Victory, in the end, wasn’t much more than Ji Ling using his memories from his past life to steer things in the direction he hoped for.
His younger brother had been brought back under his wing, though he couldn’t quite become friends with Luo Tao, their relationship remained unchanged.
In terms of his career, company management could now continue according to his vision. He even knew the future market trends, allowing him to stay ahead in many areas.
However, when it came to the cultural industry, he didn’t start from the bottom again. Those days—when he had no money, no connections, and had to handle everything himself—felt like they belonged to another life. Now, he didn’t have to worry about promoting a small film anymore; he had enough capital to seize the right opportunity and jump straight in.
Everything was going so smoothly.
The only challenge in his life seemed to be Yan Yixuan.
But he understood Yan Yixuan so well, almost like breathing. After all, he had been through so much with Yan Yixuan.
At first, they clashed due to their different stances. It took Ji Ling a lot of effort to get Yan Yixuan to truly face him. In the beginning, Ji Ling just felt frustrated and unwilling to accept it, but as he spent more time with Yan Yixuan, he slowly fell into it himself.
Then came that ambiguous time, where both of them tried to figure out where they stood with each other, but the body, as always, was far more honest than the heart…
Every time Ji Ling thought about how Yan Yixuan resisted at first, he couldn’t help but smile. God knows, he spent so much time coaxing Yan Yixuan before he finally accepted him.
Silly Young Master Yan didn’t know that once he accepted it, he’d never be able to turn back.
Later, because of the Yan family situation, they gradually began to trust each other. By the time Ji Ling moved into Jin Garden, he knew it was Yan Yixuan who had opened up step by step.
All these things had truly happened.
After moving into Jin Garden, Ji Ling’s life could be described as quite comfortable. Jin Garden had beautiful houses, lovely views, skilled chefs, and most importantly, a proud yet gentle lord of the house.
His younger brother was back in the family, and the Zong family business was thriving under Zong Jiqi’s leadership. Zong Jiqi even started consulting Ji Ling about company matters, and their relationship had finally become smooth.
The two brothers of the Luo family—one far away, one close—were both his friends. The one nearby he would meet for drinks, while the one far away would help with important matters. With friends like these, what more could he ask for?
His career was also going smoothly. Ji Ling’s cinema chain was steadily growing in the domestic market, and he was planning for an IPO at just the right time. The sense of achievement from bringing his employees along to wealth was a different feeling from being a rich second-generation heir.
After becoming Zong Bolin again, Ji Ling was initially thrilled, but soon couldn’t help but wonder what it was all for. Why did the heavens keep toying with him like this?
This time, he didn’t handle the movie marketing. The box office for the romance film ended up lukewarm, and Ji Ling couldn’t help but feel a little smug. It seemed that without him, the movie wouldn’t even sell tickets.
But he still followed his usual routine and called Yan Yixuan, inviting him to watch a movie.
Yan Yixuan was surprised, as this invitation was so unusual. No one had ever asked him to watch a romantic movie before.
Every time, Zong Bolin could bring something new and exciting to him, always keeping him on edge and perfectly teasing his curiosity.
So, in the end, the two men still met up and sat in the empty theater, waiting for the movie to start.
Yan Yixuan glanced at Ji Ling and asked, “Did you rent the entire theater?”
Ji Ling smiled and replied, “I bought the whole theater.”
“…” Yan Yixuan paused before asking again, “You spent this much just to invite me to watch a movie?”
Ji Ling answered, “What if I said yes?”
Yan Yixuan gave a fake laugh and said, “Sure, Mr. Zong is quite romantic.” Spending a fortune just for two movie tickets.
Ji Ling finally laughed and said, “I’m a little interested in the film industry, so I thought I’d dip my toes in.”
Yan Yixuan called him out, “Then why are you here and not buying a theater in N City to try it out?”
Ji Ling responded, “Wasn’t I trying to invite you to join me?”
Yan Yixuan looked at him in confusion. Ji Ling said, “What do you think, Young Master Yan? How about a business collaboration with me in the cultural field?”
Yan Yixuan was once again stunned. How did this guy always drop bombshells like this?
“So, we’re here to talk business today?” Yan Yixuan glanced at the big screen.
Ji Ling said, “No, I’m just mentioning it. We can talk more about it later. The movie’s about to start.”
Yan Yixuan didn’t say anything more, but he took Ji Ling’s words to heart.
Seeing the thoughtful expression on Yan Yixuan’s face, Ji Ling couldn’t help but think back to the past.
Back then, he had almost nothing. After promoting that movie and seeing its box office explode, he finally had a little money and eagerly rented the theater, pulling Yan Yixuan along to watch the film.
At that time, Yan Yixuan had even criticized his cheap car.
But even so, his Young Master Yan still complained while obediently following him.
Ji Ling turned to look at Yan Yixuan sitting beside him. Now, he could offer something better—he could buy out the cinema and directly talk about business collaboration with him.
