Rekindling Lost Love (GL) - Chapter 3

Not far away, beneath a camphor tree near the west side of a barbecue restaurant, an imposing white Bentley Continental had appeared at some point.

An exceptionally attractive man and woman stood side by side beside the car, speaking quietly as though they were waiting for someone.

Amid the constant flow of pedestrians, the two of them stood out prominently and drew considerable attention.

The man was tall and slender, around one hundred eighty centimeters in height. He was handsome, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and refined, striking features. A pair of silver-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his straight nose, giving his cultured appearance an air of gentle, pristine warmth.

The woman was tall as well, an indisputable beauty with elegance and presence. Her features were deep and striking, framed by slightly wavy jet-black hair that fell to her waist, while her legs were fair, straight, and slender. A limited-edition Hermès Birkin hung from her hand. She wore a fitted, waist-cinching midi dress and nude stiletto heels, her appearance gracious yet gentle. Her aura was commanding enough that simply standing there in silence made her extraordinarily eye-catching.

The man in the proper white shirt was Professor Xu, the one who taught at the University of Science and Technology—the childhood sweetheart Nan Jia had once been unable to forget, Xu Xingjian himself.

Ji Cen’an had never expected to encounter them here, especially so late at night. She abruptly froze, staring blankly for a moment.

After not seeing her for so long, Nan Jia seemed slightly different from before, though Ji Cen’an could not pinpoint exactly what had changed. Her appearance, however, remained as it always had. That face alone was enough to make everything around her fade into insignificance, while her quiet, elegant manner was beyond anyone else’s reach. She radiated an artist’s beauty and reserve from the inside out, so beautiful that she appeared flawless.

Perhaps they had been apart for too long. Or perhaps Ji Cen’an had spent every day preoccupied with hiding and running from place to place. Whatever the reason, seeing Nan Jia so suddenly left her mind blank for an instant. She almost could not reconcile the woman before her with the one in her memories.

It took her two sluggish seconds to react before realization finally dawned.

It had only been three years, yet it somehow felt like an entire lifetime had passed.

Ji Cen’an stopped in her tracks, all her movements slowing to a halt.

She did not get into the taxi. Her feet seemed to have taken root in the ground.

On the night she fled Z City, Ji Cen’an had informed no one, desperate to escape. She dealt with a few matters and then vanished without a trace. She had abandoned Nan Jia… Though to be precise, she had let Nan Jia go, leaving without a single word of farewell.

At the time, she had assumed they would probably never meet again in this lifetime. Their relationship would be completely severed just like that. Even upon returning this time, she had never planned to seek Nan Jia out. Who could have known that they would coincidentally meet again tonight?

Ji Cen’an’s hand tightened, her grip on the taxi door growing stronger.

She was using so much force that her defined knuckles turned slightly white.

She did not dare make her reaction too obvious and only watched them from the corner of her eye.

Hearing the young woman call out to them, Xu Xingjian turned first and looked in this direction.

He did not immediately spot where she was, so his gaze swept around the area.

The enthusiastic young woman was cheerful and lively. She immediately waved her arm and called out with a smile, “I’m over here! Over here!”

Nan Jia turned as well. Lifting her beautiful eyes, she followed his gaze in the same direction.

She spotted the young woman and also took in the surrounding pedestrians and scenery.

The young woman hurried over in several quick strides, smiling as she approached them and began chatting.

They were separated by a considerable distance, so nothing they said could be heard over the road.

The three of them spoke relatively quietly. After reaching them, the young woman was no longer quite so carefree and boisterous. Instead, she politely greeted both of her seniors and exchanged a few pleasantries with them.

The young woman was probably one of Xu Xingjian’s students. Otherwise, she would not have acted so familiar, obediently approaching him the moment she spotted him. Her friendliness toward Nan Jia seemed incidental. From her every gesture, it was clear that she did not know Nan Jia nearly as well as she knew Xu Xingjian. They seemed merely acquainted, and she was being exceedingly polite out of respect.

