Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 409
- Home
- All Novels
- Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend
- Chapter 409 - The Li Family’s New Housekeeper.
Xu Xiuwen finished speaking and turned to leave the room.
The moment he stepped out, he let out a long sigh.
His earlier cold and firm attitude had been intentional.
He knew he had wronged Lu Xinyao, but he didn’t want to be controlled by her because of it.
He didn’t have the time to waste with her, so he chose a different approach.
From the situation earlier, it seemed to be somewhat effective.
Although Lu Xinyao occasionally glared at him, it was better than her previous constant crying and ignoring him.
Back in his room, Xu Xiuwen instinctively went to the bedside.
His gaze was once again drawn to the bright plum blossom on the bed.
Xu Xiuwen thought he might have a perverse streak in him because seeing the plum blossom made him want to keep it.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he eventually fetched a pair of scissors and cut out a piece of the plum blossom the size of a handkerchief.
Half an hour later, Xu Xiuwen knocked on Lu Xinyao’s room door again.
After about half a minute, the door opened from the inside.
It was Lu Xinyao who opened it herself.
She had washed her face, and since she didn’t have any makeup, she was bare-faced.
Lu Xinyao was one of those naturally beautiful girls who looked great even without makeup, thanks to her glowing skin and delicate features.
However, despite her beauty, her expression was quite sour at the moment.
Xu Xiuwen casually asked, “Did you forget anything?”
Lu Xinyao ignored him completely and walked downstairs without a word.
Xu Xiuwen was not angered by her response.
He didn’t follow immediately but went into the room to check.
The dining cart was still in its original place, and the food on it had not been touched at all.
Xu Xiuwen’s mood darkened instantly.
He checked out of the room, and the two of them went back to where they had parked the night before.
Once in the car, Lu Xinyao hugged her legs, resting her head against the car window and staring out at the passing scenery.
Xu Xiuwen started the car and began the drive back.
During the drive, Xu Xiuwen tried to talk to Lu Xinyao several times, but no matter what he said, Lu Xinyao ignored him.
Throughout the journey, she kept her posture, quietly gazing out the window.
Before long, they arrived in Jinling.
Xu Xiuwen didn’t drive to the company but headed toward the company dormitory instead.
Given Lu Xinyao’s current state, she clearly wouldn’t be able to continue working.
He parked the car downstairs at the company dormitory.
Lu Xinyao seemed not to have realized they had arrived; she remained lost in thought, staring out the window.
“Wake up, we’re home,” Xu Xiuwen said, trying to rouse her.
Lu Xinyao came to her senses and looked outside the car, recognizing the area as the company dormitory neighborhood.
She unfastened her seatbelt and intended to get out and go upstairs.
But the car door remained locked.
Realizing that Xu Xiuwen had locked the door, she turned to him with a rather cold gaze.
Xu Xiuwen said, “I know you can’t accept what happened yesterday right away, and I’m not asking you to forgive me immediately. I just hope you’ll take care of yourself. If you want to report this, I won’t stop you. If you need compensation, you can call me anytime.”
Lu Xinyao asked calmly, “Are you done speaking?”
“I’m done.”
“Open the door!”
“Alright.”
Xu Xiuwen unlocked the car door.
Lu Xinyao didn’t want to spend another second in the car.
She immediately got out, quickly went upstairs, and vanished from Xu Xiuwen’s view.
Xu Xiuwen sighed.
He then drove away and returned to Jiangning Huayuan.
Unbeknownst to Xu Xiuwen, as soon as Lu Xinyao got home and entered her room, she broke down, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
She curled up alone in her room, crying on the bed.
When Xu Xiuwen got back to his place, he took a shower and changed his clothes.
By the time he finished everything, it was almost midnight.
He checked the time and went out again.
First, he drove to the company, where he arranged for Lu Xinyao to take a leave and also got the key to their apartment from Song Xiaomi.
After completing these tasks, he bought a lot of delicious food.
Finally, he drove to the company dormitory.
Xu Xiuwen carried the items upstairs and used the key he got from Song Xiaomi to unlock the door.
He expertly found the only pair of men’s slippers on the shoe rack.
He changed into the slippers, put the things down temporarily, and then went to Lu Xinyao’s room.
“Knock, knock, knock~”
After crying for so long, Lu Xinyao had fallen into an exhausted sleep.
The sudden knocking at the door startled her.
She thought it was Song Xiaomi, quickly wiped away her tears, and asked with a feigned casual tone, “Is something wrong, Xiaomi?”
“Knock, knock, knock~”
“Song Xiaomi” didn’t answer but knocked again.
Lu Xinyao, filled with confusion, hesitated for a moment before softly saying, “The door isn’t locked; you can come in.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuwen felt relieved and opened the door to enter Lu Xinyao’s room.
