My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 87 Because I Love You
Zhou Heming wasn't sure if this was the first time he had seen Lu Bai without a hat.

Even Zhou Heming, who had seen Lu Bai wear the same dress before and was used to Cheng Shuangjiang, was slightly stunned by her elegant appearance at that moment.

She was already a beautiful and youthful campus belle, and with light makeup, her long dress shone like starlight under the spotlight. Her long hair was styled in an updo, and she wore dazzling silver earrings and a necklace. Her confident aura seemed innate, and which boy wouldn't be captivated by her?

I bet many junior high students will start dreaming of this senior, Lu Bai, after tonight.

After all, her previous dream girl, Senior Cheng Shuangjiang, was already taken.

Zhou Heming glanced at Cheng Shuangjiang beside him; the girl was simply focused on the stage.

A gentle melody flowed from Lu Bai's fingertips.

"A Girl's Prayer".

Zhou Heming later looked up relevant information.

This piece was composed by Polish pianist Badazywska when she was eighteen. This talented woman lived only twenty-four years before passing away from tuberculosis. Of the thirty-five piano pieces she left behind, only "The Expectation of a Young Girl" is the most famous.

He listened to the version performed by Cheng Shuangjiang.

Performed by the young girl beside me, this piece is cheerful, beautiful, and innocent, like the carefree and boundless youth of a young girl, full of hope, just like the mindset of that genius pianist when he created it.

Lu Bai, however, brought out a different flavor in the melody at her fingertips.

If Cheng Shuangjiang's version is about a young girl gradually experiencing the trials and tribulations of life from her teenage years, eventually growing up and facing the future.

So Lu Bai is a woman who has experienced many hardships and gone through many trials, looking back on her life at the end.

When a story ends, people always remember its beginning, as if everything has returned to the way it was before.

Beneath the clarity and cheerfulness lies a profound, steadfast, and unwavering commitment.

Zhou Heming suddenly realized.

"When a story is destined to end in tragedy, would you still pick up your pen to write it down?"

Lu Bai infused his thoughts with these very ideas.

As life draws to a close, if a girl could return to the very beginning, would she be willing to reenact a story whose ending was already written?

Lu Bai's answer was yes.

She portrayed the life of that gifted young pianist.

She died young at the age of twenty-four. If she had known the ending, would she still have written this piece?

The stirring melody, like a storm of fate, pounded on the black and white piano keys and also touched the hearts of the listeners.

Zhou Heming heard a soft sniffling sound. He turned his head and found that Cheng Shuangjiang's eyes were already red and she was barely holding back her tears.

He gently took the girl's hand and intertwined their fingers.

The girl nestled in his arms, her body heat seeping through his clothes, making the boy's heart flutter.

As my heart raced, Lu Bai's performance came to an end.

The piece, which was only four minutes long, seemed to have been played for an hour, as if she had exhausted all her strength, and her hand, which was resting on the piano, trembled slightly.

A few seconds later, just when everyone thought that Lu Bai was going to play another song according to the program, she suddenly got up and went to the microphone that was placed aside and used for amplification.

"Dear students, I am Lu Bai."

She addressed the students in the auditorium under the spotlight.

"As you may know, the reason I am here to perform for you is because the student who was supposed to be standing here got injured. She has a musical talent that is far greater than mine, and her performance would be appreciated even by the gods."

Upon hearing this, many people in the know turned around and looked at the location of the senior year's top class.

"She is the goal I strive to reach, my irreplaceable best friend, and a girl who makes me feel luckier than others just by knowing her."

Zhou Heming saw that Cheng Shuangjiang was listening to Lu Bai's words in a daze, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat.

"Because this is our last stage performance in our senior year of high school, I feel that she cannot be absent. I want to perform with her for the last time in our three years of high school."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Bai stretched out his hand towards the audience below the stage.

Almost simultaneously, as if it had been preordained, the spotlight fell on the boundary between the top class and Class 7 of the senior year.

It fell on Cheng Shuangjiang and Zhou Heming.

Cheng Shuangjiang could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away with a tissue, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Zhou Heming gently squeezed her palm.

"Go."

In short, Cheng Shuangjiang understood.

This must be a surprise that the boy came up with after much painstaking effort and racking his brains.

"Ah."

Cheng Shuangjiang nodded and stood up.

The spotlight followed her as she walked step by step toward the stage.

A girl wearing a beige shirt, a cherry blossom-colored cardigan, and a light blue long skirt came onto the stage and stood next to Lu Bai.

She didn't notice that after she got up, Zhou Heming also quietly left and went to one side of the auditorium.

The two beautiful girls standing on the stage caused a stir among the students below, who were wondering what was about to happen.

