Ji Ling stood in front of the lawn, watching Zong Jiqi, who was dressed in his doctoral robe. His heart swelled with both pride and regret.
He had once missed out on his brother’s most glorious and beautiful moment in life, but thankfully, today he could make up for it.
At this moment, Zong Jiqi had not yet become the smooth and polished businessman he would later be. He still carried the academic air of a scholar, with a soft and gentle smile on his face as he spoke with his classmates.
It was remarkable how circumstances could change a person so much. After taking over the Zong family business, even after they reconciled, Zong Jiqi never returned to the carefree days of being a student.
Ji Ling admitted that it was his doing.
The car accident he had caused delivered a blow to Zong Jiqi, and then he left the mess for his younger brother to clean up, pushing him to grow up with a sense of urgency and harshness.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but think, how petty he had been, always being wary of Zong Jiqi.
After finishing his conversation with his classmates, Zong Jiqi walked over to him.
“Big brother, how long are you planning to stay this time?” The two brothers strolled along the edge of the lawn, and Zong Jiqi asked.
Clearly, there was still so much that awaited Ji Ling, and he replied, “I can’t stay for long, I need to go back to the country soon.”
Zong Jiqi sighed, “Yeah, you’re always so busy.”
Ji Ling patted his brother’s shoulder and said, “This time, it’s really an urgent matter.” He had to hurry back to chase his wife.
But Zong Jiqi still looked unconvinced, saying, “For you, work is always the most urgent thing.”
He rarely complained, and after saying that, he frowned slightly as if regretting his words. He quickly added, “It’s fine. You go ahead, I’ll take care of things and head back to the country as well.”
Seeing how considerate and mature his brother was, Ji Ling suddenly had a thought. He asked, “I’ve never really asked you about your plans after graduation.”
Zong Jiqi replied, “I want to continue my studies, then go to a research institution to continue my research.”
Ji Ling paused for a moment before smiling and asking, “Don’t you plan on coming back to work for the family business?”
Zong Jiqi froze for a second.
He had always avoided discussing anything related to the company with his brother, fearing being misunderstood and trying to keep a low profile. But now, his brother had brought it up himself.
It really… felt so strange.
Ji Ling went on, explaining, “If you’re interested in managing the company, you can totally get involved.” He smiled at his brother and added, “Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about business. I can teach you.”
Zong Jiqi found it almost unbelievable. He was so stunned that his words came out in a jumble: “W-why are you saying this all of a sudden?”
Ji Ling couldn’t help but wonder just how much of an impact he had made on his brother in the past, to leave him so bewildered like this.
Ji Ling calmly said, “I’m serious. Everyone’s going down the path of innovation now. If the company sets up a research and development center overseas, it would be a good move. You could try managing that aspect. If you’re willing, we can start with research and take it step by step.”
He looked at his brother’s still shocked face and added, “Your future is in your hands. You can really think over what I’ve said. Of course, if you want to stay focused on academics, I won’t stop you.”
Zong Jiqi finally calmed down, looking at his brother with a surge of unexplainable gratitude in his eyes. He said, “I’ll think about it carefully.”
After a moment, his emotions got the best of him, and he said to Ji Ling, “Thank you, big brother.”
After attending Zong Jiqi’s graduation ceremony, Ji Ling returned to the country.
At one point, he even considered going straight to S City—but once again, he held himself back.
After all, the debts he owed were still too many, and before meeting Yan Yixuan, he had to settle them all one by one.
He first returned to N City and went to find Zhong Mingwei.
Zhong Mingwei greeted him with a bright, charming smile and asked, “How was your academic trip to the United States?”
Ji Ling saw her joking around, feeling guilty in his heart, but there were things that needed to be said clearly.
He decided to be upfront with Zhong Mingwei and told her that he wanted to end their relationship.
Zhong Mingwei froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, smiling and asking, “Is there something wrong with me, Bolin?”
Ji Ling momentarily dazed, as she was the only person who called him by his name.
Ji Ling knew she was putting on an act, likely feeling upset inside.
He replied, “You’re great, there’s nothing wrong with you.”
It’s just that you’re not the right one.
Zhong Mingwei, being as intelligent as she was, immediately understood. Despite her understanding, she kept her graceful demeanor and pride intact, saying, “Well, my breakup fee won’t be cheap, you know.”
She said it casually, as though they were parting on good terms. Ji Ling, of course, agreed to whatever request she made.
The whole thing was resolved much faster than Ji Ling had anticipated, leaving him feeling a little unsettled.
Had he not known what was on Zhong Mingwei’s mind, he might have been deceived.
But even though he knew, he had to pretend to be oblivious, thinking that it would be better for both of them that way.
This time, with the rebirth, it was clear that there was no way he could continue being friends with Zhong Mingwei.
With the necessary people seen and the matters that needed handling taken care of, Ji Ling finally set off for S City.
He didn’t go directly to meet Yan Yixuan; instead, he first visited the one lying in the hospital bed, the person in question.
Because of the prolonged lack of oxygen to the brain, the real Ji Ling had yet to wake up. His medical and care fees were entirely covered by the Zong family, and he was now safely residing in the hospital.
Ji Ling had obtained visiting permission and stood by the bed.
The curtains in the hospital room were half drawn, so the light was dim. Ji Ling looked at the person lying quietly there. His face was handsome, with delicate features, even youthful.
The emotions he felt were hard to describe—familiar yet strange.
This was a body he had once occupied. After all these years, he had grown accustomed to the face, and had even completely accepted the name as his own.
