Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 20

In all her years, Jin Yi had never experienced such an embarrassing moment. To describe her situation as being caught between a rock and a hard place was no exaggeration. If she lifted her head, she would face Qu Yin’s gossipy gaze. If she kept it down, she remained buried against Chu Weiran’s soft, ample chest.

She pleaded silently for someone to save her. Most importantly, Chu Weiran’s mouth was so close to her ear, and her breath was incredibly hot.

“Is it soft?”

With a sudden rush, Jin Yi’s face turned even redder. If the theater had not been dark, if she had not been huddled in Chu Weiran’s arms, and if she had not run into Qu Yin here, would she be this humiliated?

“Weiran?”

A familiar voice called out. Beside her embarrassment, Jin Yi felt a surge of shock. Earlier, she had been so focused on Qu Yin that she had not noticed who was with her. Now that she heard the voice, it sounded like Chu Weiran’s roommate.

Qu Yin had said she was on a date with an underclassman. Why was she out with Chu Weiran’s roommate instead?

It seemed Qu Yin was equally confused. She watched Jing Miaomiao speak to Chu Weiran with a look of shock. How did this girl know Chu Weiran? She even addressed her by her full name.

“Shh, keep your voice down. Let us watch the movie first,” Chu Weiran whispered.

While the other two thought nothing of it, Jin Yi was going crazy. This was the first time she realized her ears were so sensitive. She could tolerate Chu Weiran’s breathing, but she could not handle her speaking. Every word made her shudder, causing her to wrap her arms even tighter around Chu Weiran’s waist.

Once the two had passed by, Chu Weiran said mischievously, “Xiao Yi, do you like being in my arms?”

Jin Yi screamed internally.

“Are they soft?”

They were soft, but Jin Yi remained stubborn.

“They are not soft! They are quite hard!” Jin Yi muttered under her breath. She thought this would make Chu Weiran stop, but the response she got made her feel even more overwhelmed.

“That is because I like you, Xiao Yi, so my body is reacting.”

This was the truth. Chu Weiran could feel the changes in her own body. In all her life, she had never felt this way. Before this embrace, she had believed her love for Jin Yi was purely innocent and beautiful. But one simple hug taught her otherwise. That innocence only existed because Jin Yi had never been this close to her in their past life.

Just being pressed against Jin Yi made her feel as though she were melting into a pool of water. She was reaching her limit, and Jin Yi was as well. Jin Yi decided she did not care about the gossip anymore; she could not stay hidden in Chu Weiran’s arms any longer.

She sat up abruptly and fixed her eyes on the screen. She kept chanting to herself that if she did not look at them, they could not see her.

“Jin Yi?”

The voice was neither loud nor soft, but Jin Yi heard it clearly. What was destined to happen had arrived. She turned her head stiffly. Qu Yin was sitting two seats away, but she had excellent eyesight. Unlike Jin Yi, who had struggled to identify her earlier, Qu Yin had spotted her instantly.

Jin Yi decided to strike first. She pointed at the person next to Qu Yin with an exaggerated expression and sent a WeChat message: “Who is that person next to you?”

Qu Yin glanced at her phone and then returned her attention to the movie, ignoring Jin Yi for the rest of the show.

The end of the movie was the most awkward moment of all. Chu Weiran and Jing Miaomiao were relatively unfazed. Chu Weiran felt no need to hide her feelings for Jin Yi. As for the date, Qu Yin was the one who had initiated it, so Jing Miaomiao remained perfectly composed.

Jing Miaomiao even suggested to Chu Weiran, “Since it is such a coincidence, why don’t we all eat together?”

Jin Yi and Qu Yin shook their heads in perfect unison like rattling drums. Qu Yin was promptly ignored as Jing Miaomiao began checking her phone for a place to eat.

“You go enjoy your date with the underclassman. I am going out to eat with Xiao Yi alone,” Chu Weiran said.

She had only suggested a group meal to tease Jin Yi. It had been too dark in the theater to see clearly, but now she could see Jin Yi’s red ears perfectly. When she mentioned a private dinner, Jin Yi visibly relaxed. Even though Chu Weiran did not know why Jin Yi was blushing so much, she decided that blushing face was a sight only she should be allowed to see.

After the other two left, Qu Yin suddenly blurted out a question that startled Jing Miaomiao. “Are you very close with Chu Weiran?”

Qu Yin was face-blind, but her intuition was sharp. Seeing Chu Weiran had awakened certain memories. For someone with face blindness, clothing was the most important identifier. The Jing Miaomiao she had first met looked nothing like the person standing before her now. She had not felt awkward about meeting Jin Yi until she realized she had spent the whole morning bragging about dating an underclassman, only to end up with an upperclassman.

“I never actually said I was an underclassman,” Jing Miaomiao said sheepishly.

Qu Yin’s face turned green with frustration. She was not mad at Jing Miaomiao, but at herself. Jing Miaomiao was right; she had never claimed to be younger.

“Underclassman or upperclassman, it does not matter. The point is, I have fallen for you.”

Qu Yin had been looking for an excuse to leave, but Jing Miaomiao’s sudden confession stopped her. She looked into Jing Miaomiao’s eyes and saw they were very sincere. She thought about it and decided there was nothing wrong with it. She did not only like younger girls; older ones were fine too. They made peace and went off to eat together.

On the other side, Jin Yi was still in a daze. Chu Weiran led her out of the cinema and asked what she wanted to eat, but Jin Yi remained silent. Chu Weiran took the initiative and led her to a small shop. It was tucked away in an alley off the commercial street. After many twists and turns, they reached the storefront. Jin Yi stood there, feeling a sense of daze.

She had eaten here often in her past life, but she never knew Chu Weiran liked it too. It was a tiny Sichuan restaurant. Jin Yi’s favorite dish was their cold noodles.

“Boss, two orders of cold noodles,” Chu Weiran ordered before they had even sat down.

The noodles arrived quickly. Chu Weiran stirred them and said, “The cold noodles here are delicious. Hurry and eat!”

Jin Yi wanted to ask how she knew about this place, but the urge to eat took over. The noodles were spicy, very spicy just the way she liked them. In two years, they would not be this spicy anymore. People in Ling City generally did not handle spice well, and as the new shop integrated into the local palate, the recipe would eventually lose its kick. The last time Jin Yi had eaten here was the year she graduated, and she had never returned after the flavor changed. Some things simply cannot be recovered once they lose their original essence.

After taking a bite, Jin Yi looked up and saw that Chu Weiran was so affected by the spice that she was nearly in tears. She had forgotten that Chu Weiran could not handle spicy food.

“Why are you eating this if you cannot handle the heat?” Jin Yi asked seriously.

Chu Weiran saw right through her stern expression. She knew Jin Yi was just trying to act tough. If Jin Yi did not love spicy food, would she have ordered this?

“It is because you like it,” Chu Weiran said. Her tongue was so numb from the spice that her words were slurred and tinged with a slight complaint.

Jin Yi froze. Even though she had guessed the reason, hearing Chu Weiran say it out loud felt different.

Chu Weiran took another large, tearful bite. “I just want to eat everything you like with you.”

She looked quite beautiful in that moment. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear while eating was truly lovely. She was so beautiful that Jin Yi felt her heart begin to race.