Chapter 2

Suddenly, a cell phone ringtone woke Chen Fan up, and he took out his phone to check it.

The caller ID read:

"Mom!"

"Hey, Xiao Fan? You should be close to Chuzhou by now. Aunt Tang should be waiting for you outside the station. I asked her to find a place for you in Chuzhou and take care of you. Study hard in Chuzhou."

"You shouldn't blame me for being heartless. You know your grades. If you don't work hard, you won't even get into a good university. That's why I used my connections to send you to the best high school in the city, Changqing High School."

"Listen to Aunt Tang more in Chuzhou. She's an old business partner of mine from Chuzhou, and she's a very good person."

Hearing the stern voice he hadn't heard in years, a warm current seemed to flow through Chen Fan's heart, and his eyes unconsciously moistened.

"Mom, I know. Don't worry, I'll study hard in Chuzhou," Chen Fan said softly.

Since his mother passed away the year he graduated from university, he had never heard her voice again.

In Chen Fan's memory of his previous life, his mother was a distant term. They didn't see each other often.

Wang Xiaoyun was a strong-willed person. After being ridiculed and looked down upon by the Wang family, she wanted to prove herself to them. So, when Chen Fan was very young, she took his sister Anya and moved to Zhonghai, where they started from scratch and founded the Jinxiu Group. By the time Chen Fan went to university, the Jinxiu Group had successfully gone public and become a giant in the real estate industry in Zhonghai, with Wang Xiaoyun worth billions, known as the Queen of Zhonghai's real estate industry!

Unfortunately, his mother later had a car accident, and the Jinxiu Group was taken over by the Shen family's Wanrong Group. Chen Fan had to return to Chuzhou alone, in a state of destitution.

His mother only came back once or twice a year, so Chen Fan didn't have a deep impression of her.

But after her accident, Chen Fan realized how much he relied on her. She was the pillar and the belief of the entire family. Chen Fan still remembered how his father's hair turned half white overnight after receiving the news, as if all his energy and spirit had been drained.

"By the way, Aunt Tang has a little girl named Jiang Churan, who has excellent grades. Aunt Tang said she wants to introduce you two. I don't mind, but remember, your studies come first. Don't let dating distract you from your studies."

Wang Xiaoyun said each word carefully.

Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh. What kind of mother was this, thinking about their dating when he was still in his senior year of high school?

He said helplessly, "Mom, I'll definitely get into a good school. You should also take care of yourself and stay safe in Zhonghai. Don't overwork yourself. My sister is almost graduated, so let her help more and take it easy."

"Alright, alright, you're starting to boss your mom around now. I know, I have some company matters to attend to, so I'll hang up. The money is already in your account, use it wisely."

Wang Xiaoyun laughed and quickly hung up.

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head.

Although his mother was a strong-willed woman, she was always a bit careless. If it weren't for his sister Anya watching over her, who knows how many mistakes she would have made.

Thinking of Anya, he felt a pang in his heart.

If there was anything Chen Fan regretted besides Xiao Qiong, it was his parents and Anya.

"In my previous life, I let Anya down. I don't know how to repay her in this life."

Chen Fan remained silent, knowing that matters of the heart were not something outsiders could understand.

As he was thinking, the Jindragon bus arrived at the station, and the driver called for everyone to get off quickly.

At the Chuzhou bus station, looking at the familiar station and the bustling crowd, Chen Fan felt a sense of déjà vu. It was only then that he truly believed he had been reborn and returned to his 17-year-old self.

"Ultimately, I have to go through this life again. What do I have to fear in this life?"

He smiled faintly and followed the crowd out of the station.

...

Outside the Chuzhou bus station, passengers occasionally looked at a certain spot with admiration.

A dazzling red imported Audi A6 was parked there.

This car, a high-end model from around 2007, could sell for 600,000 to 700,000 yuan, making it a luxury car in Chuzhou at the time. This wasn't unusual, as Chuzhou, though not a developed city, was still in the upper-middle range in Jiangnan Province, with many Porsche and Ferrari sports cars.

The key was the two beauties standing in front of the car.

The older one looked to be in her thirties, with a beautiful face, wearing a well-tailored black suit, a white shirt underneath, flesh-colored stockings, and high heels, with a meticulously applied makeup, looking like a mature and successful white-collar worker.

The younger one was in her early teens, about 16 or 17 years old, tall and slender, with a face that was seven parts similar to the older beauty but even more outstanding, though she looked a bit cold and proud.

Naturally, they were Aunt Tang and her daughter, Jiang Churan.

