Chapter 1: How Did I Actually Rebirth?

Inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chang'an in 2019, under the brilliant lights, a group of guests in suits and swaying dresses clinked glasses, the fragrance of wine overflowing.

The protagonist, Yang Tianxing, was the focus of everyone's pursuit, with toasts and congratulations rising one after another.

"President Yang, I hope for your guidance in our future cooperation."

"President Yang, I'll finish this glass, please drink at your leisure."

Thirty-five-year-old Yang Tianxing was at the peak of his masculine charm, and his success in business had elevated his entire aura to another level.

"President Yang, you must be the youngest self-made billionaire now."

"Ladies present, you must seize the opportunity; President Yang is still unmarried!"

Everyone echoed, with endless words of praise. Yang Tianxing responded politely.

After downing another glass of wine, Yang Tianxing stood up by the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the brightly lit ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, a trace of sorrow flowing in his eyes.

Watching the crowd mingling in the hall, he lit a cigarette in frustration, because the feeling of loneliness and sadness that came when he was alone after every banquet would swallow him whole.

Yang Tianxing quietly left the banquet alone and came to the rooftop, feeling the strong wind brush against his body.

Yang Tianxing took his phone out of his pocket, and the voice of Jay Chou came from the speakers.

The clock that travels through the scenes of time

Starts moving in the opposite direction

Returning to the space-time when I first loved you...

"It really is a bit lonely."

Yang Tianxing squinted his eyes, surveying the brilliant lights of Chang'an: "A world of flowers, even if I have occupied a place, it seems to have no meaning."

A sentence he had seen often recently came to his mind: "What exactly is the formula for reversing time?"

"Pah, if there were one, have the ability to actually let me be reborn."

Yang Tianxing said disdainfully, lit a cigarette, and prepared to return to the venue.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, causing his feet to slip, and he fell from the rooftop.

Yang Tianxing looked in horror at the rooftop getting further and further away and the cigarette flying in the air.

"F—" The last word had not yet been spoken, leaving only.

"Bang."

………

"Ahhh!" Yang Tianxing opened his eyes in terror, feeling his body left and right, checking his intact limbs, and suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

"Yang Tianxing, are you trying to die? Screaming like a ghost early in the morning! I know you got into college, but anyone who didn't know would think we were abusing you!" The familiar scolding accompanied by the sound of a door opening entered Yang Tianxing's ears.

"Mom?! Mom!! Mom!!!" Yang Tianxing shouted in surprise.

A middle-aged woman wearing pajamas, whose figure could still be seen to be well-maintained, opened the door to Yang Tianxing's bedroom.

"Why are you calling me? It's only five-thirty; do you want to wake up all the neighbors!" The middle-aged beauty speaking was Yang Tianxing's mother—Gao Meilan.

Yang Tianxing jumped out of bed excitedly: "Mom, why are you so young!"

Gao Meilan gave her son a slap on the forehead without ceremony: "Are you sleeping soundly and talking nonsense! I wasn't old before either!"

"No, Mom, I mean you've turned back to 40!" Yang Tianxing said, somewhat incoherently and gesticulating wildly.

Gao Meilan looked at her son, who seemed to be possessed, and called out in fear: "Yang Jianjun, come here quickly!"

A middle-aged man with a tall, straight figure and deep facial features also walked in; from his features, one could see that Yang Tianxing was seventy percent similar to him.

Yang Jianjun pulled his wife aside, signaling her to stay calm, and asked: "What's wrong?"

Gao Meilan pointed at Yang Tianxing, signaling him to look for himself, and Yang Jianjun just turned his head.

Yang Tianxing looked at his father, who was also still young, and was surprised again: "Old Yang, did you eat Tang Seng at home? Why have you both become young again?"

Yang Jianjun frowned and touched his son's forehead; it wasn't hot, so he felt relieved: "Yang Tianxing, you must have slept too late yesterday. What kind of dream did you have?"

