Back to 1988-Chapter 1.

Chapter 1: Rollback

Mi Yang lay on the rocking chair, feeling drowsy. Across from him, a small fan whirred, making a sound reminiscent of a lullaby. Mi Yang’s eyelids grew heavier as he listened. Before long, his nearby phone rang twice. He picked it up, glanced at it—it was the last two payments to the bank. Finally, the mortgage for the house was paid off. Mi Yang sighed in relief.

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, his younger cousin knocked on the door and walked in, calling out, “Bro!”

Mi Yang, who was still recovering from a cold, was startled and spoke with a nasal tone. “What’s up?”

The bespectacled cousin, however, stood silently beside Mi Yang, with a look in his eyes that seemed hesitant to speak, as if struggling to find the right words.

Mi Yang found his cousin’s gaze a bit peculiar and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The younger cousin fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Bro, Bai’s family is having an engagement ceremony today.”

Mi Yang was taken aback and asked, “Oh?”

The cousin assessed his expression and whispered, “It’s Bai Luochuan.”

Mi Yang waved his hand dismissively, saying, “I know his family, but what does his engagement have to do with me?”

The cousin replied, “Weren’t you two the closest before?”

Mi Yang furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment. “You mean… I have to bring a gift and attend the engagement ceremony?”

The cousin, looking at Mi Yang with a somewhat strange expression, stuttered a bit in his words. “Bro, are you going? I think… maybe you should lay low today. Go back to the city first. It’s not quite appropriate for you two to meet like this.”

“Go back to the city? Tomorrow is grandma’s birthday celebration. I came all the way here for that. Why would I leave before it’s even over?” Mi Yang was a bit confused by his cousin’s words. However, having recently paid off his mortgage and feeling financially light, with the recent salary in his pocket, he didn’t take the cousin’s advice too seriously. He chuckled and said, “No worries, I can afford a gift. I’ll drop by in the evening.”

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

The cousin immediately responded, “Then I’ll accompany you there.”

Mi Yang said, “It’s not a big deal. No need for you to come. I’ll just drop off the gift.”

Feeling particularly relieved, Mi Yang went home and had a hearty meal, chatted with his grandmother for a while, as his grandmother loved her eldest daughter dearly, and naturally, she doted on Mi Yang, her grandson. Seeing that he had a cold, she insisted on giving him some of her own ginseng pills.
Mi Yang pretended to take two pills and, after coaxing his grandmother into taking a nap, he found a moment to visit the Bai family.

When he arrived in the afternoon, the summer sun was scorching, and the cicadas filled the air with their buzzing.

The ancestral home of the Bai family was quite famous in the local area, occupying a large piece of woodland. Mi Yang rode his bicycle and spent more than ten minutes reaching the place. Along the way, he couldn’t help but marvel at the Bai family’s wealth. Not only did they have this vast woodland, but he also heard there were two mountains behind it. Content with his modest hundred-square-meter house, he couldn’t help but feel that the Bai family’s estate was beyond compare.

Arriving at the Bai family’s old residence, Mi Yang pressed the doorbell twice, originally planning to hand over a red envelope directly and be done with it. Unexpectedly, before anyone came out, he encountered Bai Luochuan.

Bai Luochuan drove up, passing by Mi Yang. Quickly hitting the brakes, he smoothly lowered the car window, and with sharp eyes, he looked at Mi Yang. Handsome and with deep, emotionally turbulent eyes, Bai Luochuan asked, “Why are you here?”

Mi Yang, with a nasal tone due to his cold, replied, “Heard you’re getting married, came to see you.”

Bai Luochuan gave him a deep look and said, “Get in.”

Mi Yang hesitated a bit, saying, “No need, I came by bike, it’s inconvenient…”

Bai Luochuan impatiently interrupted, “I told you to get in!”

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

Mi Yang became a bit unwilling. While he and Bai Luochuan had a good relationship in the past, Bai Luochuan’s domineering and arrogant personality, along with his unapologetic pride, had made Mi Yang gradually distance himself. They used to be old friends from the same hometown, but their contact had dwindled. However, considering it was Bai Luochuan’s wedding, Mi Yang decided to go with the flow. He casually placed his worn-out bicycle to the side and got into Bai Luochuan’s car.

Bai Luochuan’s sports car was low, and once Mi Yang was inside, he felt somewhat cramped. The air conditioning was on full blast, and after a while, Mi Yang sneezed, curling up with a slightly red nose.

Bai Luochuan glanced at him and asked, “How did you know I’m getting married?”

Mi Yang said, “Oh, my younger brother told me.”

Bai Luochuan pursed his lips and remained silent.

The atmosphere in the car became somewhat awkward. After thinking for a while, Mi Yang tentatively said, “Congratulations?”

Bai Luochuan let out a cold laugh, showing little enthusiasm.

Mi Yang had a splitting headache. He reached out to massage his temples, feeling frustrated with these wealthy people. What were they thinking? If he had that much money, he would be happy every day. Couldn’t they enjoy life properly?

After Bai Luochuan parked the car, he suddenly furrowed his brows, leaned over, and touched Mi Yang’s forehead. “I felt something was off since just now. Why are you so hot… are you running a fever?”

Mi Yang was already feeling a bit under the weather due to a cold. Now, after being exposed to the sun for a while and sitting in the air-conditioned car, he was feeling a bit dizzy. Hearing Bai Luochuan’s remark, he nodded and said, “Seems like it.”

