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The setting sun was like delicate shards of gold leaf, gently casting its warm glow across the bustling yet tranquil film set. The busy air shimmered, infused with a sense of anticipation, as the day’s work began to wind down.
Director Li Ming stood atop a temporary stage that had been hastily erected, gazing down at the crew and actors scattered across the scene. Some were standing, others seated, but all wore expressions of reluctant farewell mixed with eager expectations. His heart swirled with complex emotions, reflecting the bittersweet moment.
“Everyone,” Li Ming pronounced, his voice carrying a tinge of emotion, “today, we stand at the wrap-up of The Ultimate School Belle’s Bodyguard—a web drama that marks both an ending and a beginning. It is your brilliant performances that have made this show…”
As he neared the end of his speech, a glint of tears unexpectedly welled up in his eyes, a rare vulnerability showing through.
“Finally, let’s all welcome the chairman of Liangyu Media, Mr. Chen Yan, to the stage to give a speech.”
With those words, the audience erupted into thunderous applause, a wave of admiration filling the air.
A young man, dressed casually in a white T-shirt, casually uncrossed his legs and slowly made his way toward the stage. The sound of his footsteps, though unhurried, resonated in the hushed of the room.
Chen Yan took the microphone from the host with ease, his expression calm but filled with quiet authority.
“It’s scorching hot today, so I’ll keep it brief and avoid the usual pleasantries. In any case, you’ve all worked hard these past few months. I’ve arranged a banquet at the Platinum Hotel for all of you. There are shuttle buses waiting by the venue entrance, so let’s all head over together. Tonight’s only task is to celebrate, eat well, and drink well everybody!!”
“Cheers to that!”
“Mr. Chen is always so straightforward!”
“Not a single useless word. No wonder why he’s destined to make ambitious money.”
The crowd erupted in applause, their cheers filling the air as they merrily made their way toward the waiting shuttle buses.
Chen Yan lingered at the back, watching everyone board the bus. Only when the last person had stepped inside did he leisurely stroll toward the gleaming newest McLaren GT parked nearby.
The butterfly doors rose gracefully, and with a smooth motion, he slid into the racing seat. Expertly, he lit a cigarette, the soft glow of the ember briefly illuminating his face as he prepared to start the engine.
However, a sudden knock came from the passenger-side window before he could.
A woman stood beside the car, her silhouette sensually striking. She wore a black bodycon skirt, perfectly hugging her curves, and the way the fabric clung to her body accentuated every seductive line.
The McLaren’s low profile made it difficult to knock on the window without bending down. From Chen Yan’s vantage point, he caught a glimpse of the smooth, snowy expanse of her cleavage.
At least a C cup, he thought to himself, a silent murmur in his mind.
The window lowered, and a gust of hot air rushed in, mixed with the faint scent of perfume that seemed to cling to the wind.
“Mr. Chen,” the woman’s voice called out, soft yet compelling, “I’m not feeling well today. Could you kindly give me a ride home?”
The woman was none other than Su Manman, the female lead of the web drama, and a massive influencer with 5 million followers on Douyin.
Chen Yan had seen plenty of women like her, and he knew all too well the familiar tactics behind such a clumsy excuse. Except, instead of exposing her, he grinned broadly, showing his perfect pearl-white teeth.
“Get in the car,” he said, his tone playful and unconcerned.
Bad girls, don’t like to waste time…
A sly gleam flashed in Su Manman’s eyes as she gracefully opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. As she settled in, a rich cloud of perfume wafted into the air, wrapping around the space like a velvet fog.
The engine roared to life with a powerful hum, and the GT sports car glided smoothly out of the venue, its sleek body cutting through the air.
The moment she got in, Su Manman shifted her long legs slightly toward the center console, bringing them within perfect reach of Chen Yan’s outstretched arm.
“Mr. Chen, my place is at Sunshine Garden, Building 2, Apartment 801. Thank you for the ride home.”
Chen Yan casually flicked the ash from his cigarette, his eyes wandering over to her as he turned his head. From his angle, he could perfectly see the hint of creamy white, tantalizingly covered by the thin, black lace of her lingerie that peeked out beneath her clothing…
He waved a hand dismissively. “No need to thank me,” he said, his tone smooth, as his focus remained on the road. However, just as the words left his lips, a blinding white light suddenly flooded in from the rearview mirror.
A massive truck, barreling toward them at breakneck speed, was closing in fast.
Instinctively, he pressed the gas pedal trying to speed up and avoid the collision, but the cars ahead of him were backed up, trapping him in place. His mind couldn’t process the situation fast enough.
The world seemed to slow down in that brief instant, but all he could hear was the deafening sound of a violent crash, followed by the world fading into nothingness.
Bang!
—
….
“Son, wake up. Your lunch is ready.”
“Come on, get up.”
In the haze between sleep and wakefulness, Chen Yan was roused by the sound of someone calling out to him.
Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at a vast expanse of white—was this a ceiling? It looked familiar, but the decor reminded him of his childhood home in the countryside, a far cry from the sleek, modern spaces he was used to.
