Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

"Um... I'm just browsing casually, I haven't figured it out yet. I'll recommend something to you when I find something good."

Shen Murou was clearly somewhat guilty when she explained, like a child caught doing something wrong and eager to change the subject.

Fortunately, Jiang Chengyu did not notice.

"Then take your time reading it, don't stay up too late."

"Um……"

Seeing Jiang Chengyu turn to leave, Shen Murou called out to him.

"Cheng Yu".

"?"

"Come here, Mom wants to have a chat with you."

Jiang Chengyu glanced at the clock on the wall and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Now?"

"Aren't you still awake? I can't sleep either." Shen Murou added, afraid that Jiang Chengyu would overthink things, "It's been a long time since we, mother and son, have sat down and chatted."

It was rare for her mother to speak to her in such a gentle tone, so Jiang Chengyu thought for a moment and did not refuse.

His mother usually strictly required him to go to bed early. If she found him staying up late, she would criticize him no matter what he was doing at the time. Jiang Chengyu had never experienced anything like today.

Thinking about it, he walked to the sofa, turned on the floor lamp, and sat down next to Shen Murou.

Shen Murou put down her phone and asked with a smile, "Chengyu, how have things been going with Ruoruo lately?"

Jiang Chengyu: "It's good."

They always attended the activities arranged by their parents together, and never missed a dinner party organized by them.

Jiang Chengyu believed he had done his best.

"So how do you feel about her? Is it still the same as before?" Shen Murou asked tentatively.

Jiang Chengyu: "Ruoruo is a very good girl and a friend worth getting to know better."

"Friend..." Shen Murou murmured repeatedly, her brows furrowing unconsciously.

Fate can be quite mysterious sometimes.

Just like when she selects a book that catches her eye from a vast sea of ​​books, she finds that the plot of the story has many similarities to reality as she reads it.

The novel she was just reading featured a protagonist whose mother arranged a marriage between him and a girl from a similar social class. To keep it a secret, the two of them put on a show in front of their parents, all while facing pressure.

The girl was willing to become a "sex husband's wife" because she loved the boy deeply, while the boy felt guilty and anxious all day long, and eventually became depressed because he couldn't bear the burden.

Later, tormented by illness, the boy was forced to come out to his parents...

"Mom, what exactly are you trying to say?" Jiang Chengyu interrupted Shen Murou's thoughts, staring directly at her with his narrow eyes.

Shen Murou was at a loss for words.

After all, he was her own flesh and blood, whom she had carried for ten months. Shen Murou had noticed Jiang Chengyu's unusual behavior, but she often chose to escape because she was unwilling to face reality.

After much hesitation, Shen Murou finally mustered the courage to ask, "Do you really like girls?"

Jiang Chengyu was taken aback, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

Shen Murou noticed even the smallest details.

Before Jiang Chengyu could answer, she continued:

"You've always been outstanding since you were little. You've received so many love letters that they couldn't all fit in a drawer. If you really liked girls, how could you not be interested in any of them...?"

"Didn't you say that at this age, academics should be the priority?" Jiang Chengyu retorted to Shen Murou. "I'm not some kind of genius; my grades are the result of time and effort. You want me to be at the top of my class, but you also want me to pay attention to the opposite sex like other boys. Don't you think that's contradictory?"

Shen Murou nodded slightly, her hands gripping her phone tightly.

Thinking of the protagonist in the novel who suffered from depression due to excessive emotional repression, she was ultimately overcome by her unease and said to Jiang Chengyu, "Chengyu, tell Mom the truth, you and Ayu... are just friends?"

Jiang Chengyu was stunned when his mother mentioned He Ziyu's name.

Shen Murou: "Auntie saw everything you did at Xinrong Home. She was very worried, so she told me about it."

Jiang Chengyu frowned, trying hard to recall what he and He Ziyu had done at Xinrong Garden.

They've been so careful, never showing excessive affection in front of strangers, so why is Auntie still...?

"Chengyu, all Mom wants is the truth. Whatever the answer is, I will try to accept it, as long as you can live a happy and healthy life."

Jiang Chengyu's eyes flickered, feeling that these words sounded very incongruous coming from her mother's mouth.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I……"

Since the novel couldn't be mentioned, Shen Murou had to make up an excuse: "I have a friend who is very domineering in front of her child. The child is afraid of her and won't tell her anything. Over time, the child became depressed and threatened to kill herself. I don't want us to become like that..."

"I wouldn't joke about my own life," Jiang Chengyu said. "As for my emotions, I can also regulate them myself."

Upon hearing this, Shen Murou took a deep breath.

She was well aware of how thick the barrier between herself and Jiang Chengyu was, and that the knot in her heart could not be untied overnight. But seeing Jiang Chengyu's guarded posture at this moment, she still felt genuine heartache.

