Chapter 5: A Familiar Stranger

His memories abruptly ceased at that point. What transpired afterward, or how he managed to drag his weary body back home, remained an absolute blank in Ye Qing’s mind.

He only knew that ever since that day, Gu Xuanyu had never again been plagued by the issues with her fingers. The piano, once a luxurious aspiration for her, was now played with effortless mastery.

She blossomed into a renowned musician, gracing the stage of concert halls, where she performed solos before thousands of eager spectators.

Her slender, nimble fingers soared gracefully across the black and white keys, her hands akin to unbound butterflies in flight.

Exquisite melodies poured forth, captivating every listener and leaving Ye Qing, who was seated in the back, utterly entranced.

Despite the significance of the occasion, Gu Xuanyu had not informed him. It was only after being prompted by others that Ye Qing had hastily made his way there.

It no longer mattered. After all, she had no need for a dullard clinging to her side, someone who would only ever hinder her progress.

Having heard the piece through, Ye Qing departed prematurely. He held no particular affection for music, and now, a subtle wave of nausea churned within him.

He never deliberately sought out Gu Xuanyu again, and she, in turn, reciprocated this unspoken distance.

Though their shared journey through high school had only just begun, from that precise moment, their paths diverged irrevocably, leaving no discernible connection between them.

Bereft of Gu Xuanyu’s tutoring, Ye Qing’s grades predictably regressed to the average. Yet, no one paid him any heed; instead, every gaze was captivated by the impeccable, silver-haired girl.

The dream of a solitary tree blossoming in spring had to awaken.

Ye Qing stared fixedly at the gray ceiling, lost in thought for a prolonged moment, unable to fully regain his senses.

He had just picked up the black slime, only to let it silently slip from his fingers once more.

‘While he was still the Ye Qing she remembered, he decided he ought to see her one last time, regardless of the outcome.’

***

Ye Qing agonized over his attire for a considerable time. Only after bundling himself in a thick cotton coat and pulling on boots with built-in risers could he finally approximate his original physique.

Though his face retained a hint of delicate femininity and his voice had become notably neutral, this transformation at least allowed him to shift from being perceived as a girl to a state of complete gender ambiguity.

Movement proved incredibly challenging; each step felt precarious, as if he might topple over at any moment. Ye Qing had no choice but to deliberately slow his pace, determined to avoid any embarrassing mishaps.

Armed with the student ID provided by An Yueying, Ye Qing entered Jinzhou University through its main gate, adopting the guise of an art student.

But as for his artistic prowess… ‘did drawing lewd images truly qualify as an understanding of art?’

Ye Qing’s intuition warned him that relying solely on instinct to locate Gu Xuanyu was a fool’s errand, as he was certain to get lost. Consequently, he was once again compelled to seek assistance from An Yueying.

Predictably, An Yueying promptly provided him with the detailed route. This left Ye Qing pondering, ‘Could she truly be so consistently privy to the movements and whereabouts of magical girls?’

It must be that peculiar, mischievous streak that propelled her actions. Indeed, if she truly wished to defeat these magical girls, she could likely achieve it at a moment’s notice.

Following the directions, he arrived at the piano room. Before he even glimpsed a soul, Ye Qing could already discern the exquisite strains of a piano.

Behind the door, a crowd had gathered, maintaining an uncharacteristic silence.

Ye Qing cautiously attempted to squeeze along the periphery, but his bulky attire made the task challenging. Even standing on tiptoes, he found himself unable to peer over the sea of heads to glimpse the piano.

Indeed, as always, he found himself utterly unable to appreciate such an environment.

Ye Qing settled into an arbitrary seat. The piano music from the stage echoed incessantly, enchanting all who listened. Yet, to Ye Qing’s ears, it always seemed to carry some ineffable imperfection.

To put it bluntly, it was akin to an almost flawless painting rendered by artificial intelligence.

Though one could meticulously examine every single pixel with a magnifying glass and find no discernible flaw, it nevertheless lacked a truly breathtaking impact.

