Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 6

“Welcome.”

Fu Jianyi rose from his chair and walked over to Shen Yelin, extending his hand. “I’ve long admired your reputation, Mr. Shen. Seeing you in person today, you truly live up to your name.”

Shen Yelin glanced at the hand extended rather close to him and shook it politely. “Hello.”

Inwardly, he asked the system, “What about the information I asked you to look into? Any results?”

“Well, about that…” The system immediately faltered when it came to business matters. “I have a bit of a lead, but it’s a long story…”

“Then make it short.”

“He might have been reborn, or he might not have,” the system whispered. “After all, when I helped you with your rebirth, I didn’t have much energy left. So there’s a chance something went wrong and affected people nearby. We were at your memorial service, you know, and Fu Jianyi happened to be close by. If he was affected by me, it’s possible he was reborn alongside you.”

Shen Yelin: “…”

What kind of nonsense answer was that? Not a single useful piece of information.

“You should be glad you don’t work under me,” he said coldly. “Otherwise, with your current performance, you’d be heading to HR to collect your termination papers right now.”

The system: “Wah.”

But it quickly rallied. “Host, host, don’t be angry, wah wah wah. Let’s look at it from another angle and think about the positives. Fu Jianyi is such a restrained man. Look at how much he loves you, yet he only showed it at your funeral! And he won’t bother you—he’ll just quietly help you solve problems. I think.”

“Speak plainly.”

“I think we can use this to earn more Peach Blossom Points,” the system said dryly. “After all, we’re in the same boat now. The more energy I have, the longer you can live. I assume you don’t want to live until five years from now only to die in another accident, right? That day is your death date. If we don’t have enough energy to get through it, I might be fine, but you might have to prepare for another rebirth.”

“So what you’re saying,” Shen Yelin said calmly, “is that I should flirt a bit more with the man in front of me so you can gather more energy?”

“That sounds so harsh,” the system immediately flattered. “I think this is called courteous interpersonal interaction, part of normal business dealings. How can you phrase it so unpleasantly? The host is just working to grow the family business! Besides, Fu Jianyi isn’t the kind of man who clings desperately.”

“Hmph.” Shen Yelin let out a cold laugh.

He tried to pull his hand back but found it held firmly in Fu Jianyi’s grasp, pressed tightly against his palm. The scorching heat of his skin transmitted unmistakably through the contact. Shen Yelin raised his eyes slightly and saw a determined glint suddenly appear deep within the other man’s slightly upturned phoenix eyes. Yet, on his handsome face, he still wore a mask of polite detachment, trying to appear utterly indifferent.

“Repeat what you just said?” Shen Yelin thought inwardly.

“…” The system teared up.

This Fu Jianyi really had no regard for its dignity!! it thought indignantly. It had just praised him for not being clingy or bothersome, and the next second, it was slapped in the face right then and there???

Fu Jianyi noticed Shen Yelin’s gaze and quickly released his hand, apologizing with a smile, “Sorry, I was a bit distracted just now. Please have a seat, Mr. Shen.”

From the memories in his dream, he knew that the person before him wasn’t the type to dwell on such trivial matters. So rather than trying to cover it up, it was better to admit it outright the other party would likely overlook his earlier lapse.

Fu Jianyi thought.

As expected, Shen Yelin calmly withdrew his hand and gave a faint “Mm” in response.

The curve of Fu Jianyi’s lips lifted a little higher as he said, “Since this is my first time meeting you, Mr. Shen, and I’m not familiar with your preferences, I just ordered a few dishes that are considered quite good here. If any of them happen to miss the mark for you, please let me know so I won’t make the same mistake next time.”

Though he said this, Fu Jianyi knew full well in his heart. The dishes he had ordered today were all preferences he had painstakingly noted over several years in his dream, gleaned through careful observation. There was no way he could have gotten them wrong. In fact, each one should have hit exactly the right note for the other person.

Shen Yelin nodded and took his seat, watching as the waiter smoothly placed the dishes on the table one by one. He discreetly glanced at Fu Jianyi sitting across from him.

He didn’t know Fu Jianyi well, but he was aware that this was a man of deep cunning, famously unwilling to suffer any losses. Though the other party claimed on the surface that this meeting was merely to confirm the reliability of their cooperation, Shen Yelin wasn’t some naive newcomer who would be fooled by such words. So how much of this was truly about business, and how much was about him? That was worth pondering.

