Chapter 3: Who is Really Craving for Whom?

Xu Musen made his sauve exit, but everyone at the scene was dumbfounded.

After so many confessions, Xu Musen had also changed up his tactics a few times, even saying to Yao Mingyue, "If you don't accept me now, I won't like you anymore."

But, as expected, the next day Xu Musen would still be holding flowers and continuing his confessions.

But this time, everyone felt it was different.

The short-haired girl beside Yao Mingyue started speaking indignantly, "This Xu Musen must feel like he can't win you over, so he's purposely saying such disgusting things! With how outstanding you are, what kind of guy could you not find?

His type, no money and poor grades—that toad deserves..."

The girl had intended to comfort Yao Mingyue.

But suddenly feeling a chill, she saw Yao Mingyue giving her a cold look, "Who allowed you to speak ill of him?"

The female classmate was overwhelmed by her formidable presence and stuttered, "I-I was just thinking he went too far today, I was doing it for you..."

"I can criticize him, but others can't!"

Yao Mingyue said dismissively, her gaze following the direction Xu Musen had gone. Her phoenix eyes shimmered with a feverish glow as she bit her lip.

"I really want to see what kind of game you're trying to play..."

The girl beside her was also a bit confused. So... did Yao Mingyue like Xu Musen or not?

...

At this moment, Xu Musen was walking along the familiar yet strange street with a sense of lightness.

This street lined with plane trees, and all the snack stalls alongside, with the scent of cumin that made one's mouth water.

The black internet cafe that charged one yuan per hour.

The vendor pushing a tricycle selling feather chicken eggs and grilled sausages.

The five-spice roast duck that sold for eight or nine yuan each.

The two-yuan small shops on the roadside

The banners celebrating the Olympics on the streets were starting to fade too...

In a few years, all these would gradually disappear with the advancement of the city.

He had actually been reborn! He was feeling this eighteen-year-old body.

Indeed brimming with energy, he subconsciously performed a basketball jump, his bones so light that it felt as though he could take flight.

Of course, he couldn't fly.

In fact, he hadn't felt the kind of systems or golden fingers that many novels described would come with rebirth.

Patting himself down, he didn't find any jade pendant that needed his blood, nor a ring containing an old man or a glowing little green bottle.

He was still an ordinary person.

But being able to return to his youth was already the greatest gift from heaven.

A large bouquet of roses was still in his hands.

These were leftovers from his family's flower shop, and he would sneak them out to confess his love.

Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have had enough money to buy flowers every day.

The flowers, already packaged and unsellable, were tossed by Xu Musen on top of the trash can lid.

It was a farewell to his past self.

But what he didn't know was that right after he left, that bunch of fresh flowers he'd discarded on the trash can was delicately picked up by a pair of clean white hands, seemingly gazing at Xu Musen's retreating figure for quite a while...

...

"Xu Musen!"

A calling voice came from behind.

A dark-skinned boy was jogging over.

Xu Musen remembered him; this was his buddy He Qiang from high school.

His family contracted fish ponds, and having been engulfed by a love for fishing from a young age, he was sun-baked to this complexion. In the previous life, after Xu Musen married into another family, he was one of the few people who didn't shun him and would still talk to him.

But later, it was heard that He Qiang tried to challenge the title of Central Plains Fish King by secretly fishing in the reserve and ended up earning two and a half years with a sewing machine for life.

After his family spent a lot of money on connections to get him out, he was beaten up by his wife and then became well-behaved.

"Qiang Zi, long time no see. It's great that you haven't been caught," Xu Musen said as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Damn! Xu Musen, did a donkey kick your brain today? Why are you cursing everyone you see?"

He Qiang looked utterly confused and complained, "What's wrong with you today? Were you rejected and now you're taking it out on me? If it's that bad, I can take you to the eighth hospital, we know the doctors there!"

These youthfully petty squabbles and acting dumb were indeed quite nostalgic.

