055

"Hello."

Jiang Huali answered the phone.

"Hey, can we meet up this evening?"

He Yuqing's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Huali asked.

I want to see you.

...

When Jiang Huali came out of the tutoring center, she saw He Yuqing downstairs.

He was holding a bouquet of flowers and standing not far away.

People passing by couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

When he saw Jiang Huali, he walked over.

Jiang Huali asked him in surprise, "Why are you holding a bouquet of flowers?"

She looked at the flowers in He Yuqing's hand. In the center was a lisianthus, surrounded by roses and other roses. The pink and white colors were carefully wrapped.

She looked at He Yuqing as if she had a premonition.

He Yuqing opened his mouth: "I..."

He rarely felt nervous.

He handed over the bouquet, his eyes fixed intently on Jiang Huali.

He said, "Last year you said you would bring that Endless Summer flower to show you next summer. I didn't bring it today, but you've already seen it bloom. I wanted you to see other flowers too."

He had been growing these flowers for a long time, and he had imagined this scene countless times, but now his mind was blank.

The bouquet was already completely empty when I started wrapping it this morning.

"I don't know if this is the right time, or if what I say will annoy you or make you think I'm being presumptuous. I just want to ask—"

"Do you still want to see the Endless Summer with me next year? There are also many other flowers; I've planted a lot in the yard. So, can we still see them together next year?"

Jiang Huali looked at the sunset on the horizon; the pink and white petals looked especially gentle in the evening breeze.

Jiang Huali laughed.

He Yuqing stared at her without moving, his palms slightly sweaty.

Jiang Huali stretched out her arms, tilted her head, and smiled, "Okay, I'm willing."

In that instant, the wind passed without a trace, and the world stood still.

All other sounds disappeared.

He Yuqing offered the flowers from his arms, but Jiang Huali, who had opened her arms, grabbed him tightly.

The flowers in their arms emitted a faint fragrance as they embraced in the sunset.

He Yuqing was stunned for a long time before reaching out and tightly hugging Jiang Huali back.

His voice drifted into Jiang Huali's ears on the evening breeze:

"I like you."

Jiang Huali looked up at him and smiled, "Coincidentally, me too."

...

Jiang Huali asked He Yuqing why he chose to confess his feelings on the day the college entrance exam results were released.

He Yuqing's response was: "When I saw the results, I was in my bedroom picking out the flowers I had cut."

"So you decided to confess your feelings on this day a long time ago?"

"Um."

"I want to see you after the results come out. Would that make me seem more mature?"

He never doubted that he could stay by Jiang Huali's side, but they were still too young, and it was too easy for them to say such careless words.

She said she wanted to go to that university, and so did he.

But he never told Jiang Huali about it.

Even though that university was undoubtedly the best choice for him, he still wanted to appear more mature until the results were in.

He wasn't someone who blindly and impulsively followed love. Confessing his feelings to her, going to the same university together, and building a future with her were things he had thought about for a long time.

She doesn't need to accommodate anyone, nor does she need anyone to accommodate her.

In He Yuqing's view, expressing his expectations to her before the time was right was a form of hidden coercion.

He wanted to be pure when he loved her.

-

After the two confirmed their relationship, Jiang Huali had another person by her side every day on her way to and from get off work.

The people at the tutoring center were used to this, and when they occasionally saw Jiang Huali's boyfriend downstairs, they would make a few friendly jokes.

They have already filled out their college application forms, and they all chose the same school as their first choice.

That top-ranked university.

On the day she received her acceptance letter, Jiang Huali learned something about Lu Zhou from He Yuqing.

Lu Zhou did not fill out his college application according to his mother's wishes, but secretly changed his application and went to a school very far away from home.

In the end, his mother was furious, but she was helpless against him.

Her son did not apply for a business-related major as she had wished, telling her that he did not want to be a pawn in the fight for the family fortune.

Jiang Huali was not surprised by this. Lu Zhou's personality was like that; it was clear from the beginning that he did not like to get involved in these scheming and intrigue matters.

He Yuqing is different; he's a cunning fox.

"So, you think Lu Zhou is better than me?"

He Yuqing sat on the sofa, his expression somewhat unhappy.

Jiang Huali took a sip of tea and quickly denied it, saying, "I didn't say that."

He Yuqing snorted coldly, his tone indifferent: "I haven't asked you yet what about that love letter you wrote to Lu Zhou back then."

Today, Jiang Huali came to He Yuqing's house to see the flowers he was growing. He Yuqing's parents were not home; his mother had gone abroad for a trip, and his father was busy with work, so only the two of them were home at the moment.

