Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, poor Miss Guan Juer was on a blind date. Friends, did you also go on blind dates when you went home for the New Year?

The café was nicely heated, and a thin layer of condensation covered the glass windows. Guan Juer sat by the window, holding a hot latte in her hand. The warmth of the cup seeped through her fingertips, making her relax a little.

Across from me was Xu Jie, a blind date arranged by my family. He was wearing a well-tailored suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he spoke gently and politely. He seemed like the kind of "perfect" marriage partner.

"What does Miss Guan usually like to do after get off work?" Xu Jie asked with a smile, his tone perfectly polite.

"I read books, listen to music, and occasionally go out for a meal with friends," Guan Juer replied in a standard, unassuming way, but she felt a little uncomfortable inside. She wasn't against blind dates, but this kind of overly "standard" conversation always made her feel like she was in a job interview.

Xu Jie nodded: "That's good, a very healthy lifestyle. I'm usually quite busy with work, and I prefer a quieter time when I'm resting."

The conversation continued in this lukewarm manner. Guan Juer would occasionally glance up and see the hurried pedestrians outside the window, but a strange emptiness would well up inside her.

She knew Xu Jie was a good person, so good that she couldn't find any fault with him. But it was precisely this "flawlessness" that made her feel like something was missing.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the coffee shop.

"Say that again, you fucking idiot!" A boy's angry voice broke the silence of the store.

Guan Juer subconsciously looked over.

Several young people stood at the entrance, led by a boy in a black leather jacket with slightly curly hair, arrogant eyes, and an aura that warned others to stay away. He held a guitar in his hand, looking like he had just returned from a performance.

Across from him were several shady-looking men, hurling insults at him.

"Xie Tong, so what if I say you sing terribly?" one of the men sneered. "You dare to steal our thunder?"

"That's my turf!" The boy in the leather jacket stepped forward, his eyes practically spitting fire. "You've taken over my place, and you dare to swear at me?"

"Your place?" the man sneered. "Is this place registered in your name?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two sides began to wrestle.

Tables and chairs were knocked over, and cups shattered on the floor with a jarring sound. Customers in the café screamed and scattered for cover.

Guan Juer was so frightened that her heart jumped into her throat, and she instinctively tried to dodge to the side. But as soon as she stood up, she was hit hard by a person who rushed over out of control. She lost her balance, and the coffee in her hand spilled out, landing right on Xu Jie's suit.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Guan Juer apologized hastily and quickly took out a tissue to wipe her face.

Xu Jie frowned slightly, but still maintained his composure: "It's alright, it's alright, are you hurt?"

Before he could finish speaking, another figure suddenly rushed from the side, as if shoved, and crashed straight into Guan Juer. She was sent flying, her back slamming hard against the corner of the table. The pain made her vision go black, and she felt a sharp pain in her forehead, which she didn't know she had hit. Warm liquid flowed down her forehead.

"Miss Guan!" Xu Jie exclaimed and quickly stepped forward to help her.

But as soon as he took a step, a chair that was thrown over in the chaos hit his leg, causing him to stagger and fall to his knees, a sharp pain shooting through his knee.

"My leg..." Xu Jie gasped, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

The situation was completely out of control.

The fighters were still pushing and shoving, shouting and cursing. The sounds of tables and chairs overturning, glass breaking, and customers screaming mingled together, like a giant net trapping Guan Juer and Xu Jie inside.

Guan Juer felt increasingly dizzy, and blood streamed down her face, blurring her vision. She tried to stand up, but found her body wouldn't obey her commands; her back felt like it was being torn apart.

"Help...help me..." Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

Just then, the boy in the leather jacket rushed over, shoved aside the people still fighting, and squatted down next to Guan Juer. His face was smeared with blood, it was unclear whether it was his own or someone else's, and his eyes were full of panic and guilt.

"How are you? Don't scare me!" His voice was hoarse and trembling slightly.

Guan Juer wanted to speak, but everything went black before her eyes, and she completely lost consciousness.

……

When Guan Juer woke up again, she smelled disinfectant.

She struggled to open her eyes, and what came into view was a white ceiling and an IV drip hanging in mid-air. She moved and realized that she was lying in a hospital bed, and her whole body ached, especially her back and forehead.

"You're awake?" a familiar voice called out.

Guan Juer turned her head and found that Xu Jie was lying on the hospital bed next to her, with a cast on his leg, bandages wrapped around his arm, and a gauze on his head.

"Mr. Xu...?" Guan Juer asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Xu Jie gave a wry smile: "We're really destined to meet. You were knocked unconscious, and I injured my leg when a chair hit me, and I also sprained my ankle. The doctor said I'd have to stay in the hospital for observation for at least a few days."

