Rebirth Must Be Happy

"You seem happy?"

"Ah."

"Aren't you angry anymore?"

"I'm angry."

"Then why are you happy?"

"because……"

On a sweltering summer night, Xu Jinhuan pushed his bicycle along the street. The girl beside him was silent for a moment, then said, "Because I've noticed that you haven't changed."

"What do you mean?"

"It means I used to think you had changed."

Have I changed?

"changed."

She gave an affirmative answer, then added, "But it's back to normal now."

"How to say?"

"When I first met you, you weren't as outstanding and dazzling as you are now. You didn't earn hundreds of thousands a month, you couldn't easily start a company, you couldn't convince others to invest tens of millions, you didn't have nearly a million fans, you hadn't been on CCTV, you hadn't been featured in many media outlets, and you weren't even known by many people at school..."

She sighed softly, paused for a moment, but didn't turn to look at him. Instead, she looked up at the vast, dark night sky and said, "Back then, Xu Jinhuan didn't have much money for living expenses, his grades weren't good, and he wasn't very famous, but he had a very steady, sincere, and positive aura about him..."

"Wow, I'm already this amazing?"

Xu Jinhuan chuckled, "Is it gone now?"

She shook her head: "The Xu Jinhuan of the past was a mature but youthful and sunny high school student; the Xu Jinhuan of now is a young and successful entrepreneur, a shrewd businessman."

Xu Jinhuan's smile froze.

In that instant, he understood what it meant for "lies to not hurt, but the truth to be the sharpest knife."

"You've just graduated high school. While your peers are still asking their parents for living expenses and have to be mindful of their parents' moods, you earn hundreds of thousands a month and can buy your parents a house. While your peers are still figuring out which major to choose for a good job, you've been admitted to Peking University without taking the entrance exam, own three companies, and have dozens of employees, including many graduates from prestigious universities, who all have to rely on you for their livelihood..."

Chen Xingzhu didn't look at him and continued in a calm tone, "When other people your age encounter trouble at home, their parents won't tell them for fear of worrying them. But if you have any problems, you can directly call the leaders in the district or city..."

“You have the right to be arrogant. You achieved success at a young age, so even if you look down on everyone and think you're superior, people can understand. As long as you continue to have a smooth life, few people will dare to say anything honest or unpleasant to you, including your classmates, friends, teachers, district and city leaders, and even your parents... But you don't.”

"Even though you love to show off so much, you've restrained yourself from almost all the ostentatious displays that would make others uncomfortable. Even when you drive to school, it's just because you're afraid of the cold, heat, or sun, just like when you're lazy at home and don't want to do chores. It's not really about showing off..."

She finally turned her head and glanced at Xu Jinhuan.

Xu Jinhuan gestured towards Huan Tan Park, where many people were strolling, then locked his bicycle by the roadside and walked side by side with her towards the park entrance, asking, "After Yang, what about Yi?"

This is a newly built park that was just completed last year. It was originally a coal mine subsidence area. Water was diverted to form a lake, trees were planted along the lake, and lotus flowers were planted in the water. It has become a good place for nearby residents to cool off, take walks, and exercise.

The two walked to the lakeside, where a breeze brought a rare coolness. Chen Xingzhu was silent for a while before continuing, "I have never blamed you. Just like I said, it's normal for someone who achieves success at a young age to be arrogant and look down on everyone."

This time, it was Xu Jinhuan's turn to be silent. After a long silence, seeing an elderly couple chasing after their grandson on a roadside bench, he gestured to Chen Xingzhu, sat down on the bench, and waited for her to sit down as well before sighing, "What you just said was very true, a calculating businessman..."

From an outsider's perspective, this is all about a young, successful entrepreneur showcasing his talent.

From the perspective of Chen Xingzhu and his close associates, this shows that he has gradually become tainted by worldly and mercenary tendencies.

From his own perspective, from the viewpoint of a reborn person, this is actually the soul from more than ten years later devouring the remaining youthful vigor of the original young body.

As he himself had realized before:

The one who was reborn was not the young Xu Jinhuan who knew and loved Chen Xingzhu and patiently waited for the ice in her heart to melt, but the Xu Jinhuan who was stimulated by the devastating news of her untimely death, suppressed by the workplace and life, integrated into the environment during the process of starting a business, and chose to fall into depravity after achieving success in his career.

In essence, he was no different from the greasy middle-aged man who flirted with Xie Wanqing and showed off his watch at the high-speed rail exit when he returned to Pengcheng a few days ago.

