You are my life

After dinner, at my mom's strong insistence, I put on my coat to accompany Zhao Yanyan home. My mom's reasoning was that, in the middle of winter and with it being New Year's, the streets were practically empty, and it wouldn't be safe for Zhao Yanyan, a girl, to walk alone.

My dad, standing nearby, was grinning mischievously, clearly trying to create an opportunity for me. At this point, I was speechless. Honestly, I couldn't say anything more. It seemed like good grades were more important than anything else. In my past life, I never saw them being so open-minded.

To be fair, even if my parents hadn't said anything, I would've still walked Zhao Yanyan home. After all, she's my future wife. Who else would I care about but her?

As soon as we stepped out of the community gate, Zhao Yanyan linked her arm with mine and leaned into me.

"Hmph, you let my mom win over yours, huh!" I said with a little annoyance. It felt like my mom was more like her mom than my own. That entire meal, I barely got a bite to eat and had to pretend like I was full.

"You're so petty! You're mad at me just because of that?" Zhao Yanyan pouted, looking aggrieved. "I was just trying to build a good relationship with your mom so I can become your legal wife smoothly in the future! Besides, didn't you win over my dad? Every time you go to my house, he's all smiles!"

I was stunned! So she was still thinking about the legal wife part? This girl was quite clever, knowing that if she wanted to be my wife, she'd first have to get along with my mom. Once my mom agreed, no other woman would be able to replace her.

"What did you say to my mom?" I asked, holding Zhao Yanyan's hand.

"Nothing much, just talked about how we met," Zhao Yanyan said with a smile.

"My mom doesn't know that we're already together, right?" I asked, concerned that Zhao Yanyan might accidentally reveal more than she should. If she mentioned anything about us being more than friends, it could lead to big trouble.

"Who's together with you?" Zhao Yanyan shot back.

"So we're not together? But just now, who was talking about becoming my legal wife?" I teased, gently pinching her blushing cheek.

"Stop being so full of yourself. Your mom was busy trying to promote you to me earlier, constantly praising all your good qualities! Haha~ But Liu Leilei, we've been together for so long, and I still don't know you have so many good qualities!" Zhao Yanyan laughed so hard she almost doubled over.

"What did my mom say?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I'm not telling you, haha, it's just too funny! How come I haven't seen any of these so-called 'good qualities' in you?" Zhao Yanyan laughed until she almost couldn't breathe.

"Hmph! Laugh all you want, but now you have to tell me! You won't say, huh?" I said, playfully reaching for her underarm, making a clawing motion.

"Ah! Stop it, stop it, haha! Fine, I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" Zhao Yanyan immediately surrendered.

"What did she say?" I asked, retracting my hand.

"Your mom said you're an honest person, not much of a talker. Though you're a bit timid, you're reliable! Haha! I had to hold back from laughing! You're honest? You don't talk much? You're timid? Hahaha! Liu Leilei, how do you manage to act like this at home to leave that kind of impression on your mom?" Zhao Yanyan laughed.

So that's what it was! Honestly, if I hadn't reincarnated, what my mom said would have been true. But now, those traits didn't seem like strengths at all—they felt more like weaknesses! I wasn't sure if my mom was trying to help or make things worse. Luckily, Zhao Yanyan was already mine, so these were just amusing stories.

"What else did my mom say?" I felt like they must have talked for quite a while, so it couldn't have been just this.

"Your mom also asked if I had a fiancé or something like that, haha!" Zhao Yanyan said.

"How did you respond?" I asked quickly.

"What else could I say? I told her the truth," Zhao Yanyan replied mysteriously.

"My little grandma, can you please say everything in one breath? What do you mean by 'telling the truth'?" I was at my wit's end. Why do girls always speak so breathlessly?

"'Telling the truth' means nothing, unlike Xia Jing, who's already been chosen by your mom and the Lei family as their daughter-in-law," Zhao Yanyan said, giving me a side glance with a hint of jealousy.

Why bring up Xia Jing again? Sigh! I wonder how she's doing lately. It's been over a month since she was taken back to Yan Jing. During this time, I haven't heard a word from her—not a call or a message. And that annoying Lei Xiaolong, just thinking about him makes me angry! Damn, if he keeps pushing my buttons, I'll call on my Yama uncle and have a couple of little demons end his life early.

The pleasant mood I had quickly turned heavy when I thought about Xia Jing. Although I only spent three days with her, her image lingered in my memory. Every time the night was quiet, I'd think about the little beauty I shared a bed with for three nights, remembering the ambiguous moments we had together.

"What's wrong, honey?" Zhao Yanyan noticed my silence and asked anxiously.

"It's nothing, just some unpleasant thoughts," I replied, deciding to let things with Xia Jing go for now.

"Are you thinking about Xia Jing?" Zhao Yanyan asked carefully.

