After being reborn, I had a bad ending with my first love. - Chapter 5

The rain was pouring heavily, growing more and more torrential. White mist rose in the downpour, blurring the outline of the buildings in the neighborhood. The pounding of raindrops drowned out the sounds of footsteps nearby.

Time seemed to slow into a series of frames. Though only a few seconds had passed, the way she froze while looking at him felt like a whole century.

Yu Shuli folded back the umbrella he had just half-opened. Surprise and joy flickered in his eyes as he looked at her.
“Why are you here?”

Yan Sui clearly hadn’t expected that, despite only meeting yesterday afternoon, Yu Shuli not only remembered her face but also her name.

This was something that hadn’t happened in her previous life. But since in that life she had never come to this neighborhood because of Yan Zhaoting’s affair, she could guess that changing certain events had caused the trajectory of other things to shift.

Perhaps this was the butterfly effect—change even the smallest thing, and the resulting consequences would be far beyond her expectations.

After a moment of surprise, Yan Sui quickly pulled her thoughts back.

She withdrew her gaze and instinctively stepped aside again. “Just a coincidence.”

Her action made Yu Shuli pause mid-step. The leg he had moved forward retreated awkwardly.

Scratching the back of his neck somewhat nervously, he explained, “Uh… my mom lives here. That’s why I’m here.”

The sudden explanation struck Yan Sui as odd, but when she noticed the slightly tense look on his face, she realized he was deliberately explaining to her why he was here.

“I know.” Her voice was soft, nearly drowned by the rain.

Yet she still noticed—the moment her words fell, Yu Shuli’s eyes lit up instantly.

She pretended not to notice and turned her gaze away with cold indifference.

She didn’t want to treat Yu Shuli harshly, but neither did she want to have too much contact with him.

The rain kept falling. Yan Sui stared at the curtain of rain, her eyes gradually growing unfocused.

She began probing the system in her mind, asking about Yan Zhaoting’s affair, hoping to extract some clues.

But the system insisted: every piece of information had its own timing, and it could not reveal anything early.

While she was caught up in this inner exchange, she didn’t notice when Yu Shuli had come to stand right beside her.

When she snapped back to herself, her breath was already filled with the strong scent of soap. She lifted her head, only to meet Yu Shuli’s deep, dark eyes.

Startled, she quickly dropped her gaze. Her legs felt heavy as if filled with lead, her heart pounding uncontrollably, as though that buried emotion she had hidden deep inside was trying to rise again.

Whether in her past life or this one, no matter how much she wanted to keep her distance, the moment Yu Shuli leaned closer—when those black-ink eyes fixed on her—she couldn’t stop the nervous flutter in her chest.

Yu Shuli noticed her instinctive avoidance, and he let out a soft chuckle.

It was quiet, barely audible, yet clear as day even amid the storm.

Yan Sui forced herself to remain calm. “Aren’t you leaving?”

“Mm,” Yu Shuli replied, “I’ll wait for the rain to stop.”

Yan Sui was silent, sensing a hint of teasing in his tone.

The air between them was strange, the weight of Yu Shuli’s elusive gaze pressing on her. Yan Sui couldn’t bear to stay any longer.

She stared at the rain for a moment, then stepped forward as if making a decision, wanting to dash out and leave this place. But just as she moved, someone grabbed her elbow and yanked her back with sudden force.

“What are you doing?”

She glanced down at the hand gripping her elbow. The warmth of his palm stood in sharp contrast to her cold skin.

His grip was tight, as though afraid she would run straight into the rain regardless of him.

“I’m leaving,” Yan Sui said softly.

For a moment, the air between them froze, filled only with the sound of rain outside the eaves.

Yu Shuli lowered his head. A few damp strands of hair stuck to his forehead, droplets sliding down onto his face. He gazed at her intently, his eyes carrying emotions she couldn’t decipher.

They remained locked in that stalemate for who knew how long—until the system’s notification suddenly sounded in her mind. Yan Sui immediately wrenched her arm free.

Yu Shuli looked at his now-empty hand, disappointment flashing briefly in his eyes. But he quickly composed himself, lips curling back into his usual smile.
“The rain’s heavy. You’ll catch a cold.”

As he spoke, he extended an umbrella toward her. “Here. Take it.”

Yan Sui pressed her lips together, staring at the umbrella, but didn’t reach out to take it.

Yu Shuli didn’t give her a chance to refuse. With a firm push, he shoved the umbrella into her hands, then quickly stepped back several paces.

His movements were swift, giving Yan Sui no time to react. When she finally thought of handing the umbrella back, Yu Shuli was already several meters away.

As she stood there frowning at the umbrella, Yu Shuli suddenly called out her name.
“Yan Sui!”

She instinctively looked up.

“Do you still remember my name?”

Her mind went blank, her breath catching. Her grip on the umbrella tightened involuntarily.

The boy smiled, one eyebrow lifting beneath his damp fringe.
“Yu Shuli. I’m Yu Shuli, from Class 1 of the science track.”

Without waiting for her reply, Yu Shuli turned and ran into the rain, disappearing quickly around the corner.

After his departure, the world seemed to sink back into silence.

Yan Sui stared at the umbrella in her hand, her expression conflicted. Her emotions churned restlessly, tugging at her nerves.

“Host,” the system’s voice sounded in her mind, timely as ever, “The wrong bond should never begin. Don’t forget the promise you made me.”

Her breath hitched. By the time she lifted her gaze again, her uneven breathing had steadied.

Slowly, she loosened her grip on the umbrella, her fingers releasing it one by one. Along with that motion came her whispered words—

“I know.”

Lowering her lashes, she closed her eyes, hiding the emotions in them. When the rain eased a little, she turned and walked into the drizzle, leaving the neighborhood behind.