My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 158 The Price Is Insignificant

"I want you, I want you tonight, to play the role of eighteen-year-old Cheng Shuangjiang."

Zhou Heming's words were firm, but they made Cheng Shuangjiang's smile suddenly stiffen.

Lu Bai also looked at Cheng Shuangjiang. Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she was surprised, or as if she already knew.

Cheng Shuangjiang gradually suppressed her smile, and after a long silence, she slowly nodded.

"it is good."

The playful and lively tone, almost melodious and rising at the end of the sentence, disappeared, replaced by a somewhat cold and stiff response, like a flower on a high mountain.

In a short while, Zhou Heming felt that the girl in front of him had become a different person.

If it's just about acting skills, then Cheng Shuangjiang must be a top-tier actress who is no less talented than Lu Qian.

It took Lu Qian a year to hone her acting skills to perfectly portray Lu Bai.

Cheng Shuangjiang, on the other hand, only took a few weeks to completely eliminate herself and interpret a lie that even Lu Bai couldn't see through.

Or.

When Cheng Shuangjiang said she was reborn, she truly believed it to be true.

"It's still more natural this way."

Zhou Heming rubbed his nose. The area was already dry, and the heat from the fireplace made his throat even itchier.

Cheng Shuangjiang's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent and looked away.

"Sorry, it is my fault."

Seeing this, Zhou Heming glanced at Lu Bai beside him, then lowered his head to show his apology.

"This is just a big gamble."

Cheng Shuangjiang tried to explain, but Zhou Heming simply grabbed her hand.

The playing cards landed on the table, with the colorful Joker swaggering around as if mocking fate.

"I was too attached to her afterglow, so immersed in the dream that I was unwilling to wake up, which is why you have been indulging my willfulness all this time."

Zhou Heming sighed, then looked intently into Cheng Shuangjiang's eyes.

“Cheng Shuangjiang, you once said that you didn’t want me to think of her, the reborn Cheng Shuangjiang, when I looked at you. You wanted me to only look at you.”

He made no attempt to hide it, even though Lu Bai was right there watching the two of them.

"Now I ask you, if I chose the reborn Cheng Shuangjiang, and we came back together to spend our lives together, would you accept such an ending?"

Cheng Shuangjiang stared blankly at Zhou Heming.

She bit her lower lip, hesitated, and ultimately chose to remain silent.

"The more I love Cheng Shuangjiang, who has been reborn, the more pain you will suffer, won't you?"

Zhou Heming pressed for an answer.

He saw his own reflection in Cheng Shuangjiang's eyes, and could even catch a glimpse of Lu Bai holding a teacup out of the corner of his eye.

But she herself was not among them.

original.

Love can really make people so humble.

"But for you, being with her is the ending of a fairy tale, and that's where the greatest happiness lies. I experienced that time firsthand; I've seen the sun before. So, I know how heartbroken you were when you lost her."

a long time.

Cheng Shuangjiang sighed.

"If you do this, you can get her back, Lu Bai can accept her, and the three of you can go back to that wonderful time."

"And what about you? Are you going to act like this for the rest of your life? What about your own happiness?"

Zhou Heming asked.

"What does it matter?"

Cheng Shuangjiang smiled for the first time.

It was a smile that was both somewhat melancholic and incredibly happy.

"If this can make you, Lu Bai, and her happy, then the price that needs to be paid is insignificant."

At this moment.

A surge of intense emotion overwhelmed Zhou Heming.

Make him clearly aware of it.

The girl before her shares the same essence as the reborn her.

They are all willing to sacrifice their own existence for the happiness of the people they love.

as well as.

Both she and she shared a deep and unwavering love for Zhou Heming, regardless of anything else.

"Do not."

Therefore, Zhou Heming spoke.

"The cost is very important."

He gently squeezed Cheng Shuangjiang's palm, her fair yet slightly rough hand bearing the marks of her past injuries.

Zhou Heming could immerse himself in his dream and never wake up again.

In this way, he can spend the rest of his life with his first love and his last love.

He can make up for all the regrets of his youth, fulfill all the vows he made in his youth, and step into the future they envisioned when they whispered sweet nothings to each other.

But if you do that...

A young girl will be consumed by pain and will never find redemption.

She will sacrifice herself for the happiness of three people.

She said, "I do."

But Zhou Heming said, "I'm not willing."

"Didn't I tell you about the story I was playing? Back then, I asked you about your choice, but you didn't give me an answer. Now, I'm asking you again."

He spoke in a deep voice.

"Do you want to become her, or do you want to be yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shuangjiang's eyelashes trembled, her eyes flickered slightly, and she opened her mouth slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

"The crane cries."

At this moment, Lu Bai pressed down on Zhou Heming's shoulder.

"You're putting people in a very difficult position right now."

Lu Bai temporarily set aside the answer to this question.

“Cheng Shuangjiang must have made a great decision.”

Having had a similar experience, Lu Bai knew very well what kind of resolve the girl in front of him had to do these things.

"Let's continue the game."

Lu Bai reshuffled the deck.

