Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 22.1

On the day before the National Day holiday, Jin Yi received a call from her mother, Jiang Qiong.

“Xiao Yi, your father and I have invited.”

“I know.”

“You know already? Did Weiran tell you?” Jiang Qiong’s voice sounded surprised and quite loud.

The volume made Jin Yi’s ears ache, so she moved the phone away. She didn’t even need to turn on the speakerphone to hear her mother clearly. There were no classes this afternoon, and Qu Yin was out on a date with Jing Miaomiao, so Jin Yi was alone in the dorm. Otherwise, she definitely would have taken the call outside.

Jiang Qiong, completely unaware of how loud she was being, continued to ramble.

“Xiao Yi, when Weiran said she would look after you, I was actually a bit worried you would refuse. I didn’t expect the two of you to be on such good terms now.”

See, she really is my biological mother, Jin Yi thought. She knew I would want to say no.

Jin Yi curled her lip. She had indeed wanted to refuse, but Chu Weiran hadn’t given her the chance. Before she could even say the word, Chu Weiran’s eyes had turned red. Looking utterly aggrieved, she had grabbed Jin Yi’s hand and refused to let go, saying with a sob, “Actually, I’m the one who is scared. I only said I would look after you to save face.”

If Chu Weiran had been forceful, Jin Yi would have stood her ground. But faced with such a delicate, fragile display, she truly didn’t know how to say no. So, she agreed. Now, however, she regretted it immensely. No, she had regretted it the very moment she said yes. The second she agreed, Chu Weiran’s expression changed instantly, her large eyes crinkling with joy.

“Hello? Xiao Yi? Are you listening?” Jiang Qiong’s booming voice roared again.

Jin Yi snapped back to reality and gave a weary reply. “I’m listening.”

“Oh, good. You must be well-behaved. You aren’t allowed to bully Weiran.”

Me, bully Chu Weiran? It was more like Chu Weiran was the one bullying her.

Thinking about this made Jin Yi annoyed. Since they were children, Chu Weiran was always the “good child” in their parents’ eyes, while Jin Yi was the troublemaker. When Chu Weiran bullied her, Chu Weiran was the one who cried first. When Jin Yi tried to stand up for Chu Weiran, Jin Yi was the one who got scolded at home. It was so irritating.

“I won’t bully your precious goddaughter, so don’t you worry!”

Click. She pressed the red button, and the world finally went quiet. Jin Yi looked at her phone and gave a silent laugh. She wondered why her mother was so obsessed with the idea of her and Chu Weiran being together. It was impossible. She didn’t want to be bullied for the rest of her life.

After hanging up, Jin Yi ordered some takeout and began packing her bags. Just as she pulled out her suitcase, her phone rang again. She thought it would be Qu Yin, but it was her mother once more.

“Xiao Yi, I forgot to tell you. Your father and I will pick up you and Weiran tomorrow.” The voice message was deafening.

Jin Yi replied with a simple “okay” and went back to packing. Halfway through, WeChat chimed again. This time it was Qu Yin.

“Xiao Yi, sorry! Miaomiao canceled her afternoon plans for me, so we’re going to play a murder mystery game.”

“Okay.” Women in love are truly heartless, Jin Yi thought.

At 9:00 PM, after washing up, Jin Yi hesitated before sending Qu Yin a message to ask if she was coming back. Instead of a reply from Qu Yin, she received a call from Chu Weiran.

“Xiao Yi.” As soon as she answered, she heard Chu Weiran’s soft, fragile voice, tinged with panic.

Jin Yi draped a towel over her neck and sat up straight. “What’s wrong?” she asked nervously.

“I’m afraid of the dark. Can you come and stay with me?”

Hearing the reason, Jin Yi’s anxiety vanished. She began drying her hair with the towel as she asked, “Where is Miaomiao?” She didn’t even wait for an answer before adding, “Oh right, she’s out on a date with Qu Yin.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she realized the call had been disconnected. Jin Yi blinked, feeling confused. Had she said something wrong? No. Chu Weiran was just having another one of her “young mistress” tantrums. Lately, Jin Yi had been incredibly submissive toward her, but occasionally, she felt a bit exhausted by it. She put the phone down and decided to let it be. Everyone has a temper, after all.

On the other side, Chu Weiran sat on her small bed, her lips pursed as she stared at her phone with obvious anger. If she hadn’t hung up early, she wouldn’t have been able to restrain herself. How could Jin Yi call someone else ‘sister’ so easily?

She was so annoyed. She poked the screen hard with her finger, then immediately felt bad and gently wiped it. She set the phone on the desk and prepared to wait for Jin Yi to come and coax her. She knew her own temper was strange, but whenever it involved Jin Yi, she lost all control. Jin Yi’s kindness lately had made her feel incredibly happy. The tenderness she had received this past month was more than she had felt in ten years of her previous life.

She had to admit, she was getting carried away. But after being gentle for so long, she couldn’t let it all fall apart right before the holiday. Chu Weiran picked up her phone and looked at her WeChat background—a photo she had taken of Jin Yi a few days ago when she wasn’t looking. In the photo, Jin Yi looked so sweet and soft. She looked easy to tease.

