The next day, as usual, Han Feng arrived at the classroom. Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, softly illuminating Liu Mengran's profile. She was intently focused on the thick book, "Advanced Microeconomics," her slender fingers occasionally turning the pages, making a soft rustling sound.
When Han Feng entered the classroom, he attracted almost no attention—after half a semester, the students were already used to him and his Bugatti. He walked confidently to the third-to-last row by the window and sat down next to Liu Mengran.
The two maintained a perfect distance, neither appearing deliberately distant nor overly intimate. Throughout the morning's classes, they were like two parallel lines, each focused on their own tasks, without any interaction.
Just before the end of get out of class, Liu Mengran suddenly turned her head slightly and said in a voice so soft that only Han Feng could hear, "If you get injured next time, don't come to school."
Han Feng paused in his book-turning motion. He had deliberately changed into a new shirt today, and his wound had been re-bandaged; even Su Wanwan, who had accompanied him that morning, hadn't noticed anything amiss. He turned to Liu Mengran: "How did you know?"
Liu Mengran didn't answer immediately. She continued writing in her notebook, the sound of her pen gliding across the paper clearly audible. After about half a minute, she spoke again, her voice still calm: "The smell of blood. Though faint, there's also the scent of disinfectant."
Han Feng's pupils contracted slightly. He had specifically checked the wound before leaving this morning; there was no bleeding at all, and he had used an odorless disinfectant. Unless Liu Mengran's sense of smell was far beyond that of ordinary people.
The bell rang just in time, interrupting Han Feng's thoughts. He packed up his books, glanced at Liu Mengran who was still focused on taking notes, and left the classroom first.
Autumn was deepening on campus, and the sycamore leaves were beginning to turn yellow. Han Feng pretended to leave, but actually went around to the woods behind the teaching building and observed the direction of the main gate through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
After leaving the teaching building, Liu Mengran did not go straight to the library as usual. She stood by the fountain for a moment, her gaze sweeping around as if she had locked onto something, before walking directly towards a black Mercedes-Benz van parked by the roadside.
Han Feng narrowed his eyes. The car had military license plates and dark tinted windows, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Liu Mengran hesitated for a moment in front of the car, but finally opened the door and got in.
"Zero," Han Feng mentally called out to the system, "Scan that car."
"Military bulletproof specifications, engine serial number deliberately worn off, three people inside the vehicle, two men and one woman..." The system paused for a moment, "Don't worry, Liu Mengran is not in danger."
"Do you know the people in the car?"
The system paused for a few seconds, which was unusual: "In a way... yes. You don't need to delve into it; you'll know when the time comes."
Han Feng frowned as he watched the black van slowly drive away from the campus.
The system then said, "You seem to care a lot about this Liu Mengran."
Of course he cared. He was reborn, and his goal in coming to Kyoto University was her.
Meanwhile, in the back seat of the van, Liu Mengran stared expressionlessly at the young man opposite her, dressed in a crisp military uniform—it was none other than Liu Xiaoran!
"Brother Xiao Ran," Liu Mengran said coldly, "is there anything you have to say today?"
Liu Xiaoran sighed helplessly: "Xiao Meng, it's been three years since we last met, can't you even give your brother a kind look?"
"Three years?" Liu Mengran sneered. "It's three years, four months, and sixteen days. Ever since my parents left me at that boarding school in Jiang City."
A brief silence fell over the car. The driver, understanding the situation, remained perfectly still, like two statues.
"Xiaomeng," Liu Xiaoran finally spoke, his voice low, "There are some things... your parents haven't told you." He took out an encrypted file. "After reading this, you'll understand."
Liu Mengran hesitantly took the document and turned to the first page. As she read on, her fingers began to tremble slightly, and her previously icy expression gradually crumbled.
The document details the family's annihilation crisis five years ago, when a business rival hired an overseas assassin organization to kill two of Liu Mengran's cousins. Her parents survived only thanks to the protection of the military, but in order to protect Liu Mengran, who was only sixteen years old at the time, they had to create the illusion that she had been abandoned by her family and secretly place her in Jiang City.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Liu Mengran's voice choked with sobs, the words on the document blurred by her tears.
Liu Xiaoran smiled bitterly: "Do you think those assassins would believe that the Liu family really abandoned their precious daughter? For the past three years, we arranged for twelve body doubles to appear in different situations to make them believe you'd been 'exiled.'" He gently wiped away his sister's tears. "Only after the crisis was over did Mom and Dad dare to come pick you up. They didn't dare tell you the truth because they were afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it. They never expected it to become such a burden on your heart, especially Grandpa. He hasn't been home once since you returned to Kyoto; he's very worried."
Liu Mengran turned her face to look out the window, the street scene rushing past. She thought of the three years she had lived alone, the sting in her heart every time she saw other classmates being picked up by their parents, and the countless nights she had sworn to the moon to prove herself to the Liu family... It turned out that everything was just a carefully designed protection by her parents.
"Are they... alright?" After a long silence, Liu Mengran asked softly.
"Mom cries every day when she looks at your photos," Liu Xiaoran said. "Dad may seem tough on the surface, but his study drawers are full of your awards from childhood to adulthood."
Liu Mengran took a deep breath and closed the file: "I'll have some free time in a couple of days, and I'd like to go back and visit."
A flicker of surprise crossed Liu Xiaoran's eyes, but he quickly regained the composure characteristic of a soldier: "Okay, I'll arrange it."
After a while: "Xiaomeng, I think there's someone named Han Feng in your class?"
Liu Mengran nodded: "Yes, there is one. What's wrong?"
"Do you have a picture of him?" Liu Xiaoran had just opened his mouth when he seemed to realize that his little sister had always been an iceberg, never interacting with men.
"Yes." Liu Xiaoran was quite surprised by her sister's answer.
Liu Mengran handed over her phone, which was the forum of Kyoto University. There were photos of Liu Mengran and Han Feng gazing at each other affectionately at the beginning of the semester and Han Feng gently stroking her hair in the corridor.
"It really is him!" Liu Xiaoran stared intently at Han Feng in the photo, but he was more curious about why his sister and Han Feng looked so close.
Liu Mengran seemed to understand Liu Xiaoran's thoughts: "Don't overthink it, it was just that someone accidentally took a picture of me from this angle."
Do you know him?
After Liu Mengran recounted her impression of Han Feng to Liu Xiaoran, Liu Xiaoran frowned slightly and said to Liu Mengran, "He's not as simple as you think."
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