Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

The two walked out of the private room together, and when they turned into an open space after crossing the corridor, Shen Murou stopped.

He Ziyu guessed that her saying she needed fresh air was just an excuse, so he quickly stood up straight obediently.

Shen Murou looked around to make sure no one was there, then said to He Ziyu, "I already know about your affair with Chengyu."

He Ziyu lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

Although Jiang Chengyu said that Shen Murou had agreed to let them be together, he still dared not let his guard down in front of this woman because of the shadow of his previous life.

Shen Murou stared at him for a long time, then sighed and said:

"If we had known that you two would develop such feelings, your uncle and I shouldn't have bought the house in Xinrong Jiayuan, and we shouldn't have become your neighbors."

"That way, Chengyu wouldn't have met you, and none of what happened afterward would have occurred."

He Ziyu: "..."

"But it's too late to say anything more now." Shen Murou took a deep breath, produced a bank card from somewhere, and handed it to He Ziyu. "There's five million in here, enough for you to run your studio. Take it and stay away from Cheng Yu."

After Shen Murou finished speaking, He Ziyu was stunned.

He thought such melodramatic plots only happened in novels.

I never imagined I'd run into him in my lifetime.

"If you don't tell anyone and I don't tell anyone, no one will know. Whether you squander it or use it for something worthwhile, your aunt won't ask, and she certainly won't tell your parents. You see..."

"I'm sorry, I don't need it." He Ziyu looked directly at Shen Murou, his words clear and distinct, his earlier timidity completely gone.

He was cautious because he didn't want to leave a bad impression on his future mother-in-law, but that didn't mean he was a pushover who could be easily manipulated.

The fact that Shen Murou dared to bribe him with money today shows that in her eyes he is still a child who hasn't grown up. If he doesn't make his position clear in time, she will always look at him with prejudice.

"My relationship with Brother Yu has lasted for more than ten years, which cannot be measured by a mere five million. Besides, money can be earned back, but there is only one Jiang Chengyu."

"Auntie, please take the card back. If you don't say anything and I don't say anything either, no one will know. Let's just pretend nothing happened."

He Ziyu applied what he had just learned by repeating exactly what Shen Murou had said to him.

Shen Murou was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you really not going to reconsider?"

"There's nothing to consider," He Ziyu said. "Since your aunt knows I'm running a studio, she should understand that I want to achieve financial freedom through my own efforts. This five million is really not that important to me."

"..."

"Auntie, is there anything else? If not, I need to go to the restroom."

"Wait a minute, I have one last question for you." Shen Murou put the card back in her pocket and looked at him. "Do you really like Cheng Yu?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll believe you for now."

He Ziyu was slightly taken aback, a little confused.

Under his confused gaze, Shen Murou said, "Actually, I was testing you just now to see if you would compromise for five million. Now it seems that Cheng Yu didn't lie to me. You two really cherish each other."

"..." He Ziyu stood there, speechless for a moment.

Was that card a test for him?

He had thought this was some kind of "feigned compliance, stabbing in the back" drama...

Shen Murou looked at him and said in a deep voice:

"Since you're the person my son likes, there's no need for me to keep some things from you."

"Actually, I felt very uncomfortable when Cheng Yu confessed to me."

"After all, he is the only son of your Uncle Jiang and me. What we hope for most is that he can get married and have children, take over the family business, and live a happy and fulfilling life in the eyes of the world."

"But now, that wish has been dashed."

He Ziyu frowned, sensing that Shen Murou was about to get to the point.

As it turned out, he was right.

"You should know that when we chose to marry into the Han family, it wasn't just because we valued Han Zhiruo as a person, but also because of the Han family's background."

"Your Uncle Jiang and I have worked hard for half our lives to lay a solid foundation for Chengyu, so that his future path will be smoother and more successful."

"In other words, even if I compromise now and accept the fact that he likes boys, my view on natural selection remains unchanged."

"So, Ayu, I hope you can promise me one thing."

He Ziyu: "What...?"

Shen Murou: "I want you to have absolute control over the He family."

He Ziyu: "The right to speak?"

"Simply put, it means becoming the sole heir of the He family and controlling all the shares." Shen Murou raised her eyebrows slightly, a familiar shrewdness in her eyes. "The He family's power is no less than that of the Han family. From a profit perspective, a marriage between our two families is not a problem, but the premise is that He Ningqiu cannot be allowed to interfere."

She had thought things through very clearly during that month.

If Jiang Chengyu insists on being with a boy, then the other person must be, and can only be, He Ziyu.

After all, the two children know each other well, and the He family is at the height of its power. By joining forces, the two companies can still maximize their profits by capturing market share.

Shen Murou's only worry was that He Ningqiu would "steal" the cake that should have belonged to them.

