Chapter 33: Fate Is Such a Coincidence!

Both of her roommates were tight-lipped; despite Liu Yujia’s boisterous and talkative demeanor, she knew the limits of what could be said, and Tang Ming was even less prone to gossip. Thus, Chu Luoxi could enjoy a period of peace.

March passed and April arrived, bringing a steady rise in the capital's temperature. Chu Luoxi wore a light blue dress, feeling buoyant after another playful exchange with Bai Yun, and set off to the supermarket in high spirits.

Before college, though she liked dresses, Chu Luoxi rarely wore them. Perhaps it was because, as a child, she’d been traumatized by boys who delighted in flipping up girls’ skirts. Only after entering this new environment did her mindset finally shift.

Upon reaching the supermarket and seeing the throngs of people, Chu Luoxi realized she’d chosen the wrong time. It was the weekend, and not only that, but the peak hour after dinner. No wonder there were crowds!

She sighed with regret, but couldn’t bring herself to turn back, instead joining the flow of people toward her destination. A homebody needed a stash of snacks, and her dorm was empty, leaving her restless.

She decided to buy a little now and come back another time, ignoring the jostling crowds. With so many people, bumps were inevitable. Yet, ever since her rebirth, Chu Luoxi’s senses had sharpened, and she suddenly detected that, after someone collided with her, something had been slipped into her crossbody bag.

Startled by the sensation, her first thought was someone was stealing from the supermarket; her second, someone was trying to pin the blame on her. Her third—how should she handle being caught up in this?

Don’t doubt it; as an actress and a voracious reader of novels, her mind often wandered off the beaten track. What she inadvertently created was practically a plotline!

Calmly, she reached into her bag, confirming something new was inside. She wasn’t foolish enough to take it out and inspect it openly, but cast a quick glance down—a small disc, seemingly a used one. Why would anyone steal such a thing? Even a new one wasn’t worth much!

Though this seems long-winded, Chu Luoxi’s reaction took less than a second. After seeing what had been added to her bag, she instinctively glanced at the person who’d bumped into her—a retreating figure, half a profile visible...

She frowned slightly; the person seemed familiar, but she couldn’t recall who. Sensing they likely knew her, she couldn’t help but indulge in conspiracy theories—had she been used?

The thought amused her. If not for the very real object in her bag, she would have dismissed it as her reborn mind playing tricks.

After a moment’s consideration, Chu Luoxi showed no sign of anything amiss. The man who’d bumped into her vanished into the crowd after she caught only a glimpse. Even if she wanted to pursue the matter, there was no one to blame.

She quickly selected her items, queued up, paid, and left the mall, heading back to her dorm. The feeling lingered—like someone was following her, urgency prickling her nerves.

She couldn’t help it; the whole affair felt as surreal as a film, impossible to shake off. The thing in her bag was like a ticking bomb—a temporary deposit, with no telling when someone would retrieve it. If someone else noticed, wouldn’t she be in trouble?

Forgive her for having a wandering mind; encountering such a bizarre event, who wouldn’t overthink it?

Crossing the campus gate and walking the path to her dorm, Chu Luoxi was stopped by someone—unsurprising, but the person before her stunned her: “Aren’t you the chief instructor who led the freshmen’s military training last semester?”

She wasn’t joking. The incident last semester had been discussed for months; even now, people occasionally teased her about it. Such a memorable event was impossible to forget, so Chu Luoxi recognized him instantly.

“Heh, my name is Yan Han.” Slightly embarrassed, Yan Han’s handsome face flushed subtly. “I saw you at the supermarket earlier, didn’t have time to say anything, but needed your help. Thank you...”

“So it was you!” Chu Luoxi arched an eyebrow, no wonder he’d seemed familiar.

“Sorry for troubling you again. The situation was urgent, so I had to act first and explain later.” Yan Han spoke with some difficulty; the circumstances were unusual, and seeing Chu Luoxi gave him a sudden idea. He hadn’t wanted to alarm her, intending to quietly deposit and retrieve the item, but hadn’t expected Chu Luoxi to be so alert. Now, he had no choice but to step forward.

“Wait, were you on a mission, or shooting a movie?” Chu Luoxi guessed a little, feeling more conflicted than he did. God, even if she’d been reborn, she was still just an ordinary person. She didn’t want to be tangled with such dangerous or mysterious matters; she couldn’t handle it.

“It’s a mission. I’m truly sorry. Rest assured, you won’t be troubled by this.” Yan Han spoke with conviction, radiating a strong confidence.

There was no denying, such soldiers were extremely charismatic. Chu Luoxi squinted: “Alright, no need to keep apologizing. As long as there are no consequences, that’s best. Anyway, running into you guys is just my bad luck. Do you need the thing back now?”

Knowing she was reminded of the military training incident, Yan Han smiled apologetically and nodded, reassuring her. “This was a spur-of-the-moment move, only I know about it. You’ll have no trouble from this.”

“I hope so!” Chu Luoxi muttered, handing him the small disc as if tossing away a hot potato, feeling a wave of relief.

“You’ve helped me again. Next time we meet, I’ll treat you to dinner!” With the item in hand, Yan Han relaxed considerably, and their interaction became more natural. Sometimes, fate truly did play tricks.

“No, please—next time? Better not meet again!” Chu Luoxi hurriedly declined, slightly alarmed. Every time she ran into him, nothing good came of it; another time? Her heart wasn’t made of diamond—she couldn’t take it.

She could tell Yan Han’s background was hardly simple; so young, yet already an officer. She didn’t know his exact rank, but no one would believe such a story if told.

She’d overheard him training his soldiers, supposedly only here to lead university students in military drills as a kind of vacation. Now, seeing him on a mission, with an air of secrecy and danger, Chu Luoxi was certain his unit was extraordinary.

But none of this had much to do with her. It was best to stay far away, lest trouble find her. After all, if even rebirth was possible, what couldn’t happen these days?

“Hah!” Seeing Chu Luoxi’s eagerness to escape, Yan Han couldn’t help but laugh, softening the hard edges of his military bearing, making him seem gentle. He didn’t know exactly what she’d guessed, but she was clearly a clever woman, wasn’t she?

Having run into her again like this, he wasn’t sure whether to sigh over fate, or pity her bad luck!