I Might Have Fallen in Love With My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 128 - 124 Jealousy

Chapter 128: Chapter 124 Jealousy

Long time no see.

Has it been long?

Actually, not too long, just over two months.

Two months, neither long nor short, was enough for Li Qingran to sort out the indescribable feelings for God Ji in her heart.

The sprout of feelings that should not have been was just breaking through the soil of her heart when she personally pinched it off, scattering it to the wind without a trace of tender emotion.

And then, she built high walls around her heart, not allowing anyone else in.

That indistinct tenderness, when did it begin? Even Li Qingran herself couldn’t say.

Perhaps it was when the boy gently leaped down from a tree with a kitten in his arms;

Perhaps it was because the boy, being among the crowd, emanated a breath of the secular world;

Perhaps it was because the boy once revealed a shallow smile to her alone, with dimples faintly visible on his cheeks...

Regardless, that tenderness that never should have existed, since it came into being, it should extinguish.

Whether it’s Xie Ying’an or God Ji, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with them for the rest of her life.

Ji Yanchen was looking at Li Qingran, and finally, a ripple of emotion appeared in his serene teak-colored eyes. He extended his hand towards Qingran as if meeting her for the first time.

"Qing... Ran..." The boy’s voice sounded hoarse and out of tune, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time: "Long time... no see..."

A day apart feels like an eternity; it really has been a long time.

When Ji Yanchen extended his hand, Mi Xiao widened her eyes in surprise, and upon hearing Ji Yanchen speak, the shock in Mi Xiao’s eyes could no longer be hidden.

Xie Ying’an looked down at Li Qingran’s hand, his gaze as sharp as three feet of frost, filled with a nervously ambiguous tension.

What excuse could he use to prevent Li Qingran from reaching out her hand?

Song Shize first looked at God Ji, then at Qingran, and finally at Xie Ying’an. He raised his eyebrows and revealed a smile with a hint of playfulness.

Qingran did not reach out her hand; on the other side, the sports teacher blew his whistle, signaling everyone to return to their teams.

The next second, before the whistle could even fall silent, Xie Ying’an grabbed Qingran’s hand and headed towards the crowd, moving so quickly that Qingran didn’t have time to greet Ji Yanchen.

Left behind was Song Shize: "..."

Damn! Xie Ying’an cares for nothing but the opposite sex, with his left hand pulling Li Qingran, couldn’t he have conveniently pulled him along with his right?

Song Shize glanced at Ji Yanchen again, who was watching Li Qing’s receding figure with an expressionless face.

Having witnessed such a bombshell, Song Shize then casually sauntered toward the sports teacher with his hands in his pockets.

After the sports teacher finished speaking and dismissed the group, Qingran looked towards the shaded area under the tree.

The boys and girls under the tree shade had vanished.

—

When she returned to class, Qingran learned that the tug-of-war had been played in two rounds.

The first round: Class 1 won.

The second round: Class 7 won.

Xie Ying’an didn’t return after the physical education class, and nobody knew where he went.

"Really, Ranran," Ruan Ruan sat on Xie Ying’an’s seat, rambling to Qingran: "During the second round, Brother An glanced over here and then let go of the rope. You don’t know, just because of Brother An’s release, those from Class 7 collapsed on each other, and Song Erbi, who claimed to be the finale and stood at the end, haha..."

Qingran seemed focused on the book in her hands, her gaze unfocused, not taking in a word Ruan Ruan said.

All she could think about was God Ji actually coming back ahead of schedule. Did the plot really change?

To tell the truth, Qingran had never truly believed that the plot could be reversed. After all, her mother’s death and Xie Ying’an’s grandfather’s death occurred exactly as written in the book’s timeline.

Though some minor plot points had changed, without a major plot event being confirmed, Qingran could not deduce whether the overall storyline would indeed change.

Of course, she did not know whether Ji Yanchen, the antagonist from the book who stayed abroad for three years, was there for medical reasons or if other plot elements quietly unfolded.

After meeting Lin Zhou once, Qingran knew that Lin Zhou was a good man, but not her good man.

After meeting the refined and cultured man, Qingran felt no ripples in her heart, even though she kept thinking that he might be the man to spend the rest of her life with, but her heart could not stir even the slightest ripple.

