Chapter 2: I'll Take You Home

A sharp slap rang out, and in the next moment, Yan Zi Li was sent sprawling to the ground. The onlookers, who had been expecting a show, were stunned. They had anticipated Qianfan Lin bullying Ruo Xia, but to their surprise, he had slapped Yan Zi Li instead.

“Qianfan Lin, what are you doing?”

“How could you hit someone?”

A boy standing beside Yan Zi Li stepped forward, his tone furious.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“If you do, keep it to yourself!” Qianfan Lin’s face darkened as he glared at the boy. The boy instantly fell silent. Though reluctant and indignant, he dared not utter another word. Qianfan Lin was an athlete—tall and strong—and no one wanted to provoke him.

“Qianfan Lin, how dare you hit me! Just you wait!” Yan Zi Li covered her face, her voice venomous. “I’ll tell Qian Xu what you’ve done, and we’ll see how she deals with you!”

Qianfan Lin felt utterly indifferent. In his previous life, he had mistakenly believed that Qian Xu had chosen him steadfastly. As a result, he became a pitiful sycophant, only to be betrayed in the end. If he hadn’t come to his senses in time, who knows what gutter he might have ended up in on some rainy night, never achieving anything of significance.

Now, however, he understood the truth, and fate had granted him a second chance. As for Qian Xu—she could go to hell.

“Those who need to go home, go home! Disperse!” Qianfan Lin called out to the onlookers. At once, people began to leave in small groups, until only he and Ruo Xia remained.

At that moment, Ruo Xia was about to leave as well, but Qianfan Lin’s voice stopped her. “I told them to leave. Did I say you could go?”

She halted, turning to look at him with misty, almond-shaped eyes.

“Are you… still going to bully me?” Her voice trembled, evoking a sharp pang of pity.

“Who’s bullying you now?” he retorted. “It’s late and dangerous. I’ll walk you home. What if some thug appears out of nowhere? Wouldn’t that put you in danger?”

“Good intentions are always misunderstood! It’s true: it’s hardest to be a good person in this world,” Qianfan Lin declared resolutely.

In his previous life, Ruo Xia had died young. In this life, he was determined to save her from calamity. He had missed his chance before; this time, nothing would stand in his way.

Ruo Xia looked at him, her expression a mix of suspicion and surprise. She didn’t know if some other thug might appear, but the burly, dark-skinned one before her certainly fit the bill.

“No, really, there’s no need. I’ve walked this way many times.” She shook her head. “It’s not as dangerous as you say. Besides, it’s late, and your family is waiting for you. There’s no need for you to see me home.”

Qianfan Lin was not surprised by the refusal. After all, he had just bullied her, and now, acting all concerned and offering to walk her home, it did feel awkward.

“You’re right. It is late. If we drag this out, both of us will get home even later, and our families will be worried,” he said.

As expected, Ruo Xia’s face changed at these words. She no longer bothered to argue and simply headed home.

The moon hung high, the cold wind blowing sharply. Ahead, Ruo Xia’s high ponytail swayed with each step. Qianfan Lin watched her, a wave of emotion washing over him. In his previous life, he’d been lost in endless toil and the neon-lit nights of the city, seldom pausing to savor such peaceful moments.

They walked in silence for nearly half an hour. When they neared the village, the glow ahead revealed a figure, causing both to stop.

In the light stood a woman in a gray long coat, her hair pinned up, her back slightly hunched. Her face bore a striking resemblance to Ruo Xia’s, though time had lent her an air of dignified grace.

She saw them and, after a searching look at Ruo Xia, walked toward them.

“Mom!” Ruo Xia called out crisply.

The woman nodded, but her gaze settled on Qianfan Lin.

“Qianfan Lin, I’m home now. You can go,” Ruo Xia said, her usually gentle tone tinged with urgency.

“So, you’re Qianfan Lin?” the woman asked as she approached.

Qianfan Lin glanced at Ruo Xia, sensing her fear that her mother might misunderstand their relationship.

After all, unless they were a couple, what boy would walk a girl home so late at night?

“Auntie, I’m Ruo Xia’s classmate—my name is Qianfan Lin. I’m an athlete, so my academics aren’t great. I asked Ruo Xia to tutor me, and we lost track of time. I’m sorry for worrying you! This is the first time I’ve met you, and I didn’t expect you to be so young!” he said with a cheerful candor.

Women always liked a compliment, especially coming from a boy with a touch of roguish charm.

As he spoke, the woman’s stern expression softened.

“Young? I’m nearly forty,” she replied. “Tutoring is fine, but don’t come home so late again. It’s winter, night falls early, and it’s not safe.”

She turned to Ruo Xia, but before she could speak, Ruo Xia, backpack slung over her shoulder, headed straight for a shabby two-story building nearby.

The woman didn’t press the matter. She looked back at Qianfan Lin. “Qianfan, have you eaten? If not, I can heat up some food for you before you go.”

“No need, Auntie. I’ll eat at home. If I’m any later, my grandfather will come after me with a stick!”

The woman’s words were as gentle as a spring breeze, but experience told Qianfan Lin that things were never so simple. Ruo Xia’s strange reaction only deepened his suspicions—perhaps this was even related to her early death in his previous life.

Patience, he told himself. Now that he had reconnected with Ruo Xia, he would get to the bottom of it in time.

With that, Qianfan Lin left.

After he was gone, the woman’s gentle expression vanished in an instant. She made her way home, reheated some food, and brought it to Ruo Xia’s room.

“Ruo Ruo, that boy has a sweet tongue and a pleasant face,” she remarked casually.

At this, Ruo Xia looked up sharply from her desk, fixing her mother with a steady gaze. “What do you want to ask?”

“Are you dating him? Did he take advantage of you?”

“Mom, I’m not like you…”