Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

Seeing the two holding hands tightly, Jiang Nanqiao almost fainted again. Fortunately, the driver opened the window in time to let in fresh air.

"Young lady, your face is quite red. Are you carsick? I have some motion sickness medicine in my car, or..."

"No, no, Uncle, I'm just a little hot."

"Hot? You should have said so earlier." The driver was a kind-hearted man. Without saying a word, he opened the other side window. After the air was circulated, Jiang Nanqiao's long hair instantly covered her face.

Jiang Nanqiao: "..." Help! This damn hair is getting in the way of my sweet moments!

The driver didn't notice that the girl's face was "covered" by her long hair and was still trying to find a topic to talk about.

"Young lady, you're from No. 8 Middle School, right? My daughter is also from No. 8 Middle School, but she's in the junior high section. Her name is Zhang Qiaoqiao. Do you know her?"

"Um... I don't know, ptooey ptooey..." Jiang Nanqiao struggled with the hair in her mouth while trying to answer the driver's question.

The driver said, "That's true. My daughter Qiaoqiao is quite introverted, so she probably doesn't stand out much at school. But I don't think it's a bad thing for girls to be introverted. They're quiet and well-behaved, which puts teachers and parents at ease."

Jiang Nanqiao: "Yes, you're right..."

The driver probably saw a reflection of his own daughter in Jiang Nanqiao, and kept talking to her until Jiang Nanqiao felt like crying.

She wants to eat candy, not chat!

嘤～

……

After a long while, the car stopped in front of an old residential building.

The three got out of the car and found the corresponding building number according to the address given by "Fire Seed".

This neighborhood must be quite old, with dilapidated tenement buildings inside. Bed sheets, blankets, and clothes are hung out to dry on wires outside each apartment's balcony, giving it the feel of a slum from a distance.

"I grew up in Moon City and had no idea such a place existed. It looks so harsh..."

Jiang Nanqiao comes from a middle-class family and has only ever seen the lives of people at the bottom of society on television. Now that she has witnessed it firsthand, her feelings are somewhat complicated.

"Since there is a bright side to this world, there is also a dark side. What we need to do now is to pull those who are talented but not appreciated and are struggling out of the darkness."

He Ziyu looked at the dilapidated tenement building in front of him with an exceptionally firm gaze.

He genuinely admired "Fire Seed's" talent and felt sorry for his dream that was destroyed by He Ningqiu in his previous life. So this time, he was determined to help "Fire Seed" and help him reclaim everything that should have belonged to him.

After many twists and turns, the three found the "Fire Seed's" house.

He Ziyu knocked on the door and soon heard footsteps.

Immediately afterwards, "Tinder" opened the door.

"Mr. He's here? Please come in..." He stopped mid-sentence, stunned.

The two people who were dressed in suits when we last met were now wearing school uniforms, with backpacks slung over their shoulders...

What's going on?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fire Seed, we haven't told you our true identities yet."

He Ziyu stood outside the door, explained his previous act of disguising his identity, and sincerely apologized.

"We were worried you might have reservations, so we dressed up like that on purpose," He Ziyu said. "But actually, we are students from No. 8 Middle School, and we are in our first year of high school this year."

"Tinder" paused slightly, looking them up and down. "Then why don't you continue pretending?"

"Because I feel that you are a person who focuses on your work," He Ziyu explained. "As long as the work is successfully released and recognized by the public, I think our identities are not important to you."

Wearing a school uniform, He Ziyu looked a little green and immature, but his words and actions were still mature and steady. After he finished speaking, not only "Torch" but also Jiang Chengyu and Jiang Nanqiao next to him cast admiring glances at him.

"You're right, I do only care about the work itself," Fireseed said. "Whether you're students or bosses, as long as you appreciate my work, the collaboration is meaningful."

After a brief negotiation, "Fire Seed" led the three into his humble abode.

The apartments in the tenement building are very cramped, with no separate bedrooms, poor ventilation, and bad lighting. The enclosed rooms have a strong musty smell, as if they haven't seen the light for a long time.

He Ziyu frowned slightly and looked around.

The living room window was rusty, the glass was blurry, and there were unmade blankets piled on the single bed next to it.

Further to the right is a desk, piled haphazardly with manuscripts and drawing tools.

In addition, the room also has a simple bookshelf filled with comics and a sofa and coffee table, which are essential for any home.

And then, there was nothing left.

"I was hospitalized for a while, and the house has been a bit messy since then. I hope you don't mind." Huozhong piled up a few clothes on the sofa and threw them onto the bed. "Please have a seat."

He Ziyu said he didn't mind and put the milk and fruit on the coffee table.

Huozhong was a little surprised when he saw the food. "Why did you bring food? You're students, don't spend money next time."

He Ziyu: "These don't cost much, it's not a big expense. You've just been discharged from the hospital, so you need to recover quickly so you can go back to work as soon as possible."

"Fire Seed" looked much more haggard than when they last met. He was pale and thin, and even his walk was unsteady. He Ziyu was worried that his body couldn't take it, so he quickly brought him a chair.