"Do you want to continue?"

Zhou Heming couldn't quite understand Lu Bai.

"of course."

Lu Bai smiled and then looked at Cheng Shuangjiang.

"Since this is a grand adventure, at least for the duration of this game, Cheng Shuangjiang should temporarily maintain her eighteen-year-old appearance, okay?"

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded hesitantly.

The three players started playing cards again.

In this round, Zhou Heming had bad luck and drew the ace.

However, he played his cards efficiently and soon only had three cards left in his hand, while Lu Bai only had one.

Cheng Shuangjiang seemed to be absorbed in the conversation just now, somewhat absent-minded, with four cards still in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Heming, but I'm determined to win this time."

Lu Bai revealed a triumphant smile, which made Zhou Heming's heart skip a beat.

She placed her finger on Zhou Heming's card, which was the King of Spades.

"Heming, the card I'm drawing right now is the Ace, isn't it?"

Suddenly, Lu Bai asked this question.

"what?"

Zhou Heming was taken aback.

No, there is such a thing?
Is it really necessary to use cheats for a game of truth or dare?

He opened his mouth, but didn't give an answer.

But for some questions, not answering them is already an answer.

Lu Bai chuckled and drew another card.

"I won."

He grinned and played out the pair in his hand.

"This is cheating!"

Zhou Heming protested.

“You can ask Heming, and you can ask Cheng Shuangjiang.”

Lu Bai stood with his hands on his hips, looking completely justified.

".never mind."

Zhou Heming decided not to argue with Lu Bai.

Since Lu Bai has a reason to win, let her win.

He and Cheng Shuangjiang went back and forth several times, and eventually he played all the cards in his hand, making Cheng Shuangjiang the loser of this round.

I choose truth.

Cheng Shuangjiang was a little uneasy.

"Let me think."

A smile appeared on Lu Bai's lips, and then she asked.

"You, I mean, what do you like about Zhou Heming at eighteen? Is it because of the lingering influence of Cheng Shuangjiang's rebirth that you have feelings for him?"

"?"

Zhou Heming looked at Lu Bai with suspicion.

but.

He was also a little curious.

One thing the boy never admitted or mentioned was...

That night in Heming Township, when eighteen-year-old Cheng Shuangjiang asked him if he could just look at her, the young man clearly realized that he still liked her.

What he liked was Cheng Shuangjiang's true nature.

It won't change because of experiences, nor will it waver because of different relationships. It's like destiny.

Whenever a boy and a girl meet in any situation, any place, or any time, he will fall in love with her.

Cheng Shuangjiang, who has been reborn, has probably already figured this out.

But Zhou Heming still wanted to confirm.

He felt somewhat uneasy and afraid.

The reason she was afraid of Cheng Shuangjiang in front of her was only because of the influence of those lingering memories, which was why she had fallen in love with herself.

After all, in this timeline, he had never saved her.

Upon hearing the question, Cheng Shuangjiang remained silent for a long time before raising her head.

“I personally experienced that period, and it’s hard to explain to you, but when he held hands with her, hugged her, and kissed her, I felt the same way.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Heming's expression darkened slightly.

"So, I'm very jealous of her."

Cheng Shuangjiang paused for a moment before continuing.

"I'm jealous that she can win your love, I'm jealous that she can speak her mind so frankly, I'm jealous that she can take the initiative to embrace happiness."

"Because I've seen you two together, I know everything about you—your way of treating your lover, the efforts you make to be together, and your will to face the world. That's why I want to stand by your side."

"Even though you didn't save me in this timeline, you did make me realize how happy it is to be your lover."

"Therefore, I want to change myself, I want your response, I want to become your lover."

She looked at Zhou Heming and spoke in a voice different from that of the reborn Cheng Shuangjiang, yet filled with certainty and love.

"Does love need a reason? I don't think so. But if you really need a reason, I would say that I love you because you are Zhou Heming."

Zhou Heming looked at the girl who was similar yet different, but felt the same flutter in his heart.

The inner turmoil almost shattered his reason, making Zhou Heming immediately realize his love for her.

But he glanced at Lu Bai beside him.

Zhou Heming knew that he could not overstep any boundaries.

"As expected, you are Cheng Shuangjiang."

Lu Bai smiled and said, seemingly indicating that this round of the game was over.

Zhou Heming felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

After the eighteen-year-old Cheng Shuangjiang said those words, the emotions he had been suppressing before finally overflowed.

He wanted to hold her hand, soothe all her anxieties, embrace her tightly, and use a deep kiss to dispel all her doubts. In the midst of intertwined love, he wanted to make a vow with her to be etched in his heart for a lifetime, and to spend the rest of his life hand in hand with her.

But Zhou Heming also wanted to have such a future with Lu Qian.

Even though Lu Qian said that she liked Zhou Heming, who still liked Cheng Shuangjiang, it would still make Zhou Heming feel guilty.

Cheng Shuangjiang also rejected Zhou Heming's fleeting affections. She didn't want Zhou Heming to make amends because of her expectations and guilt. What she wanted was for Zhou Heming to make a choice based on his own love.

