After Transmigrating into a Professional Bootlicker, I Messed Up - Chapter 83.1

Extra Story 4 FINALE

Men can really turn cold faster than flipping a page.

The worst Ji Chi’an had ever been to Lin Luo was at the very start, when he’d say a few cold words. Soon after, he might seem aloof on the surface, but he’d secretly want her to stick to him.

But now, here he was, actually scolding her, even threatening to call the police to make her leave. Yet just last night, his attitude had softened toward her.

What was going on?

Lin Luo felt a twinge of sadness. She thought of the dream she’d had the night before—Ji Chi’an’s embrace in the dream had felt so real, like he was really there. She missed Ji Chi’an so much.

Ji Chi’an had been so good to her; he’d always been there whenever she needed him.

She looked at the young man by the door. He had everything her Ji Chi’an had, and yet, he wasn’t quite him. It had nothing to do with age, wealth, or status—only with the cold indifference in his eyes as he looked at her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lin Luo held back tears, stopping herself from breaking down, knowing that without her Ji Chi’an, there’d be no one to comfort her if she cried.

She adjusted her emotions, then lifted her head with a faint smile. “Alright. I’m sorry for intruding last night.”

She got up, straightened the bed, washed up briefly, and left with a polite “Thank you.”

So calm and collected, so unlike the playful and clingy girl from before. When Ji Chi’an offered to help carry her suitcase downstairs, she declined politely.

It was as if, overnight, she’d broken free from those feelings, becoming someone entirely unburdened. She took her heavy suitcase and walked down the stairs with unsteady steps, looking like she might collapse, but she didn’t, making her way steadily down and out of sight.

Ji Chi’an leaned by the window, watching her walk to the alleyway, flag down a taxi, and leave without a single glance back. Her slender figure and luxurious suitcase were entirely out of place in the old, dilapidated neighborhood, leaving nothing worth lingering for.

Ji Chi’an let out a self-deprecating smirk. He suddenly recalled old legends of scholars rescuing wounded spirits in the wilderness, leading to passionate romances.

But there hadn’t been anything like that here—not even a fleeting romance.

It wasn’t that the spirit wasn’t enchanting or captivating, but that her heart already belonged to someone else.

Pulling the curtains closed, he lay back on the bed. He hadn’t slept at all the previous night. He couldn’t explain why he, usually so calm and restrained, felt so troubled and restless over a girl he’d just met.

He pulled the blanket over himself. It still carried her faint, sweet fragrance, lulling him to sleep.

In his sleep, light slowly broke through the darkness. He was back in his childhood, in a lavish room surrounded by maids and elegantly dressed adults, living happily—until the car accident that mirrored the one he’d had in this life. But in his previous life, he hadn’t lost his hearing; he’d gained the ability to hear even more.

Then came a childhood and adolescence of loneliness and struggle, fighting his way through darkness step by step until he’d risen to the top.

Then he’d met that girl, Lin Luo, a doe who’d wandered into his heart.

He grew to love her, cherished her like the rarest treasure in the world.

And she had loved him just as much. Together, they’d married, raised a family, lived a lifetime of deep love and companionship, growing old together.

It was such a long, vivid dream—or maybe not a dream at all.

Ji Chi’an didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally opened his eyes again. Rising slowly, he walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and let the morning sunlight wash over him, reaching out to feel its warmth.

He was alive again.

Or rather, he wasn’t simply alive again; this version of him now possessed all the memories of his past life. The two of him—the Ji Chi’an of his previous life and his current self—had fully merged.

There was no sense of unfamiliarity, no resistance, as if he’d always been the same person. Perhaps it was simply that he’d lived a fuller life before, with a stronger spirit, and in that moment, this young man’s frame carried the hardened aura of someone used to power and authority. Yet he still retained the edge of youth and a mind just hitting its prime.

Now he understood what Lin Luo had meant when she’d once mentioned her experience of crossing over into another world.

He took in the room around him, reflecting on his current life’s struggles, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

So he had, after all, experienced poverty in his youth.

Thankfully, she was still here in this life.

Ji Chi’an thought, perhaps his purpose in every life was to find her, fall in love with her, and protect her.

He recalled her tearful face in the rain, the shock and joy when she first saw him, and the warmth of their embrace in the haze of last night, filling his heart with a bittersweet ache.

He had lived so long already; starting over with her felt like falling in love all over again. How could she still be so soft and endearing, so easily heart-tugging?

Without him by her side, she must have felt so afraid. She liked to hold onto something when she slept, wanted water when she woke up, feared the dark and being alone. She must’ve been through so much without him; she must have missed him terribly.

Then he remembered how he’d sent her away. He wanted to smack himself.

What a fool. She’d been right there, and he’d insisted on separate beds. Separate beds! Not only that, but he’d even been jealous of himself and chased her out—truly a fool.

She must be hurt and upset now, though, luckily, she was always easy to console.

But how to win her back?

In the past, he’d cheer her up with gifts—fine jewelry, designer bags, yacht trips. But now… he looked around at the room, smaller than his old bathroom, feeling a headache set in.

Maybe this was karma for his previous life of luxury, throwing him back here, broke, helpless, and having just driven away his own wife.

And now he didn’t know where she lived, had no way to contact her. Forget cheering her up—finding her would be hard enough.

🍵 Tea Break with Kliraz: Memory Lane & Second Chances! 🌄💞

Lin Luo’s tearful exit after being sent away captures the phrase “一刀两断” (yīdāo liǎngduàn), meaning to sever ties completely. While she didn’t want to, she handled it with dignity, a classic portrayal of grace in rejection. (｡•́︿•̀｡)

Chinese mythology often has tales of spirits who reappear for romance. Ji Chi’an’s reference to “scholars saving fairies” draws on these, suggesting their encounter was a mix of fate and fantasy.

Ji Chi’an’s sudden recollection of their past life is a case of “integrated memories.” When identities blend, people might feel powerful “déjà vu.” Here, it’s as if Ji Chi’an and his memories have always coexisted, reinforcing his purpose.

Did you know? In Chinese romance, “rainy-night confessions” are an old trope. It’s like nature’s way of cleansing souls before a new beginning—a setting just perfect for second chances!

ヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ

Have you ever had that “right place, wrong time” feeling? Share your stories below! (*≧ω≦)