Chương 35: A New Beginning

Lin Che had a dream.

In his dream, he stood in the center of a pink and gold sea of stars, with flowing magical light beneath his feet, and the roars of ethereal beasts echoing in the distance.

He looked down and found himself wearing Xingshuang's dress, and Su Yuqing—no, Yinxue—was standing in front of him, her emerald green eyes filled with laughter.

"Senior~" She reached out and gently touched her chest with her fingertips, "Your heart is beating so fast."

……

Lin Che was awakened by a slight itching sensation. Morning light streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

He stared at the ceiling for two seconds before finally snapping out of that absurd dream. He groggily reached for his phone on the bedside table, but his fingertips touched a soft, warm skin.

He froze, slowly turning his head to meet a sleeping face so close to his. Su Yuqing was curled up beside him, sleeping soundly without any guard.

Her sleeping posture could only be described as a "disaster": the neckline of her pajamas was askew, revealing half of her fair shoulder; one leg was draped boldly over his waist, while the other leg dangled pitifully over the edge of the bed; the original pillow had fallen to the floor at some point, and now her cheek was pressed against his own pillow, with a suspicious trace of water still hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"... Is this girl an octopus?" he muttered to himself, but couldn't help reaching out to brush the stray hairs stuck to her cheeks.

The moment her fingertips touched his skin, Su Yuqing unconsciously rubbed against his palm, making a soft, kitten-like whimper that inexplicably softened Lin Che's heart.

"Xiao Che? Get up!" Lin Chen's knocking suddenly rang out.

"It's the first day of school, don't be late. I'll go wake Yu Qing..."

"Wait!" Lin Che sat up abruptly, almost pulling Su Yuqing off the bed. He frantically pulled the blanket over the girl, saying, "Dad, you go downstairs first! I... I'll call her right away!"

There was a two-second silence outside the door.

"... Okay, hurry up, breakfast is ready."

Hearing his father's footsteps fade into the distance, Lin Che breathed a sigh of relief. Looking down, he met a pair of mischievous eyes—Su Yuqing had woken up sometime earlier and was nestled in his arms, secretly giggling.

"Good morning~" she drawled, mimicking his flustered tone from before, "'I'll call her right away~'" Lin Che flicked her forehead expressionlessly: "Whose fault do you think this is?"

"Ouch!" Su Yuqing exaggeratedly covered her forehead.

"Domestic violence! I'm going to tell Mom!"

"Whatever." Lin Che rolled off the bed, but as he bent down to pick up the pillow from the floor, Su Yuqing pounced on him and pushed him back onto the bed.

"Gotcha!" She straddled his waist triumphantly, her pajamas slipping off her shoulders from the sudden movement.

"Who was it that said they were going to sleep on the floor yesterday? Turns out they slept like logs..."

"It's you who's sleeping like a log, isn't it?" Lin Che's ears turned red at a visible speed: "Get off."

"No~" She tilted her head, laughing like a kitten that had stolen a fish.

"I'll count to three."

"One, two, three... We're done counting!"

"You...!"

"Ouch!" A moment later, Su Yuqing covered her forehead, which had been flicked red, and pouted as she returned to her room.

Ten minutes later, Lin Che was brushing his teeth in front of the sink when a fluffy head suddenly appeared in the mirror's reflection—Su Yuqing had somehow slipped in and was standing on tiptoe, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Make way, I need to brush my teeth too," she mumbled, her mouth full of toothbrush.

Lin Che moved half a step to the side, and the two of them squeezed shoulder to shoulder in front of the not-so-spacious washbasin. Su Yuqing suddenly reached out and poked his puffed-up cheek: "Pfft, you look like a hamster now."

Foam almost spilled from the corner of his mouth. Lin Che glared at her helplessly, but only received more unrestrained teasing in return. The girl went even further and suddenly flicked her wet fingertips at his face. The sudden coolness made Lin Che squint.

He spat the foam and water from his mouth into the pool, gritting his teeth as he shouted, "Su, Yu, Qing!"

"Hehehe~" She stuck out her tongue and backed away, but bumped into the towel rack behind her. Lin Che took the opportunity to retaliate, gently wiping her nose with his foamy hand, leaving a clump of white foam.

"Ah! You're done for!" Su Yuqing screamed as she turned on the tap, scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. The water splashed on the mirror, blurring the two of them playing around.

A moment later, Lin Che turned around to get a towel to wipe himself, and Su Yuqing took the opportunity to squeeze in front of him and occupy the faucet, humming a song as she began to wash her face.

"Childish," he said softly, but reached out to roll up her sleeves that were about to get wet.

"So childish~" Su Yuqing shook the water droplets off her face, then suddenly turned around and stuffed her wet hands into his collar.

"Isn't it cold? Isn't it cold?"

"Hello!"

