Starting Over

The moonlight was like white silk, pouring through the glass window and drenching the entire bed in brightness.

Ye Nanzhi had been driven into the corner of the mattress, her body curled up in tension, but Chu Ran was perfectly leisurely, fiddling with the ends of her own hair with a lazy air.

Peeking out from under the covers, Ye Nanzhi met Chu Ran’s smiling gaze. “Finally willing to open your eyes?”

Ye Nanzhi pouted and turned her face away, not wanting to give her the time of day.

Chu Ran naturally knew when to quit while she was ahead. She moved back and pulled the girl toward the middle of the bed. “I’ll stop teasing. Careful with your foot.”

“You know my foot is injured, yet you still…”

“Still what? I only asked if I looked good. Why are you so nervous?” Chu Ran wore an innocent expression as if the person who had been pestering Ye Nanzhi just moments ago wasn’t her at all.

Since the topic was out in the open, Ye Nanzhi sat up to debate the matter properly. “Is this a question of looking good or not? You’re a teacher—do you think it’s appropriate to wear something like this? This is clearly…”

“Clearly what? Seduction? Or temptation?”

Chu Ran propped her cheek in her hand and tilted her head. “So, was Zhizhi seduced by me?”

Ye Nanzhi’s momentum crumbled instantly. She turned away awkwardly. “Not at all!”

Then, she wrapped herself in the quilt and retreated to her corner of the bed.

“How can you say ‘not at all’? Your face is clearly red, and you even…” Chu Ran didn’t finish her sentence before a sound interrupted—first a “gurgle,” followed by a long “rumbling” tail.

Chu Ran followed the source of the sound, her eyes landing on Ye Nanzhi clutching the quilt. Realizing the origin of the noise, Chu Ran covered her mouth and laughed. “Didn’t you go out to a restaurant behind my back?”

Ye Nanzhi lowered her head and remained silent. All evening, she had been tangled in the worry of wanting to check her phone but being afraid to look. Imagining Chu Ran’s anger had left her with no appetite. She had mostly filled up on drinks and barely touched her food.

“It’s all your fault!” Ye Nanzhi grumbled in a small voice, followed by another sound.

Ye Nanzhi was certain this one didn’t come from her. The answer was… Her startled gaze landed on the person beside her. Chu Ran’s pale skin had sprouted a faint layer of pink following the sound.

“You’re hungry too!”

Chu Ran poked Ye Nanzhi’s forehead. “Who was I waiting for that made me skip dinner?”

As she spoke, she reached for her phone on the nightstand and opened a delivery app.

It was nearly ten o’clock. Not many shops were still operating, so Chu Ran scrolled through to find something suitable.

Before her fingertips had moved twice across the screen, Ye Nanzhi leaned over with a suggestion. “How about we go out to eat?”

Chu Ran’s gaze swept over Ye Nanzhi’s injured right foot, her expression asking: Are you sure?

Seeing Chu Ran unmoved, Ye Nanzhi proactively took her arm. “I suddenly thought of a place that’s really delicious. I like it the most. Come with me, please? I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t eat it. Go change your clothes; let’s go out!”

What they ate was a minor issue; Ye Nanzhi was simply desperate for Chu Ran to change out of that “see-through” nightgown.

It was rare for the girl to act spoiled, and Chu Ran’s hesitation vanished quickly. She pinched the flesh on the girl’s cheek and went into the bathroom to change back into her dignified daytime suit.

Following Ye Nanzhi’s navigation, the two drove to the destination. It was a small shop, though the environment looked clean and sanitary.

Various ingredients were neatly arranged on shelves for customers to choose according to their preferences. Of course, one could also choose a set meal.

Yes, it was just an ordinary Malatang shop.

“Don’t look down on it. They also make Malaban and hot and sour noodles.” Ye Nanzhi handed a bowl and tongs to Chu Ran.

The owner was very familiar with Ye Nanzhi. Without being told, he asked, “The usual? Medium numbing, medium spicy, no vinegar, right? Oh, what happened to your leg, girl? Today, these two sodas are on me!”

