Clara took a deep breath and confessed directly: "If I told you I traveled back in time from the future, would you believe me?"

"You were supposed to be hit by that car today, break your hands, and spend three whole months in rehabilitation. I came here to change your destiny."

"Julian, will you believe me?"

Chapter 5

After Clara finished speaking, she was prepared to be mocked or told she was dreaming.

But the imagined scene didn't happen; Julian just looked at her very seriously, as if he were pondering.

After a long silence, he spoke with a touch of curiosity: "Really? Then... what are we like in the future? Tell me."

"Us?" Clara hadn't expected him to ask this, and her heart began to race.

Julian smiled gently: "Yes, what is my future self doing, and what are you doing?"

Thinking of the outcome twelve years later, Clara bit her lip: "Your future self... is a very brilliant, very famous pianist. You won many competitions and received many awards."

Julian raised an eyebrow, looking completely unsurprised: "And you?"

"I..." Clara opened her mouth, not knowing how to say it.

As for her, she was as cowardly as ever, following her mother's wishes, going to a university she didn't want to attend, studying a major she didn't like, and even her job was chosen by her mother.

Every step was beyond her control; when the time came, she was simply pushed into the next stage.

The version of her twelve years later... seemed even more ordinary.

Clara found it difficult to speak. Just then, an unfamiliar voice interjected from behind: "Brother?"

The atmosphere between the two was instantly shattered, and they turned to look at the newcomer.

The person looked a few years younger than Julian, yet gave off a frivolous, highly rebellious vibe.

The gentleness on Julian’s face instantly vanished, and he frowned: "Why are you here?"

The boy smiled: "Me? I’m hurt, I came to see a doctor."

He lifted his injured elbow to show Julian.

Then, he looked at Clara, chuckled, and teased: "Is this your little girlfriend?"

Hearing himself mentioned, and in such a misunderstanding, Clara immediately waved her hands in confusion: "No, I..."

Julian gripped Clara’s wrist and replied with an emotionless tone: "It has nothing to do with you."

With that, he pulled Clara away. It wasn't until they walked out of the hospital that Clara found a chance to speak.

She always felt that guy was strange: "Is that your brother?"

Julian’s face remained expressionless, but his eyes were filled with disgust: "My father’s illegitimate child. Stay away from him if you see him in the future."

Clara cautiously asked: "You don't have a good relationship? Then... could the person who wants to hurt you... be him?"

Hearing this, Julian’s brow furrowed even deeper, but he said nothing, simply flagging down a taxi to send Clara home.

Back home, Clara noticed the calendar page for today was slowly turning gray.

Six more days.

Would Julian believe her? With heaven giving her a chance to return, could she succeed in saving the Julian of twelve years later?

In the evening, Quinn returned her backpack for her.

When she unzipped the bag and saw the love letter, Clara remembered that she had forgotten to help Julian with his request.

She put the letter away, thinking she would return it to Cherry tomorrow.

During the lunch break the next day, Clara took the letter and went to find Cherry.

Julian happened to be rising to head out as well.

Clara didn't think much of it, but Julian stayed consistently ahead of her, heading in the same direction—it seemed he was going to Class 5, too.

Just as Clara was thinking that couldn't be right, Julian stopped at the entrance of Class 5 and said something to someone.

Clara halted her steps; even though she had done nothing wrong, she instinctively hid in a place where Julian couldn't see her.

A moment later, a figure walked out of Class 5—it was Cherry.

Cherry flashed a sweet smile at Julian, and then the two walked downstairs chatting and laughing.

Clara clenched her hand inside her pocket; a moment later, she followed them.

She saw the two walk all the way to a small, unmonitored wooded area behind the school, where Julian lifted Cherry, letting her step on his shoulders to climb the wall and jump over to the other side.

Clara’s heart tightened as she hurriedly walked over.

"Julian, what are you two doing?"

Both were stunned to see her. Julian didn't answer; he turned and tossed his jacket to Cherry.

Cherry took his jacket, hopped down, and urged: "You hurry up and come out, too."

Julian also prepared to climb the wall. Clara rushed forward to grab his hand.

"There’s class in a bit. You’re cutting class—what are you trying to do?"

Julian’s movements paused for a fleeting second, and then his gaze dropped to Clara’s hand, where he pried her fingers off one by one.

"Clara, mind your own business and stop managing me."

Having said that, he agilely climbed the wall without a moment’s hesitation, and his figure disappeared.

Chapter 6

Clara didn't understand why, after only a single day, Julian’s attitude toward her had changed so drastically.

Where were Julian and Cherry going by skipping class?

Clara returned to the classroom filled with doubts and an uneasy heart.

Sure enough, as soon as the bell rang, the homeroom teacher discovered Julian was missing.

"Does anyone know where Julian went?"

The class was deathly quiet. Clara kept her head down, saying nothing.

Having received no answer, the teacher didn't press the matter and proceeded with the lesson.

Clara thought to herself that tomorrow, she would definitely ask Julian what was going on.

Clearly, in her past life, he had never once cut class.

Why, now that she had changed his destiny, had he changed as well?

However, the next day, Julian didn't come to school either.

Clara could no longer sit idly by; she asked Quinn for Julian’s home address and rushed there as soon as school ended.

Arriving in front of the Julian family’s villa, Clara rang the doorbell, but no one opened it after a long time.

Just as she was about to press it again, a neighbor walking a dog stopped nearby.

"Young lady, are you looking for the people who live in the Julian house?"

Clara stopped and nodded: "Yes, do you know where they went?"

"It seems they moved away? I saw a moving company here last night." The person pointed at the second floor of the villa: "It’s been raining for days, and the windows haven't been closed, so I assume no one is home."

Moved away? How could Julian move?

Where did he move to? Why did he leave without a word?

She hadn't told him about the future yet, hadn't warned him to watch out for the person who wanted to break his hands...

Clara thanked the neighbor in a daze and withdrew her hand to leave.

Turning around, however, she bumped into a silhouette.

The moment she saw Julian, Clara’s eyes turned red, and her nose felt sore; when she spoke, her voice was choked with sobs: "Julian, where did you go? Why are you skipping class, why aren't you coming to school?"

"Your neighbor said you moved. Why did you move?!"

"Are you dating Cherry? The college entrance exam is right around the corner, and dating at a time like this is just ruining your future..."

Julian cut her off: "Clara, does what I do have anything to do with you?"

Clara’s voice stopped abruptly, as if her heart had been hammered hard.

Unlike the brightness of twelve years later, the streetlights were dim, and with Julian standing against the light, Clara couldn't see his expression clearly.

She only heard his tone, which was flat and even seemed to carry a hint of impatience: "What are you doing here?"

Stung, Clara said somewhat helplessly: "I, I just don't want to watch you fall into ruin."

Julian stepped forward and looked down at her: "Then what about you? Why do you like managing my affairs so much?"

"Do you like me?"

Clara’s heart gave a violent tremor; she stood frozen in place, feeling lost.

Julian just looked at her like that, and after waiting for a long while, he looked away: "My affairs have nothing to do with you. Don't pester me again in the future."

"Remember, no matter what happens, it has nothing to do with you. You just need to study hard and take the entrance exam seriously."

Clara stood on the spot, watching Julian’s back as he drifted further and further away, feeling as though her heart had been cut by a blade.

Julian was right; from beginning to end, she had been the one getting carried away.

Carefully counting it up, before the time-travel, she and Julian had only spoken a few times—they couldn't even be considered familiar.