Go back to that year
1266 Words
Sheer curtains... crystal chandeliers... a clock... a puffy dress...
What era is this?
"You're awake." Li Baiwen entered with a bowl of porridge, smiling.
In my previous life, it was because of Li Baiwen that I got to know Su Yanche again. Sure enough, returning to this world means facing this disgusting face again. Scumbag!
“Mm.” I held back my anger.
“Su sent a message saying he'll be coming from home on the 6th, which is tomorrow. He’s invited us for dinner the day after.”
It's early March, just in time for the start of school.
“Which Su? Su Yanche?”
“Yeah, have you gotten so sick that you forgot? We only know one Su. It seems this plague has left some really strange aftereffects.” Li Baiwen's smile deepened.
Su Yanche... he’s not dead?
"Got it. What time the day after tomorrow?"
"It'll probably be dinner." He scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to my lips.
I snatched the bowl and spoon from him. "I'll do it myself."
In my previous life, Li Baiwen fell in love with me at first sight and pursued me relentlessly. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had a gentle, refined air. His words and actions were warm and comforting.
Although we were the same age, he was far more mature than me and always took care of me in every way. I soon fell for him and indulged in the relationship.
Until one day, a classmate told me that after Li Baiwen dropped me off at home, he went to another girl’s place.
At first, I didn’t believe it, but he grew colder and more distant. One day, after he dropped me off, I pretended to go home but actually followed him in my friend's car.
In the end, with my friends, we caught him in the act.
Thinking about it now, I almost ground my molars to dust.
"I'm full. Going back to sleep." I handed the bowl back to him.
"Alright, then rest well. I’ll come by again tomorrow."
"No need to come tomorrow; just pick me up for dinner the day after."
"Okay."
...
The wait to uncover the truth felt so long...
...
On the third day, Li Baiwen picked me up and brought me to the agreed-upon restaurant.
Even though I had mentally prepared myself, seeing Su Yanche in that moment, my nose tingled with emotion.
Back from the dead, lost and found again.
As long as he's alive.
I buried my head in my meal, using it to hide the storm of emotions inside.
They talked about everything from poetry to philosophy...
After what felt like ages, dinner was finally almost over.
"I found this nearly extinct traditional pastry on a trip to Sucheng. You both should try it." Su Yanche took out a small, exquisitely wrapped box of snacks from his bag.
"I’m stuffed." I rubbed my round belly.
"Just a bite. You’ll like it." Su Yanche smiled, a smile that felt different from before... more like when he was a kid...
Reluctantly, I tried a piece.
!!!
Osmanthus cake! It tasted just like Wufangzhai's!
In my previous life, we had this dinner, but not this pastry, let alone osmanthus cake.
That cake was only available then.
The Su Yanche who knew about that osmanthus cake died in the past, so he shouldn’t exist here.
But Su Yanche isn’t dead. If he’s alive, then the changes in the past shouldn’t affect the present, so the osmanthus cake shouldn’t exist...
So many questions...
Back at home, I lay on my bed, going over everything again and again.
If Kronos is correct, every event should match up in each timeline.
In the previous life, at age three—well, I barely remember anything, not even Su Yanche’s name.
If, in the past life, at age three, there was an incident where a rock hit my head and pastry was offered as an apology...
At age twenty... it could happen, or it might not. If Su Yanche remembers, he has the choice to make it happen since I can’t recall my childhood clearly.
But if it didn’t happen in the past life, then Su Yanche made it happen, changing the past.
But that was my timeline; everyone else should just be NPCs.
If three-year-old Su Yanche caused that to happen, then it makes sense for him to recognize me at twenty, but he was supposed to die at seven.
No, in the previous life, there was definitely no such event at age three because all my interactions with Su Yanche were in Ning City.
And Ning City didn’t even have a Wufangzhai!
Wufangzhai only existed in the Jiangnan area. Ning City is near the desert and Gobi.
So, at that time, he changed the past...
How is he able to change the past?
He's like me!
So even if space shifts, he can give me that osmanthus cake when I was three or twenty, even though it originally didn't exist.
I’ll test him tomorrow...
In the previous life in Country M, Su Yanche lived near me, and he’s still close by now.
The next morning, I hurried over and knocked on Su Yanche’s door.
“Come in.” Su Yanche opened the door for me.
I sat on his couch for a long time, steeling myself before finally speaking, "Che..."
"Han..."
In the previous life, we never got to reunite. Finally, I could say it now.
"Why are you here? Did you die too?" I asked anxiously.
“I came here with you.”
“With me? What do you mean?”
“At that time, I heard news of your death and regretted not telling you I was that person from childhood,” Su Yanche paused. “Han, I actually liked you from a young age. Later, I looked for you for a long, long time but couldn't find any trace of you. When we met again, I felt unworthy, so I chose to avoid it. But what difference does it make if we reunited? We were already good friends. Staying that way was fine. I was just being foolish.”
"Right, back to business. After you passed, I had a dream, and in it, someone who claimed to be the god of space said he could help me fix my regrets. I thought maybe there’d be a chance to see you again."
"He didn’t ask you to do anything for him?"
"No… no…" Su Yanche cleared his throat. “So I made my wish, and then I started following you from world to world!”
“Following me? Then... was that unlucky guy also you?”
“What unlucky guy?”
I took out a valuable ivory pendant I always carried and showed it to him. “Do you recognize this?”
"Never seen it before," Su Yanche looked puzzled.
"Strange." I muttered.
I’d have to go back and ask Kronos.
"Che, I’ll go now and come find you another day."
“I’ll walk you home.”
"No need. Until everything is clear, we should keep a low profile. Let’s stick to how things were in the past life."
"Right, right. Be careful on your way. Bye-bye." Su Yanche waved at me, "And watch out for Li Baiwen; we both know what he's capable of."
"Under-stood."
...
After returning home.
Your Highness, your Highness, why is there always so much weird stuff happening?
...
Where have you been these past two days?!
...
Forget it, let's chill.
- Writer