Hearing He Yuqing bring up old grievances again, Jiang Huali silently shifted her gaze to the vase beside her.

He Yuqing refused to let her get away with it as she had before.

Are you feeling guilty?

Jiang Huali turned her head back and said, "I have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Then why did you write him love letters back then? Did you really like Lu Zhou at that time?"

"Didn't I say it was a misunderstanding?" Jiang Huali took another sip of tea.

He Yuqing: "Was it a mix-up where you accidentally wrote a love letter, happened to have his name on it, and then happened to put it on his desk?"

"Are you still jealous?" Jiang Huali leaned closer to look into his eyes.

She was too close, and He Yuqing subconsciously lowered his eyelashes to avoid her gaze.

He hummed softly.

“But didn’t I cross out Lu Zhou’s name and write yours in the new one?” Jiang Huali reached out and pinched He Yuqing’s chin, lifting his face as she spoke.

He Yuqing was a little annoyed: "Just because my name was written on it later, does that mean it was written for me?"

“Yes.” Jiang Huali nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He Yuqing: "..."

He simply turned away and stopped looking at Jiang Huali.

Jiang Huali looked at the brightly blooming flowers in the courtyard; they were a delight to behold from afar.

Seeing that she really stopped talking, He Yuqing felt a little annoyed and turned back to look at Jiang Huali's expression.

Unexpectedly, she was resting her chin on her hand, looking at him with a smile.

He Yuqing pursed his lips and said after two minutes, "I forgive you."

After that, he really never mentioned the love letters again.

...

That evening, after taking a shower, Jiang Huali returned to her room and took out the envelopes and letter paper she had bought that day, placing them on her desk.

She sat down at the desk, picked up a pen, and began to write something on the paper intermittently.

After playing with Xiao Hei in the living room, this is the scene the system saw when it returned to its room.

It stopped mid-air and called out hesitantly: "Host?"

Jiang Huali did not react.

The system was startled, recalling the scene that night when Jiang Huali was controlled by the plot and got up in the middle of the night to write a love letter to Lu Zhou. It quickly flapped its chubby hands and flew towards Jiang Huali.

It sat directly on Jiang Huali's head, grabbed her ears with both hands, and shouted: "Host, wake up, host—"

Xiao Hei also ran in from the living room, stood at the door of the room, and tilted his head to look at the system and Jiang Huali.

Little Black has grown up now and is a big dog. Its ears are no longer erect; they lie on its fluffy head and twitch.

Its mouth was open, and drool dripped onto the floor.

"……What are you doing?"

Jiang Huali snapped out of her thoughts and, rather speechless, ripped the system off her head.

[Huh—Host, you haven't gone into qi deviation?]

The system silently withdrew its chubby little hand.

"Going mad with qi? I think you've gone insane." Jiang Huali's lips twitched.

[No, no, haha... I just thought you were being controlled by the plot again, host.] The system chuckled awkwardly. [You didn't respond when I called you just now.]

"I'm thinking, don't make a sound." Jiang Huali pushed the system aside.

The system leaned closer to take a look: [You're... writing a love letter to He Yuqing?]

Jiang Huali nodded.

But aren't you two already together?

The system is unsure.

It plopped down on the desk and watched Jiang Huali write a love letter.

Of course, it's because He Yuqing always looks aggrieved when he brings up the time she wrote love letters to Lu Zhou—although he doesn't talk about it anymore.

Jiang Huali has never written a love letter to anyone before; the one she gave to Lu Zhou doesn't count, as that was manipulated by the plot.

Jiang Huali twirled the pen in her hand, poked the system's round body, and said, "You don't understand."

system:【……】

It felt like it had been torn apart by two opposing forces.

Jiang Huali put down her pen for a moment and waved to Xiao Hei, who was standing at the door.

Little Blackie grinned and trotted in.

Jiang Huali patted Xiao Hei's head, and while petting it, asked the system, "What's the current progress of the mission?"

The system replied: 【Fifty percent.】

It seemed to remember something else and asked, "Host, has anything else come to mind lately?"

Jiang Huali shook her head; she hadn't recalled any new memories for quite some time.

[The management center contacted me today saying that the Time and Space Bureau has an employee in a similar situation to you, who also lost his memory after falling into another world, but he has now regained his memory.]

"It's back? How was it found?"

He found his original world and entered it to rewind.

"You mean, I can do that too?"

[Theoretically yes, but host, we haven't yet found out which world you originally came from.]

How did he find it?

The management center didn't say anything; perhaps we can ask that employee after we complete this task and return to the system center.

"Okay, okay."

Jiang Huali waved her hand, "You may leave."

She continued writing the love letter under the lamplight.