Rekindling Lost Love (GL) - Chapter 5

The scrawny student whose forehead had been split open by a beer bottle was a third-year undergraduate at the University of Science and Technology’s School of Mechanical Engineering. He was one of Xu Xingjian’s students—and a genuinely outstanding one at that.

His prized student, usually mild-mannered and honest, had actually left campus to arrange a fight with a street thug. Worse, he had lost and ended up with blood all over his face. After receiving the call for help, Xu Xingjian and the others immediately dropped what they were doing and hurried over, afraid they might arrive a moment too late.

The sleek, entirely black Porsche Cayenne looked relatively ordinary and understated from a distance. It was parked in the open space directly outside the bar, diagonally across from Ji Cen’an and only a little over ten meters away—extremely close.

The group appeared to have just left an important event. Xu Xingjian wore a proper suit and looked exceptionally polished. Nan Jia was dressed in a form-fitting, dark-green silk slip dress with a mid-depth V-neckline. Her long hair fell in voluminous waves, and an opulent white-diamond necklace adorned her neck. Every detail of her appearance was immaculate. Her waist was slender, and her style was retro and elegant without sacrificing mature sensuality, giving her an enchanting femininity.

A dormitory supervisor followed behind them—an employee responsible for the male dormitory who had been specifically called over to deal with the situation.

Ji Cen’an had not anticipated this. She froze for a moment, and by the time she thought of avoiding them, it was already too late.

She had removed her mask earlier and casually stuffed it into her trouser pocket. Now she wore only the baseball cap required by the bar. Her clothes were still the same two pieces she had put on that morning, and she had not even changed her shoes.

The moment they got out of the car, Xu Xingjian and the dormitory supervisor hurried into the bar. Nan Jia, however, happened to turn her head slightly and notice Ji Cen’an’s direction. From across the distance, her gentle gaze casually settled there.

There was no time to conceal herself again. Ji Cen’an turned her face away, her first instinct to avoid direct contact.

The lighting outside the bar was dim and visibility was poor. Even if Nan Jia had noticed her, she might not have seen her clearly. Ji Cen’an could not determine whether Nan Jia had recognized her and dared not risk making any conspicuous movement. She merely turned aside as though by chance, appearing perfectly composed.

The timing was unfavorable. The more flustered she became, the more likely she was to expose herself. Remaining calm and quietly observing how things developed was the best solution.

This was not the first time she had dealt with such a situation. She had encountered similar mishaps before and had nearly been caught by her enemies more than once. In the end, however, staying calm had always allowed her to escape danger.

Standing there peacefully was less likely to attract attention. Perhaps Nan Jia had only glanced over casually and had not taken any real notice of her.

Ji Cen’an flexed her hand, the cigarette held between two fingers. Without betraying the slightest clue, she continued her act, quiet and completely natural.

She looked like nothing more than an insignificant employee who had stepped outside halfway through her shift for a moment’s relief—someone unimportant and unworthy of attention.

Nan Jia did not follow Xu Xingjian inside. She stayed outside with the driver.

She had merely accompanied him here and bore no responsibility for that unfortunate student. She had happened to be with Xu Xingjian, so she had simply let her driver give him a ride.

Nan Jia failed to catch a frontal glimpse of Ji Cen’an by the slightest margin. Lifting her long, elegant eyes, she saw only a slender back in the distance.

The lighting outside the bar was inadequate, limiting what she could see. Ji Cen’an stood in the shadows of a corner with her back to the light. From the car, all that was visible was a figure edged by a hazy glow. Nothing else could be made out.

It was a matter of angles, and the night could never be as clear as daytime.

Had it been morning or afternoon—even dusk—Nan Jia would certainly have recognized her on the spot.

Unfortunately, the timing happened to be wrong, preventing it.

From Nan Jia’s position, she could see only a tall, slender silhouette. She could roughly make out that Ji Cen’an was a woman with her hair tied in a low ponytail, wearing a bar server’s apron. Her arms were excessively lean, and years of exhausting flight had made the contours of her neck and profile considerably thinner. Her worn-down, dispirited appearance differed drastically from the person in Nan Jia’s memories. Only the fingers holding the cigarette remained fair and beautiful, as exquisite as white jade.

Yet that one detail was not enough. The overall difference was too vast—so vast that this woman could not possibly be superimposed upon the person from the past. There seemed to be no resemblance whatsoever.

Ji Cen’an had been so high-spirited and dazzling several years ago. Although arrogant, domineering, and possessed of a thoroughly disagreeable temperament, her looks and bearing had still far surpassed those of ordinary people. Her sharply defined features had been exceptionally striking: upturned peach-blossom eyes, a high nose, and M-shaped lips. She had possessed a cold, glamorous grandeur touched by an effortless air of world-weariness. Whenever she attended a banquet or event, she inevitably became the most eye-catching person there. No one could steal the spotlight from her.

