I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 29

The girl moved her feet slowly, finally inching into her embrace with a stiff awkwardness, and Xu Liming closed her arms around her.

In the oversized T-shirt, there wasn’t much body to fill the space; she felt soft and light in her arms. The fresh scent of skin drifted from her collar with the air, wafting over Xu Liming.

She was so thin. Though Xu Liming could feel the traces of a developing young woman, she was still very lean—the skin and flesh on her back felt soft and thin. Xu Liming reached out and felt it, feeling a wave of sympathy in her heart.

Meanwhile, Lu Baitian’s mind had already gone completely blank. She didn’t even dare to lift her hands. Just having her chin resting on Xu Liming’s shoulder made her feel waves of dizziness. Her forehead felt the warmth of the other’s breath; as if under a spell, she felt like she was about to melt.

Not to mention Xu Liming’s hand was stroking her back. Lu Baitian hurriedly backed away to break free. She was afraid that if the hug lasted any longer, she would truly turn soft in her arms.

With so many people around, Lu Baitian hid her blood-red face and lowered her head into the shadows.

As the girl nimbly slipped away, Xu Liming let her empty hands fall, feeling a strange sense of disappointment.

That soft, fluffy feeling was actually quite comfortable to hold…

Groups that had finished their performance could choose to watch others or leave early. The relaxed crew members unanimously expressed a desire to go out and wander around. Since Xu Liming didn’t want to put too much pressure on everyone, she agreed.

“Go ahead and have fun, everyone. Stay safe, and meet back in the ancient town at 6:00 PM sharp. Dinner’s on me,” Xu Liming said to them with a smile.

Actually, her mentor Yang Bo had sent her a message saying that as the teacher-in-charge, he should treat everyone to a gathering, but Xu Liming politely declined.

Firstly, this mentor hadn’t managed them at all; secondly, a gathering meant sitting at the same table as Lin Wan. She wasn’t willing; it felt gross to her.

Watching her crew members cheer and run off—even Qin Zhaohe had put on a mask to go shopping—Xu Liming turned back with crinkled eyes to meet a pair of black-and-white eyes.

Xu Liming paused, then extended an invitation: “Want to go for a stroll together, Lu Baitian?”

The air in Nanxun was gentle. The emerald river water seemed still; it was only when tour boats swayed down the channel that one could see it was moving. The white walls and black tiles along the street were stained with the marks of time. Occasionally, large calligraphy characters could be seen on the walls, where a modern atmosphere emerged from the long passage of years.

Walking past tea houses, one could hear the yi-yi-ya-ya of local opera drifting out.

Xu Liming noticed that Lu Baitian liked to dodge people while walking. Whenever someone came toward her from the opposite direction, she would surreptitiously move away, nearly walking into the river several times.

Seeing her cautious manner, Xu Liming felt a faint sense of pity. She took a step to the left, pulling Lu Baitian to the side further from the riverbank.

“Why did you hide your identity as the screenwriter?” Xu Liming finally couldn’t help asking. “I’m not blaming you, I’m just a bit curious.”

“I’m very grateful that you were willing to let me use the script when no one else believed in me,” Xu Liming said.

Lu Baitian hid her hands behind her back. “Are you really not angry?”

“Of course not.” Xu Liming looked at her in surprise. “You helped me; why would I be angry?”

Lu Baitian relaxed her tightly pursed lips. It was good that Xu Liming wasn’t angry; she was truly afraid of upsetting her.

“Because… I knew you didn’t like me very much,” Lu Baitian answered in a low voice. “So I was afraid that if you knew I wrote the script, you wouldn’t want to use it anymore.”

This was indeed a small concern of hers. But the main reason was that, to her, liking someone was always a lonely, silent thing. She only had that bit of humble affection; sometimes, exposure felt like a desecration.

She didn’t want the person she liked to hate her. She just wanted to watch the sun from afar.

Xu Liming’s mind turned for a few rounds before she realized that in Lu Baitian’s perspective—at least at the start of this semester—she was still devoted to Lin Wan. Recalling her past self, she indeed didn’t have a great impression of her because of Lin Wan’s rejection of Lu Baitian.

Lu Baitian didn’t know that the “her” of now had already lived through a disastrous future. Consequently, Xu Liming felt an overwhelming sense of apology toward the Lu Baitian she had ignored or even disliked.

How could I have thought such a good girl was stiff and boring just because of Lin Wan? Xu Liming couldn’t stop looking to her right.

