Chapter 88: Accidental Encounter with Song Jiaru in Kyoto

Xu Yunzhou was very expectant. What kind of sparks would be produced by letting Xu Nuo come into contact with Lin Ruoxuan?

But what made him even more curious was that today Lin Ruoxuan poured out so many old matters buried deep in her heart to him, from their first meeting to their parting, various large and small things, but uniquely, she never mentioned the name "Xu Nuo."

Was it because she was emotionally agitated at the time and forgot to mention this insignificant detail?

Or... did this trip to Kyoto completely fail to successfully contact her?

Or perhaps... the third and most bewildering possibility—history is not immutable, it can change?

If it's the last one, then many of his previous cognitions would be completely overturned.

Because he always believed that this world was "established"—past, present, and future exist simultaneously.

Everything he did in this "game" was merely filling in that link in history that was already destined long ago.

But if history could change because of his intervention... then many things couldn't be explained...

Therefore, he must go to Kyoto.

This was not only for Xu Nuo's identity, but even more to verify certain crucially important rules.

Xu Nuo was completely oblivious to his surging thoughts, only nodding silently and accepting his arrangement.

Her gaze was attracted by a flower shop by the street, her footsteps involuntarily stopping.

In the shop window, a pot of vibrant green Rohdea japonica caught her eye.

It looked so resilient, full of vitality, as if it could grow tenaciously in any environment.

Like her.

Without the slightest hesitation, she pushed open the shop door and walked in.

A moment later, she walked out hugging that pot of Rohdea japonica that strangely matched her temperament.

Then, she turned around and walked toward "Happiness Manor."

Beside her, Xu Yunzhou's figure walked shoulder to shoulder with her.

One large, one small, one solid, one illusory, two shadows slowly walked toward the unknown road ahead amidst the brilliant lights of Edo gradually lighting up.

...

Early the next morning, Xu Nuo boarded the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto.

The scenery outside the car window gradually evolved from the dense clusters of buildings in Edo to single-story houses and distant mountains in the suburbs.

For some unknown reason, as the train continuously headed west, with the approach of Kyoto, an inexplicable irritability and low mood quietly enveloped her.

She looked at the fleeting scenery outside the window, even more silent than usual.

"What's wrong, Ah Nuo? Motion sickness? Or didn't sleep well last night?"

Xu Yunzhou perceived her silence that was different from usual.

Xu Nuo only shook her head imperceptibly, her gaze still locked outside the window, not explaining.

She herself couldn't explain where this gloominess came from either, as if the air in Kyoto transmitted news in advance that made her soul uneasy.

The train finally arrived in Kyoto.

The aura of the ancient capital rushed at the face, completely different from the hurried feeling of the concrete jungle of Edo.

Time seemed to have its flow speed deliberately adjusted slower here.

The stone-paved roads, machiyas, and the occasional sound of temple bells all steeped in a long and lonely ancient charm of the Tang style.

Outside the screen, Xu Yunzhou directly brought up the mobile navigation, guiding Xu Nuo through the maze-like ancient alleys, the target clear—finding that old matcha ice cream shop named "Seirei-an."

Soon, he saw a shop hanging a dark blue noren from afar.

(TL: Noren is a traditional Japanese fabric divider hung in doorways.)

It was just that the scene at the shop door was somewhat unexpected—a not-too-short line of people windingly lined up.

Most were young tourists and foreigners holding cameras, their faces brimming with excitement and expectation, conversing in low voices in various languages.

"This is the place."

Xu Yunzhou's voice sounded, carrying confirmation, and seemingly also hiding a trace of indescribable emotion.

As expected, everything was just as Lin Ruoxuan said, stubbornly maintaining the "original state."

The two got closer.

When they saw clearly what was happening at the shop door, even Xu Yunzhou couldn't help but freeze.

