Volume 3 Chapter 82: Long Time No See
“Maybe it’s because I think Lin Lin is very interesting, haha~”
Gao Liang hesitated for a moment, then chose a safe answer. Lin Lin felt a little disappointed for a second, but she didn’t say anything. She just nodded, and the two of them kept walking.
On the small road at night, the wind howled past their ears. Lin Lin looked up. The dark clouds slowly moved away, and the moonlight gently covered the ground.
Ah… this really matches the mood right now.
It makes her feel embarrassed if she doesn’t say certain things.
What’s wrong with her tonight…
But this atmosphere really is suitable for saying something.
For example… “The moon is beautiful isn't it?”
But does she…
Really need to say that?
She didn’t know what was happening to her tonight. Maybe her hormones were acting up? Or maybe it was because she had finally finished something that had been on her mind for a long time. After finishing it, she felt relieved, so she became emotional?
Lin Lin sighed, then suddenly began to slowly tell the person beside her about her past.
“Gao Liang, let me tell you something. Actually… I really didn’t like you before.”
“Hm? Why?”
Gao Liang scratched his head. Before… did she mean when school first started and they were assigned to sit together?
But that was only for a few days.
“Well, it’s normal not to like someone when you first meet, right? Haha. People usually feel uncomfortable around strangers. At the beginning, I also felt… that Lin Lin was a little strange.”
Gao Liang said this shyly, but Lin Lin shook her head. Her dislike was not just because of that!
“I… you might not know me, but I knew you a long time ago. I knew who you were. I had heard about you. But actually, maybe I only heard some rumors. In my eyes, you were a rich young master, kind of handsome, but with bad personality. You acted cool and distant on purpose, yet you were very popular with girls.”
“I see…”
Gao Liang nodded awkwardly and smiled a little. Well… this was the usual stereotype people had about him since he was young. He was already used to it.
But usually, this kind of opinion came from boys who didn’t like hanging out with him.
He didn’t expect that Lin Lin used to think the same way.
“At first I didn’t care much. But later… the friends who always played with me all went to chase after you. I was depressed for a long time! Hmph. And you didn’t even pay much attention to them. Anyway, it looked like you were keeping many girls around at the same time. You big flirt!”
Lin Lin crossed her arms and suddenly looked annoyed. Gao Liang wiped his sweat quietly and said,
“Huh? Did that really happen? Haha… I didn’t even know I was ‘keeping’ other girls around.”
“Yes, yes, it’s all because you’re too handsome. Those girls came to you by themselves, okay? Hmph… anyway, my—no, I mean, those friends of mine were all taken away by you!”
Lin Lin looked at Gao Liang with resentment.
“And because of that, I always saw you as my biggest rival. My enemy for life. Hmph… I never thought that today we would fight side by side. How should I say it? It feels kind of unreal.”
“Uh…”
After hearing her story, Gao Liang suddenly felt confused.
“So why would your close friends coming to… look for me or something affect your friendship with them? Is it not normal for friends to like someone? Or could it be… you… you also…?”
“I did not!”
Lin Lin quickly stopped him from joking further and made an X sign with her hands. What was he thinking!
That was definitely not the case. You’re making it sound like a ‘yuri’ thing!
But Gao Liang was still confused. Why then? What kind of logic was that?
Could Lin Lin be the jealous type who gets overly attached?
Pfft.
“Forget it, forget it. Anyway, the two of us are really good friends now, right?”
Gao Liang smiled as he said that. Lin Lin hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she nodded and admitted it.
“Then you can go find those old friends you stopped talking to! Show them how close we are now. Ahem—if they still like my type, of course. And if you want to brag a little, I allow it~ Let them be jealous~”
Gao Liang laughed happily. Lin Lin’s face immediately turned red.
“H-How is that possible! I-I-I… I used to be…”
I used to be a boy.
Ahhh!
Ugh!
I’m not talking to him anymore.
Lin Lin turned her head away and kept walking. Gao Liang found it a little funny, but suddenly he had a strange feeling.
The story Lin Lin just told… had he heard something like that before?
It sounded familiar, but some details were different. Wait… where did the original version come from?
He tried hard to remember, but he just could not recall clearly. He only had a vague memory of hearing a similar story before…
Was this… the Mandela effect?
Lin Lin started walking faster and faster. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. Ugh, how did she end up becoming the girl standing next to her rival? This was just… too embarrassing.
Gao Liang quickly followed her. The two of them almost started speed-walking like it was a competition. After a while, Lin Lin seemed a little tired. She puffed her cheeks and stopped.
Without noticing, they had already arrived at the entrance of her neighborhood.
“Hey, Gao Liang. Before we part… I still need to say thank you. I don’t really know what else to do. Is just saying ‘thank you’… enough?”
“Well, if you really want to thank me… can I get a hug?”
“H-Hug?”
Steam almost seemed to rise from Lin Lin’s head. But when she saw the sincere look in Gao Liang’s eyes, she did not know what to do.
Gao Liang was also a little nervous. Was this request too much?
In the end, after hesitating for a few minutes, the girl slowly opened her arms.
“Just… a light hug.”
“Okay!”
Gao Liang reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. Lin Lin closed her eyes. Her heart was beating very fast. After a while, Gao Liang finally let go.
So satisfied… I don’t want this to end.
The girl opened her eyes. She wanted to say something to him. But the moment her vision became clear, her heart suddenly tightened.
In front of her, besides Gao Liang, there was suddenly another girl.
It should be… a girl, right?
She was wearing a gray hoodie and denim shorts. Her long silver hair was straight and smooth, almost like it came out of an anime. She wore sunglasses, making it hard to read her expression as she looked at Gao Liang.
She seemed to have seen him hugging Lin Lin, but she was still smiling.
After a moment, she took off her sunglasses, gave Gao Liang a wink, and said with a smile,
“A-Liang, it really is you. We… haven’t seen each other for a long time, have we?”
When Gao Liang saw her, he clearly looked surprised and a little nervous. After a short pause, he nodded and greeted her quietly.
“You’re back? Finally free?”
“Mm-hmm, yes. I came back for a vacation. Wow, A-Liang~ you’ve really grown up.”
The silver-haired girl smiled and glanced at Lin Lin beside him. Gao Liang quickly stepped slightly in front of Lin Lin and said to the girl,
“Sorry, I need to take her home. If there’s something to talk about, we can talk later.”
“Oh? You borrowed my people, and now you don’t even want to chat with me for a bit?”
The girl smiled in a teasing way. Gao Liang hesitated for a moment after hearing that.
This…
After a short pause, he turned around and looked at Lin Lin with a troubled expression. He sighed and said,
“Lin Lin, I have something to deal with. Go home early and get some rest. Good night.”
“G-Good night.”
Lin Lin felt a little sad as she looked at him. But in the end, she turned away and walked toward home alone.
….……………………….
End of Volume 3