Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 14

In mid-September, a biting autumn wind swept through the campus of Lingda University. Two young women walked through the night, one slightly ahead of the other.

The girl in front glanced back occasionally, while the girl following kept her head low, focused on the ground.

“Watch where you’re going.”

“Oh.”

Jin Yi’s tone was clearly distracted. A sudden flash of nameless irritation sparked in Chu Weiran’s heart, and she came to a dead stop.

Since Jin Yi wasn’t looking at the path, she naturally didn’t notice Chu Weiran had stopped. She bumped right into her. Being a bit taller than Chu Weiran, she instinctively reached out and grabbed Chu Weiran’s shoulders to steady herself.

“Why… did you stop so suddenly?” Jin Yi mumble-grumbled, her hands lingering as she didn’t know where to put them.

They were standing far too close.

Chu Weiran turned around, her expression icy and her tone sharp. “I told you to watch the road, and you didn’t.”

Even though she knew she was in the wrong for not paying attention, being snapped at like that made Jin Yi a little unhappy. She gave a small huff but didn’t argue back.

Under the dim streetlights, Chu Weiran’s gaze suddenly softened, as if the person with the cold face from a second ago hadn’t been her at all. She reached out, placed her hand on Jin Yi’s face, and coaxed her in a soft voice, “Be good~”

Jin Yi looked up sharply, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Chu Weiran.

In that moment, it felt as if they had traveled ten years back in time. Back when she wanted to play in the mud and Chu Weiran wouldn’t let her, or when she wanted to catch bugs and Chu Weiran forbade that too. She would cry and throw a tantrum, and Chu Weiran—though only three years older—would scold her like a little adult, only to come back and comfort her once the tears started.

But she was grown up now. She was even taller than Chu Weiran.

“Stop touching my face. What if someone walks by?”

The formerly soft Chu Weiran froze at that sentence.

Someone walks by? What if someone walks by?!

What was wrong with touching her own fiancée’s face? It was so soft; forget just touching it, she wanted to pinch it. So, she gave it two more pinches for good measure.

If she hadn’t experienced so much, Jin Yi wouldn’t have been able to look Chu Weiran in the eye like this. Since they were children, she knew Chu Weiran was pretty; as an adult, she was almost excessively so. She looked cold and elegant when expressionless, but incredibly flirtatious when she smiled. Her hands were soft, too.

Jin Yi suddenly felt her face grow hot. Her thoughts were becoming inappropriate. She reached up to pull Chu Weiran’s hand away and whispered, “Don’t…”

“Why did you always used to avoid me?”

Jin Yi thought of the past, and so did Chu Weiran. Aside from those happy years in early childhood, the older Jin Yi got, the more she avoided her. At first, they just stopped playing together; later, Jin Yi wouldn’t speak to her if she could help it, ignoring her even when they were face-to-face.

Chu Weiran hadn’t even dared to initiate contact. But in this new life, Jin Yi was truly different. Though she was happy, she was also confused. She couldn’t bring herself to ask: Why did you avoid me only to end up with Qin Zhaomu?

She could only ask it this way.

“I…” Jin Yi didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

The truth? She couldn’t say it. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but since learning about the things Chu Weiran had done in her past life, she was even more afraid to speak. Truthfully, she had been scared to death of Chu Weiran, especially after hearing their families wanted to arrange a betrothal between them.

They could be friends, but lovers? Chu Weiran would eat her alive.

Her face turned red from the effort before she managed to squeeze out: “I didn’t.”

She held her head high, looking like she was facing an execution. Chu Weiran looked at her and suddenly laughed. Whether she did or didn’t didn’t seem that important anymore; it was all in the past anyway. At the very least, Jin Yi was walking her home right now, wasn’t she?

“Never mind then. You make it look like I’m interrogating you.”

Chu Weiran turned and continued walking. It was getting late, and the paths were nearly deserted. After a few steps, she backed up toward Jin Yi.

“It’s so dark,” she said softly. “I’m scared~”

A shiver went through Jin Yi at the tone. She instinctively took Chu Weiran’s hand and lightly draped an arm over her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. I’m walking you back.”

She’s older than me, yet she’s such a scaredy-cat, Jin Yi thought. There was nothing Chu Weiran wasn’t afraid of.

Chu Weiran leaned into her, moving even closer. Her heart felt warm, and she decided she was overthinking things. Regardless of the past, the Jin Yi in front of her was different—she cared for her more than ever. Why obsess over old grievances? She had to hold onto Jin Yi tightly.

“Want to come up for a bit? Miaomiao is out.”

Chu Weiran’s eyes were bright with anticipation. Jin Yi hesitated, and just as she was about to agree, someone called out Chu Weiran’s name.

Both girls turned and saw Jing Miaomiao with a girl in her arms—likely a freshman, as she looked quite young. She was wearing a JK school uniform and shrinking timidly into Jing Miaomiao’s embrace. If Chu Weiran wasn’t mistaken, that uniform actually belonged to Jing Miaomiao.

Chu Weiran was long used to this side of Jing Miaomiao, but Jin Yi was quite surprised. Her impression of Jing Miaomiao was different; though they’d only met a few times, she seemed quite steady. Surprised, Jin Yi glanced at Chu Weiran and found her expression calm.

Oh. I guess I was wrong. My judgment of people really is terrible.

“Weiran, you went out for dinner with a little junior too?”

As Jing Miaomiao spoke, the girl in her arms gave her a playful punch on the shoulder, looking shy. Jin Yi felt like her brain was short-circuiting. In Jing Miaomiao’s eyes, am I just like that little freshman?!

“No, no, no! Senior, you’ve got it all wrong!” Jin Yi waved her hands frantically, desperate to change her perception.

But Jing Miaomiao’s mind wasn’t so easily changed. “It’s fine, don’t be shy. With a goddess like Weiran, you’re not the one losing out.”

Jin Yi was almost in tears, her head shaking like a rattle. “It’s really not like that!”

Realizing her explanations were useless, she looked to Chu Weiran for help, only to find her… offering no reaction at all. It was as good as a confession.

“Oh, Miaomiao, don’t misunderstand. Junior Jin was just passing by.”

Jin Yi had been waiting for an explanation, but hearing this made her feel inexplicably slighted. She was just acting all sweet and clingy a moment ago, and now I’m just ‘passing by’?