The school bell rang with a sharp clang, signaling the end of class. Lin Chen immediately shoved his textbook into his bag and, taking advantage of the crowded hallway, quickly darted toward the back door of the building, ducking his head to avoid attention. Leaning against the weathered stone wall, he listened as the noise of footsteps slowly faded, leaving just the faint sound of the janitor sweeping the floor. He let out a sigh of relief—it's not that he didn't want to walk with Su Wanqing, it's just that he wasn't ready yet. The shadow of Zhao Kai's cruel words from his previous life—"A poor loser like you doesn't belong with a good student like Su Wanqing"—still haunted him. He was afraid that, if he said the wrong thing, the fragile connection he had worked so hard to build would be shattered.
As he rounded the corner, heading toward the exit, his feet froze in place. Under the bus stop sign at the corner of Wutong Road, there she was—Su Wanqing, carrying her pink backpack, holding a slightly dog-eared copy of Jane Eyre, standing on tiptoe, looking out toward the intersection. Her white dress fluttered in the wind, the edges of it catching the breeze like butterfly wings.
"Lin Chen? You're taking this route too?" Su Wanqing spotted him first, her eyes lighting up as she quickly jogged over to him.
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was to duck out of sight, but there was nowhere to go. The tree behind him blocked his escape. He forced a smile, feeling his palms sweat as he gripped his bag strap tightly, almost digging into his skin. "Ah… yeah, it's on the way."
In reality, his house was in the opposite direction, requiring him to walk two extra stops, but saying "it's on the way" was a convenient excuse.
Su Wanqing waved the book in her hand, her voice full of excitement. "I was waiting for a friend, but she had to go to extra lessons. Since we're heading the same way, how about we walk together?"
Lin Chen opened his mouth, intending to make up some excuse about needing to run an errand, but as he looked into Su Wanqing's sparkling eyes, the words got stuck in his throat. Finally, all he managed to say was, "Sure."
They walked side by side under the Wutong trees, golden leaves swirling around them, landing softly on their shoulders, crunching underfoot with a satisfying crunch. The distant sound of a bicycle bell rang through the air, sharp and sweet, almost like it was singing. The scent of braised pork mixed with the warm steam of rice wafted from a nearby alley, making Lin Chen's stomach growl. It should have been a warm and pleasant scene, but his silence was making things increasingly awkward.
Su Wanqing didn't seem to notice his discomfort. She happily held up her book, her eyes gleaming. "Lin Chen, have you read this book? I love Jane Eyre! She's so brave—living under someone else's roof, but she's never insecure. And when she says to Rochester, 'Before God, we are equal,' that's so cool!"
Lin Chen's heart thudded painfully. Of course he knew Jane Eyre—he'd spent half a month saving up pocket money to buy a hardcover edition for Su Wanqing's birthday in his past life, but he'd never had the courage to give it to her. In the end, he hid it in the deepest drawer of his desk. The book burned to a crisp in the fire that destroyed his apartment, leaving only the cover. But now, hearing her talk about it, he felt as if his chest was being torn open. Yet, facing her enthusiasm, he could barely speak. His throat felt dry, and the words came out in a stutter. "I… I've never read it." He mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Yeah, it sounds pretty cool."
Su Wanqing's excitement visibly dropped. Her voice softened, and she gave him a sideways glance, almost shyly. "Actually, I think it's not about family background at all. Look at how much you've improved in math recently. That's way more impressive than those people who just act like they're all that."
Lin Chen froze. He wanted to respond, but the cruel whispers of the past echoed in his ears: "Lin Chen walking with Su Wanqing? He's just a sidekick.""A poor loser still trying to climb the social ladder." These words stung like needles, making him lower his head even further, afraid that Su Wanqing would see through him, afraid she would think that walking with someone like him would be beneath her.
When they reached the fork in the road, Su Wanqing stopped. Her fingers gripped her backpack strap tightly, knuckles turning white. Her voice, when she spoke, was laced with an undeniable sense of disappointment. "My house is this way, so... I'll head back now." She paused for a moment, her lips parted like she wanted to say something more, but all that came out was, "See you tomorrow."
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away. Her ponytail brushed against Lin Chen's arm, leaving a soft fragrance of gardenia in the air. Lin Chen wanted to call out to her, to explain, "I wasn't ignoring you, I'm just nervous," but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't force them out. All he could do was stand there, watching her walk away, her figure growing smaller and smaller until she disappeared around the corner. It felt like his chest had been filled with a heavy, damp cotton ball—suffocating and painful.
The evening breeze stirred the Wutong leaves at his feet, swirling them around like sighs of disappointment. Lin Chen kicked a pebble by the side of the road, watching it clatter against the wall. He hated himself. He had been reborn to fix his regrets, but here he was, unable to even have a normal conversation with the person he liked. How was this a comeback? Su Wanqing had shared her thoughts with him, offered him her company, but his ridiculous insecurity had caused him to let her down!
"Chen Bro! What are you standing here for?" Zheng Hao, riding his bicycle, came speeding down the road, a meat bun sitting in his bike basket. "I just saw Su Wanqing down the alley, and her eyes were red. Did you upset her?"
Lin Chen took the meat bun and bit into it, but he couldn't taste it. His voice came out hoarse. "No, it's my fault… She shared her book with me, and I didn't respond properly."
Zheng Hao slammed the bike to a stop, smacking Lin Chen lightly on the back of the head. "Are you an idiot? Being insecure is one thing, but now you're better at math than anyone else. You've even helped Su Wanqing solve problems. What's there to be afraid of? If you like her, just talk to her properly. If you don't want to let her down, apologize. Don't act like a closed-off weirdo!"
Zheng Hao's words were like a cold splash of water, waking Lin Chen up instantly. He snapped to attention—didn't rebirth mean to fix regrets? If he couldn't even talk to the person he liked, then what was the point of coming back? Su Wanqing was so kind, there was no way she would reject him just because he was nervous. He had been using his "insecurities" as an excuse to miss his chance!
"You're right!" Lin Chen clenched his fists, a spark of determination igniting in his eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll apologize to her, talk to her about Jane Eyre, and never miss my chance because of insecurity again!"
Zheng Hao grinned and nodded. "That's the spirit! Come on, I'll ride you home. Tomorrow's another day!"
As Lin Chen sat on the back of the bike, watching the sunset turn the sky orange, he felt filled with determination. He knew this misunderstanding was a lesson, but also an opportunity—it showed him his flaws, and it made him realize that to protect Su Wanqing, he had to defeat the "insecurities" that held him back. From tomorrow on, he would start changing. He would let Su Wanqing know that the Lin Chen of this life would never let her suffer, and he would never let regrets take over again.