The last ti Yan saw Xu Jiaojiao was during winter break. They had originally planned to go shopping for clothes together, but it fell through. They didn’t et again until just before Yan and Jue Jue returned to school after the break.
Separated by thousands of miles and with Xu Jiaojiao being unusually "busy," Yan sotis had to rely on social dia updates to gauge how she was doing.
"Yan..." Hearing Xu Jiaojiao’s voice over the phone, Yan imdiately sensed sothing was off.
Unless it was urgent, Xu Jiaojiao rarely called her.
Had those male suitors done sothing again?
"Jiaojiao, what’s wrong?" Yan asked softly.
"Nothing, I just missed you." Xu Jiaojiao’s voice ca through the phone, accompanied by the faint sound of wind.
"I miss you too." Yan’s expression softened as she handed her bag to Jue Jue.
"I’m outside. The weather in Bin City is amazing today—finally a weekend without rain. How’s Ning City? Let switch to video and show you."
As she spoke, Yan tapped to switch to video call. Her phone’s front-facing cara captured her face in the small preview window, while Xu Jiaojiao’s screen showed a gloomy, overcast sky.
"The weather here isn’t great today, a bit hazy," Xu Jiaojiao said.
Yan studied the screen. "It is, but still better than the springs we had a couple of years ago."
She kept her eyes fixed on the video. "Lower your phone—where are you? On campus?"
"Yeah." Xu Jiaojiao gave a vague response but didn’t specify her exact location. She lowered her phone, finally letting Yan see her face clearly.
Yan noticed that Xu Jiaojiao was wearing an unusually loose gray hoodie under a cropped leather jacket. Her usually sleek long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her face was completely free of makeup.
Even those familiar with Xu Jiaojiao might not recognize her at first glance with this drastic change in style.
Yan’s gaze lingered on the background behind Xu Jiaojiao, quickly analyzing it in her mind without letting her expression shift. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, she silently mouthed a ssage to Jue Jue.
"You look great," Yan said sincerely.
"Are you two going out today?" Xu Jiaojiao asked.
"Not really. We just fild a video of the kittens and are heading to the cafeteria now," Yan replied cheerfully.
"May Day is next month—do you want to co visit?" Yan extended the invitation.
But Xu Jiaojiao hesitated before answering. "I want to see the fjords."
Yan’s pupils constricted at those words.
"Recently, without my knowledge, Wen Yu submitted my docunts for an exchange program at Manchester University," Xu Jiaojiao said, a trace of displeasure in her voice.
"What?" Yan nearly jumped in place.
"He claims it’s for my own good, but the truth is, he’s going to Cambridge for his junior year." Xu Jiaojiao’s bare face carried a faint chill.
"I told the other two idiots about it, so things should quiet down for a few days."
Xu Jiaojiao spoke calmly. At this point, nothing these four did could surprise her anymore.
They were like dogs fighting among themselves—first, they’d sent Liang Ruichi abroad, and now Wen Yu would be leaving in the second half of the year. The two remaining in the country, though not as present, still found ways to annoy her endlessly.
Maybe her temper had grown sharper after her rebirth, but lately, she was growing increasingly impatient with this whole charade.
Yan waited for Xu Jiaojiao to continue. If Jiaojiao decided to go abroad, it certainly wouldn’t be because those n had arranged it.
"Yan, I need your help."
Through the video, Xu Jiaojiao looked at her best friend, confident that Yan would understand.
She was tired. Over three years had passed since her rebirth, and even though she knew these scumbags inside out, the weariness in her heart had only deepened.
Especially after realizing that the four of them had also "reborn," the variables had multiplied, and maintaining control wasn’t as easy as before.
Since the beginning of the year, Xu Jiaojiao had been planning her exit strategy.
She could leave cleanly—she had no attachnt to these n whatsoever.
But where to go afterward and whether she could truly cut ties for good were the real challenges.
As long as she stayed in Ning City, her life would never know peace.
To sever everything completely, she couldn’t do it alone—she needed help from certain connections and thods.
"I understand," Yan said, eting her gaze.
"Rember that communication app we made in high school?"
Xu Jiaojiao nodded faintly. Right now, Yan was the only person she could trust.
"In half an hour, co down from the rooftop you’re on. Soone will pick you up."
Xu Jiaojiao’s expression faltered slightly. Her nose twitched.
When had Yan figured it out?
"Don’t worry. We’ve got you, okay?" Yan’s reassuring tone washed over her.
It felt just like high school, when she’d faced all those hardships—the water bucket balanced on the restroom door, the clothes cut up in the locker room, the wine glass hurled at her during a party, the foot deliberately stuck out to trip her on the stairs…
In every difficult mont, Yan had always been the first to comfort her: "Don’t worry, I’m here."
Hearing those words had always made the weight in her heart settle, bringing her an indescribable sense of security.
