressed the message, but the pop-up menu didn’t have the option he needed… retract. Too much time had passed.
Yes, he was reborn, awkwardly reborn the moment before he confessed to Xia Qian Ge.
He was in his senior year now. According to the timeline, he had had a crush on Xia Qian Ge for two years and had confessed to her today. This was his first confession, he was no longer content to be just a pawn but had launched his attack.
Su Yu knew the outcome. Xia Qian Ge had rejected him. He had failed, miserably.
So, the result probably wouldn’t change this time either. Xia Qian Ge would reject him, then he, unwilling to give up, would get into the same university as her and pursue her for another year, finally getting together with her during his freshman year.
But this confession wasn’t entirely pointless. After they got together, Xia Qian Ge had told Su Yu that his high school confession was the key to her later agreeing to be with him.
So, if he followed the timeline, even if he failed now, Su Yu could still win Xia Qian Ge’s favor in college. They would be together, become boyfriend and girlfriend.
And then… repeat the same mistakes.
Su Yu and Xia Qian Ge’s personalities were too different. Xia Qian Ge had been outstanding since high school. She never stopped, always moving forward, so far ahead that even with all his efforts, Su Yu could only see her back.
Su Yu, on the other hand, was someone who went with the flow. He could fight for someone he liked, but he couldn’t chase Xia Qian Ge’s footsteps for a lifetime. It was too tiring, he… couldn’t do it.
“Sorry, I was just playing truth or dare with my classmates. I lost and had to confess to a girl in my contacts. I accidentally chose you.”
Su Yu’s finger hovered over the send button. He hesitated for a long time, then finally pressed it.
He slammed his phone on the table, afraid… afraid he would regret it. This time, he would personally let her go.
“Ding-dong.”
Su Yu turned his head. The doorbell rang.
He rushed to the door, opened it, and froze, staring at the girl outside.
“Hey… what are you looking at? My parents are calling you over for dinner.”
The girl was a little uncomfortable under Su Yu’s gaze. She crossed her arms, looking at him warily.
“He Mu Qing…”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly calling me by my full name? And that look, are you on drugs today?” He Mu Qing furrowed her pretty brows, reaching out to touch Su Yu’s forehead, her small, white hand soft to the touch. “Did you catch a cold from the AC in this summer heat? You have college entrance exams coming up.”
“I’m fine…” Su Yu subconsciously grasped He Mu Qing’s outstretched arm. “It’s… good to see you.”
“Su Yu, what are you doing?!” He Mu Qing was startled, she pulled away, her eyes almost spitting fire.
“I know you’re stressed about the exams, but you can’t… you can’t…” He Mu Qing blushed, her voice getting quieter, almost a murmur. “You can’t be a pervert.”
“No, I just…” Su Yu realized his actions were inappropriate. He opened his mouth to explain.
“Okay, okay, I won’t tell my mom. Hurry up and come eat, the food’s getting cold.”
He Mu Qing turned and went back inside. Her family lived upstairs from Su Yu.
Su Yu was speechless. He was indeed a bit agitated. He was reborn, and He Mu Qing was the first familiar person he had encountered. They were childhood friends. He was one year old when He Mu Qing was born, a year younger than him.
Su Yu came from a single-parent family. His parents were divorced, and he lived with his dad, an old geezer he rarely saw. But fortunately… his living expenses were still deposited into his account every month. The old man always complained about being busy with work, but Su Yu knew that while work was indeed busy, it wouldn’t leave no time for family. However, Su Yu didn’t care where the old man went for his fun. According to the timeline, in less than a year, the old man would probably bring him a stepmother.
Su Yu looked up, watching He Mu Qing’s retreating figure, the slender calves beneath her snow-white dress forming attractive curves, and… the faintly visible little bear pattern.
“Su Yu, where are you looking?”
The girl’s annoyed shout interrupted Su Yu’s appreciation of beauty. He quickly turned around, explaining, “I didn’t see anything. Anyway, it’s always the same patterns since we were kids, either strawberries or little bears. No originality at all.”
“Haha.” He Mu Qing was momentarily amused by his anger. She smoothed her dress, eliminating any possible peeking angles. “Su Yu, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. You’re becoming more and more of a pervert, a real pervert! You disgusting rogue! Go to hell!”
Su Yu looked at the blush on He Mu Qing’s earlobes beneath her hair and couldn’t help but smile, a genuinely happy smile. The girl’s insults gave him a sense of reality. He, Su Yu… was truly reborn.
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