After Being Reborn, I Had A Bad Ending With My First Love. - Chapter 18

When Yan Sui returned to the crossroads, Yu Shuli was standing still, listening to her instructions.

Seeing her coming out of the pharmacy carrying a bag, Yu Shuli frowned slightly, his tone filled with concern. “Are you feeling unwell? Did you get hurt when you were fighting just now?”

Yan Sui shook her head and held out the plastic bag to him. “Take care of your wound.”

After speaking, she quickly added, not wanting him to misunderstand: “Your wound.”

Yu Shuli seemed surprised that these medicines were for him. Overjoyed, he took them from her hands.

He rifled through the bag, taking out the iodine and cotton swabs, tilting his head and asking softly, “Can you help me apply this? I can’t see.”

Yan Sui paused, but expressionlessly refused. “Do it at home.”

Rejected, Yu Shuli’s expression immediately fell. His previously lifted brows drooped, and his normally bright eyes looked dejected.

Yan Sui glanced at him, thinking that if he had rabbit-like ears on his head, they would probably droop too, looking pitiful.

She withdrew her gaze and didn’t watch him apply the medicine by himself.

But as Yu Shuli continued to dab the iodine at his side, her heart seemed to be gnawed by something. Countless ants crawled over her heart, making her frequently glance in his direction. She didn’t notice several empty taxis passing by.

When Yu Shuli once again misapplied the iodine, Yan Sui finally relaxed her shoulders.

She turned and held out her hand to him. “Give it to me.”

—

It seemed he had been waiting for her to say exactly that. His drooping lips immediately lifted.

Yu Shuli handed over the iodine and cotton swabs and added: “Thanks for the trouble.”

Yan Sui lowered her gaze, paused for a moment, and then took them from his hands.

She knew full well that Yu Shuli was deliberately applying the medicine beside her, even deliberately smearing it incorrectly to get her attention.

She could have ignored all his little antics, letting them become a solo performance unnoticed by anyone.

But she still reached out.

And in her mind, she repeated to herself:

This is the last time.

—

Yu Shuli was much taller than her. Even standing upright, she only reached his chin. His wound was at the corner of his eye. Yan Sui raised her hand, fumbling slightly as she tried to apply the disinfectant.

Perhaps because she couldn’t gauge her strength, the cotton swab rubbed repeatedly over the wound, sending waves of pain to Yu Shuli. He couldn’t help but groan softly.

Hearing the sound from his lips, Yan Sui paused.

She pulled back her arm. “Lower it a bit, I can’t reach.”

As if already having achieved his goal, Yu Shuli became unusually compliant.

He bent slightly, lowering his position closer to hers.

Now at eye level, Yan Sui could clearly feel his breath and see the wound on his face.

With their faces close, each dab of the cotton swab was precise, and she could even see the slight trembling of his eyelashes. Her movements softened without her realizing.

After quickly applying the medicine, Yan Sui closed the iodine bottle. “Done.”

Yu Shuli didn’t move back but lowered himself even more, looking up at her.

Meeting his gaze, Yan Sui saw the tenderness in his eyes. Their breaths mingled in the small space, chaotic in an instant.

Yan Sui stared at him, recognizing the same brows, the same face—the twenty-two-year-old Yu Shuli from her previous life.

On the eve of their breakup, he had held her tightly, his eyes just like now, filled with countless indescribable emotions, staring at her continuously.

Thinking of this, Yan Sui’s mind wavered.

She murmured, “Yu Shuli… why?”

His eyes flickered. “Why what?”

His voice brought her back to reality. Yan Sui realized she had mistaken seventeen-year-old Yu Shuli for the twenty-two-year-old from her past life.

Annoyed, she shook her head and stepped back. “Nothing.”

Yu Shuli wanted to ask more, but her emotions had receded, and rationality returned.

She knew she had already crossed too many boundaries tonight.

She couldn’t keep making mistakes.

Ignoring Yu Shuli, she noticed an empty taxi approaching and raised her hand to stop it.

Yu Shuli saw and didn’t try to stop her.

Before getting in, Yan Sui recalled Yu Shuli’s confession in the alley and looked back at him. “Yu Shuli.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t come near me again.”

“……”

—

The system appeared again two days later, on Monday.

The familiar electric hum returned in her mind as Yan Sui sat at her desk working on the homework from the previous class.

“Host.”

Hearing the system’s voice, Yan Sui froze mid-stroke. Startled, she quickly stood, the chair screeching back.

Chen Ling also stopped, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Sui steadied herself on the desk and said while stepping away, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

.

The girls’ bathroom was crowded. After waiting a moment, she gave up and took a quieter stairwell instead.

Stopping, she asked, “Where were you these past two days? Why couldn’t I reach you?”

Since last Friday, when she left the school gate, the system had gone silent. No matter how she tried, it didn’t respond.

