Little Sun
Yiyi looked at Liu Xinyu skipping around and felt that her happy mood was an eyesore, so she had to do something to ruin her mood. "You went to such lengths just to get his name? You could have just asked me."
Liu Xinyu looked at Yiyi and raised her brow inquisitively, "You know his name?"
"Yeah. When he saved you at that time, Nan Xing called him by his name. So, I did know his name. You were so in shock at that time that you must have missed it. But I was clear-headed."
Liu Xinyu refused to show her frustration. So what if she had to put in extra effort to get the name? She didn't think that this ghostie would be kind enough to tell her Qi Yuze's name without any conditions. If she was so kind, she wouldn't have waited for so long to watch the spectacle before her.
"It doesn't matter. I like to get what I want through my own efforts. It becomes more meaningful," said Liu Xinyu as if she wasn't affected by this at all.
Yiyi gave her a meaningful glance before bringing up the topic, "Why did you react like that earlier?"
"Like what?"
"When you heard his name, you were momentarily taken aback. Why? Do you know him?"
Liu Xinyu shook her head, "No, I don't know him at all."
"Then?" asked Yiyi. "Is it only because you think you both are destined because of your names? You don't look like someone who would believe in destiny though."
"I don't know about destiny at all. But what I said earlier is not wrong. Isn't it strange that I met a person across time and space who shares the meaning of my own name? I find it quite fateful actually."
"Tsk. You had no interest in him apart from teasing him, but once he told you his name, your interest in him piqued. You are a weird character."
Liu Xinyu shrugged, "Maybe I am." She noticed that people seemed to be looking at her and only then did she realize that she was talking to Yiyi so carefreely that she forgot they were in public space and Yiyi was a ghost whom only she could see. She bit her tongue in annoyance. What the hell! She must be looking at a mental case talking to herself.
"You really need to stop talking to me in public spaces," said Liu Xinyu through a gap in her lips. She tried hard not to move her lips as if she was performing ventriloquism.
"Hey! You owe me one. I saved you from that bad ghost. You should be nicer to me."
Liu Xinyu paused and became serious as she agreed with Yiyi and said, "Thank you for earlier. I didn't think that ghost would go so far as to hurt me. I wasn't taking you ghosts seriously."
Yiyi smiled at her and told her, "Relax. Not all of them are capable of hurting you. This one must be really a jealous person when she was alive so that stuck with her even after death. Unless she lets go of this jealousness, she'd always be stuck in the land of living as a ghost with no way to reincarnate. But no ghost can stay in the land of living forever, they'll eventually start to perish."
Liu Xinyu nodded her head in understanding and even took those words to heart. This also strengthened her resolve to learn more about the ghosts. "What books should I look into if I want to learn about why I can see ghosts? Who can give me answers?"
"Why do you want these answers?"
"Because I can't understand the reason why I am able to see things that others can't. Think about it, I couldn't see it when I was in 2023 but I gained this superpower once I time-traveled to 1998. It doesn't make any sense."
"You were born with this ability though," answered Yiyi which stunned Liu Xinyu. "Little girl, you have a pair of unique eyes. You were always capable of seeing things that others couldn't. But if you say that you never saw them before, it means someone suppressed this ability of yours. And for perfectly good reasons too. However, why the seal on your special eyes disappeared after you appeared in this era, that's difficult for me to answer."
"Then let's look into this for now," said Liu Xinyu. "I have nothing else to do anyway. Let's earn some money and then we'll look for some answers. Because without money, we'll have to beg our way around. I don't wanna do that." Thinking of something, she perked up and asked, "By the way, I forgot to ask. You were reading books inside. Did you learn the new characters? Did you read any books? How did you read them? Did you woosh into the book and the content just came to your mind? Or did you just touch the book and everything appeared in your mind?"
"You have some strange expectations from a ghost," stated Yiyi. "Tone it down. I'm a ghost, not an alien."
Liu Xinyu gasped at her answer, "You know about aliens?"
"Read about it just now. Interesting theories I would say."
Liu Xinyu tsked to herself, "Even I never believed in aliens but here you are, a ghost who is willing to believe in aliens. I don't think I have anything more left to see in this world. I have seen enough bizarreness."
"I think you aren't even close to seeing enough."
As the spring sun bathed the university campus in its warm golden light, Liu Xinyu found herself wandering through the bustling grounds, her steps light and carefree. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the gentle breeze carried with it a sense of renewal and possibility. This was the campus of Yuchen University in the 1998. Who knew she would one day come to her father's alma mater like this? She always wanted to visit this place but definitely didn't expect to come like this.
Life really did wonders.
Passing by the basketball court, Liu Xinyu couldn't help but pause as she heard the sounds of laughter and excitement drifting through the air. Intrigued, she made her way toward the source of the commotion, her curiosity piqued.
As she approached, she caught sight of Yi Qin, his figure illuminated by the soft afternoon sunlight. He stood tall and confident, a beacon of energy and vitality amidst the sea of students. Even if she wasn't looking for him, it was easy to find him, given the fact that he seemed to be always at the center of attention.
She thought he went to meet his girlfriend but he was still here which surprised her a little actually. But she was happy to see the familiar face which actually managed to calm her down. No matter how anxious or restless she was in this unfamiliar time, looking at the familiar face of her father brought her inner peace and security.
It was like her father's words echoing in her mind, 'Everything is fine as long as Baba is here. And Baba is always here for you.'
The basketball court was alive with activity, the sound of dribbling balls and echoing cheers filling the air. Yi Qin moved with effortless grace, his athletic prowess evident in every fluid movement.
But it wasn't just his skill on the court that drew Liu Xinyu's attention – it was the way he seemed to light up the entire space with his presence. His laughter rang out like music, infectious and joyous, and his smile seemed to brighten even the sun-dappled surroundings. He just had that charm to himself which was undeniable.
"Yi Qin is like a little sun," commented Yiyi close to Liu Xinyu's ears. "No matter where you put him, he is able to inject the people around him with laughter and happiness. And let's not forget the energy he has. It'd be such a shame if this little sun lost his warmth or his dazzling light."
"Don't worry. He never lost it," was Liu Xinyu's response to her as she also went along the crowd to cheer for Yi Qin, letting go of herself.
As Liu Xinyu watched him play, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration wash over her. That young man was her father. The young one who seemed to embody the spirit of spring itself – vibrant, energetic, and full of life.
She had once had doubts about why someone like her mother would fall for someone like her father? You see, one was like the iceberg and the other was like the sun. There was no connection between the two. They both belonged to different worlds too and yet, they fit so well together.
Now, seeing Yi Qin like this, she had to say, only someone like him could add a meaning to Nan Xing's life who looked so cold and uptight. Who wouldn't love this ball of energy? Liu Xinyu didn't think it was possible!