"I mean it," Sophie continued. "But there's one condition: you're not allowed to write love letters to anyone else. You can't like anyone else. Otherwise, we won't have a chance at all!"
"You know what? I don't think I even liked you that much," Kane replied with a smile. "Let's call it quits—be good now"
Sophie's eyes widened slightly, and her proud heart took a heavy blow.
Part ways on good terms? The way he said it made it sound like she was the one being dumped! She had been so kind, encouraging him not to give up, and this was his attitude?!
"Kane, do you even understand that love takes perseverance? If you can't even withstand a little setback, how do you expect me to be with you? I haven't seen any real determination from you!"
"Then go find someone else to test your perseverance on. I have more important things to do now." Kane was completely focused on making money—he had no time for this pointless back-and-forth.
Hearing this, Sophie snapped.
"Kane, you bastard! I swear I'll never talk to you again!"
"Wait a second!"
Just as Sophie was about to storm off, Kane suddenly called out to her. His face showed an unusual tension.
Seeing his expression, Sophie felt a small sense of triumph. The confidence of a young girl returned to her face—he was clearly afraid of losing her. All that 'part ways on good terms' talk was just him putting up a front!
"What is it? If you're planning to change your mind, let me tell you now—you won't get another chance!"
Kane ignored her and raised the stationery pouch in his hand.
"Are we taking the college entrance exams? Have we finished? Which subject are we on?"
Sophie paused for a moment before replying, "We're done. The last subject was this morning."
Kane let out a deep breath. "That's great. If I had to take it again, I wouldn't even make it into a trade school."
Sophie looked at his radiant smile and suddenly felt a bit dazed.
"You… You stopped me just to say that?"
Taking another deep breath, Kane asked, "One more thing—since the exams are over, does that mean we're on break now?"
"I don't know! Go ask someone else if you care that much!"
Sophie Chase was furious. She sprinted back to the school building, fuming.
Rejected, but pretending not to care? What kind of person does that? Did he really think acting indifferent would make her soften up? Where did he even learn this trick—playing hard to get? Fine! I'll ignore him for a whole week. Let's see who breaks first!
Meanwhile, Kane Brook finished packing up his things and turned toward the school building. But before he could take more than a few steps, a group of nosy classmates surrounded him.
"I told you you'd fail. Do you think Sophie Chase is someone you can just like and pursue? Know your place!"
The one speaking was Alexander Quinn, a notorious rich second-gen from Class 3-2. His father was the biggest real estate developer in the area.
This guy once pulled off the insane stunt of shouting, "I'll cover everyone's meal!" in the school cafeteria—pure arrogance.
"Hey, Kane, no need to feel bad. You're not the first to be rejected by Sophie Chase, and you sure won't be the last. I'd say at least a hundred guys have tried and failed. I'll buy you a soda later."
The second speaker was a chubby, bespectacled guy—Kane's best buddy from high school, Hugo.
Kane ignored Alexander's mockery, instead turning to Hugo with a thoughtful look. He patted his shoulder and said, "Hugo, your legs… they're still here. Seeing you stand is really something."
"...????"
Without lingering any longer, Kane left the school, hopped on his bike, and pedaled southward.
Honestly, being young was amazing—no fatigue, no soreness. You only truly appreciate it once you lose it.
If this were before his rebirth, forget biking—just walking a few steps would have left him panting.
But now? With this body, he could probably work in a factory tightening screws and earn himself an entire apartment.
He pedaled faster, passing by banners promoting the upcoming Olympics, fully immersed in the joy of his youthful body.
Oh damn, my hair's actually flying in the wind! Man, it's been forever since I felt this alive!
Half an hour later, he arrived at Prosperity Lane, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city.
The buildings here had long since lost their luster, their walls peeling like some sort of skin disease. The community didn't even have a proper entrance—just a single barrier to block vehicles. From the outside, the first thing visible wasn't apartment doors but a mess of illegally built storage sheds.
If he remembered correctly, this was one of the first old neighborhoods slated for demolition. By July, the government would issue the official demolition notice, and by October, all the compensation funds would be distributed.
His third uncle's brother-in-law, Lian Qiao, was one of the residents here. The moment he got the money, his whole demeanor changed—he started smoking premium Zhonghua cigarettes and even boasted about buying a Mercedes-Benz.
But in the end, he never got that Benz. Instead, his two sons ended up fighting.
The younger one wanted half the money for his own wedding. The older one, who was marrying someone else's ex-wife, also demanded half.
They fought so hard they cracked their heads open. The younger brother yelled, "Big bro, you're marrying someone's ex and still want half? Have you got no shame?!"
The older brother snapped back, "I'm not just marrying one—I'm getting a bonus stepdaughter with the deal! How is that not better than you?!"
Kane wanted to buy this place.
As he gazed at the rundown neighborhood, his mouth practically watered.
But there was one serious problem—he had no money.
What kind of fresh high school graduate has money? Sure, he had enough spare change for an ice cream, but buying real estate? Out of the question.
A pang of regret hit him. So many small fortunes were rolling right past him, only to vanish into thin air.
He had no way to quickly gather enough seed capital, which severely limited his options.
Buying property? Not possible.
Investing in stocks? No funds.
This is what sucks about not having a system—no matter how many brilliant ideas you've got, without money, you're stuck at square one.
Did I reincarnate into a scam?!
Just then, a bus pulled up nearby.
From the open doors stepped Sophie Chase, her floral dress swaying in the breeze.
The moment she got off, she spotted Kane. Her expression shifted from surprise to a cold "hmph" as she lifted her chin, clearly waiting for something.
But to her shock, Kane merely gave her a polite nod, then turned his gaze back toward the old community across the street.
After one last lingering look, he hopped on his bike and rode away.
A light breeze lifted the hem of her dress as she stood at the bus stop, frozen in disbelief, completely at a loss for words.