Catching the Rabbit

The flashing neon lights pulled Ye Nanzhi out of the whirlpool of her memories. The bitterness of the medicinal oil still lingered in the car. Leaning against the back seat alone, scene after scene from the past flickered before her eyes.

In the blink of an eye, so much time had passed.

Those moments were like yellowed old photographs, yet recalling them now, the details remained as vivid as ever.

However, she was no longer that young girl who had just stepped onto a university campus. Facing Chu Ran now, she could no longer bring herself to call her “Senior Chu.”

But the deep, unforgettable marks left in her mind were things that even time could not erase.

Memories had, at some point, solidified into habits, manifesting everywhere as evidence of their history.

For instance, Ye Nanzhi’s subconscious ability to define “interaction space,” or the fact that she still liked rabbits just as much as she always had.

Even if she was unwilling to face Chu Ran or recall anything related to her, Ye Nanzhi still retained the habits she had formed because of the other woman.

Perhaps even Ye Nanzhi herself didn’t realize that in her unguarded moments, the things she was most reluctant to mention actually permeated every corner of her life.

Chu Ran did not press for an answer regarding the rabbit. They drove in silence, the interior of the car so unnaturally quiet that the sudden ringing of Chu Ran’s phone felt jarringly abrupt.

Seemingly focused on driving, Chu Ran only spared it a glance at first. Then, her thumb swiped across the screen, and she tossed the phone aside, ignoring it.

The phone complied, remaining silent for the rest of the trip.

Before getting out of the car, Ye Nanzhi summoned her courage to thank Chu Ran.

Regardless of the past, regarding today’s events, Chu Ran had worked a full day and then spent her free time tirelessly accompanying her to the hospital. After ensuring she was completely fine, she had delivered her back safely. By any logic, she owed Chu Ran a “thank you.”

The relationship between them had long since passed the point where a “thank you” went without saying.

“Teacher Chu.” Ye Nanzhi finally spoke up, lifting her head just as her hand reached for the door handle. Through the angle of the rearview mirror, she could see Chu Ran’s eyes. “Thank you for today.”

In the mirror, Chu Ran stared at her for a long time. “Is there nothing else you want to say to me?”

Ye Nanzhi lowered her gaze and added a muffled sentence: “Drive carefully on your way back.” She turned to scramble out of the car.

Unexpectedly, as if predicting her every move, the moment Ye Nanzhi’s fingertips touched the door lock, a click echoed through the car. The doors were locked.

Chu Ran, who operated the locks, showed no emotion in her eyes. She looked like a piece of perfect jade—bright and transparent, yet ice-cold to the touch.

Ye Nanzhi glanced at the time: 9:20 PM.

“No rush. The campus closes at ten. We’re already at the gate; I won’t delay your return.”

Just as Ye Nanzhi could read Chu Ran, Chu Ran could easily see through her. Even while driving, she had felt the tension radiating from the back seat, noticing how Ye Nanzhi kept her eyes fixed out the window.

Ye Nanzhi rubbed the rabbit bag on her lap back and forth. Finally, she let out a sigh of resignation and looked up at Chu Ran’s reflection in the mirror.

“Teacher Chu, please rest assured. Even with my arm injured, I won’t let the thesis progress fall behind. I’ve already outlined two topics and their overviews. I’ll organize them tonight and bring them to you tomorrow.”

Ye Nanzhi’s year was approaching their proposal defense. Since they needed time to write the proposal report and present the research progress to the academic committee, finalizing the topic was imminent.

Ye Nanzhi looked determined, her tone sincere. If Chu Ran didn’t follow this line of conversation, it would make her seem like a negligent teacher.

Chu Ran looked at the fair little face in the mirror. On that palm-sized face, a pair of watery almond eyes looked bright and spirited. She really couldn’t find a way to argue.

Chu Ran irritably unbuttoned the first button of her shirt and rolled down the window slightly for a breath of air. The regret in her voice was impossible to ignore. “Since you have a plan, I won’t say more. Go back and rest well. We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”

In any case, the girl would have to seek her out tomorrow. There was no need for Chu Ran to rush things right now.

