Chapter 47

Lu Yan suddenly widened her eyes, in disbelief, unable to accept what she was reading…

When Shen Kuo said that sentence during a live interview, just an hour later, the topic of #Shen Kuo’s Girlfriend# had quickly surged to the top of the trending searches.

He was one of the few people outside the entertainment industry whose name constantly appeared on trending lists, with a level of fame comparable to that of ^[1]Jack Ma is a Chinese entrepreneur and the co-founder of Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest e-commerce and technology conglomerates. He is known for his significant role in the … Continue readingJack Ma.

On the trending list, netizens were going crazy, unable to imagine that someone like Shen Kuo, a cold and indifferent man, had once had a girlfriend, and even more so, had vowed to never marry for her.

Obviously, that girl wasn’t with him anymore.

They couldn’t imagine what kind of woman would turn down someone like Shen Kuo.

At the time, when Lu Yan saw this news, she didn’t pay much attention. Because of her dad’s bankruptcy, she viewed this man through a lens of prejudice, seeing him as an unforgivable villain, thinking that everything he said was just for show, all fake…

But now, Lu Yan knew that Shen Kuo never lied. He lived more authentically than anyone else, and he kept his promises…

A promise is a promise.

So, the “girlfriend” he promised, could it be her?!

Lu Yan felt as if her brain was spinning, how could this be? How could the Shen Kuo of her past life know the Shen Kuo now? No, she definitely didn’t know him…

While she was lost in confusion, Shen Kuo walked over, gently tapped the back of her head, and softly asked, “What are you thinking?”

“Mm, nothing.”

Nothing.

Lu Yan quickly convinced herself that it was probably a coincidence.

In her past life, Shen Kuo didn’t know her at all. Perhaps he was just fulfilling a promise made to another girl. After all, for a man like him, a promise was a lifetime commitment.

It was also possible that some other naïve, innocent girl had asked him the same cheesy question like she had.

Yeah, that must be it.

She reassured herself with that thought, but just then, a rumbling sound came from the distance.

Shen Kuo immediately jumped off the tracks, took Lu Yan’s hand, and walked down the steps. They sat on the crooked tree trunk by the tracks, watching the green train rumble toward them from the end of the tracks.

These green trains were rarely seen in Lu Yan’s time. Most of her travel was by high-speed white trains, and she had never ridden a green train like this.

The train sped by, and she could vaguely see the crowded passengers inside, some carrying large bags, some going out to work, others returning home to visit family…

Lu Yan couldn’t really imagine what it would be like to be packed into a train with such poor conditions, traveling for such long distances. It was terrifying, really.

But in this era, this kind of hardship seemed to be a way of life.

Her parents’ generation, excluding her bastard father, like Shen Kuo’s generation, had truly endured hardships.

Of course, later, Lu Zhen left home and also faced a lot of hardship, experiencing the struggles of life.

Now that Lu Yan had been reborn, she was trying to understand him, to learn about him.

“This train, where is it going?” Lu Yan turned to Shen Kuo and asked.

Shen Kuo gazed at the departing train, his eyes carrying an indescribable meaning, “To the south.”

“Oh.”

Lu Yan nodded. She had grown up in the northern city, and because she was a homebody, she rarely traveled. Even when she did go out, it was usually just to nearby cities or the countryside.

She only had a vague, conceptual impression of the south and had never experienced it for herself.

“Shen Kuo, have you been to the south?”

Shen Kuo shook his head. “I heard it doesn’t snow in the south during the winter.”

“And the trees stay green. Can you imagine walking down a street full of green branches in the winter? They must not know what it feels like to experience temperatures below minus twenty degrees.”

Shen Kuo asked her, “Would you like to go to the south and see it?”

“Mm…”

She wouldn’t be interested in going by herself, but if he was with her… she would go anywhere.

Lu Yan nodded eagerly.

Shen Kuo suggested, “After the college entrance exams, I’ll take you to the south.”

“Okay!”

Lu Yan also stepped onto the tracks, resting her elbow on Shen Kuo’s shoulder. She gazed at the last bit of the train’s shadow in the distance and suddenly shouted, “Wait for us!”

Shen Kuo’s ears were shaken by her shout. He rubbed his ears and helplessly turned to look at her.

Her cheeks were flushed, and the excitement in her beautiful peach blossom eyes shone through as she shouted toward the distant mountains and the setting sun, “I want to grow up quickly! I want to go to university with Shen Kuo!”

