Let Me Go, My Childhood Sweetheart [Rebirth] - Chapter 34

“What?”

Chu Weiran had only been joking at the time and had long since forgotten she’d said it. When Jin Yi brought it up, she didn’t react immediately. She looked up only to find Jin Yi’s gaze fixed on her chest.

She was wearing a T-shirt, and through the fabric, one could only see a general outline; it was impossible to see anything specific. However, Jin Yi’s imagination was working overtime.

Memories from a night of drinking are usually blurry, but ever since Jin Yi recalled that moment in the bathroom, it had become exceptionally clear. It had resurfaced in her mind several times over the past two days, making the memory even more vivid. Chu Weiran was shorter than her, and in her mind, she saw a submissive, soft Chu Weiran being held by her from behind, her hands…

Stop! Don’t think about it!

Jin Yi jerked her eyes away, her face flushing. She asked again, “Have you really… been like that with other girls?”

“No. I only like you.”

Chu Weiran’s tone was urgent. She took a step forward to get closer to Jin Yi, as if afraid she wouldn’t be heard.

“I…” Just as Jin Yi was about to speak, she felt a raindrop hit her face.

Soon, the drops became a steady, fine mist.

“Let’s go home first. We’ll talk at home.” Jin Yi grabbed Chu Weiran’s hand and began to run alongside the other people on the pedestrian street.

The rain grew heavier. Neither of them had brought an umbrella; they hadn’t expected it to rain at all. By the time they reached the car, both were soaked.

“I’ll turn on the heater. It’ll be warmer.”

“Mm.”

As Jin Yi reached down to turn on the air conditioning, she suddenly felt cool fingertips lightly brush her face. It was a bit ticklish.

“What is it?” She looked up at Chu Weiran, her eyes slightly dazed, not understanding what she was doing.

“Your hair is wet and sticking to your face. I’ll help you…”

“Don’t worry about me. Your hair is wet too.”

Jin Yi pulled out a couple of tissues, brushed Chu Weiran’s hair to the side, and wiped her face. When she finished, she saw Chu Weiran with her eyes closed and her lips slightly pouted. She looked very sweet, and it gave Jin Yi a sudden urge to tease her.

Jin Yi leaned down and left a very, very light kiss on Chu Weiran’s lips. She brushed against her lips and touched that tiny mole.

Chu Weiran snapped her eyes open, only to find Jin Yi had already started the engine and was ready to drive. That touch had been so fleeting that Chu Weiran almost couldn’t believe it had happened.

The rain poured harder as they drove. Jin Yi drove slowly and carefully, but the car was filled with “pink bubbles.” Neither of them spoke, yet their hearts felt closer.

Chu Weiran savored that “barely-a-kiss,” a sweet smile on her face as she stared unblinkingly at Jin Yi. Jin Yi kept her eyes on the road, sitting very upright, but she couldn’t help stealing glances at Chu Weiran every now and then.

Jin Yi had never experienced this kind of sweet, heart-fluttering feeling before. She didn’t know what to do. Just now, looking at the damp, beautiful woman with her eyes closed… kissing her had been an instinctive move.

Chu Weiran was the first to regain her composure. She asked with a smile, “What did you want to tell me today?”

Jin Yi glanced at her, then quickly turned back to the road. The atmosphere had been somewhat broken; she didn’t know how to start again.

“I…” Just as Jin Yi spoke, the phone in her pocket began to vibrate.

Visibility was poor in the rain, so Jin Yi kept her eyes on the road while trying to reach for her phone. Seeing her struggling, Chu Weiran leaned over to help her get it. When Chu Weiran’s fingers brushed against her, Jin Yi felt her body go stiff. She pursed her lips and shifted slightly to make it easier for Chu Weiran to reach.

“It’s a call from Godmom.”

“You answer it. Tell her I’m driving.”

Chu Weiran nodded and answered. Jiang Qiong’s voice immediately came through.

“Xiao Yi, we’re back! We just got home. You and Ranran…”

“Godmom, it’s me.”

“Ranran?” Jiang Qiong’s voice sounded excited. Chu Weiran suddenly felt a bit flustered and instinctively glanced at Jin Yi.

Jin Yi: “??” What did my mom say? Why is Chu Weiran acting shy?

“Yes, we’re out shopping. Xiao Yi is driving.”

“Oh! Good, good. I just wanted to let Xiao Yi know. Be careful, and tell her to drive slowly.”

“What did my mom want?”

“They’re back. They’re at my house.”

Of all times to come back, why now when I finally wanted to talk to her? So annoying. Having been interrupted twice, the courage Jin Yi had built up began to leak away.

They chatted idly on the way back, with Chu Weiran initiating most of the topics while Jin Yi remained distracted. The drive wasn’t long, and they soon arrived. Jin Yi parked the car in her own garage, and they entered the Chu house one after the other.

Jin Hai and Chu Zhenglong weren’t there. On the phone, Jiang Qiong had mentioned they had urgent business to attend to, which was why they returned early. As the two girls entered, they were startled by the “knowing smiles” on their mothers’ faces.

Jiang Qiong spoke first. “On a date?”

Zheng Yuan patted her shoulder and laughed. “Don’t say that, you’ll make the children shy.”

“They’re not kids anymore. What’s there to be shy about?”

“We both approve,” Jiang Qiong said with a beaming smile. “You two should date properly.”

