39. Qin Yanan’s Reasons for Providing Financial Support

"Can you drive?"

In the blink of an eye, Qin Yanan unlocked the vehicle and held the keys out to him.

Chen Che tore his gaze away from the car and, seeing the keys inches from his face, asked in surprise, "What did you say?"

"Can you drive?"

"Not that sentence. The one before that."

Seeing the undisguised shock on Chen Che's face, Qin Yanan’s beautiful eyes flickered. She suppressed a smile and put on a straight face as she said, "I’ve already bought the car. It’s for you."

"Wow."

Once he had received a clear confirmation, Chen Che snatched the Porsche keys and walked toward the black Panamera.

He circled around to the back; it was a 4S Executive long-wheelbase 4.0T model.

"Why?" Chen Che asked earnestly once the initial excitement had faded.

Qin Yanan, struggling to hold back a smile, tilted her head and asked with a puzzled look, "Didn't you rent this car a few days ago just because you wanted me to buy it for you?"

At this, Chen Che pointed to the Porsche beside him. "This is *that* car?"

"Yes."

Seeing Qin Yanan nod, Chen Che felt a sense of bewilderment. He explained, feeling both confused and helpless, "You misunderstood. That wasn't what I meant at all."

"Do you not like it?"

"I like it, but..."

Chen Che wanted to explain, but before he could finish, Qin Yanan walked over to the passenger side and interrupted him. "If you like it, then use it. Let's go."

Watching the sophisticated woman climb directly into the passenger seat, Chen Che opened his mouth, caught between laughter and tears, before quickly sliding into the driver's seat.

He was a person who was generally unflappable, but this move by Ms. Nan had genuinely stunned him.

And this was a Panamera, after all.

A Panamera isn't the ultimate luxury car, but because it felt both within reach and yet just out of grasp, it had become an obsession of his in recent years.

If he hadn't been reborn, he would have been able to afford a Panamera within two years, but how should he put it... it wasn't necessary.

Toys that ordinary people can't afford in childhood aren't necessarily worth buying even when they have the money later on.

The greatest distance between him and the Panamera was the loss of his younger self.

Just like a Mercedes E-Class; it isn't expensive—you can buy one for 400,000—but a person can't live without eating or drinking just for the sake of a car.

400,000—that’s enough for how many foot massages? At 3,000 a pop...

"It's really nice."

Chen Che looked at the nearly brand-new interior. The Bordeaux Red was classic and pleasing to the eye; there was hardly a flaw to be found.

Noticing the gaze beside him, he turned to look at the woman, whose eyes held a hint of indulgence, and asked, "Sister, are you really giving this to me?"

"Yes."

Qin Yanan nodded, but before Chen Che could say anything, she set her hand down and whispered, "However, I have a few requirements."

*I knew you had an ulterior motive.*

Chen Che was used to exploiting others, so he never believed that there was such a thing as a free lunch in this world.

Just as he had lowered his own status to win sympathy and favor, only to use everything he could to inflate his own value, he knew how the game was played. Sometimes, even the things Chen Che said himself were things he didn't even believe.

Now that Qin Yanan wanted to give him a Panamera, he couldn't rule out the possibility that she was just incredibly wealthy.

But reality was, after all, reality.

He knew there would be conditions...

Chen Che grumbled inwardly, but kept a serious expression on the surface. "Tell me, what are the conditions?"

"The car can't be transferred to your name yet. I'll transfer it to you after you graduate," Qin Yanan said earnestly.

Chen Che nodded. That didn't really count as a condition. He waited patiently as Ms. Nan continued:

"Also, you must stay in Yanjing for this summer vacation."

"Why?"

Chen Che didn't frown; there was no flicker of emotion on his face, but his tone was filled with profound confusion.

To him, freedom was the most important thing—freedom to do whatever he wanted.

Was Qin Yanan trying to restrict his freedom?

Although he had planned to develop his career in Yanjing in the future, the implications here were different.

He wanted to be in Yanjing because *he* chose to be in Yanjing. He could be in Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Guangzhou if he wanted to—it was all up to him.

But *what the hell*?

What did she mean by "I must be in Yanjing"?

Seeing the lack of understanding in Chen Che's eyes, Qin Yanan realized her phrasing might have been inappropriate and explained, "I mean, I'd like you to spend this summer in Yanjing as much as possible. If you run into any difficulties, like with work or housing, I can help you."

"Why?"

Chen Che still didn't understand. It was as if Qin Yanan really wanted to keep him as a kept man. She was just being a bit more subtle about it.

That was the point of his confusion: what had he done to deserve being "kept" without even lifting a finger?

And by a stunningly beautiful woman, at that.

Was he outstanding? Did he possess some unique talent? Was he universally loved? Or did he have some sort of "aura of a king"?

If that were true, he wouldn't have needed to be reborn; the idea that he was "universally loved" was simply unrealistic.

Although he was handsome, Qin Yanan was clearly not the type of woman who could be conquered by looks alone.

"Don't mind what I'm about to say."

After a moment of hesitation, Qin Yanan spoke, her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Che, turning calm and gentle.

"Go ahead."

Chen Che nodded, showing no great reaction. Seeing this, Qin Yanan stopped holding back and whispered, "I liked someone once. You are very similar to him, both in appearance and in many other aspects."

Qin Yanan was talking about the Chen Che from 2018, which was why she had been so cold when she saw him looking different today.

This answer made Chen Che's heart sink. He knew that relationships between people were always based on interests.

Looking at Qin Yanan now, for some reason, the appeal suddenly faded. Chen Che said, feeling a bit speechless, "So, if you like him, go find him. I don't like being someone else's substitute."

After his rebirth, Chen Che had countless paths to take. He had his own pride; there was no need for them to drag this out.

"He went missing."

"Then go look for him. Why come to me?"

Chen Che wasn't angry. If they couldn't be lovers, they could still be friends, right? He was genuinely offering Qin Yanan some advice.

Besides, he was only interested in her physical appeal anyway. There were no real feelings involved. Unlike Xu Jiarou...

"Huu."

When it came to this, Qin Yanan let out a rare sigh, her eyes shimmering with a complex mix of nostalgia. "He disappeared in a plane crash in 2014..."

"Oh."

Once Qin Yanan said that, Chen Che understood. A plane had been missing for four years—it was no different than the person being gone.

"Were you and he a couple?" Chen Che asked curiously.

Qin Yanan shook her head.

Chen Che was a bit surprised. If they weren't a couple, why did it sound like they were so deeply in love?

"We were middle school classmates, and our families knew each other, but we were both still very young back then."

Given Qin Yanan's age, she would have been 22 four years ago—not exactly old.

Some rebellious teenagers start dating at 12, but Ms. Nan was clearly different from them in that regard.

"Oh, so you were childhood sweethearts."

"Not exactly. We were only classmates for a while, and it was just a friendship."

Qin Yanan sensed Chen Che's resistance, so her answers became more indirect.

But she was telling the truth. She had later gone to England to study, and that boy had gone to study in Southeast Asia.

They hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they had agreed to return to the country to develop their careers together that year, only to end up never seeing each other again.

In truth, there hadn't been that much affection to begin with, but it was like those things one cannot obtain in youth, which end up haunting one for a lifetime.

People are just wired that way.

What hasn't been obtained, or what cannot be obtained, will always be better than what is offered on a silver platter.

"So, does that make me your first love?"