When the door opened, Lu Xinyao looked up and saw that it wasn’t her roommate Song Xiaomi but Xu Xiuwen.
Her expression changed to one of cold anger at an astonishing speed.
“Who told you to come in? Get out!”
Xu Xiuwen, unbothered by her reaction, said, “You’re the one who let me in.”
“I thought it was Xiaomi—” Lu Xinyao stopped abruptly, “Where did you get the key?”
Seeing the doubtful look on Lu Xinyao’s face, Xu Xiuwen worried she might misunderstand and quickly explained, “Don’t overthink it. I don’t have a spare key. I went to the company and borrowed one from Song Xiaomi.”
After hearing Xu Xiuwen’s explanation, Lu Xinyao felt a bit better.
If Xu Xiuwen had hidden a spare key without telling them, it would mean he could come and go from the dormitory anytime, day or night.
That would be too frightening, especially after what happened last night.
Lu Xinyao asked in a deep voice, “Why are you here? You need to leave!”
“You haven’t eaten anything this morning. It’s already noon. Aren’t you hungry? I bought some food. See if there’s anything you like.”
Xu Xiuwen said this and immediately ran out of the room.
He returned to the living room, picked up the things he had set down, and came back to the room.
Seeing Xu Xiuwen go out and come back with various kinds of food, Lu Xinyao felt a slight warmth in her heart.
But she still didn’t want to see him.
“I’m not hungry. Take these things and leave. I don’t want to see you right now. If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.”
Xu Xiuwen knew that getting Lu Xinyao to forgive him wouldn’t happen quickly.
He placed the food he had bought on the nightstand beside Lu Xinyao’s bed.
“I’m leaving now. I’ve left the food here for you. Eat something if you’re hungry.”
Xu Xiuwen set down the food and then left.
After Xu Xiuwen left, Lu Xinyao’s gaze was fixed on the food he had bought.
After leaving the company dormitory, Xu Xiuwen went back to the company.
He held a brief meeting and urged the team to keep a close eye on the TV show’s review process.
After work at 5 PM, Xu Xiuwen found an excuse to take Song Xiaomi out for dinner and also packed a portion for Lu Xinyao.
Xu Xiuwen drove Song Xiaomi back to the dormitory.
Upon returning to the company dormitory, Xu Xiuwen knocked on Lu Xinyao’s door again.
This time, Lu Xinyao was more cautious and asked, “Who is it?”
After hearing Song Xiaomi’s voice, she agreed to let them in.
Xu Xiuwen followed Song Xiaomi into Lu Xinyao’s room.
Lu Xinyao had been sleeping, and the room was dark.
When Song Xiaomi turned on the light, Xu Xiuwen saw Lu Xinyao lying on the bed, facing away from the door.
The food Xu Xiuwen had bought and left on her nightstand was untouched.
Xu Xiuwen sighed.
At that moment, Lu Xinyao turned over and asked, “Xiaomi, is something wrong?”
When she opened her eyes, she saw not only Song Xiaomi but also Xu Xiuwen, whom she least wanted to see.
Lu Xinyao felt extremely irritated.
Even with Song Xiaomi in the room, she couldn’t hold back and shouted at Xu Xiuwen, “Why are you so annoying? How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to see you?”
Song Xiaomi was stunned.
She thought Lu Xinyao’s words were directed at her.
Only Xu Xiuwen understood the situation.
He quickly explained, “Xiaomi, it’s not your fault. She’s upset with me.”
Song Xiaomi asked in confusion, “Why?”
Xu Xiuwen came up with a lie, “Lu Xinyao was on a business trip with me, and I didn’t take good care of her, so she got sick.”
Hearing Xu Xiuwen’s explanation, Song Xiaomi noticed the detail she had almost overlooked.
Although Lu Xinyao’s complexion had improved somewhat after the afternoon, it was still pale, and her eyes were red and swollen.
“Sister Xinyao, why are you so sick? Have you seen a doctor?”
Lu Xinyao didn’t want Song Xiaomi to know the real reason.
She was forced to go along with Xu Xiuwen’s lie.
“I’m fine, Xiaomi. Don’t worry about me.”
Xu Xiuwen suddenly added, “Xiaomi, Lu Xinyao hasn’t eaten anything all day.”
Hearing this, Song Xiaomi became anxious again.
Lu Xinyao glared at Xu Xiuwen.
Despite her red, swollen eyes and pale complexion, Lu Xinyao was still very pretty.
Even when she was angry, she remained beautiful.
Xu Xiuwen acted as if he didn’t see Lu Xinyao’s glare.
He said, “Xiaomi, you’re in charge of making sure Lu Xinyao eats. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave now.”
