Chapter 8

Sophie thought for a moment before replying, "Well, that just means we weren't meant to be. It's not my fault."

Rachel felt a chill run down her spine. "Don't you think, if that really happens, Kane would be truly pitiful? He'd have pursued you for so long, only to see you with someone else."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just pick him because he stuck around the longest. I have to follow my heart."

Rachel's mind was in turmoil. On the surface, Sophie's words made sense. But the more she thought about it, the more problematic it seemed. Wasn't this just stringing someone along?

Still, they were best friends. Loyalty dictated that she side with Sophie, not Kane.

"Sophie, don't worry. I bet Kane's just pretending."

"Pretending?"

"Yeah. He's probably feeling lost after being rejected, and his pride is hurt, so he's acting indifferent. But I doubt he can keep it up for long. He'll come crawling back to you soon enough."

Hearing this, Sophie stopped crying. That familiar smugness returned. "Even if he does regret it, I'd never give him another chance!"

Rachel nodded vigorously. "Exactly. Don't you dare give him another chance!"

"So… when do you think he'll regret it?"

"Do you really want to see him regret it?" Rachel couldn't help but ask.

Sophie thought about it seriously, then nodded. She felt Kane had been too cruel, toying with her feelings and pride. Only when he came back, full of regret, and she could coldly reject him—that's when she'd finally feel vindicated.

Rachel sighed inwardly, unsure of what else to say.

She thought it would be best for Kane Brook not to look back, to retreat while he still could. Otherwise, who knew how messy things might get in the end.

But she could never have imagined that Kane's indifference toward Sophie Chase stemmed from having already seen the ending—witnessing firsthand how youthful joy could be discarded like trash. That's why he felt absolutely nothing for her.

Love is like that; it defies all logic.

You could love someone for years, be endlessly accommodating, attentive to every detail, yet never even hold their hand. Then one day, someone new shows up, whispers a few sweet words, and just like that, they win all of her affection.

Try reasoning with love?

Love will hit you with a slap so hard it'll leave you questioning your life choices.

Meanwhile, Kane Brook had returned to his apartment complex. After parking his car, he strolled to the community garden and sat on a stone bench, lost in thought.

His thoughts had nothing to do with Sophie Chase because he simply didn't care about her. What occupied his mind was still his first pot of gold.

Summer break wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't short either. Technically, he had plenty of time to do things at his own pace without rushing. But when it came to starting a business, the earlier, the better. The issue of that first pot of gold couldn't wait—he had to explore every possibility.

After mulling it over, he figured asking his parents might be the easiest route. So, he got up, went upstairs, and found Mrs. Carmen Yale enjoying a leisurely weekend.

"Mom, how much savings do we have? Can you lend me some? A few thousand would be great, ten or twenty thousand would be even better."

Mrs. Yale reached under the table, rummaged around, and handed him two mahjong tiles—an eight-bamboo and a nine-bamboo. "Spend wisely."

Kane's mouth twitched. "Mom, you can't even be generous with two nine-bamboos? Seriously?"

"Oh, get lost. What savings do we have? Ten or twenty thousand? We couldn't get that much even if we sold you."

At that moment, Jonathan Brook looked up at Kane, as if he wanted to say something but held back. His breathing grew slightly heavier. Seeing this, Kane's eyes lit up instantly.

Ah, of course. The older, the wiser. Just look at Dad's expression—he must have some secret stash of money and was hesitating about whether to lend it.

"Dad, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Forget it. It's nothing. Go have fun."

"It's okay, Dad. Don't pretend. Spill the beans—I've braced myself."

"Well... son, could you pour me a cup of tea?"

"?????"

Three minutes later, after pouring the tea, Kane returned to his room, utterly crushed, like all hope had drained from his soul.

He felt like he must've been out of his mind to have any hope in his dad.

Jonathan Brook was notorious for being henpecked. If his secret stash exceeded five bucks, he'd be too anxious to sleep. How could he possibly lend Kane thousands?

Big business was off the table, but small ventures were still doable. After all, small money was still money—save enough of it, and it adds up. Starting a business was always hardest in the beginning. Relying on others just wasn't realistic.

Borrow money?

Everyone around him was a high school student. Having five bucks in their pocket was already a big deal—there was no way he'd get much from them.

Loans?

Well, that was an option, but the paperwork was a hassle. Plus, in his previous life, he'd been suffocated by mortgage debt, so he had an instinctive aversion to loans.

Kane stripped down and got into bed, planning to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, he'd look elsewhere for business opportunities. At the very least, he needed to double the seven hundred bucks he had on hand.

Rebirth and entrepreneurship—sounds easy on paper, but reality loves proving you wrong.

The next morning, dawn spread across the sky.

Kane Brook slipped out of his house, hopped on his bike, and rode around the city before heading into Jade Isle Zoo.

Since it was both a Sunday and the summer holidays, the entrance was packed with people, more crowded than a temple fair.

An hour later, Kane squeezed his way out of the zoo, nearly losing his shoe in the process.

Once outside, he crouched by the gate, took a big gulp of water, then pulled out his Nokia to call Hansel Grant, asking him to come over.

Hansel didn't live far from there. As soon as he got Kane's call, he jumped on his bike and pedaled over, huffing and puffing. Despite being drenched in sweat, he was in a great mood.

These days, he looked forward to Kane's calls, always thinking it meant another chance to make some quick cash. But when he finally found Kane, he froze on the spot.

There was Kane, squatting on the ground, holding a plucked chicken in each hand.

"Kane, what are you doing?"

Kane shook the chickens in his hands. "Ten bucks for two chickens. I'm giving you one. Take it home and have your mom cook it for you."