Three days later, Minmin’s notebook was confiscated during a dorm inspection. Inside, the school authorities found a dizzying variety of suicide methods scribbled down, which made them finally take university psychological counseling work more seriously…
The method of crossing over hadn’t been found yet, but some subtle changes had already begun to take place in Minmin…
One day, she was scribbling in the “Time-Travel Plan” notebook she had shamelessly fought to get back—
Part Three: The Goal of Crossing
Why do I even want to cross? To snag a rich husband? To amass wealth? To learn some peerless martial arts?
Minmin bit on her mechanical pencil, dazing off for a while… No, that’s not it. The reason I wanted to go to a world where nobody knows me… was probably just to start over, to be acknowledged by others, right? Maybe it’s just because I’m not willing to stay so ordinary? Maybe…
In the end, after the word “Goal:” she left behind nothing but a blank space.
One year later
The clean morning sunlight poured down. A girl in crisp sportswear jogged steadily along the track. Fine beads of sweat glistened against her short playful hair, her rosy skin glowing with the luster of pearls, her supple and slender figure brimming with the rhythm of life…
Behind her, a group of school team athletes chased after, whistling and laughing—
“Beauty~ look over here!”
“Minmin~ Minmin~ I love you~”
“Like a mouse loves rice~”
“Hahahaha…”
Minmin stopped with a laugh, shaking her head helplessly. She bent over, hands on her knees, sighing: These little rascals… getting more outrageous every day!
Ever since Minmin had represented the school and won the women’s division of the college taekwondo competition that year, these boys she ran into every morning became suddenly enthusiastic. Some underclassmen even begged to take her as their martial arts master! That senior from third year even got drunk at the victory banquet and confessed to her on the spot! The whole school was buzzing with the gossip for a long while…
Minmin gazed at the long runway. At its end was the laughter of lively young men, and the golden, dazzling sunlight…
Why did I want to cross, again? Was it just to be acknowledged by others?
At noon, in front of the auditorium, the student union departments were recruiting new members. Minmin tried to slip by unnoticed, but someone with sharp eyes immediately spotted her: “It’s her! Zhao Minmin! Don’t leave! Join our Arts Department! You’re exactly the kind of talent we need!”
But right away, another group jumped out and pulled her back: “Nonsense! Everyone knows Zhao Minmin is a taekwondo champion! How could someone like her join Arts instead of Sports? Besides, Minmin is already our martial arts captain’s person, right Minmin?” (That last line sounded awfully ambiguous…)
That’s right. Just last year, Minmin had fought her way into the Top Ten Campus Singers with songs like When Will the Moon Be Clear and Bright, A Laugh in the Sea, and Red Beauty. In the finals, her breathtaking performance of Flowing Light Flying Dance with flowing water-sleeves stunned the audience, winning her the championship! From then on, the Arts Department had hounded her nonstop… Zhao Minmin’s reputation as a campus star skyrocketed…
As waves of “Champion! Idol! My role model!” poured into her ears, Minmin’s gaze drifted farther away. Her mind grew blank. Why did I want to cross? To not be ordinary anymore?
“Classmate Zhao Minmin,” the voice of the Dean pulled her back to reality, “your performance this year has been outstanding. You’ve won not only school-level but also city-level awards. Among your peers, you carry quite a bit of influence. I’ve also looked at your grades—overall, very good. Especially classical literature and history; the professors of those subjects can’t praise you enough, haha… Most importantly, you’re a role model! Especially for those middling students in university, your hard work and success are the strongest proof and example! Better than any motivation program! …So, Zhao Minmin, would you consider running for Assistant to the Principal?”
Minmin stared hard at the leader’s face filled with recognition and praise. The cry in her heart grew louder and louder: Why did I want to cross? For what?! For what?!
Her thoughts a tangled mess, Minmin wandered down an alley. At the corner, Auntie Song suddenly yanked her into her house and shoved a pile of flatbreads into her hands: “If it’s not enough, come get more! Oh right, girl, your parents are going on a business trip next week. Don’t fuss alone at home—you’ll only get into trouble! After school, just come to my place, okay?”
