83

 She trembled slightly; her boyfriend’s body felt so warm.

At the same time, Xiang Ran realized what the school beauty was about to do.

“You want to draw on my arm?”

“Uh-huh~”

“Is that okay?”

Liu Shuyao’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, her eyes slightly tilted.

Xiang Ran couldn’t bring himself to refuse and stretched his arm forward again.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of the wind.

When the pen tip glided over his skin, it felt tingly.

The school beauty focused intensely every time she drew.

Xiang Ran watched her intently as she concentrated on his arm; he loved seeing Liu Shuyao so serious.

“This is a mark~”

Liu Shuyao mumbled, quickly sketching an adorable little cat.

“If you make me mad later, I’ll erase it to show we’re in a cold war!”

“Okay…” Xiang Ran replied indulgently.

After that, they fell into a comfortable silence, gazing up at the starry sky, savoring their exclusive moment together, as if the world contained only them and the stars above.

Suddenly, a shooting star streaked across the night sky.

“A shooting star!”

“There really is one!”

“Did you see it?”

Xiang Ran exclaimed excitedly, tightening his grip around Liu Shuyao’s waist.

“I…”

As the shooting star passed, a spark lit up in Liu Shuyao’s eyes. It felt like her mind was jolted awake, flooding with memories of Xiang Ran—flashes of their time together intertwining with scenes from her comics.

She remembered calling Xiang Ran “hubby” when she woke up and his surprised, puzzled expression; chasing after him to apologize and seek reconciliation while he refused; how he said he liked her after they made up; their intimacy in the escape room; the birthday gift... and that sunrise!

Most importantly, she recalled how before the accident, she hadn’t even talked much with Xiang Ran!

In an instant, her mind became chaotic, blurring the line between reality and imagination. Even the cat she had just drawn seemed vague and uncertain.

Liu Shuyao's body stiffened, but she held Xiang Ran’s hand tighter, as if it were her only anchor.

Xiang Ran pointed excitedly at the direction of the shooting star, looking at the school beauty.

But in Liu Shuyao’s eyes, he noticed a hint of panic.

Suddenly, a sense of unease welled up in Xiang Ran’s heart.

“What’s wrong? Are you cold?”

The wind at night was still a bit strong, and Xiang Ran instinctively pulled the school beauty closer into his embrace.

But to his surprise, her once-soft body felt a bit stiff.

Noticing Xiang Ran’s concerned gaze, Liu Shuyao instinctively looked away.

Her hair was tousled by the wind, slightly masking her bewildered emotions, and she replied nervously, “It is a bit cold.”

Her voice was a little hoarse as she tugged at her shirt, then seemed to think of something, staring at the fabric for a few seconds.

“If you’re cold, let’s head back.”

“Okay.”

Xiang Ran got up to pack the art supplies, planning to take Liu Shuyao down the mountain.

Liu Shuyao stayed seated, and as the cold evening wind swept by when Xiang Ran stood up, she instinctively tightened her grip on her shirt.

She watched Xiang Ran packing, feeling a lingering desire for the warmth of his earlier embrace.

“Put this on; I’ll be quick.”

Xiang Ran pulled out two heat packs from his backpack, expertly sticking them onto her shirt.

He murmured, “Next time, I’ll bring a thicker jacket; this shirt is definitely too thin now.”

Liu Shuyao looked at the pink cartoon rabbit on the heat pack, struggling to imagine how it had come out of Xiang Ran’s bag.

Was this really the Xiang Ran from her memories?

She sat still like a delicate doll, allowing him to fuss over her.

Watching him organize the art supplies felt dreamlike.

He had accompanied Liu Shuyao on outings before, so he knew how to arrange everything—palette, paint, turpentine, brushes—all neatly placed in the box.

Once he finished packing, he noticed that the school beauty was still sitting there, looking dazed, prompting him to reach out and playfully poke her nose.

But just then, Liu Shuyao stood up, dodging his hand perfectly.

She took the art box that had been on his back, saying softly, “Um... I can carry this.”

After saying that, she quickly walked down the mountain path.