The school leaders were also somewhat puzzled, but since Cheng Shuangjiang had good grades, they remained silent for the time being and waited to see what would happen.

*
Auditorium control room.

"Do you understand?"

Qiao Jinchen instructed her junior classmate, Yu Xin, the station manager of the radio station, on what she needed to do next.

"Senior, senior year at our school is really colorful and exciting."

Yu Xin's lips twitched.

What Qiao Jinchen said has completely deviated from the content of the normal performance. If I were to do as she said, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to reach the other side no matter how cautiously I walk on thin ice.

"Just say that I coerced you into doing it."

Qiao Jinchen patted his chest.

Yu Xin sighed.

"Fine, as long as it helps me ship this CP, it's worth it even if I have to resign tomorrow."

He patted the classmate who was controlling the lights on the shoulder.

"Do as he says."

*
Zhou Heming walked through the dimly lit auditorium corridor, and soon, following the light from the escape route, he found Xu Youyou waiting there.

"Give."

Xu Youyou, who was already prepared, handed the items to Zhou Heming.

"Are you okay?"

Some people asked with concern.

"Courage training exists for this moment."

Zhou Heming smiled gently and took the things from Xu Youyou's hands.

"come on!"

Xu Youyou encouraged them.

Zhou Heming waved and headed towards the stage.

*
"Senior, this doesn't seem to be on the program schedule. Should we stop it?"

A student council member, a second-year high school student, asked Zhao Jiayu, who was helping to maintain order at the party, about a boy walking slowly down the aisle in the dark, holding something in his hand.

Zhao Jiayu recognized him at a glance; it was Zhou Heming from Class 7.

He looked towards the stage and saw Lu Bai and Cheng Shuangjiang.

"I'll go."

Zhao Jiayu said, jogging over to Zhou Heming's side.

"Zhou Heming".

He called out in a low voice.

Zhou Heming ignored him and quickened his pace instead.

"Zhou Heming, let's go this way, it's closer to the stage from here."

Zhou Heming only stopped when Zhao Jiayu called out again.

"I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm sure you want to make her happier."

Zhao Jiayu smiled.

Zhou Heming nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll hold off the others for you."

Zhao Jiayu waved his hand, signaling Zhou Heming to hurry up and leave.

"Thanks."

Zhou Heming walked in the direction he was told.

"I should be thanking you."

Zhao Jiayu murmured in a voice he couldn't hear, chuckled softly, and looked towards the stage.

*
On the stage.

Lu Bai took Cheng Shuangjiang's wrist, gesturing for her to sit with him at the piano.

"May I?"

Upon asking a question, Lu Bai saw Cheng Shuangjiang with tears in her eyes and nodded slightly.

"Then let's get started."

With a slight smile, Lu Bai pressed the first note.

Almost instinctively, Cheng Shuangjiang immediately pressed the second note.

Compared to Lu Bai's, her final note lacked a bit of power, but Lu Bai's third note quickly made up for these minor flaws.

Soon, the two girls played a four-handed duet, sketching out a familiar melody.

Canon in D major.

The first piece Cheng Shuangjiang learned.

Just like the piano performance in the mall on her birthday, the girl with injured hands struggled to play the underlying notes, which Lu Bai then wrapped in gentle chords.

This is not a piece that showcases superb and exquisite playing techniques.

Yet it was a piece that deeply moved the students, who unconsciously listened quietly.

"My scenes are finished. Now it's your turn to tell your story."

Halfway through the performance, Lu Bai suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Cheng Shuangjiang was taken aback, and then saw Lu Bai withdraw his arm, slowly stand up, and disappear into the darkness outside the spotlight.

Only Cheng Shuangjiang remained in front of the piano.

She did not stop playing.

Without Lu Bai's chords, Cheng Shuangjiang made up for it with her own frail hands.

The whole piece became somewhat chaotic and disjointed, no longer as melodious as before.

However, all the students remained silent.

The students in their second and third years of high school, who had personally listened to Cheng Shuangjiang's performance, now truly understood how much courage it took for this young girl to sit here again.

They had seen this genius so proud, so hearing the melody now only made them feel more resentful.

This is a clumsy, rough, and somewhat amateurish piano piece, yet it is deeply moving.

For a fleeting moment, Cheng Shuangjiang seemed to return to the time before she was injured, a time that felt like more than a decade ago to her.

She knew perfectly well that Zhou Heming had arranged all of this so that she could stand proudly on the stage again and regain her past confidence.

In a daze, Cheng Shuangjiang heard what seemed to be a slight commotion below the stage.

*Snap*—The spotlight fell at just the right moment, and Cheng Shuangjiang glanced sideways.

