On top of that, Jiang Chan’s tutoring for Qin Fen started from junior high material. High school lessons were even harder for him to follow.
Sitting beside him, Wu You noticed him staring blankly at a problem and kindly gave him a hint.
Wu You was also a strong student. Aside from the small conflict on the day Qin Fen transferred, the three of them in the last row got along quite well afterward. Now Qin Fen sat between two top students. Whenever he did not understand something, he could simply ask.
In short, the top students carried him.
Evening self study ended at nine, but the competition class ran until around ten. Most of the class had already left. Wu You had gone back to the dormitory. Qin Fen remained in his seat, waiting to go home with Jiang Chan.
Song Miao lingered deliberately. Only when the classroom was nearly empty, leaving just her and Qin Fen, did she slowly walk over.
Qin Fen was happily solving problems, getting smoother as he went along.
Suddenly the light in front of him was blocked. Without lifting his head, he said, “Classmate, you’re blocking my light.”
After a few seconds, when the person did not move, he grew impatient. He was not known for having a good temper. Tossing down his pen, he looked up.
Standing before him was Song Miao, arms crossed, glaring at him.
Qin Fen raised a brow. He had not gone looking for her, yet she came to him.
Seeing her again, he felt nothing. In his previous life, he had already broken up with her while alive, and after learning her true nature, how could he possibly harbor any lingering feelings?
To him now, she was just a stranger. They had not exchanged a single word.
Propping his chin on one hand, unconsciously mimicking Jiang Chan’s habitual gesture, he asked, “Do you need something? If you have something to say, say it. Why are you staring at me like that at night?”
His expression was too composed. Song Miao studied him carefully, trying to find a flaw, but found none.
She had suspected these past few days that he might also have returned like she did. But after observing him, she had found nothing conclusive.
Suppressing her thoughts, she looked at his impatient face and felt a surge of resentment.
In her previous life, the first spark that set everything ablaze had been Qin Fen. When he abandoned her, he had worn the same impatient, superior expression.
Now he did not remember any of that. Even if she wanted to vent, she had no grounds.
After holding back for a long time, she said coldly, “Stay away from Jiang Yuhui. A rich second generation like you shouldn’t lead him astray.”
“Oh?” Qin Fen exclaimed. “What do you mean by that? Jiang Yuhui is his own person. In what capacity are you telling me what to do?”
He crossed one leg over the other. “Or are you the only one getting worked up over nothing?”
Song Miao looked at his smiling face and nearly threw the book at him. “I’m telling you, stay away from Jiang Yuhui.”
Qin Fen’s smile faded. “What, changing targets now? Planning to reel in a bigger catch? Look at yourself first. What makes you think you have the right to covet Jiang Yuhui?”
From the doorway, Jiang Chan cleared her throat.
She had come to retrieve a physics reference book she had left behind. During the break between competition classes, she stopped by, only to hear Qin Fen comparing her to a big fish and Song Miao warning him.
She walked in, picked up the book beside Qin Fen, and turned to leave.
The moment she heard Jiang Chan’s cough, Song Miao stiffened.
She did not know how long Jiang Chan had been there or how much she had heard. Embarrassment flooded her. She wished she could disappear into the floor.
Jiang Chan lightly smacked Qin Fen on the head. “There are seats in the competition classroom. Turn off the lights before you leave. Don’t keep Song Miao waiting.”
Qin Fen stood up quickly, grabbed his paper, and followed Jiang Chan out without sparing Song Miao a glance.
After they left, the heat slowly faded from Song Miao’s face.
Threatening someone behind their back only to be caught by the person involved. What a situation.
In the corridor, Qin Fen said animatedly, “Do you think Song Miao figured out your family background and wants me out of the way so she can play the long game?”
“She even came to warn me. So childish.”
Jiang Chan stopped abruptly. Qin Fen was not paying attention and walked straight into the doorframe. The students inside the classroom all looked over.
Feeling embarrassed, he fell silent and followed Jiang Chan quietly to the back row, sitting down.
After solving a few problems, he thought about Song Miao’s expression. The more he thought, the stranger it felt.
He had never told anyone he was a rich second generation. He had kept a low profile. How did Song Miao know?
Especially that comment about not leading Jiang Yuhui astray. It sounded as if she knew him well.
The more he thought, the more uneasy he felt.
When something was unclear, ask Jiang Yuhui. That had become his habit recently.
After school, they headed home together. On the way, Qin Fen shared his doubts.
Listening to him, Jiang Chan felt even more certain.
Holding the handlebars calmly, she said, “It’s not strange. If you can come back, why can’t she?”
With that, Jiang Chan finally understood why Song Miao had tried to approach her so actively at the start of the term. Song Miao must have been reborn as well.
How unfair.
Someone like Song Miao was given another chance.
No wonder she had been trying so hard to get close. Perhaps her greatest lingering regret after death had been Jiang Yuhui.
Even if this Song Miao had not yet harmed him in this life, Jiang Chan could not accept her mindset.
Did she think that by returning, everything she had done could be erased?
Impossible.
Jiang Chan had her own moral boundaries.
If someone betrayed love, then later regretted it and tried to return, she would never accept that.
On a psychological level, it was intolerable. It was settling for second best. No one wanted to be the second choice.
After roughly confirming Song Miao’s origin, Jiang Chan silently resolved to keep even farther away from her from now on.
Discover more from Lilly Translations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thanks for the chapter!