Chapter 3 In My Youth
At that moment, a flicker of panic and shyness crossed Jiang Ruolin's eyes. Then, she too raised her head to look up at the plaque with him.
"Student Liu," she said, "I think having you as part of my youth isn't bad at all."
Just then, Liu Shang turned around and looked directly into Jiang Ruolin's eyes.
His entire temperament shifted in an instant, changing from sunny and carefree to one of deep sadness, tinged with the weight of experience.
"Ruolin, there's something I haven't told you."
Liu Shang gently pointed to his heart. "I've… never been quite right in here."
"If, one day in the future, I'm no longer a part of your youth, then I hope you can forget me and live happily ever after."
In truth, what Liu Shang said was not entirely baseless.
Having returned to this era, he felt incredibly lucky to have met Jiang Ruolin once more.
He didn't know when the god of fate might suddenly and ruthlessly snatch away this good fortune, this luck that perhaps didn't truly belong to him.
If that day ever comes, if he were suddenly gone, how helpless and pitiful would the girl before him be?
Seeing Liu Shang's hand over his heart, and the look of grief suffused with an incomparable passion in his eyes, Jiang Ruolin felt an inexplicable sense of panic and distress well up inside her.
Tears instantly welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
"Liu Shang, is your heart… weak?"
"Don't be so pessimistic," she urged. "Medicine is so advanced now. Even congenital heart diseases have a high chance of being cured."
"If it were up to me, I wouldn't want a youth without you in it."
As she spoke those last words, Jiang Ruolin's tears finally spilled over, tracing paths down her cheeks.
But Liu Shang just shook his head gently, reaching out to wipe her tears away.
"You know as well as I do that at precisely 09:23:45 on the day we met two months ago, my heart—a heart that had traveled through time and space, heavy and full of sorrow—was picked up by you."
"So, from that moment on, it hasn't been right in here," he said, tapping his chest again.
"Whenever I'm far away from you, or if I go too long without seeing you, it gets really uncomfortable right here. Mmm… what I mean is, I miss you terribly."
Only then did it dawn on Jiang Ruolin that she had been duped yet again by this great big liar, this scoundrel!
And here she was, having felt so terribly sad just moments ago, even shedding tears for him.
For a moment, overcome with a mixture of shame and anger, Jiang Ruolin thumped his chest a few times. "Liu Shang! You're the absolute worst!"
At this, Liu Shang gently caught her hand, then pulled her into a warm embrace, holding her close.
"Ruolin, from the moment I met you, it was as if my life and my very soul were frozen in time, waiting for you."
"I can't promise you a hundred years, or even a thousand. But for the entire duration of my limited life, I will do my absolute best to care for you, to protect you, and to ensure you never suffer the slightest bit of sadness or injustice."
"Be my girlfriend. I truly love you."
In the next moment, Jiang Ruolin seemed to exhale all the breath she'd been holding. Then, she raised her arms, wrapping them around Liu Shang's back in return.
"You big scoundrel," she murmured. "I truly regret picking you up at the school gate that day, only to be tricked by you like this."
"But Liu Shang… you have to promise me. Promise that no matter what happens, my youth will never be without you. Okay?"
* * *
On a university campus, a beautiful woman will always attract a great deal of attention. For someone as popular as Jiang Ruolin, the attention she garnered was on another level entirely.
Barely two months into their freshman year, while most were still tentatively gathering information about their crushes, Jiang Ruolin had, for all intents and purposes, already fallen.
And in such a public way! Right at the school gate, right before their very eyes, the couple was now fiercely showing their affection, ruthlessly shoving their public display of affection down everyone's throats.
It was a truly tragic story for the onlookers.
"Bro, is my eyesight failing me? Is that girl the student union star, the freshman Jiang Ruolin?"
A young man in glasses took them off, rubbed his eyes vigorously, and put them back on.
His friend beside him sighed heavily. "Oh, there's no mistake. Just two months into freshman year, and we already have tragic news that has shocked the entire campus and simultaneously broken the hearts of countless hopeful guys."
"Jiang Ruolin, one of the top campus beauties among this year's freshmen, has been quietly and inexplicably snatched away…"
"And that guy… who the hell is he? What's his major? What year is he? He's a complete unknown!"
As it happened, if one were to ask about Liu Shang's identity, there was indeed an acquaintance in the crowd.
It was Chen Qiang, who, despite being in a different major from Liu Shang, lived in the same dormitory building and had even learned Liu Shang's pickup routine at this very school gate.
At that moment, Chen Qiang was holding two cups of bubble tea, and standing beside him was Fang Jiajia, who was happily munching on a Roujiamo (a type of Chinese meat sandwich).
Just two weeks prior, following a swift and determined pursuit by Fang Jiajia, the two of them had officially become a couple.
There's an old saying that when a woman pursues a man, it's like passing through a thin veil of yarn—relatively easy.
Watching Liu Shang and Jiang Ruolin's enviable embrace from across the road, Chen Qiang's heart swelled with a complex mix of emotions.
Facts had proven that Liu Shang's routine—lying on the lawn in front of the school to 'wait for a rabbit' (await a lucky opportunity)—was both extremely efficient and remarkably effective.
Now, both Liu Shang and he himself had successfully captured the 'rabbits' they had been waiting for.
It was just… he was just a little bit unlucky, is all…
The rabbit Liu Shang had caught was a delicate Jade Rabbit, like the one belonging to the moon goddess Chang'e. The one he had caught, however, was more like a patrolling Yasha (a fierce nature spirit) with an explosive power level…
Because of this stark contrast, his dorm buddies had nearly laughed him to death.
Compared to Liu Shang, what was he? It was like comparing a cat to a tiger, a case of Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi (an ugly woman clumsily imitating a famous beauty).
"Qiangqiang, how about I take you to practice shot put this afternoon?"
"You're too skinny! You need to build up your strength and exercise more!"
Fang Jiajia's words abruptly interrupted Chen Qiang's thoughts. He managed a wry smile. "Alright, whatever you say…"
Among the crowd, quite a few girls also had their eyes fixed on Liu Shang.
To be able to win Jiang Ruolin's heart from amidst a thousand rivals, what could possibly be so special about this boy?
Furthermore, two students who hovered on the fringes of the campus's elite social circle also witnessed the scene. After their initial shock, they immediately began spreading the news—information that was sure to turn their entire social circle upside down.
* * *
Just as the onlookers were reeling in shock, Jiang Ruolin finally snapped back to reality. She realized that they were standing directly across from the school's busiest side entrance.
She had no idea how many people had just seen that intimate scene, nor could she begin to imagine what the repercussions would be.
And so, in that moment, Jiang Ruolin felt her entire face flush, burning hot with embarrassment.
"Oh no, this is going to be a disaster…"
"Hurry up and get me out of here!"