Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 2

Jin Yi sat in the recliner by the window, holding a cup of warm milk in her hand as she gazed outside.

It was a twenty-seven-story building, and Jin Yi had chosen the seventh floor. When they were buying the apartment, she and Qin Zhaomu had argued over it. Qin Zhaomu wanted a higher floor the higher, the better.

At that time, Qin Zhaomu had just switched jobs to her current company and claimed that living higher would help her climb the career ladder. Jin Yi didn’t see the connection, what did the floor you lived on have to do with career advancement?

If that were the case, wouldn’t billionaires have to live in the sky?

Qin Zhaomu was left speechless by her remark. The two of them argued for a long time, but in the end, they were persuaded by the real estate agent.

“Seven up, eight down”, wasn’t the seventh floor a good choice?

After discussing it, they settled on the seventh floor, satisfying Jin Yi’s wish to avoid living too high up while also aligning with Qin Zhaomu’s desire to “climb higher.”

Jin Yi took a sip of the milk. It was warm, but her heart grew colder and colder.

If they had listened to Qin Zhaomu and bought a higher floor, would she be seeing things so clearly now?

Jin Yi looked out the window, thinking that with such heavy snow, footsteps would surely make a crunching sound, and cars would leave tire tracks behind.

And these were the tire tracks of a Mercedes-Benz.

The heavier the snow, the brighter the night became.

Coupled with the fact that the car was parked right under a streetlight, Jin Yi couldn’t help but see everything clearly.

Inside the car were a man and a woman. The woman in the passenger seat was dressed in a black professional suit, smiling as she spoke to the man. The man leaned over and kissed her, and the woman covered her face, coyly responding to his forceful kiss.

Their movements grew increasingly heated. The woman straddled the man, and the two began tearing at each other’s clothes.

They had met in college and had been in a relationship for a year.

Jin Yi had known Qin Zhaomu for almost five years and had never seen her so uninhibited.

The photos she had seen a few hours ago were already bold, but compared to the live scene, they were nothing.

From a distance, Jin Yi couldn’t see Qin Zhaomu’s expression clearly, but having seen the photos, it wasn’t hard to imagine how much she was enjoying herself, moving up and down on the man.

Jin Yi gripped her milk cup and let out a self-mocking laugh. She stood up and took one last deep look outside, the two had changed positions.

So many tricks.

Why couldn’t they just get a room instead of doing it in the car?

Jin Yi closed the curtains, not wanting to see any more. She felt nauseous again, almost vomiting up the milk she had just drunk.

Jin Yi sat in the recliner for a while longer before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

She hadn’t eaten yet.

She quickly stir-fried some peppers with pork and served herself a bowl of rice.

She didn’t make any soup or prepare any other dishes.

Sitting at the dining table, Jin Yi ate with great relish.

As she ate, she thought about how she seemed unusually calm about Qin Zhaomu’s infidelity.

When she first saw the photos, she was shocked, then disgusted and nauseated but she didn’t feel particularly sad.

Thinking about it now, wasn’t she sad?

Of course she was sad, how could she not be?

But her sadness felt somewhat irrational.

She had seen how heartbroken and hysterical people could be when cheated on.

Compared to them, her sadness felt muted, overshadowed more by disgust and nausea.

And the feeling that she had been blind.

Qin Zhaomu wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but she had a gentle, soft demeanor.

What had attracted Jin Yi the most in the beginning was Qin Zhaomu’s gentleness.

Moreover, he took care of her in every way, and soon Jinyi was drawn to Qin Zhaomu. Their relationship grew increasingly ambiguous.

Jinyi had known her sexual orientation since high school she liked gentle, sisterly types, and the gentler they were, the more she liked them.

Qin Zhaomu was three years older than Jinyi, fitting perfectly into her ideal type: a gentle older sister.

However, during their university years, their relationship remained stuck in the ambiguous stage, with neither taking the next step.

Later, after Qin Zhaomu graduated and started working while Jinyi was still in school, their contact gradually dwindled.

It was around the time Jinyi had just been admitted to graduate school when, one night, Qin Zhaomu called her while drunk.

That night, Jinyi ended up sleeping in Qin Zhaomu’s rented apartment bed. Qin Zhaomu held her hand, kissed her cheek, and asked if she would be willing to be her girlfriend.

Jinyi froze for a moment, feeling like something was missing.

