Upstairs, Xu Jiaojiao was utterly stunned upon receiving a ssage from Yan.
Why was Ji Mingyan here?
At this ti, Su Nian was returning to the country, and these n were supposed to be scrambling to pick her up at the airport, completely ignoring her as usual.
Why would Ji Mingyan co looking for her?
It didn’t make sense.
Her eyes were still swollen from crying, and Yan, who had brought up a boiled egg and so ice, delivered the latest update.
“He’s staying here,” Yan said expressionlessly.
“If you’re planning to leave, I can arrange a car for you now.”
If neither of them planned to leave, the days ahead in the Monha Desert, where the Extre Path Team was conducting tests, were bound to be eventful.
However, Xu Jiaojiao shook her head. “Yan, don’t trouble yourself.”
“At this hour, the roads are probably jamd. Don’t let disrupt your plans. I’ll be fine.”
She wanted to see what Ji Mingyan was really here for. Was it to warn her not to appear during Su Nian’s return, or was it sothing else? It couldn’t possibly be a sudden pang of conscience, could it?
Xu Jiaojiao rembered clearly that in her previous life, Su Nian’s return had been unexpected, catching the n off guard. Liang Ruichi, who had asked her to dress up as Su Nian and accompany him to the desert rally, had been the last to rush back.
She had sat with him in the sweltering car, enduring the 50-degree heat, playing the role of a beautiful stand-in for the sister he longed for, maintaining a perfect smile and providing emotional support the entire ti.
But when they reached one of the rally checkpoints and Liang Ruichi learned that Su Nian had returned, he imdiately abandoned the race.
It was almost laughable.
Before the race, he had claid it was his lifelong dream to explore the desert with her, to conquer the vast sands.
Yet, a single ssage from Su Nian had made that dream vanish. Dreams, it seed, weren’t worth much.
In her past life, her heart had turned to ash, but for so reason, Xu Jiaojiao, who had only had her driver’s license for three months, had mustered the determination to finish the race alone.
Amid the endless desert sands, her tires left deep tracks as she sped over dunes, venting her emotions freely.
Her dry, cracked lips gulped down sweet water, and her feverish body surged forward with unstoppable montum.
The car beneath her felt like an extension of her own body, and she could hear the pounding of her heart.
There was no looking back—only the road ahead.
Xu Jiaojiao thought to herself, this was how life should be lived.
Yan could see that Xu Jiaojiao had her own plans, and matters of the heart were not sothing others could interfere with too much.
After leaving the egg and ice, Yan returned to her room with Zhu Jue and sprawled out on the bed in a “big” shape.
“Zhu Jue, I’m so emotionally drained.”
Yan told Zhu Jue about the sudden appearance of Ji Mingyan’s “rebirth” halo, and the two sat together in silence.
She counted on her fingers:
“Yi Zhi was reborn from the apocalypse.”
“Xu Jiaojiao was reborn from a fiery redemption arc.”
“Ji Mingyan is just a straightforward rebirth.”
“Could it be that Xu Jiaojiao infected Ji Mingyan with this?”
It was all so strange. How could rebirth just happen out of nowhere, without any warning?
Xu Jiaojiao had been in high school when it happened, while Ji Mingyan’s rebirth ca three years later. The ti gap was puzzling.
What exactly was the logic behind these “halo” individuals and their rebirths?
And if Ji Mingyan was the first male lead to experience this, would the other three follow suit? If that happened, Yan would seriously start to wonder if this “halo” was so kind of contagious virus.
“So, what happened to Xu Jiaojiao before Ji Mingyan’s rebirth that made him suddenly appear here?” Zhu Jue asked.
Yan cupped her face in her hands. “I can’t figure it out.”
“Maybe he’s planning to take advantage of Liang Ruichi’s absence?”
“Rebirth doesn’t change your intelligence, and he never admitted to liking Jiaojiao before, always saying he was just looking out for a classmate.”
anwhile, Ji Mingyan, the subject of Yan and Zhu Jue’s discussion, was alone in his small hotel room.
He splashed cold water on his face, his clear eyes now bloodshot. Ji Mingyan clutched his chest.
He was back. He had really co back.
Back to when he was nineteen, just starting university, a ti when Xu Jiaojiao was still safe and sound.
His youthful face reflected in the mirror carried a maturity that seed out of place.
Only after losing sothing did he realize how much it hurt.
Now, none of those past events had happened yet. There was still ti. It was good, so good.
He looked at his pale, bony hands and bit his lip until it bled.
In his mory, when Su Nian had returned this ti, he, Shen Jingchen, and Wen Yu had all rushed to the scene.
