Chapter 21: Already… Fully Recovered

What a terrifying aura—felt like she was going to swallow me whole.

That girl walked faster and faster.

While I was still spacing out, she was already right in front of me.

“Are you Shen Zhi Nian?”

She pointed at me fiercely.

The intimidation in her high-and-mighty posture choked up my throat.

This feeling was so familiar.

It was like going back to the days in elementary school when I used to be bullied.

The ferocity on this girl’s face was no different from those who picked on me back then.

But… I’m no longer that cowardly kid who only knew how to shrink back.

“Who are you, and what do you want with me?”

Someone I’ve never even met has no right to insult me.

I’m not some stray dog by the roadside that people can just kick whenever they want.

“Let me tell you—Gu Fan is my boyfriend. Stay away from him from now on.”

…Hah? Gu Fan is your boyfriend?

I jumped off the swing, my eyes sharp as I stared directly into hers.

“Do you even know what you’re saying just now?”

I wasn’t even sure what I felt when I said that.

Maybe it was anger, maybe confusion, but what showed on my face was a cold indifference—like that of a mother scolding a child.

My face itself is deceptive by nature.

When I go cold, the aura gets pretty intense.

The moment I cooled down my expression, her presence visibly shrank.

“Ah, uhm… G-Gu Fan is my boyfriend! And you, you shameless cat, secretly clinging onto him—how dare you!”

She turned her head away, eyes glued to the ground, her words stammering.

With lines that melodramatic, she should at least say them with the attitude of a full-on soap opera villain.

Looks like she’s already lost the upper hand.

I sat back down on the swing, lowered my eyelids, and just quietly watched this girl panic by herself.

I couldn’t picture Gu Fan having a girlfriend.

Sure, he could be the type to secretly date someone without telling anyone, but… I always felt like I was the exception—he would’ve told me.

If I had to guess, this unfamiliar girl is probably someone who admires Gu Fan, heard about me being close to him somehow, and got jealous?

Heh. What a pity.

Even if I had zero romantic feelings toward Gu Fan, and only wanted him to be happier out of pure friendship—not being surrounded by a bunch of girls wasting his time…

Yeah, I think them swarming around him is just draining the life out of him.

Although it is kind of weird for someone like me, a cat-girl, to act as Gu Fan’s guardian, there’s no helping it.

His looks and personality are just too lethal for girls our age. Even a total rookie like me nearly fell head over heels.

By the time that girl finally gathered herself, she realized I hadn’t even responded to her. Her teeth clenched in fury.

“Hey! Did you even hear what I said?!”

“Why would I bother listening to the nonsense of a delusional person? What, do you want me to give your fantasy a like or something?”

“……”

Her face instantly turned pale green. Her lips trembled, but no words came out for a long while.

I waited patiently for a bit. Seeing that she was still in a daze, I simply stood up—planning to head over to Gu Fan’s classroom to eat lunch with him.

“Stop right there!”

She suddenly grabbed my arm, her eyes wild—clearly having found a new angle of attack.

“I just remembered, your grades are terrible, aren’t they? Do you even know that Gu Fan is always ranked in the top ten?”

The way she said it actually carried a hint of pride, like Gu Fan was her close relative or something.

How utterly shameless. Even more disgusting than me.

“So? What does that have to do with you?”

“Huh…?”

She was stunned again. I continued, my voice ice-cold:

“Gu Fan’s academic performance is none of your business.”

I forcefully shook off the hand she had on my arm, grabbed her by the collar, and pressed her down onto the swing seat.

“Listen closely—Gu Fan will never fall for someone like you. And if he does, then I clearly misjudged him.”

“N-No… It’s just that Gu Fan and I aren’t very familiar yet—”

She tried to explain, but I gave her a final, merciless blow.

“If grades are what you’re using to decide whether I deserve to be by Gu Fan’s side—fine. One week from now, at the next exam, you’ll see for yourself just what I’m capable of.”

With that, I turned and walked away without looking back.

Grades were the last thing I was worried about now.

After all, I’d just gone through the crucible of the college entrance exam before being sent back here.

All that knowledge was still fresh in my mind.

Anyone who dares insult me—I’ll strike back with everything I have.

And this time, it even involved Gu Fan, which made it even more unforgivable.

From the moment I was sent back to the first year of high school, I’d become a beast driven by pure determination.

I no longer cared how others saw me—so long as Gu Fan didn’t look down on me, that was enough.

Just as I reached the entrance of the biology garden, I bumped into Gu Fan, who was walking over with his schoolbag.

“Gu Fan.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Nothing… just a bit tired.”

To be honest, speaking to someone so forcefully like I did just now—this was the first time in both of my lifetimes combined.

While the adrenaline was still there, it didn’t feel real.

But the moment I dealt with that girl and let my guard down, a chill crept over me in waves.

It felt like something inside had cracked open, letting cold air seep in from every direction.

“Sorry… I don’t have much of an appetite. Maybe next time.”

I pressed my palm to the tight knot in my chest and walked past Gu Fan. So tired. I just wanted to go home and rest.

I felt guilty about not eating the bento Auntie Gu made for me.

I’d also wasted Gu Fan’s effort coming all the way here.

In a way, what I said about myself wasn’t wrong—maybe I was a hopeless mess.

The whirlpool of self-destruction was pulling me deeper and deeper.

And just as the one hand I’d reached out for help began to fall—suddenly, warmth wrapped around it.

“Wait, Zhi Nian.”

Gu Fan grabbed my wrist, quickly stepping forward to block my path.

He bent down slightly, his amber eyes meeting mine straight on—and just like that, it felt as if I’d been pulled from a stormy sea into a quiet garden.

“I don’t know what happened to you,” he said, “but remember what I told you—whenever you need me, I’ll be there for you, as best I can.”

His gaze was calm and resolute, grounding my frayed nerves almost instantly.

I bit my lip and looked down at the ground.

That girl didn’t matter. Telling Gu Fan about her would only cause him trouble.

But she had given me something—an opportunity to openly ask Gu Fan for comfort.

I fidgeted nervously with my fingers. My already pale skin looked almost ghostly.

So embarrassing…

The last time I asked him for something, I’d been tipsy and misread the situation.

That was pure accident.

Without that buffer now, it was so hard to take that brave step.

But Gu Fan waited patiently. He stood tall, watching me, a faint, gentle smile always lingering at his lips.

“Um… so…”

I forced myself to look up—and ran straight into his gaze, warm and gentle like polished jade.

“I… want a hug.”

Aaaaah! That sounded so childish. Wanting a hug at my age…?

Shameless!

Absolutely shameless!

I probably seem even more disgusting than that girl from earlier!

My cheeks were burning hot, but once the arrow is released from the bow, there’s no taking it back.

Since I’d already said it, I wasn’t planning to back down.

I opened my arms and tilted my face upward, looking at Gu Fan, who was much taller than me.

“Hmm, of course you can.”

He spoke softly, then stepped forward—straight into my waiting embrace.

“Mmm—”

Our bodies pressed together warmly.

I could feel the strong beat of Gu Fan’s heart, the heat of his blood radiating through his skin, and the firm arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

Mmm… yep… fully healed.