Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 28

“What are you worried about?”

Jin Yi pursed her lips, looking at the WeChat message Chu Weiran had sent, not quite knowing how to answer.

What was she worried about? She was worried about Chu Weiran running into that scumbag. She was worried about her being deceived. She was worried about her being in danger.

But logic told her that Chu Weiran was an adult. These problems she worried about weren’t things that happened so easily to someone like her. After thinking it over, Jin Yi eventually replied, “I’m worried about your injury.”

Upon receiving the message, Chu Weiran smiled, locked her phone, and didn’t reply.

Jing Miaomiao watched Chu Weiran, finding her behavior very strange. When did Chu Weiran ever smile like that after receiving a WeChat message? Usually, only Jing Miaomiao herself smiled that way when she got a text from a crush.

“Who’s messaging you?”

“Hmm? Oh, it’s Xiao Yi.”

Chu Weiran’s tone sounded casual, but she couldn’t stop smiling as she spoke. Jing Miaomiao stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Do you have any idea how… you were just smiling?” Jing Miaomiao was at a loss for words. If it were anyone else, she would bet they were in love. But since it was Chu Weiran… well, it could be considered love. After all, the person on the other end was Jin Yi.

Ever since Chu Weiran had confessed her feelings to her, Jing Miaomiao had found it a bit hard to accept at first, but later realized it was no big deal. There’s no logic to liking someone; it’s just that Chu Weiran had persisted for so many years. Unlike herself.

“You said earlier that something felt ‘off.’ Was it about Jin Yi?”

“Yes, it’s Jin Yi.”

They had finished most of their food. Chu Weiran didn’t really want to stay there anymore. She stood up and said to Jing Miaomiao, “Let’s go grab a coffee.”

Chu Weiran followed her whims, and Jing Miaomiao had grown to like that about her. They left the private restaurant and went to a coffee shop they frequented—well, a shop Jing Miaomiao frequented. As soon as they entered, Jing Miaomiao had the girl behind the counter blushing beet-red with her flirting.

Chu Weiran was speechless. How did she end up with a friend like this? Today, Jing Miaomiao wasn’t wearing her JK uniform; she was dressed in a hip-hop style, flirting shamelessly. While ordering, she even lightly brushed the girl’s hand.

“A cappuccino and an Americano.”

Chu Weiran looked at her and said coldly, “I’ll have a cappuccino too.”

Jing Miaomiao looked at her in surprise. Chu Weiran loved Americanos, while Jing Miaomiao had a massive sweet tooth and loved cappuccinos. They used to look down on each other’s tastes, but today, Chu Weiran had joined the “sweet” side.

Once they sat down, Jing Miaomiao asked, “What’s the matter? Given up on your beloved Americano?”

Chu Weiran smiled and shook her head. “I feel like my life is a bit sweet lately. I shouldn’t be drinking such bitter coffee.”

“Tsk, tsk. Since when did you become such a… romantic?”

Chu Weiran just smiled and didn’t take the bait.

“Tell me. What did she send you earlier that made you smile like that?”

“She said she’s worried about me. And she asked when I’m coming back.” Chu Weiran repeated herself, her smile widening.

“Just a tiny bit of concern from that little sister makes you this happy?”

“Yes.”

Was she happy? Of course. Chu Weiran’s smile grew so large that Jing Miaomiao, sitting across from her, felt a bit of a chill. She had known Chu Weiran since middle school. In all those years, she had never seen her like this.

Wait, actually, she had once. It was a long time ago, and Jing Miaomiao’s memory was hazy, but she had a vague impression. Back in middle school, Chu Weiran had brought a younger girl to play with them. Back then, Chu Weiran had smiled even more sweetly than she did now. And it was more… innocent.

That little sister…

Jing Miaomiao suddenly slapped her thigh in realization. “Is Jin Yi that little girl from back then?”

“?”

“The one you brought to play with us in middle school.”

It really had been a long time. Chu Weiran thought about it and remembered. “Yes, it’s Xiao Yi.”

Jing Miaomiao remembered that Chu Weiran was the only happy one back then. The little girl looked like she had been tricked into coming by Chu Weiran and spent the whole time looking miserable until she was finally bribed with some anime figurines.

If Chu Weiran had designs on her since she was that small…

“Are you a bit of a beast?”

Chu Weiran frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been eyeing her since she was that young? If that’s not being a beast, what is?”

“No. I just liked her.”

Seeing Chu Weiran’s dead-serious expression, Jing Miaomiao burst out laughing. “Hahaha! I’m just joking. Weiran, you’re so serious!”

After laughing for a bit, she noticed Chu Weiran remained quiet, just watching her with the same expression. It made her feel a bit awkward. “Okay, next topic. If things are going well between you two now, why do I feel like you’re anxious?”

Anxious? Perhaps she was, a little.

“You know Xiao Yi has never been warm toward me. You could even say she was cold. But now, she’s changed.”

Ever since her rebirth, Chu Weiran had been immersed in the joy of Jin Yi’s willingness to interact with her. Spending the holiday together was supposed to be a dream come true, but this morning, she had heard Jin Yi talking in her sleep.

