After being reborn, I gained a childhood sweetheart who appeared out of nowhere.

Lin Chuan arrived at the door across the hall. He first raised his hand and knocked lightly before calling out, "Hello, I'm your neighbor across the hall. I'm just saying hello."

After waiting for a few seconds, footsteps were heard from inside the door, and then someone turned the doorknob from the inside, causing the door to spring open.

The door in front of him slowly opened, and Lin Chuan looked up, about to greet them, but he froze.

The girl standing behind the door was wearing a white dress, with a Hello Kitty hair clip in her hair and cute slippers on her feet, looking both homey and cozy.

"Why is it you?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Why can't it be me?" the girl retorted.

"Aren't you a boarding student?" Lin Chuan continued.

He remembered that Chen Xiyu walked towards the dormitory after collecting her clothes. More importantly, in his memory, Chen Xiyu had never returned after moving out in the first year of junior high school, so he was somewhat surprised to see her again.

It seems that at some point, the timeline of the past quietly changed.

"I went to the No. 1 Middle School dormitory this afternoon, but I wasn't very satisfied, so I moved back here," Chen Xiyu said casually, with a hint of capriciousness.

Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Did you tell your mother?"

"We can talk about it later," Chen Xiyu said with a smile.

Lin Chuan was speechless.

Chen Xiyu looked at the orange in his hand. "Is it for me?"

"Hmm," Lin Chuan handed over an orange, "My mom asked me to give two oranges to the new neighbors."

"Why did you only give me one?" Chen Xiyu stared at his other hand.

"This will cover your travel expenses," Lin Chuan said.

"Shady businessman," Chen Xiyu said, sniffing her pretty nose, then looked across the street. "Are Uncle and Aunt Wang back? I'll go say hello!"

Without waiting for Lin Chuan's reply, she had already slipped on her slippers and gone over there, looking as if she had never moved there before.

Chen Xiyu first peeked her head in from outside the door, and only went in after she saw the two people in the living room.

Hearing the sound, Dad and Mom turned around, thinking it was their son returning. But when they saw it was a girl, they were both stunned, thinking, "Where's our son? How did he become a girl? And a very pretty one at that."

"Uncle, Aunt Wang, do you still remember me?" the girl asked with a smile as she stood under the door.

The mother stared at the girl for a while before suddenly revealing a delighted expression. "You're Xiaoxi, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes." Chen Xiyu nodded.

"Oh, Xiaoxi, come here quickly," Mom said, pulling Chen Xiyu's hand. "Children grow up so fast. It's only been a few years since I last saw you. You're so tall now, taller than Auntie, and you're so beautiful."

"You've moved back?" Dad asked.

"Um."

"Then you should come over for meals often in the future, just like before," Mom said with a smile.

"Is that alright?" Chen Xiyu asked. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"It's just one more person and one more pair of chopsticks, what's the trouble?" Mom said.

At this moment, Lin Chuan popped up from the side and reminded him, "Hey, you can come over for a meal, but remember to pay for it."

"What nonsense are you talking about, kid?" Mom waved her hand. "You can come every day from now on, Auntie likes it."

"Aunt Wang is the best," Chen Xiyu said with a smile.

That smile was so radiant, it was like flowers blooming in the sun. Lin Chuan was even happier to see it. He rarely saw his mother smile so happily. It's true that pretty girls are popular everywhere.

In Lin Chuan's memory, Chen Xiyu was always the "other people's child" since she was a child. She was always first in her grade, and the certificates she received from school could be stacked into a book. However, she never posted them on the wall because no one would see them.

In addition, she was good-looking and obedient at the time, so she was indeed likable.

"You've been moving all afternoon, haven't you eaten yet? Come, come, Auntie just made corn and pork rib soup, your favorite." Before Chen Xiyu could refuse, her mother had already pulled her hand and sat her down.

Mom first made Chen Xiyu a bowl of pork rib soup, and kept putting food on her plate while she ate.

"Mom, you're so enthusiastic, you'd think she was your real daughter," Lin Chuan said casually.

"I wish I had a daughter like that," Mom said.

"I understand. Tonight is a time for your family of three to reunite," Lin Chuan said. "Shall I go?"

"You silly child, talking nonsense again," Mom said with a smile, not angry at the joke, because today was a happy day.

"Xiaoxi, where are you studying now?" Dad asked.

"The No. 1 Middle School of the city," Chen Xiyu said.

"Isn't that the same school as Ogawa?"

"Yeah, actually we were in the same class, but when we met, he didn't recognize me at all," Chen Xiyu said, looking at Lin Chuan with a snort. "But Uncle and Auntie recognized me right away."

Lin Chuan coughed lightly and picked up a piece of pork rib for her. "Eat, eat, it's what you like to eat."