"Yeah." I nodded without giving a clear answer.

"Don't worry, Liu Lei. I have a feeling that Xia Jing will come back to you," Zhao Yanyan said softly, hugging me.

I gently cupped Zhao Yanyan's cold, rosy face and leaned in to kiss her cherry-like lips.

"Ugh... Stop it... We're on the street!" Zhao Yanyan resisted for a moment, speaking in a muffled voice.

I held Zhao Yanyan tightly, our tongues intertwining as we kissed passionately.

"Yanyan, thank you," I whispered.

"Hehe, silly! Why are you thanking me?" Zhao Yanyan said with a spring-like expression on her face.

"I think of other women, and you're not angry. You even try to comfort me," I said, gently stroking Zhao Yanyan's hair, feeling grateful.

"Don't be silly. It's not true that I don't get jealous. What woman wouldn't want her partner to be loyal? But you're so outstanding, it's hard to avoid other women trying to attract you! But we've agreed, besides me, you can only have one other woman—Xia Jing!" Zhao Yanyan said calmly, looking at me.

"What about Ye Xiaoxiao?" I asked, smiling slyly at her.

"Ye Xiaoxiao?" Zhao Yanyan paused, and then immediately became angry. "Aha, so you and Ye Xiaoxiao are involved! Fine, I won't talk to you anymore." But she still jumped into my arms.

"Sorry, Yanyan! I'm really sorry," I stammered. "I don't know why I brought her up!"

"Don't say anything more, I'm supporting you, that's all. What can I do, I just like you so much," Zhao Yanyan murmured, lying in my arms and listening to my heartbeat.

My love for Zhao Yanyan was mixed with the memories of my past life and the feelings I had for her then. As for Zhao Yanyan? We had only known each other for four months, but her love for me seemed to surpass everything. In her eyes, I was her one and only. I couldn't understand why Zhao Yanyan loved me so wholeheartedly, supported me so unconditionally—my honor was her honor, and what I believed in, she would support. This was completely different from the Zhao Yanyan of my past life, who had been cold and distant toward any man.

It was exactly because of the coldness Zhao Yanyan showed toward men in my previous life that I remained calm and collected, never in a hurry to confess. I never noticed any signs of her feelings for me, not even when she was about to marry Xu Qingwei. If Zhao Yanyan had been like she is now, she would've probably been glued to Xu Qingwei's side every day! I couldn't figure out if it was Zhao Yanyan who had changed, or if the Zhao Yanyan from my past life and the current Zhao Yanyan were two completely different people.

"Why are you so good to me…" I asked softly, pulling Zhao Yanyan into my embrace.

"That question is so uninteresting. Why do you need a reason to treat your loved one well?" Zhao Yanyan giggled after hearing my question.

"I'm being serious, stop laughing," I said seriously.

"Alright, I'll be serious then! I'll tell you—I've liked you in my past life," Zhao Yanyan said earnestly.

"Past life?" I repeated, puzzled.

"Yeah. Do you remember the dream I told you about earlier at your place? I had that same dream again just now," Zhao Yanyan said.

"What did you dream about?" I asked eagerly. Could it be that the events of the past life were continuing in Zhao Yanyan's dreams?

"I dreamed that we both got into Huaxia University, but we weren't quite like how we are now. In my dream, I loved you, and you seemed to like me too, but it was all so strange and unclear! After that, you woke me up!" Zhao Yanyan said, always frowning when talking about her dreams.

I froze. It wasn't just a dream; it was a memory from the past! And if what Zhao Yanyan said was true, did that mean she had always loved me in the past life? But why did she end up marrying Xu Qingwei? A flood of questions overwhelmed me, and I couldn't catch my breath.

"Liu Lei, what's wrong?" Zhao Yanyan asked, concerned when she saw the troubled expression on my face.

"It's nothing, just some things I was thinking about," I answered, brushing it off. My mind was in turmoil, and I couldn't focus on any of my thoughts. I remembered all the moments Zhao Yanyan and I shared in our past life—the painful expression on her face when I died. Maybe she really did love me?

I stayed silent all the way. Zhao Yanyan didn't disturb me, but when we were almost at Zhao Liming's villa, she suddenly said, "Don't think about it too much. I won't talk about that dream anymore!" Then, she quickly jumped into my arms and kissed my cheek. "I'm going now, Liu Lei. I love you!"

Yes, what good is it to think about all this? No matter what, I now have Zhao Yanyan for real. I've received all her love. Regardless of what happened in the past life, this lifetime, Zhao Yanyan will always belong to me alone. That's enough for me. What could I possibly want more, or be dissatisfied with? Whether or not this Zhao Yanyan is the same as the one from my past life, my love for her now is real. I have even turned the longing I had for her in my past life into love for her in this life. This Zhao Yanyan is the person I love most in this life. My heart was at peace in that moment.

