Volume 1, Chapter 28: Should I Say It?

I must admit, the efficiency of the Liqiang Group was truly impressive.

The next morning, Zhang Wenfeng drafted the contract and met with Li Yan. After reviewing it thoroughly, Li Yan found no issues. It made sense; he had essentially used Secretary Liu’s name to his advantage, and the Liqiang Group wouldn't dare pull any tricks over a mere three million. Li Yan signed the papers without hesitation. Once the three million was transferred to his account that afternoon, he no longer had any ties to the farm.

Li Yan called a halt to the construction company’s work. Mr. Jin, the head of the firm, was baffled. "Mr. Li, why stop now? Did something go wrong?"

Li Yan shook his head with a faint smile. "Everything is fine. I’ve just transferred the ownership of the farm. Please calculate the cost of materials and any other expenses incurred; I’ll settle the bill with you."

Seeing Li Yan's demeanor, Mr. Jin could guess what had happened. Calculating the figures, his company had spent just over a month on the project and earned a profit of 250,000, which was quite decent. More importantly, he had established a connection with this remarkable young man, and as long as he played his cards right, there would be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future. He wouldn't pry into the affairs of a young man with such connections; if the client wanted to stop, they would stop. All that mattered was settling the accounts.

Li Yan had previously provided a 100,000 deposit, and the company had covered some expenses in the interim. After final calculations, Li Yan still owed them 150,000. Without a word, he transferred the funds to Mr. Jin’s company on the spot.

"Mr. Li, are you free this evening? Perhaps we could grab a casual meal together?" Mr. Jin felt it was important to cultivate a good relationship with this young man.

Li Yan waved him off. "Let’s skip tonight; maybe another time. Thank you for all your trouble during this period."

Seeing the polite refusal, Mr. Jin was not surprised. "No problem, Mr. Li. If you have any other projects in the future, please keep me in mind. I guarantee I’ll do a beautiful job for you."

"Yes, of course, there will be opportunities. I have things to attend to at home, so I’ll be heading off. Mr. Jin, I’ll leave the remaining matters to you."

With the farm affairs finalized, Li Yan let out a long sigh of relief. This had been a dangerous game—pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth—and one slip could have been his undoing. He would certainly have to thank Secretary Liu properly if the chance arose; a single phone call from that man had earned him three million. With this first pot of gold, starting his next venture would be much easier.

In his previous life, he had never seen that much money in his account. This was the most wealth he had ever possessed across both lifetimes. He stood before an ATM, staring at the numbers on the screen.

"One zero, two zeros, three zeros..."

Li Yan felt like a fool who had never seen money before, counting the digits, his smile impossible to suppress. Adding the thirty thousand he already had, his balance stood at over 2.88 million.

"Right, I need to pay back Luo Jiazhuang."

He had borrowed over fifty thousand from her, and Li Yan felt that her contribution was indispensable to the success of this three-million-yuan windfall. After long consideration, he decided to give her 100,000. It was partly to repay the favor of her swiping those funds from her family’s bankbook, which had allowed him to lay his plans early, and partly because he wanted to have a serious talk with her. For some reason, he felt a lingering distance between them.

Did he like her? Perhaps a little, but not as intensely as in his previous life. The thought of his unrequited love in the past and her pleading with him to let her go left a thorn in his heart.

If he were honest with himself, he wasn't a good person. He should have made things clear with her long ago, but he had been using her money during that period, which made it difficult to speak up. Thus, he planned to lay his thoughts bare tonight. If they could make it work, they would continue; if not, the extra fifty thousand would serve as repayment for the favor. From then on, they would go their separate ways.

After withdrawing 102,000, Li Yan called Luo Jiazhuang.

"Hello? Li Yan, what are you doing? Have you missed me?" Her voice sounded cheerful at the sound of his call.

Li Yan sighed inwardly. "Let’s have dinner tonight. I have something to tell you."

Hearing that he had something to say, she grew curious. "What is it? Can't you tell me now?"

"Let's wait until tonight. Let’s meet at that place in Cypress Square."