Back then, he had been secretly pleased that Liang Ruichi had taken Xu Jiaojiao away, reducing the competition.
But Liang Ruichi had also shown up just in ti to et Su Nian, and at the ti, Ji Mingyan hadn’t given a second thought to where Xu Jiaojiao had gone.
It was only long after Xu Jiaojiao had disappeared that he learned the truth.
Back then, Liang Ruichi had abandoned Xu Jiaojiao in the desert. If it hadn’t been for a kind stranger, her life would have been in danger.
This ti, the mont he realized he had been reborn, he had sought out Liang Ruichi. That flashy, reckless fool had once again discarded Xu Jiaojiao without hesitation.
The only thing Ji Mingyan was grateful for was that, for so reason, Xu Jiaojiao had been left at the hotel this ti, not deep in the desert.
In life, the greatest fortune was the chance to reclaim what had been lost.
Everything he regretted hadn’t happened yet. Xu Jiaojiao was still here, and he had finally realized his true feelings for her.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ji Mingyan’s lips as he looked in the mirror. Liang Ruichi, Shen Jingchen, Wen Yu—let the three of you tear each other apart.
He would make up for everything.
In this life, he would never let Xu Jiaojiao go again.
He noticed that Yan had taken ice and eggs from the restaurant, and he could guess that Xu Jiaojiao was feeling lost and scared after being abandoned by Liang Ruichi in this remote place.
Now that he was here, having skipped eting Su Nian, Xu Jiaojiao must be pleasantly surprised.
Ji Mingyan quickly showered in the modest bathroom, changed into a light blue shirt, and sent Xu Jiaojiao a ssage.
【Ji Mingyan】: Jiaojiao, I’ve co to see you.
【Ji Mingyan】: There’s sothing I need to tell you.
The mont Xu Jiaojiao saw the ssage, she sensed sothing was off.
Ji Mingyan—at least the Ji Mingyan of this ti—would never call her that.
“Xu Jiaojiao, do you understand this problem?”
“Xu Jiaojiao, look at .”
Throughout high school, he had always called her by her full na. When she struggled with a problem, he would take the test paper and explain it to her in his cool, detached voice.
And when she finally understood, especially when her face, so similar to Su Nian’s, looked at him with admiration, he would feel a deep sense of satisfaction.
Xu Jiaojiao had seen through this long ago, so in this life, she had kept Ji Mingyan at arm’s length. Why? Because he was a free, top-ranked tutor. As long as she provided him with the right emotional validation through her acting skills, she had saved herself three years of tutoring fees.
A free all-subjects tutor—there was no denying that Ji Mingyan had the skills to beco a professor soday.
If it hadn’t been for his tutoring, she wouldn’t have been able to juggle her entanglent with those four fools and her studies, which she had mostly forgotten from her past life, and still manage to get into Ning Normal University.
Xu Jiaojiao didn’t rush to reply.
She had just cried her heart out and was now hiding under the covers to heal her wounds. Wasn’t it normal not to check her phone?
The more anxious he beca, the more likely he was to slip up.
That night, neither Yan nor Zhu Jue heard from Xu Jiaojiao or Ji Mingyan, and the hallway remained quiet.
The next morning, Yan brushed her teeth with a thoughtful expression.
Today, they were heading into the desert with the team. Space in the vehicles was limited, with personnel, equipnt, and supplies all carefully calculated. There was no room for the two “halo” individuals to join.
With that in mind, could she relax?
Her clothes from the night before were dry, and she changed into sun-protective gear and long pants. She and Zhu Jue grabbed a small portable bag and headed out for breakfast.
The small hotel in the town had only one restaurant, which was now packed with their team.
The breakfast options were simple: bread, porridge, eggs, sausages, coffee, milk, and oatal. The focus was on convenience, just enough to fill the stomach.
Yan was nibbling on a small bread roll and drinking yogurt, her mouth rimd with white from the yogurt bottle. Zhu Jue gently wiped her mouth with a tissue when he noticed Yan's mouth slowly opening wide, as if she had seen sothing unbelievable.
"Am I seeing ghosts?" she muttered.
This morning, Xu Jiaojiao looked radiant. The puffiness from her crying had completely disappeared, and her icy pale skin showed no traces of sorrow.
She was standing at the buffet counter, pondering what to pick, when Ji Mingyan appeared. He took Xu Jiaojiao by the hand and led her to a nearby table, right next to Yan and Zhu Jue.
The bread had been sliced with a knife that seed to appear out of nowhere, accompanied by jam. The boiled egg had been peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.
