Xu Xintong was grateful she could relive her high school years; being with Chen Linming and the others always made her genuinely happy.
Just like in her past life, filled with laughter, chatter, and playful bickering, she never felt lonely.
After reaching adulthood, everyone grew busy, and the time they could spend together dwindled, a regret that had long weighed heavily on her heart.
She was never someone who easily put her sentimental emotions on display, yet in front of Nong Wanshi and the others, she felt as though she never needed to hide.
“Diudiu, I don’t want to graduate.”
Diudiu was still checking the index when it heard Yi Bao’s listless voice.
“Yi Bao, but…”
Diudiu couldn’t empathize with human emotions; it could only sense that her spirits were low.
How could Xu Xintong not know that Diudiu was merely a system? She just wanted someone to talk to, as there were certain feelings she didn’t know who else to share with.
The longer she stayed with Chen Linming and the rest, the harder she feared her hard-earned adult mask would shatter.
Xu Xintong walked down the corridor with her head down, moving in a sluggish stroll, completely failing to notice the obstacle blocking her path ahead.
“Yi Bao, what is wrong with you? What are you daydreaming about?”
Chen Linming pressed her finger against Xu Xintong’s forehead, stopping her just short of a collision.
Chen Linming always felt that Xu Xintong had changed a great deal, no longer possessing her former carefree demeanor.
Perhaps the pressure was simply too immense, considering they were in their final year of high school.
“Ah.”
“Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
Still lost in thought, Xu Xintong hadn’t even managed to raise her head before being startled by Chen Linming’s sudden contact.
Cupping Xu Xintong’s face in both hands, Chen Linming’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yi Bao, do you happen to know what Ye Ruoxi likes?”
“I want to…”
Fumbling and hesitant, she seemed to be masking something.
Seeing this gesture, Xu Xintong instantly knew what she was plotting.
Yet Xu Xintong had no intention of spelling it out; teasing her surely promised to be fun.
“Ye Ruoxi?”
“Mm.”
“She seems…”
“Um, actually, I have no idea.”
Silence.
Chen Linming was speechless.
Xu Xintong hadn’t changed at all; she remained perpetually infuriating.
“Aren’t you guys classmates? Yi Bao.”
Her tone grew gooey and sweet. Xu Xintong honestly hadn’t expected her attitude to pivot so rapidly.
Just a moment ago, she had sensed a murderous aura, which was instantly replaced by eagerness.
“Isn’t her birthday coming up soon? I want to prepare a surprise for her.”
Chen Linming finally laid her cards on the table, figuring her intentions had likely been transparent to Xu Xintong all along.
After all, having hung out for so long, they could generally guess what was on each other’s minds.
Xu Xintong recalled that Ye Ruoxi’s birthday was indeed right around the corner.
As the youngest of the four, she was finally turning eighteen.
This time, they would likely head to a karaoke lounge; Ye Ruoxi loved a lively atmosphere, the more people the better.
Roughly remembering what unfolded during that birthday, Xu Xintong’s mind whirred.
“A-Ming, she likes the latest cosmetics set from Xueyu.”
In her past life, when Chen Linming gifted her this exact set, she was overjoyed and bragged about it to her and Nong Wanshi every single day.
As she spoke, Xu Xintong grabbed Chen Linming’s hand, a hint of excitement coloring her tone.
“Eh? How did you guess the exact same thing I was thinking?”
“Actually, I debated for ages. I felt she would like it. Since you think so too, she’s definitely going to love it.”
The more Chen Linming spoke, the more confident she grew. She knew her taste in picking gifts wouldn’t fail her.
Especially when it came to celebrating the birthday of the one residing in her heart.
Only, Chen Linming remained utterly clueless.
Watching Chen Linming’s silly, beaming grin, Xu Xintong could only think she was endurably foolish.
Someone had fallen head over heels in love, after all.
Xu Xintong wouldn’t spell it out for Chen Linming; some realizations required time to dawn on one’s own, allowing them to understand their true feelings.
This time, she would absolutely not let them miss out on each other again.
Though she couldn’t fathom why Chen Linming had also turned into an Alpha in this life, since it had changed, there must be a reason, and she would simply let nature take its course.
Perhaps the heavens simply didn’t want loving souls to endure the agony of separation once more.
Xu Xintong pondered that if she herself had changed, Chen Linming’s transformation was perhaps justifiable.
