I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 3

I’m definitely sick, Xu Liming thought. Holding the heavy gift and the blooming flowers, she stood in the middle of the hallway like a clown, facing the harsh words of the person she once adored.

Who but a sick person would be a “dog”? Don’t you agree?

In her past life, Xu Liming had faced many irreversible situations, but none seemed to make her break into a cold sweat quite like this. She could only force a calm expression as she looked at Lin Wan, while out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another inconspicuous figure.

That figure was still sitting with her head down. She had put down her pen and was flipping through a book, page by page—so fast that the page numbers were a blur.

While the light overhead enveloped Lin Wan, half of it also brushed against her, yet it was squeezed into insignificance by Lin Wan’s radiance.

So, Xu Liming walked toward that light. She held the flowers and the gift in her left arm, her free hand tucked lazily into her pocket.

Her personality had never been likable, but no one could deny that face: black hair parted diagonally over her shoulders, a nose and lips like mountains and rivers. When she looked down at people, her lush eyelashes would veil a section of her eyes.

“Xu Liming, don’t think you’re so great just because you have some stinking money. Wanwan doesn’t like women. If you harass her again, believe it or not, I’ll tell the counselor!”

Someone jumped out from the crowd, grabbing Lin Wan’s hand to stand in front of her, glaring at Xu Liming.

Xu Liming actually remembered this person; it was Lin Wan’s friend, surnamed Tang.

Xu Liming stepped in front of them. She was tall and wearing leather shoes, so the two had to look up at her. Lin Wan’s palms were sweaty, her proud neck lowered; she was likely calculating how to reject her.

Lin Wan quickly calmed down and spoke indifferently: “Xu Liming, I…”

However, Xu Liming didn’t give her a chance to finish. Her gaze didn’t even linger on Lin Wan. Instead, she walked straight to the corner of the light.

She tapped the corner of the desk twice and set the gift down.

The moment Xu Liming passed her, Lin Wan’s face flushed deep red. She turned her head in disbelief as whispers erupted around them.

Lin Wan wasn’t the only one surprised. After all, Xu Liming’s love for Lin Wan was a known fact to everyone, and it was an undisputed truth that the person deserving of such meticulous treatment should be Lin Wan, not Lu Baitian.

The girl sitting and flipping through her book suddenly jolted. The pages were crumpled under her grip. Xu Liming pressed her index finger against a corner of the gift box, pushing it before her eyes.

She finally saw the girl’s features. Black-rimmed glasses obscured her brows and eyes, pressing two narrow red marks into the bridge of her nose. Beads of sweat clung to the tip of her nose, and her lips were an unnatural shade of red.

The pilling sweater and old-fashioned hairstyle made her look extremely ordinary—the kind of ordinary you’d forget the moment she disappeared into a crowd. But Xu Liming couldn’t help looking at the section of white neck half-hidden above her collar.

Like fine putty, like jade.

The girl didn’t look up, but her breathing grew visibly ragged, as if she were profoundly shocked.

Xu Liming released her finger. The girl paused, finally letting go of the mangled book pages, and placed her hand on the gift box. Xu Liming noticed the redness, swelling, and cracks on her fingertips.

Such a pair of hands was out of place amidst the glamour of their surroundings. The girl was clearly aware of this herself; she quickly pulled her hand back into her sleeve, though the sleeve still covered the gift.

“Happy Birthday,” Xu Liming said softly. She then placed the bouquet by the seat and, under everyone’s gaze, turned and walked out of the auditorium.

She wasn’t sure if she heard a faint “thank you.”

Having resolved the gift issue, Xu Liming felt as if she had survived a great ordeal. Her steps were light. Although there were countless ways to handle the situation, this way was undoubtedly the most satisfying.

The name was actually engraved on that gift, which was why she had kept her finger over it. She had even prepared herself to be exposed on the spot.

But she hadn’t expected that Lu Baitian would not only accept it all, but would also use her hand to cover it for her when she took the gift.

She’s a decent person, Xu Liming thought.

Getting her water card and other errands took some time. By the time she reached the dormitory, someone was already inside. Huachuan’s dorms were built long ago; the peeling paint on the wooden doors showed the mottled years. The door didn’t seal tightly, and intermittent voices drifted out.

“She’s really moving in with us?” Tao Ning grumbled irritably.

“Look, the luggage is right by the bed. It’s definitely real,” Sun Muya said.

“It’s over. No more peace for us. In class, she wouldn’t even look at us directly, and now she suddenly wants to move in? Who wants to serve a young miss?”

The key clicked into the lock and turned. As the door pushed open, Tao Ning instantly fell silent, freezing in place while clutching her quilt. Xu Liming entered, carrying a basin of toiletries, using her back to hold the door. She casually set her things on the table.

With the loft-bed-over-desk configuration, the space was actually quite large.

Having been caught badmouthing someone twice now, Tao Ning’s face turned the color of pig liver. Xu Liming, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen their embarrassment. She pointed amiably to the bed by the window: “Is anyone here?”

“No…” Sun Muya started to say, then remembered something and shook her head helplessly. “Oh wait, yes. She seems to be on a leave of absence this semester.”

Xu Liming gave an “oh” and said nothing more, turning to move her already placed luggage to the bed by the door.

Thinking Xu Liming would argue about it, the two were relieved when she moved her bags so placidly.

The room fell into an eerie silence again. Through the window, one could see flower fields tinged with new green. The wind swept through the budding spring air as the cold sunset light crept through the cracks in the window.

With her hair tucked under a baseball cap, Xu Liming lowered her head to organize her things. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing her straight forearms and the old wooden bracelet hanging on one.