But when she saw the gentle smile in Qin Zhaomu’s eyes, she agreed.

From that day on, Qin Zhaomu became Jinyi’s girlfriend.

Not long after they got together, Qin Zhaomu mentioned that she was more inclined toward a Platonic relationship, valuing spiritual connection over physical desire. Jinyi, who wasn’t particularly driven by desire herself, found this arrangement perfectly suited her.

They were in complete agreement, and from then on, the most intimate act between them became kissing each other’s cheeks.

Jinyi finished every last bit of the stir-fried pork with peppers. After washing the dishes, she returned to the recliner on the balcony.

She had always loved the feeling of sitting in a recliner and gazing out the window ever since she was a child. So, after buying her own place, the first thing she did was order a recliner identical to the one at home.

But now, the curtains were drawn, blocking her view.

Frowning, she felt a wave of irritation.

What Platonic relationship? More like she just doesn’t like women, right?

She’s been at it with that man downstairs for almost an hour.

Jinyi abruptly stood up, pulled the curtains open again, and stood by the window, staring down at the scene below.

The car was still rocking, and Qin Zhaomu was still moving.

She seemed to really like this man clinging to him, nibbling on his chin.

It looked as if she was begging him for another round.

Jinyi breathed a sigh against the windowpane, then casually began to draw on the fogged glass. Squinting and tilting her head, she acted as if she didn’t care at all about what was happening downstairs.

She was sketching a picture she used to draw often as a child, a little rabbit eating a carrot.

She hadn’t drawn it since growing up, and she didn’t know why, but now she felt the urge to draw it again.

Jinyi was so absorbed in her drawing that she didn’t notice the activity downstairs had already ended.

“Hmm… stay with me a little longer, okay?”

Qin Zhaomu’s voice was as soft as water after what had just happened. She leaned affectionately against the man’s cheek, her fingers stroking his chin.

“Stop moving. She’s calling.”

The man’s voice, in contrast to Qin Zhaomu’s, was calm and deep, showing no trace of the intense activity they had just shared.

He sounded utterly detached.

But Qin Zhaomu loved him precisely for that.

“A Yuan…”

Qin Zhaomu nuzzled against his stubble, calling his name in a coquettish tone.

She knew exactly how to reignite his interest. Just as they were about to continue, the phone rang again.

The man sighed, pushed Qin Zhaomu off him, and reached for the phone.

When Qin Zhaomu saw who was calling, a flicker of jealousy and resentment flashed in her eyes. But the moment the man looked at her, her expression shifted back to one of adoration and dependence.

She leaned down and kissed the man, then discreetly turned on the speakerphone while he wasn’t paying attention.

“Ye Yuan, why aren’t you answering your phone?” The woman’s voice on the other end sounded lazy, yet carried a hint of seriousness.

Ye Yuan swallowed, adjusting his breathing before speaking slowly, “ I’m busy with work, Ranran. Is there something you need?”

“Can’t I call you if there’s nothing going on?”

“Or are you doing something I shouldn’t know about?” To Ye Yuan, her tone sounded teasing, laced with that uniquely feminine languor.

Ye Yuan’s pupils contracted sharply. Subconsciously, he stroked Qin Zhaomu’s hair. If her voice were paired with Qin Zhaomu’s actions.

Just the thought sent a thrill rushing straight to his head.

Upstairs, Jin Yi finished sketching the scene on the windowpane and, as if unsatisfied, started drawing on paper again. She became so absorbed that she didn’t even hear the door open, only noticing when Qin Zhaomu called her name.

It turned out she had been drawing for almost an hour.

So, had those two been entangled for another hour?

“Xiao Yi? You’re back?”

Qin Zhaomu’s voice was as gentle as ever. If Jin Yi hadn’t seen the photos and witnessed the scene herself, she might have followed through with her original plan serving Qin Zhaomu soup with her own hands and sharing a meal together.

But now, Jin Yi couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Half of the drawing remained unfinished. Instead of answering Qin Zhaomu, Jin Yi continued sketching.

The drawing was simple, something she could finish in just a few minutes. Yet, as if driven by compulsion, she felt one drawing wasn’t enough and started another, unable to stop. Her mind was in chaos.

Just as she picked up her pen to begin the next drawing, Qin Zhaomu spoke again.

“Xiao Yi, why are you ignoring me?”

