“How could I dare compete with you for a girlfriend? Wouldn’t that be like signing my own death warrant?”
She was just a shop assistant—if she even thought about stealing the boss’s girl, wouldn’t that be the same as being tired of living?
She wasn’t that foolish.
Bai Ningbing nodded, then walked out. Lin Guanqi leaned against the railing on the edge of the mall, looking down. If she hadn’t come to this world, would she have even dared to set foot in a place like this?
After all, in her other life, her financial situation was extremely poor. Back then, if she had listened to her friend’s advice and dressed as a girl to do piling work, maybe she could have earned a lot of money. But money earned by selling her body wasn’t what she wanted.
Suddenly, a warm touch from a hand on her back startled Lin Guanqi, making her shudder. She turned to see Bai Ningbing holding her hand.
It was as if Bai Ningbing could see right through Lin Guanqi’s feelings, her voice turning incomparably gentle.
“What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”
“…Why are you so good to me?”
Lin Guanqi had asked this question countless times. She’d never received the answer she wanted—every time, Bai Ningbing would say it was because of their past lives.
But only she herself had no memory of that past.
“Hmm… Let me think about how to answer you. I think love doesn’t need to be explained.”
“Love that needs to be explained isn’t real—it comes with motives. But I just like you, whether you’re Xu Jiaojiao or Lin Qier.”
For some reason, Lin Guanqi’s tear ducts were suddenly overwhelmed, and tears slid down the corners of her eyes.
“Aren’t you tired?”
Her voice was tinged with sobs. Why was she crying? She didn’t know, only that her heart felt sour.
For the first time, Bai Ningbing smiled. She gazed at Lin Guanqi and said with a smile, “No, I’m not tired. I love you.”
The two embraced.
The love between two girls was not recognized by the world, but in the end, that was just the world’s view. The two were drawn to each other. Although Lin Guanqi had disliked Bai Ningbing at first, every time she needed it most, Bai Ningbing would appear to protect her, like a giant pair of wings shielding her from the wind and rain.
“Wuuu…wuuu…”
Tears fell like raindrops on Bai Ningbing’s shoulder, soaking her shirt.
But Bai Ningbing only gently patted her back.
“It’s alright. No matter what happens, I’ll always stand behind you. No one can bully you…”
A few minutes later.
“Is our little crybaby done crying?” Bai Ningbing teased.
By the roadside, the two sat on a bench, with Lin Guanqi’s head resting on Bai Ningbing’s long, fair thighs.
“You’re the real crybaby! I was just emotional!”
“Okay, okay, so you’re an ‘emotional crybaby,’ right?”
Lin Guanqi puffed her cheeks. “Keep that up and I’m ignoring you.”
Bai Ningbing smiled and ran her finger down Lin Guanqi’s nose.
“Do whatever you want to do. I’ll always be here to support you, so don’t worry.”
That sentence filled Lin Guanqi’s heart with an overwhelming sense of security.
“Okay.”
After returning to the dorm, Lin Guanqi slept more soundly than she had in ages.
After a quick shower and changing into pajamas, she lay down to rest.
In her dream—
Lin Guanqi found herself on the street, holding an ice cream. She didn’t realize she was dreaming.
“Xu Jiaojiao, let’s go?”
“Mm!”
Beside her, a girl appeared. She couldn’t make out her face, but the voice sounded so familiar.
“Today, let’s go to the amusement park! Are you happy?”
“Of course I’m happy! We’re besties, after all!”
That…is my voice?
“Could we be…more than just besties?”
The voice sounded a little nervous, as if confessing.
Suddenly, Xu Jiaojiao’s voice interrupted her, as if she knew what she was about to say.
Xu Jiaojiao took off the wig on her head, revealing a bald scalp underneath.
“XXX, I have a tumor… I asked you out today to tell you this.”
The wind picked up Xu Jiaojiao’s white dress, her body so frail that it seemed the slightest breeze could blow her away.
Even though she couldn’t see her face, she could feel the other girl’s worry.
“Then, let’s fight it together!”
Xu Jiaojiao shook her head. “It’s no use. It’s late stage. I want to ride the Ferris wheel. Will you go with me?”
“Okay.”
Only after a long time did she answer.
On the Ferris wheel, the setting sun bathed them in a warm, gentle light.
Xu Jiaojiao leaned on her shoulder.
“Do you think…if we could always…always…be together…that would be nice…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, until all that was left was the mechanical clatter of the Ferris wheel.
Tears dripped onto Xu Jiaojiao’s cheeks, but she didn’t react at all.
Suddenly, Lin Guanqi on the bed jolted awake, her heart racing.
“Did I…die?”
No, it wasn’t that. It was memory! What were those memories? Who was that girl? Why did she seem so familiar?
All night, Lin Guanqi was plagued by these questions, leaving her unable to sleep at all.
In the classroom.
“Hahaha! With those dark circles, are you going to the zoo to be a national treasure?”
Ling Xue laughed so hard at Lin Guanqi’s dark eye circles that she slapped her own leg.
“Don’t laugh at me. I had a dream last night, and after that, I just couldn’t sleep. What could I do?”
“Hahaha, by the way, Bai Zhi said she wants you to go to her lab after class. She has something to discuss with you.”
Bai Zhi? It really had been a while since they last met—since that Black Tide incident, in fact. But she just wanted to rest!
After class started, Lin Guanqi gulped down several cups of coffee, but the liberal arts teacher’s lecture was as hypnotic as a lullaby, leaving her dozing through the entire class.
“Lin Guanqi!”
A sudden shout snapped Lin Guanqi to her feet.
“One times one is one, one times two is two, three times three is three!”
The whole class burst into laughter.
“Alright! Quiet down! Lin Guanqi, if you don’t want to listen to my class, go stand outside. If you sleep in my classroom again, you won’t get any credits!”
“Teacher, please don’t deduct my credits! I promise I’ll pay attention!”
If I lose any more credits, I’ll have none left! That can’t happen!
“Forget it. Go wash your face in the restroom and wake up a bit.”
Lin Guanqi nodded and left the classroom. Bai Ningbing, noticing that something seemed off, followed her out.
In the restroom, Lin Guanqi splashed cool water on her face.
“What’s wrong with me?”
She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Ningbing hugged Lin Guanqi from behind. Since that last time, she no longer disliked physical contact.
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t do well yesterday. I had a dream.”
“A nightmare?” Bai Ningbing asked.
“No, it was just a really strange dream.”
“In the dream, I was on a Ferris wheel…”
Suddenly, Lin Guanqi’s head throbbed with pain.
“I…can’t remember. But I do remember sitting on a Ferris wheel.”
Bai Ningbing’s eyes narrowed. Could it be…she’s starting to remember?
“It’s alright. If you can’t remember, we’ll take it slowly…”