Lin Yu sat on the bed and wiped the cold sweat from his face.
He’d had that dream again, but this time, someone appeared in it who had never been there before.
“How could she be there… She should be gone by now.”
Everyone has regrets, and he was no exception.
He didn’t hate those women, and he did owe them an apology, but if he had to say who he owed the most, it would undoubtedly be Ye Ling.
He was well aware that the girl was in the room next door, but he couldn’t go to her.
Not to mention that Gu Yunxi wouldn’t agree, he also knew that keeping their distance was the best apology he could give her.
But, after all…
“I really want to see her…”
A sigh, laden with complex emotions, echoed in the quiet room.
Just then, there came a knock on the door, startlingly sharp in the silence.
“Dong dong dong.”
He widened his eyes and quickly turned to look at the door.
At this hour, who could it be? Has my sister come looking for me?
He was still puzzled—his sister hadn’t called him at all, could it be she came straight to the door…
Oh no, I’m doomed!
If it really was his sister, there was no way to hide. He could only hope she wouldn’t be too angry and wouldn’t take it out on Gu Yunxi or even Ye Ling.
But with Ye Ling, that was unlikely, since the two would be master and disciple in the future.
Come to think of it, how did things even end up like this?
While preparing himself to be scolded by his sister, Lin Yu sighed at the unpredictability of fate.
He sauntered over to the door, quickly composed his expression, and opened it, “Sist… uh.”
The second “sister” was stuck in his throat by the person outside.
He’d already prepared himself to be dragged away by his sister, but to his surprise, it was Ye Ling knocking at the door.
For a moment, he stammered, “You, wh-why, eh???”
But the girl outside seemed even more emotional than he was. She threw her arms around him tightly, as if afraid he’d disappear.
“Lin Yu! Thank goodness, you’re okay…”
Her voice was laced with fear, relief, and joy, sending a buzz through Lin Yu’s mind, making his heart pound wildly.
What does she mean, I’m okay? How could I not be? Unless…!
Thinking of that possibility, Lin Yu froze completely, though the shock also brought tremendous doubt.
No, no, I can’t be sure yet, I have to ask, but if it’s really like that…
He couldn’t help but feel anticipation mixed with… fear.
Gently patting the emotional girl’s back, “Alright, alright, what’s wrong? Can you let go for a second? It’s not good if someone sees.”
Having just released the emotions blocked up by the dream, Ye Ling gradually calmed down and realized that this really was a bit inappropriate.
She let go and stepped back a little, the corners of her eyes still glistening with tears.
“Mm… Sorry, I, I just couldn’t help myself.” Then she bit her lip, looking at Lin Yu with bright eyes, “Um… can we talk inside?”
After she said it, Ye Ling felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushing.
At this time, in these clothes, knocking on the door to ask to come in—no matter how you looked at it, it couldn’t be just to chat.
He probably… won’t agree, right…
Ah, what am I thinking, how could I lose my composure like this? But he really is next door.
As Lin Yu fell silent, Ye Ling’s heart became more and more uneasy. Just as she was about to back out, Lin Yu finally spoke.
He stepped aside without looking at her, “Mm, come in.”
Hearing this, Ye Ling’s anxious expression instantly turned radiant.
She let out a gentle breath and whispered, “Then, excuse me.” It was as if she’d completely forgotten this was actually her aunt’s room.
Under the light, their shadows stretched in opposite directions.
For some reason, the atmosphere in the room became eerily quiet.
After calming down, Ye Ling realized she’d been a bit impulsive. Could something in a dream really be taken seriously? Of course not.
If she told him she acted like that because of a dream—how embarrassing would that be?
And even more awkward now, this nightdress is so short!
She sat in the chair, trying to pull the hem down with her hands, but no matter how she pulled, she couldn’t cover her thighs.
And because she was tugging so hard, her upper body seemed… quite tight and well-shaped.
She sneaked a glance at Lin Yu, who sat on the bed—not looking her way, thankfully.
But why did that make her feel an inexplicable sense of disappointment…
As for Lin Yu, though he didn’t look at Ye Ling, all he could think about was her, searching for the right words.
You were reborn too? Too direct—if she wasn’t, that’d be hard to explain.
But if not, then what was with her behavior just now?
Is it or isn’t it? How should he ask? He’d been wondering this since earlier.
Forget it, let’s just ask why she came over first.
“You…”
“You…”
They spoke in unison, glanced at each other, then both looked away, the atmosphere shifting from awkward to slightly ambiguous.
“What did you want to say to me?” In the end, Lin Yu broke the heavy silence.
Ye Ling composed herself and pressed her legs even closer together.
Although it was incredible, she decided to tell Lin Yu about the recurring dream she’d been having.
“Actually, just now—well, not just now, I mean, lately I’ve been having a dream…”
Lin Yu listened quietly. The more he heard, the more shocked he felt—especially when she said she died holding his corpse.
He couldn’t hold back anymore. He looked up, his lips trembling, “You, you, at the end of every dream it’s…”
Ye Ling nodded, then suddenly noticed the boy before her looked as if he’d suffered a heavy blow—his face pale, pupils trembling.
She asked gently, “Are you alright? It’s just a dream, it shouldn’t be real, though I don’t know why I keep dreaming it lately.”
“It’s just a dream, really just a dream?” Lin Yu murmured.
Of course he knew—that wasn’t a dream. Definitely not.
He hadn’t expected that after he died, Ye Ling would return—and die for him…
Whether or not Ye Ling was reborn, this result was something he could never accept.
He’d rather she slowly forgot him, started a new life, than die for something like that.
Immense guilt and heartache filled his chest. He felt it was hard to breathe, and his vision blurred.
At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything. He struggled to raise his hand, only wanting to touch that figure so close by.
The next second, his hand was grasped by another warm hand, and a gentle, concerned voice reached his ear.
“Are you okay, Lin Yu? What’s wrong? Lie down.”
Then his body felt lighter—she helped him lie down on the bed.
A warm palm pressed to his forehead, “No fever. What’s wrong? I’ll get a doctor, wait a moment.”
Ye Ling was about to turn to leave when Lin Yu pulled her back. He managed a weak smile, looking a little better.
“I’m fine. No need for a doctor, thank you.”
“Really?” Ye Ling was dubious. She’d just seen Lin Yu’s face turn ugly; he looked a little better now, but there must be some sudden illness.
“Really. If you’re alright, you should go back to sleep. It’s late.”
“Huh?” Ye Ling was surprised, not understanding why he wanted her to leave at this moment.
Actually, Lin Yu’s meaning was very clear. When his body went into that daze from the emotional turmoil just now, one thing became even clearer—a decision he’d made long ago.
For Ye Ling’s sake, and for his own life, they really couldn’t be entangled anymore.
So, even if it was abrupt and awkward to say it now, he had to.
He turned his head away, not looking at her, his fingers clenching white, “It’s so late. Just the two of us alone… it’s not appropriate…”
As expected, when she heard this, Ye Ling was obviously stunned, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes.
Now he thinks it’s not appropriate—then why did he let me in just now?
This guy—does he really not trust me?
Hmph… see if I care what happens to you!
She’d picked up some of Gu Yunxi’s temperament after all. “Fine, then I’ll go.”
She wanted to say something else, but seeing Lin Yu’s clear wish to not see her, she shut her mouth and left the room.
When he heard the door close, he turned to look at the ceiling.
“I’m right. I’m right… it’s better for you, better for me… but still…”
He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.
As he tasted the bitter fruit alone, his quiet phone suddenly rang.
On the display, it said: “Sister”.