"It seems you still don't want to be honest with me," Shen Murou sighed. "All these years I've been controlling of you in every way, which must have made you very uncomfortable, right? I didn't understand at the time, and I thought it was for your own good. But on the day of the banquet, when I saw Sister Fang and Jingran, when I saw Aying and Ayu, when I saw them getting along so harmoniously, I realized I was wrong..."

"I only thought about how to mold you into a perfect person, but I never cared about your feelings. Chengyu, it was my fault. Can you forgive me?"

Jiang Chengyu was a little dazed.

Is this really his mother?

She actually apologized on her own initiative and even admitted that she had never cared about his feelings...

Seeing Shen Murou's slightly red eyes and her relaxed demeanor, Jiang Chengyu's heart skipped a beat.

"Fang-jie is right. Love isn't just talk; it's about genuine understanding and tolerance. I've been terrible at that. If I hadn't been so stubborn, we wouldn't be like this now..." Shen Murou lowered her head, her eyes unconsciously becoming moist. "But it's okay. Mom can wait, until you're willing to accept my changes, then..."

"I like Ayu."

Before Shen Murou could finish speaking, she heard Jiang Chengyu's calm voice.

The living room was quiet, so quiet that only the sound of their breathing could be heard. After a long while, Shen Murou asked again, "What did you say?"

"I said, I like Ayu," Jiang Chengyu repeated calmly.

"The 'like' you're referring to is..."

"It's that kind of liking between a man and a woman."

When her suspicions were confirmed, Shen Murou was momentarily at a loss as to whether to feel relieved or sad.

Fortunately, Jiang Chengyu confessed to her; sadly, there was no longer any possibility between the Jiang and Han families.

After all, she didn't want to, and couldn't, make her son pretend to be straight to marry Han Zhiruo.

"So, when did you discover it?"

"Second year of junior high," Jiang Chengyu answered truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Shen Murou felt a pang of pain in her heart.

It's been two years since she was in the second year of junior high school. In these two years, she has never really cared about Jiang Chengyu. It's hard to imagine what he has gone through alone during this time.

"No wonder you were so reluctant to develop feelings for Ruoruo..."

She had initially thought Jiang Chengyu was simply rebellious, but now it seemed she had been too naive.

While pondering, Jiang Chengyu said:

"Sexual orientation is something that is innate. If I could, I wouldn't want to be that outcast."

"But now I've met someone I like, someone I should cherish."

"Whether you can accept it or not, this is the truth. Ayu is very important to me. No one can replace him. The person who will accompany me for the rest of my life must be him, and can only be him."

Jiang Chengyu's gaze remained unwavering.

From childhood to adulthood, Jiang Chengyu has always been determined to see things through to the end, and this time is clearly no exception.

"And what about A-Yu? What does he think?"

"He's just like me," Jiang Chengyu said. "We both cherish each other."

Having said all that, Shen Murou knew she had no other way out.

Either break up the couple, or accept reality.

She only had two choices.

In the past, she would have chosen the former, but this time, she will not repeat the same mistake.

Shen Murou: "Don't tell your dad about this for now. He might not be able to accept it so quickly. As for the Han family, I'll think of something else..."

"You mean you agree to me being with Ayu?" Jiang Chengyu asked, somewhat incredulous.

"It's too early to say yes now. You two are so young. What if it's just a passing fancy?" Shen Murou pursed her lips. "Wait until you're an adult. If you still haven't changed your mind after that, I'll call your Uncle He and Aunt Zhou to discuss this matter properly."

Jiang Chengyu felt as if she were in a dream after her mother's sudden change. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally realized what was happening and said, "Mom, thank you..."

Shen Murou felt a lump in her throat and grasped Jiang Chengyu's hands.

The tragedy of the novel's protagonist made her realize that nothing is more important than living happily.

Fortunately, it's not too late to realize these things now...

……

"Your aunt knows?!"

Upon learning that Jiang Chengyu had confessed their relationship to Jiang's mother, He Ziyu was so shocked that he almost fell off the swing.

"Jiang Chengyu, are you crazy? How can you tell her something like this now? Didn't I say we should wait until the time is right..."

"She has agreed to let us be together."

"She and..." He Ziyu froze, "What did you say?"

Jiang Chengyu: "I don't know whose advice she took, but after I confessed, she not only wasn't angry, but also calmly accepted reality."

He Ziyu imagined the scene Jiang Chengyu described, and no matter how he thought about it, it felt unreal.

Did Jiang's mother approve of their relationship?

It's so strange, so unbelievable.

You should know that in her previous life, after Shen Murou learned about his sexual orientation, her whole family distanced themselves from him, almost to the point of putting up a sign on their door saying "Homosexuals and dogs not allowed."

But now, she actually...

"You know what, Ayu, I've never felt so confident before." Jiang Chengyu took his hand. "Although my dad doesn't know about this yet, I believe that one day, I can say those three words to you in front of everyone."

It's not that I like you.

Instead... I love you.