“Boss, boss? Chairman!”
Ji Ling suddenly opened his eyes.
He was still a little confused, not quite sure of the situation. The feeling of being abruptly awakened left him irritated, but his attention was immediately drawn to his current surroundings.
He should have been lying in the large bed at Jin Garden, peacefully sleeping alongside Yan Yixuan. But in the midst of his sleep, he felt someone calling him. He opened his eyes, only to find himself inside a car.
The car was speeding down the road, the outside pitch black and rain pouring heavily. The rain battered against the car, making a loud noise. The windows were drowned in sheets of rain, and the wipers worked hard, trying to clear a small view.
Ji Ling stared, eyes wide with disbelief. This scene… it felt so familiar!
He was sitting in the back seat, looking toward the driver’s seat, where his former secretary was sitting.
“I thought you were asleep,” the secretary said, pausing for a moment before continuing, “This is the first time the boss is going to America without setting a return date.”
The words sounded a little familiar, but Ji Ling’s attention was distracted by his own body.
He raised his hand, noticing the cuff of his shirt peeking out from under his jacket, gold-threaded edges, and square, dignified cufflinks.
He closed his fingers, his hand well-defined, with large palms, quite different from his usual fair, slender hands.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, the secretary continued, “Anyway, the boss must have already made arrangements. You’re just like this—you can’t stand it when others don’t follow your plans. Do you know that you’re actually a control freak?”
Ji Ling seemed to ignore him and turned his head instead.
Outside, it was a dark, rainy night, and the streetlights seemed to be extinguished by the rain, casting faint light. Inside the car, the lights illuminated the windows, creating a mirrored effect on the glass.
Ji Ling gazed at the reflection of his face in the window. The lines were sharp, the features three-dimensional—a typical northern appearance, completely different from the refined, handsome face he was used to seeing in the mirror.
Ji Ling realized something, and it shocked him.
“…Men like you are incredibly attractive. It’s hard not to fall for you when you’re around… You treat love games as a pastime, not knowing the sincerity of others.”
The secretary continued speaking, his words more scattered, his emotions gradually becoming unhinged.
Ji Ling suddenly spoke, cutting him off.
“I know.”
The secretary froze.
Ji Ling continued, “I know what sincerity is.”
The secretary seemed a bit dazed, but he still responded, “You’re trying to take control again. I’m not one of your temporary lovers. I’ve been by your side for so long, I know you. Once you get the upper hand, you start brushing me off.”
Ji Ling said earnestly, “I don’t brush you off. You know who I am, I never brush anyone off.”
The secretary seemed caught off guard by his words, and for a moment, he was left confused.
Ji Ling continued, “I also understand your feelings. I’ll give you an answer, but I will do so cautiously. But for now, please listen to me—slow down, pull onto the service road, and find an exit to stop.”
The secretary slowly steered the car onto the service road. Ji Ling kept directing and soothing him, “I’ll listen to everything you’ve said, but for now, keep the steering steady.”
Almost at the same time, a car with high beams came speeding toward them, blinding the secretary’s vision. But since they had already left the main road, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and steadied the vehicle.
When the car came to a stop, Ji Ling let out a deep sigh.
He certainly didn’t want to go through another car crash.
The secretary stopped the car and turned his head, calling out, “Mr. Zong.”
That one word made Ji Ling truly realize…
He was back. He had returned to that day—the day of the car accident—years ago, once again becoming Zong Bolin.
Ji Ling and the secretary switched places, with Ji Ling now in the driver’s seat.
The secretary, who had been brimming with confidence, now found himself deflated under Ji Ling’s pressure.
Ji Ling, too, was in a state of confusion. Everything had happened so suddenly. All he could focus on was preventing another car crash, leaving everything else to be dealt with later.
He drove the secretary home, and when they parted ways, the secretary, looking weary, muttered, “Do I not have to go to work tomorrow?”
Ji Ling looked at him and replied, “No, you still have to go. That’s your job. As for what’s between us, I said I’d give you an answer, but not right now. Right now, you need to rest.”
After convincing the secretary to leave, Ji Ling’s emotions were in turmoil. Without a second thought, he grabbed his phone and dialed Yan Yixuan.
After a few rings, Yan Yixuan picked up. The noise on his end was chaotic.
Ji Ling shouted, “Yan Yixuan!”
Yan Yixuan, sounding puzzled, asked, “Who is this?”
Ji Ling cautiously asked, “Ji Ling, do you remember?”
Yan Yixuan paused, seemingly thinking, before replying, “Who exactly are you? How did you get this number?”
Yan Yixuan’s private number was only known to those close to him.
Ji Ling sat in the car, closing his eyes.
It really felt like time had returned to before Yan Yixuan had found him—before Yan Yixuan even knew who he was.
In the blink of an eye, Ji Ling didn’t have time to feel heartbroken, but then suddenly realized a serious issue.
He quickly said to Yan Yixuan, “Young Master Yan, please go save someone named Ji Ling. He’s at the club you’re at. If it’s too late, he’ll be gone!”