Sheets of drawings were spread across the coffee table, along with photos of Qin Zhaomu.

Jin Yi sat on the floor, looking up at Qin Zhaomu standing in the doorway.

The clothes she wore were slightly wrinkled, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural redness, and even the corners of her eyes carried a hint of lingering passion.

After a moment of eye contact, Qin Zhaomu sensed something was wrong and took a few steps forward. Then she saw the photos of herself.

A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure, her voice as gentle as always. “Why are you sitting on the floor?”

They were so close that Jin Yi could smell the scent of sweat and something else mingled on Qin Zhaomu’s body. The moment she caught the scent, she gagged involuntarily.

When she looked up again, her dark, bright eyes were brimming with tears, the kind brought on by the physical reaction of gagging.

Jin Yi curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Aren’t you going to explain?”

Hearing her words, Qin Zhaomu chuckled softly and sat down beside her, reaching out to brush aside the bangs covering Jin Yi’s forehead.

As Jin Yi watched her approaching hand, her mind flooded with the images from the photos. She slapped Qin Zhaomu’s hand away and stood up.

Looking down at her, she said coldly, “Qin Zhaomu, don’t touch me with your dirty hands.”

At her words, a hint of hurt flashed across Qin Zhaomu’s expression.

Using the same coquettish tone she always did with Jin Yi, she said, “Why are you being so mean to me?”

Her tone, her demeanor as if nothing had happened between them, as if they were just having a minor disagreement.

Jin Yi felt goosebumps rise all over her skin.

“Heh! Qin Zhaomu, the face you’re making now is even uglier than in the photos.”

Qin Zhaomu frowned slightly, sat on the bed, and picked up the photos, examining each one carefully. “I think they look quite nice, actually.”

Jin Yi wasn’t foolish she could tell from Qin Zhaomu’s words that she had done it deliberately, even wishing for Jin Yi to find out.

Right now, Jin Yi felt sorrow and heartbreak, but more than anything, she was furious.

She had been played for so long, and she had even changed herself bit by bit for the person standing before her. If Qin Zhaomu said she didn’t want her to smoke, she quit.

She had thought Qin Zhaomu was gentle and kind, but this face before her now was the real Qin Zhaomu.

“What did you want from me all along?”

Qin Zhaomu held the photo and smiled, turning the question back to Jin Yi: “What do you think I wanted?”

Her usually gentle voice now sent chills down Jin Yi’s spine.

She truly couldn’t figure out what Qin Zhaomu had wanted from her. Money?

If her family had still been supporting her financially, she might have believed Qin Zhaomu was after her money.

At that thought, Jin Yi gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered.

Originally, she had planned to ask Qin Zhaomu during their meal to accompany her home someday to meet her parents.

Even though her parents might not approve of their relationship, Jin Yi had been determined not to give up on Qin Zhaomu. She had been moved by her own devotion, only to find out that Qin Zhaomu had slept with another man.

And that man…

Jin Yi’s eyes reddened as she asked through clenched teeth, “Why him? Why Ye Yuan?”

Hearing Jin Yi’s question, Qin Zhaomu’s expression brightened with pleasure, the tenderness in her eyes almost overflowing.

But the more tender she seemed, the more unsettling it became.

Her gentleness was directed at the photo, but when she looked at Jin Yi, her eyes were filled with deep dissatisfaction. “Because Ye Yuan is the one I’ve loved since childhood.”

When she spoke of Ye Yuan, Qin Zhaomu’s expression was one of admiration and adoration.

Jin Yi’s hands trembled with rage. Loved since childhood?

Then what was she? And what about Chu Weiran?

She opened her mouth to question Qin Zhaomu, but before she could speak, Qin Zhaomu spoke first: “Jin Yi, you really are wonderful. This past year with you, you’ve been so obedient and compliant, always listening to whatever I said.”

“If it weren’t for Ye Yuan, I might have truly fallen for you.”

The more Qin Zhaomu spoke like this, the more Jin Yi felt like a fool. All that talk about platonic love and not liking intimacy, it was all nonsense. The truth was, she only wanted to be intimate with Ye Yuan.

“If you’ve always loved Ye Yuan, then why did you get together with me?”

Qin Zhaomu’s eyes curved into a smile as she replied, “Because she took the one, I loved, so I wanted to make the one she loves suffer too.”