Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 471

Now, Lu Xinyao pleaded with Xu Xiuwen to let her go.

This gave Xu Xiuwen a perfect excuse to back down gracefully.
He agreed without hesitation.

Xu Xiuwen got up, went to the bathroom to take a shower, then changed into fresh clothes. When he returned to the room, he saw Lu Xinyao lying weakly on the bed, completely drained.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled faintly, a subtle sense of pride rising in his heart.
To reach this level of control, he thought, there probably wasn’t another man like him. Even those movie directors likely couldn’t pull this off.

Seeing Xu Xiuwen fully dressed, Lu Xinyao quickly asked, “Xu Xiuwen, are you leaving?”

Xu Xiuwen nodded and said, “I have a dinner engagement to attend tonight.”

As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of the fleeting joy on Lu Xinyao’s face.

Suddenly, Xu Xiuwen laughed. “Don’t even think about leaving. I’ll be back after dinner. Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave this place.”

“What gives you the right to restrict my freedom?”

“Heh, I’m not restricting you. You’re free to leave, as long as you’re prepared to face the consequences.”

“You’re a bastard!” Lu Xinyao gritted her teeth.

“Heh, thanks for the compliment.”

“It’s getting late, so I’ll head out now. Oh, and to ensure you don’t disobey, I’ll be taking your clothes with me.”

“What?”

Lu Xinyao hadn’t expected Xu Xiuwen to go to such extremes.

After saying this, Xu Xiuwen walked to the bed and gathered up all of Lu Xinyao’s clothes, leaving nothing behind—not even her undergarments.

Watching him turn to leave, Lu Xinyao became both furious and panicked.

“Xu Xiuwen! You bastard! Scum! Why don’t you just drop dead!”

“Heh…”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled as he closed the door behind him, shutting out her stream of curses.

Then, Xu Xiuwen drove alone to Li Haimei’s house.

Standing at her door, he knocked.

The door opened quickly, and there stood Li Haimei.

It had been a while since they’d seen each other. Li Haimei was as graceful and beautiful as always. Yet today, she seemed even more radiant than usual.

She wore a light yellow floral spaghetti-strap maxi dress. Her gorgeous long hair was styled into a thick braid that rested casually over one shoulder.

When Li Haimei saw Xu Xiuwen at the door, a bright smile immediately lit up her face.

“You’re here. Come on in.”

“Mm.”

Xu Xiuwen stepped inside and began changing into indoor slippers.

“I’m just finishing up—two more dishes to go. Have a seat on the couch and wait for a bit,” Li Haimei said as she turned and walked toward the kitchen.

After changing into the slippers, Xu Xiuwen didn’t go to the couch. Instead, he walked to the kitchen door and watched Li Haimei bustling around inside.

A smile tugged at his lips.

Li Haimei heard his laughter and, without turning around, knew he was standing there.

His presence made her even more flustered, and she became visibly clumsier with her movements.

Unable to bear the tension, Li Haimei turned her head and said, “Stop watching me. I can’t cook properly with you standing there.”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled softly, then turned and walked to the living room.

Finally, Li Haimei brought out four dishes and a soup.

The dishes were visually appealing, with vibrant colors that looked quite appetizing.
Though, whether they tasted as good as they looked was yet to be determined.

She set the last dish on the table.

She suddenly asked, “A friend gave me a bottle of red wine. I heard it’s quite good. Would you like to have some?”

After speaking, Li Haimei realized Xu Xiuwen was silently staring at her.

Her face flushed, and her heartbeat quickened.

She thought to herself: Did he figure it out? But how should I explain it?

However, Xu Xiuwen suddenly said, “Alright, let’s have some.”

Hearing his response, Li Haimei let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She stood up to fetch the wine and glasses. After opening the bottle, she poured a glass for each of them.

The two then sat down to enjoy the dinner.

Under Li Haimei’s expectant gaze, Xu Xiuwen tasted the first dish—a simple, everyday home-cooked dish.

He took a bite.

The taste wasn’t bad.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t hold back his compliments.

Hearing his praise, Li Haimei let out a long sigh of relief and enthusiastically encouraged Xu Xiuwen to try the other dishes.

He followed her suggestion.

The remaining three dishes were also decent, though they weren’t particularly outstanding.

As they ate Li Haimei’s homemade dinner and drank the red wine gifted by her friend, the atmosphere in the living room became quiet and filled with a subtle sense of intimacy.

Suddenly, Xu Xiuwen set down his wine glass and stared intently at Li Haimei.

Li Haimei immediately sensed his gaze, and her heart began pounding rapidly.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?” she asked nervously.

“Wife~” Xu Xiuwen’s voice was teasing. “Were you being indirect about why you invited me over tonight?”

Li Haimei’s heart tightened at his words.

Feigning ignorance, she asked, “What do you mean, indirect?”

Xu Xiuwen smirked mischievously, his eyes locked onto hers. “Heh… Nothing. I just thought you missed me and invited me for dinner. But I guess I was overthinking.”

Hearing this, Li Haimei felt conflicted.

To admit she had missed him felt too embarrassing.

But to deny it would make it seem like he was being self-indulgent, and she didn’t have the heart to do that.

After a few moments of hesitation, she said, “Try the chicken soup. I specifically asked the housekeeper for the recipe… hubby.”

The last word, hubby, was spoken so softly and quickly that it could easily have gone unnoticed.

But Xu Xiuwen heard it clearly.

Not only did he hear it, but he also immediately understood its significance.

A smile crept across his lips.

When Li Haimei saw his smile, she realized he had figured out her feelings. Her heart was in a fluster, a mix of nervousness and shyness.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled and said, “Alright, let’s see how the chicken soup made by my wife tastes.”