At this moment, Jiang Churan was frowning, scanning the exit of the bus station.

"Mom, when will he arrive? Shouldn't you call him to hurry up?" Jiang Churan said impatiently.

"You're impatient, just ten minutes and you can't wait," Aunt Tang said, frowning in exasperation.

This was the child of her best friend from her early days in Chuzhou, who was being sent to Chuzhou to study in his senior year of high school. It was the first time he was leaving home to study, and Wang Xiaoyun had entrusted her with the task, so she naturally had to be thorough.

"Chen Fan is a very honest boy. When he comes out, be mindful of what you say. You'll be classmates, so you should get along well. He's new to Chuzhou from Sishui County, so you should take care of him," Aunt Tang instructed.

"Alright, I know, Mom, stop talking," Jiang Churan sighed, feeling annoyed.

Just because her mother's sister's child was coming to Chuzhou to study, she had to drag her to the bus station in the middle of the day and stand in the sun for ten minutes. She had also planned to meet her best friend at Starbucks for coffee that afternoon, but it looked like that was out of the question now.

Moreover, her mother seemed to be trying to set them up. Jiang Churan was very sensitive to such things, and she could tell from her mother's words. This made her even more resistant, and she didn't have a good impression of the boy she hadn't even met yet.

At this moment, a voice was heard:

"Aunt Tang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

A boy with a gentle smile greeted her mother politely.

This is Chen Fan?

Jiang Churan scanned him with a neutral expression.

He wasn't very tall, about 1.7 meters, and she was almost the same height in her canvas shoes.

His appearance was average, at best, he could be considered handsome, but not particularly striking.

Most importantly, even with her limited knowledge of brands, she could tell that his clothes and pants were cheap, costing no more than 1,000 yuan in total. If her best friend, who always talked about LV and Prada, were here, she would definitely mock him.

A hint of disdain flashed in Jiang Churan's eyes.

'This Chen Fan doesn't seem very capable, far inferior to Li Yichen,' Jiang Churan thought, shaking her head.

Li Yichen was her classmate, the student council president, and the son of the vice mayor of Chuzhou, a popular figure in the school. He was excellent in both appearance and background, and he was also a suitor of Jiang Churan, whom she liked very much. To the outside world, they were almost considered a couple.

Aunt Tang looked at Chen Fan with a smile, satisfied with the young man before her, and introduced him:

"Xiao Fan, this is my daughter, Jiang Churan."

"She will start her senior year next semester, at the same school as you. She is three months younger than you. You can call her Churan. Take good care of her in the future."

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, Aunt Tang. Churan will be like my little sister, and I will protect her."

He turned to look at the girl he had once liked, who had hurt him and whom he had later forgotten.

Jiang Churan!

Aunt Tang's daughter, his senior year classmate, and the first girl he had ever liked in his previous life.

At that time, in 2007, the real estate industry in China hadn't yet exploded, and his mother wasn't the future Queen of Zhonghai's real estate industry. Chen Fan was just an ordinary teenager who had lived in Sishui County for 17 years and hadn't traveled much.

'When I came from a backward small county to the bustling Chuzhou, I was a stranger in a strange land. Seeing a girl from a wealthy Chuzhou family like Jiang Churan, who was so beautiful, and with Aunt Tang's enthusiastic matchmaking, I naturally had fantasies.'

Chen Fan found it somewhat amusing, thinking about his feelings as a teenager back then.

"But with Jiang Churan's high standards, how could she ever look at me back then?"

He shook his head.

"Remember, she liked the popular figure in the school, the son of the vice mayor of Chuzhou, Li Yichen. They later went to Zhonghai University together, a perfect match. I was depressed for a long time. Looking back now, it's really laughable."

He was no longer the same person he was 500 years ago. Why would he continue to dwell on this unrequited crush?

Chen Fan extended his hand, "Hello, Churan. I'm Chen Fan, from Sishui County. We'll be classmates from now on. If you need anything, feel free to ask me."

Although she had hurt him before, she was Aunt Tang's daughter, and he would protect her to avoid disappointing Aunt Tang.

The girl had seen many people who were stunned by her beauty, but boys with clear and honest eyes like Chen Fan were rare. Although he wasn't particularly handsome, his clean and comfortable demeanor was refreshing.

'Unfortunately, his background and abilities are lacking, so he can only be a regular friend.'

The girl sighed inwardly but extended her white, tender hand:

"Sure, don't forget what you said."

Jiang Churan said this, but she didn't take