Xu Musen left the scene with style, but everyone present was dumbfounded.
After so many confessions, Xu Musen had occasionally changed his tactics; he even said something like, "If you don't agree now, I will never like you again."
But without any surprises, Xu Musen would still hold fresh flowers the next day and continue his confessions.
However, this time, everyone felt it was different.
The short-haired girl beside Yao Mingyue indignantly began, "This Xu Musen must feel he can't get you, so he's just saying those disgusting things on purpose! You're so outstanding, what kind of guy can't you find?
Having no money and poor academic performance, that toad deserves..."
The girl had meant to comfort Yao Mingyue.
But suddenly feeling a chill, she saw Yao Mingyue giving her a cold glance, "Who let you speak ill of him?"
The girl was instantly overwhelmed by her powerful presence, stuttering, "I just thought he was too much today and I was for you..."
"I can criticize him, but others can't!"
Yao Mingyue coldly dropped the remark, her gaze following Xu Musen's retreating figure. Her phoenix eyes shimmered with a sickly luster, biting her lower lip.
"I want to see what game you're really playing..."
The girl beside her was also a bit puzzled, so... did Yao Mingyue like or dislike Xu Musen?
...
At this moment, Xu Musen walked light-heartedly on the familiar yet unfamiliar streets.
The avenue, lined with plane trees, was flanked by many snack stalls, the aroma of cumin making one's mouth water.
Internet cafés that charged one yuan per hour.
Vendors pushing tricycles selling chicken eggs and grilled sausages.
Five-spiced roast duck that cost eight or nine yuan apiece.
Two-yuan little shops by the roadside.
Many banners celebrating the Olympics were beginning to fade along the street...
In a few years, these would gradually vanish as the city developed.
He was truly reborn!
He felt his eighteen-year-old body.
Indeed brimming with energy, he subconsciously performed a basketball leap, his bones so light it felt like he could fly.
Of course, he couldn't.
In reality, he also didn't feel any sort of 'system' or 'golden finger' that many novels claimed followed rebirth.
He checked himself and found none of the jade pendants that required blood to activate, nor rings containing old men, nor any glowing little green bottles.
He was still just an ordinary person.
But being able to return to his youth was already the greatest gift from heaven.
He still held a bunch of roses in his hand.
These were leftovers from his family's flower shop; he would sneak some out every day for his confessions.
Otherwise, he definitely didn't have enough money to buy flowers every day.
Since the flowers were already wrapped and couldn't be sold, Xu Musen casually threw them on the lid of a garbage bin.
It was a farewell to his former self.
What he didn't know was that right after he left, those fresh flowers he had thrown on the garbage bin were gently picked up by a pristine hand, seemingly gazing at Xu Musen's retreating figure for a long while...
...
"Xu Musen!"
A calling voice came from behind.
A dark-skinned boy came running over.
Xu Musen remembered him; this was his high school buddy, He Qiang.
His family contracted fish ponds, obsessed with fishing since childhood, which led to his dark complexion. After Xu Musen's previous life marriage, He Qiang was one of the few who didn't shun him and could manage a few words with him.
However, later on, he heard that He Qiang tried to challenge the title of "Central Plains Fish King" by fishing in a protected area and ended up scoring two and a half years of "sewing machine" time.
After his family spent a lot of money on connections to get him out, and after a beating from his wife, he settled down.
"Qiang Zi, long time no see. It's great you haven't been caught."
Xu Musen extended his hand and patted his shoulder.
"Damn! Xu Musen, did a donkey kick your brain today? Why are you cursing everyone you see?"
He Qiang was utterly baffled and complained, "I say, did you get rejected by a confession today and get shocked? If not, I can take you to the mental hospital for a checkup; we know a doctor there!"
This kind of banter and playing the fool, which only existed during our teenage years, really was quite nostalgic.
Xu Musen smiled, "Alright, I was just joking with you. Why the rush to find me?"
