Rebirth: Starting with Capturing the Goddess Mentor

Chapter 1 Rewind to 2013
The setting sun, like fine gold foil, gently sprinkled across the busy yet tranquil film set.

Director Li Ming stood on the temporary stage that had been set up, facing the audience below, some standing and some sitting, their eyes filled with reluctance and anticipation, his heart surging with complex emotions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we stand at the wrap party for the web series 'The Ultimate School Beauty's Bodyguard,' a place that is both an end and a beginning. It is your superb performances that have made this series..."

As he finished his speech, Li Ming managed to squeeze out a tear.

"Finally, please welcome Mr. Chen Yan, Chairman of Liangyu Media, to the stage to deliver a speech."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous applause erupted in the room.

A young man wearing a white T-shirt put down his crossed legs and walked slowly toward the stage.

Chen Yan casually took the microphone from the host:
"It's so hot, I won't waste time with empty words. In short, everyone has worked hard these past few months. I've arranged a banquet at the Platinum Hotel, and there's a shuttle bus I've arranged at the entrance of the venue. Everyone, the mission today is to eat and drink well!"

"it is good!"

"Chairman Chen is so straightforward!"

"Not a single word wasted, no wonder he makes so much money."

The crowd below applauded and cheered, then walked towards the shuttle bus with smiles on their faces.

Chen Yan walked at the very back, and only after everyone had boarded the bus did he slowly walk toward the brand-new McLaren GT next to him.

The butterfly doors rose gracefully, and I slid into the race car seat with a flourish. I lit a cigarette with practiced ease and was just about to start the car when a sudden knock came from the passenger window.

A woman stood bent over by the car, wearing a black bodycon skirt that perfectly accentuated her stunning figure.

The McLaren's body is very low, so you have to bend down to knock on the window. From Chen Yan's angle, he could just see that snow-white cleavage.

"At least I have a C." Chen Yan thought to himself.

The car window rolled down, and a gust of hot air mixed with a faint scent of perfume wafted in.

"Mr. Chen, I'm not feeling well today. Could you please take me home?"

The speaker was Su Manman, the female lead of the web series and a popular internet celebrity with 500 million followers on Douyin.

Chen Yan had seen many women like this before, so he didn't expose the lame excuse. He grinned, revealing a bright white smile, and said, "Get in the car."

Bad girls shouldn't waste...

A sly glint flashed in Su Manman's eyes as she gently opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, a strong scent of perfume filling the air...

Ignition, start.

With a roar, the GT sports car gracefully drove out of the venue.

As soon as she got into the car, Su Manman tilted her long legs slightly toward the driver's seat, just within reach of Chen Yan's outstretched hand...

"Mr. Chen, my home is in apartment 801, building 2, Sunshine Garden. Thank you for taking me home."

Chen Yan casually flicked the ash from his cigarette, glanced to the side, and from his angle, he could just see that glimpse of snow-white skin wrapped in slightly exposed black lace lingerie...

Chen Yan waved his hand and said no need to thank him. As soon as he finished speaking, a blinding white light suddenly shone into the rearview mirror, and a large truck was rapidly approaching at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Instinctively, he tried to step on the gas to swerve forward, but found himself in a traffic jam. His brain didn't have time to react, and with a deafening crash, Chen Yan lost consciousness...

……

"Son, wake up and have lunch."

In a daze, Chen Yan was awakened by a voice.

When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a white ceiling, but the decor looked like my old rural home from when I was a child.

Am I dreaming? Chen Yan propped himself up and sat up, thinking to himself.

Knock, knock, knock. Just then, a series of urgent knocks came from outside the door.

"How many times have I told you? It's time to eat, why aren't you up? Do I have to come up here myself?"

Is that my mom's voice? But it sounds a little different.
Boom boom boom!
"Get up and open the door." An impatient voice came from outside the door again.

Chen Yan walked over and opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a middle-aged woman who was about 1.6 meters tall. She had a few playful crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and a head of thick, black short hair. This was Chen Yan's mother, He Juan.

A look of surprise flashed in Chen Yan's eyes. How come his mother looks so much younger?

"Hurry up, wash your face and brush your teeth, then come down for dinner."

After saying that, He Juan turned and left, muttering to herself, "Honestly, I don't know who she takes after. She's going to university tomorrow and she's still so lazy."

Chen Yan lightly slapped himself, the soft sound echoing in the room.

Even if it seemed unbelievable at this moment, he had no choice but to believe that he had been reborn.

I was reborn back to the day before I was to register for university, September 4, 2013.

Holy crap, someone like me has actually been reborn! Oh, heavens, how cruel you are to me!

After graduating from university, Chen Yan first worked in sales. Two years later, he resigned and went into e-commerce. After earning his first pot of gold, he went bankrupt due to blind expansion and inventory backlog, which led to a break in the capital chain.

Fortunately, Chen Yan later seized the opportunity presented by the short drama trend, selling his house and investing all his savings into it.

Hard work pays off. Although the first short drama was quite cheesy, it still topped the Douyin charts and raked in millions of yuan.

Chen Yan became one of the first to reap the benefits of short dramas. Later, he established a film and television company and rode the wave of the times, which allowed him to have tens of millions of net assets at the age of 30, making him a highly sought-after eligible bachelor in Hangzhou.

Unfortunately, the good days only lasted for two years before they were back to square one.

……

At the dinner table, Chen Yan looked at his parents, who looked more than ten years younger, and felt a mix of emotions, his eyes welling up with tears.

"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave us because you're leaving tomorrow?"

Chen Guodong, the father, noticed that something was wrong with Chen Yan and put down his wine glass to ask him a question.

"Dad, it's inevitable. After all, it's the first time I've ever traveled so far from home," Chen Yan sniffed and made up a story.

He Juan put a few pieces of beef into Chen Yan's bowl, and then said to her husband, "Old Chen, after we finish eating, let's go to the high-speed rail station together to buy tickets to Hangzhou for tomorrow."

In 2013, online ticket buying was not yet popular; even ticket buying apps like Fliggy and Tongcheng didn't exist.

"No need to trouble yourself, I can go by myself tomorrow."

"How can that be? Do you, a little kid, even know the way to the university town?"

"The acceptance letter has all the details, don't worry. Besides, if I really can't find it, surely I can take a taxi?"

He Juan wanted to say something more, but Chen Guodong's words stopped her.

"Alright, since the child wants to go by himself, we'll respect his opinion. Anyway, he has a cell phone, so we can contact him anytime."

Hearing her husband say the same thing, He Juan finally agreed to let him go to school alone, and repeatedly told him to call and let her know he was safe as soon as he arrived in Hangzhou.

In his previous life, Chen Yan worked hard in Hangzhou for 12 years. He had explored almost every alley and could find his way to school with his eyes closed.

After saying goodbye to his parents early the next morning, Chen Yan boarded the high-speed train to Hangzhou.

My gaze fell on the slowly passing scenery outside the window. Those once-familiar buildings seemed to have been gently touched by time, retaining their outlines from my memory. The old locust tree still stood tall, and birdsong was hidden among its branches...

Twelve years is enough time for everything to change, and enough time for everything to be completely renewed!
"Now that they've brought me back, I must achieve something to repay God's arrangements!"

……

An hour later, the high-speed train arrived in Hangzhou. After getting off the train, Chen Yan took the subway and arrived at the university where he had lived for four years – Jiangnan University of Science and Technology.

"So many years have passed, you didn't expect your brother to come back, did you? Girls in the university town, how are you all doing?"

(End of this chapter)