After being reborn, I had a bad ending with my first love. - Chapter 7

Yan Sui was still conversing with the system in her mind when she suddenly realized Tan Shu was already standing in front of her.

“Hey, hey, what are you daydreaming about?” Tan Shu called twice, then grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her back and forth.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Yan Sui quickly pressed down on Tan Shu’s hands, muttering, “Stop shaking me, stop—I’m gonna throw up.”

At that, Tan Shu instantly let go.

But without the support, Yan Sui’s body leaned backward uncontrollably. Just as she thought she was about to fall, someone caught her firmly by the arm. Borrowing that strength, she steadied herself and looked up, ready to say thanks—only to realize it was Yu Shuli standing before her. The hand gripping her arm belonged to him.

Her words of thanks lodged in her throat, unable to come out.

Once he saw she was stable, Yu Shuli withdrew his hand.

The small episode didn’t affect Tan Shu’s energy at all. She promptly wrapped her arm around Yan Sui’s, leaning close. “I’ve been waiting for you forever.”

Yan Sui found herself involuntarily leaning into her, her thoughts still messy, though her mouth still responded, “I went to the water room to fill my bottle. Why are you here?”

“School ended early today, so I thought I’d come pick you up so we can go home together.”

“I see.” Yan Sui nodded.

After greeting her, Tan Shu suddenly seemed to remember Yu Shuli standing nearby. She quickly released Yan Sui’s arm, circled around behind her, and introduced, “Oh, right, I forgot to introduce you—this is my classmate, Yu Shuli.”

The introduction was the same as in their previous life.

Since Tan Shu was making the introduction, Yu Shuli didn’t mention their previous two encounters. Instead, he extended his hand again and said, “Hello, I’m Yu Shuli, Class One, Science stream.”

The hand, like his words, was persistent.

Under Tan Shu’s watchful gaze, Yan Sui dared not act strangely. She lightly clasped the tips of his fingers, about to respond—when she felt the faint tremor in his fingertips.

Her thoughts stumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Tan Shu asked curiously.

Yan Sui quickly pushed down the odd feeling, nodded hurriedly, and said, “Hello, I’m Yan Sui.”

She quickly withdrew her hand.

Once again Tan Shu slipped her arm through Yan Sui’s, pressing herself close and chattering, “Yu Shuli and I are both in the school choir. I mentioned you before—said I had a good friend in the liberal arts class who would be joining with me.”

Yan Sui lowered her eyes and murmured, “I see.”

“He wanted to treat me to milk tea to thank me for covering his duty shift last Friday, so he came along. Sui Sui, let’s all go to the milk tea shop together!”

Yan Sui instantly caught the implication in her words and was about to refuse. “I’ll just—”

But before she could finish, Tan Shu clung to her arm, pouting. “Come on, let’s go! We haven’t gone home together after school in so long. Either your class always has something, or my class runs late. Today’s finally a chance.”

Yan Sui couldn’t resist Tan Shu’s coaxing and reluctantly agreed.

Once she got her “yes,” Tan Shu happily let go and urged her to pack her bag in the classroom.

As soon as Yan Sui left, only Tan Shu and Yu Shuli remained in the hallway.

Tan Shu slapped Yu Shuli’s shoulder with a grin. “Thanks, classmate! Rare to see you being so generous. You said I could order whatever I want, so don’t you dare take it back later.”

Yu Shuli clasped his hands in mock surrender. “Please, be merciful.”

“Relax, I will!”

Yu Shuli glanced at the figure inside the classroom, the curve of his lips holding endless gentleness.

Inside the classroom.

The moment Yan Sui was away from Tan Shu, the system’s warning echoed in her mind again.

“Host, didn’t I tell you? Don’t have too much contact with Yu Shuli.”

Yan Sui also found it troublesome. But under that situation just now, there had been no way to avoid him. Tan Shu knew her too well; if she noticed Yan Sui deliberately avoiding Yu Shuli, she’d question her endlessly.

Yan Sui sighed inwardly. “I know. This time was unavoidable, but it won’t happen again.”

The system: “Host, I feel like the offline situation is getting out of control. Our original plan might not work anymore.”

Yan Sui felt the same.

She didn’t know if her changes had triggered some kind of butterfly effect, but many things that never existed in the original timeline were now appearing.

“Host, we need to come up with a new plan.”

Yan Sui rubbed her temples wearily. “We’ll discuss it once I get home.”

At the milk tea shop.

“What do you two want to drink?” Yu Shuli asked.

“Get me a taro ball milk tea!” Tan Shu said, raising her hand.

Yu Shuli gave her an “OK” gesture, then turned toward Yan Sui.

Feeling his gaze, Yan Sui’s nerves returned in full force. She waved her hand quickly. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Tan Shu exclaimed, “Eh, you’re not drinking?”

Yan Sui nodded. “I don’t feel like milk tea right now.”

Since she said so, neither Tan Shu nor Yu Shuli pressed further.

