Chapter 11: Could It Be That He’s Interested in Me?

Not far away, Tanya jogged over wearing a white tracksuit, her high ponytail swaying from side to side behind her, and faint white mist drifting from her cherry-red lips with each breath. The morning sunlight scattered over her, making her glow brilliantly like the brightest sun at dawn.

"Damn... Little Golden!" Chen Fan couldn’t help but exclaim silently as he watched Tanya approach bathed in the sunrise.

Yet, maintaining a calm demeanor, he raised his hand with a smile and said, “Good morning, Tanya. Didn’t expect to bump into you this early.”

“As long as it’s a weekend or holiday, I always come to the park for a morning run. This is your first time, right?” Tanya exhaled a puff of breath as she stopped in front of Chen Fan, her eyes scanning him. “You’re pretty well equipped. Want to race?”

“Forget it, forget it. I just felt like running today on a whim. I can’t keep up with you!” Chen Fan waved his hand in a laid-back manner.

It wasn’t that he lacked competitiveness, but Tanya’s steady breathing and only slightly flushed cheeks showed she was clearly a regular runner. He’d rather not embarrass himself in front of a girl.

After all, he still wanted to maintain the image of the big shot who brought a girl along yesterday.

“Alright then, take it easy. Try nasal inhaling and mouth exhaling or abdominal breathing while running,” Tanya said.

“Will do, I’ll give it a try!” Tanya nodded with a light laugh and resumed jogging into the park.

Catching his breath, Chen Fan took a deep breath and began jogging behind her at a pace just a little faster than a turtle’s.

Watching her graceful figure ahead, he clicked his tongue in admiration. “Tanya is ice-cold at school, but behind the scenes she’s a lively girl. If other guys saw this contrast, they’d probably be completely smitten by her. She’s destined to be the shining ideal in many boys’ hearts.”

Ahead, Tanya glanced back at Chen Fan, who was lagging behind, her expression flickering with countless emotions.

They had bumped into each other once at the internet cafe yesterday, and now again this morning at the park.

Was it really just a coincidence?

It was too coincidental...

A flicker of suspicion rose in Tanya’s eyes.

Could it be that Chen Fan had quietly been digging up information about her, and these encounters weren’t accidents but carefully staged?

If so... that was a little terrifying!

Her eyes narrowed as she grew wary.

She looked back at Chen Fan, who was already panting after only running four hundred meters, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Yet her face tightened immediately.

“No, I can’t let Chen Fan get any wrong ideas about me. I have to put an end to that.”

Tanya quickened her pace and slowly disappeared down the gentle breeze-swept path.

Behind her, Chen Fan, long out of shape, panted heavily and slowed down.

Looking up, he caught a glimpse of Tanya turning her head back once more before vanishing from his sight.

His expression froze.

Why... why did she look back at me?

Was she mocking me for needing to train more?

Chen Fan felt embarrassed for being left so far behind he hadn’t even seen her tail lights.

Today was a complete loss of face.

His good mood from earlier vanished instantly, replaced by a sigh.

Ten minutes later.

Chen Fan slowed to a walk, no longer pushing himself.

Fitness and running demanded gradual progress; pushing beyond limits only led to injury.

So he slipped out of the park and, drawn by a tempting aroma, dashed across the street like a starving dog toward a bun shop.

Meanwhile, Tanya stretched after two laps around the park and headed out the main gate, glancing back cautiously every few steps.

Only after ensuring Chen Fan hadn’t followed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

But just as she stepped out, she happened to cross paths with Chen Fan, who had just bought buns and water across the street.

“He never caught up... could he have bought breakfast and water for me in advance? That little schemer is really cunning!” Tanya frowned slightly, deciding she needed to clear things up with Chen Fan.

The next moment, Chen Fan waved to her from across the street, then bit into his bun and strode away.

Huh? That’s not what I expected.

Wasn’t he supposed to run over and bring me water and food?

And just walk off without looking back?

Tanya stood frozen, watching Chen Fan disappear into the crowd, her cheeks flushing crimson.

“Tanya, Tanya... what are you imagining? Everyone knows Chen Fan is crazy about Su Xue and practically worships her. There’s no way he’s interested in you. You’re just overthinking this!”

Realizing her misunderstanding, Tanya felt both embarrassed and annoyed, her face burning hot as she hurried home, head down.

Chen Fan, long gone, was focused solely on eating.

On the way home from the park, his mouth didn’t stop moving for a minute, devouring his food with gusto.

He spent over thirty yuan on breakfast alone, and if his stomach weren’t full, he would have gone for a bowl of lamb offal noodles.

This was no side effect of his rebirth.