After learning that Chen Xiyu was in the same class as Lin Chuan, her mother kept telling her son to take good care of Chen Xiyu at school and not let her be bullied by other classmates.

That would really be no different from having another younger sister.

Dinner was quite lively. Mom kept asking Chen Xiyu all sorts of questions, while Lin Chuan became the "neglected" one. After dinner, she also pulled him aside to chat, occasionally offering a word of advice.

"You must take good care of Xiaoxi at school."

"I know, I know," Lin Chuan nodded vigorously.

"If this kid causes any trouble at school, come back and tell your aunt," Mom said, turning to Chen Xiyu.

"I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't mess around and studies hard." Chen Xiyu said, patting Lin Chuan's shoulder with a bit of a big sister vibe, and said seriously, "I'll make sure he gets into a good university."

Lin Chuan glanced at her and said casually, "Did you wash your hands after eating? Don't wipe them on my clothes..."

Seeing that it was almost time, Lin Chuan, under his mother's direction, got up and escorted Chen Xiyu back home, even though they were just across the street.

As Lin Chuan entered the room, he subconsciously glanced around and saw that it was still the familiar scene from his memory.

Although they were just across the hall, Chen Xiyu's house was much bigger than theirs, with a spacious living room, a large leather sofa covered with a fabric cover, a solid wood tea table, and well-lit floor-to-ceiling windows with light-colored curtains hanging in front.

Although it was bright and spacious, it also felt somewhat empty. Looking at the large sofa, Lin Chuan recalled how he used to often sleep on this living room sofa.

Lin Chuan walked to the solid wood tea table, casually wiped it, and found that it was covered with a thin layer of dust.

At this moment, Chen Xiyu came out of the room. She looked different. Her long, black hair, which was originally loose, was now tied into a ponytail. She wore a gray tank top and simple athletic shorts. Her straight, slender legs were clad in slippers.

Seeing that things weren't going well, Lin Chuan immediately said, "Are you busy? I'll head back now. See you tomorrow."

He had just turned around when someone grabbed his clothes. Turning back, he saw Chen Xiyu looking straight at him with a smile, "Help me with a big clean before you leave."

"No! I have a lot of things to do." Lin Chuan refused without hesitation.

"It's just a favor, it'll be quick," Chen Xiyu said.

"Hey, wait a minute, big sister, stop pulling! My clothes are going to become extra long!" Lin Chuan said speechlessly. "I'll help you."

Chen Xiyu then loosened his clothes, a sly smile on her face.

Fortunately, although it was called a big cleaning, there wasn't much to tidy up in the house, since there was no clutter. It was just a matter of dusting and mopping the floor. Although the living room was relatively large, it was finished quickly. Then came the bathroom and kitchen.

However, Chen Xiyu was even lazier than he had imagined. She even needed his help to make the bed. After the two of them finished making the bed, Lin Chuan looked at the two suitcases on the floor and asked, "Do you need help with these?"

"There are only a few clothes in here," Chen Xiyu said with a smile. "No need."

"Oh." Lin Chuan said, turning and leaving the room. "Nothing else, I'm going back."

"Thanks," Chen Xiyu said.

"Saying thank you isn't enough, you have to treat me to a Michelin-starred meal!" Lin Chuan said.

"I'll think about it," Chen Xiyu said.

Lin Chuan grinned, said goodbye, turned around and walked out of the house, closing the door behind him.

The living room fell silent. Chen Xiyu sat back on the sofa, and her phone rang in her pocket.

She pulled out an iPhone; the caller ID showed it was her new homeroom teacher, Mr. Xue Ren. When she answered, a somewhat deep male voice came through, "Is this Chen Xiyu?"

"Yes, it's me," Chen Xiyu replied.

"I'm Xue Ren, your first-year high school homeroom teacher. I heard from the dormitory supervisor that you're temporarily switching from boarding to day school?"

"Um."

"While our school doesn't mandate commuting or boarding, this last-minute change means you can't get a refund for the year's accommodation fee you paid," Xue Ren reminded him.

"It's okay," Chen Xiyu said.

"Okay, and you also need to have your parents call me in the next couple of days to make sure they know about this," Xue Ren continued.

Chen Xiyu pursed her lips. "Okay, teacher, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xiyu found the number labeled "Mom" in her contacts and dialed it.

Unsurprisingly, the phone rang but no one answered. It was already 9 p.m., but they seemed to be busy.

She then sent a short text message, "Mom, I've moved back to my old house. Call my high school homeroom teacher when you have time to let her know." She also included the teacher's contact information.

After doing all that, she sat down on the sofa, hugged her knees with both hands, rested her chin on her knees, and surrounded by quiet. She pursed her lips until she saw the oranges on the table, and then smiled gently.