"Jiaojiao, I borrowed the kitchen to make your favorite oatal porridge," Ji Mingyan said.
His voice was as cool and composed as ever, but there was an unmistakable hint of eagerness in his tone.
Compared to the neighboring table, where a simple breakfast had been transford into a refined Western-style brunch, the eggshells left on Yan and Zhu Jue's plates seed embarrassingly plain.
Yan glanced at the oatal porridge. Ji Mingyan might not have known, but Yan was well aware of one thing: Xu Jiaojiao didn't like oatal porridge.
Xu Jiaojiao indeed didn't like it.
Back in high school, she would bring oatal porridge every day for Ji Mingyan, who helped her with her studies. They would eat bread and oatal porridge together for breakfast.
But she didn't like it—she only did it to accompany him.
It was Ji Mingyan's sentint, a mory of Su Nian, who had once tutored him and brought him oatal porridge when he didn't feel like eating breakfast.
Xu Jiaojiao's eyes flickered with surprise, which Ji Mingyan interpreted as delight and disbelief.
"Mingyan, did... did you make this for ?" she asked, her face lighting up with feigned joy.
Ji Mingyan looked at Jiaojiao, barely suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms.
This was his Jiaojiao, soone who could be moved by even the smallest gesture.
In his past life, he had never done anything like this for her.
He smiled at her, his gaze filled with tenderness. "Eat up."
"Mm," she replied, taking small sips of the porridge, her eyes fixed on the surface of the bowl as if she couldn't bear to swallow it too quickly.
"Is it good?" he asked.
Xu Jiaojiao kept her head down, her cheeks flushed as she nodded and continued to sip the porridge.
Ji Mingyan's lips curved into a faint smile. His Jiaojiao was still the sa.
She cherished everything he gave her, even sothing as simple as oatal porridge made from the limited ingredients in this small hotel.
He told her to drink the porridge, and she drank only the porridge.
Ji Mingyan's eyes softened. "Don't just focus on the porridge. This place is too simple. How about I accompany you sowhere else today? Anywhere you want to go, I'll go with you."
Xu Jiaojiao pretended to sip the porridge, though the sight of it made her want to gag. Ji Mingyan's sudden change in behavior was utterly baffling.
"I've already arranged for a place near Ning Normal University. Didn't you say you didn't like living with roommates? You can live alone there, and I'll co to keep you company, okay?"
"Liang Ruichi, Shen Jingchen, and Wen Yu—they won't bother us anymore," Ji Mingyan said earnestly.
Xu Jiaojiao was stunned. She was truly stunned.
First of all, Ning Normal University was located within the Second Ring Road, and properties nearby, especially those in school districts, started at eight figures.
But Ji Mingyan's subsequent words sounded like a nightmare, as if a prodigal son had suddenly turned over a new leaf and co back to her, the one he had left behind.
Xu Jiaojiao noticed Ji Mingyan's right thumb and forefinger pinching together, a habit he had developed after becoming a lecturer and handling chalk.
Had he also been reborn?
Xu Jiaojiao wanted to laugh. If he had been reborn, why had he co to her first instead of going to Su Nian?
What was this confession supposed to an? Belated affection was worthless.
"I... I," she licked her lips, her face red as she awkwardly put down the spoon, unsure how to handle the situation.
After a long pause, she finally looked up at him cautiously. "Is this for real?"
"I'm not talking about the house. I an, are you really going to stay with ?"
Ji Mingyan looked at Jiaojiao's reaction and realized he might have overwheld her.
It was just a house, yet she was so startled, completely indifferent to the property and only hoping he would truly stay with her.
"It's real," he said softly.
"This one is for your university years, near Ning Normal University. I've also prepared one near Ning University, both in your na. You can co see anyti, okay?"
Two properties! One near Ning Normal University and another near Ning University. Xu Jiaojiao suppressed a laugh. Three million at the very least, with attached prestigious elentary schools—she was about to strike it rich.
"I don't want it. We're just ordinary classmates," she emphasized the word "ordinary classmates."
This was the exact phrase Ji Mingyan had repeatedly used to remind her in their past life. Now, Xu Jiaojiao was throwing it back at him.
Hearing this, Ji Mingyan felt a bitter, sour ache in his heart.
In his past life, he had repeatedly emphasized their ordinary relationship to Jiaojiao, telling her not to harbor any unrealistic hopes. Now, seeing her grit her teeth and refuse to accept his offer, he could only imagine how deeply hurt she had been.
"Xu Jiaojiao, listen to ," he said, his tone rising slightly.
