Xiao Youran somehow ended up lying on his bed.
She seemed to have fallen asleep, her eyes closed.
Xu Xiuwen didn't wake her up immediately.
He stood up from his chair, walked slowly to the bedside, and looked down at Xiao Youran.
Xiao Youran's face was the type you could never get tired of looking at.
Xu Xiuwen had been looking at her face for over ten years and still found it very attractive each time.
At this moment, she was sound asleep, her face expressionless, peaceful and serene, like a slumbering fairy.
It had been half a year since his rebirth, and Xu Xiuwen no longer cared about Xiao Youran's promises in his past life that never materialized.
Now, in his eyes, Xiao Youran was like a cute little sister.
Xu Xiuwen didn't mind taking care of her at school, helping her deal with problems, and solving difficulties.
But anything more than that was impossible.
He could only hope that Xiao Youran would understand his thoughts and let go of unnecessary fantasies.
Xu Xiuwen stood by the bed, watching for a few minutes.
Perhaps because she couldn't hear the keyboard clicking, Xiao Youran's long eyelashes fluttered a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.
The first person she saw upon waking was Xu Xiuwen.
Xiao Youran immediately smiled.
Seeing her awake, Xu Xiuwen averted his gaze and calmly said, "You're awake?"
Xiao Youran propped herself up on the bed with both hands.
She adjusted her hair and softly said, "Sorry, I fell asleep accidentally."
"No worries, if you're still sleepy, you can sleep some more."
Xiao Youran smiled lightly, "I'm not sleepy anymore."
After a pause, she asked, "Why did you stop typing?"
"Got tired, needed to move around a bit."
As Xu Xiuwen spoke, he walked towards the living room.
Seeing this, Xiao Youran quickly followed.
In the living room, Xiao Youran felt embarrassed to sit next to him, so she chose to sit on the side.
She sat primly on the sofa, her legs together and leaning slightly against the sofa base, with her hands resting on her legs, sitting elegantly.
Xu Xiuwen's posture was much more relaxed.
He spread his legs, leaned back on the sofa, casually picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV.
At this time of day, there weren't any good TV programs, and after watching for a few moments, Xu Xiuwen lost interest.
He turned to Xiao Youran and casually asked, "Do you want to go home?"
Hearing this, Xiao Youran became very nervous and immediately said, "Please don't make me leave, okay?"
Xu Xiuwen laughed, "When did I say I was making you leave?"
Hearing this, Xiao Youran breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled shyly, "I thought you were going to make me leave. Glad that's not the case. Xiao Xu, I like being with you, even if we don't say anything, I'm very happy."
Xiao Youran's words were practically a confession, her feelings unmistakably clear.
Xu Xiuwen knew that if he asked her to be his girlfriend now, Xiao Youran would definitely not refuse.
But he didn't do that.
As if he hadn't heard her implication, Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "Really? I didn't know I had that ability. If you like it, then stay."
Xiao Youran had mustered a lot of courage to speak so directly.
She hoped to see if Xiao Xu would express his feelings, but he seemed oblivious to her hint.
She felt very disappointed.
But also a little relieved.
She was afraid that if Xu Xiuwen understood and rejected her, it would be even worse.
And so, silence fell.
Xu Xiuwen was silent, and Xiao Youran was silent.
Only the TV in the living room made any noise.
After a few minutes, Xu Xiuwen suddenly suggested, "It's too boring to stay at home. Do you want to go out for a walk and maybe buy something to eat?"
"Sure." Xiao Youran, having adjusted her mood, agreed without hesitation.
"Then wait a moment, I'll change clothes."
"Alright, take your time, I'm not in a hurry."
Xu Xiuwen turned and went back to his room, then changed into clothes suitable for going out.
Coming out of the room, he looked at Xiao Youran still sitting quietly on the sofa and smiled, "Let's go, Youran."
"Okay."
On a cold winter day, there weren't many pedestrians on the street.
Xu Xiuwen and Xiao Youran walked silently down the street.
Xu Xiuwen looked aimlessly around.
Xiao Youran kept her head slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on the ground, occasionally glancing up at Xu Xiuwen.
After a while.
Unknowingly, they arrived at the entrance of their junior high school.
Both Xu Xiuwen and Xiao Youran had attended this junior high school, so standing at the gate and looking at the familiar entrance, they stopped in unison.
Xiao Youran gazed at the familiar gate, and scenes from the past flashed through her mind.
They had such a good relationship back then. Xu Xiuwen would follow her around every day, calling out "Youran" repeatedly.
She, imitating her parents, called him "Xiao Xu."
Back then, Xu Xiuwen hadn't yet realized what it meant to like someone.
