When Shen Xingbai woke up that morning, the first thing he saw was a soft, fluffy head resting in the crook of his arm.
A gentle expression softened his face.
If only Ji Rou could stay like this forever—quietly by his side.
How long had it been since she was this obedient?
But then his thoughts drifted back to last night.
When he was about to leave, he couldn’t stop thinking about the person who had bumped into the bar. The figure felt strangely familiar—too familiar.
It looked like Ji Rou.
But he knew very well that Ji Rou didn’t have the means to come to a place like this—a luxury hotel meant for the wealthy elite.
And yet… that image kept lingering in his mind.
What if it really was her?
Driven by that doubt, he asked the staff and followed after her.
And just as he suspected—
It was her.
The moment he saw Ji Rou, he nearly lost control.
Why was she here? Shouldn’t she be at school? Why had she come to a place like this?
Seeing her in the Imperial Blue Hotel—a place only the rich could afford—his first thought was that she was once again trying to seduce wealthy men.
A storm brewed in his eyes. His possessiveness and obsession surged so violently that he almost wanted to strangle her.
If I broke her legs… would she stop running around? Stop chasing after other men?
Ji Rou, completely unaware of the darkness in his thoughts, kept trying to explain herself.
“Shen Xingbai, don’t be angry! I’m really not meeting another man. I—I came because a friend invited me…”
But he didn’t listen.
All he wanted… was to claim her.
To make her understand what it meant to betray him.
The Nalan family’s butler had arranged a presidential suite for him in an attempt to win him over. At the time, he thought it unnecessary—but now, he was glad he hadn’t refused.
Yet when he was about to take things further with Ji Rou, he hesitated.
Seeing her in tears, staring at him with accusation and hurt, he realized—
He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He was still too soft when it came to her.
Especially now—she reminded him so much of how she was as a child.
That innocent version of her always touched the softest part of his heart.
Ji Rou… what am I supposed to do with you?
And… have you also been reborn, just like me?
That question had been haunting him ever since his rebirth.
But one thing he knew for certain—
If he tried to take revenge on her now, he wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
Because deep in his heart, that little girl from the past still remained.
Side Story: When They Were Children
As kids, Ji Rou once watched a wedding scene on TV, her eyes full of wonder.
“Big brother,” she asked innocently, “will you marry me when we grow up?”
Shen Xingbai froze. Then his face turned red as he lowered his head shyly.
“Mm… I will. When we grow up, I’ll marry you—just like the groom on TV. No… I’ll be a hundred times better than him.”
Ji Rou kept her eyes on the TV and replied casually, as she always did, “Big brother, you’re the best.”
“N-not really…” he said, flustered, waving his hands.
Seeing her continue watching TV as if nothing had happened, he sighed helplessly.
But when he looked at her, his eyes were filled with tenderness.
You have to marry me when we grow up…
What Ji Rou didn’t know was that her childish words stayed with him all the way into adulthood.
They became a promise he carried without regret.
Even when she changed after entering university—becoming materialistic and chasing wealth—he never gave up on the idea of marrying her.
Because he had promised that little girl he would.
He couldn’t bear to see disappointment fill those once-innocent eyes.
But then, misfortune struck.
An accident took away his legs…
And with it, his ability to take care of her.
The light in his eyes dimmed.