Chapter 4: Whatever the Reason, Make Money First!

Watching the drama unfold from the sidelines, Weng Jiye was dumbfounded.

Logically speaking, shouldn't those two be rivals? Why had Tian Kun slunk away looking so defeated after just a few words?

He wondered, "Does my bro really have some superpower? Like being reborn and knowing everyone's secrets?"

Having read too many web novels recently, Weng Jiye often fantasized about being reborn in the past himself. But whenever he remembered that graduating from the college entrance examination was the only way to escape his misery, he felt there was no point in starting over. He couldn't possibly want to be reborn back into his high school years, could he?

Meanwhile, seeing Tian Kun leave, Jiang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her grip.

Due to her selective mutism, she was unable to speak. Even though her looks rivaled those of her "sister," Su Siyun, no boy had ever confessed his feelings to her before. Tian Kun was the first. Not only was he the first, but his words had also been deeply uncomfortable, which was why she had been at such a loss.

She just didn't know why Chen Ye had helped chase him away.

The silent girl's heart was highly sensitive. She instinctively wanted to avoid the strange looks of others, and she was even more reluctant to accept any help born out of pity. Jiang Xin didn't want Chen Ye to think of her that way either, even though he rarely looked at her with pitying eyes. Perhaps that had something to do with Chen Ye's own background.

A trace of heartache flashed through the girl's eyes. She walked toward Chen Ye and held the bag out to him. She lifted her hand slightly, gesturing for him to take it, but Chen Ye just pointed at her.

"This is for you."

Jiang Xin's pretty eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. She didn't rush, however. Instead, she picked up the notepad hanging around her neck and quickly wrote out a single line.

"Have you confessed to my sister yet?"

Jiang Xin was just unable to speak; she wasn't blind or deaf. Naturally, she had seen Chen Ye's behavior over the past two and a half years and heard the gossip in their class. There had even been times before when her sister threw a tantrum and refused everyone's gifts, but Chen Ye had still managed to deliver his things through Jiang Xin's hands. Su Siyun would reject anyone, but she generally wouldn't reject her. Only Chen Ye knew this.

It seemed that Chen Ye was planning to use her once again to pass a confession letter and gift to her sister. That was why she asked.

Looking at the written words, Chen Ye shook his head. "I haven't."

He indeed hadn't confessed.

Her suspicions confirmed, Jiang Xin nodded in understanding. She was just about to write another question asking if he needed her help delivering the gift again when Chen Ye spoke up first.

"Don't ask. This isn't for your sister. This is my thank-you gift for tutoring my math before the college entrance exam."

A reward for her? Jiang Xin's hand paused on her pen before she hurriedly began scribbling something on her notepad.

But Chen Ye simply snatched the pen right out of her hand.

"If you think I shouldn't have spent this much money, you can compare it to my college entrance exam score. Calculated that way, it seems very cheap," Chen Ye said, holding the pen high so Jiang Xin couldn't snatch it back. "I might need to ask for your help with a few more things later. I hope that, for the sake of this gift, you won't refuse me when the time comes."

Before Jiang Xin could protest, he quickly added, "I remember you have a computer at home, right?"

Having never dealt with someone who wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise, Jiang Xin didn't know how to react. She could only bite her lip and helplessly nod. She decided she would return the gift in a couple of days and have Chen Ye get a refund for it. The item looked quite expensive. For someone with Chen Ye's poor family background, it had to be a significant expense. She couldn't accept it.

"As long as you have a computer, that's fine. Lend it to me when the time comes."

Chen Ye tucked the pen back into the fold of her notepad and naturally reached out to pat Jiang Xin on the head. But the moment he pulled his hand away, he realized his mistake. This wasn't the time before his rebirth when he was still with Su Siyun. He had carelessly let an old habit slip out.

Sure enough, Jiang Xin froze in place. Her eyes revealed a bit of surprise, a bit of confusion, and a hint of shyness unique to a young girl.