Yan Yixuan seemed to still be uncertain, but he took action. He called a waiter to check on things, then stood up.
Ji Ling heard him walk outside. The noise outside was chaotic, a mix of voices and music. Someone shouted a few things, and their call was interrupted in the confusion.
Ji Ling didn’t dial back. The rain was still pouring outside. His thoughts were scattered. In his memory, he already existed as Ji Ling at this very moment, but suddenly, he was thrown back into the timeline of Zong Bolin.
For a moment, he had no idea where to go.
Ji Ling drove back home.
His home in N City.
He remembered that just last month, he had come back here and had dinner with Zong Jiqi. After they recognized each other, Zong Jiqi was completely different, clinging to him, often meeting with him.
But for him, last month’s events were actually in the future, compared to his current timeline.
The logic and time relations made Ji Ling feel as if he couldn’t think about it too much, or he’d go crazy.
The rain was still falling outside, and the weather wasn’t great. It was already late at night, and Ji Ling had hardly slept at all.
His mood now was just as chaotic and confused as when he had gotten into the car accident and realized he had become someone else.
He carefully reviewed everything that had happened, realizing there was too much to do.
As soon as the sun rose the next day, Ji Ling got up.
He looked at himself in the mirror—familiar yet strange.
If he remembered correctly, today he was supposed to attend a board meeting and then go to the U.S. for Zong Jiqi’s graduation ceremony.
Ji Ling was driven to the company headquarters. Stepping into the office felt like he had crossed into another world.
He took the elevator to the executive floor. As he walked toward his office, everyone who saw him greeted him respectfully.
“Good morning, Chairman.”
Ji Ling couldn’t help but recall another group of employees who would also greet him with energy in the morning.
“Good morning, Boss.”
Ji Ling entered the office. The chairman’s office of the Zong family was just as impressive, but it followed the Zong family’s usual pragmatic style and didn’t have as many design elements as Yan Yixuan’s office.
There were no panoramic windows framing the coastline either.
Ji Ling sat behind the desk, feeling very strange, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
He called in his assistant and immediately canceled the upcoming meeting, asking the assistant to attend in his place.
The assistant looked surprised; the chairman rarely made such last-minute changes.
But Ji Ling, in his current state, was acting impulsively. He wanted to fly to S City to see Yan Yixuan immediately.
However, he couldn’t miss his brother’s graduation ceremony either.
He hadn’t been able to attend last time, but this time, for Zong Jiqi’s important moment in life, he had to be there.
So, he had no choice but to cancel the meeting. There were still a few hours before he would leave for the U.S.
He arranged for someone to gather information on the real Ji Ling’s situation in S City. It was reported that Yan Yixuan had arrived just a bit too late the previous night, but not by much. The young man had been strangled almost to death and was sent to the hospital, still unconscious.
Ji Ling felt both frustrated and relieved.
At least the person was still alive.
This time, there wouldn’t be any complicated romantic entanglements, but it would follow the course of a case of assault. A person with no background like the young man would likely get no compensation and would soon be forgotten.
Ji Ling, of course, made sure everything was taken care of. He covered all the medical expenses and arranged for a lawyer to protect his rights.
All of this relied on the Zong family’s resources.
Ji Ling pushed aside the odd feelings rising in him and summoned his private secretary into the office.
The secretary seemed to have done some thinking overnight and appeared much calmer when he entered.
Ji Ling looked at his eyes and said, “I can’t return your affections.”
The secretary wanted to argue, but Ji Ling spoke first.
“It’s not for any other reason. It’s just that I already have someone I want to be with for the rest of my life, so I can’t divide my attention and give it to anyone else.”
The secretary was stunned. He never expected the prideful and seemingly indifferent chairman to speak of ‘spending a lifetime together’ in such a way.
He thought for a while and, puzzled, asked, “Is it Miss Zhong?”
Ji Ling froze for a moment, then helplessly rubbed his forehead.
Oh no, Zhong Mingwei…
Why are there so many people and things to deal with?
This was truly his karma.
Ji Ling took a deep breath and said, “It’s not her, and I’ll make it clear with her as well.”
The secretary instantly displayed a complex expression.
But things turned out completely differently than he expected. Yesterday, the atmosphere had made him act impulsively, and he had thought he would be fired. But instead, his boss calmly communicated with him, which really surprised him.
His boss didn’t seem to realize that this would make him even more interested.
But from the very beginning, he had known he had no chance.
The secretary ultimately accepted the reality and requested a transfer. Ji Ling agreed.
Once the secretary left, Ji Ling checked the time. There was no time to meet anyone now.
He suppressed the impulse to immediately head to S City, stood up, and left for the airport.
By the time the sky brightened, the rain had stopped. It was a perfect moment for the clouds to clear, and international flights gradually resumed normal operation.
Last night, Ji Ling had just been dining normally at Jin Garden, casually bickering with Yan Yixuan. Now, he was on his way to the U.S. to see his brother.
As he waited at the airport, Ji Ling thought to himself: “Is Heaven messing with me?”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
Is this dream or he really went back in time ? Thanks for the update .