What's Wrong with Changing to a New Wife? [Rebirth] - Chapter 2

“What are you spacing out for?” Cheng Zhuo waved his hand in front of Gu Ji’s eyes and raised his voice, “We’re going to be late!”

A faint smile tugged at Gu Ji’s lips as he swatted Cheng Zhuo’s hand away. “I know.”

For Cheng Zhuo and Xu Jingyin, this was just a minor morning incident, nothing worth dwelling on. But for Gu Ji, who had suddenly returned to his twenty-year-old self, it felt surreal and left him momentarily disoriented.

During class, Gu Ji received a WeChat message from “Qingran Baby.”

【.】

The content was just a single period—nothing more, not a single word.

To anyone else, it might seem like a message sent by mistake. But having spent over a decade with Lin Qingran, Gu Ji knew him well enough to understand: this was Lin Qingran’s way of showing displeasure, giving him the cold shoulder.

As for the reason, Gu Ji didn’t need to think hard to figure it out.

—He hadn’t brought Lin Qingran breakfast this morning.

So many years had passed since his university days; Gu Ji couldn’t claim to remember every single detail. But in his previous life, he had personally delivered breakfast to Lin Qingran’s dormitory every single day for four years, rain or shine.

If his memory served him right, by their sophomore year, Lin Qingran already had no shortage of admirers, let alone a lack of breakfast. The meals Gu Ji painstakingly brought over weren’t even eaten by Lin Qingran. They were passed on to his roommates.

Lin Qingran was simply reveling in the feeling of being pampered and put on a pedestal.

Gu Ji’s fingers moved slightly as he changed the contact name to Lin Qingran’s full name, then turned off his phone without replying.

His feelings toward Lin Qingran were complicated. Perhaps he had genuinely loved him in their youth, but the over ten years he spent with Lin Qingran afterward became the darkest period of Gu Ji’s life. He had lost his family and friends, and even his own existence felt less than human. It was impossible to say he held no resentment.

Given a second chance, Gu Ji had no intention of continuing his relationship with Lin Qingran. Breaking up was inevitable, but it wouldn’t be easy.

In his previous life, after discovering Lin Qingran’s flirtations with other men, Gu Ji had mustered the courage to propose a breakup—the one and only time. But someone had posted about it on the university forum, twisting the facts until Gu Ji was painted as the heartless scoundrel.

The power of rumors should never be underestimated. Gradually, the story morphed into Gu Ji being the homewrecker who had meddled in someone else’s relationship, earning him widespread condemnation and scorn.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingran, the story’s victim, emerged completely unscathed, forever maintaining his pristine, aloof, lotus-like image.

The opportunity to relive his life with clarity was precious. Gu Ji was no longer the impulsive twenty-year-old; he had the patience to wait for the right moment.

Moreover, when he thought about how his previous life had ended and what Lin Qingran had done, Gu Ji couldn’t bring himself to be magnanimous and let it slide. Before cutting ties completely, he intended to return the favor.

After the morning classes ended, Cheng Zhuo and Xu Jingyin discussed where to have lunch.

Gu Ji spoke up, “I’ll go with you.”

Both Cheng Zhuo and Xu Jingyin looked at him in surprise. Cheng Zhuo patted his own head, “Did I hear that right? Aren’t you going to see your sweetheart today?”

Gu Ji hummed in acknowledgment, “…Let’s go to the East Cafeteria.”

Cheng Zhuo happily threw an arm around Gu Ji’s shoulder, “Great! You finally remembered us. It’s been so long since we last ate together.”

“Let’s call Zhenzi too and all go together.”

Hazel was the fourth person in their dorm, but since he was assigned from another major with a different schedule and had severe mysophobia that made it impossible for him to adapt to communal living, he lived alone off campus.

In his past life, Gu Ji had spent almost all of his personal time on Lin Qingran. Because Lin Qingran looked down on his friends, Gu Ji had even deliberately distanced himself from Cheng Zhuo and the others just to make Lin Qingran happy.

But when Gu Ji fell into dire straits, it was these good friends who tried to pull him back. Unfortunately, their efforts were too weak, and instead, they ended up being dragged down with him, meeting unfortunate fates.