Therefore, prevention is essential.

"As far as I know, Ning Qiu has a lot of artistic talent, and your father also intends for him to pursue art. If nothing unexpected happens, you should eventually be in charge of the company," Shen Murou said. "But before things are finalized, I still hope you can continue to work hard and not be careless. After all, some things are only truly yours when you have them in your own hands."

"I know it's inappropriate for me to say these things to you today, but you have to understand my heart as a mother."

"No matter what, Chengyu will always be the person I care about most, and I will defend his interests to the end."

"If you also care about Chengyu, think carefully about what I said. Don't let some unimportant people interfere with your life. Doing so is not only for Chengyu, but also for yourself."

After Shen Murou finished speaking, He Ziyu fell silent.

Although he had always disapproved of the woman's actions and thought that Jiang Chengyu was living a miserable life under her oppression.

However, it must be said that Shen Murou was very prescient in dealing with He Ningqiu.

Although He Ningqiu didn't hold as many shares as him in his previous life, he still had Xiao Shan. With the two of them working together, it would be a piece of cake for them to sideline him.

Shen Murou may have taken this into consideration as well.

After a long pause, He Ziyu said, "Don't worry, Auntie, I won't let the company fall into anyone's hands."

He would never let Jiang Chengyu suffer any more grievances because of him.

Upon hearing this, Shen Murou nodded in satisfaction.

He saw the change in He Ziyu; at least in this matter, their communication was very smooth, which suggests that He Ziyu had already considered this beforehand.

"By the way, I'm the only one who knows about what's going on between the two of you."

"I don't plan to tell your Uncle Jiang for now. After all, knowing him as I do, he won't compromise easily."

"This is a protracted battle, you need to be mentally prepared."

He Ziyu nodded, his gaze more resolute than ever before.

Those hills, whether you can climb them or not, stand there steadfastly, whether you try to escape them or face them.

Fortunately, they still have plenty of time.

He Ziyu firmly believes that one day he will prove to those who doubt him that his relationship with Jiang Chengyu is not a game.

When they crossed that mountain together, they did their best.

……

On the day the results were released, the bulletin board was once again packed with people.

He Ziyu flitted around the crowd like a little bee, recording everyone's scores on his phone.

Jiang Chengyu lived up to expectations and won first place in the grade again, while Jiang Nanqiao reclaimed her perennial second place and pushed Han Zhiruo to third place.

The results of these three people were almost a foregone conclusion, and He Ziyu didn't even bother to look at them.

What he most wanted to know was his and Jingran's rankings.

After all, compared to the infighting among top students, the underachievers' comeback is obviously more interesting.

"Fifty-nine, sixty, sixty-one..."

My gaze swept down the list and finally settled on the number sixty-fifth.

Progress again!

They've improved by a full thirty-four places since last time!

The unexpected ranking sent He Ziyu into a frenzy of joy; the corners of his mouth seemed fixed in place, and he couldn't shake the smile.

He ranked 65th, which meant he could enter the second examination room when school started. If he worked a little harder, he could get into Class 1 and get closer and closer to Jiang Chengyu...

Immersed in joy, He Ziyu lowered his head to record his ranking, unaware that a figure had silently moved to his side.

"How did Young Master He do on the exam? How many places did he drop?"

Liu Wen had noticed He Ziyu long ago. Seeing that He Ziyu lowered his head and remained silent after scanning the list, Liu Wen assumed that he was heartbroken because he had done poorly on the exam, so he quickly came over to mock him.

He Ziyu ignored him and walked out, pushing through the crowd.

He saw Liu Wen's name when he was looking for himself. It seemed to be ranked outside the top 100. He didn't know where this guy got the confidence to mock him like this.

"Did you do so badly on the test that you're afraid to say anything?" Liu Wen followed him around like a leech. "I told you before, making a deal with me is a sure thing. My grades are definitely better than yours, so copying from me will at least guarantee you stay in Class 3 next time."

He Ziyu glanced at him: "I'm sorry, I'll be in Class Two next time."

Liu Wen: "Huh?"

He Ziyu: "It seems you've regressed again. Instead of mocking others, you should take a look at yourself first."

After He Ziyu finished speaking, he strode away.

……

Back in the classroom, Jingran rushed to him immediately.

Seeing his excitement, He Ziyu didn't keep him in suspense and asked directly, "Xiao Jing, what's your ranking this time...?"

"Don't say anything yet!" Jingran covered his mouth with her hand. "I'm scared. Give me some time to prepare myself."

He Ziyu: "..."

Jingran swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Have I improved since last time?"

He Ziyu nodded.

Receiving an affirmative answer, Jingran felt much relieved, but then asked, "So... am I still in the last tier?"