Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

Chapter 170 When the article touches on old feelings: Cheng Ran's expectation and Su Xuan'

Su Xuan sat by the window, the afternoon sun gently spilling onto the table. Her gaze inadvertently swept over an old book, its pages slightly yellowed, like a story sealed away by time.

In an instant, inspiration surged forth like a spring, and she suddenly felt the urge to write. This time, the story she would write would unfold slowly around love.

Su Xuan's hand unconsciously touched the old book. The slightly rough texture of the paper came from her fingertips, as if it were silently telling the story of the past.

She gently opened it, and the aged scent of ink instantly filled the air. Just then, a yellowed sheet of paper fluttered down; the writing on it was somewhat blurred, yet it still exuded a unique charm.

Su Xuan picked up the letter and examined it carefully. It read: "Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. My heart is as if being guided by an invisible hand. I look forward to seeing you every day. Even just a glance at you from afar will make my heart bloom like a flower in spring, instantly full of vitality."

Those few words, however brief, seemed to conjure up in Su Xuan a passionate love story that transcended time. Her thoughts drifted further, and the outline of the story gradually formed in her mind:

In the story, the male and female protagonists meet on a spring day when cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The male protagonist is a talented but somewhat down-on-his-luck painter, while the female protagonist is a gentle and kind-hearted heiress. A chance encounter on the street brings their eyes together, and from then on, the gears of fate begin to turn quietly.

They strolled together through a shower of cherry blossoms, sharing their dreams and secrets. The male protagonist would paint portraits of the female protagonist filled with love, and the female protagonist would encourage the male protagonist to persevere in his artistic pursuits in her own way.

However, just as their love was blossoming, a family feud erupted like a storm. The female protagonist's family vehemently opposed their relationship, even threatening the male protagonist's artistic future.

The male protagonist is caught in a painful struggle, torn between the woman he deeply loves and the dream he is striving for. Torn by pain and helplessness, he has no choice but to leave without saying goodbye and travel far away.

The female protagonist searched everywhere but could not get any news about the male protagonist, and spent her days in tears.

Years later, at an art exhibition, the female protagonist saw a painting depicting the cherry blossom grove they had once visited together. The familiar scene instantly evoked all of her memories.

The artist of this painting is none other than the male protagonist. It turns out that the male protagonist has never forgotten the female protagonist all these years. He has achieved great success in art, but he has never been able to fill the void in his heart.

Su Xuan was immersed in the story she had conceived, and words flowed from her pen like a gentle stream. Sometimes she smiled at the sweetness between the male and female protagonists, and sometimes she shed tears for their separation.

Before she knew it, the sky was getting dark, and the setting sun outside the window dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red. But Su Xuan was completely unaware of this, still immersed in this love story full of love and hate, and couldn't wait to present it in its entirety.

Cheng Ran was idly scrolling through his phone when he stumbled upon an article by Su Xuan on a literary platform. Instantly, his gaze was drawn to it like a magnet, unable to look away.

His fingers trembled slightly as he involuntarily clicked on the article. As he read on, the dramatic and unforgettable love story between the male and female protagonists gripped his heart.

The male protagonist in the story has many similar traits to him, and the delicate emotional descriptions and the little details of their interactions feel very familiar to him.

Cheng Ran's brows furrowed as a complex emotion spread through his heart. Images of his time with Su Xuan involuntarily surfaced in his mind—the beautiful moments they shared, the heated arguments, the resolute pain of their breakup—all flooding back like a tide.

A flicker of panic and confusion crossed his eyes, and he couldn't help but wonder, "Is this our story? Is she still hung up on me, which is why she wrote these memories into an article?"

Thinking of this, Cheng Ran's heart suddenly raced, and an indescribable anticipation quietly grew in his heart. He gripped his phone tightly, as if it were the only link between him and Su Xuan, his eyes filled with complex emotions—nostalgia, expectation, and a hint of unease.

Cheng Ran gripped his phone, his heart churning with emotions that made him restless. He paced back and forth in the room, his eyes fixed on the article, as if trying to dig out more clues about Su Xuan's feelings between the lines.

"Maybe she still loves me, otherwise why would she write our story like this?" Once this thought took root in his heart, it grew wildly like weeds.

After much hesitation, Cheng Ran decided to contact Su Xuan. He found the familiar yet unfamiliar number in his contacts, his finger hovering over the dial button, wanting to press it several times but then hesitating. Finally, he gritted his teeth and dialed the number. Each ring of the phone felt like a heavy blow to his heart.

"Beep—beep—" After a long wait, Su Xuan's cold voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello?" Just one word, but it made Cheng Ran lose his composure instantly. He opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Hello? Who is this?" Su Xuan's voice came again, tinged with impatience.

Cheng Ran finally came to her senses and stammered, "Su... Su Xuan, it's me, Cheng Ran. I... I saw the article you wrote."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Su Xuan chuckled softly, "Oh, I didn't expect you to see this. What's wrong?" Her tone was so calm that Cheng Ran felt a little disappointed. He had been hoping that Su Xuan would show some emotion upon hearing his voice.

Cheng Ran took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say, "I read that article, and the male protagonist in it... I think he's a lot like me. Su Xuan, do you... still not forget what happened between us?" His voice was tinged with caution, but even more so with anticipation.

After hearing this, Su Xuan couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Cheng Ran, aren't you being too narcissistic? That was just a story I made up, don't overthink it." Her laughter was like a sharp knife, piercing straight into Cheng Ran's heart.

"Fictional? How is that possible..." Cheng Ran's voice was full of disbelief. "How could those details, and the male lead's personality, be such a coincidence?"

Su Xuan's tone gradually turned cold: "Cheng Ran, don't forget, I'm a writer. Imagination is my weapon, and creating stories is my job. You really shouldn't take yourself too seriously." After saying that, she hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on his phone, Cheng Ran felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slumped to the floor. He stared blankly at the ceiling. He never imagined that his eagerly anticipated contact would end like this.