Yu Shuli went to place the order, and Tan Shu leaned in mysteriously to whisper in Yan Sui’s ear, “Are you embarrassed because it’s Yu Shuli’s treat? Then just tell me what you want, I’ll buy it for you.”

Yan Sui chuckled. “Really, no need.”

Tan Shu pouted. “I dragged you here, and now you’re just sitting there watching me drink? That makes me feel bad.”

She even pretended to wipe away tears.

Yan Sui rolled her eyes. “Alright, enough. Since when do we count such things between us?”

Exposed, Tan Shu wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, she hugged Yan Sui’s shoulder and laughed.

Hearing her laughter should have made Yan Sui happy, but instead, a pang of bitterness welled up inside her.

Tan Shu leaned against her, affectionately resting on her shoulder—something Yan Sui hadn’t felt in so long.

In their past life, they had fought bitterly because of Yan Zhaoting. At the time, Yan Sui was devastated by her father’s affair. When she learned Tan Shu had known about it earlier from her parents, their argument exploded.

Yan Sui had blamed her for not telling her sooner, while Tan Shu, not knowing how to break the news, had dragged it out until it was too late—by then, Yan Zhaoting had already taken all the family’s money.

Yan Sui remembered clearly: the last time she saw Tan Shu, she had clung to her, sobbing and repeating how sorry she was.

But Yan Sui, drowning in betrayal and crushing debt, hadn’t been able to respond with even a single “It’s okay.”

Not long after, Tan Shu went abroad. The two childhood friends never saw each other again.

With time, Yan Sui eventually came to understand Tan Shu’s struggle—the closer someone was, the harder it was to say something so painful. Back then, Tan Shu had simply become the target for all the anger Yan Sui couldn’t unleash on her father.

Because of one argument, their friendship had ended.

Yan Sui deeply regretted never replying to Tan Shu’s final message: “Will you forgive me?” She had deleted it instead.

If anyone had asked her in that life whether she had regrets besides her family, she would have said—

“I wish I could hug Tan Shu again.”

Hug her best friend.

After some time with no response, Tan Shu looked up in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Sui smoothed away her emotions and gently stroked the ends of her hair. “Nothing.”

Tan Shu sat up, curious. “By the way, why didn’t you join the choir?”

At that, Yan Sui didn’t know how to explain. Tan Shu wasn’t a teacher she could fool with the excuse of “schoolwork.”

“Don’t try to trick me. Is there another reason?”

After thinking, Yan Sui sighed and looked seriously into Tan Shu’s eyes. “Shu Shu, I didn’t join the choir because I have something going on. I can’t tell you what it is right now. Can you forgive me?”

Caught off guard by her serious tone, Tan Shu quickly nodded. “Of course! Everyone has secrets they don’t want to share. You don’t need to force yourself. I won’t be mad.”

Her words made Yan Sui’s nose sting. She almost choked out a heartfelt, “Shu Shu, thank you—”

“Stop right there!” Tan Shu made a hand gesture. “Don’t get all cheesy on me.”

Yan Sui’s swelling emotion was instantly forced back down.

Patting her shoulder like an old sage, Tan Shu added, “Besides, I’ve got secrets too. Like… I’ve fallen for a guy at our school.”

Yan Sui instantly forgot her emotions, her eyes lighting up. She grabbed Tan Shu’s arm. “Really? Which class?”

“Hey!” Tan Shu scolded, laughing. “I said it’s a secret. I’m not telling you.”

Yan Sui knew she was just balancing things out so she wouldn’t feel guilty about hiding something. It was their long-time way of joking.

The two teased each other for a while before Yu Shuli returned with the drinks.

He set one cup in front of Tan Shu, and then held out another toward Yan Sui.

Meeting her puzzled look, he scratched his cheek awkwardly. “I heard this is their signature drink, so I went ahead and ordered one for you. Sorry for deciding on my own.”

Yan Sui noticed the tips of his ears had turned red.

It was just a cup of milk tea, yet he seemed to have worked up the courage for it.

“Come on, it’s just milk tea,” Tan Shu chimed in. “Take it, Sui Sui!”

With Tan Shu watching, Yan Sui couldn’t refuse. She accepted it, albeit reluctantly.

After sitting down, Yu Shuli started chatting with Tan Shu about choir matters, while Yan Sui sat quietly beside them.

Suddenly, his eyes shifted slightly, and their gazes collided.

Yan Sui froze, then quickly looked away. To cover it, she lifted the cup and took a small sip.

The familiar taste filled her mouth, spreading across her tongue.

She stopped mid-motion, holding the milk tea in her mouth without swallowing.

That familiar flavor…

Slowly, she lifted her eyes. The moment their gazes met, she noticed the faint trace of expectation in his.

Expectation?

Expectation for her opinion of the drink?

Her heartbeat skipped. The flavor of the milk tea flooded her mind.

Could this really be just a coincidence?

Of all the drinks Yu Shuli could have ordered, he had chosen her longtime favorite.