Reincarnation: From Opressed Missy to Campus Belle

“Eat slowly, “Han Zixin said as he looked at the glutton sipping the soup as if someone was going to snatch it from her.

An Xiulan slowed down and gave him an embarrassed smile. “You are an amazing cook. It tastes delicious.”

“I didn’t cook. I ordered it from a restaurant, “Han Zixin replied.

“Same thing, “An Xiulan said as she began eating fast once again. As she finished the big bowl of chicken soup and cleaned her mouth with the back of her hand, he said, “I will be leaving for another city for a couple of days.”

“When will you be back?” An Xiulan questioned.

“I can’t tell you that, “Han Zixin said.

“Then, will you drop me at the office?” An Xiulan inquired, staring at him.

“Put those big brothers to good use, “It was what Han Zixin replied. It was at the same time his phone began and the name Chen Jiayi was flashing on the screen. He took his phone and went out of the room to take the call, making her suspicious.

Who was so special that he couldn’t talk in front of her? This question only made her frustrated. When he came back to the room after twenty minutes, he told her that she could use the guest room as it was ready. It was only now did she realize that she had been lying on his bed and quickly stood up to leave. This whole scene felt a lot weird and awkward for the two of them and they didn’t know how to remove this awkwardness between them.

The following day, An Qinyan saw the three children entering the house holding their heads.

“You all are in your mid-twenties and do I still need to tell you to put a hold on your drinking habits?” An Qinyan asked with a sigh. She looked at Lu Xuan who still looked as if he was drunk and said, “You said you will take care of your sister but I don’t think you can even hold your own self.” Looking at Gu Shangyan, she added, “Shangyan, you are the eldest and most sensible one. Why did you not stop them from drinking so much? They can’t even stand on their feet.”

“Sorry, Auntie, “Gu Shangyan mumbled as he lowered his head. He was just as smashed as the two of them but he just looked a little better as it was not the first time he was dealing with the after-effects of the hangover.

An Qinyan sighed. “You are not young anymore. You guys know what you are doing.” She looked at An Xiulan who was biting on the steamed bun while sitting at the breakfast table. “Young lady, where were you last night? I know you were not with your brothers because if you were, they would have brought you home.”

An Xiulan innocently looked at her mother and said, “Mom, I was a little drunk…Han Zixin brought me to his place.”

An Qinyan gaped at her. “What did I tell you about not going home with any guy when drunk? Do you have any sense of crisis or not?”

“Mom, he is not just any guy but Han Zixin, “An Xiulan said. “He is my best friend.”

“I know he is your best friend but he is a guy too, “An Qinyan said. “I know he is a good kid but there is nothing wrong with informing home that you are drunk and we should pick you up. Lanlan, you are no longer young but you still make me worry about you. I know this sounds like I’m having double standards but it’s not safe for you to be drunk and go home with a guy.”

“Trust me, nothing happened between us, “An Xiulan said, pinching her neck as if she was swearing on her life.

“What could even happen between the two of you?” Lu Xuan asked, narrowing his eyes on her.

“None of your business, “An Xiulan said with a huff.

….

Song Xueyun returned to her house after a long and tiring shift. Although she had quit her job, she needed to give a two-week notice and had to hand over her work to the person succeeding her. It was not like she wanted to stay in that shitty company but it sucked when they didn’t even try to stop her as she was packing her stuff to leave for home.

As she opened the door to her apartment, an aroma of delicious food entered her nostrils and she realised that she has not eaten a decent meal this whole week. She had been surviving on ramen noodles and now her body was craving for something real or it might collapse anytime soon.

“You are home. Come inside, the dinner is just ready, “Han Nanxian said with a smile, playing the role of a perfect housekeeper.

“Aren’t you taking the role of housemate quite seriously?” Song Xueyun questioned.

Han Nanxian gave her his best puppy eyes. It took a lot of time to convince her to let him be her housemate as she lived in a huge house. He reminded her that she lost her job and it was not going to be easy for her to pay rent for such a big apartment in Shanghai without a job.

As much as she hated staying with him, she had no other option. Before she would receive a reply from Li Sicheng’s company, she couldn’t leave Shanghai. She had to put on her big girl’s pants and deal with the problems that life had thrown at her. Even if it meant living under the same roof as Han Nanxian. Actually, it wasn’t that bad to live with him. At least, he fed her good food.

“What did you cook?” Song Xueyun asked as she took a seat at the dining table.

“I made a couple of dishes, “Han Nanxian said, suppressing a smile.

“You dare to call this feast just a couple of dishes?” Song Xueyun asked as she looked at the dishes arranged on the dining table. She could see egg rolls with meat, wontons, a couple of vegetables, stir fry dishes, different types of chicken dishes and then there was sweet and sour pork. As if it was not enough, he arrived with a pot of soup.

“Nanxian, are you throwing a feast?” Song Xueyun couldn’t help but ask.

Han Nanxian laughed. “I think the occasion calls for a feast.”

“What is the occasion?” Song Xueyun asked.

Han Nanxian took a step towards her. She could feel his breath on her face as he said, “You left your shitty job. Doesn’t it call for a feast?”

“You!” Song Xueyun was about to punch him but he caught a small piece of paper stuck in her hair and she felt like digging a hole and hiding there. Why does she have to embarrass herself in front of him all the time?

“Come have some food, “Han Nanxian said as he pulled a chair for her like a gentleman. He would not call himself a gentleman who would treat women with utmost gentleness. No, he was not saying that he was rude to the fairer sex. It was just that his gentleness was reserved for some people and this woman topped the list.

“What’s the plan after resignation?” Han Nanxian ended up asking even though he knew that he should not.

“Can’t I just rest at home for a few months?” Song Xueyun questioned.

“You can, “Han Nanxian nodded his head. “But you won’t. You have this obsession of always working hard to give a comfortable life to your parents even though they don’t need it.”

“You know nothing about my life, “Song Xueyun retorted.

“I know enough, “Han Nanxian said. “We may not be in contact all these years but I do know what kind of people your parents are. They wouldn’t want you to burn out yourself to give them a good life. They don’t take money from you, do they?” Seeing the blank look on his face, he continued, “So, you try to spend on them by gifting them vacation cards and other gifts. I think you should stop doing it and focus a little on your life or one day will come when you will be so exhausted that you will begin blaming them for your miserable life.”

“A gentle reminder, “Song Xueyun smiled. “You are overstepping your boundaries again.”

Han Nanxian raised his hands in the air and said, “I apologise.”

“It’s not like an apology can change anything, “Song Xueyun said with a bitter smile.

“I know, “Han Nanxian said with a sad smile. “Tell me, what can I do to change everything?”

Song Xueyun feigned to ponder for a while and then she said, “Turn back the time? And erase yourself from my life?”

Han Nanxian fell silent. He could do neither of the said things and even if he could, he would not do that.

Sometimes, it is just better to have painful past memories because without them we won’t value happy memories.