C15 A Sudden Accident!

"Su Xiang, you really have a thing for Chu Jun, huh?" Wang Na, Su Xiang's bestie, was more than just a classmate and roommate—she was deeply invested in her friend's romantic life, her face alight with eager curiosity.

"Come on, enough with the questions. Not even a meal can shut you up! Let's eat, come on!" Su Xiang's cheeks were flushed as she playfully pouted and tapped her chopsticks against her plate.

"Hehe, I always figured you'd wait until after college to start dating! Never saw this coming!" chimed in another girl with a round face.

Puppy love was an odd yet vibrant spectacle on campus, a splash of color against the monotonous backdrop of academic life. It was a topic that always brought excitement and animation to the group.

The two girls couldn't help but giggle at Su Xiang's awkward discomfort. Wang Na glanced around discreetly. The small cafeteria, with its eight tables, was sparsely populated by about a dozen students. She lowered her voice nonetheless.

"Su Xiang, you're heading to Yanjing soon to prep for your exams. With your grades, getting into a university there is a sure bet. But Chu Jun, while his grades are decent, it's not a given he'll make it into a Yanjing university. Honestly, I think you're being a bit hasty," she said with concern.

"I agree!" the round-faced girl piped up, not missing a beat with her meal, a grain of rice still clinging to her mouth.

"Mmm," Su Xiang shrugged nonchalantly. "I know, but I just wanted to tell him. I didn't want to miss the chance to say it later. Who could have guessed Liu Tao would be so irritating!"

As she spoke, Su Xiang could feel her face heat up. This was a matter that should have remained between her and Chu Jun, but it had somehow turned into the latest class gossip.

Despite being miffed at Liu Tao's impulsive behavior, Su Xiang had no regrets about penning that letter to confess her feelings to Chu Jun.

Her fondness for Chu Jun had blossomed the time he carried her to the infirmary, like a pebble creating ripples in a pond, spreading wider and wider.

There's a saying that when you like someone, everything they do endears them to you even more. But the opposite is true for someone you dislike; even if they're playing golf with the utmost grace, it feels as off-putting as if they were shoveling manure right before your eyes.

Chu Jun held a special place in Su Xiang's heart, a sentiment that had been building slowly and steadily, only to burst forth as she was on the verge of leaving for Yanjing to prepare for her exams.

The image of Chu Jun floated into her mind, bringing an involuntary smile to her lips. A blush of shy sweetness began to spread through her.

"Oh my goodness! Li Meifang, just look at Su Xiang! That smile of hers is practically radiating with spring fever!" Wang Na caught sight of Su Xiang's expression and quickly drew Li Meifang's attention to it.

Su Xiang's cheeks flushed a deep red. She was about to respond when she heard her name being called from outside the cafeteria. The voice sounded like Chu Jun's.

Indeed, as she turned around, she saw Chu Jun hurrying in, breathless from his rush. Before Su Xiang could even stand, Chu Jun had spotted her.

"Su Xiang, come with me!" Chu Jun's urgency was palpable. He was acutely aware that if Liu Tao hadn't exposed that letter, Su Xiang wouldn't have been in the small cafeteria at all. If anything happened to her, he'd blame himself as the true instigator.

"What's the matter? What's happened?" Su Xiang's anxiety spiked upon seeing Chu Jun's distressed state, clueless about the unfolding events.

"We need to get out of here!" Chu Jun was determined to get Su Xiang to safety, but he couldn't ignore the dozen or so students dining and the cafeteria workers nearby.

How could he alert everyone to evacuate?

"Everyone, be careful! There's a gas leak!" Chu Jun's quick thinking led him to shout the warning, knowing that a claim of structural collapse might not be taken seriously, but a gas leak could prompt immediate action.

"Move, now!" Without another word, Chu Jun grabbed Su Xiang's hand and pulled her to her feet. She was yanked up instinctively, while Wang Na and Li Meifang looked on, their eyes wide with confusion at Chu Jun's sudden intervention.

"Come on, everyone, hurry!" Chu Jun didn't know when the cafeteria might give way, so every second counted. But just as they were about to make their escape, a figure stepped into their path.

"Which class are you with? What's this nonsense?" The cafeteria owner stormed in from outside, his face flushed with anger. Upon hearing Chu Jun's words, he immediately assumed Chu Jun was there to cause a commotion and stepped in front of him to block his path.

"There's a gas leak in here!" Chu Jun, who seldom dined at the small cafeteria, didn't recognize the cafeteria owner, but he had a good idea of the situation.

"You're the one who's sick!" The cafeteria owner sniffed the air, detecting no trace of gas, and became even more convinced that Chu Jun was just causing trouble.

The other students at nearby tables cast doubtful glances their way, all of them instinctively rising to their feet, prompting the owner to furrow his brow in annoyance.

"Maybe the heat's gotten to this kid. Old Zhang, turn on the ceiling fan; it's sweltering in here!" The owner gestured toward the fan switch on the wall, and a worker promptly went to activate it.

"Everything's fine, folks. Go on with your meals; there's no gas odor here!" The owner reassured the patrons with a wave of his hand.

Chu Jun's eyes involuntarily drifted to the ceiling fan, which was slowly picking up speed. The fan, secured to the roof, caused the entire structure to tremble as it spun.

Su Xiang felt a wave of embarrassment. Chu Jun was still holding her hand, and after taking a sniff herself, she could only detect the aroma of the food, not the acrid scent of a gas leak.

"Chu Jun!" Su Xiang whispered, her cheeks flushed with color.

"Su Xiang! Do you trust me?" Chu Jun's attention snapped back from the fan to lock eyes with her.

"I trust you!" Without a moment's hesitation, Su Xiang nodded. Just then, a sharp crack echoed through the air. The support holding the fan snapped in half, and with a thunderous crash, the roof caved in.

"Run!" Chu Jun's reflexes kicked in. He grabbed Su Xiang's hand, ready to dash out, but the collapse was too swift. His last memory was of tackling Su Xiang to the ground, shielding her with his body, before something struck his head and darkness took him.

I couldn't have been resurrected only to die again, could I?

That was Chu Jun's final thought before slipping into unconsciousness.