Yan Yixuan slowly furrowed his brows and then asked in a deliberate tone, “What did you say?”
Ji Ling laughed wholeheartedly.
The expression on Yan Yixuan’s face was identical to the one he had seen on his secretary, Zong Jiqi, and Zhong Mingwei just a few days ago.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction as he saw them all struck speechless, as if hit by lightning.
But Yan Yixuan was a bit different. For him, Zong Bolin felt like a total stranger, which only added to his confusion.
Though Ji Ling was smiling, he was serious as he said, “What I mean is, I want to develop a special relationship with you.”
He had already been straightforward enough—any fool would understand by now.
Yan Yixuan snapped out of his confusion, letting out a small laugh. “But we’re not even friends.” If he didn’t know Zong Bolin, he’d probably think the person across from him had gone crazy.
And if it wasn’t because he knew Zong Bolin, Yan Yixuan would have just walked away from such an almost intrusive comment.
Ji Ling waved his hand dismissively and said, “That doesn’t matter. Just think of it this way…” He looked at Yan Yixuan and said, “Just think of it as me falling head over heels for you at first sight.”
What does ‘think of it this way’ even mean? It sounded kind of dismissive, but Ji Ling’s eyes were so sincere. Yan Yixuan frowned and asked, “Is this… some new popular game?”
Ji Ling couldn’t stop laughing. “You think I couldn’t possibly like you? Young Master Yan, don’t you have any confidence in yourself?”
Yan Yixuan immediately retorted, “How could that be?”
Still acting like the young master, Ji Ling straightened up on the sofa in the booth and leaned closer to Yan Yixuan. “Isn’t it said that Young Master Yan is the most romantic? Why are you still so guarded against me?”
Yan Yixuan replied, “You’re different.”
Ji Ling asked with a knowing smile, “Different how? Not the type you can play with?” His gaze never left Yan Yixuan, and he continued, “I’m pretty confident about myself too, so how about this? Let’s make a bet.”
Yan Yixuan raised an eyebrow.
Ji Ling knew exactly how to pique Yan Yixuan’s interest. Half of their conversations were just playful banter, and both enjoyed it as a kind of fun challenge, always knowing just what to say to make the other smile.
Now, looking at Yan Yixuan—who was still keeping his guard up—Ji Ling was confident that in time, he would open up.
Ji Ling said, “Let’s bet on whether or not you’ll fall for me.”
Yan Yixuan curled his lips into a slight smile and replied, “Why would I bet with you? What’s in it for me?”
Ji Ling smiled and said, “Just think of it as playing a love game.”
Yan Yixuan sized Ji Ling up from top to bottom and said, “Mr. Zong, today you’ve really opened my eyes. I never thought you’d be this kind of person.”
Ji Ling replied, “You think I’m quite interesting, don’t you?”
Yan Yixuan narrowed his eyes and said, “I admit that, so… should I say I’ll just wait and see? Let’s see what tricks Mr. Zong has up his sleeve to win the bet.”
Ji Ling’s smile deepened.
He knew Yan Yixuan would habitually give in.
Got him! The young master has taken the bait.
Ji Ling thought, even though he had changed many things since his rebirth, he had realized that if he didn’t intervene, things that were meant to happen would still happen.
For example, even though Yan Yixuan no longer had any interactions with the real Ji Ling, he would still go to the hospital.
So, everything was easy now. Ji Ling knew exactly when and where Yan Yixuan would appear.
The first scene was at the horse racing track in S City.
Ji Ling remembered that time when Yan Yixuan had taken him to show off in front of Yan Yili. Looking back, it really felt childish.
This time, Ji Ling arrived early and went straight to the stables to check out the horses that were originally going to be sold to Yan Yixuan.
When Yan Yixuan arrived, he saw Ji Ling standing tall and elegant, interacting with the horses. His eyes widened in shock.
The horse manager was guiding Ji Ling, who was trying to connect with the horses. He was tall, with a calm smile on his face, standing before the tall, strong horses without seeming out of place. In fact, the combination of the handsome horse and the handsome man made the scene feel like a painting.
Yan Yixuan was stunned by this image. He forgot about formalities and directly asked, “What are you doing here?”
Yan Yixuan was completely baffled. He had come here because of Yan Yili, but very few people knew about Yan Yili’s connection to the stables.
Seeing Yan Yixuan’s dazed expression, Ji Ling almost wanted to pull him into a hug and kiss him. He said, “Don’t you know why I’m here?”
Yan Yixuan looked at him strangely.