When the two finally came downstairs, bickering and teasing, an enticing aroma wafted from the restaurant. Su Wanyi, wearing an apron with a bear pattern, was bringing the last plate of golden omelets to the table.

The table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes: fried dumplings, steaming egg drop soup, perfectly baked sandwiches, and a fruit salad.

Xiaoye was already sitting on the chair, swinging her short legs, her cheeks bulging: "Mommy's food is delicious!" she mumbled, with a little mayonnaise still stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Lin Chen smiled and handed his wife a cup of coffee: "Thank you for your hard work, you've made so much."

"This is the first time I've made breakfast for this family, and I accidentally made too much," Su Wanyi said with a gentle smile.

"I'm glad you like it."

Su Yuqing rushed over and hugged Su Wanyi from behind: "Mom is the best!"

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Lin Che poured Xiao Ye a glass of milk, but the little girl made a face at him.

"Brother Lin Che is so long-winded~"

"Exactly, exactly," Su Yuqing immediately chimed in, "He looks like an old man."

Lin Chen suddenly coughed: "Speaking of which, how did Yuqing get used to things last night? I was so sorry for letting you move into this house and have to sleep on the floor."

"Ah..." Su Yuqing's face flushed slightly as she stole a glance at Lin Che.

"I'm... I'm alright. I slept soundly."

Lin Che smiled without saying a word, watching the culprit who had kept him up most of the night stammering an explanation. The girl noticed his gaze and secretly kicked him under the table, the force not too light or too heavy.

Xiaoye, who was standing nearby, suddenly had a brilliant idea. She drew a crooked heart on the toast with strawberry jam and insisted that Lin Che eat it: "This is a back-to-school present for my brother!"

Lin Che looked at the solid heart in the middle of the chieftain's seal, his lips twitching: "... Thank you, Xiaoye."

"Brother has to finish it all!" Su Yuqing blinked her big eyes, her face innocent and naive.

"Otherwise, it means you don't like Xiaoye!"

"What are you doing here causing trouble?" Lin Che gritted his teeth and looked at Su Yuqing, only to find that she returned a sly smile and mouthed, "We're even."

Under the watchful eyes of his family, Lin Che reluctantly took a bite. The cloyingly sweet strawberry jam instantly filled his mouth, causing him to involuntarily frown. Su Yuqing, standing beside him, laughed so hard she almost fell over, and took the opportunity to snap a picture of his contorted expression with her phone.

"Delete it."

"No! This is precious historical material!"

Lin Chen suddenly suggested, "How about we take a family photo? It'll be a memorable first day of school."

So the five of them squeezed onto the sofa, and the timer camera captured this heartwarming moment. Xiaoye sat on Lin Che's lap, Su Yuqing leaned on his shoulder, while Lin Chen and Su Wanyi stood behind them, their faces beaming with happiness.

"eggplant!"

The moment the shutter clicked, Lin Che felt someone secretly grasp his hand. He turned his head and met Su Yuqing's smiling eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over this ordinary morning.

After changing into her brand-new school uniform, Su Yuqing twirled in front of the mirror. Jiangchuan No. 1 Middle School's uniform was a dark gray suit style, with girls wearing red and black plaid skirts and boys wearing crisp trousers.

"How was it?" She raised her head proudly, her skirt tracing a graceful arc as she turned.

Lin Che subconsciously gave his assessment: "Still..."

"Dare to say 'it's alright' and I'll kill you." She narrowed her eyes, revealing a dangerous smile.

"... It's very beautiful."

Su Yuqing immediately beamed and skipped over, saying, "Your tie isn't tied properly!"

"It's up to you." Lin Che leaned over naturally, just like he had done many times before when he left for work.

"If you keep doing that, I'll strangle you." The girl habitually uttered that threat she had said countless times. She stood on tiptoe in front of Lin Che, her fingers flying nimbly, and quickly tied a perfect Windsor knot.

"Alright!" She patted his chest, then suddenly grinned mischievously, "But you really do look handsome in this school uniform, don't you?"

"You're so glib." Lin Che turned his head away.

"Stop fooling around, it's time to go."

As the morning sun shone brightly, the family of five walked happily toward Jiangchuan No. 1 Middle School, which was not far from their home, only a fifteen-minute walk away.

Xiaoye skipped and hopped ahead like a happy little deer, Lin Chen and Su Wanyi walked side by side, exchanging tender glances from time to time, while Lin Che and Su Yuqing walked at the very back in tacit understanding.

The gentle breeze of late summer caresses the roadside trees, golden ginkgo leaves flutter down, and the distant whistle of the early morning trams mingles with the chirping of birds, creating a morning symphony for the city.

On this ordinary, warm first day of school, the sunlight washed away all the gloom, leaving only the purest warmth. No one mentioned yesterday's infiltration of the virtual world, and no one recalled the fear and unease of that time.

Yes, it's just a brand new beginning.