“I know, thank you, Auntie Song!”
That famed one-year bet had ended with Uncle Liu’s victory, but because of it, the two families became unusually close. The whole alley was swept into a Go craze, and the only young person patient enough to play three rounds in a row with the old men and women—Minmin—became the darling of the neighborhood! Auntie Huang’s chicken soup, Uncle Wan’s secret braised eggplants, Auntie Yang’s marinated duck necks—all found their way to Minmin’s hands in turn…
Looking at the warm flatbread in her hands, Minmin’s inner scale tipped more and more heavily: Why did I want to cross? For what?!
Zhiyuan’s long, slender, clean fingers gently threaded through Minmin’s soft, silky hair. His breath enveloped her domineeringly, his handsome voice whispering: “Minmin, you’ve become prettier… more graceful. Short hair suits you. You’re so cute…”
A gentle kiss fell at her temple.
Zhiyuan… Zhiyuan… the prince of the university. Wealthy, powerful, talented, and ridiculously handsome—enough to make the heavens jealous! Minmin especially loved Zhiyuan’s hands—clean, slender, with sharp joints, radiating masculinity. Zhiyuan, the untouchable prince she could only admire from afar… was now confessing to her?
“What are you smiling so silly for? That’s a huge bouquet of roses! If it were me, I’d agree on the spot!”
“Yeah! Haven’t you always liked Zhiyuan? Why act all high and mighty now?”
“Oh, I get it—Minmin is just playing hard to get! If the girl agrees immediately, she’d lose all value! Silly!”
Everyone: “Ahh, so that’s it!”
Minmin: Please… no, it’s not like that…
Staring at the huge bouquet of roses—this was the perfect reward for a girl’s campus romance, wasn’t it? Zhiyuan…
But the voice in her heart grew calmer: Why did I want to cross? To chase handsome men? To fall in love?
Minmin gave a bitter smile. Really, why did I want to cross? You greedy fool. What more are you dissatisfied with in this life?
After tossing and turning for a week, Minmin finally made her decision!
She tore down the dusty “Crossing” character pasted on her wall, dragged out the half-human-tall stack of rice paper she had accumulated over the past year—covered with ink stains of every poem and essay that came to her mind—and resolutely carried it to the rooftop incinerator. One by one, she carefully fed the pages into the flames. Each sheet was a memory. Each sheet was a farewell.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye… goodbye, old dreams…
Minmin caressed the cover of her “Time-Travel Plan” notebook, the childish yet determined handwriting, the impulsive yet passionate dreams.
A serene smile spread across her face. I have what I have now thanks to you. Thank you. She pressed a reverent kiss to it, then with a smile, fed it into the hungry flames. Goodbye…
In the dazzling fire, the notebook flipped open, page after page of a young girl’s dreams and struggles taking flight. They transformed into countless black butterflies, fluttering, swirling, and wrapping around Minmin…
She turned and walked away, gazing at the horizon where the sun disappeared. Calmly, she whispered: Let’s begin a new life.
Suddenly!
Silence. A silence so profound it was as if time itself had stopped!
Minmin’s body froze as if bound by a spell. Not even her eyes could move. Time and space stagnated, twisted, and tore apart!
An inhuman pressure crushed every single cell in her body. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt so much—yet no sound came out!
At that moment, an astonishing sight—her roommate A appeared on the rooftop!
“Minmin! Minmin! Where are you? Zhiyuan called you! You can burn it later…” Roommate A stared straight at where Minmin stood, muttering: “Huh? Where’d she go? I didn’t see her go downstairs… weird…” Then ran off…
She can’t see me?!
Could it be… could it be… This is…?!
Everything went black. Minmin lost consciousness. Just before fainting, she wailed in her heart: I need to pick up Zhiyuan’s call—!!! Ahhhhh—!!
Yes, yes, dear readers, you’ve all guessed right—she crossed.
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