Could this be a chain reaction triggered by her rebirth?
Xu Xintong couldn’t puzzle it out, nor could she readily ask Diudiu.
Diudiu’s sleep cycles were far too erratic, flickering between active and dormant at random.
It always felt rather strange.
Generally, the middle of every month marked Diudiu’s dormant phase, a stretch during which Xu Xintong invariably felt profoundly bored.
A pervasive sense of emptiness always surrounded her.
Returning to the classroom, Ye Ruoxi jogged over to invite Xu Xintong, “You have to come to my birthday, and make sure to bring Nong Shiying along.”
Patting Xu Xintong’s shoulder, Ye Ruoxi hurried off to the restroom with someone else before she could reply.
“Wait, with Nong Wanshi?”
Xu Xintong was bewildered. What did she mean by going together with Nong Wanshi?
Alas, Ye Ruoxi had already departed, leaving Xu Xintong to wait and ask upon her return.
Ring, ring, ring, ring.
How on earth did this girl manage to wait until class started to come back?
Watching Ye Ruoxi trot back in while playfully chatting with others, Xu Xintong realized she would have to wait until later to inquire.
The moment class ended, however, Xu Xintong was summoned to the faculty office by Teacher Cai.
“Look at you, your grades have improved dramatically, and you have a very strong chance of getting into Beijing Institute of Technology. You must not slack off.”
Cai Feiyun had witnessed Xu Xintong’s evolution and persistent effort firsthand.
The girl possessed an intense drive to improve and enormous potential.
Xu Xintong listened to Cai Feiyun’s earnest advice attentively at first, right up until she spotted Nong Wanshi standing inside the office as well.
Her focus drifted immediately, her gaze locking onto Nong Wanshi.
Nong Wanshi stood near the window where slanting sunlight cut across the room, illuminating half of her face.
The light was wispy, like a layer of gauze gently draping over her features, the bridge of her nose, her eyelashes, her slightly parted lips all edged in a soft, golden fringe.
A stray breeze occasionally stirred her hair, sending a few strands dancing before her eyes. She didn’t brush them aside, simply letting them sway in a silent rhythm.
Her fingers idly traced the edge of the windowsill, her nails neatly trimmed and clean, her fingertips occasionally tapping against the wood grain.
Unaware of whether she was looking at anything or simply staring into space, she stood quietly, her eyelashes casting delicate shadows whenever they lowered, then fluttering up to reveal dark, brilliant pupils.
Xu Xintong stared in a daze; no matter where she was, Nong Wanshi always effortlessly commanded her attention.
“Alright, alright, make sure you remember what I said. You cannot afford to let your guard down.”
Noticing Xu Xintong was no longer listening, Cai Feiyun reluctantly dismissed her.
Stepping out the door, Nong Wanshi followed closely behind.
“Um, Nong Wanshi.”
“Why did Ye Ruoxi want me to go with you to her birthday?”
Figuring she could never catch Ye Ruoxi alone, Xu Xintong decided to ask Nong Wanshi since she happened to be right there.
“We’re going to her house first.”
Nong Wanshi hadn’t expected Xu Xintong to stop her specifically to ask this.
“Go to her house? Isn’t it at a karaoke lounge?”
Had the venue changed? Or had she remembered incorrectly?
“We’re celebrating at her house first, then heading to the karaoke place.”
“How did you know about the karaoke place.”
Nong Wanshi was genuinely startled by her words, as she and Ye Ruoxi had only finalized the karaoke plan over WeChat moments ago.
No one else knew, and Xu Xintong had been inside the office at the time.
Though Nong Wanshi hadn’t initially realized Xu Xintong was in the office, the burning gaze fixed upon her had been entirely impossible to ignore.
That look was far too naked yet cautiously restrained, resembling someone cupping a fragile flame that might extinguish at any second.
Whenever she noticed and turned to look, Xu Xintong would instantly drop her gaze, pretending to look elsewhere while her ears turned completely crimson.
In front of Nong Wanshi, all of Xu Xintong’s little maneuvers were laid utterly bare.
“Ah? I guessed. Doesn’t Ye Ruoxi like singing and all that, haha.”
A clumsy performance.
“I’m leaving. Chen Linming is taking me to lunch.”
“Bye.”
Xu Xintong desperately wanted to flee the scene, having made yet another embarrassing spectacle of herself.
