Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

He Ziyu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Han Zhiruo to be so direct.

"I've heard him mention it."

"That's good," Han Zhiruo said, placing her hands on the table, her long, black hair cascading down her tall back. "I asked you out today to tell you that I refuse the arranged marriage. I don't want to be with Jiang Chengyu, nor do I want to be a third party in someone else's relationship."

"W-what?"

"You and Jiang Chengyu have that kind of relationship, right?" Han Zhiruo smiled slightly, looking like she knew everything. "I have a very good eye for things. Yesterday, when we first met, I could smell the tension in your eyes."

Upon hearing this, He Ziyu felt a little embarrassed. "You might have misunderstood. I didn't mean to..."

"I don't care what you thought before, and I don't mind." Han Zhiru interrupted him, her expression serious. "I asked you out today to tell you that I have no interest in Jiang Chengyu, not now, and not in the future."

He Ziyu was bewildered and subconsciously asked, "Why? Isn't he good enough?"

"He's a good person, and we're well-matched," Han Zhiruo said, "but he's a boy."

"What's wrong with a boy? You don't necessarily want him to be a girl..." He Ziyu suddenly stopped mid-sentence, then cast an incredulous look at Han Zhiruo. "You...you wouldn't be..."

"Yes," Han Zhiruo said calmly, "I like girls, just like you like the same sex."

"..."

"What's wrong? Is it strange?"

"No, no, it's not surprising."

He said he wasn't surprised, but it took He Ziyu a long time to process what he had just learned.

Does Han Zhiruo like girls?

Do her parents know?

Just as I was pondering this, the waiter brought over the coffee.

Han Zhiruo said thank you, picked up her coffee, and took a small sip.

"May I call you Ayu, like they do?"

"sure."

"Alright, Ayu." Han Zhiruo put down his coffee cup and stared intently into his eyes. "I hope you can persuade Jiang Chengyu to act in a play for me."

He Ziyu: "Acting?"

Han Zhiruo nodded.

"As far as I know, the He family wields considerable influence in Yuecheng. A young master like you should be well aware of the importance of marriage alliances."

"A domesticated canary is doomed if it flies away; we cannot resist, nor do we have the right to resist."

"So I plan to have Jiang Chengyu act with me, pretending to follow their arrangements, and then reveal the truth when the time is right."

He Ziyu: "You mean, pretend to be his girlfriend?"

"There's no need to pretend to be a couple," Han Zhiruo said. "My parents are returning to Yuecheng for the purpose of this marriage alliance. Our two families will inevitably meet in the future, and Jiang Chengyu may need to accompany me to attend these events, and he should appear to be doing so willingly."

"..."

"I know this might be a bit offensive, but I don't like beating around the bush, and this is the best way I can think of. If you have any better ideas, please feel free to share them."

After Han Zhiruo finished speaking, he looked quietly at He Ziyu, waiting for his response.

He Ziyu fiddled with the coaster, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

After a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Why...why are you telling me all this? I mean, you can just go directly to Jiang Chengyu."

"He's currently hostile towards the marriage alliance, and by extension, hostile towards me. If I get him to play along at this crucial juncture, what do you think he'll think?"

"..."

Han Zhiruo seems to have a firm grasp on everyone's mindset. Every word she has spoken since the beginning has been full of confidence, revealing a maturity beyond her years.

Han Zhiruo: "If possible, I'll leave this matter to you. I don't mind if you tell Jiang Chengyu my secret, but I beg you to keep it a secret for me. After all, I'm still just an egg that can't break a rock."

He Ziyu: "Don't worry, I will."

"By the way, you can log in and take a look at this account if you're interested." Han Zhiruo took out a pen from her bag and wrote a string of letters and numbers on a tissue. "This is my profile. It records my emotional journey after I realized I was attracted to the same sex."

He Ziyu took the tissue, somewhat bewildered. "The things in your space, aren't they basically a diary?"

"Pretty much," Han Zhiruo smiled. "I've never had a girlfriend, so I don't know how to prove to you that I like the same sex. After thinking about it, this is the only way."

"Actually, you don't need to prove anything to me," He Ziyu said. "I believe in your character."

"You may believe it, but Jiang Chengyu may not. Just give him this piece of paper; he'll definitely verify it."

After Han Zhiruo finished speaking, he drank the coffee in his cup, which had cooled to a comfortable temperature, in one gulp, then got up and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I still need to review my lessons when I get back."

"Wait a minute, I'll go with you."

As He Ziyu spoke, he imitated Han Zhiruo by finishing his coffee, wiping his mouth, and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"How will you get home?"

"Take the subway."

I'll take you to the subway station.

After paying at the counter, the two walked out of the coffee shop together.