Am I dreaming? Chen Yan thought, propping himself up with his hand as he tried to gather his bearings.
Knock, knock, knock!
A series of urgent knocks echoed from the door, breaking the stillness.
“I’ve told you so many times—get up for breakfast already! Must I come up there myself?” The voice sounded familiar—his mother’s? Except, something felt subtly conflicting.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Get up and open the door!” The voice, now tinged with impatience, called again.
Confused and still groggy, Chen Yan stumbled toward the door and opened it. Standing before him was a woman in her mid-thirties, about five feet six inches tall, with a few playful crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Her short hair was jet black and thick, and she exuded an energy of vigor and life.
It was his mother, He Juan.
For a split second, Chen Yan’s eyes widened in surprise. How could she look so much younger?
“Hurry up, wash your face, brush your teeth, and come downstairs for breakfast,” He Juan said briskly, turning to leave. As she walked away, she muttered under her breath, “Really, I don’t know who you take after—tomorrow’s the day you go off to university, yet you’re still this lazy.”
Chen Yan gave himself a light slap on the cheek, the sharp sound ringing through the room with startling clarity.
At that moment, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, he couldn’t deny the truth—he had been reborn.
He had returned to the day before he was set to register for university, September 4th, 2013.
What the hell? Someone like me, reborn? Chen Yan thought in disbelief. Good Heavens, what have I done to deserve this?
After graduating from university, Chen Yan had first worked in sales. Two years later, he quit his job and dove headfirst into e-commerce. He made his first fortune but, in his blind ambition to expand, he accumulated too much stock, leading to a broken cash flow and his eventual bankruptcy.
Luckily, Chen Yan found a new opportunity in the booming short video market. He sold his house, going all-in with every penny to stake his claim.
Fortune favored the persistent—his first short film, though crude and unpolished, quickly dominated the Douyin (Chinese TikTok) rankings, bringing in millions of viewers. Chen Yan became one of the first to capitalize on the short video boom and from there, he established a film company. Riding the wave of this new era, by the time he turned 30, he had accumulated a net worth in the millions and became one of the most sought-after bachelors in Hangzhou, a true “diamond prince.”
But just as the good days had begun to settle in, life had cruelly thrown him back to the starting point.
…
At the dining table, Chen Yan watched his parents—now looking a decade younger—his heart a whirlwind of emotions. His eyes began to sting, and he couldn’t help but feel a lump in his throat.
“What’s wrong?” his father, Chen Guodong, noticed something was off. Putting down his wine glass, he asked, gaze sharp. “Are you missing us already, even before you leave tomorrow?”
“Dad, it’s inevitable,” Chen Yan sniffed, offering a casual excuse. “After all, it’s my first time leaving home for such a long trip.”
With a smile, He Juan slid a few pieces of tender beef onto Chen Yan’s plate before turning to her husband. “Old Chen, let’s go to the train station and buy tickets for tomorrow’s trip to Hangzhou, after dinner.”
In 2013, online ticketing wasn’t as popular as it is today. Apps like Feizh* or Tongcheng didn’t even exist yet.
“No need to trouble yourselves,” Chen Yan said, brushing off their concern. “I’ll go on my own tomorrow.”
His mother frowned. “How can you go by yourself? Do you even know the way to the town university?”
“The admission letter has all the details,” Chen Yan replied, his tone reassuring. “Don’t worry about me. Besides, if I can’t find it, I can always take a cab.”
Before his mother could say anything further, his father interjected with his usual calm authority.
“Alright, since the child wants to go alone, we’ll respect his decision. In any case, he has him phone with him so he can contact us anytime.”
Hearing her husband’s words, his mother relented. She nodded, though still with a hint of reluctance and repetition of her instructions: “Once you arrive in Hangzhou, call us right away to let us know you’re safe.”
In his past life, Chen Yan had worked tirelessly in Hangzhou for twelve years. He had wandered through every alley, every winding street, to the point where he could walk through them with his eyes closed. Finding his way to the university was second nature to him.
The next morning, soon after bidding farewell to his parents, Chen Yan boarded the high-speed train to Hangzhou.
His gaze lingered on the fleeting scenery outside the window. The once-familiar buildings seemed to have been gently caressed by time, their outlines preserved in the soft embrace of memory. The old locust tree still stood tall, its branches alive with the songs of the sparrows that nestled within.
Twelve years had passed, enough time for everything to change—people and places alike, enough to breathe new life into them.
“Since fate has brought me back here, I must achieve something worthy of this second chance in life,” Chen Yan thought to himself with the utmost determination slowly filling his chest.
An hour later, the high-speed train reached Hangzhou. Chen Yan disembarked, following the familiar path with ease. He boarded the subway and made his way to the university he had once called home for four years—Jiangnan University of Science and Technology.
“So many years have passed,” he mused as the campus loomed ahead. “It’s unbelievable to think that I’m back. To the younger sisters of the university town, I wonder how you’ve all been?”