Chapter 143 Gabriel, Do You Want to Know Who He Is?
"Nothing, it's just a bit hot. I'll eat it later," Jessica said.
As she lowered her head, a faint, sweet smile spread across her lips.
She remembered that in high school, couples often went out to eat together. She had never been in a relationship and didn't quite understand love at first.
But she often saw young couples sharing a bowl of spaghetti. Sometimes the boy would feed the girl with a fork, and the girl would light up with a smile akin to fireworks, their sweetness palpable.
At that time, she was young and naive, thinking that love was simply sharing a bowl of noodles.
And that was enough.
As she grew older, she realized how simple and beautiful that thought had been!
As she grew older, she understood that adult love involved so many complications and calculations.
Yet, she stubbornly believed that love was beautiful and sweet.
Even though she had been hurt deeply by love, she still believed in it as always.
Even though their destiny no longer intertwined for a lifetime, in this fleeting moment, she felt a resemblance to the young couples surrounding them.
It was as if they were not adults, had never been married, and had never been divorced.
They were like those young couples, a pair of pure and sweet high school students, enjoying the sweetness of love.
And that was enough for her.
The bowl of spaghetti was sizable, and they savored each bite slowly.
Eventually, they polished off the spaghetti, leaving behind a trace of sauce.
Jessica was already full.
She had just put down her fork when she saw Gabriel pick up the fork and eat the last bit of sauce.
At that moment, she was both shocked and surprised.
In her impression, Gabriel was not someone who would share food with others. It must have been hard enough for him to share a bowl of spaghetti with her.
After a moment of hesitation, she spoke, "Did you... not have enough to eat? Should I order another one for you?"
"I'm full," Gabriel quickly responded, then explained, "I just thought it felt really nice to share a bowl of spaghetti with you. In the future, we might not have such an opportunity again, so I cherished it."
When they left the small restaurant, it was already dark, and the stars were out.
Because the weather was clear, the sky was filled with twinkling stars, shining brightly, making the night sky incredibly beautiful.
"So nostalgic, I really want to go inside and take a look," Jessica sighed as they reached the school gate.
"Wait for me," said Gabriel.
With that, he quickly ran off.
Jessica saw him run straight to the guardhouse and seemed to say something to the security guard before quickly running back.
As he had run so fast, Gabriel was slightly out of breath as he said, "It's okay, we can go in for a walk."
Jessica was so surprised that she didn't react for a moment.
After a while, she came to her senses and gradually understood. "The security guard agreed to let us in? I heard the management here is very strict and doesn't allow unrelated people to enter."
In fact, Jessica had tried to get in many times but had always been stopped outside.
"We can go in now," Gabriel said, "But I might need to hold your hand to go in together."
"Why?"
"Because..." Gabriel paused, his deep, pleasant voice slowly resonating in the night. "I told them that my wife and I are alumni of this school. We met here ten years ago, and today is our wedding anniversary. My wife misses this place very much and wants to take a walk inside. We promise to be out within an hour.
"Plus, I sweetened the deal with some tips."
Jessica couldn't help but exclaim after hearing this, "Isn't it bad to deceive them like that?"
"It's not entirely false, just a mix of truth and lies," Gabriel replied.
Jessica's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Did he know? Did he know that she first met him at this school?
Lifting her head, she asked, her voice almost trembling. "Did you know that?"
"Know what?" Gabriel was puzzled.
"Just you..." Halfway through, Jessica feared she hadn't expressed herself clearly and hastily rephrased, "Do you remember when we first met?"
"The first time?" Gabriel thought for a moment and said, "Wasn't it when you took the bracelet to the Walton family to find Xavier?"
In the darkness, Jessica subtly shook her head. He actually didn't remember.
He had forgotten, completely and utterly, without a trace of memory.
"Am I wrong?" Gabriel asked again.
Jessica shook her head. "No, I was mistaken."
As they entered, Gabriel held Jessica's hand.
The night wind was still a bit chilly, and Jessica's small hand was cold. At that moment, wrapped in Gabriel's large hand, it warmed up considerably.
By the time they let go of each other's hands after entering, Jessica's hand had been warmed almost completely.
"Where do you want to go for the walk?" Gabriel asked.
"The playground," Jessica answered just as decisively and directly this time.
Because the first time she met him was at the playground.
When they reached the playground, Jessica felt a bit excited.
Ten years had passed, and the playground was still the same as it had been, with the same scenery and the same positions.
In ten years, many things at this school had changed. The walls had been renovated, new teaching buildings had been constructed, even the library and cafeteria had changed locations, but the playground remained as familiar as ever.
Standing there, memories from the past flooded her mind like a tide.
Like a scene from a movie, every moment, every second from the past felt so vivid and real, playing out before her eyes.
For a fleeting moment, she even felt as if everything had transpired just yesterday, despite the fact that a decade had already slipped by.
Time had flown by so quickly.
In the blink of an eye, she had known him for ten years.
A tear unknowingly slid down her cheek, and she reached up to gently, quietly wipe it away.
Though it was dark, Gabriel still saw it.
At that moment, his heart sank continuously.
It sank heavily, frantically, as if it had plunged into a bottomless abyss.
He struggled, but felt a suffocating pain in his chest.
He suddenly recalled the question he had asked her before, "You seem to have a special fondness for No.1 High School?"
Jessica responded, "Because of the memories. The most beautiful and happiest years of my youth were spent here."
So, was she so happy and joyful because of her first love?
Was it because her first love was at this school that she found even the school itself to be so gentle, even enchanting her entire youth?
Was that it?
Gabriel felt an oppressive discomfort in his heart. He had promised himself not to think about it, not to ask.
But now, he couldn't hold back any longer. Almost recklessly, he asked, "Is it because of your first love?"