Xiang Ran looked at his empty hands and then at Liu Shuyao’s hurried figure, growing increasingly confused and anxious.

In the past, the school beauty would have cuddled up to him, refusing to let go, wanting to hug him while applying the heat packs, and would sweetly praise him, saying, “My boyfriend is the best!”

But the Liu Shuyao from earlier felt so unfamiliar. After seeing the shooting star, she suddenly changed, becoming distant and silent, not at all the excited scene he had anticipated. Instead, she sat there in a daze, avoiding him, even withdrawing from their earlier interaction.

Her sense of detachment frightened Xiang Ran.

Could the scenario he had worried about all along really be happening?

The starry sky sparkled, and the moon hung high, casting a gentle silver light. The late-night stillness was broken only by distant croaking frogs and chirping insects, with dim lights faintly illuminating the path down the mountain.

Xiang Ran pushed down his unease and jogged a few steps to catch up with Liu Shuyao ahead.

The trees appeared mysterious and swayed gracefully under the moonlight, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze.

To see the path more clearly, Xiang Ran turned on the flashlight function on his phone, the beam dancing in the darkness and casting shadows of trees and rocks.

After walking for a while on the dim path, Liu Shuyao suddenly noticed the area ahead brightening.

Turning her head, she saw Xiang Ran catching up from behind. “Let me carry the art box; the path is tricky at night, and I don’t want you to trip.”

Without waiting for a response, Xiang Ran took the art box from her.

Liu Shuyao stared blankly at his actions and didn’t refuse again.

She kept her head down, making it hard to see her expression, her body stiff as if she couldn’t move.

“Let’s go.”

Sensing Liu Shuyao’s unusual behavior, Xiang Ran spoke softly.

He didn’t reach for her hand but took a step back, directing his phone’s light to ensure the path was illuminated for her.

From the mountaintop to where they parked, the journey took about 20 minutes, through a gentle downhill slope, 40 stone steps, 24 trees, and 7 streetlights.

Even the narrow path they had walked closely together earlier seemed different now, as Liu Shuyao made her way steadily without looking back.

Neither of them spoke, only the glow of the flashlight and the scent of the man’s presence mixed with the warmth from the heat pack reminded her that Xiang Ran was behind her.

It felt like a dream she had long wished for but never possessed—a sudden, tangible sensation of holding something she had once envied in others.

Liu Shuyao couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the hem of her shirt.

Her mind was a mess, and she didn’t understand what was happening to her.

The descent was swift, perhaps because they were both silent.

Liu Shuyao walked ahead quietly, while Xiang Ran followed, increasingly anxious.

The car sped along the road back to school.

The scenery raced past Liu Shuyao’s eyes, winding through a tranquil forest, shadows dancing in the night breeze as if whispering secrets.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on the ground.

Throughout the journey, Liu Shuyao struggled to recall everything that had happened recently, trying to sort out the current situation.

Memories of Xiang Ran intertwined with the present reality.

It was a tangled mess.

The car zoomed along.

Gradually, the city lights began to emerge, skyscrapers flickering against the night sky, the traffic surging, and traffic lights becoming more frequent.

At a red light, Xiang Ran sneakily glanced at Liu Shuyao in the passenger seat, unable to hold back any longer, he asked:

“What’s wrong? You seem preoccupied.”

Her head rested against the car window as she replied softly, “It’s nothing.”

The car fell silent again.

Xiang Ran felt increasingly uneasy, knowing Liu Shuyao wasn’t being truthful, but he didn’t want to hear the answer.

The car drove faster than usual, soon arriving at the school. The strange atmosphere in the car was suffocating.

When the car stopped outside the girls’ dormitory, Xiang Ran handed the art box to Liu Shuyao.

“Xiang Ran, you...”

Liu Shuyao opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

Hearing her call his name, Xiang Ran felt dazed, realizing something. He waited silently for her next words, like a suspect awaiting a verdict.

“Never mind, it’s nothing. You can go ahead. See you tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll return the car first.”

Xiang Ran replied, his voice trembling slightly.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter