I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 6

At Huachuan, a university known for its simple and honest atmosphere, fighting was rare, though an occasional instance wouldn’t normally shock people this much.

What was truly unbelievable was the person who started it: Lu Baitian—the girl who always kept her head down, shrank into corners, and spoke so softly she could barely be heard.

Not to mention, the person she hit was Lin Wan, the girl everyone adored.

For a time, the entire School of New Media was abuzz with rumors. Some pitied Lin Wan, some condemned Lu Baitian, and some managed to do both simultaneously.

Xu Liming, however, felt mostly surprised. Such an incident had never happened in her past life. To her then, Lu Baitian had been like a pedestrian outside a zebra crossing—sharing the same road, but never interacting.

Once the light changed, she would vanish into the crowd and be exiled from memory.

In this life, Xu Liming hadn’t done anything to change anyone else’s destiny; she had simply stopped chasing Lin Wan. Logically, things that happened to others in the past shouldn’t have changed.

Could it be that her actions had triggered a butterfly effect?

Xu Liming fell asleep groggily with this thought. Perhaps because she had overthought things during the day, her usually quiet dreams were suddenly invaded by blurry scenes.

Blurry, yet heartbreakingly sad.

She was like floating dust in mid-air, watching her own body being torn to pieces by giant rocks. She saw ambulances and police cars arrive with sirens wailing. She was covered with a white sheet and placed in the morgue.

People came one after another to weep: colleagues, friends, family, and Lin Wan, who cried with utter devastation.

Only after everyone had left did she notice a figure curled up in the corner—gray and dusty, her face indistinguishable.

She leaned into the corner like a pile of mud. From somewhere, she had obtained Xu Liming’s shattered phone and was holding it to her ear, listening blankly.

Then her body was moved to the funeral home. Many people came, most of whom Xu Liming didn’t recognize. They chatted and socialized at the funeral, exchanging phone numbers.

It was like a massive networking event.

As the funeral neared its end, Lin Wan, looking like a pear blossom bathed in rain, walked to the casket and placed a bouquet of flowers on it.

The next second, she was tackled to the ground by a blurry figure. That figure held a broken phone high and struck Lin Wan with all her might, screaming something Xu Liming couldn’t hear.

She looked like a lunatic.

The lunatic was quickly dragged away by onlookers. A security guard grabbed her thin body and tossed her out like a piece of junk.

Tears escaped the corners of Xu Liming’s eyes. She woke up then, staring at the snowy-white ceiling of the dorm, her heart filled with a profound sense of loss.

She felt as if she had forgotten something—left it behind in the days gone by.

Xu Liming barely made it to the roll call before morning self-study. Last night’s dream had left her head heavy. She sat in her seat for a long time before she finally snapped out of it. Tao Ning nudged her and pointed with her chin toward Lin Wan.

Lin Wan wasn’t sitting in the front row today. She was surrounded by several girls in the middle of the seats, with people constantly leaning across desks to offer soft words of comfort.

Lin Wan herself was weeping silently. Tears hung from her lush eyelashes before rolling down her porcelain skin. She looked just as pitiable as she did in the memories of the funeral.

A piece of gauze was taped to her cheek. Anyone who saw it would feel a pang of sympathy.

Xu Liming remained unmoved. Her eyes searched for Lu Baitian, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, aren’t you going to comfort her?” Tao Ning whispered, unable to hold back her chatter. “She’s vulnerable right now. It’s the perfect time to show you care.”

“I have nothing to do with her,” Xu Liming shook her head.

“Really?” Tao Ning was shocked. “The way you chased her last year… even I was impressed.”

“Like you said, that was last year.” Xu Liming confirmed Lu Baitian wasn’t there and withdrew her gaze. “What exactly happened yesterday?”

Seeing her ask, Tao Ning’s words poured out even faster. She leaned toward her and began a non-stop narration: “I heard from Tang Qian that Lu Baitian stole something of Lin Wan’s. Lin Wan caught her, and Lu Baitian flew into a rage out of shame and hit her.”

“They say the scene was quite terrifying. Even a few guys from the Engineering College couldn’t hold her back.” Tao Ning tutted. “Who knew that someone so timid would actually hit someone?”

“Now everyone is saying she’s…” Tao Ning stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth, her brows drooping. “Does saying this count as a rumor?”

Xu Liming thought for a moment. “Probably not.”

“Then I’ll say it.” Tao Ning lowered her voice. “A lot of people say she has mental issues. Otherwise, if you’re caught stealing, you’re caught—why would you suddenly attack someone?”

“But I didn’t say she did steal. Tang Qian said that. I’m not spreading rumors.” Tao Ning raised both hands in a gesture of innocence.

Sun Muya, beside them, also raised her hand. “Me neither.”

These two roommates are quite interesting, Xu Liming thought. She didn’t speak further because Lu Baitian had just walked in, followed by the counselor.

The classroom went dead silent instantly. All eyes converged on the girl’s thin figure, feeling almost physical in weight, making her legs tremble.

Lu Baitian was shaking. Xu Liming’s fingertips twitched unconsciously. The desks and chairs ahead seemed to stretch for miles; the girl walked forward with a hunched back, as if she would never reach the end.

Her thick frames hid her eyes, her hair was still in a low ponytail, and her old clothes hung off her shoulders. Black trousers covered her canvas shoes with blackened soles.

In Xu Liming’s eyes, a lonely boat had appeared, pushed into a sea of gazes and left to drift with the tide.

There were no seats in the front. She settled in the very last row, right behind Xu Liming.

Countless gazes were still fixed on Lu Baitian, like a thousand cuts. Xu Liming frowned and suddenly shifted her body, blocking most of the line of sight.

Her dark eyes invaded the gaze of anyone who turned back to look, forcing them to turn around.

Xu Liming didn’t know exactly what happened, but after what she had seen in the dorm, she didn’t believe Lu Baitian was the type of person they described.

The counselor was a man in his thirties with a striped shirt and a prominent potbelly. He put his hands behind his back and scanned the room. “On the first day of school, I told you that Huachuan’s rules are very strict. No fighting, no fighting! If you lay a hand on someone, it’s a major demerit. Don’t you know that?”

“If you get too many demerits, you’ll be expelled! Your parents worked hard to support you, and you worked hard to get into Huachuan—was it just to be expelled?”

“You’re university students now. Have some sense!”

The counselor’s Mandarin wasn’t very good, so the atmosphere wasn’t overly tense. His teasing tone made the students chuckle.

“Brother Cong, if someone is born with a bad heart and wants to hit people, do we just have to take it? Can’t we hit back?” Tang Qian asked aggrievedly, followed by a chorus of agreement.

“Of course not! Hitting back makes it a mutual brawl. Don’t you know the law?” The counselor waved his hand. “Now, get on with your self-study!”

The counselor left, and the classroom became lively and relaxed. Only the area behind Xu Liming was quiet—so quiet that even the crying was silent.

When the bell rang and Xu Liming shouldered her bag, the person behind her was already gone. Lin Wan was escorted through the back door by a few friends. Her moist gaze lingered on Xu Liming, as if waiting for her to come and comfort her.

“Move aside.” Xu Liming gave a breezy smile and pushed past them.

Lin Wan was caught off guard by the push and nearly hit the door. Her face paled slightly as she stared blankly at Xu Liming’s back.

“Is she possessed? Not only did she not comfort Wanwan, she actually laughed?” Tang Qian grumbled indignantly. “Wanwan, don’t ever talk to her again!”

“Rich kids like that definitely play around in secret. It’s a good thing she’s not pestering you anymore.” Another girl shook her head sincerely. “Oh right, regarding that Lu Baitian… just a demerit and that’s it?”

“Yeah, what else can be done?” Tang Qian sighed, touching Lin Wan’s arm which was covered by a long sleeve. “Poor Wanwan, being scratched and clawed at like she has rabies. I hope it doesn’t leave a scar.”

“Of course it won’t end just like that,” Lin Wan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. Her beautiful eyes looked out the window, her voice clear as spring water.

Xu Liming had just moved into the dorm, but the facial recognition outside the building wouldn’t register her, making coming and going a hassle. So, after morning classes, she skipped lunch and went to the counselor’s office to see if she could get it fixed.

The sun from yesterday was gone, replaced by a misty, gray sky that seemed fused with the earth. The entire campus was covered in damp rain. The sound of running water and the pitter-patter of rain filled her ears; the moisture and cold air seeped into people’s clothes.

Xu Liming held a sturdy black umbrella and huddled beneath it.

The ground was wet. She wasn’t wearing her coat today, but a denim jacket with fleece lining, with cargo pants tucked into long boots.

As she reached the office door and prepared to knock, a sudden commotion erupted inside. It sounded like people were arguing, followed by the loud crash of a glass shattering.

Sensing she had come at a bad time, Xu Liming turned to leave. Unfortunately, the door was pulled open at that moment, and a woman with disheveled hair rushed out, slamming Xu Liming squarely against the wall.

“Ma’am, please stay calm! Stay calm!” The counselor, whose glasses were half-off his face, scrambled out and grabbed the woman’s arm, trying to persuade her. “Let’s talk this through. Old grudges shouldn’t come before the child’s future. The child…”

The woman was forcibly pulled back in. The counselor poked his head out again, adjusting his glasses while speaking to the startled Xu Liming still pinned to the wall: “Xu Liming, you… wait a moment for me!”

The shouting inside resumed. Xu Liming winced as she rubbed her shoulder. Peeking through the crack in the door, her heart jolted.

Lu Baitian.

She was standing in the corner with her hands behind her back, her head down and motionless, as if the shouting in the room had nothing to do with her—or as if she had already become numb with despair.

Lin Wan was also there. Her long neck, like a swan’s, was held high as she stood opposite Lu Baitian. Her amber eyes studied Lu Baitian, occasionally glancing at the unstable woman with overt contempt.

Xu Liming recognized the man in the suit beside her: Lin Wan’s father, Lin Hengyi. He was currently speaking to the woman with a complex expression, while the woman continued to scream and shout.

Is that Lu Baitian’s mother? Xu Liming guessed. But she looked half-insane, even turning around to shove her own daughter.

A mere demerit wouldn’t usually involve notifying parents. Given the situation, Lin Wan’s father must have come to demand an explanation.

Lu Baitian had lost all face, yet she seemed emotionless, letting the woman shake her back and forth until she was eventually dragged out the door.

“Ma’am, ma’am, it’s not a big deal! Don’t hurt the child!” The counselor chased after them in a panic, only to see the woman suddenly raise her hand and deliver a forceful slap to Lu Baitian’s face.

The force made even Xu Liming stumble back.

The blow was so hard that Lu Baitian was spun around. Her glasses had fallen off at some point, and her messy hair broke free from its tie, scattering across her face. Her lip was swollen and bloody; otherwise, she looked pale and broken.

Lu Baitian, who hadn’t shed a tear until then, suddenly saw Xu Liming standing outside. Her tears flooded out like a burst dam. Xu Liming had never seen so many tears—it was like a mountain of snow melting at once, pouring onto the ground.

The woman didn’t seem satisfied. She grabbed Lu Baitian’s neck to hit her again. Xu Liming, finding courage from somewhere, suddenly pulled the crumbling girl into her arms. She raised the hand holding the umbrella and pressed the button; the black umbrella snapped open instantly.

As the umbrella pushed the woman away, the expanse of black also shielded Lu Baitian completely.