“Why are you shouting so loud?”

“Because it has to be loud to release the passion!”

Shen Kuo raised an eyebrow in helplessness. This little girl… she really could be unpredictable.

She pushed Shen Kuo playfully. “Come on, shout with me.”

“No.”

It was too silly. Shen Kuo couldn’t lower his pride. He wasn’t like Lu Zhen, who was the type to do childish things.

“Come on, just shout,” Lu Yan coaxed. “There’s no one around.”

“You’re still a person.”

“I’m your person! I won’t make fun of you.”

Shen Kuo’s lips curled into a faint smile. Her words struck a chord in his heart.

Right. She was his person.

Seeing that he wouldn’t let go of his pride and wasn’t willing to let loose, Lu Yan stopped pushing him and continued shouting—

“I’ll help Lu Zhen chase after the girl he likes!”

“I’ll work hard to get into Q University! I’ll go to the same university as Shen Kuo! I’ll work hard!”

Suddenly, Shen Kuo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “I’ve fallen in love with someone!”

Lu Yan froze, shocked, and turned to look at him.

Shen Kuo’s expression was serious, his dark eyes reflecting the fiery sunset as he shouted to the sky and the distant horizon—

“For a lifetime.”

For some reason, Lu Yan’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.

She would never forget that sunset, where a boy, standing on the empty tracks, shouted to the sky…

For a lifetime.

In her youth, most of her peers wouldn’t easily say “I love you.” The word “love” had become something outdated, and uncool.

If someone said “I love you,” the response would likely be a laugh, followed by a joke or “stop joking,” with goosebumps all over.

But now, at this moment, Shen Kuo, who had always been silent and steady, was confessing his deep feelings to her in this way.

Lu Yan just wanted to cry.

She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes, muttering, “You… why are you shouting such things?”

Shen Kuo, rarely letting go of his composure, hadn’t expected his shout to make her cry. He immediately began to reflect… Maybe he had overstepped.

They had just gotten together, and here he was thinking about “a lifetime,” which might have scared her.

Shen Kuo awkwardly fumbled in his bag and pulled out a tissue, his hands trembling—

“Don’t cry.”

Lu Yan didn’t take the tissue, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her coat, turning her back to him. “What ‘lifetime’…”

“If you don’t want to,” he said, “then forget it.”

“I…”

Her words stuck in her throat, and her face turned even redder.

What a fool!

“I don’t usually promise people anything, and I don’t easily fall for someone.”

He lowered his head and explained calmly, “Being with you, I’m thinking of a lifetime.”

“You’re still young, and you’ll encounter many other experiences in life. I’m just expressing my feelings for you, but I won’t limit you, because…”

He had nothing now, only a heart that wasn’t worth much, offering it to her.

So humble.

Even though Lu Yan was usually oblivious, she could still sense Shen Kuo’s self-doubt deeply.

Her heart ached, sweet and bitter, and she reached out to grasp the corner of his shirt, softly saying, “Then I’ll promise you too. No matter what the future holds, Shen Kuo, you’ll always be my one and only.”

The No. 3 middle school in Beicheng placed great importance on its school anniversary, especially since this year marked its twentieth anniversary. It was said that many well-known alumni had received invitations and would come to watch the school’s cultural performances.

Beicheng’s No. 3 High School has cultivated numerous outstanding students across various fields over the years, making it a place of excellence. The school has an impressive history museum, which includes an exhibition hall dedicated to photos of its outstanding alumni.

Lu Yan knew that many years from now, Shen Kuo’s photo would also be displayed there, and it would be placed at the very top.

From a young age, Shen Kuo had been alone. Yet, as time passed, he earned great glory and became the pride of everyone.

In addition to the alumni returning to campus, leaders from the provincial Department of Education would also attend Beicheng No. 3 High School’s anniversary celebration.

After all, Beicheng No. 3 High School was the top school in the province in terms of college admission rates.

Therefore, the teachers placed great importance on this year’s anniversary cultural performance, requiring students to stay after school every day for exhausting practice.

The students, of course, were complaining, saying it was all meaningless, just a show for the school’s image, and it wasn’t fun at all.

Lu Yan didn’t say much. She just focused on her own tasks, practicing the piece over and over until it was perfect.

What she learned from Shen Kuo was that whenever you promised to do something, regardless of whether you liked it or not, you had to do it earnestly and strive to do your best.

She also wanted to become a better version of herself so she could be worthy of the future, outstanding Shen Kuo, who was as dazzling as a diamond.