But she couldn’t actually tease her; she had to coax her. Chu Weiran kissed the screen and tried to call Jin Yi on WeChat. It rang for a long time, so long that Chu Weiran began to worry that Jin Yi was actually angry. She had already prepared an apologetic tone; the moment Jin Yi answered, she would definitely admit she was wrong.

But Jin Yi didn’t pick up. She tried again, but still no answer. Panicking, Chu Weiran threw on some clothes and ran downstairs. She had to find Jin Yi. Since she had visited before, the dorm warden recognized her and let her in, saying with a smile, “Don’t stay too late.”

Chu Weiran gave a quick smile and ran upstairs. When she reached the door, the lights were on inside. She caught her breath and knocked gently. Jin Yi didn’t open the door immediately, but Chu Weiran could hear her humming softly. The sound instantly put her heart at ease. She knocked more loudly and waited until she heard Jin Yi’s footsteps.

“Why did you suddenly come over?” Jin Yi was holding two clothes hangers; it looked like she had been doing laundry. That explained why she hadn’t answered or opened the door.

Still, Chu Weiran felt aggrieved. She had come in a hurry, wearing only a white coat over a nightgown that stopped at her knees. She was anxious, flustered, and cold. The tip of her nose was red from the chill. Late September weather was unpredictable—hot enough for short sleeves during the day, but cold enough for thermal leggings at night.

“Why didn’t you answer my call?!”

Jin Yi could only describe Chu Weiran’s tone as “fiercely cute.” This version of Chu Weiran was actually quite adorable. However, remembering how she had been abruptly hung up on, Jin Yi suppressed a smile and spoke neutrally. “I was doing laundry and didn’t hear it.”

Chu Weiran’s anger, which had just started to subside, flared up again at Jin Yi’s tone. “Why didn’t you answer? Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

Jin Yi was about to say there was nothing to worry about, but when she saw Chu Weiran’s eyes were red whether from anger or worry, she wasn’t sure, she felt a pang of guilt. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, seeing her this worried felt bad.

She tugged on Chu Weiran’s sleeve to bring her inside, then guided her toward the bed. “If you don’t mind, you can sit on the bed.”

“I don’t mind.”

The response was so fast that Jin Yi was caught off guard. One second, she’s aggrieved and fierce, the next she’s like this. Jin Yi couldn’t figure her out.

“I’m going to hang the clothes,” Jin Yi said.

“Mm,” Chu Weiran replied softly, keeping her head down.

Jin Yi didn’t say anything else and went to the balcony. Once the door was closed, Chu Weiran lifted her head to peek at her. Jin Yi’s bed was right by the window, providing a clear view of her silhouette on the balcony.

As the clothes were hung one by one on the rack, Chu Weiran was originally watching Jin Yi, but she suddenly realized Jin Yi was picking up a pair of underwear.

Chu Weiran suddenly felt embarrassed, her eyes darting around with nowhere to go. In her confusion, Jin Yi seemed to sense something and turned her head.

Their eyes met.

Chu Weiran was the first to look away, her face burning intensely and her heart racing. The feeling of being caught red-handed was truly awful. Her gaze spun rapidly, looking at the ceiling, at Qu Yin’s bed opposite them, and at the small desk in the middle—anywhere but at Jin Yi.

After a while, Jin Yi came back inside. Just as Chu Weiran tried to act as if nothing had happened, Jin Yi said with a half-smile, “Is there really any difference between our two dorms?”

The standard dorms at Ling University were doubles, though there were quads for students who struggled to pay tuition, like Qin Chaomu and Ye Yuan. Since both of them lived in doubles, there was no actual difference. Jin Yi was clearly teasing her.

“The layout is the same, it is just cleaner here than at my place.” This was a blatant lie. Chu Weiran and Jing Miaomiao were equally lazy; they only cleaned their room once every few days, so it was nowhere near as clean as this. But since Jin Yi had never been there, Chu Weiran could say whatever she wanted.

“Oh. It is still early, should I walk you back?”

“Why?” Chu Weiran asked immediately. She had only just arrived; why was she being chased away? She refused to leave.

“It is not clean enough here, you should go back.” Jin Yi could not help but laugh out loud as she said this.

They say you can see the adult in the child. Although she was not very familiar with the adult version of Chu Weiran, Jin Yi remembered that as a child, Chu Weiran was incredibly lazy. She would always dress herself exquisitely, but her wardrobe was a disaster. Chu Weiran was not annoyed at being exposed; instead, she was in a good mood. She realized that if Jin Yi remembered those details, it meant Jin Yi had her on her mind.

“I want to sleep here. If I go back, I will be alone, and I am scared.” A well-timed display of weakness triggers a protective instinct. Chu Weiran believed firmly in this method because she had already seen the results.

“Did your roommates say they are not coming back?”

“Yes, Miaomiao sent me a message.”

That damn Qu Yin, Jin Yi thought. Not only did she not message Jin Yi, but she had not even replied to the messages Jin Yi sent her.

