Chapter 56: Rain Curtain

What exactly was she feeling?

You Xue couldn’t say.

Alone in that quiet, empty world, she suddenly felt abandoned by the entire world.

No one, not a single living thing existed.

Only she remained, lonely and isolated.

There was no end, no way out, and nothing at all.

Even the light was so distant, devoid of any warmth.

So she could only wait.

In truth, she was very good at waiting.

She had always been waiting—not just in her memories, but in her previous life as well.

Waiting for the apple her mother would bring after work.

Waiting for the different, always-lame jokes her older brother would tell after school.

Waiting for time to slowly pass.

Waiting for day to turn into night.

Day after day.

In truth, You Xue had known from the start that she was someone the world had abandoned.

From the very beginning, the world had never been willing to give her a normal life.

It never wanted her to live long.

It never wanted her to be happy.

So she had learned to wait a long time ago.

She didn’t actually like waiting, but it seemed that aside from waiting, there wasn’t much in her life worth caring about.

She waited over and over, repeating it for so long, until eventually she grew tired of living.

And she didn’t want to keep being a burden to her mother and brother anymore.

So one night, she decided she wouldn’t wait any longer.

That night, although the lights were off, it wasn’t completely dark.

The neon lights of the distant city outside the window cast brilliant colors reflected in her eyes.

Then those distant colors grew hazy and blurred, slowly spreading like blooming flowers.

Until, in a daze, her vision went pitch black, and all sensation disappeared.

She had given up waiting.

She had also given up on the people she was waiting for.

Just like that, she came to this world.

She didn’t like waiting.

That was why she actively changed this story before her body fell apart.

She didn’t want to sit back and welcome a sorrowful ending.

So when she was alone in that world, she felt so uneasy, so panicked.

Until Su Li appeared before her.

In that moment, was the emotion welling up in her heart her childhood sweetheart’s, or her own?

She couldn’t tell anymore.

She just wanted to hold Su Li.

He was the only person she could grasp now, the only one she could rely on.

She threw herself into that tall, warm embrace.

By the time her mind had calmed down, although her arms had loosened, You Xue didn’t want to let Su Li go.

She held his hand.

She didn’t want to let go.

“Were you scared?”

Su Li asked softly.

His fingers didn’t pull away.

He let her hold them, his fingertips gently curling to grip her palm in return.

You Xue lowered her head, a faint blush already spreading across her cheeks.

The sensation in her hand was so real.

Su Li’s palm was large enough to envelop her entire hand.

His skin felt a bit rough, calloused at the fingertips—probably from holding a sword.

Enclosed in his palm, You Xue’s hand grew warm, and her cheeks flushed with the same heat.

“I wasn’t scared. It’s just… just that I didn’t know where to go.”

You Xue’s voice grew quieter as she spoke.

Su Li listened, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible smile.

Then he tightened his grip on You Xue’s hand just a little more.

“It’s okay. Just follow me.”

You Xue let Su Li lead her across that empty wilderness.

The scenery along the way gradually blurred, like paint soaked by water on a canvas.

All the outlines slowly melted away.

She didn’t look back at the cabin.

Whether or not that cabin existed no longer mattered.

“In this kind of illusory realm, you just have to keep walking in any direction and you’ll get out.”

Su Li explained, his steps slowing a little to match You Xue’s pace.

You Xue simply nodded, then said quietly,

“I understand.”

They continued walking forward.

Time itself seemed to slow with their steps.

You Xue felt the warmth of her hand being held.

She didn’t want to let go.

She had been held like this by her childhood sweetheart before, feeling so at ease.

As they walked, those false, cold lights disappeared, replaced by a very clean light that grew steadily larger.

It turned out to be the light of a fluorescent lamp.

You Xue blinked, realizing she had stepped out of the illusory realm.

“…Why are you two so slow?”

The first thing she heard was Alice’s complaint.

Then You Xue felt a sharp gaze piercing through her.

She looked up a little helplessly and saw Alice staring with some surprise at the space between her and Su Li.

It was… their joined hands.

You Xue immediately pulled her hand away from Su Li’s palm.

But the moment it left that warmth, an empty feeling surged up almost simultaneously.

Although she still wanted to maintain that state, doing so in front of Alice, who liked Su Li, was no longer appropriate.

Seeing this, Alice didn’t show any negative emotions.

Instead, she said with a hint of teasing,

“What happened? Why are you two coming out like this?”

You Xue didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

“Did someone get scared?”

Alice continued.

“I wasn’t scared. I just didn’t want to walk anymore.”

You Xue turned her head away, forcing out one sentence.

“Oh.”

Alice dragged out her tone with obvious mischief.

“Is that so?”

Even Su Li, who was a bit slow on the uptake, could tell something was off about her words now.

“Come on, Alice.”

Alice blinked, dropping the teasing tone.

“Alright, alright. So, shall we next—”

Alice was about to continue, but she was interrupted by a sudden ringtone.

Her phone was ringing.

She paused for a moment, then pulled out her phone.

The screen’s glow reflected on her face, making her emerald eyes shimmer faintly.

She glanced at the caller ID, raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked up at Su Li and You Xue.

She made a “wait a moment” gesture, turned around, and answered the call.

After about half a minute, Alice hung up and turned back to face the two of them, her expression somewhat conflicted.

“Sorry, I know I said we’d play all day.”

Her tone turned a little disappointed.

“I have something I need to go back and handle.”

“If it’s urgent, you should go ahead.

We’ll be fine.”

Su Li said reassuringly.

Alice looked at the two childhood sweethearts, who seemed closer now, and smiled.

“Of course I believe you’ll be fine. I just really wanted to stay a bit longer. What a shame.”

“Next time. If you have time, we’ll go out together again.”

Su Li comforted her.

“Yeah, next time.”

Alice replied, said her goodbyes, and walked off into the distance.

Finally, only Su Li and You Xue were left, staring at each other.

“Where to now?”

You Xue asked.

“How about just wandering around the street for a bit?”

Su Li hesitated for a moment before saying.

So the two left the haunted house and aimlessly walked along the streets of the academy.

You Xue felt as if time itself had slowed down.

The wind on the street was light.

Walking beside Su Li felt like she had returned to the past.

A past that wasn’t hers.

“Do you want to buy something?”

Su Li’s tone was a bit cautious as he asked.

You Xue gently shook her head.

“No, I’m fine.”

She looked at the lush green trees and the flowers swaying gently in the breeze along the academy road.

Her mood was uncharacteristically bright.

“Just walking with me like this is enough. I’m really happy.”

“Yeah.”

Su Li nodded.

Although he didn’t fully understand what his childhood sweetheart was thinking, it was always a good thing to make her happy.

Just then, he felt a slight chill on the top of his head.

Su Li instinctively looked up.

“What’s wrong?”

You Xue tilted her head and asked.

“It’s raining.”

As he said this, fine threads of rain began to drift slowly from the sky.