Proud senior schoolgirl was tender and sweet, we fell in love

In his past life, Xie Xiao had waited in five-minute increments, again and again.

Regrettably, he'd never dared to pick her up from school even once.

He had looked up her school's profile online numerous times, studied the layout, the program details...

So much, more than once, yet he never dared to go there.

He feared his appearance would draw unwanted attention towards her.

Luo Yanran was dazzling, and he was just a dark cloud, unworthy to obscure her radiance.

Now, as Xie Xiao stood at the doorway, he realized something.

Five minutes could be both short and infinite.

Thus, when the girl appeared at the school gate, holding flowers, Xie Xiao couldn't help but take a few steps towards her.

He saw the smile on her face, her waving hand, and the figure rushing toward him.

Xie Xiao didn't care where she had gotten the flowers from; his gaze merely lingered on her radiant smile.

If he'd been brave enough to come here in his past life, she would have smiled just as happily, wouldn't she?

He had hesitated that day, pondering whether he should go to meet her or not, but in the end, his own cowardice had won.

He could accept the scrutinizing and pitying gazes others cast upon him.

But he didn't want those gazes to fall on Luo Yanran; he couldn't bear it.

Many times afterward, he wished he hadn't hesitated.

He should have been waiting there at the gate with fresh flowers...

And now, the girl with the fresh flowers rushed into his embrace.

The gaps in his memories suddenly seemed to fill in. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Luo Yanran smiled and asked, "Did you wait long?"

Xie Xiao hugged her tight, "No... just for a bit."

Luo Yanran, nestled in his arms, looked up and smiled at him, "So do you want to kiss me now?"

Her coquettish voice, electrifying with hooks, made Xie Xiao's soul quiver as if it were snagged.

He bowed his head and kissed her lips.

That single tear fell on Luo Yanran's face.

The boy's eyes were closed, but the girl's were not; her gaze stayed fixed on his face.

Her lover, whom she wanted to free from his nightmarish troubles with her clumsy methods.

She did not want him to live with guilt; all she needed was his love, nothing else.

This was a lingering, cherished kiss.

Luo Yanran gently stepped back, her face a touch red, "Okay, that's enough, we're at the school gate. Let's go. I'll take you for milk tea."

Xie Xiao felt stiff, while Luo Yanran's voice was soft, "The one you like, I've brought it to you before..."

Xie Xiao truly couldn't distinguish between dream and reality at that moment.

His body rigid and reluctantly, she led him onto the street that haunted his dreams.

The familiar street, the familiar milk tea shop.

It's the fourth day of the month; many stores were open.

But it wasn't particularly lively.

Xie Xiao stood at the entrance of the milk tea shop, watching Luo Yanran order naturally; there was nobody else there.

It was done swiftly.

Xie Xiao watched her figure slowly blend with the one from his dreams, yet there was something different.

The roses blooming in her arms brought splendor to what should have been a monochrome memory.

She got the milk teas, shook them at him, not packing them like in his dreams.

Instead, she popped the straws in and quickly came back to him.

The milk tea was offered to his lips, "Try it, it's really good."

Xie Xiao gazed at her face, opened his mouth, and as the flavor of the milk tea spread in his mouth, he grasped Luo Yanran's hand, "Ranran..."

Luo Yanran, with a smile still on her face, responded, "Hmm? What's wrong~ Let's go~"

She took Xie Xiao's hand in hers and led him outside.

Moving forward, there was a crossroads.

Xie Xiao's entire body tensed up, the river was right in front of him.

It was that river, where she would sleep forever.

Luo Yanran noticed, and her heart clenched painfully.

But she still led Xie Xiao forward, step by step.

Xie Xiao was silent, hardly speaking since they had arrived at the university entrance.

Luo Yanran certainly knew why, which was why it hurt.

Without the memory of that child, Xie Xiao let Luo Yanran pull him to the riverbank.

Winter had set in, freezing over the river.

Luo Yanran whispered, "Hey, the water here isn't deep, and the ice looks very thin."

But Xie Xiao couldn't bring himself to look, trembling uncontrollably.

Luo Yanran held onto Xie Xiao's hand tightly, whispering, "Xie Xiao, take a look."

Xie Xiao's vision blurred. He knew he was crying.

He must have looked a mess, but he had no interest in his appearance.

He just gripped the hand in his own tightly, afraid that if he let go, the person in front of him would disappear.

He didn't dare, he was scared.

Xie Xiao felt he was still cowardly because even though he knew this life was different from the last, he still didn't dare.

Luo Yanran bent down to place the flowers by the river, which were in her arms.

These were the flowers she had bought for "Luo Yanran."

Xie Xiao watched her movements but never dared to let go.

Even though their palms were sweaty from the force and closeness.

Luo Yanran's hand felt somewhat in pain, but she didn't struggle even a bit.

Luo Yanran stood up straight, looking at the frozen river.

It was as if she were making eye contact with her past self.

You've worked hard, staying by his side for so long.

Thank you for being there with him all this time.

She wanted to tell herself, "Xie Xiao is doing fine now, we love each other. Look, we're truly the same person, and if it were me now, my choice would be just like yours..."

No matter what age Luo Yanran was, no matter when it was Luo Yanran.

She would choose to return to Xie Xiao's side without looking back.

Luo Yanran's vision also blurred, for herself, for Xie Xiao.

And for that almost perfect regret from her past life.

Luo Yanran turned to look at Xie Xiao, who had turned pale, and said softly, "Xie Xiao, I've come as promised, thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful. I like them very much."

Xie Xiao opened his mouth to say something but couldn't speak, his eyes fixated on that familiar face.

Beside her was another face, identical.

Their smiles were the same, slowly merging into one.

It seemed like he could see Luo Yanran from his past life holding the flowers, the bright red of the flowers making her pale complexion vivid.

"Xie Xiao, I like you too, I've always liked you."

"See, I told you, didn't I? I would definitely come. What did you want to tell me?"

Xie Xiao's voice seemed to be stuck in his throat; after struggling for a long time, he finally managed to speak, "I... I like you... would you be with me?"

Luo Yanran's tears finally fell, looking at the young man who could be considered disheveled.

The emotions in his eyes were too full, spilling over, becoming tears that dropped one by one.

But he dared not blink, staring straight at her.

Yes, it was her.

No matter when it was her, it was always her, the one who would only love Xie Xiao.

Luo Yanran gave a radiant smile, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes.

She said, "I'm willing. I've finally waited until now, Xie Xiao, I like you too, for a very, very long time..."

She reached out to gently wipe away the tears from the corners of Xie Xiao's eyes, "The sixteen-year-old Luo Yanran liked you, the seventeen-year-old Luo Yanran liked you, the eighteen-year-old Luo Yanran also liked you... Now, the twenty-three-year-old Luo Yanran, she still likes you."

"No matter the age, I love you, Xie Xiao. Can you hug me?"