Chu Weiran didn’t mind, but Jin Yi felt a bit uncomfortable. If you hadn’t come back early, things might have actually gone the way you’re suggesting. But now…

“Mom, don’t talk nonsense. We aren’t together.”

Jiang Qiong was speechless. She gave her daughter a frustrated look, thinking she had helped as much as she could, yet her “wooden-headed” daughter still wasn’t getting it.

“Fine. We’ll head home then, so we don’t disturb her rest.”

With that, Jiang Qiong took Jin Yi’s hand and bid Zheng Yuan goodbye. Jin Yi followed her mother, but as they reached the door, she looked back at Chu Weiran. She felt a twinge of unease; she didn’t want to leave her. After spending the last few days together, she had grown used to her presence.

“Coming? What are you doing?” Jiang Qiong felt the resistance and turned to urge her.

But Jin Yi didn’t listen. She stared longingly at Chu Weiran, and Chu Weiran did the same. Jiang Qiong and Zheng Yuan exchanged a glance, their eyes sparkling. There’s definitely something going on with these two!

“You said you aren’t together, so why are you staring like that? Come home with me!” Jiang Qiong gave Jin Yi a firm tug and pulled her back to their house.

Once home, Jin Yi was silent, her expression sour.

“Have you eaten? Do you want Mom to cook for you?”

“I’ve eaten.” Her voice was muffled, and she didn’t even look at her mother.

Jiang Qiong understood her daughter. She figured Jin Yi’s mind was in a mess and she hadn’t untangled her feelings yet. Jiang Qiong hadn’t eaten since getting off the plane, and truth be told, she missed Jin Yi. That was why she had been in such a hurry to pull her back.

She made herself a simple bowl of noodles in the kitchen. When she came out, Jin Yi was still staring blankly from the sofa.

“Xiao Yi, come here.”

Hearing her name, Jin Yi turned, saw her mother beckoning, and slowly made her way to the dining table.

“Want a bowl? I made plenty.”

Jin Yi looked at the familiar noodles and nodded. “Just a small bit.”

She had loved her mother’s noodles as a child, but as Jiang Qiong grew busier, she rarely had time to make them anymore. Since Jin Yi grew up, the thing her mother said most was trying to set her up with Chu Weiran.

“Here, baby.”

Jin Yi took the bowl, her face a bit red. She whispered, “I’m an adult now, why are you calling me ‘baby’?”

“No matter how old you are, you’ll always be Mom’s baby.”

Jin Yi felt her mother was a bit distorted. She had kept this thought hidden for a long time, and in her past life, she had been quite emotional about it. Back then, she didn’t like Chu Weiran and hated her mother bringing her up, so over time, she simply stopped caring. But she could never forget how panicked her mother was when she fell, or how she stayed outside the hospital room for so many days.

“If I’m your baby, why are you so good to Chu Weiran?”

It sounded childish, but she had felt this way since she was little. Jiang Qiong took a bite of noodles. She was a bit surprised by the question—not by the sentiment, but because Jin Yi had never reacted to these things before. Now she was.

She asked in return, “And how does Aunt Zheng treat you?”

“Well. Very well.” That was undeniable, and Jin Yi answered honestly.

“Mm. Both Aunt Zheng and I hope you two can be together, so we are very good to both of you. Do you understand what I mean?”

Jin Yi tilted her head, looking at her mother with confusion, signaling she didn’t get it.

“You are my daughter, and Ranran is Aunt Zheng’s daughter. We both think you and Ranran are wonderful. If you two could be together, we would be very happy. So, our attitude toward you both is naturally like this. To put it another way, a mother-in-law likes her son-in-law more the more she looks at him. Of course, Xiao Yi, Mom isn’t forcing you. These are just my thoughts. Whether you’re with Ranran is your choice. If you meet someone better, Mom naturally wants you to be happy too.”

Jin Yi nodded slowly. So, she had been the blind one, failing to see the essence of the matter. Her mother had hated Qin Chaomu, and she had assumed it was just because her mother disliked everyone except Chu Weiran.

“Mom, I can’t quite explain what I feel for her.”

Jiang Qiong hadn’t expected them to be together so soon, nor did she expect her daughter to “awaken” so quickly. But Jin Yi’s next words confirmed it. The iron tree was about to bloom.

“Over the past few days… I’ve been very concerned about whether she’s eating or resting well. One day she went out without telling me who she was with, and I worried all day.”

There were other things she couldn’t tell her mother—they were too embarrassing.

“That’s about it. I feel possessive of her, and I think she’s very beautiful. Mom, do I like her?”

“I think… probably… yes.”

“Oh.”

That night, Jin Yi curled up in her bed, scrolling through Chu Weiran’s social media. In the first post, she saw herself Chu Weiran had snuck a photo of her and posted it.

At ten o’clock, assuming Chu Weiran was still awake, Jin Yi initiated a voice call. She felt nervous as it rang. It rang until it automatically disconnected; Chu Weiran didn’t answer.

Jin Yi sighed. Her gathered courage was being interrupted over and over again. Just as she was about to go to sleep, her phone buzzed. It was a voice message from Chu Weiran.

“Xiao Yi, I was showering just now and didn’t hear it.”

Chu Weiran’s voice sounded happy, and Jin Yi found herself smiling too.

“What is it? Did you miss me already since going back?”

The teasing was obvious. Jin Yi felt nervous, but she decided to follow her heart.

“Mm… I missed you.”

Her voice was low and quiet. But Chu Weiran heard her clearly. She missed Jin Yi too.

“Then come out. I’m waiting for you at the door.”