Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

The cinema restroom was at the end of the corridor. He Ziyu and Lan Yuan were thinking about Xiao Shan as they walked that way. When they came to their senses, they realized that they had already passed the restroom and turned into the rest area next to it.

Several massage chairs were placed in the waiting area, and some people were sitting on them resting with their eyes closed. He Ziyu frowned and asked Lan Yuan, "Weren't you going to the restroom?"

Lan Yuan didn't answer, but instead took his hands in hers. "Ayu, I have something I want to tell you..."

He Ziyu reflexively shook off Lan Yuan, "Just say it if you want to. Do I have a switch in my hand that I have to touch to say it?"

Perhaps the noise was too loud, because the people on the massage chairs opened their eyes and looked at them with curiosity.

Lan Yuan was a little embarrassed and quickly explained, "No, I was just too excited to see you..."

He Ziyu was amused by his idiotic remarks.

"We've been together for almost two hours now, isn't your reaction time a little too long?"

"..."

Lan Yuan was put in an awkward position by He Ziyu, and his face turned quite ugly.

That day, he confided in Liu Wen, and they also talked about how to get He Ziyu to "change his mind".

Liu Wen said that it would be quite difficult to win He Ziyu back, but he could try to test the waters first, such as holding hands, putting his arm around her shoulder, or making similar physical contact during a date, and see how she would react.

At the time, Lan Yuan was reluctant.

After all, he and He Ziyu had been competing with each other for quite some time. Based on his understanding of He Ziyu, the guy would most likely not appreciate it and might even publicly reprimand him, making him lose face.

It wasn't until noon today that He Ziyu accepted his movie ticket...

Lan Yuan felt that there might still be a tiny bit of hope in this matter.

So while watching the movie, he seized the opportunity to secretly shake He Ziyu's hand.

Although the result was not satisfactory, at least he walked out of the theater unharmed.

Lan Yuan comforted himself in this way.

Returning to the present, Lan Yuan realized that He Ziyu was already impatient. Worried that further delay would even fail to bolster his patience with Xiao Shan's secret, she simply cut to the chase:

"Ayu, I'm asking you, from the beginning until now, have you ever truly loved me?"

The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, sounding like a question or a challenge.

He Ziyu couldn't help but let out a soft smile.

Have you ever truly loved someone?

Ha ha……

This guy really dares to ask.

Indeed, when people become shameless to a certain extent, they will do all sorts of bizarre things.

Under Lan Yuan's eager gaze, He Ziyu said, "Of course."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yuan's eyes immediately lit up with hope. "I knew it, A Yu, you're not the kind of heartless person. Actually, you..."

"What do you know?" He Ziyu interrupted him. "A clown like you, living only in your own world, what else do you know besides protecting your own meager interests?"

Lan Yuan: "..."

"You're right, I'm not a heartless person, but I'm also not someone who can't distinguish right from wrong."

"I know perfectly well how Young Master Lan sees me from the bottom of his heart. If you're only trying to save the Lan family, you don't need to be so attentive to me. We can just lay out our conditions clearly."

"Oh, by the way, about the question you just asked me..."

"I did like you, but only on the basketball court. To be precise, I admired your skills? Anyway, this kind of liking had absolutely nothing to do with so-called love."

"In short, if Young Master Lan is just trying to make a deal with me, I might agree, but if it's about being gay... then you should look for someone else."

He Ziyu's words left Lan Yuan speechless. After a long pause, he finally said, "Since you've already put it this way, I have nothing to hide... I do need your help. As for the conditions, you name them. As long as it's within my power, I will fulfill them."

He Ziyu crossed his arms and said, "Tell me Xiao Shan's secret first. You promised me this a long time ago. If you don't even have this much sincerity, then there's no need to continue talking."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll tell you..."

……

In the corner, He Ningqiu watched Lan Yuan and He Ziyu talking, her fingers clenching tightly.

At noon today, he overheard Lan Yuan and He Ziyu talking about "someone surnamed Xiao" at the school cafeteria entrance. His heart skipped a beat. After school, he followed the two here and even watched a movie that he had absolutely no interest in.

Just now, he heard Lan Yuan say his mother's name with his own ears, and his last shred of hope vanished.

He clearly trusted Lan Yuan so much...

But he actually turned around and told He Ziyu the secret he had revealed while drunk!

He Ningqiu's breathing trembled, and her eyes were slightly red.

Although he initially approached Lan Yuan with ulterior motives, as time went by, his dependence on Lan Yuan grew stronger, and his feigned affection turned into genuine affection.

Later, when his father forbade him from having any contact with Lan Yuan, he was upset for a long time...

Little did he know that people only saw him as a tool they could use.

He Ningqiu stood there in a daze, and before he knew it, the two had vanished.

……

"Is the news confirmed?"

