Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

Jiang Chengyu was taken aback, then immediately opened the access control.

He Ningqiu's appearance was unexpected by everyone.

Although He Ziyu had informed everyone beforehand that He Ningqiu might come over for dinner, he relayed He Ningqiu's refusal as he had refused, so everyone assumed he wouldn't be coming today.

"Brother." He Ningqiu stood in the entrance hall, his face ashen and lacking in energy.

"Come in." He Ziyu handed him a pair of slippers. "Didn't you say you weren't coming? I even ordered one less takeout for you."

While changing her slippers, He Ningqiu explained, "I didn't want to come, but my parents went out, and I was a little scared to be home alone."

He Ziyu: "Afraid?"

He Ningqiu nodded. "I don't know why, but lately I've been feeling like someone's watching me..."

Despite it being broad daylight, He Ningqiu's expression and tone were inexplicably chilling.

He Ziyu frowned and said, "You've been locking yourself in your room all this time. Even if you're not sick, you'll get sick from being cooped up. Go out more often in the future. If you really can't, sign up for some hobby classes or something. Dad doesn't need your money. As long as it's a legitimate activity, he won't refuse you."

"Um……"

……

Lunch was plentiful, but He Ningqiu had no appetite at all.

He felt he was sick.

It's like all the cells of joy have been sucked out of me; no matter what delicious food I eat or what fun activities I play, I can't muster any interest.

"The crayfish at this restaurant is so delicious! I'll definitely eat here from now on. It's super flavorful with its numbing spiciness!"

Jing Xiaoran, the biggest foodie in the room, was sucking her fingers with a blissful expression, staring longingly at Bei Yao's hands as he peeled shrimp. She wanted to bring her mouth close, but was a little embarrassed.

It had become a habit for Bei Yao to peel shrimp for him. Every time they ate crayfish together, he would turn into a heartless shrimp-peeling machine. By the time he was satisfied, there weren't many shrimp left.

When the Nth crayfish was brought to her mouth, Jingran pushed Beiyao's hand back and said, "You eat it yourself."

Bei Yao gave him a strange look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to eat barbecue first," Jingran said. "You can peel it for me after I finish eating the barbecue."

Bei Yao nodded and popped his first crayfish into his mouth.

Across from him, He Ziyu couldn't help but smile as he watched the loving interaction between the two.

The guy who used to be so possessive of his food and used to bossing Bei Yao around has now learned to be humble and understanding. He has grown from a tender sprout that needed protection into a big tree that can shelter from the wind and rain, and is constantly releasing his energy.

……

After finishing their meal, everyone returned to their respective work stations to continue working.

With nothing else to do, He Ningqiu took the initiative to clean up the trash, tidying up the leftovers neatly.

Then, a person lay down on a deck chair in the garden and numbly watched the shadows of the trees sway.

After her mother left Yuecheng, she did not contact her for a long time.

When I contacted him again later, it was to borrow money from him.

He Ningqiu was very nervous at the time, thinking that his mother had fallen seriously ill and urgently needed money. He hurriedly asked his father for help, but two days later his mother called again and scolded him harshly.

Upon further questioning, it was discovered that her mother was not ill, but had been gambling. The monthly allowance He Lianghan gave her was far from enough to cover the losses, and several times creditors came to her door and almost smashed up her place.

He Ningqiu was shocked and asked her why she did this. The answer she received was: Since she couldn't marry into a wealthy family, she had to fend for herself. Gambling was the fastest way to get rich.

For several days afterward, He Ningqiu couldn't sleep at night, and her dreams were filled with images of her mother being chased by debt collectors.

He dared not tell his father about this, nor could he tell him.

The mother's identity had to be kept secret. If the father really helped her pay off such a large gambling debt, Zhou Ying would definitely be suspicious of where the funds went. If she followed the clues, both he and his mother would be finished.

A few days later, his mother suddenly contacted him and said that everything was fine and the money had been paid back.

He Ningqiu's first reaction was relief, but she quickly realized that something was wrong.

How did Mother manage to pay off such a large sum of money?

Does she have other powerful backers besides the He family?

Just as he was about to question his mother, filled with doubts, she hung up on him.

Then, I couldn't get through no matter what I tried.

……

He Ningqiu took out her phone and opened the notes app.

Today marks the sixteenth day of his insomnia.

He didn't know how much longer he could hold on if things continued like this.

Lost in thought, a shadow appeared beside me.

He Ziyu came over to him with two glasses of orange juice. "You didn't eat much for lunch. Are you not feeling well? Have some orange juice to refresh yourself."

He Ningqiu took the orange juice and said thank you.

The big tabby cat from the neighboring yard wriggled its way through the fence, lay down under the shade of a tree, and swished its tail. He Ziyu walked over, squatted down, and gently scratched its chin.

After a moment, he asked casually, "Have you seen the psychologist Dad found for you?"

"No," He Ningqiu answered decisively, "I'm not sick, I don't need to see a psychologist."

