SLWP Chapter 4

As noon approached and class was about to end, Chen Xu raised his head from his papers, his gaze drifting over the shoulder of the student in front of him, settling on Song Ming in the second row.

Unaware of the attention, Song Ming continued to write, his handsome profile bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, appearing gentle and kind, instantly endearing to anyone who looked his way.

A thought suddenly struck Chen Xu—a phrase known as “appearance stems from the heart.”

Such a good, kind person deserved to look so beautiful.

These days, the lunchbox in his dormitory still appeared as usual. Chen Xu felt complicated as he ate; his gratitude was undiminished, but now mixed with guilt and apology.

He needed to make things clear to Song Ming to express the gratitude he missed in his past life, no matter what.

“Um…”

When class ended, he caught up to him, suggesting, “Song Ming, do you want to have lunch together?”

Song Ming seemed surprised, as they weren’t very close, but he smiled politely, “Sure.”

The Chuhe Restaurant, the closest canteen to the high school building, was just a five-minute walk down a garden path.

It was late May, and the garden was still in full bloom, the large, fragrant flowers a dazzling sight.

Originally, there was no path here, but students always sneaked through, and over time, a narrow path formed amidst the divided flower beds, just wide enough for two to walk side by side.

Song Ming pulled Chen Xu a bit closer to his side, cautioning, “Stay closer to the inside to avoid the thorns on the branches.”

Chen Xu, who hadn’t noticed, obediently moved closer, “Oh, okay.”

As they walked down the narrow path, their shoulders touched gently.

Chen Xu found himself feeling strange.

This was someone he was supposed to like.

He knew it, yet he felt incredibly calm at the core, devoid of excitement or fluttering hearts.

His rationality and emotions seemed at odds; he intellectually believed his love belonged to Song Ming, but his heart stingily withheld any affection.

He bit his lip, unsure if he was relieved or guilty, and decided not to think about it anymore.

What mattered most now was to thank Song Ming and let everything else follow its natural course.

“What’s going on?”

At the entrance of Chuhe Restaurant, Ji Chunxiao was watching the garden path, annoyed.

Sure enough, his wife was coming, and, annoyingly, there was another man beside her.

“Tch,” he almost instantly frowned, his tongue twisting around curses that hadn’t yet escaped his lips.

Where did this wandering man come from? Is it necessary to walk that close?

Although he knew the man’s name was Song Ming, he stubbornly referred to him as the stray man out of subjective emotion.

This wasn’t a new issue; they had been classmates in their senior year of high school, and Ji Chunxiao couldn’t forget how Song Ming always offered tender care to his wife, helping with homework and fetching water, always so gentle and considerate.

Ji Chunxiao brewed a pot of aged vinegar in his heart, prone to spill at any moment.

When jealous, he’d become especially unreasonable and demanding, forcing Chen Xu to coax and reassure him repeatedly, proving his love.

During their last spring outing before the college entrance exam, Song Ming had brought homemade mung bean cakes with milk, instantly winning over most of their classmates.

Chen Xu, for example.

Chen Xu had earnestly finished the pastry in his hand, not wasting a crumb, and had even praised it as delicious.

Ji Chunxiao exploded in anger, grabbing Chen Xu’s face and demanding he repeat himself, “Tasty, huh?”

Confused, Chen Xu didn’t understand why the young master was upset, tentatively responding, “Yes, it’s tasty.”

Ji Chunxiao felt a lump in his chest, his face clouding over, and he ignored Chen Xu for the rest of the trip.

That evening, he locked himself in the kitchen, skipping dinner, and after a lot of noise, he mysteriously presented something that nobody was allowed to see.

The next morning, the familiar deep blue lunchbox was emphatically placed on Chen Xu’s desk. The young master feigned an indifferent air as he gestured for Chen Xu to look inside.

A sticky, black mess resembling some sort of biological weapon lay inside the lunchbox.

Chen Xu was stunned. What is this?