After the call ended, Xu Jiaojiao stood on the rooftop, hands in her pockets, gazing back at the panoramic bathtub visible through the glass window.
How foolish could a person be to think that hurting themselves would make soone else feel remorse or love?
From beginning to end, the only one who ever got hurt was herself.
She glanced down at her wrist, where no scar existed in this life. Rebirth couldn’t change one’s intelligence, but it could redirect the path of fate.
……
By mid-April, Yan and Zhu Jue visited the dinsional convenience store again.
This ti, Lu Chen looked much better. Whether he’d used so special redy or not, the month apart had restored much of his forr deanor.
Inside the familiar store, nothing had changed—the counter was the sa as before.
"Boss Lu, you’re looking well," Yan remarked.
Compared to his haggard state last month, Lu Chen’s hair, though still not fully regrown, now fell just above his neck. His face had filled out, and his energy seed revitalized.
"You’re here," Lu Chen greeted them.
"Really? That good?"
Zhu Jue nodded. "Feels like you’re 80% back."
Hearing this, Lu Chen relaxed.
Due to his condition, he hadn’t opened shop for a month. The loss in revenue pained him, but showing up in his previous state would’ve shattered the carefully cultivated image of the enigmatic proprietor.
Without his signature long hair, his once-frizzy mane had finally smoothed out, now resting just above his shoulders.
Lu Chen had been quietly recovering from his injuries this month, and every ti he looked in the mirror, he wasn’t entirely sure how much progress he’d made.
"There hasn’t been much new stock lately, so you can stay as long as you like," Lu Chen said.
Because of the lingering psychological trauma, he hadn’t yet decided whether to take a little more ti off before setting out again.
"We don’t really have anything to buy right now," Yan remarked.
"But we’d like to ask you for a favor," Zhu Jue added.
Hearing this, Lu Chen was montarily stunned—asking him for help?
"Could we borrow the door of your convenience store for a bit?" Yan asked sowhat sheepishly.
"No problem," Lu Chen agreed without hesitation.
When these two VIP custors made their request, he didn’t even think before saying yes, nor did he question what they ant by it.
These were the people who had saved his life! Borrowing the door might be against the rules, but he was the dinsion master—what he said went!
Maybe the two were just feeling lazy and wanted to use his door to cross back to their dinsion.
Lu Chen’s quick agreent left Yan and Zhu Jue montarily speechless.
He’d agreed just like that? Had Boss Lu undergone so profound enlightennt after his brush with death, becoming suddenly open-minded?
In the past, whenever they’d asked to borrow the door, he’d always looked terribly conflicted. Even when he’d bent the rules once to help them send sothing back to school, it had taken a lot of convincing.
This ti, the two added Lu Chen’s private WeChat.
Throughout April, Yan and Zhu Jue’s campus life continued as usual. If there was anything different from before, it was that Sui Sui and Brother Xiao were dragging them into spending even more ti together.
Yan and Gu Jiasui were in the sa departnt and class, as were Zhu Jue and Xiao Qingnang. When they t up in the cafeteria, it beca a group of four—two pairs shining brightly as each other’s third wheels.
For the sake of their roommates’ love lives, Yan and Jue Jue were practically wearing themselves out.
anwhile, the ceremony to formally recognize Little An An, Lin Fan’s child, as their goddaughter kept getting postponed. They needed to find a ti when everyone was free, and they also wanted an auspicious date. After repeated delays, it was finally scheduled for the May Day holiday.
In anticipation of this, Chu Shen unapologetically posted a "Closed for Business" notice on the door ahead of ti.
Of course, the ceremony couldn’t be held at Chu’s little diner—not because they looked down on the place.
For one, the space was too small. Secondly, once the May Day holiday started, even if the diner wasn’t open, people might still show up to take photos outside. If anyone noticed people inside, custors might try to barge in.
On April 30th, while still in class, Yan and Zhu Jue’s phones were bombarded with relentless calls from unknown numbers.
Her phone was on silent, so she didn’t answer a single one.
At the sa ti, both of their WeChat accounts received multiple friend requests from unfamiliar users.
Wary of scams, they ignored them all.
It wasn’t until after class that Yan finally returned one of the calls.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Yan, it’s Ji Mingyan," ca a trembling voice on the other end.
"Jiaojiao is missing. We can’t find her anywhere."
"What are you talking about?" Yan’s voice shot up an octave, her tone dripping with disbelief.
"Ji Mingyan, what do you an?"
"I know you might not believe right now. But I can’t find Jiaojiao—none of us can." His breathing was ragged.
"Do you have any idea where she might be? Anywhere she’d go alone?"
"What exactly happened? Ji Mingyan, explain this properly—what’s going on?!" Yan demanded sharply.
Over the phone, Ji Mingyan’s voice was frantic and lost.
"I don’t know. My head’s a ss right now."
"Jiaojiao… it’s like she just vanished into thin air. None of us can find her."
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