“Chu Weiran… don’t die.”

She had broken out in a cold sweat. Her decision to meet Jing Miaomiao was a last-minute one because she didn’t know how to face Jin Yi after hearing that. The more she thought about it, the stranger it felt. Why was Jin Yi so adamant about stopping her from being with Ye Yuan?

This had never happened in her past life. She and Jin Yi had been distant for years; Jin Yi had avoided her since middle school. Their most intimate contact was when she eventually lay in Jin Yi’s arms at the end. That image of Jin Yi crying was still fresh in her mind, and then she woke up here, and Jin Yi was telling her to stay away from Ye Yuan.

And Jin Yi didn’t seem to hate her touch anymore.

Chu Weiran, who had been dazed by happiness, was finally starting to wake up. But obviously, there were things she couldn’t tell Jing Miaomiao. She could only give her the gist of it—starting from the Ye Yuan situation, to the picking her up, to the talking in her sleep.

Jing Miaomiao sat in silence for a while before saying, “Do you think she just suddenly realized how beautiful you are?”

Was there anything more useless than this advice? Chu Weiran’s eye twitched; she regretted treating Jing Miaomiao like a normal person.

“Hey! I don’t know either! You two aren’t in a normal ‘flirting’ relationship, so how can I analyze it? You say it’s flirting, and it definitely is. But you’ve known each other for so many years; it’s not weird for her to care about you. Maybe she was just immature before, and now she realizes how good her ‘big sister’ is to her.”

As she spoke, Chu Weiran’s expression darkened. The thing she hated most was being called “sisters” with Jin Yi. Forget it. It was her fault for expecting anything from Jing Miaomiao.

“Miaomiao… I want her to belong to me. And I don’t have much time left.”

Jing Miaomiao was startled by her serious tone. “What do you mean you don’t have time? Don’t scare me!”

“I have to go to the company soon. How much time will I have to be with Xiao Yi then? She’s only a sophomore.”

Oh, right. As seniors, they didn’t have many classes. Jing Miaomiao hadn’t decided where to intern yet—whether to go back to her family’s company or strike out on her own. But Chu Weiran was different; she had to inherit the family business. Unlike Jing Miaomiao, who had an older brother to handle everything, Chu Weiran didn’t have the luxury of being a socialite.

“You could go to the company later. There’s no rush, is there?”

Jing Miaomiao didn’t know that Chu Weiran had actually started working at the company back in the summer. If it weren’t for Xiao Yi, she might rarely even return to school.

“Even if I delay it, it’s only for a year.”

In truth, Chu Weiran had set a deadline for herself in her heart. If after one year Xiao Yi was still unwilling to be with her, she might give up.

Jin Yi waited a long time for a WeChat message from Chu Weiran. She waited so long that she eventually went back to her own house. Finally, Chu Weiran messaged her, asking where she was.

“At home.”

Chu Weiran didn’t ask why she went back. She just asked, “What do you want for dinner?”

It was cold and distant, a far cry from yesterday. Jin Yi didn’t feel good about it. She didn’t reply to the text; instead, she went directly back to Chu Weiran’s house. When she entered, she saw Chu Weiran sitting on the sofa, eating fruit and watching TV. Jin Yi felt a surge of silent annoyance.

“Weren’t you… out for a meal?”

If she already ate, why ask about dinner? And why come home and eat fruit? Was she not full? Three questions flashed through her mind, but she didn’t ask any of them, keeping them bottled up.

Hearing the question, Chu Weiran didn’t even look up. “I’m not full,” she said, her eyes fixed on the TV.

Although she was looking at the TV, her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking: In the past life, Jin Yi could be with someone like Qin Chaomu, so why not me? So right now, she didn’t want to talk to her.

“What are we having for dinner?”

When she ignored her, Jin Yi felt uneasy and tried to find a topic. Seeing she still didn’t answer, she asked again, “I feel like having BBQ. Do you want some?”

“Xiao Yi, is there anyone you like?”

The question caught Jin Yi off guard. She hesitated, not knowing what to say. “I…”

Chu Weiran tilted her head to look at her. Being watched like that made Jin Yi even more flustered. She blinked and steadied herself before saying, “I haven’t really thought about dating. I don’t have anyone I like, and I’m not even sure what ‘liking’ someone feels like.”

After this rebirth, Jin Yi had realized that what she felt for Qin Chaomu wasn’t really love; she was just at the age for dating and found someone she thought was suitable. That’s why when she found out about the cheating, she felt disgusted and angry about being deceived, but she didn’t really feel heartbroken.

“Then, what do you think of me?”

“You…”

Surprised by the sudden question, Jin Yi eventually answered honestly. “You’re very beautiful, and you’re very good to me.”

She would never have been able to say those words before, but things were different now. Jin Yi felt that Chu Weiran truly was good to her. Being willful and bossy was just her personality, but it didn’t change the fact that she was a good person. Besides, she wasn’t even that willful anymore.

Chu Weiran took this as a sign that Jin Yi liked her. She called her beautiful, called her good, worried about her, and looked after her. She believed that even if Jin Yi didn’t love her yet, she would eventually.