Sometimes, he wondered who he truly was—Ji Ling or Zong Bolin.
He couldn’t help but lean forward, bending down to closely examine the young face, wondering what he would say if those eyes suddenly opened.
“What are you doing?”
Ji Ling had gotten so close that he was almost leaning on the bed. Unexpectedly, someone spoke from behind, causing him to stand up straight immediately.
He turned around and saw Yan Yixuan standing in the doorway, looking at him with confusion.
Ji Ling hadn’t expected Yan Yixuan to be here.
According to the previous timeline, Yan Yixuan would indeed personally come to the hospital to see his young lover, and they would share their first kiss here…
But this time, there was no longer any relationship of keeping a lover. Why was he still here?
Could it be that he was once again interested in the young man’s looks?
Ji Ling’s temper flared at the thought. He slowly walked toward Yan Yixuan.
Yan Yixuan obviously recognized him, but his confusion didn’t fade. He said, “Mr. Zong Bolin? How come you’re here?”
Ji Ling looked deeply at Yan Yixuan as he stopped in front of him. He suddenly smiled and said, “This is the first time I’m seeing you from this angle.”
Because Ji Ling had deliberately closed the distance between them, the two were standing so close that they were almost touching. Yan Yixuan had to slightly lift his head to meet Ji Ling’s gaze.
Yan Yixuan was actually quite tall, but Zong Bolin, who was from the northern region, was still a little taller than him.
Ji Ling smiled inwardly. It was such a different feeling to meet Yan Yixuan while in his original body. In the past, when they were close, he could only barely meet Yan Yixuan’s gaze, but now he had to look slightly down at him. This subtle angle made it feel as though with just a slight movement, this person would fall right into his arms.
Yan Yixuan felt a strange sense of danger and instinctively took a step back, saying, “I heard that Mr. Zong is covering the medical expenses?”
Yan Yixuan scrutinized Ji Ling, suddenly realizing, “So it was you who called me that day.”
Ji Ling’s gaze remained fixed on Yan Yixuan, unwilling to look away for even a moment. He smiled and asked, “So, Mr. Yan, what brings you here?”
Yan Yixuan maintained his aloof attitude and answered politely, “Since Mr. Zong has arranged everything, I didn’t want to interfere. However, something about the whole situation seemed strange, so I came to take a look. I didn’t expect to run into you.”
Ji Ling continued smiling, his smile full of ambiguity and meaning. He said, “Don’t disturb the patient here. How about we find somewhere more suitable to have a proper chat?”
Yan Yixuan paused for a moment, considering. After a while, he also smiled and accepted Ji Ling’s invitation, trying to take the lead by saying, “Sure, let me play the gracious host.”
However, Ji Ling didn’t need Yan Yixuan to lead the way. He was very familiar with S City and even invited Yan Yixuan to get into his car, then drove him back to the hotel where he was staying.
It turned out to be a hotel under the Yan family’s name.
Yan Yixuan was in shock as they drove around, only to end up at his family’s hotel.
Ji Ling said, “I like the rooms here.” He smiled and winked at Yan Yixuan. “And I also like the bar here.”
As they sat down, Ji Ling’s every move was smooth and natural. Although it was Yan’s family’s territory, he acted as if it were his own home.
He often came here to drink with Yan Yixuan.
When they drank too much, they didn’t return to Jin Garden but went upstairs to the suite, took a shower, and then rolled around in bed.
The suite’s living room had floor-to-ceiling windows with a full view of the city. Ji Ling had once pinned Yan Yixuan to the glass window, watching the city’s nightscape while they were intimate. It was an unforgettable experience.
That was why Ji Ling really liked this place.
Unfortunately, Yan Yixuan didn’t know any of this now.
The two of them sat face-to-face, with Yan Yixuan continually observing Ji Ling with a probing gaze. Ji Ling lowered his head and smiled, then took the initiative to speak, “Mr. Yan, you’ve been sizing me up all along. Have you noticed anything?”
Yan Yixuan thought for a moment and said, “Mr. Zong… you’re a bit different from before.”
They had interacted before, but was the Zong Bolin back then the same as the one now?
Ji Ling raised an eyebrow and asked meaningfully, “In what way is it different? Do you think I’ve become better, or worse?”
His tone had become somewhat bold and intimate, even a little flirtatious. However, his attitude was open and suave, exuding a mature charm that made his teasing feel entirely natural.
Yan Yixuan chuckled, stroking his chin, and said, “Mr. Zong… you’ve become interesting.”
Yan Yixuan, now intrigued, continued, “So, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on? Why did you call me that day, and what is your relationship with the young man in the hospital?”
How could Ji Ling answer this?
He thought to himself—should he tell Yan Yixuan that he had been reborn twice?
He looked at Yan Yixuan.
The once-familiar lover was now a stranger to him. He wanted to restore their relationship, but how could he make Yan Yixuan fall in love with him again?
“I have some connections with the young man at the hospital. It was purely by coincidence that I contacted you that day, but I came to S City this time specifically to see you.” Ji Ling knew that these words would be hard for Yan Yixuan to believe, but it didn’t matter.
As long as something more shocking caught a person’s attention, they would temporarily forget about the other inconsistencies.
They had once gone through the process of understanding each other, experiencing many things before finally coming together.
This time, Ji Ling felt there was no need for further testing or ambiguity. He decided to be direct.
He looked straight into Yan Yixuan’s eyes and sincerely said, “I came here because I want to see you. I have feelings for you.”
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)
damn, he really act fast to get his wife. go get him