Chapter 20: He Comes, She Leaves

Jiang Ning had been a member of the school basketball team in her past life.

In this life, though she was physically weaker, her agility and flexibility far exceeded her past self.

This gave her an inexplicable dexterity when dribbling.

Before long, she had scored three baskets, winning the game with a 3-1 score.

“Chen Lan, how was that?”

Ignoring the cheers around her, Jiang Ning held the ball and smiled at her classmate.

“Boss Lady, you’re badass!”

“I admit defeat!”

Chen Lan gave her a thumbs-up.

Jiang Ning chuckled, tossed the ball back, and said, “I’m done warming up. You guys carry on, I’m going to rest.”

With that, she turned down several challenges for one-on-one matches and walked toward the group of girls.

As soon as she got there, a few girls dragged her into their midst.

“Jiang Jiang! Seriously, is there anything you can’t do?”

Luo Shanshan looked exasperated, but admiration shone in her eyes.

“Come on now,” Jiang Ning replied earnestly, “I still can’t recite Rainy Alley by heart…”

The girls hadn’t expected her to bring up a Chinese literature text and froze for a moment.

Then, they all burst into laughter.

Their cheerful voices caught the attention of many young men around them.

And so, the PE class ended on a lively note.

Nighttime

After evening self-study, Jiang Ning and Luo Shanshan walked through the dimly lit campus, heading out.

As they walked, they whispered to each other—sometimes about the day’s lessons, sometimes gossiping about classmates.

It was then that they passed the school’s basketball court.

Unexpectedly, they saw a tall boy playing alone under the night sky.

The sound of the ball bouncing—thump, thump, thump—made Jiang Ning itch to play.

But remembering that she was a girl and in a hurry to go home, she dismissed the thought.

She grabbed Luo Shanshan’s arm and kept walking.

But Luo Shanshan suddenly stopped, pointing at the boy and whispering,

“Jiang Jiang, do you know who that is? That’s Tao Tao from Class 9 of Senior Year 1.”

“He’s 182 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and is a full-on athletic hottie.”

“Plus, I heard his family is super rich. They even sponsored a lab in the school’s experimental building.”

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow at her friend. “How do you know all this?”

If she didn’t already know Luo Shanshan was a pure-hearted fangirl, she’d think the girl had a crush.

“The lab has a plaque. Sun Qian told me about it…”

Ah, that made sense.

Sun Qian was the real simp.

If you wanted intel on handsome guys, she was the one to ask.

She also had… peculiar interests.

Once, she even asked Jiang Ning if she wanted an eight-pack-abs delivery service.

Jiang Ning had responded with a blank stare.

Then she had pinned Sun Qian down on a desk until the girl begged for mercy, finally giving up on that ridiculous idea.

That said…

Sun Qian did have a rather impressive figure.

Soft and bouncy.

She just didn’t know about the shape…

Fifteen Minutes Later

As soon as Jiang Ning arrived home, a strong smell of alcohol hit her.

She frowned.

Lowering her head, she scanned the floor.

Sure enough, an oily pair of leather shoes lay scattered by the shoe cabinet.

Then, from the bathroom, came the sound of dry heaving.

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached.

Jiang Ning looked up.

It was her mother.

Seeing her, her mother’s expression turned slightly awkward.

“Ning Ning, you’re back?”

“Uh, your uncle drank too much…”

“He didn’t have his house key, so I…”

“Alright, I get it.”

Jiang Ning sighed, cutting her mother off.

Then, without another word, she turned, opened the door, and walked out.

Just before she shut the door behind her, she said softly,

“Remember to lock my room door.”

With that, she left without looking back.

From the moment she had opened the door to the moment she left, her mother never once apologized.

Never once asked her to stay.

But Jiang Ning was used to it.

It had always been like this.

In her past life—

He came, he left.

In this life—

He comes, she leaves.

Aunt’s Place

Jiang Ning headed straight to her aunt’s house.

As soon as she knocked, the door opened a crack, revealing her aunt’s warm smile.

“You’re here? The bed’s already made. Go wash up first.”

Her aunt was still as gentle as ever.

But it was a mystery why Tian Wenhao, her cousin, had been such a reckless troublemaker in her past life.

“Okay, thanks, Auntie!”

Jiang Ning called sweetly, set her schoolbag down, and went to the bathroom.

Her aunt’s apartment wasn’t big, just around seventy or eighty square meters.

Back when her uncle and cousin were still around, she had thought about moving to a bigger place.

But after her uncle passed away and her cousin left for college, she had never mentioned it again.

Still, even if her aunt didn’t bring it up, Jiang Ning wouldn’t forget.

She hadn’t been capable in her past life, but in this one, she would make sure everyone who had been kind to her lived well.

Later

Jiang Ning stepped out of the bathroom wearing the pajamas her aunt had prepared.

She found her aunt sitting and watching TV.

Hearing her come out, her aunt turned and smiled warmly.

“Come have an apple before bed.”

“High school is much harder than middle school. Studying must be tiring.”

“Your cousin used to stay up late reading every night, so I always cut him an apple for a little extra nutrition.”

“If your mom hadn’t called me so late, I would’ve made you some chicken soup.”

At this, her aunt sighed and muttered,

“Ning Ning, I hope you don’t mind me nagging.”

“I just want what’s best for you…”

Jiang Ning smiled, walked over, plopped down on the couch, and grabbed an apple.

“Auntie, keep going. I don’t mind at all.”

She leaned against her aunt, her gaze drifting to the TV screen.

In her past life, she had wanted to do this—to just sit and watch TV with her aunt.

But back then, as a young man, she had felt too self-conscious, afraid she’d be called clingy.

This time, it was different.

She was a girl now—so what if she clung to her aunt?

And so, Jiang Ning leaned against her aunt, watching a melodramatic TV drama while listening to her warm, familiar ramblings.

Before long, she had finished her apple.

Her aunt shooed her off to bed, reminding her to sleep early.

Just as Jiang Ning was about to close the door, the phone in the living room rang.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

Her aunt walked over and picked up the receiver.

“Hello, who’s this?”

The next moment—

The phone slipped from her hand.

With a loud thud, it hit the floor.