Chapter 8: The Helplessness of Ordinary People

At this moment, Yang Hua’s confidence completely vanished, and all her bluster was extinguished. Facing Chen Fan’s cold indifference and the merciless gleam in his eyes, she could feel that if she didn’t repay the money or if she dragged the matter home, Chen Fan would truly report her theft to the authorities. If the two sides turned hostile, given the Chen family’s indulgence toward Chen Fan, the court would surely side with him.

Moreover, her brother-in-law was indeed somewhat unworthy of Chen Fan’s eldest sister... Without a sister-in-law, the Chen family would undoubtedly show no mercy. Imprisonment was inevitable for her.

After a rapid internal struggle, a decision was made in her heart.

“I... I will definitely repay the money, but can you give me a few more days?” Yang Hua, her eyes reddened, asked softly and plaintively.

Chen Fan nodded and released his grip. His gaze briefly swept over the contours of her lying figure, still revealing some allure, and he quickly muttered a silent “Amitabha.” What nonsense are you thinking? You’re handling serious business!

“Repay the money by the end of the month, no extensions!”

“Alright!” Yang Hua’s deflated spirit made her resemble a fragile little white rabbit.

She gently tugged at Chen Fan’s sleeve, imploring, “Can you not tell your parents or my family about the theft?”

“As long as you repay the money, I’ll pretend this never happened. But if you dare to act shamelessly, even heaven won’t save you!”

“I understand!” Yang Hua, dejected, grabbed her bag and left, her silhouette tinged with sorrow.

Bang!

The sound of a door slamming downstairs echoed.

Chen Fan stood by the window, watching Yang Hua pedal away on her bike and couldn’t help but exhale deeply.

In this era, legal awareness was weak. Many people, when faced with problems or conflicts, wouldn’t immediately report to the police; they preferred to resolve matters privately whenever possible. For example, if street thugs fought but no one reported it and there were no fatalities, the authorities usually turned a blind eye. Except in cases of murder, arson, trafficking, or dealing in contraband.

Thus, Yang Hua had subconsciously assumed he would only expose her theft to their parents and teachers, never imagining it would escalate to the police. This gave Chen Fan the opportunity to use his legal knowledge to psychologically and verbally pressure her into submission.

Having dealt with the scheming woman, Chen Fan, newly reborn today, finally allowed himself to lie back and relax.

“Since I’ve been given a second chance at life, besides revenge, I must get rich—make a fortune! After all, which reborn character in novels doesn’t become a billionaire or even a trillionaire?”

But a harsh reality remained.

Other reborn individuals often had systems or cheat codes. Chen Fan, however, besides knowing the future, had no such advantage.

Buy lottery tickets?

If it were truly random, so many people wouldn’t be hiding their identities when collecting winnings. It’s not something you can win just by buying a ticket!

Invest in stocks?

He barely had two hundred yuan to his name—not nearly enough!

Collect banknotes, stamps, antiques...

All required upfront capital!

Bitcoin?

That wouldn’t appear until 2009, four years from now.

Write plagiarism-free content?

Possible, but in 2005, trying to make money from online writing was a fool’s dream; the earnings didn’t even match day labor.

Write songs...

That was purely for lucky stars.

Write scripts and pitch to directors and screenwriters?

They’d just rename and slightly modify your work to shoot it, making your efforts meaningless.

Programming and software development?

He knew a little but was only a dilettante—could manage small tasks but nothing grand.

“Damn it, even reborn I’m still just an ordinary person! Changing fate is harder than climbing to the heavens!” Chen Fan sighed bitterly.

He had only the innate advantage of knowing what the future held. Even if he knew which industries would prosper, without money or influence, it was useless.

“Forget it. Making money can wait. For now, besides dealing with Su Xue and Zhao Qinghe, my primary focus must be preparing for the college entrance exam.”

Just as he was about to push himself to study late into the night, Chen Fan crawled out of bed but shivered uncontrollably.

“It’s already midnight. Reading too much now will harm my eyesight. Better to start fresh tomorrow. Plus, reading wastes electricity... makes sense!”

He nestled back under the covers and exhaled comfortably, a look of contentment on his face.

Vibrating!

His phone by the pillow suddenly buzzed.

[Chen Fan, did you take me shopping in the city at noon on purpose? To let Qinghe see us together? Chen Fan, your intentions disgust me. What you did today made me very angry! But if you bring fried rice and whatever other late-night snacks to me, I might consider forgiving you. Also, my parents just left; if you come before eleven with food, not only will I stop being mad, but I’ll also fulfill the surprise I promised you. You can stay at my place tonight, and we can... If you don’t show up or apologize tonight, I’ll never talk to you again! Oh, and don’t forget to top up my phone credit at the internet cafe when you come!]
— From Su Xue.

Reading the lengthy message, Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and smirked.

One had to admit, Su Xue was clever—using anger to threaten him and reintroducing the surprise to entice him, mastering the tactic of one slap and one sweet gesture perfectly.

If it were before, he’d have jumped straight into the pit for her.

But now? Screw that, who the hell cared about her!

“The whole family is incorrigible!” Chen Fan chuckled and ignored the message.

No sooner had he put down the phone than another message arrived—not from Su Xue this time, but Yang Hua.

[Chen Fan, I’ve run into some trouble and need some money. Can I temporarily repay half of what I stole? But rest assured, as soon as I gather enough, I’ll repay everything. Please don’t report this or tell my family!]

“Yang Hua is pampered at home, treated like a princess by her family. What kind of trouble could she possibly be in?” Chen Fan squinted at the message.

Remembering what happened on the 25th in his previous life, his eyes widened.

Could it be that Yang Hua was pregnant?

“If that’s true... tsk, tsk... the old Yang family’s reputation is doomed!” Chen Fan grinned wickedly, his fingers dancing over the keyboard.

[Be honest. If you don’t repay all the money by the end of the month, expect to wear silver bracelets!]

After sending the message, Chen Fan set his alarm and switched off his phone.

He had no saintly heart!

If Yang Hua really was carrying a child, he didn’t mind watching the old Yang family’s drama unfold.

He clearly remembered everything from his previous life—Yang Hua’s actions toward him, and how she and her parents treated the Chen family and his eldest sister.

“As long as no one threatens my family, your lives and deaths are none of my concern!”

Chen Fan chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

Young people’s standard: fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow.

But that night, both Yang Hua and Su Xue would be left wide awake...