Immediately, a surge of emotions, like a rushing tide, overwhelmed all of the girl's thoughts.

She saw Zhou Heming holding a bouquet of roses, walking towards her.

Meanwhile, in the previously pitch-black audience seats, someone started turning on the flashlights of their phones, making them shine like stars.

Cheng Shuangjiang sniffed and focused her attention on the piano.

suddenly.

All the listeners felt that the tone of the music had changed.

If it was originally a young girl's persistent struggle and rise up, then now it is her beloved love.

Youthful, bittersweet, gentle, bright, and resolute.

The tender melody, though not perfect, is all the more touching.

Many girls were moved to tears, while the boys smiled and silently wished the couple, who had gone through so much hardship, well.

Just as Zhao Jiayu said, this side is indeed closer.

When Zhou Heming walked onto the stage, Cheng Shuangjiang's performance was just coming to an end.

As the last note faded, the entire hall fell silent.

The girl stood up, but instead of bowing directly to the audience, she turned around and looked at the boy standing in front of her.

At that moment, the world seemed to revolve solely around the two of them.

"You look very handsome when you wear it while playing the piano."

Zhou Heming said, handing over the roses in his hand.

The girl, wearing a bracelet named "Hope" on her right hand, smiled as she accepted the rose.

"Ah He, you've made up for my regret~"

As she spoke, the girl suddenly hugged the boy tightly.

Below the stage, applause erupted, warm and radiant, like a grand blessing.

This scene, which still circulates in Jiangcheng Middle School many years later, is a memory.

So much so that many students who experienced it back then unanimously chose this song for their weddings. Just as people always love others in ways they have witnessed expressing love, this was perhaps the most romantic confession they had ever seen in their youthful memories. Therefore, they also hoped that their love would be as brilliant and enduring as it was at this moment, amidst the shimmering starlight.

Afterwards, the boy and girl intertwined their fingers and bowed to the audience.

Many students stood up and clapped excitedly. This was probably the first time in their lives that they had personally experienced the beauty of love. Even if they encountered setbacks and difficulties in the future, they could use this to recall the initial appearance of love.

In the auditorium control room, Yu Xin, the station manager of the broadcasting station, excitedly hugged the classmate next to him and shook him vigorously.

In the aisle next to the auditorium, Qiao Jinchen and Xu Youyou held hands, gazing at their friend under the spotlight.

Backstage, Zhao Jiayu watched the two with a smile, unaware that a girl with a timid look in her eyes had quietly appeared beside him.

Backstage, Lu Bai smiled as he gazed at the two of them, and couldn't help but hum a tune from "Canon in D".

In the front row, the teachers' expressions were slightly stiff, but Cheng Lingjun was the first to stand up and clap his hands.

Ding Kai clapped along with them, and then the homeroom teachers, the senior teachers, the teachers of the first and second years of high school, the academic affairs office, and even the principal, all the teachers finally applauded as if they had acknowledged the two of them.

Zhou Heming and Cheng Shuangjiang stood side by side, like newlyweds entering a hall of fame.

Everyone witnessed how they were together.

And engrave it into a memory.

Never forget.

*
Humans cannot accurately predict the value of a particular moment until it becomes a memory.

But Zhou Heming knew very well that the moment he and Cheng Shuangjiang stood on the stage tonight was something he would cherish for a lifetime.

"So, how did you do it?"

Walking home, Cheng Shuangjiang, holding the bouquet of roses in her hand, could not hide her excitement. She eagerly asked what the young man had prepared for tonight's surprise.

"It's nothing, I just need to ask Lu Bai to give me some time to play a piece of music."

Zhou Heming rubbed his nose. The wind was colder than usual tonight, but he only felt warm.

"Then I ordered a bouquet of flowers and had Lu Bai bring it into the school under the pretext of needing it for a performance, and then gave it to A-Chen to take into the auditorium."

"After that, I sent Ah Chen to the control room to direct the lights, and Sister Youyou waited for me by the auditorium with flowers. Well, that's what you see next."

This is not a very complicated script, but it is a performance presented openly and in full view of the public.

"Ah He, do you want to leave everyone with a memory too?"

Cheng Shuangjiang said with a smile.

"After all, it's our senior year of high school. Having these memories should be pretty good, right?"

Zhou Heming was already used to the girl's unspoken understanding. He looked ahead at the sparsely populated street.

"I think, I hope, that when everyone looks back on their three years of high school, it won't just be about endless exams, low scores, getting up early and working late. I hope that when you look back, it will be filled with more youthful and romantic colors, a touch of fantasy."

This is a unique memory that Zhou Heming gave to all the students of Jiangcheng Middle School.

"Ah He, you really haven't changed at all, just like when we first met."

