Chapter 117: First Love (Second Update Today!)

"Oh, so this is Principal He’s pride and joy! No wonder she is such a beauty," Zhang Xiuxiu exclaimed. The young girl’s beauty was indeed extraordinary, possessing a natural, captivating charm.

"Wan’e, come over and meet your uncles, and this big brother and big sister here!" He Yonggui called out. The young girl was quite poised and walked straight over.

"Hello, Uncle Lang, Uncle Kong, Uncle Zhang, and Uncle Yuan!" He Wan’e was familiar with Lang Ping and the others, showing she was quite sharp. However, when she reached Zhang Xiuxiu and Yang Tian, she hesitated for a moment, then gave a generous smile. "This big brother is so handsome, and this big sister is so beautiful. According to the elders, you two have a very compatible look for a couple!"

He Wan’e quickly turned the awkward moment into a charming joke, making the whole table burst into laughter. Zhang Xiuxiu was amazed: "Principal He’s daughter is truly sharp-tongued. When she grows up, she could be a television host!"

"No, sister, that isn't my dream!" He Wan’e laughed brightly.

"Your dream is to be a big star, right?" Yang Tian smiled with a touch of emotion. He knew her dream perfectly well. In his memories, He Wan’e had worked tirelessly for that dream, constantly participating in auditions and appearing on screen.

"How did you know?" He Wan’e asked, surprised, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on Yang Tian.

"I guessed!" At this, Yang Tian suddenly felt a sense of detachment. Before his rebirth, if He Wan’e had looked at him with such excitement, he would have been flustered and overjoyed, because she was his first love.

He Wan’e was currently attending Binhai No. 2 High School and would later attend Binhai University of Finance and Economics. They had met at the latter. Her father, He Yonggui, was the principal of Binhai University; she could have easily attended there, but because the art department at Binhai University wasn't as strong as the one at the Finance and Economics school, she had resolutely chosen the latter.

Before his rebirth, Yang Tian had thought this choice was fate giving them a chance to meet, but he didn't see it that way anymore. It had been the beginning of a tragic romance.

When He Wan’e had pushed him away, he had been filled with despair. After his rebirth, he had thought of her, but the feelings had faded significantly. In the process of sincerely caring for and living with Yang Xueling and Huang Juan, he had found emotions just as genuine as love. Perhaps it was because he was content that he no longer wished to revisit those painful memories.

Fulfilling dreams? Pursuing her again? He had considered it. But between He Wan’e and Huang Juan, he seemed to have a choice to make. Now, that choice felt meaningless because his bond with Huang Juan was irreplaceable. As for He Wan’e, if possible, he felt they should simply be good friends.

"My, you two have become confidants the moment you met. Impressive, Yang Tian. You really know how to please the girls!" Zhang Xiuxiu teased, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Your name is Yang Tian? I’ve heard my father mention you. The student from Binhai No. 1 High School, the renovator of Zhongshan Road, one of the Ten Outstanding Youth of Binhai in '98. A public figure, indeed!" He Wan’e said with an envious expression.

"Being a public figure isn't important. Being happy and grounded is what matters most," Yang Tian said pointedly. Back then, to achieve her star dream, He Wan’e had endured much hardship and done many things she didn't want to do, yet she never seemed to reap the joy of being a star.

"Brother Yang Tian, I don't agree. Having pursuits is the most important thing in life. What difference is there between a person without goals and the dead? Wouldn't you agree?" He Wan’e retorted playfully.

"Hmm. Attitude determines everything. With a different attitude, life takes a different path!" Yang Tian was stunned for a moment, feeling as if the scene had returned to his university days before his rebirth, where he and He Wan’e sat by the Swan Lake at the Finance and Economics school debating how to live. Her tone and expression were identical to then. After a moment, he smiled faintly.

"You kids stop arguing and let’s start the meal. I have to go to Mayor Luo’s house later to discuss some business!" Lang Ping shouted at them, and they gathered to eat.

"Going to Old Luo’s place to talk business again?" Zhang Siguo and the others loudly questioned, expressing their dissatisfaction.

"No choice. He doesn't like talking business in the office, so we have to go to his home," Lang Ping said, also annoyed. But this irritation was quickly replaced by the heavy haze of intoxication as everyone drank heartily.

After the gathering, Zhang Xiuxiu wanted Yang Tian to take her home, but he declined. He secretly followed He Wan’e—his first love from his previous life.

If there was an unfinished dream between them, it was that the ring he had never given her. His pride had been deeply wounded back then. Now, he wanted to give her that ring, and then they would simply be friends—a way to conclude the foolish, unrequited pursuit of his past life.