…Teacher?

Ji Cen’an had been away for too long. She knew nothing about the changes in Z City or Nan Jia’s present circumstances.

She secretly observed them, standing silently without moving forward.

She had already been lost in thought for quite some time. The taxi driver ahead of her grew impatient when she continued to linger without getting in. He finally urged her to hurry, raising his voice as he demanded, “Are you getting in or not? If you aren’t, stop blocking the way. Other people are waiting behind you!”

Ji Cen’an’s cap and mask concealed her face thoroughly enough that none of her expression could be seen. Even her eyes were completely hidden.

She hesitated. Then, as though compelled by some unseen force, she decided not to get in and yielded the taxi to the passengers behind her.

She should have left immediately. She should not have stayed, yet she still failed to do so.

The driver had a terrible temper. Ji Cen’an had hailed his taxi only to stand there and delay his business without getting inside, all while dressed in such a strange manner. He felt as though he had encountered some unparalleled freak and considered it terrible luck. He immediately muttered, “What a nutcase,” beneath his breath and told her to move away. Then he picked up a couple who had stepped forward, started the car, and sped into the pitch-black night. In moments, the taxi was swallowed by the dense darkness farther down the street.

As though she had not heard the insult, Ji Cen’an remained completely unaffected. She stepped backward and stood beneath the nearest tree, using its mottled shadows as cover while preparing to leave later.

There was no streetlamp in this secluded corner. Without the dim yellow glow cast over it, the area appeared comparatively gloomy and gray, remote and inconspicuous.

She deliberately moved behind the thick trunk and stood there with her body angled to one side. She did not stare around recklessly. Instead, she looked as though she were calmly waiting for a friend, composed and unobtrusive.

Students continued passing nearby, but no one spared her a second glance. They all went about their own business, and before long, one group of figures was replaced by another.

Xu Xingjian and the others were even less aware of what was happening over here. They never looked in her direction at all.

The young woman gestured with her hands as she spoke. Xu Xingjian listened and responded attentively, occasionally speaking with Nan Jia as well. They appeared to be seriously discussing something.

At one point, Xu Xingjian turned and retrieved something from the car. Nan Jia and the young woman chatted alone for a while, exchanging a few intermittent remarks.

The young woman smiled. Without even guessing, it was obvious that she was flattering and supporting Nan Jia.

Nan Jia had always treated younger women gently without becoming overly familiar. She maintained the appropriate boundaries, neither too enthusiastic nor distant enough to make others uncomfortable.

It was exactly how she had behaved during the first few months after meeting Ji Cen’an. Her manner remained the same as before—she never kept people a thousand miles away, yet no one could truly approach her either.

There was always a faint, almost imperceptible barrier between her and everyone else, maintaining an appropriate distance.

Still, compared to the perfunctory way she had once dealt with Ji Cen’an, Nan Jia did not treat the young woman too coldly. She gave Xu Xingjian plenty of consideration.

After retrieving the item, Xu Xingjian returned to them and handed his phone to Nan Jia.

Nan Jia accepted it and spoke softly.

Their interactions were natural and perfectly coordinated. Just watching them, it was clear that their relationship was not ordinary.

Even most couples did not share that degree of tacit understanding. The slightest trace of deliberate effort would have made it impossible to appear so natural.

Ji Cen’an lowered her eyes, no longer interested in watching.

Across the intersection stood an open-air food stall. Late at night was its busiest period. The charcoal burning on the grill glowed scarlet, while oil and juices dripped from the skewers with soft sizzling sounds. The food’s aroma mixed with wisps of rising white smoke, producing a somewhat pungent smell.

Ji Cen’an extended the toe of her shoe and idly ground it against a pebble. After several movements, she crushed it, leaving only a tiny pile of debris.

She found something to occupy herself and pass the time. Only after a long while did she lift her eyelids again and discreetly glance toward them once more.

By coincidence, Nan Jia noticed her at that exact moment and turned her gaze toward her.