Cheng Shuangjiang suddenly stopped, and Zhou Heming also stopped, turned around, and looked at the girl.

"This looks like a cherry blossom tree."

The girl suddenly spoke, pointing to a bare tree with only branches by the roadside.

"It seems so. Jiangcheng has indeed planted a lot of cherry blossom trees, and there are even more around Nanhu and Jiangcheng University."

Zhou Heming nodded slightly.

Do you remember the scene in "5 Centimeters Per Second" where the male protagonist, who had traveled a long way, met the female protagonist who was waiting alone?

Cheng Shuangjiang asked again with a smile.

"Of course I remember. The train the male protagonist was on was always delayed. It was already late at night when he arrived at the platform. He thought the female protagonist had already left, but when he entered the waiting room, he saw her sitting by the fireplace, fast asleep."

Zhou Heming naturally recounted the plot, and then the girl's voice rang out, as if responding to him.

"Later, they ate rice balls made by the female lead, drank tea and chatted together. When the waiting room was completely closed, they walked hand in hand in the fields and saw a cherry blossom tree with only bare branches in winter."

She chuckled softly and looked up at the tree beside her.

Just like this moment.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from somewhere, and then a small firework exploded in mid-air. Perhaps some naughty child was celebrating New Year's Day in advance.

The two of them turned their gaze away from the colorful fireworks.

Then, they touched each other.

It was a cold, bleak winter night, shrouded in a sobbing, gloomy atmosphere.

"This is the hundredth kiss."

The girl's voice was soft and warm.

She raised her face, closed her eyes, and at that moment the world seemed to turn black and white, with only that faint cherry blossom color as the only light.

The boy gently picked it.

Unlike the previous ninety-nine shallow kisses.

This is a deep kiss that is irresistible, hard to refuse, and feels like a tangible vow, one that you will remember for a lifetime.

"Someone will see us."

Their lips parted, the girl's eyes were moist, her ears were flushed, and she turned her face away.

"Frostfall."

And the boy, who finally understood his thoughts and feelings during that kiss, spoke solemnly and resolutely, as if making a vow.

"Well, I'm here."

The girl met his gaze, and now, in their eyes, there was only each other.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because..."

Zhou Heming took a light breath.

"because I love you."

This was the first time the eighteen-year-old boy had said "I love you" to a girl.

until now.

The boy clearly felt it.

The feelings Cheng Shuangjiang had for him after her rebirth were completely equal to his feelings for Cheng Shuangjiang when he was eighteen.

"Ah He".

The girl's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was a little choked up as she kept calling out to the boy.

Under the cherry blossoms that have not yet bloomed.

The boy embraced the girl.

Feeling the warmth of his beloved's body, he knew very clearly.

He will protect this girl for the rest of his life.

Is there anything better than this?
*
The next day.

The gloomy sky had cleared up at some point.

Zhou Heming opened his eyes and looked at the faint morning light, feeling a subtle sense of joy.

After they got home last night, they spent some more time cuddling together, and they lost count of how many kisses they had.

Afterwards, to prevent the teenagers from losing control, the two said goodnight to each other and then Cheng Shuang returned to her room.

Today is the first day of the New Year's Day holiday. They plan to relax and go to the commercial plaza near the Lu Bai Apartment mentioned earlier, watch a movie, browse a bookstore, or simply sit in a coffee shop and watch the birds on the telephone poles increase from two to three.

The intense emotions that filled the boy's heart gave him the courage to face anything.

After brushing his teeth, washing up, tidying his hair, and changing his clothes, Zhou Heming heard the door next door open just as he was sending a message to Cheng Shuangjiang.

Click——

"I thought you weren't up yet."

Zhou Heming immediately pushed open the door and went out, where he saw a girl wearing a thick coat standing in the corridor.

"You're Zhou Heming?"

However, instead of the cheerful, song-like "Good morning" greeting, there was a cold and indifferent inquiry.

"?"

Zhou Heming was puzzled, but the girl quickly provided an answer.

"This may be the first time we've spoken."

She spoke coldly.

"Let me reintroduce myself, Zhou Heming."

Cheng Shuangjiang called out his name, and the first rays of dawn pierced through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled light on her face and her eyes.

"I am Cheng Shuangjiang, who is eighteen years old."

hum-

With the buzzing sound dominating his eardrums for the entire duration, Zhou Heming lost the ability to think.

Until his phone vibrated, bringing him back to reality, he picked up his phone and saw a timed update from Cheng Shuangjiang, visible only to him.

Zhou Heming clicked on the post with a slight tremor and saw the first sentence.

I'm sorry, A-He, I lied to you.

The buzzing stopped abruptly.

Subsequently.

All sounds are silent.

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(End of this chapter)