The car slowly pulled out of the parking area. As her fingers paused over the “Home” address on the navigation app, Su Wan suddenly wasn’t sure whether “home” at this point meant the old apartment building in the old district or the new residential community she’d already moved into. Fortunately, the navigation provided the familiar route, and the street scenes along the way gradually began to match her memories: the convenience store on the corner was still lit, with its old-style sign—blue background and white letters—rather than the big pharmacy chain that had since taken over; yet at the intersection, there was an extra left-turn waiting lane compared with what she remembered.

Just as the car turned into Qianjin Residential Community, her phone rang. The caller ID read “Comrade Lin Shengnan.” It was her mom. Su Wan took a deep breath and answered. Immediately, a familiar voice came through the receiver: “Wanwan, how did the blind date go?”

“Comrade Lin, do you have any idea how bizarre this guy is? Who on earth introduced him to me? I’m going to block her—absolutely block her!” As Su Wan backed into her parking space, she tilted her head to keep the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder while talking to her mom.

“Come on, tell Mom exactly how bizarre he is!” Lin Shengnan sounded almost amused by the whole situation.

“He said he won’t pay a bride price, but he wants a dowry of 200,000 yuan, plus he wants me to cover the renovation costs. He even wants the car registered in his name, though we’ll be the ones using it. The worst part is that he insists I get pregnant with a boy first before we register our marriage—afraid I might not give him a male heir to carry on the family line.”

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the line.

“Oh my goodness… Is this marrying a wife or hiring a free housekeeper?” Lin Shengnan’s tone changed in an instant. “Who on earth introduced you to this guy? This is just too unbelievable!”

As Su Wan locked the car doors, she said, “That’s exactly what I was about to ask—this person has to be blocked.” The moment she finished speaking, a name suddenly popped into her mind.

Ren Weiwei!

“Wanwan? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Lin Shengnan asked.

“It’s nothing,” Su Wan replied, steadying the steering wheel. “I’m just saying this guy isn’t right—next time, don’t recommend people like this without checking them first.”

“True, you can’t take marriage lightly,” Lin Shengnan sighed. “But I notice you’re talking differently tonight than before. You used to always say ‘it’s okay,’ but now you’re actually complaining to me… I’m actually quite happy about that.”

Su Wan didn’t respond. She drove the car slowly toward her parking spot. “I’m already downstairs—just a minute until I get home.” With that, she hung up and headed for the apartment building. When she reached the ground floor, she looked up at the hallway motion-sensor light—it was still the same old thing: you had to stomp your foot twice before it would turn on. Su Wan stepped on it, and the light flickered briefly before finally coming on. Inside the hallway, the air smelled damp and musty, mixed with the aroma of someone’s cooking. She hurried up the stairs, but her mind kept drifting back to Ren Weiwei.

If she had arranged this blind date herself, what could the purpose be? To boost her standing within the family circle? To use her failure as a foil to highlight someone else’s success? Or… to make her look foolish in front of everyone so she could be controlled later?

She pulled out her key to unlock the door, but her hand froze mid-motion.

Something wasn’t right.

Standing at the doorway, she inserted the key into the lock and then pulled it out again. Should she confront her right now?

No—without any evidence, rushing into a confrontation would only put her at a disadvantage. Besides… she needed more time to think it over.

Before Su Wan could insert the key into the lock again, the door opened. It was her brother, Su Chen. Seeing her, he grinned and said, “Back already? Mom just told me you gave that blind-date guy a real scolding? Not bad, little sister—you’ve lost none of your fighting spirit!”

“You’re pretty nosy, big bro,” Su Wan shot back as she hung her bag on the hook by the door. “Oh, look at how thin your hair is now—hard to believe you’ll end up with a bald patch in five years!” That’s always been the way they were: as soon as they met, they started bickering.

End of Chapter 2: Reborn?