Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

"Because it takes up time," Jiang Nanqiao said without hesitation. "If you hadn't waited for me, you would probably be home by now, and you might have been able to do a few more problems."

Upon hearing this, Han Zhiruo stared at Jiang Nanqiao for a few seconds.

He then said calmly, "I don't think waiting for you is a waste of time."

Cautious, yet full of anticipation...

Spending time on someone you like is clearly a happy thing, so how can it be considered a waste of time?

Jiang Nanqiao sensed that Han Zhiruo was not happy, so she quickly softened her tone: "I was just worried that you were too bored, I didn't mean anything by it. How about next time you play some games or watch a movie while you're waiting for me? Otherwise, like you just now, you kept pacing back and forth at the door, and my attention was always on you..."

Today, Bao Yuan was already late leaving school because of the extended class time, and she also did half a day of cleaning duty. Roughly estimating, Han Zhiruo waited for her for at least forty minutes.

Even if Han Zhiruo herself didn't mind, she still felt guilty about it after so long.

"Then I'll wait for you while I play games next time," Han Zhiruo said. "Anyway, we have to go home together, you promised me that."

Jiang Nanqiao hesitated for a moment, then nodded helplessly.

After He Ziyu unexpectedly encountered a womanizer in New York during the winter break of her first year of high school, Han Zhiruo would have her driver take her home every day after school, and she did this for a whole semester.

At first, Jiang Nanqiao was quite happy, since the subway line 7 she took every day was extremely crowded during the evening rush hour, while Han Zhiruo's private car was spacious and comfortable, saving both time and energy.

But gradually, she began to notice that Han Zhiruo was becoming increasingly intimate with her.

At first, one of them sat in front and the other in the back. Later, they both sat in the back, and then they got closer and closer together...

Even if Jiang Nanqiao were stupid, she could see the changes that had occurred during this period.

Later, when Han Zhiruo was chatting with her, he suddenly grabbed her hand.

Jiang Nanqiao's first reaction was to pull her hand back.

But thinking that doing so would make the atmosphere very awkward, she hesitated again and again and still did not make any rash moves.

Then, she watched helplessly as Han Zhiruo gently pinched her fingers and palm, and then intertwined his ten fingers with hers.

At that moment, Jiang Nanqiao's heart almost jumped out of her chest.

Although it's perfectly normal for girls, especially best friends, to occasionally engage in intimate behavior, she knew that Han Zhiruo was different from those girls.

Han Zhiruo likes girls.

Everything she did for herself seemed to be sending a silent signal.

After returning home that day, Jiang Nanqiao lay in bed for a long time, and the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

She knew she had feelings for Han Zhiruo.

But she couldn't tell whether that feeling of affection was just friendship or something else entirely.

Amidst the chaos, Jiang Nanqiao was also somewhat frightened.

Because she was exposed to BL (Boys' Love) from a young age, she is more accepting of same-sex relationships than most people and is more empathetic to the difficulties faced by this group.

But accepting and understanding doesn't mean she's that kind of person.

Jiang Nanqiao is worried that she might be misled by certain emotions and misjudge her own orientation.

After all, feelings that arise from being touched or out of curiosity are not serious enough and cannot last...

"Want to play games together?"

On the bus, Han Zhiruo noticed that Jiang Nanqiao was staring at the scenery outside the window without saying a word, so he took the initiative to start a conversation.

Jiang Nanqiao snapped out of her daze. "What game?"

"A simulation game."

Han Zhiruo moved next to Jiang Nanqiao, deliberately getting closer, then opened the app and held her phone up to show her the game interface.

"This game mainly involves cooperating to manage a small town, which has various shops where you can sell the produce for money and develop the surrounding farms..."

Han Zhiruo introduced herself very seriously, and the scent of shampoo from her short hair wafted into Jiang Nanqiao's nose from time to time, making her a little distracted.

"If you download this game, we can control two characters, one in charge of business and the other in charge of farming. As time goes by, their intimacy level will continue to increase..."

"Look, I've already created this character, isn't it cute?"

Han Zhiruo dragged her finger across the screen, showing Jiang Nanqiao her masterpiece like a child.

However, Jiang Nanqiao wasn't looking at the cartoon characters on the screen at all.

She stared intently at Han Zhiruo's profile, her gaze moving from her long eyelashes to her high, straight nose, and then from her nose to her soft, slightly red lips...

"Actually, I feel this character looks a bit like you, especially the eyes and..."

Han Zhiruo picked up her phone and held it next to Jiang Nanqiao's face for comparison, only to realize that Jiang Nanqiao wasn't looking at her phone at all, but was looking at her.

The moment their eyes met, the reflection in Jiang Nanqiao's pupils flickered slightly.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, and the driver slammed on the brakes!

Due to inertia, Jiang Nanqiao fell directly into Han Zhiruo's arms.

"Splash, splash—"

Han Zhiruo's heart was beating fast, and Jiang Nanqiao could hear it clearly with his cheek pressed against her chest.

"Beep beep—" The driver in the front seat honked the horn loudly, his brow furrowed. "It's too dangerous to be taking a child and not using the sidewalk."

