I'm home

By the time Yang Jian managed to get out of the shop, Xu Jiao had already boarded the bus; he swallowed down the cough caused by the bus exhaust gas that was sprayed all over his face, an embarrassed expression flashing past his eyes. Yu Min who walked after him saw all of this but didn't say anything, instead opting to stare thoughtfully in the direction where the bus turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

"She was acting a bit off…" She said matter of factly.

"Ah? Ah, yes… You're right…" Yang Jian stammered out with difficulty, trying to push back the earlier embarrassment. Only in front of this person, only before her, he always wants to look perfect.

[Why was that idiot acting so unreasonable?] He thought, a hint of resentment emerging in his heart, [So embarrassing!]

Yu Min lowered her lashes seeing the humiliated expression that appeared on the young man's face, her lips curling slightly.

[This jerk dared to treat me like this just because of what that woman said… Who does he think he is?]

"Anyway, I think we should go home too… It's getting late."

"Yes, yes…. Then, I'll call a taxi and drop you off?"

[At least he has his uses.]

Yu Min gently smiled in acceptance to the delight of Yang Jian; now he can accompany the beauty for some more time, and it can be considered a gain. As for Xu Jiao, he'll deal with her later. He only needs to coax her a bit, and she'll be easily mouldable like putty in his hands.

***

Xu Jiao sat on a roadside bench after getting off the bus, her eyes closed in meditative contemplation. Hundreds and maybe thousands of people walked past her; adults getting off work, students going home after school, some finishing their shopping trips, each one of them looking busier than ants. Occasionally, some leisurely amblers could be seen out in the open; probably to enjoy the bustling nightlife of K city.

Once in a while, one or two people in the busy crowd would throw a glance at her, but none paused to wonder why such a young girl was sitting by the road at this time of the day looking like a monk. There were weirder things happening in the world after all.

Xu Jiao was pleasantly surprised by the way she handled her meeting with Yu Min and Yang Jian earlier, especially given her reaction the day before. She had fretted the whole day, since who'd be happy to meet the two people who had worked together to destroy her life, nearly sucking it dry until she had been nothing but an empty husk devoid of any sort of liveliness, and one whose only escape was death and nothing else but death?

Admittedly, she herself had let others play with her life as they wished, hiding behind a wall of cowardice and fears. And by the time she realized the error of her ways it had been too late. She couldn't change it, nor did she possess the courage to change it.

She knew that crediting everything that happened before her rebirth onto the accounts of these two is unfair and useless as those things were what their future selves had done. And even if she took her revenge on the two of them, would that erase the acts done by 'those two of that life' which had hounded her till her death?

Feeling utterly lost and confused, Xu Jiao looked around to see that dusk has gradually settled over the city without her realizing.

[Why was I even sent back in time in the first place? Is there any point in taking revenge on these two people?]

She had been thinking about this problem while meeting Yang Jian and Yu Min and is still thinking about it, but an answer to this question doesn't seem to be in sight.

[Is it simply so that I can change my life and forget the past grievances? But… I hate them so much!]

She's no villain nor is she some saint. Having been wronged to such levels, is it even possible for a normal human being to not hold any grudges? She might be timid, cowardly, and always try to go along with what others are saying. But that doesn't mean she will take each and everything dished to her while lying down!

But… but, for the sake of the gospel that she had been granted this second chance at life, by some unknown entity or force in this world -and yeah, she's finally willing to think of this as some supernatural entity or force-, she'd give these two a single chance; no more no less.

[Yang Jian, Yu Min… This big sister will give the two of you a single chance, but only this one. Today's meeting can be considered as the starting point… I'll distance myself from the two of you, no need to play so many games… And cut off our relationship from this moment onwards. After all, I'm not as unreasonable as the two of you, and for everything that happened in our past, I'm also partly to be blamed.]

[But, if either of you still insists on getting in my way… Heh! Then later don't blame me for being harsh and cruel!] After all, she is not the holy mother, and there is only so much she can take.

***

"Uncle… can you wrap them up?"