Song Xiaomi nodded, “Don’t worry, Mr. Xu. I’ll take good care of Sister Xinyao.”
Xu Xiuwen looked at Lu Xinyao and said, “Take care of yourself and come back to work when you’re better. I’ll visit you again.”
After finishing his words, Xu Xiuwen left without caring about how Lu Xinyao might feel.
After leaving the company dormitory, Xu Xiuwen drove to the Li family home.
He had promised Li Haimei to give Li Ke three extra lessons over the course of a week.
Since he made the promise, he had to keep it.
Xu Xiuwen arrived at the Li family home precisely at 6 PM.
He knocked on the door and waited outside.
Soon, someone came to open the door.
But it wasn’t Li Ke.
“Boss Xu, you’re here?” Mu Zhilan said with a smile when she saw Xu Xiuwen.
“Sister Mu? What are you doing here?”
Mu Zhilan replied with a smile, “I’m working as a housekeeper here now.”
At that moment, Li Ke also came out of her room.
“Is Teacher Xu here?” Li Ke called out to the living room.
Mu Zhilan immediately answered, “Boss Xu is here.”
The two referred to Xu Xiuwen differently.
Li Ke was very happy to hear that Xu Xiuwen had arrived.
She hurriedly moved to the entrance.
Seeing Xu Xiuwen, Li Ke said, “Teacher Xu, why are you still standing outside? Come in!”
Xu Xiuwen entered, changed into the slippers provided, and followed Li Ke into her room.
Xu Xiuwen asked, “How come you have a housekeeper now?”
Although Xu Xiuwen knew that Mu Zhilan was recommended to Li Haimei by him, he asked out of curiosity.
Li Ke, however, didn’t know the background.
The girl said with a smile, “My mom suddenly decided to hire a housekeeper. I only found out about it the day before yesterday when I came back from school.”
“Do you remember her?”
Li Ke nodded, “I remember. She’s Qiao Gang’s mother.”
“Have you told Qiao Gang that his mother is working as a housekeeper at your home?”
Li Ke shook her head, “No, why would I tell him?”
Xu Xiuwen nodded, “You did the right thing. There’s really no need to tell Qiao Gang. Boys at his age care a lot about face. If his mother is a housekeeper at your home, he might feel embarrassed.”
Li Ke nodded, somewhat understanding.
After finishing the lesson with Li Ke, it was already 9 PM.
When Xu Xiuwen came out of Li Ke’s room, Mu Zhilan was no longer there.
He found out that Mu Zhilan’s working hours were from 7 AM to 7 PM, a total of 12 hours.
Although it sounds long, her job was to handle housework and prepare three meals a day.
Since Li Haimei and her daughter often weren’t home for meals, sometimes preparing just one meal a day was enough.
In short, the job wasn’t that demanding.
Xu Xiuwen also learned from Li Ke that Li Haimei was paying Mu Zhilan a salary of 5,000 yuan a month.
This amount was equivalent to what Mu Zhilan earned in two months at her previous job.
This job was a significant help to Mu Zhilan.
Xu Xiuwen had mentioned it casually at first, but he didn’t expect Li Haimei to actually hire Mu Zhilan as a housekeeper and offer such a high salary.
From these small matters, Xu Xiuwen could sense Li Haimei’s trust in him.
Speaking of Li Haimei, Xu Xiuwen hadn’t seen her for several days.
But even as he left, Li Haimei still hadn’t returned home.
Xu Xiuwen thought for a moment and sent Li Haimei a text, reminding her to come home and rest soon.
Li Haimei quickly replied to the message.
Her reply was simple, “Got it. I’m coming back soon.”
“Did you forget something?”
“What?”
“You didn’t call me ‘husband’.”
After sending the text message, Li Haimei didn’t reply.
Having flirted with Li Haimei via text, Xu Xiuwen drove back to the company dormitory.
On the way, he passed by a barbecue stand.
He bought a skewer of grilled meat and packed it in a takeaway box.
Arriving at Lu Xinyao’s dormitory, Xu Xiuwen rang the doorbell.
Hearing the doorbell, Song Xiaomi came to open the door.
Upon entering the living room, Xu Xiuwen asked, “Has Lu Xinyao eaten?”
Song Xiaomi nodded, “She has.”
“That’s good.”
“Xiaomi, do you usually dress like this in the dorm?” Xu Xiuwen asked, trying to suppress his laughter.
Song Xiaomi was slow to realize.
She suddenly remembered that she was only wearing lingerie.
Her face turned red with embarrassment as she quickly ran back to her room.
We are currently recruiting. CN/KR/JP Translators/MTLers are welcome!
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/HGaByvmVuw