"I forgot what time I came back. I was at the '19 corporate banquet last night, socializing. Who brought me back? Little Zhang?" Yang Tianxing looked at Gao Meilan and Yang Jianjun with a puzzled expression.

The couple rolled their eyes at Yang Tianxing, knowing this unlucky son must have been confused by a dream, and only then did they truly feel at ease.

Gao Meilan said: "Go look at the calendar yourself to see what year it is, and no more ghost screaming! Your father and I have to go to work in a while!"

Afterward, Yang Jianjun and Gao Meilan returned to their bedroom, closed the door, and even locked it for fear that Yang Tianxing would bother them again.

Yang Tianxing ran to the calendar in a daze and looked carefully at the date—August 10, 2002.

Unable to accept it for a moment, Yang Tianxing sat on the sofa, picked up Old Yang's Hibiscus King cigarette from the coffee table, and lit one. The feeling of the smoke entering his lungs, somewhat fiery, made Yang Tianxing realize this was not a dream.

He ran into the bathroom and stared blankly at his somewhat messy hair in the mirror. What was reflected was also a teenager, familiar yet strange, with a little bit of fuzzy stubble on his lip.

Yang Tianxing sat back on the sofa, smoking heavily, and then burst into laughter.

Gao Meilan couldn't help but come out of the bedroom again, rushed to Yang Tianxing's side, and pulled his ear: "Yang Tianxing, are you asking for a beating! You dare to smoke..."

Before Gao Meilan's anger could escalate further, Yang Tianxing stood up, hugged his mother, and said softly: "I missed you and Dad."

"This child... what's wrong? Why are you suddenly talking like this..." Gao Meilan stood there at a loss for a moment.

Yang Jianjun also walked over and took the Hibiscus King from the table: "It's too early for you to smoke; wait until after your sophomore year."

This kind and wise middle-aged man saw that there was something wrong with his son, because there was a sense of vicissitudes in Yang Tianxing's eyes that had experienced many things.

Yang Jianjun stepped forward and patted his son's shoulder: "Go wash up first; your mother and I will make you breakfast, and then go get your admission notice in high spirits."

"No problem, Dad!" Yang Tianxing let go of Gao Meilan and slipped into the bathroom; the sound of water mixed with Yang Tianxing humming "The Clock in Reverse" came out.

"Old Yang, what's wrong with our son?" Gao Meilan asked worriedly.

"It's fine. Look at this kid, he can jump and sing; nothing major. You go make breakfast, and I'll talk to him in a while," Yang Jianjun comforted his wife.

After Yang Tianxing finished his shower and came out, there were still water droplets on his back. Yang Jianjun walked over silently and turned up the air conditioning temperature in the living room.

"Sit over here." Yang Jianjun patted the sofa, signaling his son to sit down.

Yang Tianxing looked at Old Yang's serious expression and knew that this wise father was going to tell him something.

"Tianxing, you know the story of the 'Yellow Millet Dream', right?"

"Mm, I know." Yang Tianxing nodded.

"Actually, 'A Dream of Yellow Millet' is not just to admonish people to be down-to-earth and not to daydream; it is also to tell the listener that a dream might be a lifetime, and when the dream ends, it is Heaven giving you another chance to make up for regrets and start over."

Yang Jianjun held a cigarette between his fingers, and thick white smoke drifted between father and son.

A beautiful silhouette flashed through Yang Tianxing's mind; she lifted her head in the sweltering summer with her long hair fluttering, and in that moment, it was as if the entire world had been brushed by a spring breeze.

"Since I have truly been reborn, it would be truly idiotic to leave regrets again this time."

Yang Tianxing calmed the surging waves in his heart, then said to Yang Jianjun with a cheeky grin: "Dad, give me a cigarette to smoke."

Yang Jianjun looked at his son, who had regained his spirit after being thick-skinned as usual, and took out the cigarette case to retrieve one: "Don't let your mom find out, otherwise I won't be able to escape a scolding either..."

Yang Tianxing chuckled, snatched the whole pack, put it in his pocket, and quickly ran into the kitchen to find Gao Meilan.

"You brat!"