Chapter One: Reborn in 1998

“A bitch and a dog—may they last forever!” Shu Yiming hurled the White Bear original beer bottle in his hand with all his might toward the city moat of Jiangning.

He had just staggered onto the ring road when, all at once, a blinding car headlight flashed before his eyes.

Bang!

A violent impact struck his chest, and then Shu Yiming lost all sense of the world.

In a haze, he felt something cool on his forehead. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw a little girl, no more than eleven or twelve, resting her small hands on his brow as she dozed beside his bed.

Wait—wasn’t this how his little sister, Shu Miaoyan, looked when she was a child?

What was happening? Was he dreaming?

“Miaoyan? Why do you look like this? What’s going on?”

At the sound of his voice, the little girl woke with a start, her face lighting up with joy. “Big Brother, you’re awake? You scared us half to death—you’ve been sick for days!”

“Sick for days? Didn’t I die in a car accident?” Shu Yiming’s mind was reeling.

Shu Miaoyan looked at him oddly and reached out to feel his forehead. “Big Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? What car accident? You just had a high fever and were unconscious for days—did the fever fry your brain? Wait here, I’ll go get Second Sister. She’s brewing medicine for you.”

The little girl seemed flustered and hurried off toward the kitchen, calling as she ran, “Second Sister, come quick! Big Brother’s brain is broken!”

Soon, another girl, who looked only two or three years older than Shu Miaoyan, came running in after her.

“Big Brother, you’re finally awake! How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?” she asked, unable to hide her excitement as she sat by his bed. Then she turned to glare at Shu Miaoyan, “Don’t talk nonsense—see, Big Brother’s just fine.”

Shu Miaoyan pouted in protest. “But Big Brother just said he died in a car accident! I thought his brain was cooked.”

But the moment the second girl entered, Shu Yiming was frozen in place.

His lips trembled, his eyes reddened, and tears spilled down his cheeks.

He didn’t know where the strength came from, but he suddenly sat up, pulled the girl into his arms, and held her tight as he wept, “Jinghan, I’m sorry. I failed you—I didn’t protect you.”

Shu Jinghan was startled, bewildered.

When they were little, their big brother had shouldered all the family burdens. He had always been strict, rarely smiled, and, except for the day their parents died, she hadn’t seen him cry since.

Moved by his emotion, Shu Jinghan let him hold her, tears welling in her own eyes.

Only after a long time did Shu Yiming release her and gently beckon Shu Miaoyan over. “Come here, to your big brother.”

Obediently, Shu Miaoyan ran over, her clear, bright eyes fixed on him.

Shu Yiming wiped his tears away and looked at her quietly, holding her hand. “Big Brother will be leaving soon. You must be good and take care of yourself, understand? Listen to Second Sister. Jinghan, after I’m gone, Miaoyan is in your care.”

He felt content. To see his sisters one last time—this was more mercy than he deserved.

But his words frightened the girls, especially Shu Miaoyan.

“Big Brother, where are you going? Are you leaving us?” she sobbed.

Shu Jinghan, too, was shocked. “Big Brother, what are you talking about? Miaoyan just said you died in a car accident—what’s going on? Are you really confused from your fever?”

Doubt crept into Shu Yiming’s mind as well.

Just now, seeing Shu Jinghan, who’d been missing for so many years, he’d been too overwhelmed to think straight. But this dream felt too real.

He pinched the back of his hand.

It hurt! Was this not a dream?

He looked at the reddening mark, then raised his head to ask, “Jinghan, what’s the date today?”

“May first! You promised ages ago to take us out during the May Day holiday!”

He remembered that promise—it had been years ago, and he’d always regretted not keeping it.

“What year?”

“Nineteen ninety-eight! Big Brother, maybe we should go to the hospital?”

Now Shu Jinghan was almost certain her brother’s mind was addled.

“Nineteen ninety-eight… nineteen ninety-eight…” Shu Yiming murmured, a wild, unbelievable suspicion growing in his heart.

He had been reborn, returned to the past, back to 1998!

Suppressing his excitement, he forced a gentle, doting smile. “Silly girl, I’m fine. I’m not leaving—I was just teasing you. Come on, let’s go to the Ocean Park right now.”

He started to get up.

Shu Jinghan hurried to stop him. “Big Brother, you’re still sick. You need to rest. We can go to Ocean Park anytime. Your health comes first.”

“I’m fine, look.” To prove it, Shu Yiming stood on the bed and bounced up and down.

With his mind made up, Shu Yiming got dressed, ready to set out.

At that moment, a voice called from outside, “Jinghan, is your brother any better?”

“Jun, you’re here! He’s much better, he’s awake,” Jinghan replied, then turned to Shu Yiming. “Big Brother, that’s Jun. He’s been visiting you every day. You’ve got a true friend. And Qian comes after school every day too.”

Hearing this, Shu Yiming said nothing, but his eyes turned cold.

A friend?

The friend who stole his inheritance and his girlfriend?

He hadn’t forgotten that the day before his car accident had been his girlfriend Sun Qianqian’s birthday. For that day, he’d worked himself to exhaustion delivering takeout and driving for hire, saving for two months to buy a ring and give her a surprise.

But when he’d gone to find Sun Qianqian, full of anticipation, he saw her nestled happily in the arms of a well-dressed young man, heading into a hotel.

He knew the man—a long-absent figure, once a sworn friend, who had stolen the inheritance his parents had left him: Wu Jun.

It was a crushing blow.

He couldn’t remember how he’d left, only that he drank heavily and wandered the streets aimlessly.

Then came the accident…

Shu Yiming knew none of it had happened yet, but it was clear Wu Jun had harbored ulterior motives from the start.

So he couldn’t greet Wu Jun warmly.

Wu Jun entered, oblivious to Shu Yiming’s coldness, and beamed, “Yiming, you’re finally awake! Man, you’ve been sick for days—your body’s too weak!”

“Heh… I’m all right.” Now wasn’t the time to fall out, so Shu Yiming forced a smile.

“Good. So—when are you planning to leave?” Wu Jun asked.

“Leave? Leave for where?” Shu Yiming was puzzled.