Lin Zhou was Li Qing’s good man in her past life as written in the book, but that was not the case for her. She didn’t want to force herself.

In a situation where the plot could be changed, Qingran would still hope to change it.

When Qingran came to, Ruan Ruan had already left and the teacher of the last class was lecturing passionately on the podium.

She hadn’t even noticed herself daydreaming in class, let alone take out the relevant textbook.

Qingran glanced indifferently at Xie Ying’an’s empty seat. Xie Ying’an still hadn’t returned, and even the teacher turned a blind eye to the occasional truancy of this top-ranking student.

Indeed, good students always seem to have a shield of immunity.

Xie Ying’an didn’t return for the evening self-study either. Ruan Ruan and Zheng Chunming didn’t see God Ji on the sports ground either and approached Qingran with gossiping curiosity, asking where their Brother An had gone.

Qingran shook her head. Distracted by not having figured out the plot, her expression revealed some gloom.

Ruan Ruan and Zheng Chunming thought they had quarreled and exchanged a look, returned to their seats, and dared not ask further.

When school was let out that evening and Qingran walked back with Ruan Ruan, they saw Xie Ying’an at the corner of the street near the school entrance.

At that moment, the boy was leaning against the wall, looking up in an unknown direction. The stark white streetlight cast a shadow over him, giving off an air of haziness.

Ruan Ruan signaled with her eyes for Qingran to look in that direction: "Ranran, doesn’t that guy look a bit like Brother An?"

Qingran looked where Ruan Ruan was pointing.

Xie Ying’an seemed to sense something, lifted his gaze towards them, and then, with long strides, walked their way.

He habitually took the school bag from Qingran’s hand and motioned for Qingran and Ruan Ruan to walk ahead, his face cold the entire time, without uttering a word.

While walking, Ruan Ruan grabbed Qingran’s arm and asked quietly: "Be honest, did you make my Brother An angry?"

Of course, Qingran knew the real reason for Xie Ying’an’s abnormal behavior.

She lowered her eyes and brushed off Ruan Ruan: "No."

Ruan Ruan had been friends with her for several years and could tell from her expression; she didn’t press further.

When they reached the crossroads, Ruan Ruan whispered something to Qingran before heading home, then bounced away cheerfully. Across the road, she didn’t forget to turn back and gesture an encouraging pose to Qingran.

Qingran hadn’t yet recovered from what Ruan Ruan had said and watched her friend’s retreating figure with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Qingran walked slowly today, so Xie Ying’an’s pace was also slow. By the time they got home, it was already past eight in the evening.

The living room was pitch dark, it seemed Aunt Liu had already left and Mr. Li was not yet back.

Qingran opened the door and instinctively reached for the light switch, but before she could find it, Xie Ying’an suddenly pulled her.

Then, she was pressed against the wall; in the pitch-blackness where one couldn’t see their own hand, her senses became more acute.

Qingran could feel being trapped between Xie Ying’an’s arms, the young man was extremely close, and the scent of mint mixed with a faint smell of tobacco infiltrated Qingran’s nostrils.

Feeling tense for a moment, Qingran soon calmed down. Her first reaction was that Xie Ying’an had actually smoked today?

How bold!

Xie Ying’an remained silent, and in the quiet room, Qingran could even hear Xie Ying’an’s accelerated heartbeat.

Thumping, much faster than her own heartbeat.

Just as Qingran was about to break the silence between them, Xie Ying’an suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest.

Qingran froze completely.

His heartbeat was not only rapid but also powerful.

Thumping, each beat seemed to strike against Qingran’s hand. She tried to pull her hand back but was gripped tightly by Xie Ying’an, unable to break free.

"Xie Ying’an!" she snapped in annoyance, raising her voice slightly.

Xie Ying’an remained silent.

After a long moment, he suddenly buried his head in Qingran’s neck.

"Li Qingran." His voice muffled and dejected.

As he spoke, the warm breath hit her neck, the tobacco smell becoming stronger. Qingran frowned but then heard him add.

"Can you stay away from Ji Yanchen? Watching you two stand together," he pressed Qingran’s hand against his chest harder, "it’s suffocating, it’s uncomfortable..."

Qingran: "..."

If you want to talk, just talk. Why do you have to put your head on my shoulder? Do you really think you’re not taking advantage of me?