But girls mature early.
Xiao Youran knew she liked him from that time.
So, when he would touch her thigh during class, pretend to be her big brother and pat her head in front of others, or hold her hand under the pretense of walking her home after school, she allowed it because she liked him.
From junior high, Xiao Youran had liked Xu Xiuwen.
It was also from then that she started to like managing Xiao Xu, telling him what not to do and what he should do, just like a little wife.
Xiao Youran used to be engrossed in such thoughts.
Every time Xu Xiuwen listened to her, she would secretly be happy.
If he disobeyed, she would secretly feel sad.
In the blink of an eye, three years passed.
They had both grown up, but their relationship had grown distant.
No longer as close as they were in junior high.
Standing in front of the school gate now, she suddenly remembered the past and couldn't help but laugh softly.
Xu Xiuwen didn't like recalling things from junior high, unlike the sentimental Xiao Youran.
He was ready to leave but noticed Xiao Youran hadn't followed.
He returned to her and reminded, "Let's go, Youran."
Xiao Youran looked at him, her bright eyes shining.
She bit her lip and suddenly asked, "Xiao Xu, I want to go back and take a look at the school. Can you come with me?"
She didn't know if Xiao Xu would agree and felt a bit nervous.
Xu Xiuwen was silent for a second, then asked, "Do you really want to go back and take a look?"
Xiao Youran nodded seriously.
After a moment of eye contact, Xu Xiuwen said, "It's vacation now. We probably can't get in through the main gate."
"What should we do then?"
"I have an idea. Follow me."
Xu Xiuwen led the way to the side of the school.
Reaching a corner, Xu Xiuwen pointed to an osmanthus tree outside the wall, "We'll climb over the wall here."
"I can't do that!"
Xiao Youran looked troubled.
Xu Xiuwen patiently explained, "First, climb onto the branch, then step on this branch here, and use your hands to pull yourself up the wall."
"Let me try."
Following Xu Xiuwen's instructions, Xiao Youran began to climb the tree.
Xu Xiuwen stood below, ready to catch her if she fell.
Luckily, the wall wasn't too high, and with the help of the branches, Xiao Youran climbed up without much trouble.
Standing on the wall, clutching the branch, she nervously asked, "Xiao Xu, what do I do now?"
"Wait for me." Xu Xiuwen climbed up the wall the same way.
Walking a few steps along the wall, there was another tree inside, but without climbable branches.
Xu Xiuwen had climbed over many times in junior high and knew what to do.
He hugged the trunk, then hooked his legs around it, and slid down.
The tree trunk was smooth from being climbed so often and didn't hurt his hands.
Xu Xiuwen stood on the ground, looking up at Xiao Youran, "Slide down like I did. Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Xiao Youran imitated Xu Xiuwen, hugging the trunk and sliding down.
Landing excitedly, she exclaimed, "Xiao Xu, I made it down."
Xu Xiuwen laughed, "Yes, you did. Want a little red flower as a reward?"
Xiao Youran smiled shyly.
They wandered around the empty campus.
Revisiting the place, Xu Xiuwen also felt a bit nostalgic.
Xiao Youran was even more emotional.
Reaching the back of the school, Xiao Youran excitedly pulled him into a small grove.
Xiao Youran searched seriously for a while, then couldn't help but say, "Xiao Xu, why can't I find that tree?"
Xu Xiuwen guessed which tree she was looking for.
He scanned the area, identified the spot, and walked in a certain direction.
Soon, he found the tree, "Is it this one?"
Xiao Youran followed his direction, unsure if it was the right tree.
She stood on tiptoe, looking up closely.
Soon.
Xiao Youran excitedly shouted, "I found it, I found it, Xiao Xu, look, it's still here."
Xiao Youran pointed at a mark on the tree trunk above, jumping up and down, eyes full of joy.
Xu Xiuwen knew what she was looking for. Seeing it, he was suddenly stunned.
Xiao Youran realized too, her face turning red.
On the trunk were their names, Xu Xiuwen and Xiao Youran.
Xu Xiuwen remembered it was the last day of junior high when Xiao Youran pulled him here to carve their names on the tree.
She had learned this from her junior high friend.
Worried her name might be erased by others, she carved it high up.
Since she couldn't reach, Xu Xiuwen acted as a human ladder.
Xiao Youran sat on his shoulders, using a small knife to carve their names into the tree.
He remembered it was summer, and Xiao Youran wore a green dress that day.
While she carved, Xu Xiuwen's view was blocked by her skirt, so he couldn't see what she was carving.
His attention was drawn to her slender legs.
After she finished, he didn't think to check what she had carved.
But now, Xu Xiuwen saw it clearly.