“Thanks, Boss!” Ye Nanzhi didn’t stand on ceremony. Holding the sodas, she found a suitable place to sit down.

There weren’t many people at this hour. They were the only table in the shop, so the food was served quickly.

Strictly speaking, this was Chu Ran’s first time eating something like Malatang. During her years in Harbin, she had always rented her own place and tried to buy her own ingredients to cook.

On the few occasions she ate out, she would order light dishes at the cafeteria.

She watched Ye Nanzhi’s practiced movements across from her and imitated her, stirring the sauce and ingredients evenly before preparing to take a bite.

Ye Nanzhi had already finished two fish balls, while Chu Ran had just picked up a piece of bright green vegetable, placing it in her mouth to savor slowly.

Her movements were refined. Along with her designer clothes and the luxury car parked at the door, she looked somewhat comical in this environment.

To be able to eat Malatang with such elegance—that was truly Chu Ran.

“Is it good?” Ye Nanzhi asked with a smile.

“It has a very Northern flavor.”

“Of course! It’s very authentic. Every time I miss home, I come here for a meal.”

This time, Chu Ran surprisingly didn’t press her on why she left her hometown.

Because she liked the flavor, Ye Nanzhi’s mood improved significantly. Her bowl was already empty, while Chu Ran had barely finished half.

“Do you not like it?” Ye Nanzhi remembered that Chu Ran’s favorite thing was boiled vegetables, whereas the bowl in front of her was thick with sesame sauce and chili oil… Thinking of this, she reached out to stop the hand holding the chopsticks. “If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. No need to force yourself.”

“No, I think it’s quite good. Very unique.” Despite saying this, Chu Ran’s eating movements remained slow.

In truth, Chu Ran wasn’t picky about food as long as it was clean; of course, lighter flavors were preferred.

But looking back on most of her life, the Chu family dinner table was either filled with hidden daggers or cold mockery. Even so, Chu Ran could slowly and steadily finish her meal. So currently, the food was palatable enough, and more importantly, Ye Nanzhi was sitting right across from her. How could she feel unhappy?

On the contrary, she enjoyed this very much—enjoying this lifestyle filled with the scent of everyday life, and enjoying the fact that the person she liked was looking at her without blinking. She even wished time could stop forever at this moment, so her movements naturally couldn’t be fast.

After the meal, Ye Nanzhi wasn’t in a hurry to return to the hotel. Instead, she took Chu Ran’s sleeve and suggested a walk by the nearby riverside.

She said she had eaten a bit too fast and wanted to exercise and take a stroll.

“My, why are you so obedient today?” Chu Ran lightly tapped Ye Nanzhi’s nose. It seemed this little rabbit was truly easy to coax; just one meal that suited her taste made her so well-behaved.

Thinking about the rain that had fallen all night yesterday, the wind by the river today would likely be strong. Chu Ran helped Ye Nanzhi button her coat before supporting the girl toward the river.

Originally, Chu Ran held Ye Nanzhi’s arm to help her walk, but seeing that it was indeed difficult for the girl to move, she simply draped Ye Nanzhi’s arm around her own neck and picked her up.

“I don’t know how long it would take you to walk like that.”

Surprisingly, Ye Nanzhi didn’t struggle this time, allowing Chu Ran to carry her forward. The moment Ye Nanzhi’s head rested on Chu Ran’s shoulder, Chu Ran’s pace seemed to slow down.

“What is it?” Ye Nanzhi asked. “Am I too heavy?”

“No. I just want to hold you a bit longer.”

Chu Ran was right; the wind tonight was indeed strong, making the hem of their clothes rustle.

Ye Nanzhi stared at the gurgling river water and didn’t speak for a long time.

“What are you thinking about?” Chu Ran took her hand and put it into her own coat pocket.

“Where do you think this river water eventually flows?”

“Into the sea, of course.”

“Does it all go back to the sea?”