Chen Xingzhu turned to look at him. Her beautiful face no longer showed any trace of tears from when they first met. Her cheeks were glistening and delicate, and her long eyelashes fluttered gently. Seeing that he seemed to be very hurt and emotional, she looked slightly puzzled.

She didn't understand why this made Xu Jinhuan feel so devastated.

Isn't this a perfectly normal thing?

Even for many young people, being "calculating" might be seen as a virtue.

'Did I say something too harsh?'

She felt a little uncertain. After hesitating for a moment, she said in a gentle tone, "If you want to start a business, you definitely need these things. They are not shortcomings. It's just that people are prone to path dependence. As you said, if you have a hammer in your hand, everything looks like a nail."

Xu Jinhuan laughed and said, "I think I said that to my sister. Did she tell you?"

"Mm." Chen Xingzhu nodded.

“I just saw you downstairs, and you smiled.”

Xu Jinhuan leaned back slightly in her chair, gazing at her fair face illuminated by the warm light beside her, and said softly, "I was a little dazed at the time, thinking, it seems like it's been a long time since I've seen you smile, and then I thought, no, you smile often... but those smiles are never as genuine as this one. It seems like it's been a long time since you've smiled like this..."

Chen Xingzhu looked at him quietly.

Xu Jinhuan habitually reached out, then put his hand back, sighed and smiled, "You're right, I did unknowingly fall into a seemingly normal trajectory. I'll be careful from now on, and you can remind me when you notice."

His smile broadened, and he laughed, "Start anew."

Chen Xingzhu frowned, finding his words unpleasant, and couldn't help but glare at him before standing up and saying, "Let's go."

The two continued walking along the lakeside, and Xu Jinhuan asked, "Have you decided what to apply to for the other two universities?"

"Central University of Finance and Economics and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, I guess."

"Yes, based on your ranking, you are almost guaranteed admission to your first choice, and there will be no surprises."

Xu Jinhuan nodded and asked, "There's a gathering tomorrow with classmates from Class 11, both boys and girls. Do you want to come with me?"

Chen Xingzhu said, "I'm not going. You can go, my classmate."

"What about Class 9?"

"When?"

"The day after tomorrow."

Xu Jinhuan plans to contact his classmates as soon as he gets back, so he can get together with them more often and strengthen their bonds.

Chen Xingzhu turned to look at him, her face stern, and said, "You just said you wanted to remind me."

"This doesn't really count as scheming, does it?"

Xu Jinhuan smiled and said, "If you like something, you should go for it; that's actively creating opportunities."

Chen Xingzhu said, "Is it wise to be able to reject advice and to be able to use words to cover up one's mistakes?"

"Okay, then I will humbly accept the criticism."

Xu Jinhuan could clearly feel that her mood had improved a lot, and he himself relaxed a lot as well. He smiled and said, "Are you planning to renovate the house in Xiangyun Garden? Why don't you do it at the same time as my parents who are also renovating? You can get a discount on materials and such."

Chen Xingzhu hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard from others that it's quite tiring."

"Then you should express your gratitude more."

"I'll tell my uncle and aunt when I leave."

"Let's go sooner rather than later. While you're still in Suicheng, you can go and take a look around and decide on the renovation plan."

Xu Jinhuan advised, "I'm not trying to be cunning. I just have someone come to look at the renovations tomorrow and need some design work. If you want to see it, it'll be more convenient if we go together."

"it is good."

Chen Xingzhu nodded without hesitation, "I'll tell Zhizhi later."

"alright."

The two circled around and returned to the entrance. Xu Jinhuan unlocked the bicycle, pushed it over, patted the back seat, and laughed, "Can you still ride it?"

Chen Xingzhu walked over, saw that he had steadied the bicycle, and climbed on it with practiced ease.

People passing by noticed him riding such a dilapidated bicycle with his beautiful girlfriend, and they all stared at him, whispering and pointing.

I have to say, this feels much better than driving an S500...

"Hold on tight."

Xu Jinhuan didn't stretch his legs back anymore; instead, he lifted them up from the front and rode his bicycle home with her.

Chen Xingzhu was wearing a skirt and sat sideways behind him. She carefully held onto the hem of her skirt with one hand to avoid getting caught in the wheel, and with the other hand she initially grabbed the seat under his buttocks, but her grip was not firm and she would occasionally get rubbed against his buttocks.

After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and grabbed Xu Jinhuan's sleeve, just like when they first met.

"My T-shirt is made of pure cotton, it's not durable, so please don't tear it out of shape."

Xu Jinhuan chuckled and reminded him, "Why don't you hold onto your pants? It'll be fine if you hold onto them." (End of Chapter)