“Hazel isn’t on campus, so there’s no need to make him come all the way here just for the cafeteria,” Gu Ji said with a smile. “We’ll go out to eat this weekend and invite him along. It’s on me.”

Cheng Zhuo leaned in close to Gu Ji, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re going out to eat with us on the weekend? Aren’t you going to spend time with your partner?”

It was clear just how proactive Gu Ji had been with Lin Qingran at this point—even Cheng Zhuo and the others knew about it, and every conversation seemed to revolve around him.

Gu Ji pushed Cheng Zhuo away, a slight smile playing on his lips. “You’re complaining even when I’m treating you to a meal?”

Cheng Zhuo waved his phone. “I recorded that, you know.”

Xu Jingyin, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “Did you have a fight with Lin Qingran?”

Cheng Zhuo didn’t catch on and turned back in shock. “Huh?”

Xu Jingyin silently flipped Cheng Zhuo off. Anyone with a bit of insight could tell that Gu Ji was acting differently today—only someone as clueless as Cheng Zhuo would still be happily oblivious.

Gu Ji neither confirmed nor denied it. “Let’s not talk about such a downer. Let’s go eat.”

Xu Jingyin adjusted his glasses, pondering the clearly biased remark.

**

Meanwhile, in the art building’s studio.

“Qingran, hasn’t he replied to your message yet?”

A boy in a white shirt sat in front of an easel by the window. His hair, bathed in sunlight, had a faint golden-brown tint. His expression was cold as he made a few strokes with his brush on the canvas. “I don’t know.”

Fang Zhao, Lin Qingran’s roommate, sat nearby, feeling indignant on his behalf. “Not only did he forget to bring you breakfast this morning, but he’s also taking forever to reply. Some men are just like that—inconsistent and unreliable. If you ask me, Qingran, you should just ignore him. He’ll come crawling back to you when he can’t stand it anymore.”

Lin Qingran felt irritated by Fang Zhao’s words. Gu Ji’s behavior today had already made him feel slighted, and having it repeatedly brought up only added to his annoyance.

Fang Zhao suddenly thought of something. What about the social gathering tonight? He’ll still go with you, right?”

Before, Lin Qingran wouldn’t have worried about such trivial matters because he was confident that Gu Ji would never refuse his requests. But after what happened today, he began to feel uncertain.

Fang Zhao, oblivious to Lin Qingran’s mood, continued, “If he doesn’t agree, you should just break up with him. There are plenty of people chasing after you. It’s not like you need him.”

Fang Zhao had seen Lin Qingran’s boyfriend a few times. Gu Ji was quite famous at Rongcheng University. Ever since he enrolled, his looks had kept a pinned post about him on the school forum for a month.

In comparison, Lin Qingran’s appearance, though pleasant, was more understated and refined—not the type to leave a stunning first impression.

Lin Qingran felt inexplicably agitated. “We’ll see.”

By lunchtime, the classroom was nearly empty. Lin Qingran and Su Nian’s conversation hadn’t been particularly discreet.

Suddenly, a noise of someone picking something up came from near the back door. Unexpectedly, there was someone else there. Lin Qingran and Fang Zhao both turned to look in that direction.

A boy in a black jacket walked straight out. Even his baseball cap couldn’t hide his striking appearance—his jawline was elegantly defined, and his wrists, visible at the cuffs, were pale and finely boned.

Fang Zhao whispered, “When did Yu Shen get here? Do you think he overheard us?”

Yu Shen’s full name was Yan Congyu. He was exceptionally talented in the arts, and his works were always held up as exemplary. The awards he had won could fill an entire room, earning him the title “Yu Shen.”

Lin Qingran’s gaze lingered on the boy’s retreating figure for a few seconds before he replied, “Probably not.”

“Right,” Fang Zhao nodded casually. “But Yu Shen seemed to be in a pretty good mood today.”

–

That afternoon, Gu Ji was in his dorm when he received a call from Lin Qingran.

Under the curious gazes of his two roommates, Gu Ji answered the phone.

“Gu Ji,” the voice on the other end called out.