After making his complaint, he looked at Han Zhiruo through the rearview mirror and asked, "Are you alright, Miss?"

Han Zhiruo remained tightly embracing Jiang Nanqiao, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said, "It's alright..."

The driver was unaware of Han Zhiruo's little secret. Seeing the two girls' faces flushed, he assumed it was because they were too hot and quickly and discreetly opened the car window.

A moment later, Jiang Nanqiao awkwardly crawled out of Han Zhiruo's arms and tidied her messy hair.

"I'm sorry, Qiaoqiao, did I bump into you and hurt you?"

"No, it doesn't hurt." Han Zhiruo stared blankly at Jiang Nanqiao, wanting to say something, but not knowing how to start.

Physical contact is often irresistible when you're around someone you like.

The moment Jiang Nanqiao threw himself into her arms, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, and she was even prepared to confess directly.

However, reason ultimately prevailed.

"Um... the game you just introduced seems pretty interesting, let's play it together." Jiang Nanqiao changed the subject at the right moment, took out her phone and opened the app store, "What's it called? I'll download it now."

"Let me help you." Han Zhiruo composed herself and took Jiang Nanqiao's phone.

The car drove smoothly on Yuecheng Highway.

A gentle breeze blew through the car window, ruffling Han Zhiruo and Jiang Nanqiao's hair, much like the light and lively feelings they shared at that moment.

……

That evening, the first thing He Lianghan did after returning home was to call He Ziyu to his study.

"I heard you were reassigned to different classes this semester. How's it going?" He Lianghan asked with a slight smile, looking quite pleased with himself.

He Ziyu: "The new class is great. Everyone around me is a top student, and the learning atmosphere is much stronger."

"Hmm..." He Lianghan nodded with satisfaction. "I know your homeroom teacher. She is meticulous and thorough. For three consecutive years, all the students in the classes she taught have scored above the first-tier university entrance exam cutoff. With her in charge, I believe my son can also get into a top university."

It took He Lianghan a year to go from initially having doubts about He Ziyu's abilities to now having unwavering faith in them.

By now, he has fully accepted the reality of his son's complete transformation.

"I called you here today because there's something I want to talk to you about." After a moment, He Lianghan got to the point. "You've just started your second year of high school, so your academic pressure shouldn't be too heavy yet. Dad hopes you can put the studio business on hold for now and try to get involved in company matters."

"Now?" He Ziyu asked, somewhat surprised.

He vaguely remembered that in his previous life, his father introduced He Ningqiu to the company's business when he was in college. He thought that, following the previous trajectory, his father would bring up the same idea when he was in college in this life.

To his utter surprise, his father is already considering taking over the family business now that he is only in his second year of high school.

"I heard from your Uncle Jiang the other day that he has introduced Chengyu to many old shareholders. I thought about it and felt that I should also introduce you to them."

As a seasoned veteran in the business world, He Lianghan knows that changes in the board of directors are the most likely time for trouble. If the successor cannot win the support of the public at that time, it is hard to say whether the shareholders will take the opportunity to manipulate the company structure.

The reason he was unwilling to bring He Ziyu to the company before was largely because He Ziyu was too disappointing.

Bringing him into the public eye under those circumstances would have been more likely to attract criticism.

But it's different now.

Now He Ziyu has become obedient, sensible, and very ambitious. Even if any senior executive in the company has ulterior motives, they will not be able to say "no" to such an heir.

He Ziyu: "Do I need to make any preparations?"

"Of course not," He Lianghan said. "You're still young, so no one will have high expectations of you. When the time comes, you just need to follow me, observe, and learn."

"Yes, no problem."

He Ziyu agreed readily without any hesitation.

On the one hand, taking control of the company's shares is something he must do in this lifetime; on the other hand, it is also to fulfill the promise he made to Shen Murou.

He wanted Jiang Guosheng to agree to him being with Jiang Chengyu, and the He family was his biggest bargaining chip. Only by gaining absolute control of the He family could he have enough say.

The adult world is just that realistic.

……

On the weekend, He Ziyu got up early, changed into a formal suit, and went to the company with his father.

This was the first time he had come to the group headquarters as the heir since his rebirth, and he felt both excited and a little apprehensive.

"Don't be nervous, everyone in the company is easy to get along with," He Lianghan reassured him gently, leading him to the top-floor office via the private elevator.

As I pushed open the office door, a sense of déjà vu washed over me.

"Do you remember when you were a kid, you played with a remote-controlled airplane here? I told you to turn it off, but you wouldn't listen, and you ended up knocking down the mural I bought at a high price."

When talking about the past, He Lianghan couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed.

He Ziyu grew up, and white hairs appeared on his head without him even noticing.

"I was so naughty back then, I really don't know how you put up with it." He Ziyu smiled, his face full of helplessness.

"You can't just throw away your own child, can you?" He Lianghan raised an eyebrow. "It's a good thing you're doing well now, otherwise I really wouldn't know who to complain to."

After a while, He Lianghan glanced at the time.

"There are still twenty minutes before the morning meeting starts. Please sit down and rest for a while. There are company bylaws on the coffee table. You can take a look if you are interested."

"OK."

He Ziyu sat down on the sofa, picked up the document, and began to read it carefully.