"Works of Ye Wei Lan Chapter 21: Love Has No Substitute"

  There is a kind of person, existing in our memories, no matter what kind of person she is, the memories with her are irreplaceable. And she, because of your feelings, has become the only one in this world.

  "Lin Jinglan, someone is looking for you!"

  A wild duck appeared before him, waddling and quacking away.

  He looked up to see a petite girl standing at the door, holding books in her arms and gazing at him with a gentle expression. Her clean white blouse was a bit too big, and her shoulder-length black hair hung down softly.

  She handed him the book in front of him, thanked him softly and said it was a great help.

  He took it and nodded slightly: "No need." He turned back to his seat.

  Minna looked at Lin Jinglan with a hint of disappointment as she returned to her seat, completely ignoring the fact that she was still standing by the classroom door. Some people also looked at her sympathetically, and it was astonishing that she had been reduced to such a state.

  Mina is one of this year's school flowers, Princess Pear Blossom. Although she is a junior in high school, she is actually a year older than Lin Jinglan who skipped grades. Since falling in love with him at first sight under the camphor tree, she has been trying every means to get close to him and hopes to get his attention, but always ends up in vain.

  Lin Jinglan was notoriously introverted, even a bit autistic. In school, all he did was study, and he didn't even have a single friend, let alone pay attention to girls.

  So that day, when she inadvertently discovered him being blocked by a group of hoodlums in the alley, she resolutely stood up and yearned to leave a good impression on him. However, he thanked her but seemed to still not remember her.

  Minna deliberately joined the same club as Lin Jinglan - the Chemistry Club, and painstakingly studied those obscure formulas. But because of this, she was able to openly ask him for books, guidance, and became one of his junior schoolmates.

  How much time and effort she spent to make him remember her! After doing many useless things, even the naturally quiet her couldn't help but make a painful decision:

  Apart from thoroughly clarifying, he wouldn't understand her heart. She said something she had never tried before, but Lin Jinglan just shook his head lightly and apologized. She asked for the reason with a reluctant tone, and he sighed: "I already have someone I like."

  In a warm and gentle voice, with an extremely soft tone. Minna almost suspected that she had auditory hallucinations.

  That day, she went to return the book to Lin Jinglan again. They were about to have physical education class, and most people weren't there. She dejectedly placed the book on his desk, turned around, and knocked over a pile of textbooks at the edge of the table with a rustling sound.

  She crouched down in a fluster to pick it up, but unexpectedly picked up a photo instead. She was stunned for a moment, then hastily tucked it into her bosom and fled the classroom.

  A girl. Shoulder-length short hair, curved eyebrows and eyes, slender figure wearing their school uniform, smiling slightly under the camphor tree.

  Who is she? A stunning sense of familiarity struck her vision. That hairstyle, that attire, that gentle smile, even the faint distance between her eyebrows and eyes were all identical to herself!

  She couldn't remember seeing such a classmate. Could this be the person Lin Jinglan liked? A surge of sourness rushed up.

  After dinner, her elder sister who was visiting Minna's home unexpectedly saw the photo and exclaimed: "Ji Huaning?"

  Mina suddenly had an idea, "Sister, do you know this person?"

  "Older sister nodded, 'She was a junior of mine. She was also a campus belle back then and has already graduated.'"

  It turned out that Minna's cousin was none other than the Water Fairy Princess - Min Lele. Minna asked in confusion, "Graduated?"

  "Yes, she's one grade lower than me and should have graduated two years ago! How did you get her photo?"

  "Oh," Minna put the photo in her drawer, "My classmate from the student union found it by chance in the data room and I accidentally brought it out mixed with my books."

  Min Lele didn't suspect anything else, "To say it, I don't have a deep impression of her."

  "Really? What's she like... I'm a bit curious."

  "Not on the same level, not very familiar. Apart from knowing that she is Princess Yuriko, it's just that her grades are good, and there are rumors of a romantic relationship between her and a popular junior."

  Under Minna's repeated questioning, Min Lele revealed what she knew about Ji Huaning and Jiang Yuanying, and also uncovered that dusty past. In No. 1 Middle School back then, almost everyone knew about it.

  "Sister, classmates all say I and this senior look alike, what do you think?"

