"If he really wants to be with you, he will ask for my consent beforehand, instead of just dating you privately."

Bai Yan nodded: "So in your opinion, brother, it seems more like he's pursuing me for the sake of our Bai family's business?"

"Um."

Bai Yan added, "Then why didn't you talk to me properly before? If you had told me everything, he and I might not have started."

Bai Yi'an was stunned by the question: Why didn't you tell your sister...? Because he thought he could handle it, and what would she know since she was still young?

Bai Yan gently shook her head.

Having lost their parents at a young age, Bai Yi'an acted as both an older brother and a parent to his younger sister as she grew up, so of course he loved her.

However, he was nearly ten years older than the original owner of this body, and after entering the business world, the two siblings had fewer opportunities to spend time together. He always felt that the original owner of this body was still that little girl, and he still raised her in a controlling manner.

Children will always rebel as they grow up.

In Bai Yan's view, the original owner's "saintly complex" stemmed from Bai Yi'an's overly protective and guarded approach to her. She had never experienced setbacks or encountered bad people, and thus maintained a childlike innocence towards the outside world.

She is genuinely kind, but she often ends up doing more harm than good.

To outsiders, the princess in the ivory tower is nothing more than a steaming hot cake, and Lin Rou and Zhou Yunan are both staring at her as she eats it.

“Brother, I know you mean well,” Bai Yan said into the phone, “but I’m not a child anymore. I have the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and I need your respect.”

“Just like now, you should have told me why I should break up with Zhou Yunan, instead of giving me a command to break up with Zhou Yunan.”

“I am your sister, not an employee of your company.”

Bai Yi'an was about to retort when she was disobeyed, but then she heard her say, "Besides that, brother, I also want to apologize for the argument we had before. I know that you protect me because you love me."

"Brother, it's not just you who cares about me, I care about you too. I'm afraid you'll be upset because of what I'm doing. I was wrong this time too. I shouldn't have made you sad because of someone else's mistake. I'm sorry."

After a long while, he heard the other person say, "I apologize to you too. I was too hasty when I was talking to you."

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I won't disrespect your opinions anymore."

Bai Yi'an felt a mix of bitterness and warmth as he listened to his sister's apology: the little girl he had once protected had finally grown up.

A fledgling bird must eventually fly; it's his constant attempts to control her that, by holding her too tightly, have only led to more arguments.

The siblings, who had lacked communication, had their estrangement greatly reduced after talking to each other. They chatted for a while longer when Bai Yan heard the other side urging them to start a meeting. She then hurriedly said, "Xiao Yan, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

"Wait, bro, you didn't give me a present for my birthday. Can I have one?"

"what would you like?"

"I want to do a research project, and the estimated start-up funding for the lab is one billion," Bai Yan demanded outrageously.

Bai Yi'an agreed without much thought since her younger sister was studying a related major: "Okay, I'll have my secretary transfer the money to you."

The fact that the guy was so generous with the money was a big plus, and Bai Yan's voice became a little sweeter: "Consider this your investment in me, bro. Don't worry, I won't let you lose money."

Bai Yi'an laughed: "What investment? Consider it pocket money from your brother."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Yi'an was still in an extremely good mood. His younger sister had grown up, become sensible, and knew how to care for her brother...

The secretary, a long-time employee, learned the details from him and, after transferring money to Bai Yan, hesitated for a long time.

"Mr. Bai, I heard that one of Zhou Yunan's recent investments has gone bust, and the company has lost over a billion yuan. Do you think Xiao Yan might be doing this for him?"

Bai Yi'an's heart skipped a beat: "No...no way?"

He shook his head again. In the past, he would have been furious and argued with his sister after listening to his secretary, but recalling their calm discussion just now, Zhou Yunan shook his head: "Xiao Yan wouldn't lie to me like that."

However, the brother and sister need to talk more; he'll have to ask her about the lab later.

...

Bai Yan acted swiftly. The night the money arrived, she finalized the location of the laboratory and ordered a batch of experimental equipment, as well as ten jade bracelets that resembled the ones on her wrist. She planned to conduct the first research experiment once the laboratory opened.

"Bai Yan, how's the money? I'm really anxious, are you done yet?" Lin Rou called again to urge him.

"Meet me at the usual place in an hour," Bai Yan said. After saying that, she put the bracelet on her wrist and quickly went to the place they had agreed to meet.

...

The "old place" they were referring to was a dessert shop inside the school, where Lin Rou used to work part-time while studying.

Lin Rou ordered a milk tea and a dessert she couldn't bear to eat in her past life, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

Having lived a second life, she realized the preciousness of food and understood how rare it was to have a full stomach.

Lin Rou wanted to live, and she never wanted to live the days of starvation she had before. She wanted to live a more comfortable and carefree life than anyone else in the apocalypse!

“Little wildcat, how did you find out that my business is going to lose money?” A text message came through the chat box from someone named Zhou Yunan.

Lin Rou smiled. With her second chance at life and the advantage that no one else knew, she was confident she could live a good life!

She tilted her head back, took a picture of the curves of her chest, and said, "Are you more interested in my sources, or what color underwear I'm wearing today?"

The other party sent several angry emojis.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!