That afternoon, after practice, Jian Yao pulled Lu Yan out of the campus and took her to a small garden across the street. It seemed like she had something to whisper to her.

“Little Yan, do you want to do something big during the anniversary celebration?”

Lu Yan saw the mischievous gleam in Jian Yao’s beautiful almond eyes and knew she was up to something.

To some extent, Lu Yan’s parents were no slouches either, each one could cause quite a ruckus.

Lu Yan asked curiously, “What do you want to do?”

“Those boring songs are no fun. Just listen to me. Let’s sing half of it, then switch to another song and get the crowd hyped up.”

Lu Yan had known that someone like Jian Yao, a cool girl, wouldn’t be content with just following along with boring songs.

“What song do you want to sing?”

Jian Yao didn’t name the song but began to hum softly, “If the sea could bring back the love we once had, then let me wait for you my whole life…”

Zhang Yusheng’s “The Sea,” a classic pop song that was immensely popular at the time and touched a generation of young people.

“‘Night at the Naval Port’ is also about the sea, and ‘The Sea’ is about the sea too. They’re both the same type of song,” Jian Yao said.

Lu Yan was speechless. “Completely different, okay?”

“Trust me, if we sing this song in a choir, it’ll be amazing!”

Lu Yan could already picture the grand scene of the students making a ruckus, overturning the roof in excitement.

Seeing Lu Yan hesitate, Jian Yao urged, “Everyone else has agreed. We’re just waiting for you to give the nod.”

Lu Yan thought for a moment, then turned to Jian Yao and said, “I don’t agree.”

Jian Yao didn’t expect her to refuse and asked in surprise, “Why not? Why don’t you agree?”

“I think… it’s not a good idea.”

She shook her head and said reluctantly, “It’ll put the school leaders in a difficult position, and then the teachers from the cultural and entertainment department will be implicated. They might even take it out on us in the choir.”

Jian Yao replied nonchalantly, “What’s the big deal? If they’re angry, let them be. I just love seeing Old Zhou get all worked up. It’s so fun.”

Before she was reborn, Lu Yan had been just like Jian Yao at sixteen, always liking to go against the teachers, teasing them, and enjoying seeing them get flustered. Whenever there were troublemakers at school planning something bad, she’d definitely want to join in.

But now, after being reborn, she felt like she was starting to grow up. She began to think about others, to empathize, and to consider things from other people’s perspectives…

Her mother was still in her rebellious stage.

Lu Yan said to her, “I won’t be a part of this.”

Jian Yao couldn’t believe it. “I didn’t expect you to be so cowardly!”

Lu Yan wasn’t being cowardly. She just didn’t want her impulsiveness to cause others to get punished. Since Teacher Zou had entrusted her with the chance to perform the piano instead of Shu Mengfei, it was a trust that shouldn’t be betrayed.

“If you’re going to do this, then I’ll quit.”

“No, don’t.”

Jian Yao panicked. “What do you mean ‘quit’? We’re already at this point! Fine, fine, we won’t do it.”

She rubbed Lu Yan’s head, jokingly saying, “My girl really is such a good baby.”

Lu Yan looked at Jian Yao with suspicion, feeling that someone as quirky as her mother wouldn’t easily give up on her plan like that.

“I really won’t do it. If you’re going to do it, find someone else.”

“No, no, we’ll respect your opinion.”

“Really?”

“Really, really! Hey, do you want to eat some cold shrimp? I’ll treat you.”

Seeing her half-hearted attitude, Lu Yan got anxious. “I’m serious, don’t do this. If you pull a surprise attack, I’ll be scared to death.”

“Why are you whining so much? Didn’t I agree already? Let’s just sing the song well, perform our ‘Night at the Naval Port,’ and stop complaining.”

She sat under a young willow tree that had just sprouted new buds, eating cold shrimp while the evening breeze blew gently, softly humming, “Sea breeze, blow gently, sea waves, rock gently, young sailors work so hard…”

While humming the melody of “Night at the Naval Port,” she rested her arm on Lu Yan’s slim, narrow shoulder, smiling brightly.

Looking at her mother at this moment, Lu Yan thought about how full of life she was, how passionate her youth was… but why did she have to leave?

Lu Yan silently swore to protect her mother and never let anything bad happen to her.

On the day of the anniversary, the school’s grand auditorium was bustling with people. The leaders sat in the first two rows, the alumni in the third and fourth rows, and the dozens of rows behind were filled with students, making a noisy scene.

