Chapter 3: Crying Heartily

There’s something wrong with this world!

Shen Xiyan was certain of it.

Who is Qin Sheng, exactly?

The star of the school…

Back in middle school, she said she wouldn’t date.

Then in high school, she said the same again.

Whether it was the school bully or the campus heartthrob, all fell short in front of her.

Until today.

If everything had gone as it should, she would’ve been stopped in a small alley by some drunk thugs.

Then, while escaping, she would’ve met him and Lin Ci.

The other party would have tried to flirt, failed, gotten angry due to drunkenness and embarrassment.

Lin Ci would take Qin Sheng and run, while he stayed behind to block the way, only to get knocked out by a heavy blow and sent to the hospital.

What followed was Qin Sheng visiting him frequently, and a romance that practically fell into his lap.

This time, Shen Xiyan consciously tried to avoid that scene.

There were people coming and going on the street.

Even without him, surely someone else would step up.

But who would’ve thought Qin Sheng was already waiting for him at the entrance?

Did I remember wrong?

Did the “hero saving the beauty” already happen, and that’s why she confessed?

No way — Qin Sheng’s first words clearly showed she didn’t recognize him.

Besides, for ten years Qin Sheng never stopped talking about that “fateful encounter.”

Shen Xiyan might forget his own birthday, but not that day.

“Lin Ci, have we met Qin Sheng before?”

“How would I know?!”

Lin Ci bit her lip, full of indignation: “What’s up with her? Who confesses like that?! Is she insane?”

Beautiful.

It’s not her that’s insane — it’s the world that’s gone mad.

“You said earlier you felt like someone was spying on you. Was it her?”

“…………Earlier?” Shen Xiyan frowned.

I don’t remember.

What is this?

Did my future self kill off my past self?!

Lin Ci gritted her teeth, angrily asking, “A pretty girl confessed to you. What are you going to do? Are you getting together with her?”

Shen Xiyan stared blankly in a daze.

Lin Ci, frustrated, hit him: “Shen Xiyan!”

“…Huh?”

“Has your soul been taken away or what? I asked what you were thinking!”

“Not much…”

“You’re rejecting someone who came straight to you???”

Hearing what he meant, Lin Ci’s tone softened a lot.

Suddenly, she stopped and looked straight at Shen Xiyan.

Under the blood-red setting sun, Lin Ci’s long lashes trembled.

Light flickered in her eyes, and her delicate face held a breathtaking beauty.

Shen Xiyan was a bit dazed.

Realizing the mood was too ambiguous, Lin Ci hurriedly turned her head and walked two quick steps ahead, leaving only her graceful back.

“Ahem.”

Shen Xiyan cleared his throat and followed her closely.

Breaking the silence, he changed the topic: “Let’s not talk about her. Annoying. Do you have anything on your mind lately?”

“Why ask that?”

“You just don’t seem very happy these days…”

He was bluffing.

Talking to a teenage girl about her troubles is like asking a teenage boy about the prettiest girl in school — it never fails.

They can’t hide anything on their faces.

“It’s about the class placement. All my friends are going to liberal arts, but I want to study science.”

“Guys usually do science, girls liberal arts, right…”

Lin Ci bit her lip with a wronged expression: “If that’s how it is, shouldn’t you also choose science? Why are you going for liberal arts?”

“…Maybe I’m more interested in politics, history, and geography?”

Back in the college entrance exams, if it was just politics, history, and geography, Shen Xiyan was the top scorer in the city.

But throw in math and English, and his average score plummeted…

“There are quite a few guys in the other classes who switched just to be with their girlfriends. I’m thinking, maybe I’ll just pick liberal arts too.”

As she said it, she sneakily glanced at Shen Xiyan.

Shen Xiyan didn’t flinch, and after thinking for a moment, said firmly, “Then I’ll go with you — I’ll pick science.”

Lin Ci’s steps visibly paused. She couldn’t believe it: “You’ll go with me?”

“Yeah. You’re too pitiful alone. As your neighbor, I can’t just sit back.”

“Pfft! Who needs your pity…”

Lin Ci’s voice suddenly trembled a bit.

She had just mentioned how many guys switched tracks for their girlfriends, then gave him a slight hint, and he actually changed his mind.

What does that mean?

This dense blockhead finally got it?

He understood?!

“You’re doing it because of a girl too?”

“…Yeah,” Shen Xiyan muttered.

Qin Sheng was in liberal arts.

