Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Bradley stood on the boat deck when the message came through. He turned toward the island, and his lips curved upward slightly, though he couldn’t make out anything clearly.
Bradley: [Cam, since you can see me, why don’t you come find me?]
Cameron: [Are you following me?]
Bradley stared at the word “following” and laughed helplessly.
Bradley: [Cam, I’m not following you. I’m just worried about you. I needed to see you get off the boat safely before I could relax.]
Cameron frowned at Bradley’s message on her screen. She wondered, ‘Is that really it? He’s worried about me, so he’s quietly watched over me.’
Bradley: [Cam, why is your first reaction when you see me that I’m stalking you? Do I look like some kind of creep?]
Cameron stared at the message on her screen. It was because seven years ago, he’d completely lost control when she’d rejected him. But Bradley had lost her memory-bringing up the past was no point.
After a long pause, Cameron finally typed back. [Brad, I take the boat home every day. It’s safe-you don’t need to worry.]
Bradley: [It’s so late, and you’re a girl out there alone. How can I not worry?]
Cameron didn’t respond anymore.
It was already past ten at night when Cameron returned to Yates Manor.
The entire Yates family was still up.
Jacqueline beamed as she pulled Cameron aside. “Cam, Mom has wonderful news for you.”
Cameron smiled back. “What’s the good news, Mom?”
“Cam, your daily commute is just too much trouble. We’ve all decided to move back to Viremont Falready bought a house-it’s only ten minutes from your office.” Cameron’s eyes widened in surprise.
Cameron shook her head quickly. “Mom, that’s not necessary.”
The family had lived on this island for over twenty years. Moving just to make her commute easier seemed like way too much trouble.
Levi said, “Sweetheart, we’re getting tired of this island too. We’ve been wanting to live somewhere else for a while now, so don’t try to stop us.”
Gavin added, “Cam, Mom and Dad are doing this for your own good. Don’t turn them down.”
Lance patted Cameron’s shoulder. “Cam, let me tell you something. The main reason Mom and Dad are doing this is so you’ll have more free time to date.”
He winked at her. “Think about it, Cam. They wouldn’t let you date before, and you’ve been single all these years. Now they’re panicking about it. Talk about contradictory, right?”
Levi’s face darkened. “Lance, do you want me to have someone throw you out?”
Lance fell silent.
Lance cleared his throat and immediately put on his usual aloof expression.
Gavin sighed, “Cam, a girl’s time is precious. If there’s a suitable guy, you should start dating him.”
Cameron smiled, “Gavin, a guy’s time is precious too. If there’s a suitable girl, you should start dating her.”
Gavin had no response.
Jacqueline lovingly ruffled Cameron’s hair. “Cam, you little troublemaker, you always love arguing with Gavin.”
Cameron laughed and linked arms with Jacqueline, “Mom, do you really want to move away?”
Cameron had been living on this island for over seven years now. She had gotten used to it.
Jacqueline sighed, “Maybe we should just move. I swear this house has bad energy or something-none of you three can even find someone to date.”
Levi shrugged. “Yeah. Bad vibes.”
Cameron was speechless.
Lance raised an eyebrow. “Mom, Dad, what if we move and we’re all still single?”
Levi glared at Lance. “Then you can become a monk.”
Lance fell silent.
Cameron couldn’t help but smile. “Dad, I think you should pressure Gavin first. Sure, Lance is only thirty, but Gavin’s already thirty-three.”
Gavin looked completely innocent, his expression seeming to say, “Cam, I didn’t do anything to you lately.”
Meanwhile, Lance quietly gave Cameron a thumbs-up. Jacqueline said, “Cam’s right. Gavin, you really need to hurry up. A grown man over thirty who’s still not married-what does that look like?”
Levi shrugged “Just kick him out.”
Gavin remained speechless.
Cameron yawned. “Mom, Dad, Gavin, Lance-I’m tired. You guys keep talking. I’m going to bed.”
She was the youngest after all. If Gavin wasn’t in a rush, neither was she.
In her dream, Cameron felt she was still lying on the cold concrete floor.
Blood covered her entire body. Her limbs were twisted and broken.
Cameron tried to get up, but she couldn’t move at all. Her mind was clear, but her body wouldn’t respond.
People around her were talking. “Oh my God, this is so tragic. I heard she fell from the top floor. How horrible.”
Someone else chimed in, “She’s only eighteen. So young. What a waste.”
Another voice asked, “Where’s her family? Where are her parents?”
“I heard her family forced her to get gender reassignment surgery. She couldn’t handle it, so she jumped off the building.”
“Oh, no!”
“What kind of parents would do that? She’s such a beautiful girl. Why would they force her to become a man?”
Countless people gathered around her body. Their conversations were filled with pity, sympathy, and gossip.
A young man stood in the crowd. He was tall enough to see the gruesome scene on the ground without getting closer.
He took off his coat and crouched down, covering Cameron’s broken body with it. Then he let out a soft sigh.
Cameron struggled to make out his face, but all she could see was a hazy white blur.
She tried harder, forcing her eyes open with all her strength. That’s when she woke up.
Cameron stared at the white ceiling above her. Only then did she realize she’d been dreaming.
But the dream felt too real, because it had actually happened.
In her previous life, after someone pushed her off the hospital rooftop, that was exactly how people had gathered around her body.
When Cameron first entered the world-hopping system, she’d sometimes dream about her death. She’d see a young man placing a piece of clothing over her.
She wanted to see his face clearly, but she couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried.
All she knew was that he was tall. He was the only person who showed her warmth after she died.
She’d forgotten all about it after traveling through worlds for over a thousand years. She never expected to dream about it again.
Cameron really wanted to know who that young man was.
But it was from her past life. There was no way to find out now.
Cameron lay in bed for a long while before she finally snapped back to reality.
She had forgotten to close the cuntains before bed last night, and now the sky outside showed the pale light of early dawn.
She climbed out of bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. It was only six o’clock. Sleep had completely left her, so Cameron get up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
She’d go to the office early today.
Cameron had chosen to take the boat first and then drive to the company. This route was faster than moving from the office to the Yates family’s helipad and returning the helicopter to the Yates estate.
When Cameron arrived at the company, it was still early. She went straight to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Some employees who lived in the staff dormitories had beaten her there. A few young female employees sat beneath the TV, one holding the remote and flipping through channels.
One of them suddenly perked up. “Oh wow, this is it!”