Bai Luochuan commented, “You don’t even know if you’re sick or not. Are you stupid?”

Mi Yang thought to himself, You’re the stupid one. However, he didn’t dare to retort face-to-face. Bai Luochuan had been quite adept at disciplining people during their school days, and now, Mi Yang was even more reluctant to provoke him.

Despite the sarcastic comments, Bai Luochuan’s touch was surprisingly gentle as he half-supported, half-carried Mi Yang into the house and led him to a room to rest. Mi Yang, lying on the bed with his shoes still on, suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly sat up, saying, “No need, no need. I just came to give you a…” a red envelope.

Bai Luochuan, impatient, said, “Who cares about your measly red envelope? Keep it for yourself. Lie down and don’t move. I’ll go call the doctor.”

Mi Yang, spurred by Bai Luochuan’s young master attitude, felt a bit rebellious. However, the more agitated he became, the more emotionless he seemed. In a calm tone, he said, “Well, you don’t value this little red envelope of mine. I’ll give you something else.”

Bai Luochuan looked at him and asked, “Give me what?”

Mi Yang replied, “I’ll give you my best wishes.”

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

Bai Luochuan continued to scrutinize him, asking, “Just that?”

Mi Yang nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ve given my wishes. No need to bother calling the doctor. I’ll head back; my grandmother is waiting for me at home for dinner.”

Bai Luochuan took a deep breath and said, “Since you’re here, just wait a bit longer before leaving.”

Mi Yang lifted the thin blanket to get up, but Bai Luochuan pressed him down. His thin lips lifted slightly in a half-smile, almost mocking, as he said, “Since you’re here to give your blessings, you should at least stay for a meal. How about joining the engagement celebration? Will you drink?”

Mi Yang could only nod in response.

It seemed like Bai Luochuan had just started the preparations. The large mansion was quite empty just a while ago, but with one phone call from Bai Luochuan, a considerable number of people appeared, and the festivities were quickly organized. After Mi Yang saw the doctor and rested for a short while, he was ready to join the engagement banquet downstairs.

Mi Yang checked the time; it was four in the afternoon. In their region, there was a tradition of holding wedding banquets in the morning, and afternoons and evenings were typically reserved for second weddings. Mi Yang wasn’t sure if there were similar superstitions for engagement ceremonies, but Bai Luochuan was known for his wilfulness, and with his capabilities, the Bai family likely indulged him in such matters.

Mi Yang was familiar with the bride, the campus belle from their school days. What was more, there had even been rumors about himself and her, a brief romance lasting only a week. Now, when she saw Mi Yang, her eyes seemed to dodge away, but Mi Yang remained composed.

The prospective bride wore a forced smile, perhaps uneasy about having the engagement ceremony in the afternoon. Despite this, she dared not voice her displeasure. She wore a small evening gown, with simple and subtle makeup, giving the impression of being a last-minute stand-in, hastily dragged onto the stage without much time for elaborate preparation.

Bai Luochuan stood on the stage, even during the toasting ceremony, he seemed like a participant in someone else’s engagement. Only when he reached Mi Yang did he put on a fierce expression, forcefully downing three glasses of wine with him.

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

Bai Luochuan said, “After all these years of camaraderie, we can’t not drink, can we?”

After Mi Yang finished the drink, Bai Luochuan asked, “We’ve known each other for so many years. Can we consider ourselves brothers?”

By the third glass, Bai Luochuan had already had a bit too much to drink. He leaned on Mi Yang’s shoulder, gripping it tightly enough to cause some pain. Unaware of the discomfort, he stared at Mi Yang like a hungry hawk, his gaze sharp. Bai Luochuan said, “Tell me, are you my best… friend?” The table fell silent as everyone focused on their drinks and food.

Mi Yang could only manage those three glasses of alcohol. With the strong liquor in his system and his existing cold, his condition worsened. He felt a severe headache, dizziness, and a hazy sense of consciousness. He couldn’t remember what Bai Luochuan had said to him, only a vague recollection of Bai Luochuan telling people around them, “He’s drunk,” before assisting him upstairs.

As they ascended, Bai Luochuan spoke to Mi Yang, sharing many intimate words. He expressed discontent with the engagement and more profound dissatisfaction.

Mi Yang thought, “This young master actually wants to go back in time? If it were me, I wouldn’t want to go through it again. Life is good now. Why bother with all that?”

With these thoughts lingering, he drifted off into a hazy sleep.

When he woke up again, Mi Yang heard the rhythmic sound of a drum in his ears, a steady “dong dong long dong” that had a certain beat to it.

Frowning, Mi Yang considered reaching out to turn off the alarm. He also wondered why his phone didn’t have that ringtone. As he struggled to open his eyes, he finally saw the couple who had awakened him—a young husband and wife dressed in old-fashioned military uniforms. They were holding a drum, swaying it back and forth playfully to entertain him. Both of their faces were tinged with youthfulness, and a hint of the radiant glow that comes with being new parents.

Kindly note that this content is exclusively accessible on Funnovels.fun for fast updates and clean text, devoid of any disruptive trademarks; read it on Funnovels.com.

“Yangyang, look, this is the drum Daddy brought back for you from his business trip. Do you like it? Are you happy?”

Mi Yang: “…”

Mi Yang was not happy at all!

However, he couldn’t even protest. Now, he found himself swaddled like a baby, and in front of him were the youthful faces of his parents from over twenty years ago. It seemed he had returned to his own childhood.