Outside their names, there was a heart.
Both Xu Xiuwen and Xiao Youran saw it.
Xiao Youran was suddenly at a loss, her face flushed, not knowing how to explain.
Noticing her reaction, Xu Xiuwen smiled, "Oh, I didn't realize it back then. So you had a crush on me even then?"
Given Xiao Youran's personality, she would never admit it.
She would probably say, "I didn't have a crush on you; someone else added that."
Otherwise, Xu Xiuwen wouldn't dare tease her.
Unexpectedly.
After a few seconds of silence, Xiao Youran nodded, "Yes, I liked you back then. I still do. I really like you, Xu Xiuwen."
Xiao Youran was completely unreserved this time, straightforwardly confessing her feelings face-to-face.
Xu Xiuwen was somewhat flustered by her sudden confession.
Was this the Xiao Youran he knew?
The Xiao Youran he knew was clearly a shy girl who liked to say one thing but mean another.
Even if she liked someone, she would never admit it.
Faced with the current situation, he was silent for a moment.
From the initial embarrassment of her little secret being discovered, to the excitement of her confession, and now to Xu Xiuwen's silent reaction, Xiao Youran's heart turned cold.
She had thought about confessing many times but could never bring herself to do it.
But today, she took this opportunity to confess.
She hoped to see Xu Xiuwen's ecstatic expression and his immediate agreement.
But she saw none of that.
Xu Xiuwen was silent and calm.
There was no trace of joy on his face.
Xiao Youran's mood plummeted to the bottom.
Ever since she was kissed forcefully last time, Xiao Youran always thought that Xu Xiuwen liked her too.
If he didn't like her, why did he kiss her?
But ever since they started university, Xu Xiuwen had changed.
It was always her initiating contact, and he always ended the conversations first.
Except for the initial period of school, he rarely went to visit her at Jiaotong University.
Whatever he did, whatever he was busy with, unless she asked, he never told her voluntarily.
Including this holiday, Xu Xiuwen didn't come back with her, and he didn't even tell her when he would return.
Xiao Youran wasn't stupid.
She had noticed the changes in Xu Xiuwen.
She made many excuses for him, like he was busy or had his own things to do.
But at this moment, faced with her confession, Xu Xiuwen chose to remain silent.
The excuses she had made for him felt like knives piercing through her heart.
It hurt so much!
But Xiao Youran hadn't given up yet.
She held on to a last shred of hope.
Biting her lip, she stubbornly looked at Xu Xiuwen, waiting for an answer.
Even if Xu Xiuwen didn't like her anymore, she wanted to hear him say it himself before she would believe it.
Xu Xiuwen really didn't want to confront Xiao Youran at this moment.
But there was no other way, the words had been said, and he had to speak.
Everyone's youth is precious.
He already had Cheng Lu, Tang Weiwei, and even a lover, An Shishi.
He knew Xiao Youran well; she was both generous and petty.
Her generosity was shown in her willingness to share food and items with others since kindergarten. Aunt Zhang prepared snacks and pretty stationery for her, and she shared them with her classmates.
But in terms of relationships, she was very possessive. She couldn't tolerate other girls.
In high school and middle school, whenever Xu Xiuwen got close to a girl, she would be sulky for days.
Even in university, Xu Xiuwen remembered the first time he met Song Siyu, Xiao Youran saw him give his number and got both angry and sad.
She would never share her boyfriend with other girls!
So there was no way for him and Xiao Youran to be together.
Since it was impossible, he didn't want to waste any more time.
He had planned to break it to her after the New Year; it was a pity it couldn't wait until then.
Xu Xiuwen was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Youran, we're not possible."
Even though Xiao Youran had expected this answer, hearing it out loud made her break down.
Xu Xiuwen lowered his head, thinking about what to say next.
A low sobbing sound reached his ears.
Only then did Xu Xiuwen realize what was happening. He looked up.
Xiao Youran was already crying, tears streaming down her face, her sobs making her look heart-wrenchingly pitiful.
She sobbed, unwilling to give up, "Why is it not possible?"
Xu Xiuwen couldn't bear to look at her like this; it was too painful.
He forced himself to harden his heart and said, "I'm sorry, I like someone else."
"Xu Xiuwen, you obviously liked me… why don't you like me anymore…?"
"I'm sorry, it's really impossible for us. You will find someone who likes you."
After a few seconds of silence.
Xiao Youran suddenly pleaded, "What did I do wrong… I'll change… Xiao Xu, just keep liking me, okay?"
Xu Xiuwen steeled his heart and said, "You did nothing wrong. It's me who likes someone else."
"Wow~~"
Xiao Youran burst into tears.