“Maybe some of it flows into other lakes.”

Ye Nanzhi turned her head, looking directly at Chu Ran for once without dodging. She curled her lips slightly, shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks, her smile seemingly laced with honey. “So that’s how it is.”

For some reason, seeing this smile gave Chu Ran a bad premonition. Before she could speak, lights flashed behind them as a white car pulled up beside them.

The driver rolled down the window. “Little girl, is this the car you called?”

“No.”

“It’s me.”

Two voices rang out simultaneously. Chu Ran turned her head in shock. Ye Nanzhi repeated, “Master, I called the car. Please wait a moment. I’ll leave after saying a few words to her.”

Chu Ran gripped Ye Nanzhi’s wrist. “What do you mean by this?”

“Alright, Teacher Chu.” She smiled gently yet cruelly. “As agreed, I have already accompanied you for dinner. From now on, we are even.”

Heh. The earlier actions—the acting spoiled, the sharing of favorites, the walk—every single thing hadn’t been a romantic moment between lovers, but a calculated plan to abandon her.

Ye Nanzhi had calculated that Chu Ran’s car wasn’t nearby and she wouldn’t be able to catch up immediately, which was why she dared to be so reckless.

Chu Ran let out a cold laugh. Her rabbit had really put a lot of effort into leaving her.

Like grabbing onto a final straw, Chu Ran tried her best to maintain her surface composure. “Ye Nanzhi, do you think you can really get away? In the end, won’t we still meet at school? You’ve forgotten that for the next two years, you are tied to me. You can’t escape me at all.”

“I gave you a chance, but you chose this yourself.” Chu Ran laid out her remaining hope like precious treasures.

But today, Ye Nanzhi was unusually calm. She didn’t panic and jump like she usually did, but remained as indifferent as an autumn chrysanthemum.

“You and I are just like this river water. Even if we briefly gather here, we eventually have our own places to go.”

“You are the eldest miss of Shengke, and as for me… as soon as I graduate, I will return to my hometown, back to Harbin. You will eventually go to the ocean where you belong, and I will return to my lake. Do you understand?”

“Teacher Chu, please go back.”

As soon as the words fell, Ye Nanzhi broke free from Chu Ran’s hand, turned, and deftly slipped into the car. Her movements were so fast the driver even forgot she had an injured foot.

Not just the driver—even Ye Nanzhi herself almost forgot, until the car drove away from the riverside and pain radiated from her right ankle.

It was clearly just an accidental bump, but today’s pain was exceptionally sharp, even harder to bear than the day of the injury. At some point, tears silently overflowed from her eyes. By the time Ye Nanzhi realized it, her face was already wet.

The driver was a man in his fifties. He happened to catch a glimpse of Ye Nanzhi’s red eyes in the rearview mirror. Combining that with what he had just seen, he guessed most of the situation and tried to comfort her. “Little girl, did you get into a fight with your friend?”

Ye Nanzhi wiped her cheeks haphazardly and looked out the window as if nothing was wrong. “No.”

“Oh, uncle has been through this. Take some advice from me. As the saying goes, even teeth bite the tongue sometimes. How can there be no conflict when people spend time together? It’s no big deal. Even me and my old lady bicker often. It’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

It’ll be fine in a couple of days… Ye Nanzhi didn’t think so. Just now, Chu Ran had stood in place. After the car drove off, she hadn’t even turned around to look at her.

She must be truly disappointed in her.

Anyone who was rejected again and again wouldn’t just keep coming back, especially someone as proud as Chu Ran.

Although she felt sad, Ye Nanzhi didn’t regret her choice. She really didn’t have the courage to face her again. The two of them should have ended things completely four years ago; their meeting now could only be called an accident.

An accident, in the end, cannot last. Chu Ran was so dazzling; Ye Nanzhi’s existence would only be a single stain on her perfect life.

And she didn’t want to be that stain. Better to kill the thoughts that shouldn’t have sprouted while they were still in the cradle.