The server before Nan Jia, dressed in a cheap T-shirt, truly could not compare with that woman from the past. The off-brand shoes on her feet had been washed until they faded, with threads already unraveling across their surface. If someone had asked the nineteen-year-old Ji Cen’an to wear them, she would have refused even if it killed her.

This was someone who had once been particular even about the quality of the water she drank, who demanded that everything be the best and most expensive, who had pursued hedonism to its absolute limit, and who had been so exacting that keeping a dog could cost her hundreds of thousands of yuan every month. Who could have imagined that she would one day end up in such circumstances?

They were clearly two entirely different lives, two completely different women.

There was not the slightest resemblance, not a single thing in common.

In Nan Jia’s eyes, the present Ji Cen’an looked no different from the drunken people reeking of alcohol by the roadside: mediocre, unsuccessful, and humbled into the dust.

The night wind was restless, carrying the lingering heat of summer.

Nan Jia stood there quietly without immediately looking away. Several strands of her hair were lifted into disarray by the wind, curling against her fair, slender, delicate neck. The ends shifted slightly before slipping into the soft valley rising and falling at her chest, disappearing as they extended downward.

At such a late hour, the sudden appearance of a woman so radiant and alluring was bound to attract attention. One glance was enough to tell that she was no ordinary person. With a bodyguard-driver waiting beside her, Nan Jia’s presence was especially conspicuous.

Some passersby secretly studied her. Others either glanced from the corners of their eyes or stared openly, as though observing something rare.

Only Ji Cen’an refused to look in that direction.

She could feel the lingering gaze upon her and knew exactly who was watching, yet she continued to focus leisurely on herself. She smoked with practiced ease, her back turned as she slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke. Then she held the cigarette between her middle finger and thumb, tapped it with her index finger, and calmly flicked away the ash.

Pale gray flakes drifted toward the ground, only to be swept away by the wind and vanish in an instant.

Ji Cen’an silently lowered her eyes, maintaining her composure from beginning to end.

The cigarette burned quickly as she took one drag after another. Soon, half of it was gone.

The silent standoff created no visible disturbance, though undercurrents lurked beneath the peaceful surface.

After a long while, Nan Jia was the first to withdraw her gaze and stop looking at her.

Sensing that gaze finally move away, Ji Cen’an relaxed slightly. She did not dare show it too clearly, however, and maintained the same posture, appearing indifferent to everything around her.

Less than half a minute later, Xu Xingjian and the others came back outside.

The entire group—including the police officers, the people involved in the fight, and the bar owner—emerged together. They needed to go to the police station and provide statements.

Fighting in a public place was no small matter. With students involved, the situation was even more serious and had to be handled properly to prevent further trouble.

The two police officers were conscientious. They briefly questioned everyone about what had led to the altercation and handled the situation with considerable understanding.

Both sides had used violence, so the matter would certainly need to be mediated and settled. Otherwise, if the incident were added to their records, the student who had been injured would suffer the greatest consequences. The street thug would not care about such things. He was already a rotten person with nothing to lose. Given another opportunity, he might even cause further trouble for the student later.

The police officers were experienced and knew what to do. After gathering evidence, they brought the bar owner along as an eyewitness.

There was only one police car, so they selected only the principal people involved to return to the station.

As soon as Xu Xingjian came outside, he walked briskly toward Nan Jia and quietly explained the details.

“It’s all right now. I only need to accompany him to the station and give a statement.”

Nan Jia inclined her head. “All right.”

“You should go home first. There’s no need to come with us,” Xu Xingjian said. He handled the matter gently and meticulously, his manner considerate and attentive. “I’ll come find you later. I’ll contact you then.”

Nan Jia did not object. “Suit yourself.”

Xu Xingjian gave her several other reminders. In essence, if it became too late and he still had not returned, she should rest early instead of waiting for him.

After giving his statement, he still needed to take the student and dormitory supervisor back to the university and resolve the issues on campus. There was no telling what time he would finish everything.

Nan Jia did not say anything else. She glanced toward the corner once more before bending down to enter the car.

The police officers also got into their vehicle, shoving the street thug directly into the back seat.

Just as they were about to start the engine, someone suddenly asked, “We only have one witness. Shouldn’t we find another?”

Nan Jia looked outside from inside the car, never involving herself from beginning to end.

Ji Cen’an also heard the question from where she stood. Her palm immediately tightened, and her little finger twitched slightly beyond her control.

Another witness…

Aside from Chen Qirui, she was the only possible choice.

