Chapter 121

The flickering flame inside the glass lantern cast a warm glow in the room. 

Summer sat up in bed, snug under her blanket, engrossed in her book by the light. 

She heard the door open in the adjacent room, glanced at her own door briefly, then returned to her reading.

Logan stepped out of his room and headed straight to the kitchen. 

He had come down with a fever earlier that evening and had taken some medicine before falling asleep. Now that his fever had subsided, he was up, looking to fix himself something to eat.

Entering the kitchen, Logan struck a match to light the oil lamp. As the flame illuminated the room, he noticed a piece of paper left on the lid of a pot on the stove.

He picked up the note, which read: "I'll cook for you for ten more months, and then we're even."

Logan stared at the note for a while, his expression unreadable. 

He then sighed softly, pocketing the note before removing the lid to reveal the hot meal Summer had left for him. He stood there, looking at the food for another moment, before grabbing a bowl to serve himself.

***

Summer wasn't overly troubled by Logan's insistence on maintaining a proper distance. 

After all, men and women were expected to be reserved with each other, especially in this conservative era. Keeping their interactions formal was only appropriate, especially after she had barged into his room without knocking and witnessed an awkward moment, which could have harmed both their reputations.

Adjusting their interactions, Summer decided to maintain a strictly professional relationship with Logan. She continued to cook for him, as she had promised, thinking that ten more months of meals would settle their debts.

Life continued as usual for her.

From Monday to Saturday, she attended school punctually. On Sundays, she would join Logan at the market to sell noodles. If they had other engagements, they would send Amy and Billy in their place.

Despite their efforts to maintain distance, they still had to communicate and work together frequently. Their interactions became more formal, lacking the previous familiarity. 

Logan, however, remained his usual aloof self.

Summer knew that Henry, Charlie, and Gabe had returned from their labor camp, but she avoided visiting them, keeping her distance from Henry in particular. 

She wasn't afraid of being labeled heartless. Her primary concern was avoiding any entanglement that might drag her back into the original storyline of the novel, undoing all her efforts to change her fate.

Henry and the others seemed to have given up on her, not seeking her out after their return. 

The only encounter was a fleeting moment in the clinic when Summer went to buy medicine for Logan. She and Henry locked eyes briefly but exchanged no greetings.

With their lives now running parallel without intersecting, things moved smoothly.

Summer focused on her goals, carefully managing her interactions with Logan while harnessing the energy from their shared moments.

Henry and the others had also settled into a quieter routine, avoiding trouble and living their lives. 

They worked diligently, even managing to cultivate their private plots properly. By spring, they had started raising pigs and chickens.

The ten youths seemed to have found their places in this new environment, integrating into the land and the community. 

However, only they knew the depths of their unspoken frustrations and yearnings for home, their resolve to endure this life while secretly longing for the day they could return to the city.

Rumors of others returning to the city fueled their hopes. 

In early spring, two youths from another team received city return permits. By late summer, two more followed suit.

The increase in return permits sparked even greater hope among them.

Summer, too, yearned to return home. She wasn't worried about getting a permit, confident that she and Logan's performance would secure their chances.

As time passed, her concern shifted. She hadn't yet fully escaped the constraints of the original novel's plot.

***

Under the lamp's glow, Summer sat at her desk, cheeks puffed out, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The face looking back at her was delicate and beautiful, just as she had dreamed. Yet, despite its beauty, her expression was marked by frustration. Her mind echoed with a single question: Why?

Over the past few months, her interactions with Logan had indeed had an effect. 

Her reflection in the mirror had gradually become clearer, her features sharpening noticeably each month.

Two nights ago, her face had fully clarified. Seeing her complete reflection, she had nearly jumped for joy, barely containing her excitement.

However, the next morning, Logan's reaction had been indifferent, as usual. 

He didn't seem to notice any change.

At school, her students reacted no differently than usual. Even Amy, after a thorough examination, had assured her that nothing had changed.

So while she saw a clear image in the mirror, others saw no difference.

She was still trapped by the novel's constraints.

Why was this happening?