"Get out! Get out! Get out! Don’t ever show up at my house again—I’m not welcoming you!"
"No, wait, Muqing, just let me explain—"
...
Su Yu was shoved out of the He residence. The iron gate slammed shut before his eyes, locking him outside. He glanced at the familiar gate, plastered with layers of flyers. The smile on his face slowly faded.
He’d been genuinely happy—so much that his words slipped out unchecked. Teasing He Muqing was just his way of confirming something. Memories flickered vividly before him. The hollow void of rebirth finally began to recede. This wasn’t a dream. From now on, he truly had a second life.
Rebirth was now undeniable fact. But accepting it dragged back the face that had filled his vision in his final moments. The shadows of those last days clung like a bone-deep curse. Recalling captivity, he snapped back—cold sweat already drenching his shirt.
Xia Qian’ge… the woman he’d adored for so long. When had she twisted into such madness? Was today’s Xia Qian’ge still the girl he once knew?
...
Su Yu went downstairs, stepped into his room, and spotted his phone lying untouched on the desk. Only then did he remember the messages.
Listening to his heartbeat’s steady thump, he swiped the screen open. A new message had arrived—Xia Qian’ge’s reply.
*"No big deal. But Gaokao’s coming up—Su Yu, do you still have time for games? Focus. Study harder."*
Su Yu read it. His expression flickered. Then, a breath of relief. A weight lifted from his chest. The fear hadn’t come true.
To him, the past Xia Qian’ge was pure light. Even her casual smiles felt like mountain springwater—clear, sweet, tinkling.
Her profile pic: an adorably clumsy Psyduck. Chat bubbles: fluffy pink clouds. Font: wobbly rounded letters. Everything remained beautifully unchanged. That purity captivated every teenage heart.
*"Thanks. I will. You too."*
He replied neutrally. No matter who she was now, distance was necessary. Maybe staying away would stop the tragedy.
Xia Qian’ge didn’t reply immediately. The chat box stayed silent. Su Yu remembered how he used to avoid placing his phone on the desk—every chime made him check. If it was her, he’d drop his pen and reply instantly. If not… disappointment would sink in, and he’d doodle meaningless scribbles on homework, motivation gone.
This time? He just glanced. Didn’t wait. Got up to shower.
Steam hissed as hot water poured over his untrimmed senior-year hair. Vision blurred. Mist thickened in the narrow bathroom. Through the haze, reality melted into fantasy.
A soft pink filter tinted the scene. He held Xia Qian’ge’s hand, walking a tree-lined campus path. She leaned gently on his shoulder, a shy smile on her lips. Youth’s simple beauty painted the dream.
*What if I tried again? Nurtured it carefully… would the ending change?*
The question whispered in his heart. People chase impossible fantasies. But he wasn’t sure… and wouldn’t gamble.
Toweling his damp hair, he returned to his desk—just as her reply popped up.
*"Okay. Let’s both do our best."*
He lay on bed, scrolling endlessly through their chat history. Back then, he’d been so clueless—racking his brain for trivial topics, just to exchange a few words with her. And it made him happy for hours.
He reached the very beginning. Read every message. Found zero traces of darkness. Today’s Xia Qian’ge still seemed that clear, untouched pond—untainted by ink. Still Xia Qian’ge. Pure. Transparent.
No evidence was the loudest evidence. His long bangs cast shadow over his eyes. It proved it: just as *she* said—it was him… who killed Xia Qian’ge. A man named Su Yu.
*"Ever since I loved you… I was already beyond saving…"*
Her voice echoed. A phantom blade pierced his chest. A warning. Would he repeat the same path this life?
When *had* she fallen for him? Even last life, he never knew. In college, after endless pursuit—just as he nearly gave up—she replied. That day, he ran lap after lap around the track, heart soaring.
He first thought it was guilt. But her eyes held real affection. Unfakable.
If he’d won her heart in college’s first year… the clearest escape was simple: don’t enter the same university. This abrupt Truth or Dare wouldn’t change anything. She’d fade the memory naturally.
*"Still not asleep?"*
Her icon flashed. Su Yu frowned. High school Xia Qian’ge rarely asked pointless things. She’d been politely distant—just a classmate. Nothing special.
Past Su Yu never saw it. Teenage boys always fantasize: *She likes me.* He’d even romanticize obvious excuses like *"I’m going to shower."*
Had not confessing tonight already altered the timeline?
*"Mm. Not yet."*
*"Oh! Sleep early then—you’ve got morning reading tomorrow."*
*"I will. Heading to bed now."*
*"Good night."*
Su Yu stared at "Good night" for a long moment. Such a tiny act could ripple everything. Butterfly effect. A chain reaction. *Sever the ties. Fast.*
*"Good night."*
He set the phone down. As he turned off the light, his eyes caught the calendar by his bed. Each X marked a day gone. He drew a bold cross over the 5th. After today… only one month until Gaokao.