As the piece concluded, people surged forward, chattering animatedly, their actions unclear. Ye Qing, however, remained uninterested, choosing instead to wait in silence.

‘Speaking of which, ‘Could I truly be recognized in this disguise? And if I’m to greet her later, how should I even begin to speak…”

For Ye Qing, the mere thought of social interaction was a troublesome and profoundly draining endeavor, demanding periods of solitude to replenish the energy it consumed.

Lost in his internal struggle, the crowd gradually dispersed without him noticing, until only a handful of people remained. Ye Qing, however, was still lost in his thoughts.

“Hey, stop daydreaming.”

Pale, slender fingers flickered before Ye Qing’s eyes, causing his previously unfocused amber gaze to sharpen abruptly.

His breath suddenly hitched, growing heavy, as if the very act of drawing air into his lungs had become an immense challenge. Ye Qing stared blankly, his mouth slightly agape, at the silver-haired girl standing so intimately close.

Her wine-red eyes, as always, held a gentle smile, adding a gem-like quality to the girl’s increasingly charming features.

In that fleeting instant, Ye Qing felt a profound sense of déjà vu, as if transported back to a time when Gu Xuanyu would frequently greet him in precisely this manner.

‘To think, she was the one who spoke first in the end… ‘But has she recognized me?”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but come over and strike up a conversation. You just look so familiar…”

Gu Xuanyu remained as effusive as ever, her tone naturally inviting a lighter mood. Yet, Ye Qing’s entire attention was fixated on her mention of him looking ‘familiar.’

“Why don’t we take this chance to become friends? My name is Gu Xuanyu, what’s yours?”

Confronted with such a familiar question, Ye Qing felt a wave of disorientation, yet unlike before, he did not refuse.

“Ye Qing.”

“Ye Qing? I’ll remember that.”

As she spoke, a playful yet perfectly proper smile still adorned Gu Xuanyu’s face. Ye Qing’s pupils, however, abruptly contracted to pinpricks.

He abruptly lifted his head, fixing his gaze directly upon her eyes, desperately searching for even the slightest hint of abnormality.

“Does that name not ring a bell for you?”

“An impression?” Gu Xuanyu tilted her head in confusion, her wine-red eyes dimming for a fleeting moment. “Perhaps, but now we’ve met, haven’t we?”

Ye Qing listened, utterly bewildered. All ambient noise seemed to vanish in that instant, leaving only the girl’s clear voice reverberating explosively within his mind.

‘Perhaps?’

Noticing Ye Qing’s sudden silence, Gu Xuanyu realized she had misspoken. Though utterly bewildered by his reaction, she offered an apology out of habit:

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine… I just… remembered an urgent matter, so… I won’t trouble you any longer.”

Ye Qing painstakingly squeezed the words from between his clenched teeth. He, who was habitually expressionless, managed to contort his face into a forced, rather unsightly smile.

He dragged his heavy legs, moving blankly towards the doorway.

His body felt akin to a marionette, exceptionally stiff and difficult to control, yet his hands were clenched so tightly within his sleeves that his fingernails almost dug into his flesh.

Gu Xuanyu uttered something more, but he neither heard it clearly nor cared to listen. As he reached the doorway, a misstep caused his thick-soled boot to strike the threshold, sending him stumbling and then crashing to the floor.

Excruciating pain radiated outwards from his ankle. Ye Qing gritted his teeth, attempting to rise, but his sprained foot stubbornly refused to obey.

Upon seeing this, Gu Xuanyu’s expression shifted to one of anxiety. However, before she could even draw near, a tall, purple-haired woman abruptly appeared in the doorway.

She gently took Ye Qing’s hand, helped him rise from the floor, and began brushing the dust from his clothes.

An Yueying’s voice remained as light as ever, yet at this moment, it carried an unusually playful, even teasing, inflection.

“You’ve fallen quite badly, Miss Ye Qing.”