"Who says only sick people need to see a psychologist?" He Ziyu stood up, brushing the cat fur off his hands. "You can treat it as a way of venting, a way of releasing emotions. Tell the psychologist things that you can't usually tell others, and you'll feel better that way."

He Ningqiu pursed her lips upon hearing this, her expression somewhat unpleasant.

He knew, of course, that he was ill, and quite seriously so, but he didn’t want to admit it, and he didn’t want anyone else to know.

The second young master of the He family went to see a psychologist...

If this gets out, what will people think of him?

Seeing that He Ningqiu was like someone who had gotten stuck in a dead end and couldn't be persuaded at all, He Ziyu didn't force him anymore. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and indicated that he had to go to work.

"You can rest here. Call me anytime if you need anything. If you want to leave, let me know in advance."

"Um."

After He Ziyu left, the big tabby cat on the ground stretched, disappeared into the bushes.

……

The busy summer vacation has passed in the blink of an eye.

When school resumed, He Ziyu successfully entered the science key class, Grade 11 (1), based on his final exam results, while Jingran also went to his humanities class, Grade 11 (5).

At the stairwell entrance, Jingran grabbed He Ziyu's pants and staged a melodramatic soap opera.

"Ayu! I'll miss you! Will you miss me?"

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything! Don't you love me anymore?!"

"Don't block the way, there are people behind you."

He Ziyu pulled Jingran into a corner, crossed his arms, and looked him up and down.

"I wonder who it is that spent the entire summer vacation hanging out with Bei Yao, only occasionally coming to Xinrong Garden to freeload meals. What, now they can't bear to part with me?"

"I've been so reluctant to part with you!" Jingran threw herself into He Ziyu's arms, giving him a happy hug full of socialist brotherhood. "Without you, I won't know who to copy from during exams."

"What are you copying for? Your grades aren't bad now, and you've already been placed in Class 5. Have some self-respect, okay?"

There are seven classes in the second year of high school: the first four are science classes, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh are humanities classes. The order is based on the final exam scores of the first year of high school.

Jingran was directly assigned to the fifth liberal arts class because of his good grades at the end of the semester. When Jingran's mother found out, she was so happy that she rewarded him with two pairs of sneakers.

"No matter what, A-Yu, you must not fall in love with someone else when you go to the new class. I must always be your most important friend."

Jingran patted He Ziyu on the back, her voice slightly choked.

He Ziyu was startled by his sudden emotional outburst and quickly pulled him out of his arms, supporting his shoulders.

"No way, Xiao Jing, you've gotten your period?"

"You're the one who's on your period!"

"Why are you so sentimental? It's just a class separation; it's not like we'll never see each other again."

Faced with He Ziyu's questioning, Jingran stammered for a long time before finally saying, "Didn't Senior Gu Chao get into Shanghai University? That day, Wangwang, Beiyao, and I took him to the high-speed rail station."

"Watching the high-speed train gradually disappear into the distance, I suddenly realized that Bei Yao is also a senior in high school this year, and in another year he will also leave No. 8 High School..."

"And then there are the rest of us. After graduation, we'll inevitably go our separate ways. If we're all in Yuecheng, it's fine, but if someone like Senior Gu Chao goes to another province to develop their career, it will be very difficult to meet up again."

He Ziyu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is this what's making you feel uncomfortable?"

Jingran nodded, "I'm afraid you'll laugh at me for being too sensitive if I say it, but I feel awkward if I don't..."

He Ziyu patted him on the shoulder and said, "You must have heard the saying, 'All good things must come to an end.'"

Jing Ran: "..."

Jingran: "I feel like you're adding fuel to the fire!"

"What I mean is that separation is inevitable; it's a lesson we all have to learn in this world."

"But you must believe that every encounter in this world is a reunion after a long separation. We accompany each other during this period of time, and we will surely meet again at the next intersection."

"So there's nothing to be discouraged about. Even if we all go to different cities after graduation, as long as our hearts are together, nothing can separate us."

……

After receiving He Ziyu's advice, Jingran felt a little better. After saying goodbye to him in the corridor, she went to her new class.

He Ziyu also adjusted his emotions and walked into Class 1 of Grade 11.

"I'm not saying this out loud, but who came up with this idea? Hanging someone's photo on the blackboard makes it look like a wanted poster."

"Don't you think the photos on the bulletin board are even scarier? The top three scholars in the imperial examination... It's a good thing they're not black and white photos, otherwise I would have wanted to offer them as sacrifices if there were two incense burners underneath."

He Ziyu looked in the direction of the sound.

Several new students were discussing Gu Chao's photo, which was posted on the blackboard at the back.

In this life, Gu Chao lived up to expectations and once again achieved the top score in the city, which is enough to prove that Xin Chuan's appearance did not affect his life trajectory during his student days.

This reminded He Ziyu of the content in "The Spark" (or "The Two Sides of the Story").

What you perceive as light may not be without its dark side, and what you perceive as darkness may bloom with vibrant flowers.

The eyes are never the ones that can see the true nature of things.

It is the heart.

……

After the bell rang, the new homeroom teacher entered the classroom.