Shen Yelin’s intuition told him that Fu Jianyi shouldn’t be the type to use business dealings to pave the way for personal feelings. But no matter how unreliable the system might be, it wouldn’t deceive him about something as critical as energy levels related to survival. At the very least, Fu Jianyi’s earlier moment of attraction had to be real.

He exchanged a few brief words with Fu Jianyi about the cooperation between Yaoyu and Yue Lin, all while keeping an eye on the time for this dinner.

Fu Jianyi was clever the dishes he had ordered were a mix of Shen Yelin’s preferences and others, enough to prevent anyone from discerning his true intentions. Even Shen Yelin himself, looking at the spread on the table, began to wonder if he had been overthinking things earlier.

“Host, don’t overthink it,” the system said earnestly. “Think about it carefully even if he isn’t reborn, he would still be attracted to you after meeting you today. What difference does it make if he’s reborn or not? At most, he might like you a bit more, maybe even upgrade to love, and we could earn even more energy?”

Shen Yelin: “…”

That did make some sense.

For the first time, Shen Yelin almost found himself convinced by the system.

But he quickly snapped out of it and said to the system, “Unfortunately, I just want them all to get lost.”

“No, no, no, no!!” the system frantically protested. “Host, you’re already living a decent life now we can’t ask for too much. Without energy, we’re both done for!!”

Ignoring its wails, Shen Yelin gave a slight nod to Fu Jianyi, who was still talking animatedly, and said, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

Fu Jianyi immediately stopped what he was saying and smiled at him. “Of course.”

The attendant quickly approached and opened the door for Shen Yelin, asking, “Mr. Shen, would you like me to show you the way?”

“No need.”

“Understood.”

Fu Jianyi watched his retreating figure, his hands, which had been resting on his crossed legs, tightening slightly. He pressed his lips together firmly, suppressing the upward curve they had held moments before.

In the dream, he hadn’t mustered the courage to confess his feelings to Shen Yelin, only daring to maintain a friendly distance while watching from afar. That version of him was consumed by endless regret and bone-deep pain after Shen Yelin’s accidental death, tormented day after day.

The reason for his torment was simple. In the traffic accident that led to Shen Yelin’s tragic demise, Yue Lin had played an indispensable role. It was precisely because Yue Lin had acted as the intermediary, facilitating the collaboration between the two parties, that Shen Yelin had driven out that day to the headquarters of Yaoyu Entertainment.

The day before the accident had been Shen Yelin’s birthday, and naturally, the following day was meant to be his day off. He shouldn’t have needed to leave home that day, yet because of this arrangement, he had stepped out of his house.

Fu Jianyi had wondered countless times: if he hadn’t taken on the role of intermediary, perhaps Shen Yelin wouldn’t have met such a sudden end, leaving his feelings as a scar that could never be spoken of. Shen Yelin could have lived out his life peacefully and happily, even if Fu Jianyi had no place in it. He would have accepted that willingly.

But now, everything was different.

Although the dream might not necessarily reflect the true future, it at least served as a warning for his future actions. Now, Fu Jianyi possessed the information gathered by his future self, understanding the taboos in his interactions with Shen Yelin, and he held the advantage of time. With the dream version of himself as a cautionary tale, he was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. This time, he would seize Shen Yelin completely, making him a lover who belonged to him alone.

Shen Yelin emerged from the cubicle and stood before the sink to wash his hands.

The sound of running water filled the air as he calmly cleaned his hands, then took a piece of paper from the side and slowly dried them. The system continued to chatter in his ear, trying to dissuade him from rejecting all the potential sources of energy: “Host, please listen to me, wuwuwu! Let’s just play along with them, just for a little while!! Believe me, I wouldn’t harm you otherwise, why would I have saved you?”

To be honest, the system’s wailing reminded Shen Yelin of the eunuchs in historical dramas who knelt at the emperor’s feet, kowtowing desperately. It sounded rather pitiful.

“Thank you, I can hear you,” the system said mournfully.

“Since you can hear me,” Shen Yelin replied, “did you enjoy the energy you absorbed this morning? Do you remember what I said?”

“I remember,” the system cried, deeply regretting its choice of host someone so cold, ruthless, and unreasonable. “I’ll shut up right now and leave you alone. I’m sorry! Please don’t scold me anymore!”

“Good.”

Finally free from the system’s whining, Shen Yelin was satisfied. He tossed the used paper towel into the wastebasket and prepared to leave the restroom. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he encountered an unexpected figure at the entrance.

This person, if you say they know each other, they actually don’t. But if you say they don’t, it feels a bit against their conscience.

After all, the two of them had slept in the same bed just last night. It had only been ten hours since they went their separate ways.