In November, darkness falls exceptionally early in Moon City. It was already quite dark at this time. He Ziyu and Han Zhiruo walked side by side on the asphalt road, with the impatient honking of the crowded vehicles in their ears.

As they walked, Han Zhiruo suddenly said, "Ayu, you're not what I imagined."

He Ziyu: "How is it different?"

"Most young masters from families like yours are spoiled, arrogant, and idle, but you seem approachable and hardworking."

Han Zhiruo enjoys observing the people around her.

During her two days at No. 8 Middle School, she noticed that the classroom was particularly chaotic during breaks, except for He Ziyu, who sat quietly in his seat, either doing exercises or reciting texts, making him seem out of place with the others.

"I wasn't like this before," He Ziyu chuckled, "especially when I saw how well Yu-ge did, I felt even more ashamed to continue like this."

Han Zhiruo: "

He Ziyu nodded. "It may be a bit difficult, but I will try my best. After all, there are still more than two years left."

"That's good," Han Zhiruo said, gazing at the bustling traffic in the distance, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Jiang Chengyu is worth it for you to do this."

He Ziyu paused, about to ask why, when Han Zhiruo said, "When he was in the United States, he had a long argument with his parents. One day, he ran away from his place and no one could contact him. The local police had to be called in to find him."

"Is that so?" He Ziyu frowned. "He didn't tell me about it."

"He cares about you so much, how could he tell you something like this?"

"And then what happened?" He Ziyu asked hastily.

"The police later found him on a park bench, apparently after he had spent the night there. His body was covered in red welts from insect bites, and his eyes were swollen."

Were you there at the time?

"Yes," Han Zhiruo nodded, "They didn't want me to go at first, and told me that Jiang Chengyu had just gotten lost by accident. I didn't believe it and insisted on going with him. When we found him, he didn't say a word and looked listless. Uncle Jiang saw the red rash on his body and thought he had been poisoned, so he rushed him to the hospital."

He Ziyu felt increasingly distressed as he listened, his heart clenching with pain.

"Two hours later, the hospital gave the test results, and it turned out to be a false alarm. But Jiang Chengyu still refused to speak, and even refused to eat or drink. At the time, I thought he was being pushed too hard and had run away from home in a moment of rebellion. It wasn't until I met you yesterday that I suddenly realized how much he was suffering inside at that time."

"I know all too well how painful it is to have no one to confide in about your secrets, and even your closest family members might call you disgusting after hearing them."

He Ziyu: "Didn't you... not tell your family yet?"

"I don't have family, but I do have friends." As if thinking of something sad, Han Zhiruo's eyes suddenly dimmed. "I used to have a very good friend, but she chose to leave."

"At first I was very sad, until one day I overheard her telling her new friends that homosexuality is disgusting."

"After that, we became strangers who would never say hello even if we passed each other."

He Ziyu stared at the swaying shadows of the trees on the ground, wanting to offer comfort, but unsure of what to say.

Actually, they are all the same.

They all face the same difficulties, and they all have a spirit of perseverance and positivity.

At times like these, even without saying anything, the unspoken understanding is there.

Soon, the two arrived at the subway station entrance.

Han Zhiruo stood by the escalator, waved to He Ziyu, and said, "Thank you for seeing me off. I'll be going now."

He Ziyu: "Be careful on the road."

"Oh, right..."

"Um?"

"Jiang Chengyu must really like you," Han Zhiruo said, looking at him. "So, I wish you happiness."

As she finished speaking, her slender figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

After watching Han Zhiruo leave, He Ziyu hailed a car on the street and got in, deep in thought.

When they returned to Biyue Bay, it was completely dark. Instead of going straight home, He Ziyu ran to Jiang Chengyu's window and smashed a small stone.

A moment later, the window opened.

Jiang Chengyu was wearing pajamas. When she saw him, the corners of her mouth turned up clearly, and she called out to him excitedly, "Ayu."

"Was your phone confiscated?" He Ziyu asked, trying to make his mouth movements louder as he controlled his volume.

Jiang Chengyu nodded, then leaned forward a little more. "Come closer, I can't see you clearly."

Upon hearing this, He Ziyu quickly ran forward a few steps.

"Do you see it clearly now?"

"Yes, I see clearly now." Jiang Chengyu smiled. "But I still want to hug you."

He Ziyu rolled his eyes. "Then forget about it, unless you jump out of the window right now."

"May I?"

"What? You really want to jump? You broke your arm last time, do you want to break your leg this time?"

"I estimated that the distance wasn't too high, and I probably wouldn't break my leg if I jumped."

"As you said yourself, it's not certain..."

He Ziyu stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted back, a little worried that Jiang Chengyu might actually do something stupid and jump out the window. But the next second, Jiang Chengyu grabbed something from the side and threw it out the window.

"Ayu, here you go."