Rebirth and Conquest

Not long after, school started and Chen Yan returned to school.

Gao Chenxing still doesn't live in the dormitory, so it's still just Chen Yan and Wen Mu in the dormitory.

It's impossible for Wen Mu not to miss Chen Yan after a holiday apart. However, the two didn't even exchange a phone call. Chen Yan was too busy to even think about it, while Wen Mu was too shy. Their hasty separation before the holiday prevented him from confessing his feelings, but now that they've met again, Wen Mu has lost the courage to do so.

Moreover, a few days after the start of the semester, Wen Mu clearly sensed that Chen Yan seemed to have something on his mind. Although Chen Yan was usually silent, now when he was silent, it always made people feel that he was troubled by something.

Chen Yan was indeed troubled. The funding problem was still unresolved. Fu Mingxue's movie was about to start filming, which would be the beginning of a money-burning frenzy, but he really couldn't think of where to get a large sum of money.

That afternoon, Chen Yan went to that art street again to see his old painter friend.

Two months had passed, and the painter was still sitting in the same place, but he seemed to have changed a lot. The early spring weather was still a bit cold, and he was wrapped in a cotton overcoat that was so worn that it looked like an antique that had been worn for decades. He looked even more destitute, even as slovenly as a beggar.

“Sir.” Chen Yan walked towards him.

"You've come. It's been a long time." The painter looked up, his face, which wasn't particularly old, was full of vicissitudes.

"Yes, I went home for the holidays." Chen Yan sat down next to his stall.

"The painting is ready." The painter prepared to take the painting from the basket next to him.

"Alright, but let's look at the painting later. I'd like to sit here with you for a while today."

Upon hearing this, the painter put the painting back.

Chen Yan sat there for a long time that day, while the painter, as if he had suddenly become talkative, started talking to Chen Yan about his own affairs.

The painter told Chen Yan his name and his life story. The painter's name was Han Danqing. He loved painting since he was a child and was obsessed with it. However, because he was so focused on painting, he neglected the realities of daily life. He had a gentle wife and a lovely son, but because he could only paint and couldn't earn much money from it, the burden of supporting the family fell on his wife. The long-term hard work had taken a toll on his wife's health, and she was already bedridden. His six-year-old son had also developed uremia due to malnutrition since childhood. At this moment, his wife and son were in the hospital, urgently needing surgery.

Chen Yan listened silently until the painter finished speaking his last sentence, at which point she asked, "Sir, you're telling me all this today because you want me to help you raise funds for their surgeries, right?"

"I know it's not appropriate to say this, but I really have no other choice." A look of desolation appeared on the painter's face, the first time he had ever shown such an expression. If it weren't for the lives of his wife and children being at stake, he probably wouldn't have been able to set aside his dignity and ask a complete stranger for help. "Thinking about it, I'm really a failure. I've lived for decades and don't even have any relatives or friends. Now, at a time like this, I can only ask for help from a stranger I've only met a few times." After a pause, the painter added bitterly, "Actually, I've been waiting for you here for many days."

Chen Yan fell silent. For the first time, he felt immense pressure. Since his rebirth, Chen Yan had never imagined that one day he wouldn't even be able to come up with a few hundred thousand yuan. Chen Yan didn't know how to tell the painter about his current predicament. Let alone the hundreds of thousands needed for surgery, he couldn't even come up with tens of thousands of yuan right now.

In the end, Chen Yan could only say "sorry" and leave.

On the dormitory balcony, Chen Yan was on the phone when Wen Mu came in and heard her say, "Brother Chen, can you do me a favor and lend me some money?"

Wen Mu froze on the spot, while Chen Yan continued talking to the person opposite her, completely oblivious: "Okay, it doesn't matter how much, I'll go get it when you're ready."

When Chen Yan hung up the phone and turned around, she saw Wen Mu looking at her. Chen Yan didn't seem surprised at all, and simply asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you in trouble? Do you need money right now?" Wen Mu asked with some concern.

"Yes, I do need money." Since Wen Mu had seen it, Chen Yan didn't intend to hide it.

