Chapter 3 — The Call from Another Me

"We will always be by your side."

The door slowly clicked shut. The voices of Chen and Ying gradually faded away, and the smile I had been wearing immediately vanished. My phone buzzed with three notifications: a password reset confirmation, a successful login alert, and finally, a notification confirming that my application had been successfully submitted. Thirty seconds before Ying had pushed the power button on my phone, I had already finalized and locked in my university preferences. The page she had closed was merely the one I intended to double-check. My fate had been rewritten long ago. I wanted them to witness every one of their grand schemes crumble into dust during the upcoming honors ceremony.

Following that night, I had tried calling that mysterious number again, but it was always disconnected. I began to have a vague, lingering intuition—perhaps it had been a message from my future self, or perhaps from another version of me in a parallel realm. I yearned to know if her destiny had truly changed. Did she reach the capital city? Did she achieve her dreams? Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I could never reach that connection again.

One day before the honors ceremony was our final class reunion. Once the university acceptance letters were announced, it would be difficult for us all to gather in one place again. By the time I hobbled in on my crutches, most people had already arrived. Chen and Ying had come early, sitting at a table by the window, pressed close together. I could not hear what Ying said, but they looked at each other and erupted into laughter. Chen’s hand rested with practiced ease on the back of her chair; from behind, the posture made it look as though he had pulled her completely into his embrace. I stood at the entrance, watching in silence. Had this been the past, I would have thought nothing of it, assuming they were just close friends who had grown up together. But now, the sight felt revolting. It had been so obvious all along, yet I had been so foolish, blind for so long.

"Qing is here! Our class topper has arrived!"

Someone shouted out. Chen immediately lifted his head, his smile still lingering, and rushed over to steady me. Ying turned around as well. "Hurry over, we saved a seat for you."

Their enthusiasm was performed with such conviction that they seemed to genuinely treasure me. Yet, I felt no warmth, only a suffocating pressure. I stepped aside, subtly avoiding Chen's hand. "No need. I can walk by myself."

Chen hesitated for a moment, sensing nothing amiss, and merely shook his head with a laugh. "Qing, you are truly strong-willed."

Halfway through the meal, the atmosphere grew boisterous. The boys began competing in drinking games, while the girls clustered together, whispering and giggling. Chen had downed a few glasses, his face flushed. Ying sat beside him, pouring his drinks. As the collar of her shirt dipped low, faint, mottled red marks peeked out from beneath her skin. It seemed those ten kisses had already taken place. I lowered my gaze and took a slow sip of water.

"Hey, Chen, you’re truly a lucky guy. The class beauty pouring drinks for you? You look just like a married couple."

Chen froze, saying nothing. Ying, however, glared at the speaker with mock indignation. "Enough. I don’t have my eyes on him. Stop trying to pair us up; he’d barely make a decent son."

Chen immediately burst into laughter, playfully reaching out to ruffle Ying’s hair. "Keep dreaming."

The two of them devolved into playful bickering, sickeningly sweet. Ying laughed brightly, her eyes and brows filled with smug triumph. The other classmates soon turned their attention elsewhere, but my gaze remained fixed on the red string tied around Chen’s wrist. The plastic charm on it was peeling; it was a cheap trinket Ying had bought at a supermarket during the Lunar New Year in our ninth grade. I was shocked he had kept it for so long. Thinking back, the gifts I had given him never lasted more than three days on his person—they were either lost or misplaced. I had always told myself it was just typical boyish carelessness, just as I had once told myself their intimacy was entirely normal.

I raised my head and drained my glass, forcing down the stinging heat behind my eyelids. To say it didn’t hurt would be a lie. The mere thought of their betrayal made me want to weep, but it was time to put an end to this charade. I sighed softly and turned to look at Chen.

"Chen."

I called his name. He turned toward me, a smile still resting on his face.

"Let’s end this."

My voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for everyone at the table to hear. The lively atmosphere froze instantly. The smile on Chen’s face went rigid. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"Are you joking? Qing, have you been drinking?"

Chen grew frantic, reaching out to grab my hand. I coldly pulled away, stood up on my crutches, and prepared to walk out. Ying hurried forward to mediate. "Qing, everyone was just joking."

"How could there be anything between Chen and me? Don’t overthink it and don't make a scene—everyone is watching."

As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed hold of my crutch.