I reached out and pulled Zhao Yanyan back from leaving, holding her tightly and whispering in her ear, "Yanyan, you are the love of my life."

Zhao Yanyan immediately responded passionately, pressing her body tightly against mine, nodding vigorously.

Time passed by, and in the cold wind, we could feel the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Kiss me..." Zhao Yanyan closed her eyes and whispered in my ear.

I bit her hot lips without hesitation and lingered. Our actions were close to madness. This was the first time that Zhao Yanyan and I kissed so passionately. The passion in our hearts burst out in an instant.

In the snow and ice, Zhao Yanyan and I were still sweating...

"Beep--beep--" Suddenly, several car horns sounded around us.

Zhao Yanyan and I, who were just immersed in the action, were startled and our bodies subconsciously separated from each other.

Damn, who is this? Is it so great to have a car? I'll buy a bulldozer someday, no, an armored vehicle to knock you away. When I raised my head angrily, I found that it was Zhao Junsheng's Red Flag car that disturbed us.

"Ahem...! Ahem...! I said, I can't interfere with your young people's matters, but you can't be so oblivious to the surroundings on this busy street!" Zhao Junsheng lowered the car window and stuck his head out.

"Dad~!" Zhao Yanyan stomped her foot in embarrassment, playfully protesting.

We both walked over to the car, and Zhao Junsheng opened the door, saying, "Get in."

Zhao Yanyan and I sat in the back seat. As I got in, I whispered to Zhao Junsheng in a very low voice, "If you mess up the chairman's plans, be careful or I'll fire you."

Zhao Junsheng didn't take me seriously, chuckling awkwardly, and replied, "If you fire me, let my daughter take care of you."

I wanted to say something else, but Zhao Yanyan had already gotten in the car, so I had to keep quiet. At the moment, Zhao Yanyan still didn't know my true identity. She only knew that I had partnered with Zhao Junsheng's company to develop an input method. As for the newly established Dawn Group, Zhao Yanyan thought it was entirely Zhao Junsheng's project. She didn't even know that she owned 10% of the company's shares.

"In this cold winter, look at you two, sweating like crazy! Hurry up and wipe it off!" Zhao Junsheng said as he handed over two tissues.

Zhao Yanyan and I both awkwardly wiped the sweat from our heads, and Zhao Yanyan, even more embarrassed, lowered her head, practically hiding it inside her puffy jacket.

"How about we go upstairs and sit for a bit? Don't catch a cold!" Zhao Junsheng, seeing that I was sweating and looking hot, said with concern.

"Sure, let's go see Grandpa Zhao." I replied. To be honest, if I kept walking around like this, I'd definitely catch a cold, so I'd rather take a break.

"Heh, your Grandpa Zhao has mentioned you several times. Since you're here today, why don't we have dinner together tonight?" Zhao Junsheng said with a smile.

That was a good idea. By coming here, I was now a distinguished guest. Since I hadn't eaten much for lunch, it would be a perfect opportunity to eat a hearty dinner.

"Dad, Xiao Liu is here!" Zhao Junsheng called as he entered the house, shouting up the stairs.

Not long after, Zhao Liming came downstairs, wearing a coat. When he saw me, he immediately waved his hand and said, "Xiao Liu, you've come! Come sit, come sit!"

I changed into indoor shoes and respectfully greeted him, "Grandpa Zhao, hello!"

"Good, good! Xiao Liu, sit down and have some water. I'm up there playing chess with an old friend, I'll come down later." Zhao Liming said to me.

"Dad, let Xiao Liu come up and keep you company. I'll help Aunt Yu in the kitchen with the cooking. Xiao Liu will have dinner with us tonight," Zhao Junsheng suggested.

"Alright! Xiao Liu, come up and help me give some advice. Old Ye is always so full of himself, let's join forces and defeat him completely!" Zhao Liming laughed.

I glanced at Zhao Yanyan with a questioning look. She shook her head, indicating that she didn't know who Grandpa Zhao's old friend was.

I followed Zhao Liming upstairs, uncertain about what he meant. Was he joking, or was he actually serious about defeating Old Ye completely? Big figures like him were hard to read. I decided to wait and see how things went. If needed, I could just play dumb when it came time for advice.

We arrived at a small study on the second floor, where a man in his fifties was sitting, savoring tea and contemplating a half-finished game of Go.

"Old Ye, let me introduce you to a young man! Liu Lei, a remarkable young man!" Zhao Liming said as he walked in and pointed at me.

"Oh? A young man who has caught the eye of Mr. Zhao? He must not be an ordinary person!" Old Ye said.

"No, it's just Grandpa Zhao's kindness. Old Ye..." I was about to say that Old Ye was overestimating me, but then I realized he didn't seem old enough to be called "Grandpa."

