NOVEL WEB chapter 107 - Identical Cake
During the break between filming, Tang Yuan and Jiang Zi spent a lot of time exploring the university.
The campus was vast, with lush greenery and a flower field specifically designed as a photo spot for couples.
In the late afternoon, before sunset, they arrived at the orange-hued flower field.
To give Jiang Zi a sense of reliving her youth, Tang Yuan had specially prepared a matching school uniform for her — identical to her own.
Jiang Zi wore a short-sleeved white blouse with a black-and-blue plaid ribbon, paired with a black pleated skirt that was clearly a modernized version, barely covering mid-thigh.
The only difference between them was that Tang Yuan had prepared black stockings for Jiang Zi, while she wore children’s socks with little leather shoes.
Tang Yuan couldn’t stop complimenting Jiang Zi along the way — the admiration genuine, especially since she kept touching the stockings the moment Jiang Zi put them on, even praising their quality.
Tang Yuan deftly picked up a Polaroid camera and snapped a photo of Jiang Zi, who was still not quite in the mood.
The beauty glanced lazily at the sea of orange flowers. The golden light of the setting sun cast a warm glow over her, gilding her figure.
“So beautiful! Come on, let’s take more pictures before the sun goes down.”
Tang Yuan was in high spirits, taking a few solo shots of Jiang Zi, some selfies, and several together. They only stopped when the dusk light faded, the natural filter disappearing.
They sat on a bench, quietly drinking water as they watched the sky darken.
Fireflies began lighting up, their faint glow reflecting in Tang Yuan’s bright eyes. She turned toward Jiang Zi, curiosity sparkling in her gaze.
“Sister, did anything interesting happen when you were in high school?”
“High school?” Jiang Zi snapped out of her daze, instinctively thinking of the time she spent with Tang Yuan in another life. Realizing her slip, she shook her head. “Nothing memorable. It passed in a blur.”
“Huh? Did you make any close friends?” Tang Yuan recalled her impression of Jiang Zi during university — always alone.
Jiang Zi shook her head. “No.”
Her school days had been mostly blank. Awakening to the world’s plot early, she’d spent her youth not worrying about grades or lessons but on investments, business ventures, and how to increase her own worth.
On that path, the protagonist’s halo had indeed favored her, bringing many benefactors. But none of them were truly friends — merely transactions bound by interests. What help she’d received back then had long since been repaid many times over.
Hearing Jiang Zi’s indifferent tone, Tang Yuan leaned close and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, then rested her head on her shoulder, eyes fixed on her.
“I don’t want to know about your past anymore. It sounds so heartbreaking.”
The world had been cruel to the heroine — shaping her resilient nature through a tragic childhood. If Jiang Zi had followed the storyline step by step, she wouldn’t be who she was today. Her current self was proof of how much she’d suffered along the way.
“Miss Tang, what you asked for has arrived.”
Tang Yuan turned, quickly jogging over with a bright smile to accept the delivery. “Thank you!”
With the bags in hand, she returned to Jiang Zi, pulling her up and leading her toward the streetlamp.
Night had fallen, but the lights shone as bright as day.
Tang Yuan laid out a picnic blanket, lit mosquito-repellent incense, and unpacked the cake and wine.
“I wanted to try camping out at an empty school. There’s more food on the way — let’s have the cake first.”
Jiang Zi sat beside her, helping unwrap the cake. Beneath the packaging was a heart-shaped pink cake, decorated with white cream roses along the sides and two hugging pandas on top.
Seeing the cake, Jiang Zi’s heart skipped a beat before pounding wildly. She instinctively looked toward Tang Yuan, unable to hide the shock in her eyes—just in time to meet Tang Yuan’s gaze.
Tang Yuan tilted her head closer, studying her expression carefully. “What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale all of a sudden? You don’t like the cake?”
Jiang Zi averted her eyes, lost in thought. She remained silent — a rare occurrence.
She remembered — in that other world, she’d bought a cake exactly like this to confess to Tang Yuan. The day she died, she had been holding this very cake, the only difference being the handwritten names she’d drawn on top.
“Sister.” Tang Yuan reached out, her small hand wrapping around Jiang Zi’s. The cold sweat on her palm didn’t escape her notice.
“Do you have something on your mind?”
Jiang Zi instinctively shook her head, but her red-rimmed eyes betrayed her. In a low voice, she explained, “I dreamed I’d bought you a cake just like this… but you never got to eat it.”
“Why wouldn’t I eat it? Was I throwing a tantrum?” Tang Yuan immediately blamed her dream self for being difficult.
Jiang Zi suddenly pulled her into an embrace. Tang Yuan stumbled, accidentally pressing her hand into the cake, squashing one side.
Before she could cry out, Jiang Zi’s hoarse voice whispered in her ear, “Not a tantrum… something much worse.”
She hadn’t said the word, but Tang Yuan immediately thought of death. Gently, she patted Jiang Zi’s back with her clean hand.
“It’s okay. It was just a dream. It won’t come true.”
With her eyes closed, buried in Tang Yuan’s warmth, Jiang Zi wondered — if she awakened more memories from that world, would she still see Tang Yuan’s tragic end?
The suffocating pain in her heart made it hard to breathe. She was trapped between two lives, unable to separate the two versions of Tang Yuan.
If this continued, her pessimism would consume her — affecting both her own state of mind and their relationship.
To Tang Yuan, her sudden mood swings must have seemed inexplicable. Negative emotions could spread — she couldn’t let her little Tang Yuan worry all the time.
Jiang Zi opened her eyes, dark pupils flickering with hesitation.
She needed to tell Tang Yuan about the world’s plot and her own awakened consciousness.
She sat up straight. “Little Tang Yuan…”
Before she could continue, Tang Yuan’s cream-smeared finger popped into her mouth, leaving traces on her lips and chin.
Tang Yuan grinned mischievously. “Hehe, does it taste good? Cakes that try to ruin people’s moods should be eaten right away!”
Jiang Zi froze, then instinctively bit down and licked her finger.
Still playful — at least she hadn’t been affected.
Tang Yuan yanked her hand back just as their dinner delivery arrived.
Jiang Zi wiped Tang Yuan’s hands clean with a wet wipe, only for Tang Yuan to lean in and lick the cream off her chin before wiping it away.
After fooling around, they finally sat down to eat.