Wife, I’ve Been Reborn (GL) - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Return of the Books and a Persistent Admirer

The next day, Mu Nan still brought her textbooks to class. Chen Jiao saw the tall stack on her desk and casually opened one. “A change of heart?” Mu Nan snatched the book back from her hand. “Change of heart my foot! Can’t I just suddenly want to study hard?” Chen Jiao burst out laughing. “You suddenly want to study hard?” “Or maybe you just lost your mind.” Mu Nan kicked Chen Jiao’s butt. “Get lost!” Chen Jiao stumbled from the kick, and someone reached out to steady her. Zhao Shi looked down at Chen Jiao. “Are you okay?” Chen Jiao saw his fingers holding her arm—clean, fair, and with distinct knuckles. Her face flushed slightly. “N-no… I’m fine.” Zhao Shi’s eyes curved in a smile. “Good to hear.”

Xu Liangchen walked into the classroom, also carrying some books, all ones she had rummaged through at home yesterday, picking out the useful ones. She stood in front of Mu Nan’s desk, saw the stack piled high, and placed her three books on top as well. Mu Nan’s eyes widened, staring at her. “Hey!” Xu Liangchen’s face was straight, her phoenix eyes sweeping over Mu Nan’s face. “What’s wrong?” Mu Nan quickly made room. “You came, and you even brought gifts? How polite!” Her tone was very flattering. Xu Liangchen lowered her head and walked past her without a word, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Mu Nan’s grades were actually decent, not too bad. The key was that after her second year of high school, her mind wandered, and her focus in class was often on things outside of school, so her grades naturally didn’t improve. When the teachers asked her questions in class, she always knew nothing, so after a while, they stopped bothering her. She wasn’t dumb, she just didn’t put her mind to studying.

Xu Liangchen designed a personalized tutoring plan for her. It wasn’t difficult, and it came quite easily to her. The difficult part was getting Mu Nan to cooperate. Sure enough, during lunch break, she dragged Mu Nan to tutor her. Mu Nan looked reluctant and unhappy, as if she wanted to devour those textbooks. Xu Liangchen found it a bit amusing. “You have to solve three pages before class.”

“Three… three pages?” Mu Nan flipped through the test paper repeatedly, looking at Xu Liangchen in disbelief. “Are you sure, three pages?” Forget three pages, she couldn’t even solve one page. Xu Liangchen’s phoenix eyes swept over her, her tone a little amused. “These are first-year high school topics.” “If you can’t even solve three pages, there’s no need for the college entrance exam.” Mu Nan then seriously looked at the questions. They really weren’t difficult. She was about to bargain with Xu Liangchen, but Xu Liangchen’s gaze forced her to lower her head. Hmph, it’s just doing problems. Why be so fierce! Mu Nan angrily drew an “X” on a true/false question!

…

A Midday Nap and a Friend’s Worries

In less than an hour, she had already gone on a date with the Duke of Zhou (fallen asleep). Xu Liangchen looked at the half-finished paper, her lips twitching, unable to bring herself to disturb Mu Nan’s peaceful sleep. Mu Nan looked very well-behaved when she was asleep, her head resting on her side facing Xu Liangchen, her eyes tightly closed. Her eyelashes weren’t long but thick. Xu Liangchen’s finger unconsciously reached out to touch them. The eyelashes trembled slightly. A tingling sensation under her hand. Xu Liangchen quickly withdrew her finger, placing it under the desk, a long strand of hair wrapped around it.

Mu Nan woke up just as class was about to start. She was dazed for a moment, then looked at her test paper, cautiously glancing at her deskmate. “Xu Liangchen…” Xu Liangchen looked up at the clock on the front of the classroom. “You have fifteen minutes left.” Mu Nan quickly lowered her head and seriously started working on the problems, still muttering, “Pervert!”

By afternoon class, she still hadn’t finished. Xu Liangchen helplessly took out her schedule and made some adjustments. She decided to add a lunch break for her. Half an hour. Or maybe an hour, she looks quite tired. Mu Nan, who was engrossed in solving problems, had no idea what was happening.

After the two afternoon classes, Xu Liangchen went to the homeroom teacher’s office and requested half a day off. Her reason for absence was moving. It was indeed a good reason. The teacher readily granted her request. Mu Nan occupied two desks alone. She felt a strange emptiness inside. Before, when she didn’t have a deskmate, she thought it was great, having plenty of space to sit wherever she wanted. Now, after only a few days of having Xu Liangchen as a deskmate, she had gotten used to it. Xu Liangchen suddenly taking time off… it was really unusual.

Not happy! Not-happy Mu Nan slumped on her desk, looking at the test papers, turning over the problems she had gotten wrong, not to see where she went wrong. But to look at that person’s handwriting. Sometimes curved, sometimes straight, a blend of strength and softness. Just like her, she never got tired of looking at it.

…

The Evening’s Events and a Revelation

During evening self-study, Zhao Shi, seeing that Xu Liangchen was conveniently absent, sidled up to Mu Nan. “Do you mind if I sit here?” Mu Nan rolled her eyes. “Very much so!” Zhao Shi looked very wronged. “Why? Why do you dislike me so much? Can’t I change?” Mu Nan also felt helpless. “Then what do you like about me so much that I can’t change it?” Zhao Shi immediately beamed. “I just like that you’re a girl!” Mu Nan: “…” She inwardly complained a hundred times, He’s sick, sick, sick!