Only now did she realize that if the system ever left her, there would be no way to get it back. The initiative in their relationship was entirely with the system.

The system replied: “Sorry, host. Due to a mistake during the mission, I was punished by the terminal and was prohibited from communicating, so I could not contact you.”

Yan Sui’s expression froze.

She had suspected the system might temporarily disappear, but hadn’t imagined it would be silenced by the terminal.

“The terminal?” she asked. “Is that your superior?”

System: “It is our management department.”

Yan Sui had never learned about the system’s hierarchy. She was just a mission subject chosen by it.

After hearing the explanation, she understood why, when she chose to save Yu Shuli in the alley, the system hadn’t appeared to stop her as usual.

“By the way, host, I see your mission progress has changed. Did you start the third mission line?”

Yan Sui recalled the mission triggered by Yu Shuli’s confession and nodded lightly. “Yes, last Friday.”

“Host, I can check the progress of your three mission lines. Compared to before, the third mission line has advanced a bit, but the second mission line has regressed.”

The system didn’t elaborate, but Yan Sui understood.

The third mission line: pursue someone who hasn’t yet appeared.

The second mission line: keep away from Yu Shuli.

She hadn’t tried to hide the events of Friday from the system. She couldn’t.

The system shared her consciousness and perception; all her thoughts were visible to it.

“You violated our agreement.”

Perhaps her imagination, but the system’s voice seemed colder.

Yan Sui lowered her eyes and softly said, “I’m sorry. I broke the agreement.”

She didn’t know what punishment awaited for breaking the agreement. She wouldn’t run, even if she could.

If it happened again, she would still save Yu Shuli in the alley.

He was in danger because of her, and she couldn’t ignore it.

Yan Sui calmed herself and waited silently for the punishment.

After hearing her, the system remained silent for a long time.

She waited until the class bell rang, and there was still no response.

She didn’t speak again and walked toward the classroom.

As she crossed the stairwell threshold, a long electric beep sounded in her mind:

Beep—

“Respected host, due to violating clause two of your contract, ‘keep away from Yu Shuli,’ the system will automatically administer punishment. Considering your recent good performance, the punishment has been mitigated. Please check for its arrival.”

An unknown punishment at an unknown time.

Yan Sui nodded lightly and continued walking.

—

Back in the classroom, the homeroom teacher took over PE class.

She clapped her hands, signaling for attention. “Before class, I’ll announce the English speech registration. After internal selection, the slot has been awarded to Chen Xin.”

Hearing that she wasn’t chosen, many classmates looked at Yan Sui in confusion.

Chen Ling was shocked, holding Yan Sui’s hand under the desk. “Why isn’t it you?”

Yan Sui had prepared thoroughly for the English speech. Many students and even the teacher expected her to get the slot.

Compared to Chen Ling and other classmates’ surprise, Yan Sui’s reaction was calm.

She briefly paused, then found her answer.

This was the system’s punishment.

In her previous life, she should have won this speech slot.

But due to contracting the flu the day before from Yan Zhaoting, she had a high fever and lost her voice. She had to forfeit the speech.

This English speech was held once every five years, only for high school students.

She had wanted to participate for years.

Now in this life, she had returned in time to prepare for the speech.

She still wanted to make up for the regret of last life.

But the system’s punishment had taken this away.

Her feelings were complicated. She was relieved it didn’t affect her main mission line, but it was still something she had looked forward to.

After class, Chen Ling wanted to confront the teacher, but Yan Sui stopped her.

Chen Ling insisted, “Your speech was perfect. Everyone knew it. Why give it to Chen Xin? Let’s ask the teacher.”

Yan Sui shook her head. “If it were meant to be mine, it would have been. Never mind. I won’t participate.”

Even asking wouldn’t change the result.

No matter what punishment the system gave, she would accept it.

That night, Yan Sui lay in bed.

Her bed was made with a fresh set of sheets from Sui Yuling, sun-warmed. She could still feel the lingering heat.

She stared at the ceiling for a long while and called out, “System.”

Immediately, the system’s voice appeared in her mind.

“I’m here, host.”

Yan Sui blinked. “Did you mitigate today’s punishment for me?”

The system paused, not answering. “Host, please start the side mission soon.”

Yan Sui turned over, burying her face in the warm sheets.

She smelled the scent of detergent, faintly reminiscent of her mother.

Though the system didn’t answer her thanks directly, she could sense a subtle satisfaction beneath the mechanical tone.

Yan Sui suddenly realized: ever since meeting the system, it had helped her in countless ways.

The terminal’s punishments were unavoidable, but she remained calm, trusting the system.

“Thank you.”

Her muffled voice drifted through the silent room, reaching a system that existed only in her mind.

The system didn’t respond directly.

But in its next words, “Please start the side mission soon,” she sensed the concealed joy behind the mechanical voice.