"Haha, just call me Uncle Ye, I'm younger than Grandpa Zhao, and my daughter is about the same age as you!" Uncle Ye said.

"Ha ha! Old Ye, every time you talk about your daughter, you get so anxious. Why did you wait so long to have kids? My granddaughter is almost getting married, but your daughter still hasn't found a match!" Zhao Liming teased.

"Mr. Zhao, I respect you because you're older than me, and we were comrades-in-arms back in the army, but you can't keep using that to poke fun at me! Ah, but my daughter really worries me. She's so old and still doesn't have a boyfriend!" Uncle Ye sighed.

"Hey, Old Ye, where are you looking? Xiao Liu is my granddaughter's boyfriend!" Zhao Liming teased.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhao, I won't try to compete with you for your granddaughter's fiancé!" Uncle Ye laughed.

"Come, Xiao Liu, help me see where the next move should go!" Zhao Liming said to me.

As soon as I entered the room, I noticed the Go board. There were clearly fewer black stones than white ones, and Grandpa Zhao was playing black. Based on the number of stones, Grandpa Zhao was losing. However, Go is about balance and perspective. Although the white stones outnumbered the black, many of the white stones were ineffective, and if the black stones could seize the initiative, the game was still up for grabs.

But I didn't dare speak up, who knew what these two old guys were thinking? If I said something wrong, Grandpa Zhao might think I was challenging him, or if I said something right, they might think I was just showing off. As the saying goes, "don't talk during the game." It seemed like there was some truth to that.

"I dare not speak while you two are playing," I said politely.

"It's fine, just give your opinion. Grandpa's about to lose anyway!" Zhao Liming waved his hand.

"Heh, Mr. Zhao, at least you know when to admit it! I thought you were trying to hide your loss by getting a younger person to play with me!" Uncle Ye joked.

"Hmph! Xiao Liu, go play against him! You must win! If you lose, I won't let my granddaughter marry you!" Zhao Liming said angrily.

I was speechless! What kind of condition was this? It was practically a threat! Was he pushing me into a corner?

Seeing my embarrassed expression, Uncle Ye chuckled, "Don't worry, Xiao Liu, play freely! If you lose, I'll marry my daughter to you instead! My daughter is just as beautiful as his granddaughter, you won't lose out!"

"Look! Look! It was all premeditated! The fox's tail is finally showing! You really want to take advantage of our Xiao Liu!" Zhao Liming pointed at Uncle Ye's nose and yelled.

I was sweating buckets! How can these two old men in their fifties or sixties be acting like kids? Is this really something to joke about? Besides, my love life is already complicated enough—Xia Jing, Ye Xiaoxiao, Chen Weier… Zhao Yanyan has already been putting up with me for a long time. If another woman gets involved, Zhao Yanyan might tear me apart.

Seeing that I didn't say anything, Zhao Liming grew serious and said, "As your future grandpa, I command you to make sure you defeat Uncle Ye completely!"

I was stunned! Since Zhao Liming said so, I couldn't refuse. I sat down at the Go board and said, "Uncle Ye, please forgive me!"

Soon, I was fully engaged in the game.

I quickly analyzed the entire situation on the board. Beating Uncle Ye was just a matter of time, but if I beat him, that might be too disrespectful, right? After all, he was an elder and a comrade-in-arms of Grandpa Zhao. I understood the concept of comrades. They're not brothers, but they are as close as brothers, having fought together in life-and-death situations. That bond isn't something ordinary people can understand.

Although the two of them were joking around, if I, as the younger generation, really won, it would probably make things awkward for Grandpa Zhao.

However, if I lost, not only would it be embarrassing for Grandpa Zhao, but what if he got angry and decided not to let Zhao Yanyan marry me? I'd regret it forever! I really regretted agreeing to Zhao Junsheng's request to come up and sit for a while.

One wrong step could lead to endless regret! My mind was working at full speed, calculating the next moves on the board! I couldn't afford to win or lose, so a draw was the only option. Finally, after what felt like my brain was about to burn out, the game with Uncle Ye reached its conclusion.

Looking at the arrangement of black and white stones on the board, I feigned regret and said, "Who would've thought that I, the younger one, would give it my all, only to lose my wife in the end."

"Xiao Liu! You really gave it your all!" Uncle Ye exclaimed. "Do you think we two old guys didn't notice? If you really wanted to win, you would've won by now! In a situation like this, you actually spent so much effort to make it a draw. I really suspect you're a computer!"

I was speechless! I had disguised it so well, yet they still figured it out. The embarrassment was unbearable! My good intentions had now turned into showing off! What have I done to deserve this? First, I was almost caught in an awkward situation, then I was starving, and now I was dragged into a Go game for no reason! Today really was my unlucky day!