"We've come mainly to visit you today, so let's keep work brief..."

He Ziyu discussed the specific ideas for the studio with "Huozhong" and assigned tasks to everyone on the spot.

Jiang Chengyu is meticulous and thorough in his work, and he is responsible for the studio's finances and paperwork. Jiang Nanqiao is good at drawing and can help "Fire Seed" with coloring and other miscellaneous tasks.

As for He Ziyu, he was mainly responsible for external publicity and promotion. If he didn't understand something about the business, he could ask his father, since his father wouldn't stop him from doing these things anyway.

"Fire Seed" was very satisfied with his idea. He did not doubt him because he was a student. On the contrary, he was looking forward to the establishment of the studio.

He Ziyu: "We don't have enough funds to pay the office rent right now, so I plan to renovate our old house in Xinrong Jiayuan and work there from now on."

"Tinder" originally wanted to say that there was no need to trouble himself, as he could draw in this small, dilapidated house, but when he thought that he was not fighting alone, he gave up the idea.

He was used to hardship and could endure any environment, but these kids in front of him clearly came from well-off families. It would be ridiculous to let them suffer here with him.

"I never dreamed I could own a studio, thank you so much," said Fire Seed.

He Ziyu smiled slightly and said, "This is what an investor should do."

……

It was already 7 p.m. when the group left "Fire Seed's" house.

"Fire Seed" invited them to stay for dinner, but He Ziyu politely declined and secretly ordered a nutritious takeout for him, which was delivered half an hour later.

"What do you two want to eat? It's my treat today." He Ziyu walked between Jiang Chengyu and Jiang Nanqiao, in a very good mood.

"Since the class monitor's arm isn't fully healed yet, let's have some light Chinese food," Jiang Nanqiao suggested.

He Ziyu glanced at Jiang Chengyu. "Is Chinese food alright?"

Jiang Chengyu: "I'll listen to you."

He Ziyu thought his communication with Jiang Chengyu was normal, but for some reason, after Jiang Chengyu said those three words, Jiang Nanqiao showed that familiar smile again.

Upon arriving at the Chinese restaurant, He Ziyu and Jiang Chengyu sat together, while Jiang Nanqiao sat opposite them.

Jiang Nanqiao was very excited because this position was more suitable for her to enjoy the sweet interaction between the two up close.

While waiting for the food to be served, He Ziyu, fearing that Jiang Nanqiao would feel awkward, took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Qiaoqiao, what do you usually like to do?"

"Me?" Jiang Nanqiao fidgeted with her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I like reading novels and comics, that kind of thing, you know."

Jiang Chengyu: "What kind of subject matter?"

"Uh..." Jiang Nanqiao was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Chengyu to ask further, and her face turned even redder.

"Oh, Brother Yu, why are you asking so many questions? Here, let me wipe your hands."

Not wanting Jiang Nanqiao to be shy, He Ziyu quickly diverted Jiang Chengyu's attention.

He tore open a wet tissue and carefully wiped Jiang Chengyu's left hand.

Jiang Chengyu had long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles and neatly trimmed nails, more beautiful than many pianists' hands. I remember he had studied piano, but he didn't play much. Perhaps in his parents' eyes, inheriting the family business was more valuable than dabbling in artistic pursuits.

Taking advantage of wiping Jiang Chengyu's hands, He Ziyu took the opportunity to grope him, imagining the happy scene of wearing couple rings with him in the future, and couldn't help but smile.

Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Nanqiao experienced another spike in blood sugar.

Soon, the food was served.

He Ziyu rolled up his sleeves and naturally pulled the chair closer, preparing to feed Jiang Chengyu.

Jiang Chengyu glanced at Jiang Nanqiao across from him, hesitating slightly, "Ayu, how about today..."

He Ziyu glanced at him and said, "Stop messing around. Your left hand is useless. Last time you even spilled rice on your crotch."

Jiang Nanqiao: "Pfft..."

Jiang Nanqiao spat out a mouthful of tea and quickly grabbed two tissues to cover her mouth.

She just wants to be a quiet, ladylike person! o(╥﹏╥)o

……

Over the next few hours, He Ziyu fed Jiang Chengyu bite by bite, trying not to do anything intimate, for fear that Jiang Nanqiao might have indigestion due to being too excited.

However, no matter how hard you try to control it, some trivial little habits can't be erased.

When He Ziyu was feeding Jiang Chengyu rice, he accidentally stuck a grain of rice to the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, Jiang Chengyu picked the grain off and put it in his mouth.

Jiang Nanqiao: "..."

Help!

She needs an oxygen mask!

Unaware of what was happening, He Ziyu was about to feed Jiang Nanqiao a spoonful of rice when he caught a glimpse of Jiang Nanqiao's stiff smile and suddenly realized something.

"Qiaoqiao, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Nanqiao spoke first.

"Class monitor, Ayu, I have a small wish..." She swallowed hard, her face flushed, "Could you...could you kiss me in front of me?"