Even after Gu Jingran's black sedan's taillights completely disappeared at the alley entrance, Ye Linchen remained standing at the dormitory entrance, motionless like a wooden statue.
She raised her hand and gently touched her cheek with her fingertips; the heat startled her.
She stood at the door for a while in the cold wind until the heat on her face subsided, then, as if drunk, she went home in a daze.
Reaching the door, she took out her key, opened the door, slipped inside, and then slammed the door shut with a click.
She swayed to the sofa in the living room and plopped down on it.
The corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably, and he couldn't suppress them.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she had truly experienced the feeling of being liked and cherished.
What was life like in your previous life?
Ye Linchen raised his head, looked at the beautiful white chandelier above him, and squinted as he recalled.
Those somber memories, like dusty old photographs, gradually surfaced before my eyes.
She went to work at a steel plant after graduating from high school, operating an overhead crane in the steelmaking workshop day after day.
The small control room, more than 20 meters above the ground, was her cage.
Beneath our feet was a scorching hot steel furnace, where molten steel churned and the temperature was so high it was suffocating.
Every winter, the biting cold wind sweeps relentlessly from the elevated factory roof, enveloping the small control room.
The feet were burning hot, while the body was shivering with cold; this feeling of being in both fire and ice was truly unbearable.
Summer makes the days even harder to bear.
It felt like being inside a steamer, with waves of heat rolling in from above and below.
Sweat soaked through his clothes again and again, sticking stickily to his body.
The air was thick with dust, making people's throats itch and their eyes unable to open; every breath tasted of rust.
Every day when I come down from the overhead crane, I am covered in dust from head to toe, my features are blurred, and all you can see is my white teeth.
When you blow your nose or spit out phlegm, it's all black dust.
In addition to the extremely poor working conditions, they also had to endure the insults and jeers from some vulgar workers.
Those offensive words, like a persistent shadow, constantly haunted her.
When I get home, I still have to drag my exhausted body to do endless housework.
Doing laundry, cooking, tidying up the room...
It seems like there's never a break; I'm so tired my bones ache.
The constant belittling and suppression from Meng Xueyun and Meng Zihan made her weak, insecure, and lose all self-confidence.
Back then, she always habitually kept her head down, afraid to make eye contact with others, and didn't even have the courage to speak loudly.
Not to mention thinking about something as distant and luxurious as dating.
Just being alive was a struggle that had exhausted all her strength.
But now, everything is completely different.
She is no longer the disheveled and bullied Ye Linchen.
With the advantage of being reborn and through her own efforts, she gradually changed the trajectory of her life from her previous life.
Having broken free from the constraints of their family of origin, life gradually became fulfilling and beautiful.
Gu Jingran's appearance was like a warm light, illuminating her beautiful world even brighter.
It was the first time she experienced the happiness of being loved and cared for.
Every minute she spent with him was filled with novel experiences and a joy that made her want to secretly smile.
She seemed to be floating on clouds, light and airy.
Thinking of all the moments she spent with Gu Jingran, a sweet feeling welled up from her heart, flowing through her blood to every part of her body, and burning the spot on her forehead where Gu Jingran had touched her.
Just as she was savoring the gentle touch over and over again, the pager on her waist suddenly beeped.
She quickly unbuckled the pager from her belt and looked down at the small screen.
A line of black text was clearly displayed on the screen: Today, I am very happy.
The signature is Gu Jingran.
Those six simple words landed heavily and warmly in her heart.
She held the small plastic box in her hands, looking at it over and over again, as if trying to see every word on it.
So this is what love is.
It can suddenly transform an ordinary, mundane world into a dazzling spectacle.
It makes you feel that even the ginkgo tree outside the window, which has lost all its leaves, exudes an indescribable cuteness.
It can make you smile involuntarily when you think of someone, and feel like your heart is filled with honey.
It can also give you a sudden surge of inexplicable courage and strength when you're facing life alone.
Ye Linchen picked up the sofa cushion next to him, buried his face in the soft cushion, and let out a muffled, silly laugh.
This sudden feeling of happiness was so overwhelming that she could hardly contain it all.
She hugged the cushion and laughed for a long time until night fell before getting up to wash up and rest.
The next day, Ye Linchen got up very early.
The sweetness of the previous night made her sleep exceptionally well. When she woke up, she felt refreshed and full of energy.
She took out the lesson plan she had prepared long ago, sat down at her desk, and carefully checked it again to make sure it was perfect.
This afternoon was the trial class time for two new students, both high school sophomores who live in the same neighborhood and are very close to each other, so they could be taught together.
Ye Linchen packed the textbooks, workbooks, and lesson plans he needed into his canvas satchel, ate lunch, and set off.
The first family was a girl named Xu Siyu.
She has striking features, wears a neat ponytail, and has a much more cheerful and lively personality than Zhao Yutong. She also speaks with a straightforward and decisive manner.
As soon as she saw Ye Linchen, she took the initiative to hand over her notebook of wrong answers and asked her to help analyze it.
During the lesson, Xu Siyu reacted quickly, asking questions immediately when she encountered something she didn't understand, and she could also apply what she learned to other situations, making it very easy and engaging for Ye Linchen to teach her.
When the course ended, Xu Siyu's mother came over to ask about the results. Before her mother could finish asking, the girl readily said, "Mom, let Teacher Ye tutor me! She explains things very clearly, and I understood it as soon as I listened!"
Hearing her daughter's straightforward praise, Xu Siyu's mother showed a satisfied expression and immediately discussed a fixed class time with Ye Linchen.
After discussing it, Ye Linchen arranged for the class to be held every Saturday afternoon, from 2 pm to 4 pm, for two hours.
When saying goodbye to Xu Siyu, Ye Linchen casually said to her, "I still need to go to another student's house for a trial lesson. He's also from your school and in the same grade as you."
Xu Siyu asked curiously, "Who is it? Is it someone from our class?"
Ye Linchen shook his head: "It's not your class, it seems to be Class 3, it's a boy named Wei Boyuan."
Xu Siyu's expression changed as soon as she heard Wei Boyuan's name.
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