Watching the retreating figure scurry away, Nong Wanshi’s eyes deepened considerably.
It seemed Xu Xintong…
Scampering back to the classroom, Xu Xintong breathed heavily, feeling utterly terrified.
She had nearly exposed her true nature just then; Nong Wanshi’s reaction speed remained terrifyingly sharp.
What would happen if she ever found out about her rebirth?
“Diudiu, can I tell her?”
“Yi Bao, that doesn’t seem permissible. The Source Universe prohibits it, and doing so will trigger corresponding penalties.”
Xu Xintong knew it; her rebirth apparently wasn’t entirely a loophole-free affair.
Does that mean she would have to hide this secret forever?
“Xu Xintong, remember to come with us to the karaoke too!”
Ye Ruoxi flashed a brilliant smile toward Xu Xintong.
The radiant girl resembled the bright sun of a spring day.
“Alright, alright, I’ll definitely be there.”
The corners of Ye Ruoxi’s mouth curved upward, bearing a striking resemblance to Chen Linming.
Xu Xintong felt the two of them were like a pair of younger sisters, always capable of lifting her spirits.
“You haven’t been spending too much time with that person lately, have you? Several times when you came home.”
“The task I gave you wasn’t meant for just anyone, and I expect you understand.”
“It appears you are incapable of completing my assignment.”
“I’ve already arranged someone else for you, so you needn’t concern yourself with anyone else.”
Cold, impatient words.
Under heavy, suffocating pressure, Nong Wanshi lowered her head in silence.
“I see you’ve grown quite rebellious lately. Accept your punishment and confine yourself.”
An unquestionable tone that sent shivers down the spine.
“Understood.”
Lately, Xu Xintong hadn’t run into Nong Wanshi much; even during shared physical education classes, her figure was nowhere to be found.
Tutoring sessions were temporarily suspended as well, with Nong Wanshi explaining that she was occupied with matters for a few days.
For some reason, an underlying sense of unease continuously gnawed at Xu Xintong.
“Never mind, forget it. Why waste energy worrying about her?”
Xu Xintong shook her head, tossing aside all the nagging, unsettling thoughts.
Standing beneath the crystal chandelier in an immaculate suit, the gentleman raised a glass of champagne, his gaze sweeping across the crowded room before finally resting on Ye Ruoxi, a proud and doting smile curving his lips.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for taking time out of your schedules tonight to celebrate my precious daughter’s eighteenth birthday!”
Pausing slightly, his voice carried the calm, low resonance typical of someone accustomed to power.
The guests offered warm, good-natured laughter, while Ye Ruoxi lowered her gaze, biting her lip with fluttering eyelashes as a faint blush bloomed across her cheeks.
Chen Linming and Xu Xintong sat in the audience, genuinely happy for Ye Ruoxi.
Only, Chen Linming’s gaze toward Ye Ruoxi held a distinct glimmer of infatuation.
Meanwhile, Xu Xintong scanned the crowd, searching for a specific figure.
At last, she spotted her.
Xu Xintong’s mouth curved into an instant smile, only for it to immediately drop.
Beside Nong Wanshi stood a young man.
What were they discussing? Why was Nong Wanshi standing side-by-side with him?
Weren’t they supposed to come together to celebrate?
Having not seen her for so long, and with her skipping school, was she spending it with him instead?
Xu Xintong realized her emotional fluctuations were running dangerously high, causing her pheromones to destabilize.
Unwilling to linger a second longer, she slipped outside to catch some fresh air.
The mere sight of Nong Wanshi standing alongside someone else was enough to send her emotions spiraling out of control.
What a mistake!
Maintaining distance from Nong Wanshi was clearly the wisest course of action.
Otherwise, she was bound to repeat her past tragedies.
If possession was impossible, she shouldn’t even entertain the fantasy, nor afford herself the luxury of wishful thinking.
The more Xu Xintong dwelled on it, the more distressed she felt, desperately wishing she could drown her sorrows in alcohol right at that moment.
Then remembering how she had died of alcohol poisoning in her past life, she cursed herself for having the memory of a goldfish!
“Let’s go, let’s go, time to head to the karaoke rooms.”
Sensing Xu Xintong’s erratic mood upon her return, Chen Linming tried to liven the atmosphere, pulling her along in the wake of Ye Ruoxi.
Ye Ruoxi glanced toward Nong Wanshi as well; both of them seemed rather out of sorts.