Xu Musen smiled, "Alright, I was just joking with you. What's the rush anyway?"

"And you're asking me? What was that all about just now? Are you seriously planning to cut ties with Yao Mingyue?" He Qiang couldn't quite believe what had happened moments before.

This devoted loser in love, his brother, it was as if he had become a different person overnight.

"What's there to not believe? Did you really want your bud to keep grovelling and chasing after her?" Xu Musen laughed freely.

"Of course not!"

He Qiang immediately shook his head, and as he looked at Xu Musen's carefree demeanor, he grew even more curious.

"But you changed so quickly. I mean, you've been childhood friends for so many years. Or were you just lusting after her body all this time?"

Lusting after her body?

If anyone was lusting, it was Yao Mingyue who was lusting after him!

Xu Musen remembered the time right after he got married in his previous life.

To keep him from thinking about other women, Yao Mingyue implemented a merciless strategy of 'draining' him every single day.

There were all sorts of excuses like "to aid digestion before meals," "to help keep fit after meals," "we're idle anyway," "Honey, is that a thread on your pants? Let me take a look for you..."

In those days, Xu Musen would shudder at the sight of the juicer at home.

Xu Musen's expression of lingering fear was interpreted by He Qiang as a sign that his good buddy was still not over Yao Mingyue.

He walked over and put his arm around Xu Musen's shoulder, comforting him, "I've been telling you, Yao Mingyue isn't someone just anyone can mess with. It's good you've come to your senses.

Come on, let's go to the internet café and hang out. I'll pay for you to play the Malaysian Blade today. Let's play a few rounds together!"

Xu Musen shook his head, "Forget it, it's not the same playing alone."

He Qiang: ???

Just then, a red BMW approached from the end of the street. In an era where most people's cars were around one hundred thousand, this nearly four hundred thousand 5 Series stood out conspicuously.

The rear window rolled down to reveal Yao Mingyue's perfect face with her eyes slightly squinted, still retaining some of a young girl's anger.

Her gaze briefly swept over He Qiang's arm on Xu Musen's shoulder, and for a moment, there was a flash of coldness.

He Qiang was taken aback by her aura. Those eyes... why did it feel like he was stealing her man?

Xu Musen knew that look all too well. Indeed, in his previous life, Yao Mingyue would get jealous over anyone, even if her own mother chatted with Xu Musen for too long, she would get jealous.

The three of them had a staring contest across the car door for a moment.

Apparently noticing that Xu Musen had no intention of apologizing or explaining,

Yao Mingyue bit her lip with a cold snort, rolled up the window, and the car drove off.

Yao Mingyue had always been chauffeured to and from school; sometimes, Xu Musen would hitch a ride too.

"Xu Musen, I have this feeling that things between you two aren't over. That look was terrifying," said He Qiang, sensing a cold sweat on his forehead despite the summer heat.

Xu Musen watched the red BMW drive away and clicked his tongue, "In this summer heat, sitting in a car with air conditioning is indeed comfortable."

"That car must cost around three to four hundred thousand, something regular families can't afford," He Qiang said, shaking his head. Though his family wasn't poor—they owned several fish ponds—their car was just a Passat worth over two hundred thousand.

"We still need to make money..." Xu Musen sighed. Making money wasn't easy.

He had plenty of ideas, but most required capital.

He checked his pockets, not even fifty yuan to his name.

His eyes then turned towards He Qiang, whose family was quite well off, even though he was usually quite low-key about it.

Suddenly, he slapped He Qiang's shoulder with a bright smile, "Qiang Zi, we're good brothers, right?"

"Absolutely! Brothers in heart!" He Qiang patted his chest firmly, his suntanned face exuding sincerity and simplicity.

"Good, then lend me some money."

"I just remembered I have something to do, gotta go."

He Qiang turned and walked away, as if he had made a firm decision.

Xu Musen stood in place.

Damn!

...