He saw that in front of the shop door, nimbly and with a sweet smile helping the staff hand out bowls of emerald-green matcha ice cream, while taking group photos with extremely pleasantly surprised tourists, was none other than—

Exactly the Queen of Pop, Song Jiaru, who was now popular all over Asia, with explosive national recognition, having just shocked the whole country with the song "Sea of Stars" on the Spring Festival Gala stage at the beginning of the year, her influence skyrocketing to the peak like a rocket!

She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a clean face, cordially greeting every customer in line alternating between Chinese and English, drawing suppressed low exclamations of excitement from the line from time to time.

Xu Yunzhou blanked, then reacted.

Right, according to the timeline, after Song Jiaru stepped onto the Spring Festival Gala at the beginning of this year, she got in touch with Lin Ruoxuan.

Lin Ruoxuan probably mentioned to her this shop she had praised.

Song Jiaru probably took advantage of the gap between running schedules to sneak over here to relax, or was simply called here by Lin Ruoxuan to clear her mind and "watch the shop" incidentally.

That's good too, Xu Yunzhou thought to himself. This way, things are actually simpler.

Contacting Lin Ruoxuan directly through Song Jiaru is much more direct and efficient than through the unknowing shop manager, and also more reliable.

He couldn't help but smile, saying to Xu Nuo beside him whose mood was obviously low:

"Look, that is Song Jiaru, um... an old friend of mine, I guess. Ah Nuo, go line up. When it's your turn later, just tell her... you know me, just say I asked you to come find her.

Don't worry, she's a very good person and will definitely take good care of you. It's just right to have her treat you to a good meal tonight."

He thought that letting Song Jiaru, who had extremely strong affinity, first look after this overly gloomy and dull little guy before his eyes might make Xu Nuo more cheerful.

At the same time, also let these two people, who are destined to have some kind of intersection in the future, get to know each other in advance.

Moreover... a wave of expectation surged from the bottom of his heart:

This girl Song Jiaru, if she suddenly hears that "Big Brother" has news, and even sent someone to find her, what kind of expression will she have? Will she act stupid on the spot?

Thinking of the vivid appearance of the other party possibly being both surprised and delighted, and possibly even having red eye rims, the corners of Xu Yunzhou's mouth couldn't help but hook up, almost laughing out his big white teeth.

"Oh."

Xu Nuo gave a low response, her mood still not high, even somewhat gloomier.

But she didn't object, just silently walked to the very end of the line as told, like a doll without a soul.

The line moved forward slowly.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of matcha and cream, as well as the excited whispers of the tourists.

Xu Nuo kept her head lowered the whole time, her gaze landing on the tips of her washed-out canvas shoes, her hands tightly gripping into fists.

There were fewer and fewer people in front.

Seeing that there were only two or three people left.

She could almost clearly see Song Jiaru's curled eyelashes, see her slender and fair fingers when taking the ice cream bowl, and could hear her soft and pleasing voice carrying that unique breathy sound saying:

"Your matcha ice cream, please hold it carefully, careful it's cold oh~ Wishing you a pleasant journey!"

However, right at the moment it was about to be her turn—

Xu Nuo abruptly raised her head.

Not out of Xu Yunzhou's command, nor out of curiosity.

Her gaze no longer carried the usual coldness or numbness, but full of hatred, undisguisedly piercing toward that woman who was radiant in the sunlight and surrounded and loved by the crowd!

It's her.

This face, this name... Song Jiaru.

You smile brightly, standing in the sunlight under the attention of tens of thousands, enjoying the gifts of destiny and the doting of the world.

And me...

Because of you, my family is ruined and perished, falling from the clouds into the mud, struggling to survive in the gutter of a foreign country like the lowliest rat, covered in filth!

A surge of emotion mixing bone-deep hatred, inferiority deep into the marrow, and the panic of being unable to face "the enemy is actually Teacher's good friend," instantly washed away her psychological dikes.

She suddenly turned around, almost wretchedly squeezing out of the line, bumping away a few tourists in line, and without looking back, plunged into a deep and secluded narrow alley nearby.

The darkness instantly swallowed her back.