Watching the girl’s figure as she ran toward the school gate after getting out, the aura of “escape” was palpable. Chu Ran sighed.

The little rabbit had grown smarter; she knew how to shift the topic to seize a chance to run. Heh.

But it didn’t matter. If she ran, she would just have to be caught again.

After all, rabbits were easy to catch.

After calming her thoughts, Chu Ran picked up the phone she had set to airplane mode on the passenger seat. The moment the signal was restored, several text messages flooded the screen.

Every message came from the same unknown number.

[Xiao Ye, it’s Tang Mu.]

[I saw your name in the medical records. Are you feeling unwell?]

[Xiao Ye, this is my mobile number. I’m also in Shen City. If you need anything, you can call me anytime.]

…

Earlier at the hospital, while Ye Nanzhi was getting her X-ray, Chu Ran had left her own phone number in the records in her haste. It had been an unintentional move, but she hadn’t expected it to trigger such a story.

Tang Mu must have followed that record, assuming the number belonged to Ye Nanzhi.

Chu Ran tirelessly clicked into every message, reading them carefully.

Tang Mu’s tone was as gentle as ever. Especially toward Ye Nanzhi, that gentleness was laced with a certain caution.

It didn’t sound like a pair of former lovers at all; they didn’t even sound familiar. This point undoubtedly made Chu Ran feel much better.

Once she finished reading, she dialed the number back.

As if he were waiting by the phone, the call was answered almost instantly. Tang Mu’s voice had matured significantly, his tone soft, yet his words were brimming with excitement and surprise.

–Xiao Ye? Xiao Ye, is it you? I didn’t expect you to call me back. I’m so happy, I…–

Like a piece of hot iron being plunged into cold water at its peak, Chu Ran mercilessly extinguished the leaping flame of his joy.

“Tang Mu.” Chu Ran’s low voice brought the delight on the other end to a screeching halt.

It wasn’t Ye Nanzhi’s voice. Tang Mu could tell instantly. There was a hint of familiarity in that cold tone, an answer threatening to burst from his heart that his logic tried to suppress over and over.

She went abroad. she’s not coming back.

Even if she did, after the mess they made back then, she wouldn’t have any contact with Xiao Ye.

Chu Ran directly cut off his chance to dream.

“Tang Mu, it’s Chu Ran.”

A long silence followed. It was so long that Chu Ran thought the call had been dropped and pulled the phone away to check if they were still connected.

–Chu Ran.– Tang Mu’s voice changed key. The previous excitement had vanished, replaced only by dejection.

–Chu Ran… Chu Ran…– Tang Mu murmured the name twice before finally adjusting himself. –You’ve returned to the country. In the blink of an eye, it really has been a long time.– His voice grew smaller, carrying an awkwardness anyone could hear.

–You and Xiao Ye, you two…–

Before Tang Mu could finish his question, Chu Ran cut him off. “Zhizhi bumped her arm today. I wasn’t at ease, so I brought her to get checked. I didn’t expect you to be in Shen City now.”

Chu Ran deliberately elongated the pronunciation of the name “Zhizhi.”

–How is Xiao Ye now?–

Since Tang Mu had seen the medical records, he surely saw the diagnosis. This question was clearly not just about her physical health.

“She’s fine. I just applied her medicine and let her go to sleep,” Chu Ran answered.

Hearing the word “sleep,” there was another long silence on the other end.

–It seems you two have reconciled. No wonder…– Tang Mu’s voice turned completely cold. After a while, he spoke again. –Are you free lately? As old classmates, let’s get together.–

The invitation wasn’t unexpected. Even if Tang Mu hadn’t suggested it, Chu Ran wanted to meet him. After all, some things are best said while sitting face-to-face.

“Sure. Let’s do tomorrow.”

–Tomorrow?–

“Tomorrow morning. It’ll be quick and won’t interfere with your rest,” Chu Ran said. “Tomorrow morning, see you at the hospital entrance.”

Then, she added pointedly, “I’ll be coming alone.”