Guan Juer then noticed that they were in the same ward, and even in adjacent beds.

"I'm sorry..." Guan Juer's voice choked with emotion, "It's all because of me that you got hurt."

"How can I blame you?" Xu Jie shook his head. "It was that group of people fighting, and we were just unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire. Besides, you're much more seriously injured than me. You had several stitches in your forehead and soft tissue contusions on your back. The doctor said you need to rest."

Guan Juer subconsciously touched her forehead and felt a sharp pain in her hand. Only then did she realize that her forehead was also wrapped in thick gauze.

"I..." She didn't know what to say, feeling both wronged and upset. What should have been a perfect blind date had turned out like this.

Xu Jie seemed to sense her emotions and gently comforted her, "Don't think too much. The most important thing now is to recover well. We're lucky to have survived."

Guan Juer nodded, but tears still welled up in her eyes.

She remembered the boy in the leather jacket, the guilt in his eyes, and the sudden chaos. She had always thought that people like him represented freedom, rebellion, and unrestraint—a world she had always longed for but dared not approach.

But after experiencing all of this, she realized that the kind of life brought not romance, but danger and unwarranted disaster.

What exactly is the freedom she wants?

Is it the kind of stimulation where you could be drawn into conflict at any moment and get hurt at any moment? Or is it a kind of peace that is within order and provides a sense of security?

This was the first time Guan Juer had seriously considered this question.

……

Over the next few days, Guan Juer and Xu Jie became "fellow patients".

Every morning, nurses would come to take their temperatures and change their dressings; at noon, they would complain about the hospital food together; in the evening, they would lie in bed and chat, talking about everything from work to life, from hobbies to worries.

Surprisingly, although they met through a blind date, they felt absolutely no romantic feelings for each other. There was no attraction, no ambiguity, not even the slightest spark.

But precisely because of this, they got along exceptionally well.

"Honestly, Ms. Guan," Xu Jie said while peeling an apple, "if it weren't for this accident, I think we might have been the kind of people who would say 'that's good' to each other after a blind date, and that would have been the end of it."

Guan Juer smiled and said, "I think so too. We're too similar, both too proper and too rational."

"Yeah," Xu Jie handed her half of the peeled apple, "but it's fine as it is. At least we have one more friend."

Guan Juer took the apple, took a bite, and the sweet taste melted in her mouth.

"Yes," she nodded, "my friends are great."

They talked about their jobs, their parents' expectations, and their uncertainty about the future. Guan Juer discovered that although Xu Jie seemed very composed, he also had his own pressures and worries; while Xu Jie also discovered that Guan Juer was not as obedient as she appeared on the surface, and that she also had a rebellious side and a longing for freedom.

However, they all understood that such a grand and dramatic freedom was not suitable for them.

"I used to think my life was so boring." Guan Juer leaned against the headboard, looking at the sky outside the window. "Every day I went to work, came home, and had to consider the consequences of everything I did, and I had to meet other people's expectations. Sometimes I envied those who lived freely and thought they were very brave."

Xu Jie thought for a moment and said, "I used to think so too. But after this incident, I realized that even being spontaneous has its limits, and freedom needs order. Otherwise, you'll not only hurt yourself, but also innocent people."

Guan Juer turned to look at Xu Jie: "You're right. The kind of freedom I used to yearn for was actually an irresponsible kind of freedom. True freedom should be doing what you want without harming others or yourself."

Xu Jie laughed: "I didn't expect that this 'disastrous blind date' would make you understand so much."

Guan Juer laughed too: "Yes. It also made me realize that some people are only meant to be admired from afar, and some lives are only meant to be imagined."

She didn't mention the leather-jacket boy's name again, but she knew that any lingering affection she had felt for him had completely vanished. In its place was a clear-headed understanding.

……

The day I was discharged from the hospital, the sun was shining brightly.

Guan Juer and Xu Jie walked out of the hospital together. One had a faint scar on her forehead, and the other's leg was still not very nimble, but both of them were in a relaxed mood.

"From now on, let's not address each other as 'Miss Guan' or 'Mr. Xu' anymore, shall we?" Xu Jie said with a smile, "That's too formal."

Guan Juer nodded: "Okay. Then I'll call you Xu Jie, and you call me Guan Guan."

"Okay, Guan Guan." Xu Jie extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, my fellow patient. We can have dinner together when we go back to Shanghai."

Guan Juer also extended her hand and shook hands with him: "Me too, Xu Jie."

The sunlight shone on them, making them feel warm and cozy.

They all knew that although this unexpected disaster had injured them, it had also brought them to know each other and given them new perspectives on their lives.

They didn't become lovers, but they became very good friends.

And this, perhaps, is the best outcome this accident has brought.