Xu Jiaojiao stiffened at the sound of her full na, as if conditioned to respond.
Ji Mingyan didn't want to be so stern, but he had no choice.
He took out so docunts from his bag, cleared space on the table, and pulled a heavy tal pen from his shirt pocket.
"Sign," Ji Mingyan said coldly.
He owed Jiaojiao too much, but she was the type who never asked for anything. All she ever wanted was him.
Two properties were just a small way to give Jiaojiao a place to call her own. It was frustrating that he had to resort to such tactics to get her to accept them.
Xu Jiaojiao's eyes were red, as if she was holding back tears as she signed the docunts.
Two school district properties in the capital, top-tier locations, and they had fallen into her lap so easily. Her past self had been so noble!
"Even if I sign, I won't go," Xu Jiaojiao said fiercely.
Ji Mingyan looked at her. "I'll go. Will you?"
"Jiaojiao, whether you go or not, I'll have the docunts sent to your school. You'll have to accept them, whether you want to or not."
Yan and Zhu Jue silently ate their breakfast. Yan watched Xu Jiaojiao's trembling figure and thought to herself that if she were in that position, she'd probably be shaking from holding back laughter.
Being forced to accept two properties worth millions—Yan could never have dread of such a thing.
This was the privilege of those with the protagonist's halo. Yan had never seen anything like it before.
After signing, Xu Jiaojiao didn't finish her al. She seed to struggle with the urge to throw the pen but couldn't bring herself to do it. She stomped her foot and ran out of the dining room.
Ji Mingyan carefully put away the docunts and tucked the pen back into his pocket, a confident smile on his lips as he quickly followed her.
After the two left, the dining room erupted in chatter. The team mbers gathered around Yan and Zhu Jue.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Director Yan, Director Zhu, what's going on with those two? And the one who left yesterday—who's the real love interest for Jiaojiao?"
"This drama is so convoluted, but it's definitely juicy!"
"Who's that Su Nian person they ntioned yesterday? And there were a few other nas I didn't catch."
"Free properties, and the beauty didn't even want them? Why can't I et a guy who gifts houses!"
Yan looked weary. She knew so of the story, but she couldn't share it. She and Zhu Jue would have to discuss it privately in their room.
"I'm not entirely sure. It's complicated," she said dryly.
"Alright, everyone, finish up. We need to get ready to leave," Manager Li and President Qin, who had been hiding in the crowd, were equally disappointed with Yan's response.
But it was understandable. Given the backgrounds of Director Yan and Director Zhu, and the fact that those two looked like they belonged in a TV drama, this was clearly another level of drama that wasn't ant to be shared.
Young people sure have a lot of stories.
The Extre Path Team began checking their equipnt. They would return to the hotel after their testing that evening.
Yan and Zhu Jue thought it over and decided to join the testing, even though they could have stayed near the hotel and explored the open tourist area.
However... considering that Xu Jiaojiao and Ji Mingyan are both blessed with the halo of rebirth, they decisively decided to go together to experience the test.
This ti, however, because the Land Dominator vehicle was undergoing various speed tests and high-difficulty maneuvers, the two of them rode in the following support off-road vehicle. The vehicle’s tire pressure had been adjusted in advance, and it was equipped with a satellite phone. The drivers were all seasoned veterans with extensive experience in various terrains, especially deserts.
“Young President Yan, can’t you give us even a little hint?” The logistics assistant sitting in the passenger seat looked at Yan with starry eyes.
The longing for gossip in her eyes was so persistent that Yan reluctantly shook her head.
She really couldn’t say anything.
Matters concerning those with the halo of rebirth were always unpredictable, and it was easy to face backlash or retribution.
Before leaving, Yan sent a ssage to Xu Jiaojiao, asking if she was okay. In response, Xu Jiaojiao posed a question to her.
**[Xu Jiaojiao]**: If soone once did sothing extrely hurtful to you, but now they’re trying to make up for it with everything they have, do you think they should be forgiven?
Yan’s reply was also a question.
**[Yan]**: Do you think those abusive husbands who beat their wives and then cry and beg for forgiveness online deserve to be forgiven? Does a scoundrel with a guilty conscience suddenly beco a good person?
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The past harm has already proven that person to be rotten. The deep, festering wounds are already there—how could they be easily erased or made up for?
As the saying goes online: There’s no such thing as a prodigal son turning over a new leaf and becoming a golden treasure. It’s just a scoundrel taking a break from their misdeeds.
The idea of soone instantly reforming and becoming a saint is sothing you’d only find in *Story Collection* magazines.
