Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

He Ziyu fell silent, Shen Murou's words echoing in his ears, his mind a little confused.

It turns out that Jiang Chengyu went to the United States during the summer vacation not because his parents were worried about his safety alone in Yuecheng, but because they took him to meet potential partners.

No wonder he seemed off over there and wasn't very proactive in replying to WeChat messages.

Seeing that He Ziyu looked a little dazed, Shen Murou thought she had guessed correctly—her son really did have a girl he liked at school—so she asked him, "What class is that girl in? What's her name?"

"Huh?" He Ziyu snapped out of his daze. "What girl?"

"The one Cheng Yu likes."

Realizing that Shen Murou was still hung up on that non-existent girl, He Ziyu explained helplessly, "There is no such person, Auntie. Yu-ge has always worked very hard at school, and all his thoughts are on his studies. I haven't seen him have any feelings for any girl."

"No? Then why doesn't he want to spend time with Ruoruo?"

Oh, this damn, fatal, question.

He Ziyu, his hands hidden under the table, gripped the hem of his pants. He thought to himself, "This problem is not simple. Because she is a woman, it is inappropriate from the start. Secondly, your son already has someone he loves. The person who took him away is me, sitting across from you, patiently listening."

After mentally ranting and raving, He Ziyu still answered honestly, "Maybe he doesn't like this forced feeling, it's a bit like a business marriage. Didn't you just say that this guy named Han something-or-other comes from a pretty good family..."

"Han Zhiruo," Shen Murou corrected, "the Ruo from Ruo'er."

"Alright, Han Zhiruo." He Ziyu didn't care what her name was. "Anyway, young people like romance. This kind of introduction is definitely not as romantic as free love, nor is it as...pure."

He Ziyu tried his best to speak tactfully, explaining without offending anyone.

Jiang's mother was, after all, a businesswoman. Business people only care about profits. Different perspectives lead to different ideas. There is no absolute right or wrong. Even if there were, it's not up to him, a junior, to say anything.

"I understand that you young people value freedom, but you can't bear the consequences of your free choices." Shen Murou indeed adopted the posture of an elder and began to lecture, "Marriage is different from love. Marriage is an equal exchange. Both parties must show their bargaining chips before starting. If the gap is too large, it will violate the 'average principle' in social exchange theory."

"No one wants to be exploited. You might be able to tolerate it for a day or two, but if it goes on for too long, conflicts will arise. This is enough to prove that only social interactions based on reciprocity are meaningful."

He Ziyu was getting a headache from Shen Murou's long-winded speech.

He hated listening to his elders' lectures, perhaps because of the shadow left by his father in his previous life. However, after seeing Jiang's mother today, He Ziyu suddenly felt that his father's destructive power was really nothing.

Yu Ge is the one who's truly miserable.

"So, Ayu, you have to understand that human nature is selfish. Compared to something as illusory as love, only self-interest is the most real and stable..."

Shen Murou continued to grumble incessantly.

He Ziyu even suspected that she was treating him as a subordinate at work, or as a stand-in for Jiang Chengyu, which was why she suddenly switched to this mode.

"I'm sorry, Auntie, I disagree with that."

He finally couldn't resist.

The thought of his poor brother Yu enduring such torment every day made He Ziyu feel heartbroken and desperate, and he couldn't wait to stand up and say a few words in his defense.

Although he knew it would be useless to speak up, he still didn't want to just swallow his anger.

"I acknowledge that human nature has a selfish side, but that doesn't mean we should submit to it for life." He Ziyu stared intently at her. "Each of us has an independent consciousness, and different consciousnesses give life different meanings. How Jiang Chengyu views the world and how he wants to live is his right as a human being. His life should be defined by himself."

After He Ziyu finished speaking, Shen Murou was stunned.

"I'm sorry, I was just expressing my opinion, I didn't mean to argue with you," He Ziyu explained.

Shen Murou hesitated, her eyes filled with surprise.

She wasn't surprised that He Ziyu disagreed with her; after all, this child had been spoiled by Zhou Ying since childhood, so it was normal that he wasn't as obedient as Jiang Chengyu.

What surprised her was the mature-beyond-her-years air about He Ziyu when he spoke.

As far as I can remember, the last time they met was a few months ago. Back then, He Ziyu was still a naive young man who spoke to Zhou Ying without any respect. Unlike now, he is very composed in his every move and speaks in an orderly manner, without a trace of childishness.

"It's alright, Ayu, you don't need to apologize. Your aunt was just too anxious." Shen Murou calmed herself down. "Let's eat first, we'll talk after we finish."

The pasta He Ziyu ordered was served. He grunted in response and picked up his fork to start eating.

During the meal, Shen Murou asked about his studies but didn't mention Jiang Chengyu again.

When it came time to pay the bill, He Ziyu knew that a conclusion had to be reached today, so he took the initiative to say to Shen Murou, "Auntie, don't worry, I will persuade Yu Ge, but whether he listens or not is his business."

"It's alright, I'm already very grateful that you can help me," Shen Murou said. "And I believe Chengyu will listen to your advice."