She took things out of her suitcase one by one and arranged them on the table. They soon piled into a small mountain. Tao Ning and Sun Muya watched, dazed; even a pen holder was a custom-made piece that might cost months of living expenses.

Seeing them staring, Xu Liming grabbed a box of cosmetics and put it on their table: “You like these? You can use them.”

Their eyes widened. They were so shocked they forgot to say thank you.

So this is a rich person?

After a long while, seeing that Xu Liming was nearly done, Sun Muya summoned the courage to start a conversation.

“Liming, are you and Lu Baitian close?” she asked.

Xu Liming put away the suitcase, wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue, and looked back at Sun Muya with eyes hidden in the shadow of her cap. She replied: “Not close.”

“Then how did you know today is Lu Baitian’s birthday?” Sun Muya asked in surprise.

“She’s a class officer. At the start of the term, the teacher had her compile everyone’s birthdays,” Tao Ning explained from the side. “We thought you and Lu Baitian were close, so we were a bit surprised.”

“After all, Lu Baitian is quite… old-fashioned…” Tao Ning caught herself after Sun Muya gave her a nudge, so she awkwardly changed her phrasing: “…a loner.”

Xu Liming’s hand paused while wiping her sweat. She tossed the tissue into the trash without answering, but a flicker of guilt surged in her heart.

So that girl and Lin Wan shared the same birthday. She had used her as a shield and given her a gift engraved with Lin Wan’s name. It felt… a bit much.

Xu Liming had always been a person of action. By the time the last rays of the sunset remained, she was already standing at the school gate against the wind, reaching out to take a bag from Chen Yan.

The overwhelming wind whipped up her coat, which was as black as night. Pedestrians going in and out looked like refugees, swaying back and forth in the gale.

“Honestly, Xu Liming, are you that short on clothes? A new sweater on the first day of school…” Chen Yan’s false eyelashes were flapping on her eyelid as she grumbled from her motorcycle.

Upon seeing Xu Liming’s expression, her bravado vanished. She muttered while clutching her helmet, “I ran to two malls. I’m freezing to death…”

“Thanks for the hard work.” Xu Liming glanced inside the bag. “I transferred the money to you. Keep the extra and get yourself some dinner.”

Chen Yan immediately beamed. “Thanks, Sis,” she said affectatiously.

Having Sun Muya as a roommate and class officer was useful. Xu Liming easily obtained Lu Baitian’s room number. She climbed to the sixth floor and stood before the dorm door, staring at the graffiti left behind from heaven-knows-when, lost in thought.

The world seemed to be built on coincidences. The room before her—Lu Baitian’s room—was the very same room of Lin Wan’s that Xu Liming had visited countless times in her past life.

Why did I never see Lu Baitian here back then? Xu Liming wondered.

Just as Xu Liming raised her hand to knock, the door of the opposite room pushed open. Two giggling girls walked out. Upon seeing Xu Liming, both froze for a moment.

“Xu Liming? Are you here for Lin Wan again?” one said. “You’re out of luck; Lin Wan and the others just went out for a group dinner.”

“I’m not here for her.” Xu Liming tucked her hands in her pockets again. “Did Lu Baitian go with them?”

At the mention of Lu Baitian’s name, the two girls seemed as if their funny bones had been poked; they started snickering. The look in their eyes made Xu Liming very uncomfortable.

“What’s so funny?” Xu Liming said. She didn’t mean to lose her temper, but by saying it so calmly, the girls’ laughter came to an awkward halt.

“Uh, don’t you know? Lu Baitian doesn’t get along with anyone in her room. So right now, she should be in there alone. If you’re looking for her, just knock.”

“Thanks.” Xu Liming turned and tapped lightly on the wooden door.

The two girls whispered as they left. The hallway soon became silent. A dense gloom began from the window at the end and spread all the way, swallowing Xu Liming.

There was no movement inside. Xu Liming knocked heavily several times. The sound woke the motion-sensor lights overhead, but not the silence behind the door.

Maybe she’s not in, Xu Liming thought, shaking the bag in her hand. She considered leaving it at the door, but there was no name on the bag; how would Lu Baitian know it was for her?

Just as she turned to borrow a pen and paper from the next room, she suddenly heard a very thin sob.

The sound caught her feet like a steel cable. Xu Liming stood rooted to the spot, holding her breath to listen. The sound was gone; only the howl of the wind hitting the windowpane remained.

“Lu Baitian?” Xu Liming raised her voice, pounding on the door with her fist. The old, fragile wooden door shook the frame violently. With a clack, a small silver key fell at her feet.

Xu Liming froze. The sound of the sob lingered in her ears. Without thinking further, she picked up the key, unlocked the door, and stepped into the pitch-black dormitory.

The room hadn’t been lived in for the winter break and was freezing. Xu Liming shivered, reaching back to flip the light switch. Several half-packed suitcases sat in the middle of the floor; the four beds were empty.

A doubt flashed through her mind—perhaps she had misheard—but she quickly realized she hadn’t. A trail of water marks remained on the dark floor tiles, starting from the bathroom and ending outside the iron door that partitioned the balcony.

Xu Liming quickly twisted the lock and pulled the iron door open. With a sudden jolt of her heart, a girl covered in cold air, curled up next to the outdoor AC unit, appeared before her eyes.

Lu Baitian had clearly noticed her long ago. She held her head down firmly, shivering from the cold spring air. Her body, clad in thin pajamas, was nearly shrinking into the wall.

“Don’t look at me,” she said, her voice choked with tears.