Under the sun, her skin looked like orange-flavored milk—smooth, white, and tender. The even paler parts were hidden by her T-shirt, only briefly revealed when she raised her hand.

If those clunky black-rimmed glasses were removed, one could see those moist, beautiful eyes—clearer than the river beside them. The glimmers in her eyes were like white carp at the bottom of the river, flickering away with a flick of a tail.

However, her mouth was a bit dry; if she applied some lip balm to make it look dewy, it would be even better…

Shit, what are you thinking about regarding Lu Baitian? Pervert! Realizing her thoughts, Xu Liming scolded herself in her mind, then pretended to be calm and looked away. She forced herself to listen to the opera singing from the alley to restore her sense of righteousness.

The two followed the crowd over an arched bridge. Standing at the top, they could overlook the winding river, the water surrounded by the shade of trees on both banks, mixing into a vibrant, dripping green.

Xu Liming remembered something else and suddenly turned to ask: “Baitian, did you start writing back in high school?”

Lu Baitian gripped the railing with both hands as she looked down and nodded. Back then, no one played with her, so she could only tell her thoughts to her notebook. Eventually, they became stories.

“Impressive,” Xu Liming remarked. “So… how many pen names do you have?”

Lu Baitian’s hand slipped on the railing. She lowered her head against the bar, not letting Xu Liming see her momentary panic.

After a while, she spoke softly: “Just one, called ‘Xiao Bai’.”

Xu Liming made an “oh” sound and confirmed: “Then why did you say your pen name was ‘Dunhao’ (Comma)?”

“Because I couldn’t think of one at the time, so I just used my WeChat name,” Lu Baitian answered.

Alright, Xu Liming completely dropped the idea. It seemed that Weibo account wasn’t Lu Baitian’s. Coincidences like that didn’t exist in the world after all. Xu Liming felt a bit disappointed.

A disappointed Xu Liming didn’t see Lu Baitian’s brief moment of distraction.

“You’re thirsty, aren’t you? Want some water?” Xu Liming stopped as they passed a milk tea shop. Without waiting for Lu Baitian’s answer, she scanned the code and bought a fruit tea.

Then she confirmed: “Do you drink fruit tea?”

Before Lu Baitian could speak, she muttered that she probably did and hit the payment button.

Five minutes later, Lu Baitian was holding a cup of fruit tea the size of a bucket in both hands, taking small sips as she walked through the crowd with some embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was the extra-large bucket,” Xu Liming rubbed her face. “If you can’t finish it, just throw it away.”

Lu Baitian nodded, but she didn’t throw away that massive cup the entire way.

The three-day midterm check soon ended. Xu Liming returned to Huachuan on the bus with everyone else, back to the daily grind of coursework.

However, on the return bus, there was an extra person sitting alone in the back row: a quiet Lu Baitian.

As the director, Xu Liming sat in the front. Occasionally, she would look back on the bumpy bus; Lu Baitian was looking out the window the whole time, not getting motion sick and not sleeping like the others.

During the first week back, the university posted the midterm results on Cherry Blossom Avenue. With a full score of 100, the names of all participants from Huachuan were printed on the poster.

Xu Liming also applied to the school to have Lu Baitian’s name added to her group.

When the results were announced, there was a sea of people. Xu Liming was squeezed to the front by the students. When she looked up, she saw her name right at the very top, tied with Lin Wan’s.

The scores were identical. Xu Liming was surprised but also not surprised; after all, it wasn’t the final judging yet. She hadn’t shown her full strength, and Lin Wan likely hadn’t either.

At the very least, she had successfully advanced to the final Drama Festival. Only four groups from the entire university passed the check; all other crews were eliminated.

Constant murmurs came from around her. Most were marveling that Lin Wan and Xia Qie indeed got such a high score, followed by shock.

“Wait, am I seeing this right?” someone whispered. “Xu Liming and Lin Wan have the same score?”

“Who’s Xu Liming?” another girl asked.

“From our college, heard she’s a rich kid,” the person answered. “Anyway, her grades and reputation aren’t great.”

“Rich kid?” The girl sighed. “That makes sense then. This kind of competition is just a game for wealthy people.”

“You can’t say that. I heard the head judge this year is Teacher Su Lihua. With her strict personality, she wouldn’t go easy on anyone, right?”

Xu Liming heard all their words but didn’t let them affect her mood. She crossed her arms and looked up at her name along with the others.