He’d wanted to avoid her, but after today’s mess, if she got another chance to cling to him, wouldn’t the future repeat itself?

Then what’s the point of being reborn?

After a long, long silence, Lin Ci suddenly made up her mind and said, “Thanks.”

“What for?”

“For caring about me.”

Her face flushed even redder.

Like a cat whose tail was stepped on, she ran away like a gust of wind.

“So weird…”

Shen Xiyan muttered, but the whole way, he looked around at the roads with interest.

Some buildings no longer existed ten years later.

Seeing them again now felt surreal.

The street was still the same street.

The building was still the same building…

They took the elevator upstairs and pulled out their keys to open the doors to their respective homes.

Shen Xiyan took a deep breath and adjusted his mood.

He couldn’t help but shout:

“Auntie, I’m home~~”

No response.

But there was a girl lying on the living room table, head down, writing furiously.

Shen Xiyan paused.

“Wenwen?”

That was his younger sister, Shen Wen.

They hadn’t gone to the same college, and after getting jobs in different cities, their contact gradually lessened.

Back then, Wenwen had even comforted him, saying, “We’ve grown up. We should have our own lives.”

But just recently, Shen Xiyan found out Qin Sheng was behind it all.

She was even jealous of Wenwen, pressuring her to leave.

At that time, Shen Xiyan was already talking marriage with Qin Sheng.

Wenwen didn’t want to interfere, so she left without a word.

“Auntie’s in the shower…”

Shen Wen didn’t look up.

Then suddenly, she was pulled into Shen Xiyan’s arms.

Her skin was as soft as tofu.

Her face quickly turned red from the hug, and she squirmed like a slippery little fish.

“Ah! Shen Xiyan! What are you doing?!”

“Ah… Let go… Let go!”

Before Shen Xiyan could enjoy the moment, she bit him hard.

Then came a barrage of kicks, and finally a painful yelp — she had kicked the table.

“Auntie! Shen Xiyan is bullying me!”

Now furious from her loss, Wenwen pounced at him.

Knowing he was at fault, Shen Xiyan only defended but didn’t retaliate, the smile on his face impossible to hide.

But Wenwen took it as provocation and got even angrier.

They fought back and forth for over ten rounds.

Finally, Shen Xiyan used his ultimate move — he pinned Wenwen down and poked her waist like a sword strike.

Her body trembled, and all her strength vanished.

She tried to run, but couldn’t.

Shen Xiyan sat on her legs, poking her left and right alternately.

Wenwen screamed, pushing at her brother.

But she was no match for him.

Her body went limp — every poke made her yelp, half-laughing, half-crying:

“A… Auntie… save me!”

In the end, her face red and streaked with tears, she collapsed under her brother and started crying.

“Shen Xiyan, you jerk! You just got home and you’re already bullying me!”

“It was just a joke…” Shen Xiyan immediately let go.

“What kind of joke is that?!”

She slapped his hand away, crying: “You’re always bullying me. Even when Auntie isn’t home. And now that she is, you’re still doing it!”

“You kicked me first.”

“You hugged me first…”

“It’s been a long time. I missed you.”

“Get lost! We just saw each other this morning.”

Shen Xiyan was suddenly at a loss for words.

Wenwen turned away, pretending to wipe tears: “Say you’re sorry.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“That’s more like it…”

Wenwen sniffled.

She looked like she wasn’t listening, but her rosy little ears perked up, catching every word of his apology.

At that moment, the bathroom door slid open.

“You two done yet? Why is it noisy the moment I get home?”

The speaker was a beautiful woman with delicate features and a soft, rounded face.

Fresh out of the shower, her messy, voluminous waves gave her a lazy, seductive look.

This was Aunt Jiang Xi — ten years older than him.

“Xiyan, you too! You’re not a kid anymore. Can’t you let your sister win once?”

Shen Xiyan looked at his aunt’s gorgeous face.

She looked radiant, not a trace of illness on her.

At this point in time, she would’ve just started to show symptoms.

It’s not too late!

He exhaled deeply and collapsed onto the sofa, chest heaving.

Looking at Wenwen, then at his aunt, the corners of his mouth curved upward.

Then the smile grew.

And grew.

Until he burst into laughter.

Loud, wild laughter.

The two women stared at him in shock.

Just as they were about to ask why — they saw Shen Xiyan crying.

Tears of pain.

Tears of joy.

Tears of relief.

He cried his heart out.