"Mom, I'm home."
"Oh, so you remember how to get home? Do you have any idea what time it is..."
"You can blame Chen Ji for this. I was going to take the bus back, but that guy insisted I walk home with him through the night. Anyway, never mind that. Come here, Mom, give me a hug."
"Eh?"
Before Song Yanxia could react, Ye Ge had already wrapped his arms around her.
In his first life, he had died young, leaving his elderly mother to bury her son; he had never noticed any issues with her health.
In his second life, by the time he realized something was wrong, she was already in the late stages of stomach cancer. Money hadn't been an issue for him then—mostly because his wife wouldn't let him be short of it.
But by that point, no matter how much money he had, there was nothing he could do.
It was in that second life that Ye Ge had truly experienced the heart-wrenching pain of losing a mother.
In this life, he would absolutely not let anything happen to her!
She hadn't been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer until twenty years later. If they found it early and treated it now, there was definitely still time.
"What’s gotten into you, kid? Let go already. You’re a grown man, aren't you ashamed?" Ms. Song patted her son's back.
"Ashamed of what? I’m just expressing my gratitude to my mother." Ye Ge released her. "Oh, by the way, Mom, don't open the breakfast shop the day after tomorrow. We’re going to the hospital for a check-up."
"A check-up? For what? Your mother is perfectly healthy." Ms. Song was determined not to waste money on such things.
"Catching things early is better. I just read a news story about someone who seemed perfectly healthy, but the moment they had an issue and went to the hospital, they were diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. Don't worry, the check-up doesn't cost much. If you're really worried about the money, Ms. Song, I’ll go hand out flyers myself to cover the fees."
"There’s really no need."
"There is absolutely a need!"
"It’s too expensive."
"Alright, that’s decided. We’re going. I’m about to start college, and you’re here all alone, working so hard at the breakfast shop every day—I’m worried sick. Do you really want your wonderful son to be anxious all day, unable to eat or sleep, losing weight, and unable to focus on his studies?"
"Why does that sound so wrong?"
"Just tell me, are you going or not?"
"Fine, fine, fine, we’ll go, we’ll go. Honestly, such a waste of money. Now go take a shower and get to bed."
Song Yanxia really didn't want to go, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse her son’s concern.
"You got it."
Having finally persuaded her, the stone in Ye Ge’s heart felt a little lighter. He took a shower and returned to his room.
Once back inside, the first thing he thought about was making money.
Being a kept man was out of the question. He would never let that happen again in this life. He had to be self-reliant!
But how was he going to make his first pot of gold?
Ms. Song had some savings—about 150,000 or 160,000 yuan—that she had set aside for his future wedding. Maybe he should talk to her and ask to use it as startup capital for his own business?
"Forget it, forget it."
Ye Ge immediately dismissed the thought. If he told Ms. Song he wanted to use his future wedding money for an investment, he’d probably be chopped into dumplings.
"How about writing a novel?"
This second rebirth was different from the first. As he had been walking earlier, Ye Ge realized he had a crystal-clear memory of every novel he’d read and every song he’d heard in his previous life; he could recite them word for word.
He decided to act immediately. Ye Ge opened the old, bulky second-hand computer in his room.
He planned to start by copying *Battle Through the Heavens* to calm his nerves, but when he searched online, he found that Di Can Tudou had already released it half a year ago!
What was he supposed to do now?
There were plenty of hit books in his past life, and many that had transcended their niche, but the eras were different—some books had different effects depending on when they were released.
"Forget it, thinking won't help. I’ll just pick one and test the waters."
Ye Ge chose a hit book from his memory that had achieved mainstream success.
He logged into the Qidian Chinese Network author platform, created an account, and randomly chose a pen name—Dogs Don't Fall in Love.
Then, he created the book.
Chapter 1
【Li Huowang raised the mortar pestle in his hand, listlessly thumping it down into the mortar, slowly grinding some silt-mixed glowing bluestone into powder...】
...
Building 5, Room 602, Longteng Residential Complex.
Yan Cici returned home, showered, and flopped onto her bed. Her white silk nightgown clung to her slender frame, her fair, delicate feet crossed and lifted in the air, strands of hair brushing against her soft, pale cheeks.
Even while lying on her stomach, the two large pandas on her chest were pressed into a perfect shape.
Yan Cici kept staring at her phone screen, watching the online QQ avatar.
"Why... why hasn't he sent me a 'goodnight' yet..."
Yan Cici bit her delicate red lip.
Every night at ten o'clock, Ye Ge would send her a message to say goodnight. It was already 10:10. Why hadn't he messaged her?
He hadn't even sent a message to ask if she’d made it home safely...
Yan Cici remembered the calm, profound look in Ye Ge's eyes when she had rejected him at Gulf Park.
Was that really Ye Ge? Why did he seem like he didn't care about her at all?
"Why aren't you saying goodnight to me? Even if we can't be a couple, we can still be friends, right? We agreed on that."
Yan Cici typed a string of characters into QQ.
"No, no, if I send that, it’ll look like I’m begging him to pay attention to me. It used to be Ye Ge begging for my attention..."
She deleted the message and typed a few others instead.
"Forgot to tell you earlier, I made it home safely."
Message sent.
Yan Cici’s large, watery eyes stared intently at the phone, the little deer in her chest leaping wildly as she waited for a reply.
One second, two seconds...
One minute, two minutes...
Six minutes...
Yan Cici had never felt time pass so agonizingly.
"Ye Ge! I’m never talking to you again!"
Furious, she tossed her phone onto the bed and hugged her pillow.
How could Ye Ge be like this? Before, whenever she sent a message, he would always reply in a second!
"Ding-dong..."
A full ten minutes later, the QQ notification chimed!
Yan Cici leaped up like a rabbit—her two "rabbits" jumping along with her. She scrambled for the phone, joyfully opening QQ.
"@Everyone, the teacher appreciation banquet is next Saturday. We're meeting at the 'Fengda Yugui' restaurant. Don't forget!"
She had thought it was a reply from Ye Ge, but to her surprise, it was just a notification from the class group. Her face darkened instantly.
"Ding-dong."
Another QQ message. She tapped it open immediately, but it was another disappointment—not from Ye Ge, but from her best friend, Wang Hui.
"Cici, I have to tell you, I heard that our class representative, Wang Jie, is going to confess his feelings to you at the banquet next Saturday!"
...
...
【New author, new book. If there are any shortcomings, I hope you all will be patient.】