Lu Yan hid behind the curtains, secretly watching the auditorium. The leaders in the front rows were dressed in suits and sitting upright with serious expressions.

Among the alumni behind them, she occasionally saw some familiar faces—top professionals from various fields in the next decade or more, including even some celebrities from the entertainment industry.

With such a grand lineup, Lu Yan couldn’t help feeling nervous.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of the stage, but she was worried that Jian Yao might cause some trouble.

Before the performance, Jian Yao had called out all the girls from the choir to the backstage preparation room, except for Lu Yan. Lu Yan immediately guessed that Jian Yao was planning something.

Being her daughter really was… having to worry about her dad, and now she had to worry about her mother as well.

Life was so hard.

During a brief moment when no one was in the makeup room, Shen Kuo entered wearing a black cap and walked over to Lu Yan’s table, asking, “Are you ready?”

“Pretty much ready, but… I just have a bad feeling.”

“What’s wrong?”

She nodded her head towards the door. “I feel like they’re hiding something from me, planning something…”

Shen Kuo smiled faintly. “Looks like you’ve been left out.”

“Yeah, we don’t think alike, so I’ve been left out too.”

He sat down at the makeup table and gently rubbed her head. “Since we’re here, just relax.”

Before he finished speaking, the sound of girls laughing and chatting came from the door. Seeing that Shen Kuo was still in the room, Lu Yan quickly said, “Uh-oh, don’t let them see, or they’ll start gossiping.”

Shen Kuo saw a dressing room nearby and pulled Lu Yan into it, closing the door behind them.

The dressing room was tiny, only about one square meter, and the two of them standing together made the space feel cramped.

Standing face to face, Lu Yan could see Shen Kuo’s broad shoulders, neck, and chest.

He was wearing a dark-colored T-shirt, and beneath it, she could clearly make out the outline of his collarbones. His skin was a healthy tan.

Lu Yan’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Actually… there was no need to hide. Shen Kuo could easily leave, and they wouldn’t have anything to say. But being alone in such a cramped space—if anyone found out, it would be hard to explain.

Shen Kuo’s hand gently rested on Lu Yan’s back, and she could even feel the contours of her butterfly bones through her clothes.

He lowered his gaze and saw the girl’s trembling eyelashes, her flushed earlobes, and her soft, obedient lips… Suddenly, he felt a surge of heat.

Lu Yan could clearly feel the hand on her back, which had slightly increased in pressure, no longer just holding her naturally but more like… caressing.

In the ambiguous atmosphere, a hint of romantic tension unexpectedly arose.

Lu Yan’s heart raced, and just then, Jian Yao’s voice came from outside: “Where’s Little Yan? How did she disappear all of a sudden?”

“Her makeup bag is still on the table, but where is she?”

One of the girls guessed, “Could it be that we were talking about something and didn’t call her, so she got mad?”

At that moment, a teacher came by to urge them: “Choir, get ready, your performance is coming up. Go to the waiting area and prepare.”

The girls started to get anxious: “Where could she have gone?”

Jian Yao said, “Who has a phone? Call her.”

“I have it, I have it. What’s Lu Yan’s number?”

“1892333.”

Flustered, Lu Yan quickly pulled out her phone, but it was already too late. The phone rang with a “ding.”

“…”

All the girls turned to look at the dressing room.

Jian Yao walked to the dressing room door and gently knocked. “Lu Yan, are you in there?”

“I… I’m in here, just changing clothes…”

Before she could finish, Shen Kuo reached out and covered her mouth.

Great. Now it would be even harder to explain.

Jian Yao called out, “Okay, hurry up, we’re waiting for you. It’s almost time to go on stage.”

Lu Yan, panicking, silently mouthed to Shen Kuo, “What should we do?”

Shen Kuo licked his dry lips and shrugged.

There really… was no way out.

After another two minutes of delay, the girls outside started getting impatient: “Lu Yan, what are you doing? We need to get ready.”

“Almost there!”

Shen Kuo helplessly took off his cap and placed it on Lu Yan’s head, pulling the brim low, then opened the door and walked out.

The girls watched, wide-eyed, as Shen Kuo, expressionless, emerged from the dressing room.

Jian Yao, sitting on a chair, almost fell off when she saw him.

Shen Kuo didn’t explain anything. He walked out of the makeup room with large strides, leaving a group of girls in shock, staring at the slightly open dressing room door…