After watching the lanterns together on National Day, Xiao Zhanyuan felt a constant sense of unease. He couldn't shake the image of Xiang Yu and Lu Heng from his mind. Did he like Xiang Yu? He wasn't sure. When he was younger, Xiang Yu was more like an older sister to him, a guide, a rare source of warmth and light in his barren life. He had always followed her, wanting to become better and wanting her to see him. He felt a very complex emotion towards Xiang Yu, sometimes even feeling that she was the person he was closest to in the world. He wanted to be with her, to see her happy, but perhaps he didn't truly understand her.
It was Zhou Siping who told Xiang Yu about Xiao Zhanyuan's troubled state on Thursday. "Think about how to talk to him. He thinks that you are very important to him," Zhou Siping sighed over the phone. "Xiang Yu, are you with Lu Heng?" Xiang Yu didn't know how to answer. After thinking for a while, she said, "Not now, but we will be together in the future." Siping was silent on the other end of the line for a while. "No matter what, as long as you're happy, that's what matters." After hanging up, Xiang Yu was also confused and couldn't sleep. Xiao Zhanyuan in this life was very different from the previous one. He had learned to take care of himself, was more diligent and positive, and even in matters of the heart, he was no longer so obsessive. In the previous life, he had suddenly disappeared for several years, only to reappear in front of her again. He had shown a possessive obsession towards her, but by then she had already fallen in love with Lu Heng and had no room in her heart for him. Yet, he acted like a madman, dragging her down to hell with him, ultimately taking Lu Heng away. Xiang Yu had long stopped thinking about those painful memories and hadn't had a nightmare in a long time. But that night, she dreamt of Xiao Zhanyuan again, his lips curled in a gloomy smile, his eyes cold, and Lu Heng covered in blood. He pushed her away, saying something to her, but all she saw was his mouth opening wide in agony. She felt deaf, unable to hear what he was saying. She woke up struggling, covered in sweat. The faint light of dawn seeped into her eyes, and she suddenly missed Lu Heng deeply.
When she saw Lu Heng in the classroom, Xiang Yu smiled at him. "It's really good to see you." Lu Heng didn't understand her words, but he sensed the sadness in her smile. Xiang Yu was truly a strange girl. From the moment he met her, she had always behaved oddly around him. Lu Heng's friends and teammates all said, "What's so strange? Xiang Yu likes you. We all know that." But why? Why him, Lu Heng, and not someone else? Why, from the very first time she met him, did she act so differently towards him? Why had she cared so much for him over the years, given him so much attention? She only cared about a few people, Han Xing, Siping, Xiao Zhanyuan, her childhood friends. But what about him, Lu Heng? Why did she choose him? Lu Heng was full of confusion, but when he saw the way Xiang Yu looked at him, he didn't want to think about anything else. He just felt a great joy in his heart. "As long as you want to see me, I'll be there," Lu Heng promised Xiang Yu. "Come on, pinky swear." He reached out and hooked her pinky with his.