Perhaps it was the wind she caught after leaving the bathhouse, but that night Lin Wanwan felt dizzy and sluggish. Thinking she still had to go to Jian Ming’s house the next day, she borrowed a packet of cold medicine from Mao Xiaomin on the lower bunk, took it, and went to bed early, pulling the covers over her head.
This sleep was extremely restless.
In her dream, time reversed, and Lin Wanwan returned to the afternoon when she and Jian Ming were shopping in the store.
“Ming-ge!” A lively, flamboyant girl wearing a deep red coat suddenly spotted them and called out to Jian Ming. After jogging over, her tone and attitude toward Jian Ming subtly hinted at intimacy.
“When I accompanied Auntie to get her hair permed yesterday, she mentioned how you’ve been skipping meals at home lately. So it turns out… hehe…”
The girl boldly linked arms with Jian Ming, flashing an eight-tooth smile as she greeted Lin Wanwan: “Hello, you must be Sister Wanwan, right? I’ve heard Auntie mention you often. My name is Shen Mingyue, and I’m Ming-ge’s good buddy.”
Lin Wanwan and Jian Ming had been dating for half a year, and it was only a few days ago, when Jian Ming invited her to watch a movie, that he had secretly held her hand once. They had never been as intimate as linking arms like this.
This was also one of the reasons Lin Wanwan had grown to like Jian Ming—he was very considerate. She could sense his desire to be closer but also his restraint, and she felt he respected her.
Now, seeing the intimate manner between this girl named Shen Mingyue and Jian Ming, it was easy to imagine how close they were in places Lin Wanwan couldn’t see. But was it really just the feeling of good friends? Lin Wanwan couldn’t quite put her finger on it, nor did she want to judge Jian Ming so quickly.
Yet this girl knew her name, while Lin Wanwan had never heard Jian Ming mention having such a friend.
Since they had run into each other in the store, Shen Mingyue, being alone, joined them as they shopped. Through their conversation, Lin Wanwan learned that they could be considered childhood sweethearts—they had grown up together, lived in the same compound, and their parents were not only neighbors but also comrades-in-arms, with the two families sharing a close bond.
The topics they chatted about were memories of their many years together, and the tacit understanding.
At that moment, Shen Mingyue suddenly set down everything she was carrying in both hands, rubbing her wrists as if they were sore from the weight. “That’s right, Brother Ming. You should see her back. I’ll be fine on my own. It’s just that going back and forth like this, you might miss dinner, and Auntie will surely start nagging again…”
Lin Wanwan lowered her head slightly, pausing for a moment before gently lifting the corners of her lips into a faint smile.
Shen Mingyue’s tactics were so transparently manipulative.
Jian Ming had been somewhat absentmindedly gazing elsewhere, still thinking about seeing Lin Wanwan back to school. But this inadvertent glance happened to catch the breathtakingly beautiful smile blooming on her face.
Wanwan rarely smiled at him, and never so radiantly…
In an instant, his eyes lit up like stars, the previously dim glow in his gaze instantly ignited by her smile. From then on, no matter what Lin Wanwan said, he eagerly nodded in agreement.
“That’s right, you should head back earlier. You and Miss Shen are going the same way anyway, while seeing me back would be out of your way. Besides, we’ll meet again tomorrow.”
“Alright, alright. Just be careful on your way back.”
Lin Wanwan’s smile deepened, her stunning beauty fully unfurling. Usually, she kept her expressions restrained, wary of attracting unnecessary trouble with her looks, but now she genuinely felt like smiling.
In the dream, just as in reality, Lin Wanwan carried her things back to school alone, bought chestnuts for Mao Xiaomin at the school gate, and returned to her dorm—everything seemed like a repetition.
Just as Lin Wanwan wondered why she was having such a dream, the dream began to change. She saw, after she left, Shen Mingyue and Jian Ming returning together.
In that scene, Shen Mingyue complained about being unable to carry her things and handed them all to Jian Ming. She then asked, “Brother Ming, your girlfriend mentioned meeting again tomorrow. Where are you two going? Can I come along? I’m so bored. Please, take me with you. I really like Sister Wanwan and want to be good friends with her.”
Jian Ming replied, “No, that won’t do. She’s coming to my house for dinner tomorrow. Don’t butt in.”
Shen Mingyue didn’t say anything more, merely pouting in displeasure.
The following scenes flashed by quickly. Lin Wanwan saw Jian Ming borrowing his older brother’s car the next day to pick her up at the school gate. The atmosphere between them was pleasant throughout the ride, and Jian Ming even reassured her not to be nervous—his family was kind and would surely like her, especially with his aunt, who was also Lin Wanwan’s teacher, there.
But just as they were about to arrive, a girl covered in blood and panic-stricken rushed out from a side road. The moment Jian Ming recognized who she was, he didn’t even bother explaining to Lin Wanwan, merely uttering, “Wait for me,” before rushing off.
Lin Wanwan saw it clearly: she sat alone in that unfamiliar pickup truck, waiting and waiting until her stomach began to ache slightly. Long past dinner time, the person who had promised to take her home to meet his parents never returned.
Jian Ming had abandoned her in the car for Shen Mingyue, missing the first formal opportunity to introduce her to his parents. Even in the dream, Lin Wanwan felt a chill run through her body. She was humiliated, sitting stiffly in the car, her expression frozen in place.
Until the car window was knocked.