He would never again criticize his cheap car.
The movie started, and the two of them watched silently for a while before Yan Yixuan broke the silence between them.
“Don’t you find this awkward?”
Ji Ling laughed out loud in the spacious theater.
This guy… his words were exactly the same as before.
Yan Yixuan asked, “Why did you pick a movie that little girls like?”
Ji Ling replied, “Because this movie has special meaning to me.”
“Special meaning for what?” Yan Yixuan asked, curious.
Ji Ling didn’t answer.
Yan Yixuan said, “I think you’re a bit of a mystic, always hard to figure out, but when it comes to doing things, you’re quick and decisive, always full of surprises.”
Ji Ling asked, “Is that so bad?”
Yan Yixuan smirked, “It’s quite charming, the mysterious and domineering CEO.”
Ji Ling laughed again, “But Young Master Yan is worldly and knowledgeable—what works on others doesn’t work on you.”
On the screen, the male and female leads were still acting out a love story that seemed baffling to the two bosses. Yan Yixuan glanced at the screen, then at Ji Ling, and said, “You really have been trying hard to impress me.”
Ji Ling protested, “I’ve been seriously pursuing you.” He pretended to sigh and said, “No matter what, I’ve put in effort, even if there’s no merit.”
Yan Yixuan laughed, “Yes, it’s been hard work, so you should be rewarded.”
After saying that, Yan Yixuan turned, grabbed Ji Ling’s collar, yanked him over, and kissed him on the lips.
This time, Ji Ling was truly taken by surprise.
He had been planning to keep trying, but he didn’t expect Yan Yixuan to give him such a sweet response.
The two kissed. At first, it was Yan Yixuan who took the initiative, but Ji Ling quickly took control. He knew exactly how Yan Yixuan liked to kiss, taking his tongue in and teasing it with his teeth, then releasing it, following him as he explored every part of his mouth.
Yan Yixuan had only wanted a light kiss, but Ji Ling deepened it continuously. They kissed more and more passionately, the performance on the screen completely forgotten. The only sound in the theater was their heavy breathing, hidden beneath the movie’s soundtrack.
Taking advantage of his physical strength, Ji Ling pressed Yan Yixuan back into the chair. A warning went off in Yan Yixuan’s mind, and in the end, he pushed Ji Ling away firmly.
“Don’t get carried away,” Yan Yixuan glared at him. Unfortunately, after the kiss, his eyes were slightly misted, making the glare lose some of its usual intensity.
Ji Ling wiped the corner of his lips in satisfaction and asked, “Did I win the bet?”
Yan Yixuan couldn’t help but laugh, “Not even close. I’ll admit, though, I’m a little interested now.”
He adjusted his clothes, which had been messed up from the kiss, and tried to put on a serious face. “Let’s get back to business, Mr. Zong. The movie’s already halfway through.”
The movie, now completely irrelevant because of the kiss, played on, but Ji Ling’s attention was elsewhere. His eyes were fixed on the screen, but his mind had already flown far away.
It was just like before—they had kissed in the theater.
Ji Ling had originally thought this time would be different. He had been the one to build their relationship unilaterally, but this kiss still happened.
So, would things progress smoothly according to the plot from here?
Ji Ling was a mess of emotions. He knew the kiss had been a momentary whim for Yan Yixuan, but it still left him feeling anxious.
He was far less patient than he had thought.
Now he understood why he had been feeling like everything was going too smoothly lately. It was because he wished he could press the fast-forward button and pull Yan Yixuan into his arms right away.
They had gone through so much to be together, yet they still had to start over with everything.
Starting over again only made him think of the past.
The two of them walked out of the theater. Although Ji Ling was technically the outsider, he was the one driving Yan Yixuan back.
He asked Yan Yixuan where he wanted to go.
Yan Yixuan had plenty of places to stay in S City.
In the previous timeline, before his grandfather passed away, Yan Yixuan had been staying in various places, moving from one to the next.
It wasn’t until he officially became the head of the family that he settled at Jin Garden.
It wasn’t that Ji Ling was overthinking things; he felt like he was part of the reason behind it.
Ever since they got together, Yan Yixuan hadn’t stayed in any hotel or apartment.
Ji Ling remembered the time he had dropped Yan Yixuan off at his luxurious apartment and had brought up paying him back, leading to an argument by the roadside.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but worry if things would play out the same way this time.
But then he heard Yan Yixuan say, “Take me to Zhongchuan Road.”
Ji Ling was completely taken aback. That was where Jin Garden was located.
Yan Yixuan seemed concerned that Ji Ling didn’t know the way and was about to call for the driver.
But Ji Ling’s actions completely dispelled his doubts.
He drove without even needing the navigation system.
He knew the route home so well that he could drive with his eyes closed.
Ji Ling paused for a moment, realizing that Jin Garden had truly become like home to him.
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)