By abandoning Lu Bai and getting together with Cheng Shuangjiang, neither he nor she could have a clear conscience.

Disappointed, Zhou Heming lost this round of the game.

Lu Bai remains the winner.

Looking up at Lu Bai, Zhou Heming suddenly felt a sense of fear.

A premonition told him that if he chose to tell the truth, Lu Bai would definitely ask a question that would completely destroy the existing relationship and drag Zhou Heming, Cheng Shuangjiang, and herself into a vortex.

So he remained silent for a moment.

"I choose the big adventure."

"Okay."

Lu Bai seemed to have anticipated this, and spread his hands.

Some questions can be answered without even being asked.

Zhou Heming did not answer.

"In that case, I want you."

Lu Bai's gaze shifted from Zhou Heming to Cheng Shuangjiang.

"I want you to kiss Cheng Shuangjiang, just like we used to."

"???"

Although he had expected it, Zhou Heming's pupils still dilated when he actually heard Lu Bai's request for a dare.

Is Lu Bai using this method to force him because he is unwilling to tell the truth?

"what?"

Cheng Shuangjiang seemed not to have heard clearly and asked in return.

"You two have kissed over a hundred times before, and I don't think I've ever seen it happen. That one touch just now doesn't count. Can't you just consider it as something I can learn from?"

Lu Bai said matter-of-factly.

"After all, I still have to act in Heming's script and play Cheng Shuangjiang."

She gave a reason that wasn't really a reason.

"But Cheng Shuangjiang might not be willing either."

"I am willing."

Cheng Shuangjiang interrupted Zhou Heming's explanation.

Zhou Heming looked at the girl.

Similar yet different, but the same love resonated in her eyes.

Zhou Heming felt that the shackles in his heart would probably be destroyed by this kiss.

Was Lu Bai trying to test him?
Or is the goal to get Zhou Heming to confront his own heart and make a real choice?

Zhou Heming didn't understand.

He looked at Cheng Shuangjiang.

"Then we'll..."

Under Lu Bai's gaze, the two stood up and brought their cheeks close together.

Warm breaths mingled, and the girl's face was inches away.

Zhou Heming only realized this at that moment.

This was his first kiss with Cheng Shuangjiang when she was eighteen, which was initiated by him.

He saw the girl's closed eyes, her slightly trembling eyelashes, her small and delicate nose, and her pale cherry-colored, moist lips.

next moment.

Zhou Heming kissed Cheng Shuangjiang.

It's like Pandora's box has been opened.

All the emotions burst forth.

Regret, longing, heartache, sorrow, and an uncontrollable love.

He put his arm around Cheng Shuangjiang's waist. She was even more petite and slender than Lu Bai, which made her all the more pitiful.

Cheng Shuangjiang gently placed her hand on Zhou Heming's waist, looking a little flustered, as if she wasn't used to this kind of happiness.

Their feelings intertwined through this long and profound kiss, confirming their love for each other while also bringing a sense of helpless sadness.

The most regrettable love in the world is probably this: I know you like me, and you know I like you, but we can never be together.

moment.

Lip points.

Zhou Heming looked into Cheng Shuangjiang's eyes and saw his own reflection.

"sorry."

He apologized, both because he had offended Cheng Shuangjiang with the adventure, and because this might be the last time he showed his love.

"It's ok."

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded.

She looked away.

Even just one more glance would make her unable to control her love and she would tiptoe to kiss him again.

original.

Kissing your loved one is such a blissful thing.

The eighteen-year-old girl was finally receiving her first real kiss.

Seeing this, Lu Bai reshuffled the cards.

"The final game."

"Isn't it enough?"

Zhou Heming sat back down.

What does Cheng Shuangjiang think?

Lu Bai then asked another girl.

"The final game."

Cheng Shuangjiang repeated herself and glanced at Zhou Heming.

"Then, it should all be over."

She knew she had to give the answer to that question.

"Alright, let's play one last game then."

Zhou Heming takes the card.

After several rounds of drawing cards, Lu Bai still hadn't taken away his trump card, and Cheng Shuangjiang, who had recovered slightly, seemed to have a much better luck.

Of course, Lu Bai remains the winner.

Zhou Heming suffered another defeat.

Even now, after all this, you still won't tell the truth?

Lu Bai asked leisurely.

"Fine, it's the last round, let's play Truth or Dare."

Zhou Heming decided to bury all his feelings for Cheng Shuangjiang deep in his heart and never mention them again after tonight.

"Ok."

But Lu Bai suddenly revealed a smile that seemed to indicate he had succeeded in playing a prank.

hum-

Zhou Heming suddenly realized that everything Lu Bai had done and said before might have been a setup for this final round.

“Heming, I want you. When we are in this room, you must be honest with your feelings. You can show your love to Cheng Shuangjiang, or you can be with me. Don’t worry about hurting each other.”

Lu Bai remained silent for a moment before uttering the spell she had cast on Zhou Heming.

Even if you want the three of you to be together.

(End of this chapter)