Ji Ling leaned closer and whispered, “I’m here to help you save face.”
As expected, not long after, Yan Yili arrived.
Since Yan Yili had left the Yan family and gone to the UK, Ji Ling hadn’t seen him again. Seeing him now brought some nostalgia.
Naturally, Yan Yili saw Ji Ling as well. Ji Ling remembered that the first time they met, Yan Yili had looked at him with disdain and indifference. But now, facing the well-dressed Zong Bolin, Yan Yili was confused but didn’t dare show disrespect.
But Yan Yili didn’t recognize Zong Bolin. He only felt that Zong’s face looked familiar but couldn’t place who he was.
Yan Yixuan didn’t introduce him either, so Yan Yili spoke up and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Yan Yixuan replied, “We both share the same surname, Yan. Why should it only be you who can come, and not me?”
And so, the cold sarcasm between the two brothers of the Yan family began again.
Looking back at this scene now, Ji Ling found it amusing. He jumped in and said, “This is another son of the Yan family, right? Hello, I’m a friend of Yan Yixuan, I’m Zong Bolin.”
Seeing Ji Ling take the initiative to call himself a friend, Yan Yixuan didn’t expose him. He just glanced at him.
As for Yan Yili, he was completely shocked. He couldn’t understand why a local tycoon from N City would show up here, and moreover, act as if he was very familiar with Yan Yixuan.
Yan Yili looked at the two standing together and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Yan Yili.”
And so, this became Ji Ling’s stage.
Originally, Yan Yixuan had come to buy horses, but now it turned into Ji Ling coming to see the horses.
Ji Ling had been sent by Yan Yixuan to raise horses in the past and had even practiced horseback riding for a period of time. He knew quite a lot about horses, and to his surprise, he was able to chat with the horse manager.
From time to time, he would say to Yan Yixuan, “The horse farm your family invested in is really quite good.” He praised Yan Yixuan generously, treating him like the head of the household.
Yan Yili was just a supporting character in the background. However, he didn’t want to disrespect the Zong family, so he stayed around to accompany them, nodding along. Upon hearing that Yan Yixuan had come here to buy horses, he couldn’t help but sarcastically say, “I hope you’ll be consistent with the horses, unlike how you treat your lovers, switching them out one after another.”
Before Yan Yixuan could respond, Ji Ling jumped in, “Is it a family trait of the Yan family to publicly criticize each other’s lifestyle?” He looked at Yan Yixuan with a smile and said, “Could it be that Yan Yixuan treats his lovers so poorly that Mr. Yan Yili has complaints?”
Yan Yixuan retorted, “How could that be? I’m very gentle.”
Ji Ling turned to Yan Yili and said, “That’s more like it. We’re not horses—how would we know whether they’re happily following Yan Yixuan or not?”
Ji Ling was subtly criticizing Yan Yili for his lack of manners.
Yan Yili, who was usually arrogant and high-minded, was now being put in his place by Ji Ling, and obviously, he wasn’t happy. He said, “I didn’t expect Mr. Zong to have such a good relationship with Yan Yixuan.”
Ji Ling smiled politely and said, “I really admire Yan Yixuan’s principles in handling people and things.” He added, “So, we’re not just friends. In the future, we might even become business partners.”
Hearing this, both Yan Yili and Yan Yixuan were somewhat surprised. Yan Yili realized that Zong Bolin was now part of Yan Yixuan’s resources, so he figured staying here would only make things awkward. So after giving Yan Yixuan a quick glance, he left in a hurry.
Once Yan Yili was gone, Yan Yixuan asked, “Why didn’t I hear about us cooperating?”
Ji Ling laughed, “Just trying to scare him a bit. I’m backing you up, giving you some face. Doesn’t it feel good?”
Yan Yixuan also laughed, “Do you think this is a fight? The more people, the stronger the power.”
Ji Ling knew he was in a good mood and said, “Yan Yixuan, why don’t you give me this horse instead?”
Yan Yixuan asked, “Why? Didn’t you just say you wanted to ask the horse if it wants to follow me?”
Ji Ling laughed, “Come on, my dear lord, we all know the truth. You have no interest in horses at all.” After buying the horse, Yan Yixuan never came to check on it once.
The words ‘my dear lord’ made Yan Yixuan’s thoughts stir. He said to Ji Ling, “You’re such an interesting person. Why is it that we haven’t met many times, but it feels like we’re so familiar with each other?” In just a few words, they could completely throw aside business etiquette and joke with each other.
Ji Ling gently replied, “I guess this is what they call meeting like old friends.”