At that time, Lin Qingran’s voice still carried a hint of youthful immaturity, stirring memories deep within Gu Ji.

Back when Gu Ji had discovered Lin Qingran’s ambiguous relationship with another man, the latter had used the same cool, detached tone to say matter-of-factly, “We’re just friends. Can’t you stop being so petty? What’s the big deal if we’re both guys?”

He would even say in a deeply disappointed tone, “Gu Ji, I never expected you to be like this. You’re nothing like you were in high school.”

Such incidents had happened many times in the future, and each one left a deep impression on Gu Ji. In his past life, he had been foolishly infatuated. Every time Lin Qingran twisted the truth, Gu Ji would end up feeling guilty, as though he had wronged Lin Qingran, and would then try to make it up to him by treating him even better.

Lin Qingran’s next words pulled Gu Ji back to the present—

“There’s a gathering tonight. Are you coming?”

Gu Ji lazily drew an “X” on a piece of paper. As if remembering something, he changed his mind at the last moment and asked, “Where?”

“At the newly opened bar nearby.”

After saying this, Lin Qingran frowned and glanced at his phone screen, vaguely sensing that something about Gu Ji felt off today. A feeling he couldn’t quite put into words.

Hearing the word “bar,” Gu Ji paused.

He wasn’t sure if it was because Lin Qingran had a particular fondness for bars, but many pivotal moments in his past life had taken place in such venues—like when Lin Qingran developed feelings with a certain supporting male character.

Back then, Gu Ji had been unaware of Lin Qingran’s whereabouts and rarely visited bars himself. He had remained completely in the dark until the affair could no longer be hidden, and the supporting male character came to provoke him directly. Gu Ji had been the last to know.

“Okay,” Gu Ji said.

Hearing Gu Ji’s agreement, Lin Qingran breathed a sigh of relief. The earlier unease he’d felt when Gu Ji hadn’t replied to his messages slowly faded. “Then come pick me up at seven.”

“Sorry, Qingran,” Gu Ji’s voice sounded no different from usual, tinged with a hint of apology. “My car broke down today. I can’t come pick you up.”

Lin Qingran’s brow furrowed again, as if dissatisfied, though he couldn’t very well say anything about it.

As soon as the call ended, Cheng Zhuo quickly slid his chair over to Gu Ji, his face full of curiosity. “You’re going to a bar tonight? Take me with you?”

“Sure,” Gu Ji nodded, then asked, “Is Jing Yin coming?”

Xu Jingyin waved a hand dismissively. “No, I’m on a health kick. I need to get to bed early.”

“It’s just as well he’s not going.” Cheng Zhuo tossed his car keys onto the table. “Your car’s broken, and mine only seats two.”

Gu Ji twitched his lips slightly and politely declined, “No thanks, I don’t want to ride an electric scooter to the bar.”

A while later, Gu Ji went out to pick up a package.

Xu Jingyin waved Cheng Zhuo over and whispered, “Xiao Gu seems off today. Don’t go too wild tonight—keep an eye on him so he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

They were all aware of the dynamic between Gu Ji and Lin Qingran. As friends, they felt Gu Ji was too lovesick. The relationship was clearly unbalanced. Gu Ji constantly fussed over Lin Qingran’s meals and well-being, yet rarely received any concern in return.

Today, the chill between Gu Ji and Lin Qingran was obvious. Though they didn’t know what had happened, it seemed like a positive development.

Cheng Zhuo thumped his chest confidently. “You’re underestimating me. I’m going specifically to back Brother Gu up. If anyone messes with him, I’ll slap them twice—smack smack smack!”

Xu Jingyin chuckled quietly. “What if Gu Ji argues with his boyfriend? Would you hit Lin Qingran too?”

Cheng Zhuo immediately backtracked. “…Even a wise judge can’t settle domestic disputes. Those things are better left for the couple to work out themselves.”

Considering how doting Gu Ji was toward Lin Qingran, he feared Gu Ji would kick him away before he could even lay a hand on Lin Qingran.

Xu Jingyin shared his wisdom: “Just run home if things go wrong, got it? — If they start arguing, just bring Gu Ji back with you.”