While doing homework, he got thirsty.
As Gu Chenshi came out to pour some water, someone knocked on the door.
He could roughly guess who was knocking.
It was the new neighbor next door.
The girl had her long hair casually tied back, wearing a fluffy beige flannel pajama. Her clean and delicate face was free of makeup, looking excessively pale.
Her fragile appearance made one’s protective instincts surge uncontrollably.
She was indeed very pretty, the kind that would be considered a goddess no matter which school she attended.
However, her eyes held a detachment that didn’t match her age, and when they met Gu Chenshi’s gaze, she instinctively looked away.
Somewhat embarrassed, she handed a bowl to Gu Chenshi and said softly, “Thank you.”
Gu Chenshi took the bowl, and the girl lowered her head, turning to leave.
“Hey,” Gu Chenshi leaned against the doorframe, holding the bowl in one hand and a glass water cup in the other, taking a slow sip before saying, “Please take good care of yourself.”
The girl stared blankly at Gu Chenshi.
Seemingly unaccustomed to his sudden concern.
“Otherwise, my mom keeps worrying about you. She’s usually very busy, and I don’t want her to be too tired.”
The girl lowered her head again and mumbled, “Mm.”
Gu Chenshi stepped back behind the door and gently kicked it shut with his foot.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, the girl, who had already reached her own door, couldn’t help but look back. Staring at the tightly shut door, a faint trace of longing flickered in her detached eyes.
Then, as if thinking of something, her eyes dimmed, and she silently stepped over the threshold.
Such a happy and warm family was something she could never hope to have in her lifetime, right?
She was destined to be unhappy forever. Hadn’t she already accepted her fate?
Yet, it was laughable. When she moved here and was cared for by kind neighbors, she actually began to hope that one day, she too could have someone who truly loved and cared for her.
That boy must be the happiest person in the world.
To have such a wonderful mother…
She was so jealous of him…
Jealous enough to go mad.
…
It was said that due to a major family incident—though, of course, everyone knew what that “major incident” was—Kong Xiao had dropped out of school.
As for where he went after dropping out, according to well-informed sources, it seemed that because his parents owed a lot of debt they couldn’t repay, his grandfather, fearing creditors would come after him, took him away to hide.
As for his academic future… what was more important than life itself?
Gu Chenshi himself never expected that Kong Xiao, that clown, would exit the stage in such a way.
Having lived two lives, his choices were different, and so was his way of living.
In his previous life, he lay lifelessly in bed, waiting for death.
In this life, he was a high school senior preparing for the college entrance exam, with boundless prospects and a promising future.
Busy and fulfilled every day, Gu Chenshi was content.
If only Lin Ranran could maintain her tsundere attitude, firmly drawing a line between them until they went their separate ways half a year later, that would be even better.
High school studies were intense, and school ended late.
By the time classes were over, the sky was already pitch black.
“Beep! Beep!”
As Gu Chenshi walked toward the bus stop, the sound of a car horn came from behind.
He sensed the deliberateness in the honking and instinctively turned around.
The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a somewhat familiar face—a well-maintained middle-aged woman.
“Hello, Gu Chenshi.” The middle-aged woman smiled at Gu Chenshi, her expression slightly apologetic.
Gu Chenshi thought for a moment and realized who she was.
Lin Ranran’s mother.
“Get in, I’ll give you a ride.”
Even without thinking too hard, Gu Chenshi knew Lin Ranran was sitting in the back seat.
He shook his head. “No need, thank you.”
Something that could be solved with just two yuan—why would he trouble himself to have someone give him a ride?
Besides, he wanted nothing to do with Lin Ranran or the Lin family.
The unforgettable experiences from his past life made him avoid Lin Ranran at all costs.
Lin’s mother had expected to be refused, but her smile still carried a hint of awkwardness. “Gu Chenshi, are you still angry with me?
But there was nothing I could do about it. I was too impulsive and went too far that day. Even now, I regret it—why did I believe Kong Xiao’s words so easily? It’s only natural that you’re upset with me.”
Gu Chenshi replied coldly, “Let bygones be bygones, Auntie. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go wait for the bus.”
Without giving Lin’s mother a chance to respond, Gu Chenshi walked away.
Sitting in the back seat, Lin Ranran stared fixedly at Gu Chenshi’s handsome, carefree, and slightly lazy figure, unable to look away for a long time.
This guy’s heart is so cold and hard.
He said he wouldn’t waste time on her, and he truly withdrew from her world—completely, without leaving any room.
Even if they weren’t lovers, they had once been friends.
If they couldn’t be friends, they were at least classmates, weren’t they?
Why could he ignore her existence so completely?
It made her wonder if she had accidentally triggered some kind of invisibility power that only worked on him, making her invisible to his eyes.
Lin Ranran bit her lower lip.
In the past, even the most casual words she said would be remembered by him!
Lin’s mother saw her daughter’s expression in the rearview mirror, and a suspicion began to form in her mind.
Although Kong Xiao was quite a piece of work, the video he had sent allowed Lin’s mother to realize that her daughter had been troubled lately.
But she never talked to her family about it.
For the past few days, she had seemed downcast, either hiding in her room or lost in thought.
To avoid upsetting her, Lin’s mother hadn’t pressed her, but she was growing increasingly anxious.
She felt it must have something to do with this male classmate named Gu Chenshi.
Could it be…
Lin’s mother considered one possibility.
Could her daughter have a one-sided crush?
But a mother knows her daughter best. Her daughter was a proud little princess, always pursued by boys, and it seemed she had never actively liked anyone before.
But nothing is absolute.
Or perhaps the two had secretly dated, and now they were having a falling out. Gu Chenshi was ignoring her, which was why her daughter seemed so distracted.
“Sigh, it’s all my fault for being too impulsive and offending your classmate,” Lin’s mother said, blaming herself.
Lin Ranran didn’t say anything, but deep down, she felt some resentment.
If her mother hadn’t believed Kong Xiao’s nonsense and hadn’t confronted Gu Chenshi, maybe they would have made up by now…
Lin’s mother added, “I’ll visit him another day to apologize properly.”
Lin Ranran’s eyes suddenly lit up, but she quickly hid her excitement and pretended not to care as she asked, “…Mom, when are you planning to go?”
Lin’s mother noticed her reaction and sighed inwardly.
Oh, her silly daughter!
“This Saturday then, it’s settled. Saturday morning, any other time won’t do—you’re too busy with your studies, and dropping by would just be a bother.”
Lin Ranran took a deep breath. “Mom, I’ll go with you.”
On the surface, it seemed she wanted to “share the hardship” with her mother, but in reality, she wanted to see what Gu Chenshi’s daily living space looked like.
Strange, why had she never been curious about it before?