Prejudice is the hardest thing to break, but also the easiest.

Let’s wait and see.

Today was Friday. Xu Liming gave her actors a day off to let them rest early. For some reason, many people had come down with the flu lately; half of the dozen people in the crew were sick.

Several people in her class were also on leave, including Lin Wan and several class committee members, as well as Xu Liming’s two roommates. So the whole day Friday, classes were a bit chaotic.

After class, Xu Liming received a message from Tao Ning saying both she and Sun Muya were infected and warning her not to come back to the dorm tonight.

With no dorm to return to, Xu Liming wandered around campus before finally deciding to find Lu Baitian. Aside from Tao Ning and Sun Muya, Lu Baitian was her only other friend at school. Plus, she could talk to her about the dorm swap.

The midterm scores were important, so Xu Liming wasn’t the only one concerned with the rankings.

In a vast study, a girl was dazing in front of a piano. She was wearing silk loungewear, her hair tied in a smooth bun atop her head. Beyond the piano was a giant floor-to-ceiling window; outside was a lush green, where several snowy-white dogs ran past, pulling their owners.

The girl watched them, a hint of envy in her eyes. The study door suddenly opened, and she immediately retracted her gaze, pretending to look at the sheet music.

“Come, Wanwan, take your medicine.” Lin Hengyi entered with a cup, set it down, and glanced at Lin Wan.

He mentioned, seemingly casually: “I heard from a few colleagues that the midterm results are out.”

Lin Wan unconsciously picked at the piano keys and gave a small “mm.”

“You performed well; it’s the score I expected. Only…” Lin Hengyi pushed up his glasses and smiled. “That Xu Liming seems… also quite good.”

He surreptitiously observed Lin Wan’s reaction and continued: “My colleague who was a judge there said that Lu Baitian…”

Lin Wan’s back instantly tensed, her face turning pale.

“…wrote the script for Xu Liming. I’ve seen the content; she’s very talented.”

“Dad, what are you trying to say?” Lin Wan stood up abruptly, turning to face Lin Hengyi. Her beautiful eyes were full of anger. “Her script was just a gimmick, what’s so good about it?”

Seeing her anger, Lin Hengyi immediately offered an apologetic smile. “I just mentioned it in passing, just caring about you. After all, the Drama Festival hosted by Huachuan carries some influence in the industry.”

“You heard she gained some fame and want to go back to find her?” Lin Wan clenched her fists and knocked over the herbal medicine in the cup.

“Wanwan, your mother and I are already divorced…”

“She is the filthy illegitimate child born of that filthy woman. If you dare bring her back to the home of me and my mother, I will never forgive you!”

Lin Wan threw the sheet music violently onto the piano. The loud crash of the keys filled the room as she strode out the door.

Lin Hengyi covered one ear and let out a long sigh, his eyes behind his glasses showing no emotion.

Xu Liming arrived at the cafeteria in high spirits. There weren’t many people at this time, and Lu Baitian wasn’t there yet, so she just found a corner to sit and wait.

Then she suddenly realized—she had Lu Baitian’s WeChat!

She pulled out her phone and typed rapidly, sending a message to “Dunhao”: “Waiting at the cafeteria, come quick.”

She closed the chat and her bored finger drifted to Weibo—that familiar avatar. Since deleting the update that day, this Weibo hadn’t updated again. On the empty homepage, there was still only that sentence: 「I miss her so much.」

After learning that the two “Dunhaos” weren’t the same person, Xu Liming had intended to stop looking at this Weibo. But for some reason, she still opened it occasionally. She wondered how this talented girl, being consumed by life’s hardships, was doing now.

I just hope that two years later, someone can give her a hug, Xu Liming thought.

A stout woman pushed open the kitchen door. Wearing greasy oversleeves and a greasy hat, she held a spatula and spoke loudly to Xu Liming.

“Dearie, it’s too early for this window, there’s no food yet. Why don’t you check the Second Cafeteria?”

Xu Liming put down her phone, looked at her, and replied: “I’m not here to eat, I’m waiting for a friend. You go ahead with your work, Auntie.”

“Waiting for which one?” Auntie Fang set down her spatula and asked.

“She works part-time here,” Xu Liming answered. “Her name is Lu Baitian. Do you know her?”

“Xiao Lu…” Auntie Fang’s expression was replaced by a meaningful smile as she sized her up. “You look quite upper-class, kid. Who are you?”