"Ok ok… Give me a minute!" The food stall owner wiped the sweat pouring from his forehead using the cloth slung over his shoulder while turning over the contents in the wok. The fragrance from the food cooking on the stove was enticing, attracting the attention of many passers-by, the scene incomparably bustling.

After the enthusiastic but extremely busy stall owner gave her the two boxes of beef noodles, Xu Jiao paid and left the stall, determined to get home before it gets too late.

[But… is this enough for that kid? She seems to eat rather a lot?]

Wu Man, that child, is a heavy eater despite her rather lanky build; apparently, whatever she eats goes to strengthen her bones and muscles, but not to fill up her flesh after all.

[Nevermind, if it's not enough, I can share some from mine ne… After all, I don't eat that much.]

By the time she reached the old house, it was nearly seven o'clock in the evening and the surroundings were already cloaked by darkness. Some of the still-functioning street lamps feebly lightened up the rather narrow street with their flickering lights, while the houses on both sides of it would occasionally have rays of dim yellow or brighter blue lights pouring out of them.

All in all, the street wasn't as gloomy as one would have imagined it to be at night, and conversations and laughter mingled with the sounds from televisions could be heard intermittently, giving an indescribable feeling of security and warmth.

For the past few days, Xu Jiao had gotten to know some of the tenants living on this street, with most of them beings elderly, hence answering her doubts on why this type of dilapidated place has a rather peaceful atmosphere pervading it.

Many of these people had been living here since they were children, and some of their houses are even older than them, repaired and annexed with many later add-ons here and there; just like the house of grandma Sun, which had been built by her late husband's parents, even before he was born.

By now, the children of most of these people have moved away, but they still remain here stubbornly, unwilling to leave the place that had been their home for decades. Not that anyone can blame them exactly; humans are creatures who seek novelty for the thrill of it while simultaneously attached to the comfort offered by familiarity.

[But, they have a lot of interesting old stories and experiences to tell… Maybe, I can use them as background material for my books?]

Going over to greet grandma Sun who was preparing dinner and receiving a dish of piping hot stir-fried vegetables for her troubles, Xu Jiao thanked her and carefully went upstairs borrowing the light from the nearby streetlamp. Opening the door, she was greeted with a scent that suspiciously felt like grilled skewers? Wu Man sitting at the table and browsing her phone looked up and smiled brightly, the expression on her face appearing a bit silly.

"Little Jiao, you're here… Welcome back!"

Oblivious to the way she stiffened up, the other girl prattled on happily while pointing at an oily-looking parcel on the table.

"I brought some skewers to eat… Here's your share." Looking rather dolefully yet still determined, Wu Man looked away from the parcel to witness the somewhat unreadable expression on her roommate's face.

"You… You don't like skewers?" Seeing the half-disappointed and half-hopeful expression on her face Xu Jiao suddenly wanted to laugh, but she still pretended to be oblivious.

"I like them, who doesn't?" Seeing the others' expression that turned downcast at her few words, looking comically like a puppy who was deprived of a favorite treat, she laughed out loud, not able to contain her amusement any longer. Wu Man was startled at first, but upon realizing that her friend saw through her, her slightly freckled face turned bright red due to embarrassment.

"Y-You…. You're laughing at me ah! I'm mad! I didn- huh?"

"Beef noodles. Let's share, ok?"

[Still a bit angry… But-but, it smells so good]

"Ok, ok… Don't be angry anymore. I can't eat all of this, so let's share? You can have a bigger portion!" Feeling tickled at the extremely torn expression on her roommate's face, Xu Jiao tried to coax her a little bit more. "You know I eat very little, right?"

"Ah, my hands are oily! I'll go wash them and get the plates... You sit for a bit."

The smiling expression on her face gradually dropping once the other girl disappeared into the bathroom, she sat at the table with a frown marring her forehead. It had been the first time ever that someone had greeted her once she reached home, in both this life and the past one.

Unbeknown to Xu Jiao, the expression in her glass-like brown eyes softened, while her whole demeanor showed quiet contentment. Looking around the empty room full of the scent of food, she whispered to no one in particular.

"I'm home."