Before he could ask, Ji Chunxiao impatiently urged him, “Try a bit.”

Chen Xu’s voice wavered. “Eat? This?”

“Yeah.”

Confidently, Ji Chunxiao had added layers of filters to himself; although the appearance wasn’t great, he had followed the recipe carefully, using specially airlifted milk and premium mung beans. The ingredients were top-notch; it couldn’t taste too bad.

This was the first time Ji Chunxiao had cooked, and he hadn’t even tasted it himself, offering it all to Chen Xu.

Ji Chunxiao watched, his face cool, thinking that once Chen Xu tried his cooking, he would never consider Song Ming’s skills significant again.

Seeing Chen Xu hesitate, Ji Chunxiao skillfully deployed his trump card, “Aren’t you willing to do anything for me? Hmm? Lying to me?”

“Eat this pastry, or it means you don’t love me.”

With those words out, Chen Xu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shoved the food into his mouth.

At the first taste, he tentatively chewed a few times, mostly relieved.

It had no strange flavors, tasting roughly like sweetened dough, though the visual assault was considerable.

As Ji Chunxiao watched Chen Xu swallow it, his mood lightened, and he challenged, “Is this tasty, or is there something else that Song made tastier?”

“Definitely Song Ming.”

Chen Xu blurted out, hesitating; not even a second would be disrespectful to Song Ming’s mung bean cakes.

But he regretted it immediately, as Ji Chunxiao’s expression visibly darkened, fury not hidden in his eyes.

“Ji Chunxiao? Don’t be angry. Maybe this restaurant just isn’t that good. Next time, I’ll either find a better place with you or cook.

Chen Xu started to soothe, but none of his words hit the mark.

Ji Chunxiao turned away, grinding his teeth in frustration.

What bad craftsmanship—he had made it himself!

Ever vengeful, Ji Chunxiao mentally flipped through his little black book, adding Song Ming’s name prominently to his list of romantic rivals.

Ji Chunxiao held a vinegar pot named “Song Ming” in his heart for five years; despite drifting apart in college, it continued to stir occasionally.

He thought he’d never have another chance to let this stray man near his wife, but unexpectedly, after being reborn and returning, he found himself preempted!

Unbearable!

Just as Chen Xu was mentally preparing his words of gratitude, someone stopped him at the entrance.

“Chen Xu.”

Looking up, he saw Ji Chunxiao on the restaurant steps, his face cold, looking down at him with evident displeasure.

“Come here.”

The young master gave the order, expecting Chen Xu to obey him—a habit he had developed over many years.

He believed Chen Xu would always obey.

However, reality once again slapped Ji Chunxiao in the face.

His obedient wife glanced at him expressionlessly and crisply refused, “Sorry, I don’t have time now; we’re going to lunch.”

With those words, Ji Chunxiao felt the fire in his heart blaze fiercer.

“…You two?” He frowned, cracking his knuckles. “What lunch are you having with him?”

“Now, come to my side immediately.”

Even today, the spoiled Ji Chunxiao struggled to accept that the current Chen Xu was completely indifferent to him.

After all, Chen Xu should have loved him unconditionally.

Before Chen Xu could reply, Song Ming spoke up, his brow furrowed, embodying the image of a righteous and kind student, starkly contrasting with Ji Chunxiao’s hostile demeanor.

Song Ming said, “Ji Chunxiao, Chen Xu isn’t some pet you can summon at will; you’d better speak to him properly.”

Ji Chunxiao was already irritated, and seeing the man he disliked, his tone was sharp: “How I treat him is none of your business!” What are you?”

The scornful words choked in his throat, interrupted by Chen Xu’s cold interjection.

For the first time, he looked at Ji Chunxiao with eyes full of anger, his tone icy. “Ji Chunxiao, stop making a scene.”

Under that gaze, Ji Chunxiao’s breath halted, his chest aching.

These eyes, when they looked at him, were always filled with tolerance and love.

Why, when given a second chance, was everything different?