Chen Jiao, seeing Zhao Shi approach Mu Nan, unconsciously moved closer as well, just in time to hear Zhao Shi say “like” two words. She was about to retreat when Mu Nan grabbed her arm. “Here! Jiaojiao is also a girl! You like her, right?” Chen Jiao’s face flushed crimson. She punched Mu Nan’s shoulder. “What nonsense are you talking about!” With that, she ran off. Mu Nan rubbed her nose. Was Chen Jiao on some bad medicine?

Zhao Shi was still persistent, but just as he was about to speak again, he heard the evening self-study bell ring. He unhappily returned to his seat. Mu Nan truly wanted to sigh to the heavens; she had never found the class bell so melodious. It was simply divine music! Xiao Xin poked her waist with a pen from behind. Mu Nan turned to look. “Hey, why did Xu Liangchen take time off?” Mu Nan shook her head. She hadn’t actually asked the reason for the leave. Xiao Xin continued, “Could it be that she was poached by another school? I heard the principal of No. 1 High School approached her.” Mu Nan frowned. Xu Liangchen going back to No. 1 High School? That was not very pleasant news.

…

A Familiar Scent and an Unfamiliar Truth

After Xu Liangchen had put everything away, she told Ye Jin, “I’m going to school for a bit.” Ye Jin put down the rag in her hand and followed, a little worried. “Why are you going to school so late?” Xu Liangchen saw the gray hairs at her temples and the remaining bruises on her face, and her mother’s worried expression. She replied, “I’m going to get some materials.” Only then did Ye Jin feel relieved enough to let her go. This afternoon, she was still at work when Chenchen suddenly returned, talking about moving, and said she had already found a place, and the price was settled, just waiting for them to move in. For the first time, she felt that Chenchen had grown up. They didn’t have many belongings. Because of Xu An, they were constantly hiding, so they kept their possessions minimal. After tidying up, they only had two bags and some daily necessities. They arrived at the new house in the early evening. She paid the rent and looked at Chenchen, feeling that Chenchen was very happy.

Xu Liangchen was indeed very happy. This was the only thing that had gone smoothly since her rebirth, apart from transferring schools. When she arrived at school, evening self-study hadn’t ended yet. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes she had bought from the convenience store. It wasn’t her usual brand. Her familiar brand was now too expensive for her to afford.

The cigarette was just lit. She took a drag, and it was a bit harsh, making her cough a few times. A pair of shoes appeared before her eyes. They were Mu Nan’s favorite white ones. She suddenly looked up and, sure enough, saw Mu Nan’s stunned face. She hid the cigarette behind her back, a strained smile on her face. “What a coincidence.” Mu Nan frowned, her pale face slowly returning to normal. She leaned in and sniffed. “Smoker!” Xu Liangchen lowered her head, threw away the cigarette in her hand, and stepped on it a few times. When she looked up again, she was calm and collected. “Why are you out here?” Mu Nan, carrying her backpack, didn’t answer but asked instead, “What about you? Why are you here?” Xu Liangchen took two steps forward. “I wanted to go back to school to get something.” Mu Nan became curious. “Get what?” Xu Liangchen put her hand behind her back. “Nothing, unimportant. Let’s go.” Mu Nan shrugged and strode after her.

…

A Confession Under the Night Sky

Actually, as soon as she left, she saw someone standing there, a slender figure, very much like someone she knew. But there was a hint of crimson between her fingers, and she wasn’t quite sure. In her impression, Xu Liangchen wouldn’t touch those things. But when she took two steps closer and heard the coughing, she confirmed it. This person was Xu Liangchen. She saw Xu Liangchen’s forced smile and suddenly felt that she didn’t really know her at all. She didn’t know her family, her friends, or… her as a person.

Xu Liangchen hadn’t heard any sound behind her and was a little puzzled. Usually, the chatterbox Mu Nan was silent today. Or was she scared by herself? She turned back and looked at Mu Nan’s bowed head, asking softly, “Why aren’t you talking?” Mu Nan hummed, as if having made up her mind to ask, “Xu Liangchen, are you transferring back to No. 1 High School?” Xu Liangchen saw that she didn’t mention what had just happened, and her heart settled. She continued walking forward. “Who told you that?” Mu Nan pouted. “Xiao Xin said so.”

“Spending all day listening to gossip, can your grades still improve?” “Of course they can! I have a top student right next to me! You definitely wouldn’t just stand by and watch me fail!” “What if I did stand by and watch you fail?” Mu Nan lifted her head. “Then I’d torment you every day! Make it so you can’t study either, and turn into a bad student just like me!”

Xu Liangchen’s heart stirred slightly at this, and she unconsciously repeated, “Torment me every day?” Mu Nan nodded. “Yes! Torment you every day!” Xu Liangchen suddenly burst into laughter, turning to look at her, her phoenix eyes filled with the reflection of one person, like a bright moon.

Torment every day. Mu Nan. That’s the most beautiful love confession I’ve ever heard.