"Alright, I'll go get ready. What should I wear? A dress or jeans? What do you like to see me in?"

Li Yan felt helpless, thinking to himself that even if she wore the Emperor’s New Clothes, he would probably still like it. After hanging up, he arrived early at a specialty restaurant in Cypress Square and found a window seat. Listening to Jacky Cheung’s "Should I or Shouldn't I" playing in the shop, he watched the crowd passing by outside. His mind drifted between the experiences of his past life and the days since his rebirth.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of his upcoming honesty that drove him to light a cigarette, hoping to clear his head. Many men are complex and contradictory; when you are young and have nothing, you fall for a girl and dream of giving her everything once you achieve success. Yet, many are beaten down by the merciless reality, drifting further and further from their beloved. In the end, it all stems from inferiority. As the saying goes, inferiority arises from within, and one is rarely in control of one's fate. Few get what they truly desire.

Living a second life, he found that when facing her again, he didn't seem to love her as much as before. *Maybe I’m a scumbag,* he thought. *Maybe.* But even if he was, he would at least be a clear-headed one.

Just as he was convincing himself, a faint scent—a girl’s fragrance, perhaps shampoo, body wash, or something else—drifted to him.

"Waiting long?" Luo Jiazhuang stood behind him, tapping his shoulder with a smile.

Li Yan looked up, surprised by her arrival. "Sit down." He smiled and gestured to the seat across from him.

Today, Luo Jiazhuang was wearing a knee-length beige floral skirt, her hair tied in the high ponytail he remembered so well. It was clear she had washed her hair and applied a light layer of makeup before coming out. Once seated, she looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"What were you thinking about just now? You looked so lost." She blinked her beautiful eyes, questioning him.

"Nothing much, just reflecting on some things."

"Hmph, fine, don't tell me then. You're so young, what could you possibly have to think about? You should be thinking more about me." She pouted, expressing her slight grievance.

Their meal was soon served, consisting of several local specialties. Luo Jiazhuang had been happy at first, but she could clearly sense that Li Yan’s mood was low. He seemed to have something on his mind. Could it be about the farm? It was true that building a farm cost a lot of money; he must have run into trouble.

She felt that in this life, she would support his venture unconditionally. She believed he would succeed; it was only a matter of time. So, she tentatively asked, "Is it about the farm? If you don't have enough money, I can gather some more for you. I still have my father’s bankbook. Don't worry."

Hearing this, Li Yan couldn't help but feel a mix of helplessness and amusement. "No, don't overthink it. Let’s eat." He placed some food on her plate, signaling for her to eat more.

"Right, you said you had something to tell me. What is it?" She was very curious. Seeing him like this, she couldn't help but imagine many possibilities. Was he going to borrow more money? Possibly. Or was he going to take their relationship to the next level? No, that would be too fast. Still, if he continued to treat her well, it wasn't something she wouldn't consider. Her face flushed at the thought.

*Why is this man’s mind so hard to read?* she wondered. *He just graduated from high school. I’ve lived two lifetimes—even if I was reborn after graduating college, I’m still a few years older than you. Why do I feel like I can’t get a handle on him?*

Li Yan saw her face turn red and asked, "Why are you blushing? Is the food too spicy?"

Luo Jiazhuang snapped out of her wandering thoughts, quickly covering her face with her hands. "No, it’s just... maybe it’s too hot today."

"Oh, I see." Li Yan didn't pay it much mind.

Two reborn souls, each with their own secret thoughts, fell into an inexplicably awkward silence. They stared at each other for a long moment.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me?" Li Yan broke the silence first.

Luo Jiazhuang pouted. "I wasn't. If you weren't looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you? It was you looking at me."

Li Yan felt helpless; he didn't want to get tangled in this conversation. He decided it was time to be clear. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the 102,000 yuan and pushed it toward her. "Keep this safe. This is the money I owe you; the extra is the interest."

Seeing the thick stack of cash, clearly far exceeding the fifty thousand he had borrowed, Luo Jiazhuang’s face was filled with astonishment.

"Why is there so much money?"