No One Knows [Rebirth] - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Then, I Would… Wish For Nothing More

Qin Yu was teased by Ms. Wen like this, yet she didn’t even blush.

She was even thinking that if you, too, had once lost everything just as she had, you would naturally cherish every moment far more deeply.

Ms. Wen Meiyun asking Qin Yu to see her off was merely an excuse to give Qin Yu a few words of advice. In passing, she also reminded her to remember to reply to the messages from Qi Miaoyan and the others, noting that she couldn’t be one to abandon old friends for new ones. Going around ignoring your old friends just because you found a new one was something that would never be justified anywhere.

Qin Yu hadn’t expected the topic of Qi Miaoyan to come up, so she asked hurriedly, “What’s wrong?”

“You suddenly didn’t go to school, you took sick leave, and you didn’t reply to any messages. Of course they’re worried about you!” Ms. Wen sighed helplessly. “This morning, your Auntie Lu even messaged me on WeChat, saying that Qi Miaoyan and the others wanted to add me.”

Qin Yu sheepishly touched the back of her neck. She couldn’t really be blamed for prioritizing love over friendship—there were simply matters of priority.

“I’ll reply to the messages,” Qin Yu said. “Don’t worry, they’ll always be my friends.”

After Ms. Wen left, Qin Yu took out her phone and messaged their group chat directly:

Qin Yu: “I’m still alive. All good.”

There was dead silence in the group. She glanced at the time—it was math class. Among their little group, only Qi Miaoyan had decent math grades; the rest of them found the subject a massive headache. Therefore, math class was the one where they were the most attentive. Of course, this also had to do with the fact that their math teacher was also their head teacher. Who would dare play with their phone in their head teacher’s class? That was no different from pulling hair from a tiger’s mouth.

After sending the message, Qin Yu entered the hospital room and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Tang Ruibai lying on the bed with her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

“What did you talk about?” Tang Ruibai asked indifferently. She guessed it was about her. But what Wen Meiyun had just said, aside from touching her, mostly just made her guarded.

“Or, what did you tell her?” Tang Ruibai asked coldly. “Did you use my affairs as conversation fodder? And then come here to pity me?”

Qin Yu’s expression changed, and she denied it immediately: “No.”

“Even if I wanted to tell her, I haven’t had the time. Ever since you woke up, I’ve been staying in the ward. Think about it carefully.” Qin Yu explained, “Is it possible that my mother is just quite smart?”

Tang Ruibai fell silent, but she refused to apologize or admit she had misunderstood.

Qin Yu continued to sit in front of the hospital bed. “My mother just told me that showing vulnerability at the right time is a form of survival wisdom.” She simplified Wen Meiyun’s words, her voice very gentle. “I really want you to stay at my house for a while so that you can recover better. Otherwise, I’d have to come see you every day after school; running back and forth is too tiring.”

“I never asked you to run back and forth,” Tang Ruibai interrupted, reiterating once more: “We aren’t close.”

“We are.” Qin Yu polished her narrative further: “I’m close to you unilaterally. I’ve been paying attention to you unilaterally for so long, and now that we’ve had interactions, I feel like we’re as close as can be.”

Tang Ruibai: “…”

She really had the nerve to say that out loud. If that excuse about a crush hadn’t come out of her own mouth earlier, she might have actually believed it. Unable to get the truth out of Qin Yu, Tang Ruibai simply gave up, saying only: “Don’t tell anyone about my affairs.”

“Don’t worry, I’m tight-lipped,” Qin Yu promised, then asked again: “So, are you going to stay at my house?”

“No,” Tang Ruibai refused.

“Are we friends now?” Qin Yu asked again.

Tang Ruibai’s defensive walls were heavy. The “crush” was a ridiculous excuse, but it didn’t matter; she just needed a reason that could be stated openly. Tang Ruibai didn’t believe her, and she knew that Tang Ruibai wouldn’t believe her either. Therefore, if Qin Yu wanted to get close to Tang Ruibai and dismantle those defenses, she had to approach her slowly. She would start by being friends.

Tang Ruibai raised her eyes, sweeping her gaze coldly across Qin Yu’s face: “You like being friends with your crush?”

Qin Yu: “?”

“Then how many friends do you have at the same time?”

“…”

Qin Yu was left speechless, choked for words. This kind of conversation had never happened in their interactions before. Aside from surprise, she also felt a sense of novelty.

Qin Yu wasn’t in a rush, either. She said calmly, “I have many friends, but you’re the only person I like.”

Living a second life had long ago stripped away her so-called self-esteem and awkwardness. Even the way she spoke was more direct than before, because she had experienced the taste of wanting to say something, only for the other person to never hear it again—not just once.

“Hmph,” Tang Ruibai sneered.

Qin Yu looked at her seriously, her gaze sincere: “I want to be friends with you because I want you to understand me first; that is just an excuse.”

“If you are willing to skip the ‘getting to know’ step and date me directly, then… I would wish for nothing more.”