  Min Lele took a look at her own sister, "It doesn't seem like it, the facial features are completely different." She thought for a moment and smiled, "Take a closer look, the feeling is quite similar, one glance and you can tell she's that kind of quiet and innocent little girl."

  Minna gently patted her shoulder: "Who's the little girl?!" The two of them laughed it off.

  It turned out that Lin Jinglan liked a girl like this. That night, Minna lay in bed, thinking about her sister's words, and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

  She was older than him, and had already had a romantic relationship that caused a stir. She didn't expect to find herself so similar to the person Lin Jinglan liked, and she wasn't sure whether to be happy or worried. Compared to Lin Jinglan's feelings, she believed she wouldn't lose to anyone. Since the other party had already gone abroad, why not take his place, especially since she was younger and more attractive?

  After school, Minna made an excuse to walk with Lin Jinglan, and the two walked silently side by side. On the street under the setting sun, a child who had fallen down was lying on the ground, crying alone.

  Minna saw this and hurried over to help him up: "Little friend, what's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"

  After discovering the secret of the photo, she often unconsciously fantasized that she was Ji Huaning. If she were exactly like that person, would he like herself?

  The child was being stubborn, crying and refusing to get up from the ground. Lin Jinglan looked down with her eyelids lowered, watching as Min Na carefully coaxed the child and patted his back, her voice soft and gentle, without any expression.

  Minna thought to herself: if it were her, she would be gentle and kind. But then the child's mother rushed over, saw the child crying on the ground, and without asking any questions, scolded Minna: "What did you do to my child? Look at him cry like that! Nowadays children are really not good, even such a small child has to be bullied..." She picked up the child while still muttering and complaining.

  Minna's eyes turned red with grievance, she bit her lip tightly and stole a glance at Lin Jinglan. Sure enough, he walked over to the woman and said, "Auntie, it was the child who fell down by himself, she just wanted to help him up. Right, little brother?"

  The little kid rubbed his eyes and cried out: "Baby wants to find mommy, can't find... fell down, hurts..."

  The child's mother looked at them awkwardly and turned around to leave with the child in her arms.

  Lin Jinglan gazed out at the silent street, and seemed to hear that person's voice in her ear: "Pfft, what a person! Good intentions struck by lightning!"

  He couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of his mouth, and his eyelashes were dyed a golden color by the sunset. His handsome face was radiant with a kind of sacredness. Minna stared blankly at him, and it wasn't until after a while that she suddenly realized this gentle smile wasn't for her. She said sorrowfully: "Let's go."

  Lin Jinglan withdrew from her thoughts and said faintly to Minna, "From now on, don't learn from her again."

  Minna was shocked, had he known all along?

  That day, Lin Jinglan returned to the classroom and immediately discovered that Hua Ning's photo was gone. Looking at the book on the desk that Minna had left behind, he already had some suspicions. Later, he found out that Minna had become intentionally quiet and gentle, confirming his speculation.

  "Am I not like her?"

  He shook his head. The first time he saw Minna in the alley, he was a little dazed. But as soon as he took a closer look, he knew it was completely different: "No, very similar, so similar that I almost had an illusion. But..."

  He thought that if he exposed Hua Ning's true nature, her ferocious appearance would be revealed, and he shut his mouth tightly.

  "Even if you treat me as her, I won't mind..." In the face of love, who isn't selfish and humble? I believe that with time, he will discover his own good.

  Lin Jinglan sighed: "Like, but after all, it's not the same person. There is a kind of person who exists in our memory, no matter what kind of person she is, and the memories with her are irreplaceable. And she, because of your feelings, has become the only one in the world."

  Minna had never heard him speak so much in one breath, and was left speechless. As she looked at the tender affection that had climbed up his cheeks, she felt a surge of jealousy. Why couldn't she replace her? In this world, no one would die without someone else, another person could always replace the previous one, it was just a matter of time.

  If it were her - if it were Hua Ning, she probably wouldn't even bother to help the child up in front of him, let alone speak kindly to comfort him. She would most likely scold and say: "Little devil, get up quickly, the ground is filthy!"

  "Hey, little devil!" It's been a long time since she last called herself that. Lin Jinglan gazed towards the end of the distant street: There was a kind of emotion that only belonged to two people's memories, which would never be replaced by anything else and would only become more intense. This was just a matter of time.