They couldn’t be together four years ago, and it was the same four years later. Nothing had changed.

Upon arriving, Ye Nanzhi got out of the car and purposefully looked back before entering the hotel. Under the dim night, only the streetlamp at the hotel entrance was still bright.

Chu Ran hadn’t followed. She must have gone home.

Ye Nanzhi breathed a sigh of relief. It was good; she should go back too.

Ignoring the surprised gaze of the manager on duty, Ye Nanzhi walked toward the elevator alone.

Inside the room, that dark green silk nightgown still carried the scent of Chu Ran’s body. Ye Nanzhi folded it according to the creases and put it back in the box.

Perhaps because the bed was too soft, or perhaps because of the discomfort in her foot, she didn’t sleep well that night. After turning over for the countless time, dawn finally arrived.

With dark circles under her eyes, Ye Nanzhi decided to go downstairs for breakfast first.

She already hadn’t rested well; if she didn’t eat properly, she was afraid she wouldn’t be far from collapsing.

Because of the insomnia, she arrived very early. When she reached the restaurant, there weren’t many people yet, and the food wasn’t fully set out. The staff were just arranging pastries on the counters.

Ye Nanzhi looked around; only the drink area was ready. The freshly brewed coffee was fresh, carrying a rich bitterness—a good helper for dispelling fatigue.

The snow-white porcelain cup was filled, but another hand reached out before her and took the cup away.

“Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach.”

Chu Ran took a sip from the cup and nodded in praise. “The coffee is good, but a bit worse than the one you bought me from the cafeteria last time.”

How was that possible? These were fresh coffee beans, while the campus drink shop only had instant coffee.

But Ye Nanzhi didn’t want to argue about that. “Why are you here?”

“The manager let me in.”

Sure enough, it was thanks to that nightgown from last night!

Chu Ran wasn’t in a hurry either, following beside Ye Nanzhi and imitating her movements. Whatever Ye Nanzhi took, she took. Soon, two identical portions of fried egg on toast were placed on opposite sides of the dining table.

Finally, Chu Ran brought a glass of juice. “Forget about the coffee. Drink this.”

But Ye Nanzhi ignored her and began focusing on struggling with the toast in front of her.

“Zhizhi.” Chu Ran called her.

Extremely reluctantly, Ye Nanzhi looked up.

“Let’s make peace.”

There was no imagined anger or disappointment. Today she was unusually gentle and warm. It even made Ye Nanzhi feel that the person in front of her was somewhat of a stranger.

Chu Ran pushed the juice forward slightly. “I know I pushed you too hard last night and scared you. I apologize. I won’t do that again, I promise.”

As she spoke, Chu Ran actually raised two fingers and made a swearing gesture.

Since there were few people in the restaurant, such behavior would undoubtedly attract attention. Ye Nanzhi quickly reached out to stop Chu Ran’s arm.

In that gap, Chu Ran happened to take Ye Nanzhi’s hand, cradling it in her palm like a precious treasure.

“Even for Professor Song’s sake—he entrusted you to me, and according to the agreement, I must take good care of you. Don’t stay in the hotel. Come back with me.”

Outside the window, the sky that had been overcast for two whole days finally cleared. Golden morning light filtered through the glass window, spilling over Chu Ran.

It was just as sincere and fervent as the look in her eyes.

“I thought about it carefully all night. Zhizhi, you were right. Regarding everything before, we are indeed even. So…”

“From this moment on, let’s start over.”

“I promise not to cross the line during this time, and I won’t do anything that makes you unhappy. When Professor Song returns, whether you stay or leave will be entirely up to your heart; I won’t interfere.”

“But Zhizhi, before then, just give me a chance, okay?”

“What kind of chance?” Although the answer was already obvious in her heart, she still asked knowingly.

Chu Ran smiled and leaned down to kiss Ye Nanzhi’s fingertips.

“Ye Nanzhi, are you really dense or are you doing it on purpose?”

Chu Ran asked: “Can’t you tell? I’m courting you!”