“Alright then.” After the commotion, Jin Yi felt hungry. She pulled out two cups of instant noodles and asked tentatively, “Want some?” She expected to be rejected; in her memory, Chu Weiran was incredibly picky and nothing like her.

To her surprise, Chu Weiran’s eyes lit up at the sight of the noodles. “Yes!” Her tone was fast and urgent, devoid of her usual slow pace, as if afraid Jin Yi would take back the offer.

“Oh, okay.” Jin Yi truly had not expected a pampered young mistress to eat such common food. Unlike Chu Weiran, Jin Yi was not picky at all.

Although they were childhood friends and neighbors, their upbringings had been different. Jin Yi’s mother, Jiang Qiong, had married up when she met Jin Yi’s father. They fell in love in college and married after graduation, which sounded perfect, but Jin Yi’s grandfather had initially disapproved of Jiang Qiong. He felt her fiery, country-born personality was too narrow-minded to help his son, so they had married in secret. Jin Yi had even been raised by her maternal grandmother in the countryside until she was five. Her grandfather eventually regretted his stubbornness, realizing his granddaughter should not have spent those early years away from the family.

Even though Jin Yi returned to a life of luxury, some things never changed. She knew she was different from the “little princess” next door.

“Which flavor do you want?” Jin Yi held two flavors: Hot and Sour, and Braised Beef. Jin Yi preferred the Hot and Sour one as the beef flavor was too bland for her. She expected Chu Weiran to pick the beef, but Chu Weiran chose the Hot and Sour one first.

Taking the noodles, Chu Weiran felt a little smug. She had successfully teased Jin Yi again. While she focused on her noodles, Jin Yi pulled out another cup of the exact same flavor. Chu Weiran was stunned; the fun was gone.

Once the noodles were ready, Chu Weiran had a sudden idea. “I want to eat yours.”

Jin Yi looked at the two identical cups of noodles, confused by this new antic. “Sister, aren’t they exactly the same?”

“They are different!” Chu Weiran stared at Jin Yi’s cup like a hungry wolf. Jin Yi sighed helplessly. It was strange, but since it was a small matter, she let her have it.

Watching Chu Weiran eat with such gusto, Jin Yi felt a bit of a headache. She felt like Chu Weiran was acting strange. How could she eat instant noodles as if they were a gourmet feast? She had no idea that Chu Weiran was only enjoying them so much because Jin Yi had prepared them.

Jin Yi finished quickly, while Chu Weiran savored every bite. Afterward, Jin Yi sent a message to Qu Yin telling her to stay safe, then opened a mini-game called “Brain King.” She was becoming addicted to it and had reached the Gold rank in just a few days.

As she focused on a match, she did not notice Chu Weiran resting her chin on Jin Yi’s shoulder to watch the screen. Jin Yi jumped, but before she could speak, Chu Weiran whispered, “Xiao Yi is so amazing, you won!”

It is just a win, why are you looking at me with those sparkly eyes? And why is your voice so pleasant?

“Ahem, the game is easy.”

“Still, Xiao Yi is impressive.” Chu Weiran actually gave a small round of applause.

How childish, Jin Yi thought, though she could not help but show her the game when Chu Weiran asked to play together. They started a match. Jin Yi narrowly won the first round thanks to history questions, but lost the second when history did not come up.

Time flew by while they played. “Go to sleep, it is late,” Jin Yi urged. But Chu Weiran kept sending new invitations.

“Last one!” Jin Yi held up one finger, and Chu Weiran nodded happily. This time, Chu Weiran won.

“Alright, let us sleep.” Jin Yi was exhausted. She pointed at her own bed and told Chu Weiran, “You sleep in my bed.” Then she prepared to climb into Qu Yin’s bed.

However, Chu Weiran sat in her chair and did not move, her expression souring.

“What is it now?”

“Why are you sleeping there?” Chu Weiran pointed to Jin Yi’s bed. “I want to sleep there too.”

“Can you stop acting up?”

“I am not acting up, I am serious.” She simply did not want Jin Yi sleeping in someone else’s bed.

“Give me one reason.”

“I am scared.” Chu Weiran’s face turned red as she squeezed out the excuse. If she told the truth, Jin Yi would think she was too possessive.

Jin Yi was always a sucker for the soft approach. Seeing Chu Weiran tugging at her sleeve and pouting while claiming to be afraid made her heart melt. She agreed, and they squeezed together into Jin Yi’s narrow bed.

After the lights went out, Jin Yi remained stiff, careful not to touch her. The bed was small, so contact was inevitable, but Jin Yi stayed tense. Chu Weiran moved closer, her hand resting on Jin Yi’s arm. The skin was smooth and pleasant to touch. She grew bolder, squeezing gently and leaning in.

As she moved closer, Jin Yi moved further toward the edge.

“If you move any further, you are going to fall off.” Jin Yi stopped, and a second later, Chu Weiran pulled her into a tight embrace. The soft contact made Jin Yi’s breath hitch.

“Move further inside,” Chu Weiran whispered, her eyes closed, but she did not let go.