It seemed as though Nan Jia had sensed something unusual, yet perhaps she had not.

Ji Cen’an noticed immediately and casually averted her gaze as though she had merely looked over by accident rather than deliberately spying on them.

Still, she could not help feeling somewhat nervous, afraid that Nan Jia might recognize her.

Although her present appearance differed considerably from the past, recognition was not impossible. They had been together for nearly two years, after all. Each of them had known even the location of every mole on the other’s body. It would hardly be strange if Nan Jia recognized her.

Besides, Nan Jia had hated her so deeply back then that she would probably remember Ji Cen’an even if she had been reduced to ashes…

Ji Cen’an could not be certain and hesitated over whether she should leave as soon as possible.

But the next moment, Nan Jia withdrew her gaze and calmly continued speaking with Xu Xingjian and the student as though nothing had happened. Her expression remained perfectly composed.

She had not recognized Ji Cen’an. Her gaze had not lingered for even one additional second.

Ji Cen’an remained expressionless, showing no unnecessary reaction.

She had merely been flattering herself. How had she looked in the past, and what did she look like now? How could Nan Jia possibly recognize her?

Ji Cen’an had been extraordinarily flamboyant and dazzling several years ago, unrivaled at the height of her glory. She had looked nothing like this woman dressed from head to toe in cheap street-market clothing—wretched and destitute, like a pitiful dog that had lost its home.

Forget Nan Jia. Even if Ji Cen’an’s so-called closest friends from the past appeared, they probably would not spare her the slightest attention.

Who could have imagined that she, too, would one day meet such a miserable end?

The two teachers and their student soon finished talking. Xu Xingjian and Nan Jia parted from the young woman and walked in Ji Cen’an’s direction.

Ji Cen’an lowered her head, avoiding any contact with them.

Xu Xingjian did not notice her at all. As he walked, he took the bag from Nan Jia’s hand and carried it for her like a gentleman. When they passed Ji Cen’an, he gently asked Nan Jia, “Would you like to come to my place for dinner in a couple of days?”

Nan Jia never looked in Ji Cen’an’s direction either. She walked past unhurriedly and answered, “Mm.”

The two continued walking at a leisurely pace and soon moved farther away.

Their side-by-side silhouettes gradually blurred in the darkness, growing fainter and fainter until they disappeared from sight.

Only after a long time did Ji Cen’an straighten and compose herself.

By the time she hailed another taxi and returned to the urban village, more than an hour had passed. It was nearly one in the morning.

Everything was silent, and the road stretched into the distance, vast and empty.

The taxi stopped on a bridge several hundred meters from Tongzi Alley. Ji Cen’an did not let the driver take her directly to her residence. She walked the remaining distance, making several extra turns through other alleys before returning.

After entering the rented room, she did not turn on the light. She closed the door in the dark and sat beside the bed.

Only after she had silently calmed herself did the room light up.

She washed, tidied up, and casually took care of everything else.

There was no need to eat this late at night. She was in no mood to cook and could spare herself the effort.

Ji Cen’an was somewhat tired after spending the entire night outside. She tossed the envelope Uncle Yang had given her aside without even opening it, intending to sort through it tomorrow. She abruptly switched off the light and climbed into bed, flinging her phone away at the same time. She lay flat on her back, raised an arm over her eyes, and rested while waiting for herself to recover.

The temperature was lower in the latter half of the night than it had been that afternoon, only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees Celsius.

The room had poor ventilation and remained hot and stuffy, but it was barely tolerable.

Ji Cen’an sprawled motionlessly like a corpse. Only after a long while did she lower her arm, open her eyes, and stare at the ceiling above.

…She remembered that Xu Xingjian had planned to go abroad for further study three years ago, around the time before the Ji family’s downfall. Judging by what she had seen tonight, he must have changed his plans because the Ji family had collapsed and never left.

Then why was Nan Jia still with Xu Xingjian? Had they simply gone out to do something together?

Or were they already in a relationship?