Chen Ye glanced at his own hand and smiled casually. "You just looked too cute, and my hand slipped. Don't mind it."

Then, before the flush creeping up Jiang Xin's slender neck could reach her face, Chen Ye turned around. He found Weng Jilin, who was also standing there dumbfounded, threw an arm around his shoulder, and dragged him off to find the rest of their group.

When the girl finally snapped out of her daze, she picked up the gift, examined it for a moment, and let out a soft sigh. Following Chen Ye's path, she headed toward where their classmates were gathered. However, she didn't plan on participating in the group activities later. She had already arranged with her dad before dinner that he would pick her up right after the meal.

"Weng, WeChat trans... lend me three hundred bucks. Help me get back to Ludong."

Upon finding Weng Jilin, Chen Ye immediately asked to borrow money. After all the hardships of his past life, he no longer felt that "face" was worth much. Instead, your dignity was only worth as much money as you had.

"Three hundred bucks?! Where would I get that kind of money?" Weng Jilin shouted, his eyes wide.

"Do you think I don't know whether you have three hundred or not?" Chen Ye held out his hand, urging him without a second thought. "Give me three hundred, and I'll help you make three thousand. Then we'll go take a trip to Heaven on Earth."

"I'm not going to a place like that. I have to keep my body and soul pure!" Weng Jiye said with absolute seriousness. In the very next second, however, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded stack of red banknotes. With a pained expression, he pulled out three bills and handed them to Chen Ye. "Take it. Just pay me back when you make that money."

On the night the college entrance exams finished, parents would more or less give their kids some extra pocket money. Regardless of how much they actually spent, it was necessary to keep up appearances. Weng Jiye's father, who worked in real estate, understood this better than anyone, so he had given him a full ten bills.

He was already prepared for the possibility that Chen Ye wouldn't be able to make the money and pay him back. But he also knew Chen Ye's character well; if he could pay it back, he absolutely wouldn't default on it. Besides, he also wanted to know how Chen Ye planned to make money. As a rich second-generation kid, making money without relying on his parents would bring him even more joy than inheriting a massive family fortune.

"Thanks. I'll definitely call you when I start making money." Chen Ye punched Weng Jiye lightly in the chest.

"What are you thanking me for? We're brothers." Weng Jiye let out a hearty laugh. His brother's gratitude made him feel a bit smug.

Soon, the two rejoined the group of boys. Having finished eating, everyone was discussing where to hang out.

"Chen Ye, Dropped City and Weak Warrior launched a couple of days ago. Are you coming to play?"

"I'm telling you, the Blind is so badass. You open with a Fluctuation plus an Upward Slash and an Ice Blade, then follow up with an Engraving and Ancient Memory. After that, it's just SLASH, SLASH, SLASH, and you finish with the Unmoving Bright King Array to wipe them out in one combo!"

"Can you beat my Mechanic? I'll blow you up halfway through."

The guys had all had a little alcohol, and combined with their newfound freedom, everyone was hyped up. When it came to discussing games, they had endless things to say.

"Are we going to an internet cafe?" Chen Ye asked.

"Of course," someone replied immediately. "Chen Ye, you haven't been to an internet cafe before, have you? Let's all go play together today."

Weng Jilin watched from the side. He understood Chen Ye's family situation and personality the best, so he took over the conversation and said, "If you're busy and have things to do, that's fine. I'll take you next time."

"No need," Chen Ye shook his head. "I'll go take a look, too."

"Great, great! Then let's hurry up and go. My dad said as long as I'm back before midnight tonight, it's fine."

"My mom said the same thing. Let's game all night!"

The crowd banded together, rowdily preparing to head to the nearest unlicensed internet cafe by the school. It was still early, so they had to snatch the computers ahead of time, or else there wouldn't be any left to play on later.

Chen Ye originally hadn't wanted to go. However, knowing it was impossible to just borrow Jiang Xin's computer tonight, he had no choice but to visit the internet cafe. He needed to make money, and the method he had for making money strictly required a computer.