Yan Yixuan thought carefully for a moment, then said, “No, it’s because you’ve figured out my words and actions so clearly. That’s why every time you respond, I feel so comfortable.”
Ji Ling praised him, “You’re still so smart, young master. As for why I do this, do you remember our bet?”
Yan Yixuan gazed at him deeply.
Seeing the focused look on Yan Yixuan’s face, Ji Ling couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch him. But he held back and said, “Why don’t you take me for a walk?”
They strolled around the horse farm, chatting leisurely, just like old friends.
Ji Ling remembered the first time he came here. On his way back, because he had touched Yan Yixuan’s sore spot, he was kicked off the car.
Back then, he was in a completely unfamiliar place, just out of the hospital, penniless, and the farm was on the outskirts of the city. It took him a great deal of effort to make it back to the city center. The difficulty of that experience was something he, used to wealth, never would have imagined.
Now, looking back on it, he couldn’t help but feel a little bittersweet, and somewhat amused.
Ji Ling unconsciously smiled, and Yan Yixuan glanced at him, asking, “What are you laughing at?”
Unfortunately, these memories could no longer be shared with the people around him.
Ji Ling stared at him and said, “Just thinking about the past, I miss it a little.”
If Ji Ling hadn’t interfered, things in this timeline would have unfolded exactly as before.
He never borrowed money from Yan Yixuan to start his company, but at the right time, he still went to a bar and managed to ‘accidentally’ meet Yan Yixuan for a drink.
Then, just by timing it right and calling Yan Yixuan, he would find him having fun with friends, but like before, he would ditch his friends, get into his flashy sports car, and come to find Ji Ling.
In the end, Yan Yixuan would even hand over the car keys to Ji Ling, trusting him to drive it back to the hotel.
That charity gala was also held as scheduled. This time, Ji Ling didn’t receive an invitation from Yan Yixuan. Instead, he welcomed Yan Yixuan as the host in N City.
At this gala, Zong Jiqi was no longer down due to his brother’s death. By now, his studies had gone well, and he was returning to the company to build his skills, becoming more positive overall.
Meanwhile Zhong Mingwei, having broken off relations with Ji Ling, acted distant and unwilling to approach the Zong brothers. She stayed by herself, drinking alone.
Luo Tao and Shen Dongqing also arrived, but this time, Ji Ling didn’t have the opportunity to get close to them. They both acted distant and polite.
Ji Ling looked at the unfamiliar Luo Tao and found himself missing his jokes, always spouting nonsense.
Ji Ling felt a little confused. Each of these familiar people seemed a bit different from before, yet still the same.
During this time, he often experienced a sense of temporal disorientation. Some things, when he thought about them carefully, left him feeling lost. He restrained himself from overthinking it.
Ji Ling and Yan Yixuan sat together in a corner of the banquet, drinking.
Ji Ling tried to tell Yan Yixuan the king’s story again. Yan Yixuan’s answer remained the same: what’s his is his, and he would never give up the throne.
His words hinted that, in the future, he would still fight to the death with Yan Yili.
But this time, Ji Ling was certain that he would step in to help. With the Zong family’s financial backing, if they teamed up, even ten Yan Yilis wouldn’t be a match.
Things seemed to be moving in a simplified direction. Ji Ling and Yan Yixuan were becoming more and more familiar, at least to the point of being friends.
They had been through so much together, and Ji Ling could easily replicate their past experiences. However, this time, there was no ‘kept relationship’ between them, so their interactions were purely platonic.
If it were the previous timeline, by this point, they would have kissed several times, spent nights together, and even touched each other.
It felt a bit regrettable.
The charity banquet was always designed to create a positive, uplifting atmosphere, and the stars began to perform. However, the two sitting in the corner had no interest in the performance.
Ji Ling looked directly at Yan Yixuan and said, “How do you think our bet is progressing?”
Yan Yixuan smiled while drinking, “We’re still far from victory.”
Ji Ling thought to himself, Not far now.
Following the previous timeline’s development, Boss Ji, who had formed a connection with Luo Tao, was about to begin promoting his first movie.
Then, he would book an entire theater for Yan Yixuan.
At this moment, Ji Ling smiled as he looked at Yan Yixuan. Yan Yixuan, feeling uneasy under his gaze, said, “Your stare is kind of scary.”
In the corner, Ji Ling quickly took Yan Yixuan’s hand and kissed it. Yan Yixuan was surprised but didn’t react, though something flickered in his eyes.
Ji Ling said, “We will win. In the end, we will both win.”
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)