Chen Qirui had witnessed what happened yesterday, but tonight, Ji Cen’an had personally observed the entire incident. Chen Qirui had been mixing drinks when the fight broke out and had not paid much attention.

Ji Cen’an could not go to the police station.

Xu Xingjian knew her. Her whereabouts would inevitably be exposed.

“No need,” one of the officers said. “We have both eyewitness and physical evidence. That’s enough. Besides, there’s no room for another person in the car.”

“All right, start driving. We’ll return to the station and decide what to do from there.”

…

The vehicles parked by the roadside started their engines one after another and departed.

The police car left first, followed by the Porsche.

The window remained open. Nan Jia sat silently inside until they had traveled some distance. Only then did she quietly tell the driver in front, “Change direction. We’re going to Beiyuan tonight.”

The driver was startled and asked in confusion, “Weren’t you going to wait for Mr. Xu…?”

Nan Jia interrupted him. “I’m not waiting anymore.”

Her tone was cold, without much fluctuation.

Realizing that he had overstepped and should not have asked, the driver immediately fell silent. He hurriedly turned around at the next intersection and drove in another direction.

Back at the small bar, Ji Cen’an watched until both vehicles had disappeared into the distance. Only after waiting a while did she turn around.

Nothing remained of the cigarette but a short stub, and the burning end had nearly reached her fingers. She hissed softly, only belatedly noticing the heat. She immediately dropped the glowing red cigarette butt, lifted one long leg, and stepped on it, grinding out the sparks beneath her toe.

After such a major disturbance, very few customers remained inside the bar.

Chen Qirui had been left behind to deal with the aftermath and was cleaning alone behind the counter. When he saw Ji Cen’an return clutching his pack of cigarettes, he was full of complaints. Displeased that she had slipped away and hidden outside, he snatched the pack back and demanded irritably, “Who said you could smoke those? Don’t you have money to buy your own?”

Ji Cen’an answered honestly and without concern, “No. I don’t have any money.”

Chen Qirui shook out a cigarette and put it between his lips. Unable to resist making another cutting remark, he said, “I couldn’t find you anywhere. I thought you’d died outside. You certainly ran off fast enough.”

Ji Cen’an showed little reaction to his mockery and let him continue.

“What’s wrong with you?” Chen Qirui asked. “You ran the moment you saw the police. What crime did you commit?”

Ji Cen’an did not answer. She stepped behind the counter and asked him in return, “How am I getting paid?”

Chen Qirui gave her a humorless smile. “What good is asking me? I’m not your boss. How else would you get paid? You’ll have to wait until tomorrow and see. What, do you expect me to pay you myself?”

Ji Cen’an glanced at him indifferently and replied, “That works too. In cash. One hundred seventy yuan in total.”

“Dream on,” Chen Qirui said bluntly. “My pockets are emptier than my face. I’m waiting to get paid in the middle of the month myself. How the hell am I supposed to give you cash?”

The two of them did not get along and had nothing worth discussing.

They were not the same kind of people. When their principles differed, there was no point making common cause.

Ji Cen’an no longer spared him another glance. She helped clean the floor, then went into the back room to gather her belongings when it was time to leave. Tonight, she packed all the unsold food into her crossbody cloth bag and took two bottles of water as well.

Chen Qirui watched coldly and mocked her again. “Did you come here to work, or are you stocking up on supplies?”

Ignoring him completely, Ji Cen’an slung the bag across her body and left.

She walked back to the rented room that night. Five bus stops were not particularly far, and the journey took nearly half an hour on foot.

As she had the previous night, Ji Cen’an took a roundabout route. Once inside the room, she did not turn on the light. She rested until she had recovered, then went into the bathroom to shower.

The walk had consumed considerable energy, and the back of her T-shirt was soaked with sweat.

Ji Cen’an cupped a handful of water and splashed it over her face, closing her eyes.

Out together this late again…

And with Xu Xingjian again…

Nan Jia’s devotion to Xu Xingjian had never changed, whether in the past or the present.

Back then, Ji Cen’an clearly had not done anything, yet Nan Jia had insisted on protecting Xu Xingjian.

“You care about him that much?” Ji Cen’an had once asked her.

Nan Jia had not answered, but her eyes were red.

Ji Cen’an traced her fingertips across Nan Jia’s face, making her body tremble. Ji Cen’an was somewhat angry, though none of it showed on her face. She gently kissed the tip of Nan Jia’s ear and murmured, “You’re always taking an outsider’s side.”

Nan Jia refused to relent or admit it.

Ji Cen’an remained stubborn. The pad of her finger brushed against the tender corner of Nan Jia’s lips as she whispered ambiguously, “Nan Jia, show me a little tenderness too…”