……

He Ziyu ate very quickly during the meal, and at the end he almost forced himself to stuff the pasta into his mouth.

After finally finishing my meal, my stomach started to feel a little uncomfortable.

"I drove here, I'll take you home in a bit," Shen Murou said.

"No need, Auntie, I've already booked a car in advance," He Ziyu refused decisively.

He didn't want to sit in Shen Murou's car and listen to her long-winded rant. More importantly, he wasn't in a good mood right now and wasn't calm enough. He might accidentally slip up with something.

On his way home, He Ziyu clutched his phone, hesitating whether to ask Jiang Chengyu about "Ruoruo".

He wanted to help Jiang Chengyu share the burden, even if it meant acting as a dumping ground for his negative emotions.

But after thinking it over, I decided to give up.

He had promised Jiang's mother not to tell anyone about what happened today. If he asked Jiang Chengyu about it at this critical juncture, it would definitely escalate the conflict between the mother and son, and Jiang's mother would also question his integrity...

He Ziyu returned home with these random thoughts in mind.

Pushing open the door, He Ziyu wearily changed into slippers in the entryway and walked heavily into the living room.

Just as he was about to go upstairs, his mother came out of the study and called to him.

"Ah Yu is back? Then our family meeting can begin."

"A family meeting?" He Ziyu was completely confused.

Zhou Ying held a blueprint in her hand and pulled him to the dining table. A little while later, He Lianghan and He Ningqiu also arrived.

Once everyone was seated, Zhou Ying placed the blueprints on the table.

He Ziyu glanced at it; it was the floor plan of the house.

"I have some good news to announce. We've bought the house that your Uncle Zhao owned, and we'll be moving in in a few days."

"You bought it?" He Ziyu, who had been a little down, immediately became excited when he heard that he was moving.

Moving means he can become Yu-ge's neighbor, right?

When they see each other every day, communicating will be incredibly easy...

He Lianghan: "Why are you so excited just like your mother when you hear we're moving? Is there anything wrong with the house we live in now?"

"It's not bad, it's just that I've lived here for a long time and want a change of scenery," He Ziyu said. "Besides, Jiang Chengyu lives in that neighborhood, so it's convenient to get him to tutor me."

"It's more than just in the same neighborhood!" He Lianghan laughed. "Isn't it a coincidence that your Uncle Zhao's apartment is right next to the Jiang family's?"

He Ziyu put on a surprised expression, trying to make himself look like he had just found out about it.

"What a coincidence! That's great! I can learn from Brother Yu every day from now on."

He Ningqiu, who was standing next to He Ziyu, sneered inwardly when she heard what He Ziyu said.

Forget about studying, they're just using this as an excuse to flirt. Once I move in, I'll definitely find a chance to catch them cheating.

"This is the floor plan of the house. Please choose the room you want to stay in first, and then pack your things as soon as possible in the next few days..."

Zhou Ying seemed quite excited. After assigning the rooms, she took out the almanac and picked a suitable time to move.

Luckily, it happened to be a weekend, so they were able to help out.

"That concludes today's meeting. Everyone, meeting adjourned. Remember to pack your things when you get home."

After Zhou Ying finished speaking, everyone went about their own business.

He Ziyu returned to his room and couldn't wait to start packing his things.

This sorting went on until well past midnight.

Looking around the bedroom, which he had messed up a bit, He Ziyu sat on the floor with his back against the edge of the bed, fantasizing about the life ahead.

In any case, everything is moving in a positive direction. As for those external obstacles, he has the confidence, and must have the confidence, to overcome them.

"Gurgle..."

A voice suddenly rang out in the quiet room.

It's my stomach protesting.

I didn't eat enough at Jiang's mother's place tonight, and I'm still hungry.

He Ziyu swallowed hard, stood up, and prepared to go to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Everyone in the family was asleep at this time, and the whole house was quiet. He Ziyu tiptoed to the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboard to find a packet of instant noodles.

Boil water, cook noodles, poach eggs—all in one go.

Just as He Ziyu was about to grab the pot of noodles and eat it right there...

"elder brother."

He Ziyu turned around and saw He Ningqiu standing behind him in her pajamas.

"It's so late, aren't you asleep yet, bro?"

"I can't sleep."

After finishing his perfunctory reply, He Ziyu turned his head back to He Ningqiu and began slurping his noodles.

He Ningqiu bit her lip and went to the side to pour herself a glass of water.

He also had some trouble sleeping tonight, mainly because of the moving.

The thought that after moving, He Ziyu and Jiang Chengyu could be even more naturally "lovey-dovey" together made him restless.

After finishing a glass of water, my thirst was relieved, but my depressed mood remained.

Watching He Ziyu's retreating figure, He Ningqiu couldn't help but move her lips and ask, "After we move, can I go with you to get tutoring from Brother Yu?"

He Ziyu stopped eating his noodles, then turned around and gave a contemptuous smile.

"He Ningqiu, who gave you the courage to ask me such a brain-dead question?"