She Is the Real "Coward", Are You Going to Miss Her

[Ding!]

[A brilliant move—a question laden with profound meaning makes your cultivation partner confront their true feelings!]

[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]

After answering Lin Yu’s question,

Chi Qingshui’s cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

Answering this in front of Lin Yu

kept making her recall scenes from her dream—

like a movie: rainy weather, a small hotel, drying hair…

What a coincidence. So coincidental it felt like psychological suggestion.

Even though it was her first time watching this film and she’d never read the original novel,

many of its scenes struck a deep chord within her.

Most intense was the emotion the film itself sought to convey:

If only there had been more communication, more explanations, more listening, more persistence back then…

Perhaps

youth wouldn’t have been so full of heartache, nor so many regrets that turned "blushing cheeks" into "teary eyes."

By the film’s end,

an unreleased theme song played—only a preview existed online—

Wang Fei’s "Those Fleeting Years."

The song, from the perspective of mature adults years later,

objectively recounted the golden days of youth,

voicing a regret this generation would come to understand:

You can’t simultaneously possess youth and the understanding of it.

Lin Yu: Unless you’re reborn.

As the credits rolled, Lin Yu felt a slight pang in his heart.

Back when the film left theaters, he’d watched it online,

thinking it was just an unrealistic, melodramatic love story.

Later, after starting work,

he’d occasionally dug it up as background noise for meals.

Maybe the reason it felt absurd back then

was because his own youth had been devoid of such drama.

...

The screening ended,

and the Q&A session with the creative team began.

With countless screenings nationwide, the main cast couldn’t attend every one.

At Lin Yu’s screening, only the director and screenwriter were present.

Even so, the atmosphere was lively—

this was the one segment where recording and photos were allowed.

Beside him, Chi Qingshui, like Lin Yu, wasn’t interested.

She pulled out her phone and earbuds, searching for the film’s theme song.

Amid the noisy crowd, she listened intently.

Noticing Lin Yu gesturing to his ear,

she removed her right earbud and offered it to him:

"The song from the movie... do you want to listen?"

Lin Yu took it:

"Sure, thanks."

For a moment,

the clamoring venue seemed to pause.

The ethereal voice sang through the earbuds:

"Those fleeting years—how many times did we say goodbye, only to delay it?"

"But who’s to say love wasn’t just a passionate debate?"

"Those fleeting years—how many unbearable promises did we hastily leave behind?"

"Only for others to fulfill..."

Listening to songs when feeling low makes every lyric feel personal.

Even by the film’s end,

Chi Qingshui still hadn’t figured out a solution.

She hadn’t even dared to reply to Lin Yu’s message on the "Dreaming in Rain" WeChat account.

Stealing glances at him,

she saw him leaning back in his seat like her,

eyes closed, listening intently.

Did this song make him think of someone?

If so,

it certainly wouldn’t be a "coward" like her.

Even if Lin Yu had mistaken someone else’s identity online,

at least

he was braver than her—

willing to express himself, to meet others, to try things he wasn’t good at...

Would today mark the year

they missed each other in the rush of time?

A few seats away,

Shi Yanhai hunched forward, rising slightly,

clutching a prepared question slip. Summoning courage, he wanted to give Chi Qingshui the chance.

But as he squeezed past two seats, nearing her,

the sight before him shattered all conviction—

One earbud shared between two.

A girl gazing wistfully at a boy with closed eyes.

That look made Shi Yanhai realize:

No matter how hard he tried, he’d only ever move himself.

Even if he found a six-petal lilac like Qiao Ran in the film,

or wrote an essay moving enough to sway the world,

that summer, she’d still forget him to stare at "him."

In this moment,

he truly withered.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! Timed quest completed!]

[The Fiendfire Demons and Succubus Gang have been utterly crushed! Host has successfully safeguarded an unbreakable bond with your cultivation partner!]

[Reward: 200 sect contribution points, 600 spirit stones, 1 free system mall draw!]

...

"Thank you all for coming today,"

"our film screening event has now concluded."

"Please exit in an orderly manner—both side exits are open."

"Left or right, either way works. Thank you!"

The host’s voice guided the crowd’s departure.

Onscreen, behind-the-scenes clips and the theme song played again.

Lv Rou and Wu Chuntian approached Lin Yu once more.

Throughout the film, they’d stayed quiet,

fearing Lin Yu might lose his temper and ruin everything.

Post-screening was their best chance to reclaim their "blackmail material."

"Brother Yu, any plans after the movie?"

"If not, we’d like to treat you to dinner,"

Lv Rou said gently, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Chi Qingshui.

To resolve their issue, no outsiders could be present—

this had to be a two-on-one talk with Lin Yu.

"Me?..."

Lin Yu glanced back at Chi Qingshui before answering,

"No plans. Sure, dinner sounds good."

"Where should we go?"

Chi Qingshui: "..."

That single "sure"

sent a ringing buzz through her ears.

Everything after blurred into noise.

How had things come to this?...

Wasn’t the plan to help Lin Yu brainstorm solutions?

Why had Lv Rou stayed silent the entire film,

only to invite him to dinner now?

How could she so effortlessly ask out a guy she didn’t even like?

Why...

"Qingshui? Hey, Qingshui!"

Chi Qingshui: "Huh?... Oh!"

Lin Yu: "Then I’ll go with Lv Rou. You’ll... be okay alone, right?"

Chi Qingshui: "I..."

...

(First update today. Extra chapters coming—keep the support coming for a surprise tonight!)