The ring was in his backpack, so he took it out to give to her.

By the time he caught up, He Wan’e was about to board her father’s car. He Yonggui, being a perceptive man, realized Yang Tian was there for his daughter and pretended not to notice, getting into the car first.

"Miss He, may I have a word?" Yang Tian said with a smile. Facing his former first love, he was no longer nervous.

"Sure!" He Wan’e was as generous as before and agreed with a smile.

"This ring is for you! Oh, don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else. It's a lucky ring; I hope it helps you achieve your star dream," Yang Tian said, handing it over. The ring had come back with him through his rebirth, so he called it lucky.

"Okay, thank you! I’ll wear it always!" He Wan’e was stunned for a second, then accepted it readily, putting it straight onto the middle finger of her left hand.

"Thank you!" Yang Tian suddenly felt a weight lifted. Perhaps everything between him and He Wan’e could finally come to a close. To live well in the future, to take good care of Yang Xueling and Huang Juan—his rebirth would be considered a complete success.

Returning to his place, the moonlight was thick. Yang Xueling and Huang Juan were fast asleep. Standing by the window, looking at the moonlight on the lotus pond and then at the two girls sleeping soundly, a warmth bloomed in his heart.

From '91 to '99, he had worked hard and felt his "dream-fulfilling plan" was successful, but he had always felt a knot in his heart. It wasn't until he met He Wan’e again that he realized what that knot was: it had been her.

He Wan’e’s personality and pursuits destined her to be someone easy to interact with, yet hard to truly get close to. Her openness made her seem approachable, and that was exactly what had given him hope in his previous life. She always seemed happy when talking to him, but her stubborn heart wouldn't allow anyone to obstruct or change her dreams. She wouldn't give up her starlit dream for anyone.

Before his rebirth, she was his first love, and he had been naive, not knowing what love was or why he liked her, only pursuing her blindly. Living a second time, he saw everything clearly. Since she had her own obsessions, and those obsessions were vastly different from his dream of a simple, pastoral life, their love would never have blossomed.

Rather than throwing himself into the fire like a moth, it was better to cherish those right in front of him. Thinking of this, he glanced back at the sleeping Huang Juan. "Brother, it's late, why aren't you sleeping?" Yang Xueling suddenly woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes and asking softly.

"Watching you sleep. I heard there are ghosts around lately, so I can't sleep. If I fall asleep and a ghost takes you away, I won't have a little sister anymore!" Yang Tian chuckled softly.

"Pfft, the same old routine. That used to scare me, but not anymore!" Yang Xueling pouted, smiled, and slipped back into her quilt to sleep.

Seeing this, Yang Tian shook his head and smiled. He still didn't sleep; instead, he opened his laptop to start designing the landscaping for the new Binhai University campus. Since he had promised He Yonggui, he had to do it well. Perhaps it would help him, Yang Xueling, and Huang Juan when they eventually attended the university.

Before his rebirth, both girls had dreamed of attending Binhai University and staying in the city, but it never happened. It wasn't due to their grades, but because they hadn't performed well in the college entrance exams—girls were often heavily influenced by various pressures during that period.

The new campus was located east of Xuefu Street and covered a large area. Due to funding constraints, they could only build one teaching building, four dormitories, a cafeteria, and a library. The library was sponsored by the Zhang family, so it looked quite empty on the blueprints.

According to the university committee’s plans, they intended to build a large stadium, a swimming pool, and a student activity center later on. Of course, that was a long way off unless someone suddenly produced millions in funding.

What Yang Tian needed to do was the landscaping for the roads, the flowerbeds for the plaza, and the renovation of a small grove. It was simple, but since Binhai University was a top-tier institution, the landscaping had to be innovative and carry a sense of the era, or it wouldn't pass muster.

If the Zhongshan Road renovation was a project of nostalgia, the university landscaping was a project of innovation. For Yang Tian, innovation wasn't harder than nostalgia. If he could bring 21st-century campus landscaping to Binhai University, wouldn't that be innovative enough?

At this point, his memories were vital. Due to the passage of time, he couldn't remember everything clearly, especially things that hadn't left a deep impression on him before.

Regarding the landscaping, the only thing he remembered was that the later renovations of the Municipal Government Plaza had some unique, era-appropriate features. He felt he could borrow from that to ensure the top university didn't lose its standing.

Naturally, he would also look at some foreign designs online to draw inspiration, but the main focus had to be Binhai's own character. Binhai University should be a symbol of Binhai culture.