Vol 2 Chapter 3: Doing Something

Living a second life seemed to make her mentality feel younger again.

Li Wanran stood at the office door in a daze for a moment before slowly moving toward the window. Leaning out, she looked inside at Liu Changqing being lectured by the discipline master.

She watched his frustrated expression.

She watched... this expression she had never seen on his face before.

For some reason, it felt strangely novel.

"What are you looking at? That dark-skinned boy?"

The sudden question from beside her startled Li Wanran out of her thoughts. She quickly turned to look.

An Yuanyao had appeared beside her without notice, peeking into the office just like she was.

"..."

Silent.

Li Wanran looked at An Yuanyao beside her without speaking, her expression becoming complicated.

Having just arrived in this world not long ago, her mind had been full of thoughts about Liu Changqing. But after actually interacting with him, she suddenly realized something.

This former best friend standing before her...

Had three children with Liu Changqing.

Not noticing Li Wanran's gaze, An Yuanyao curiously peered into the office. Seeing the dark-skinned boy being scolded by the teacher, she couldn't help feeling puzzled.

Why was her best friend watching him?

Unless...

As if realizing something, An Yuanyao immediately looked angry.

She turned to Li Wanran and asked bluntly:

"Wanran, did he bully you?"

"..."

"I've seen him before."

An Yuanyao glanced again at Liu Changqing doing horse stance inside.

"He's always bothering you! Last time I saw him smoking with some guys outside school. With that dark face, he obviously looks like trouble!"

Saying this, An Yuanyao took Li Wanran's hand, as if to comfort her friend, her tone softening.

"But don't worry. When he comes out, I'll tell him to stop harassing you."

"..."

Looking at An Yuanyao's concerned face, Li Wanran felt mixed emotions swirling inside.

Her feelings toward An Yuanyao were truly complicated.

On one hand, they had been childhood best friends.

But because of that incident, they had completely broken apart...

In her memories, they hadn't spoken face-to-face for years...

Yet after her sleeping pill incident and hospitalization, she'd learned from Liu Changqing that An Yuanyao had come to visit her.

And forgiven her.

Such a person...

Her gaze drifted back to Liu Changqing trembling inside with a book balanced on his head.

Then back to An Yuanyao before her.

For some reason, Li Wanran suddenly felt afraid.

Using the hand An Yuanyao was holding, she instead pulled her friend away from the office door.

Leading her toward their classroom.

"What's wrong? Aren't we going to confront him?"

"..."

Not answering the question, Li Wanran feared them meeting.

Feared...

Her friend getting there first again.

Feared...

Losing once more.

Looking back on her life, this friend of hers always managed to surpass her at critical moments.

Whether in competitions or academics.

Even in... matters of the heart.

Thus, An Yuanyao found herself being pulled away by Li Wanran, completely confused by her friend's unusual behavior.

She couldn't help feeling... something was different about Li Wanran since leaving the classroom.

Like that smile she'd shown earlier.

One An Yuanyao had... never seen before.

——————————————

There were no night self-study sessions in this era.

After simply packing her books, An Yuanyao carried her bag over to Li Wanran.

Chattering about walking home together.

Though they no longer lived in the same neighborhood, part of their route home overlapped.

Li Wanran didn't refuse.

Returning to her high school days, she seemed to want to properly reconnect. But as they went to get An Yuanyao's bicycle from the shed to leave school, she noticed a car parked not far away.

Other students had stopped to stare at the unusual sight.

In this era, owning a car was an extraordinary thing.

When Li Wanran saw the car, she froze in place.

Memories came flooding back.

She remembered.

The person who drove this car...

Li Quanzhang seemed to spot Li Wanran.

Getting out, he waved toward her from beside the vehicle.

Seeing this, An Yuanyao's cheerful expression dimmed.

She murmured:

"Your family sent someone to pick you up..."

"..."

"Go on, your father must be back."

Looking at An Yuanyao, Li Wanran wanted to refuse.

She'd rather spend more time with her friend than go home.

But before she could speak, An Yuanyao—pushing her bicycle—used her free hand to nudge Li Wanran's back.

Smiling, she said:

"See you tomorrow! I'll visit you this weekend!"

With that, Li Wanran could only bid farewell and approach the car.

Getting in the back seat and closing the door.

Li Quanzhang returned to the driver's seat.

Fastening his seatbelt without looking back, he said:

"Your father returned. He brought you a gift."

"Did he."

"You'll probably like it."

"..."

Li Wanran stayed silent, watching through the window as An Yuanyao pedaled away on her bicycle.

At this time, An Yuanyao's father wasn't yet famous.

But in five years...

Before she could think further, Li Quanzhang drove them away from school.

Onto the main road.

Neither spoke during the ride.

Li Wanran just kept her bag on her lap, head lowered.

After some time, she finally looked up.

Gazing out the window at the world outside.

An era without many skyscrapers, where most people still rode bicycles.

She stared blankly, lost in thought.

Until—

Her expression suddenly changed as realization struck.

She turned sharply to Li Quanzhang and demanded:

"What's the date today?"

"October 13th. Why?"

"October 13th..."

Repeating the date, Li Wanran's face turned grave.

She urgently shouted:

"Turn back to school! Yuanyao's in danger!"

"What?"

Not stopping the car, Li Quanzhang didn't understand.

He'd just seen An Yuanyao ride off safely.

How could she be in danger?

What he didn't know was—

Having lived through high school already, Li Wanran knew exactly what happened this day.

The same scenario: her father returning, Li Quanzhang picking her up.

Leaving An Yuanyao to go home alone.

That day, some hoodlums had followed An Yuanyao.

Had Li Chongming not appeared, something terrible might have happened.

And then the familiar chain of events...

Remembering how she'd once hurt An Yuanyao, yet the other still visited her in the hospital...

Li Wanran felt:

In this world...

She ought to do something for her.