Xu Musen walked away with a carefree stride, but the onlookers were left in stunned silence.

He had confessed so many times before, sometimes even switching up his approach. There were even moments when he would say things like, “If you don’t say yes this time, I’ll stop liking you forever.”

But without fail, the next day, he’d be right back at it, holding a fresh bouquet, trying again.

This time, though—this time felt different.

The short-haired girl beside Yao Mingyue huffed angrily. “That Xu Musen must’ve finally realized he had no chance with you, so now he’s playing mind games to disgust you! Please, you’re so outstanding—you could have any guy you want!”

She sneered. “A broke loser like him, bad at school, no future—he deserves to—”

The temperature around them seemed to drop.

Yao Mingyue turned to her with an icy gaze.

“Who said you could badmouth him?”

The girl faltered, suddenly feeling overpowered by Yao Mingyue’s presence. She stammered, “I—I was just upset for you… after what he did today, I thought—”

“I can talk about him. You can’t.”

Yao Mingyue’s voice was calm but absolute.

Then, her gaze drifted toward the direction where Xu Mosen had disappeared. Her phoenix-shaped eyes gleamed with an unreadable, almost feverish light as she bit her lip.

“I’d like to see just what game you’re trying to play, Xu Mosen…”

The short-haired girl stood there, confused. So… did Yao Mingyue like him or not?

---

Meanwhile, Xu Musen strolled down a familiar yet distant street, feeling as though he were truly breathing again.

The plane trees lining the road cast swaying shadows in the afternoon sun. The scent of sizzling cumin wafted from street vendors, making his stomach rumble with nostalgia.

A one-yuan-per-hour internet café.

A vendor pushing a cart, selling grilled sausages and balut eggs.

Fragrant five-spice roast duck for just eight or nine yuan apiece.

Tiny convenience stalls selling goods for two yuan each.

Faded banners still hanging from the last Olympic celebrations.

In a few years, all of this would disappear, swallowed by the city’s relentless march toward modernity.

But for now—he was here. He was back.

Xu Musen clenched his fists, feeling the youthful energy coursing through his eighteen-year-old body. He jumped lightly, testing his agility—it felt like he could fly.

Of course, he couldn’t.

Unlike those novels where the protagonist wakes up with a system or a golden cheat code, he had no such luck. No mystical jade pendants, no ancient spirit trapped in a ring, no glowing green potion.

Just himself.

But that was enough.

He looked down at the bouquet still in his hands—the flowers he had secretly taken from his family’s shop, leftovers they couldn’t sell anyway.

Without hesitation, he tossed them onto a trash can lid.

A farewell to his past self.

What he didn’t see was a slender, fair hand picking up the discarded bouquet moments later, its owner staring after him for a long time…

---

“Xu Musen!”

A voice called out behind him.

A tanned young man jogged over, panting slightly.

Xu Musen recognized him immediately—He Qiang, his best friend from high school.

His family ran fish farms, and he had been obsessed with fishing since childhood. It was how he got so tanned.

In the last life, after Xu Musen became a live-in son-in-law, He Qiang was one of the few friends who didn’t look down on him, still willing to share a drink and chat.

That was, until He Qiang decided to go after the “King of the Central Plains Fish” title and illegally fished in a protected zone… earning himself two and a half years of “sewing machine duty” in prison.

His family had to spend a fortune to get him out early. Then his wife gave him a beating, and he finally calmed down.

Xu Musen clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder and grinned. “Qiang, long time no see. I’m so glad you’re not in jail yet.”

“The hell’s wrong with you today? Cursing me first thing?!” He Qiang gawked at him.

Then, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he added, “Wait… you got rejected again, didn’t you? Took it too hard? Come on, let’s go to the psychiatric hospital—I know a doctor there!”

Xu Musen laughed. It was a kind of banter only teenage friends could have.

“Nah, I’m fine. Why were you looking for me?”

He Qiang scratched his head. “I should be asking you! What was that back there? Are you really done chasing after Yao Mingyue?”

“Of course. What, you wanted me to keep groveling?” Xu Musen smirked.

“Hell no!” He Qiang shook his head so hard his hair almost flew off. “But dude, you were obsessed with her for years. This is… sudden. Unless… were you just after her body the whole time?”

Xu Musen paused. Her body?

If anyone was obsessed, it was Yao Mingyue!

He still remembered their early married days in his past life.

Determined to keep him from straying, she practically launched a full-scale attack every day—morning, noon, night, and in between.

“Pre-meal warm-up.”

“Post-meal exercise.”

“We’re not doing anything else anyway.”

“Hey, your pants have a loose thread. Let me check…”

For days, even looking at the blender in their kitchen made him shiver.

Xu Musen snapped out of it, only to see He Qiang misinterpreting his dazed expression.

His friend sighed and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Look, man. I told you before—Yao Mingyue isn’t someone regular guys can handle. It’s good you finally woke up. Come on, let’s hit the internet café. My treat—I’ll even get you a Malay Sword!”

“Nah,” Xu Musen declined. “Not interested anymore.”

He Qiang: ???

Before they could argue further, a red BMW cruised down the street.

In a town where most people drove ten-thousand-yuan economy cars, this nearly forty-thousand-yuan 5-series stood out like a neon sign.

The back window rolled down, revealing Yao Mingyue’s breathtaking face. Her phoenix eyes were narrowed, a trace of teenage fury still lingering in them.

Her gaze flicked toward He Qiang’s arm draped over Xu Musen’s shoulder.

For a fleeting second, her eyes sharpened.

He Qiang shivered. “Why does she look like she caught me stealing her man?”

Xu Musen knew that look all too well.

Last time, Yao Mingyue had been the jealous type—the insanely jealous type.

She’d get possessive if even her own mother spoke to him for too long.

For a few moments, they just stared at each other through the car window.

Then, realizing Xu Musen had no intention of apologizing or explaining himself, Yao Mingyue gritted her teeth, let out a cold hmph, and rolled the window up.

The car sped off.

He Qiang wiped his forehead. “Dude… I swear, this isn’t over. That look was scary.”

Xu Musen smirked, watching the BMW vanish. “Must be nice, riding in an air-conditioned car in this heat.”

“That thing’s gotta be at least thirty or forty grand. No way a normal family could afford it.”

He Qiang shook his head. His family was doing well, but even they only had a twenty-thousand-yuan Passat.

Xu Musen exhaled. “Man… I need to make money.”

But making money wasn’t easy. Most of his ideas needed capital.

He reached into his pocket—barely fifty yuan.

His gaze shifted to He Qiang.

Big family. Good money.

Xu Musen suddenly grinned. “Qiangzi, we’re best bros, right?”

“Of course! Brothers for life!”

“Great. Lend me some money.”

“Suddenly remembered I have somewhere to be—bye!”

He Qiang spun around and bolted.

Xu Musen stood there, speechless.

Damn it.