He just hadn’t expected people nowadays to eat so well, with no fancy technology or tricks — even the meat was real!

Not like a decade later, when every dish came with a dollop of evaporated milk first.

Back home, Chen Fan found his parents hadn’t returned yet.

After showering, he collapsed onto his bed, and whether from exhaustion or some mysterious effect of rebirth, barely five seconds after lying down, drowsiness overwhelmed him and he slipped into a deep sleep.

He slept until about one in the afternoon, when honking and the roar of passing cars outside stirred him awake.

Without the outside noise, he felt he might have slept until the next morning.

“Why do I feel like the god of sleep has taken possession of me? As soon as I hit the bed, I can’t stop feeling sleepy,” Chen Fan rubbed his messy hair, yawning as he sat up.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on a red shoebox on the bedside table, marked with a swoosh logo.

“A shoebox just appeared out of nowhere after I slept? Could this be my golden ticket?”

Several question marks popped up in his mind.

But then he noticed a note beside the box.

“Xiao Fan, your father and I came back and saw you sleeping, so we didn’t wake you. Your mom heard from your eldest sister that you like shoes with the swoosh logo, but yesterday I looked all over the wholesale market and couldn’t find any. Turns out the shoes are only sold in the city mall. Try them on as soon as you wake up. If they fit, they’ll be your New Year’s shoes. If not, I’ll exchange them for you when I go back to the city in a few days.”

“Today your father and I will be delivering goods to several villages in the countryside. Eat something outside when you wake up, and don’t wait for us to come back tonight. We might not be home until midnight. I left some money in your desk drawer. Read more books and go out less. Also, tidy up your room — it’s a mess like a pigsty. Take those dirty clothes and smelly socks out to wash, and throw the bedding into the washing machine.”

“Your sister Xiao Hua didn’t answer my calls. She’ll probably come to the shop around four as usual. If you want to go out, remember to open the door for her first. If she doesn’t come by then, don’t worry about it; just do your own thing.”

Reading his mother’s note, Chen Fan took out the white sneakers from the box and was momentarily lost in thought.

He remembered the exact price — 863 yuan!

In his previous life, after being set up by Su Xue, all the money his mother gave him to buy shoes was forced by that woman to be spent on skirts and clothes.

The rest was taken by Su Xue as her New Year’s gift!

Back then, feeling guilty, he didn’t tell his mother the truth and even lied that he had lost the money, asking for more to buy the shoes again.

Thinking of his past misdeeds...

Suddenly, two sharp slaps echoed in the room as Chen Fan gave himself a hard slap on each cheek.

He had been utterly shameless!

Leaning against the bed with the shoes in hand, Chen Fan laughed bitterly.

His mother surely knew he was lying but didn’t expose him out of love and concern.

Luckily, now reborn, everything had changed!

The tragedies of the past would not repeat.

Adjusting his mood, Chen Fan carefully put the shoes back in the box and placed the note safely in the drawer.

He stretched and jumped out of bed, pulling out two model surveillance cameras from under the bed, then fetched a hammer and nails from the toolbox and strode downstairs.

Soon, the shop below was filled with the sound of hammering.

A few minutes later, Chen Fan had nailed two non-functional surveillance cameras at opposite corners of the shop — one aimed at the counter, the other covering the entire store.

Besides deterring petty thieves, the main purpose was to intimidate Yang Hua.

Chen Fan had thought about installing real cameras, but in 2005 it was a hassle.

Installing surveillance in commercial areas required official permits and reports, taking at least ten to fifteen days, plus expensive equipment and maintenance costs.

It wasn’t suitable for their small general store.

So Chen Fan came up with the idea of using fake cameras.

He had bought these models cheaply at a digital store yesterday afternoon on his way to the internet cafe — only fifty yuan total, cheap and realistic.

He only needed to explain their purpose to his parents, who would probably praise him for being thoughtful.

Even if the police came to check, a couple of packs of cigarettes would smooth things over; after all, fake cameras weren’t illegal.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

“Chen Fan, open up! It’s your sister Xiao Hua!” Yang Hua’s gentle voice called softly.

She was a far cry from the loud, coarse-tongued Yang Hua from yesterday.

Chen Fan shivered involuntarily, never imagining that Yang Hua could ever become so well-behaved.

Calmly, he opened the shop’s small door.

Yang Hua appeared without makeup, dressed down from her usual rebellious style to a proper down jacket, jeans, and sneakers — transformed from a neighborhood delinquent into a girl-next-door.

Chen Fan glanced at her coldly. “What do you want? Here to pay back the money?”

“I... I...” Yang Hua started to plead coquettishly but was immediately silenced by Chen Fan’s indifferent gaze.