In the coffee shop, He Ziyu frowned slightly and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

"I'm sure," Lan Yuan said. "The person she seduced just happens to be a senior executive at our Lan Group's branch in City B. This has caused quite a stir there."

"No wonder..."

No wonder He Ningqiu has been so down lately.

It turns out that Xiao Shan did not live a peaceful life after returning to City B; instead, she caused a huge uproar.

"I know you don't have a good impression of your younger brother, and I don't like him much either. This time, I'm willing to help you get rid of him and that guy surnamed Xiao. Do you think this offer is enough for you to help our Lan Clan get through this difficult time?"

Sitting opposite him, Lan Yuan had a serious expression. When he said the word "eliminate," his tone was completely flat, which made He Ziyu feel a chill down his spine.

Lan Yuan and He Ningqiu, two people he thought he knew well enough, both brought him "surprises" in this life.

He Ziyu: "Didn't you have a good relationship with He Ningqiu before? Why are you saying you don't like him now?"

Lan Yuan: "Wasn't I trying to make you angry back then? After he started bothering me, I found him increasingly annoying and frail... Now he's not even a friend to me."

Upon hearing this, He Ziyu frowned again.

terrible.

too frightening.

Back when Lan Yuan was beaten up and hospitalized by him, He Ningqiu was the one who took care of him the whole time. No matter what his purpose was, the hard work he put in was real.

Even for the sake of this matter, Lan Yuan has no right to speak ill of He Ningqiu here.

Recalling how the two of them ended up together in their previous life, He Ziyu felt even colder.

Back when Lan Yuan tricked him into going to the old house to kill him for He Ningqiu's sake, he still thought the two of them were truly in love...

Looking back now, how much of their affection was genuine, and how much was fake?

Perhaps Lan Yuan chose He Ningqiu back then because Xiao Shan's power had grown, and aligning himself with that woman would be more beneficial for him.

Thinking of this, He Ziyu couldn't help but laugh.

There are still too many people, things, and events that he can't understand.

As people often say, the most complex thing is the human heart.

As the truth gradually comes to light, the things that puzzle him only increase.

"I can handle Xiao Shan on my own; I don't need your help. Your offer isn't tempting to me at all," He Ziyu said truthfully, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How could we not need it?" Lan Yuan asked anxiously. "You only heard my account of Xiao Shan's matter today; there's no concrete evidence. But I can help you obtain it. As long as we join forces to ruin that woman's reputation, she won't be able to covet Mrs. He's position anymore. Isn't that the result you wanted?"

"What you say makes some sense," He Ziyu chuckled. "Then, Young Master Lan, why don't you tell me what you want me to help you with? Or rather... how can I help you?"

Upon hearing this, Lan Yuan quickly replied, "It's very simple, just do this..."

He Ziyu pretended to listen patiently to Lan Yuan's narration, nodding occasionally to show that he was not distracted, but in reality he was thinking about the best time to lure the snake out of its hole.

As Lan Yuan said, it would be very simple to ruin her reputation, but the consequences would be endless.

After all, when people are pushed to a certain point, they will make sure that the person they hate suffers, even if it means mutual destruction.

He didn't want to confront that crazy woman head-on.

"Do you think this is okay?" Lan Yuan asked expectantly after finishing speaking.

He Ziyu didn't hear what Lan Yuan said at all.

But it doesn't matter.

After taking a long, deep breath, he nodded and said, "Then let's do it your way."

"That's great..." Lan Yuan was overjoyed, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

He Ziyu sneered inwardly and said, "But you have to do me another favor."

Lan Yuan: "Go ahead and say it."

"Keep a close eye on Xiao Shan for me," He Ziyu said. "If she has any intention of coming to Yuecheng, be sure to tell me immediately. Don't do anything else, and don't create any obstacles for her, understand?"

"Don't worry, I've got your back."

……

After leaving the coffee shop, He Ziyu didn't rush to hail a taxi, but instead wandered aimlessly down the street.

As he rolled the wheel, he recalled what Lan Yuan had said to him in the coffee shop.

He said that Xiao Shan became addicted to gambling in City B and owed a lot of debt. Later, she somehow hooked up with a man surnamed Guan, who was a senior executive of the Lan Group's branch in City B, and got a large sum of money from him.

However, due to the large amount of money involved, Guan was quickly noticed by his superiors. Unexpectedly, the investigation revealed that he had embezzled public funds.

Although the person who followed was spared from going to jail, being blacklisted by the industry was inevitable.

After learning the whole story, Guan's wife vowed to find that "traitor to the country" and fight her to the death.

Whether Xiao Shan was ever found by her original wife is unknown.

But one thing He Ziyu was absolutely certain of was that Xiao Shan's good days in City B were probably over.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will definitely come back to ask her father for help.