"It's you who should tell me! What was with your attitude just now? Are you really planning to cut off all relations with Yao Mingyue?" He Qiang thought about what had just happened, and even now, he could hardly believe it.
His good brother, the perennial lapdog, had seemingly become a different person overnight.
"What's so unbelievable about that? Or do you want me to keep humbling myself to chase after her?" Xu Musen said with a carefree laugh.
"Of course not!"
He Qiang immediately shook his head and, seeing Xu Musen's breezy demeanor, became even more curious.
"But your change came too fast, right? After all, you two have been childhood sweethearts for so many years. Or are you saying you've just been lusting after her body?"
Lusting after her body?
If anyone was lusting, it was Yao Mingyue lusting after him!
Xu Musen remembered the time just after they got married in his previous life.
To prevent him from having thoughts about other girls, Yao Mingyue could be said to have mercilessly implemented a draining strategy on Xu Musen every day.
Things like "Appetizers before meals," "Workouts after meals," "Idle hands might as well get busy," "Honey, is that a thread on your pants? Let me check it for you..."
During those days, Xu Musen shuddered even at the sight of the juicer at home.
The look of lingering fear on Xu Musen's face made He Qiang feel that his good brother still couldn't let go of Yao Mingyue.
He walked over, draped an arm around Xu Musen's shoulder, and comforted him, "I've advised you before, girls like Yao Mingyue aren't for just anyone to handle. It's good that you've come to your senses.
Come on, let's go to the internet café and chill. I'll treat you to a round of Malay Swordplay; let's play a few matches together!"
Xu Musen shook his head, "Forget it, it's no fun playing alone."
He Qiang: ????
At this moment, a red BMW drove down the street. In an era where most people's daily drivers were around a hundred thousand, a 5-Series nearing four hundred thousand really stood out.
The car's rear window rolled down, and the perfect face of Yao Mingyue appeared. Her phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, still retaining some of a girl's anger.
Her gaze lingered on He Qiang's arm wrapped around Xu Musen's shoulder, and there was a flicker of coldness for a moment.
He Qiang was even taken aback by her aura; that look... was almost as if she thought someone was stealing her man.
Xu Musen was all too familiar with that look. Indeed, in his past life, Yao Mingyue was jealous of everyone, even her own mother would spark jealousy if she talked too much to Xu Musen, her son-in-law.
The three of them stared at each other through the car door for a while.
Apparently seeing that Xu Musen had no intention of apologizing or explaining.
Yao Mingyue bit her teeth and snorted coldly, rolled up the window, and the car drove away.
Yao Mingyue had always been chauffeured to and from school, and sometimes Xu Musen would hitch a ride.
"Xu Musen, I always feel like things between you two aren't over yet. That stare was really frightening."
He Qiang felt a cold sweat on his forehead despite the summer heat.
Xu Musen, however, watched the receding red BMW and clicked his tongue, "In this summer heat, it's sure comfortable to sit in a car with air conditioning."
"That car must be worth three to four hundred thousand, right? The average family definitely can't afford it."
He Qiang also shook his head. In fact, his family wasn't poor either; they contracted several fish ponds, but they only had a Passat worth over two hundred thousand at home.
"Still, we've got to make money..." Xu Musen sighed, but making money wasn't an easy task.
There were plenty of ideas, but most of them required seed money.
He patted the pocket of his jeans, which didn't even have fifty yuan.
His gaze moved to He Qiang. This guy's family conditions were actually pretty good; he just kept it low-key.
Suddenly, Xu Musen's smile beamed as he patted He Qiang's shoulder, "Qiang Zi, we're good brothers, right?"
"Of course! Brothers by heart!"
He Qiang heartily slapped his chest, his sunburnt face looking all the more sincere and straightforward.
"Alright then, lend me some money."
"Suddenly remembered something, gotta go first."
He Qiang turned and left, as if he had made up his mind.
Xu Musen stood in place.
Damn!
...