In the hotel, Xu Jiaojiao read Yan’s reply and smiled faintly.
As expected of Yan. Her words completely erased any lingering guilt Xu Jiaojiao might have felt.
She pretended to be angry and still didn’t reply to Ji Mingyan’s ssages. Instead, she switched between different real estate apps to check the average prices of the properties in the neighborhoods where she had signed two property gift contracts.
Over 30 million yuan worth of property in the capital city had co into her hands so easily. She couldn’t help but laugh softly under her covers.
Starting life over from a different angle was surprisingly effortless.
Xu Jiaojiao didn’t reply again, and Yan also put her phone away. She and Zhu Jue watched the vast desert outside the window with great interest.
The Land Dominator raced ahead, while they followed behind. The endless expanse of yellow sand stretched before their eyes, instantly bringing to mind the lines of poetry they had once studied.
Several off-road vehicles released drones to capture the scene from multiple angles. Yan sat in the car, watching the tire tracks left behind—like watermarks in the sand, only to be erased by the next gust of wind.
As they climbed a steep dune, the off-road vehicle tilted almost 45 degrees, teetering on the edge of flipping over, only to stabilize and land safely the next second.
This was humanity’s battle with nature using tools, and Yan found it even more thrilling than the high-altitude rides at amusent parks.
The boundless desert, the endless blue sky—when they stopped to rest and sank their feet into the sand, it was a completely different feeling from the beaches by the sea.
After a full day of testing, though the bumpy ride had been a bit taxing, Yan didn’t regret it. So landscapes could only be truly appreciated by experiencing them firsthand.
As they approached the outskirts of the desert, where the phone signal improved, Yan picked up her phone again.
She planned to browse and see if there were any authentic local eateries in the town where she and Zhu Jue could grab a bite.
But when she refreshed the “Nearby” section, a photo of a helicopter appeared on her screen.
The location was a town in the nga Desert. The person who posted the photo was clearly a local, and the caption expressed amazent:
“This is the first ti I’ve seen a helicopter in real life. I heard a big company is coming here—maybe they’re here for aerial photography?”
Seeing this, Yan was puzzled.
The only major company currently in the nga town should be the Extre Path Team, right?
She turned to the logistics assistant in the front seat: “Did we hire a helicopter for aerial photography?”
The assistant was equally confused. “No, it’s not in our plans at all. Did the two of you add it to the budget?”
Yan shook her head. “No, it’s not us. I guess it must be so other tourists who hired the helicopter.”
At that mont, Zhu Jue grabbed her hand and zood in on the helicopter in the photo.
He carefully examined the helicopter in the picture. “Don’t you think this helicopter looks familiar?”
Huh? Yan was taken aback, and the more she looked, the more familiar it seed.
“I feel like I’ve been in this helicopter before,” she said, her voice trailing off as a mory from high school surfaced in her mind.
The two of them exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with a hint of disbelief.
“No way…” Yan murmured.
Yan and Zhu Jue’s hands tightened around each other, both of them feeling an involuntary tension.
By the ti the convoy returned to the town’s hotel, Yan’s legs were trembling as she stepped out of the car.
The second halo of rebirth—no, wait, the third halo of rebirth—had appeared.
The owner of that familiar helicopter, Shen Jingchen, the current head of the Shen Family of Ning City and their high school’s forr board chairman, stood before them.
In a single day, three male protagonists had made their appearance!
The mature man, dressed in a tailored suit, looked travel-weary but was currently locked in a fierce brawl with Ji Mingyan, who wore a light blue shirt and exuded a cold, scholarly air.
The two tall n were throwing punches with such intensity that it seed they wanted to kill each other, their fists landing with brutal force.
Yan looked up and clearly saw Xu Jiaojiao standing by the window, looking down at the scene below.
She watched the spectacle with a look of amazent, holding a cup in her hand as if she were watching a drama that had nothing to do with her.
“Fight, fight,” she mouthed silently.
The assistant behind Yan whispered, “President Yan, should we call the police? Do we need to testify?”
“n fighting over love—this is so entertaining!”
Yan rubbed her chin. “No need.”
These two n would never let this escalate to the point of involving Xu Jiaojiao or the police—it would be too embarrassing.
However, from the looks of it, Ji Mingyan was at a slight disadvantage. Although he was athletic from his long years of studying in high school, he seed to be a bit weaker compared to Shen Jingchen. Despite being older, Shen Jingchen clearly had the upper hand in strength training. It was rare to see such a physical fight between two strikingly handso n.
“This is truly spectacular, and quite a sight to behold,” Yan couldn’t help but remark with genuine admiration.
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