"How much do you need?" Wen Mu asked somewhat anxiously, then quickly explained, "Maybe I can help you out. We're roommates, I—"

"Ten million." Chen Yan's casual remark left Wen Mu stunned again. Ten million was indeed a large sum of money. Even though Wen Mu's family was prominent, it was a huge amount of money for him personally.

"Alright, now that you know, let's go back."

Wen Mu said "Oh" and turned to go back into the house.

Chen Yan glanced at her phone, her expression somewhat complicated. The phone had never been able to make a call.

Two days later, Wen Mu returned home. Wen Mu, who rarely went home, suddenly said that there was something going on at home and that he needed to go back. Chen Yan seemed to have known this all along and did not say anything. She only held Wen Mu's hand tightly after he left.

When Wen Mu returned, he brought Chen Yan a sum of money. "There's 15 million in here. See if it's enough." Wen Mu handed a card to Chen Yan, smiling happily.

“You…” Chen Yan looked at Wen Mu, not knowing what to say for the first time.

"I asked my dad for it. Actually, my dad is quite rich." Wen Mu stuffed the money into Chen Yan's hand. "We're classmates, so it's only right that I help you. You can pay me back when you have more money in the future."

It was this 15 million that enabled Chen Yan's company to operate smoothly and allowed Fu Mingxue's movie to start filming on time.

Chen Yan returned to the art street, holding a card with one million yuan in his hand, which was taken from the money Wen Mu had given him. He went to the painter's stall, but the painter was nowhere to be seen. It had only been a few days, and the painter couldn't even wait? Chen Yan couldn't believe it.

Chen Yan waited there for three days, but the painter never appeared again. Later, Chen Yan would come every few days, but he never saw the painter again. It wasn't until much later that Chen Yan learned that the day was the last day the painter's wife and children were alive. If he missed that surgery, he would never have another chance.

A week after Wen Mu gave Chen Yan the money, someone from Wen Mu's family came and took Wen Mu home from school. However, Wen Mu didn't return home for a long time.

Chen Yan arrived at Wen Mu's house once again, a villa that exuded nobility and luxury. Because the butler recognized Chen Yan, she was able to enter the villa easily.

The butler led Chen Yan to the main building and asked her to wait in the living room while he went to inform the master and madam.

Chen Yan sat on the sofa and waited, but the housekeeper did not return after leaving. So Chen Yan stood up and started wandering around the living room. When he walked to a room near the corner, he vaguely heard someone talking inside.

"You unfilial son, are you going to tell me or not, where did the money go?!"

What followed was a period of silence.

Then there was a sharp 'smack' followed by a man's angry roar: "Get out! I don't have a son like you!"

Chen Yan walked quickly towards the door, and just as she reached it, she saw Wen Mu walking out from inside, covering half of his face. Upon seeing Chen Yan, Wen Mu's face turned bright red, and he asked awkwardly, "You, what brings you here?"

"Is it because of me?" Chen Yan asked.

"No, no." Wen Mu quickly waved his hand, pulled Chen Yan away from there, "Let's talk about it back in the room."

Sitting on the bed in Wen Mu's room, Chen Yan reached out and stroked Wen Mu's face beside her: "Does it hurt?"

Wen Mu shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "It's okay."

Chen Yan glanced at Wen Mu, then suddenly pushed him down onto the bed and kissed him passionately. Chen Yan pressed Wen Mu down as if she wanted to devour him, leaving Wen Mu unable to struggle at all. He could only let out soft moans. Gradually, Wen Mu's body softened, and he reached out to hug Chen Yan's waist, who was pressing down on him.

Chen Yan only released Wen Mu when he was almost suffocating. Looking at Wen Mu lying on her body, Chen Yan said firmly, "I will never forget what you did for me today."

"It's nothing, I did it voluntarily," Wen Mu said with a smile, then turned his head to the side, waiting for Chen Yan's next move. But Chen Yan got off him instead. Wen Mu was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He thought Chen Yan would do something to him, but it was just a kiss.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to sleep with you? Wouldn't that make me a beast?"

"Go ahead and do it, I'm willing," Wen Mu muttered to himself, then replied, "No, no."

...