He deliberately emphasized the word wife.

Suppressing her shyness, Li Haimei picked up the bowl and served Xu Xiuwen some soup.

Xu Xiuwen took a spoonful.

The chicken soup was delicious—rich and flavorful.

He didn’t hold back his praise, showering her with compliments.

Hearing this, Li Haimei finally relaxed completely.

After taking a few more sips, Xu Xiuwen glanced at Li Haimei and winked playfully. “We’ve finished off two old hens. Li Ke will come back to find nothing left.”

“Don’t worry about her. She doesn’t like soup anyway,” Li Haimei replied with a soft smile.

At this moment, seeing Li Haimei’s shy expression and her attempts to hide her true feelings with clumsy words, Xu Xiuwen finally confirmed it—this woman was most likely already infatuated with him.

Take the simplest example: he had sent her two old hens. Mu Zhilan cooked one, and the other wasn’t saved for her daughter to enjoy later. Instead, Li Haimei sought advice from the housekeeper, secretly invited him over, and cooked the soup for him.

This clearly showed that in Li Haimei’s heart, his position was at least as important as her daughter’s—if not higher.

Apart from the possibility that she had fallen for him, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t think of any other explanation.

The dinner was laced with a sweet and ambiguous atmosphere.

After the meal, Li Haimei began tidying up the tableware. Initially, she intended to leave the dishes for the housekeeper to clean the next day. But then she suddenly thought of something—if she did that, Xu Xiuwen might see her as a lazy woman who didn’t like doing housework.

Given that her impression on him hadn’t been stellar before, she now wanted to change his perception of her as much as possible.

So she said to Xu Xiuwen, “You go rest on the couch for a bit. I’ll wash the dishes quickly and join you.”

Xu Xiuwen went to the bathroom.

When he returned, he found Li Haimei in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

He quietly walked to the kitchen doorway and stood there, silently watching her.

Her hair, styled into a braid, fell neatly down her back. The hairstyle made her look noticeably younger—after all, it was rare to see a woman in her thirties, already a mother, sporting a braided look.

The neckline of her long dress was slightly low, revealing her elegant, fair neck and slender, pale arms. He could even faintly make out the outline of her undergarments from her side.

When Xu Xiuwen first arrived at her house earlier, he had been subtly stunned by her appearance. But he hadn’t said much to compliment her.

Her delicate features, her graceful figure, her smooth, fair skin—any man would find it hard not to feel moved. Xu Xiuwen was no exception.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he watched her.

He recalled the first time he came to Li Haimei’s house: the sink was full of unwashed dishes, the trash can was overflowing, and the kitchen was a complete mess.

But now, here she was, cooking and washing dishes voluntarily.

And this wasn’t just any woman—she had another, much loftier identity. Even if she chose to do nothing, no one would dare criticize her.

Yet, she had changed. She was making the effort—and doing it so earnestly.

Xu Xiuwen could think of only one reason for this transformation: Li Haimei was slowly changing herself because of him.

This realization made Xu Xiuwen feel deeply moved by the affection of this mature woman.

Perhaps this woman, over ten years his senior, was a commanding and authoritative figure in the outside world, someone who ruled with confidence and power.

But in front of him, she appeared as a gentle, virtuous elder sister.

And who wouldn’t love an elder sister like that?

Quietly, Xu Xiuwen stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Li Haimei’s slender waist from behind.

Li Haimei was in the middle of washing dishes.

She hadn’t noticed Xu Xiuwen standing behind her, so she didn’t expect him to suddenly embrace her.

When he wrapped his arms around her, Li Haimei panicked for a moment.

But then she remembered they were the only two people in the house, and her expression quickly relaxed.

Turning her head to glance at him, she let out a sigh and said, “You scared me.”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled mischievously.

Hearing his laughter, Li Haimei rolled her eyes at him and said, “I still have dishes to wash. Don’t mess around.”

“Go ahead and wash; I’ll keep hugging you. It doesn’t interfere.”

Li Haimei couldn’t help but retort, “How am I supposed to wash dishes like this?”

“Why not? If you don’t know how, I can teach you.”

As he spoke, Xu Xiuwen slipped his hands into the sink, taking the opportunity to hold Li Haimei’s soft, delicate hands.

Guiding her hands under the water, he helped her wash the dishes.

With their bodies pressed tightly together, her back against his chest, Li Haimei felt her heart race.

Her legs grew weak and unsteady, and she practically leaned against Xu Xiuwen’s chest for support. Her breathing grew quick and shallow.

Xu Xiuwen was slightly startled by her intense reaction.

This was just a bit of intimate contact, yet she looked as if she could barely handle it.

Her behavior didn’t match the image of a mature woman in her thirties.

If someone claimed Li Haimei was an untouched maiden, Xu Xiuwen might actually believe it.

Not wanting to push her too far, Xu Xiuwen finally let her go.

Li Haimei steadied herself by holding onto the countertop with both hands, barely managing to stand upright.

Feeling Xu Xiuwen’s questioning gaze, her face burned with embarrassment.

To avoid flustering her further, Xu Xiuwen decided to leave her be.

He headed to the living room and sat on the sofa, turning on the TV.

The large, comfortable sofa seemed to welcome him. Whether sitting or reclining, it was the perfect spot.

For a brief moment, Xu Xiuwen even felt like he was the master of this house.

After a while, Li Haimei finished washing the dishes and came to the living room. She sat down beside him.

“Would you like some fruit?” she asked.

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. “No, thank you.”

“How about some tea? I’ll make you some.”

“No need.”

Xu Xiuwen finally shifted his attention from the TV to Li Haimei sitting beside him.

She was sitting sideways on the sofa, her legs lightly touching his.

Her legs were toned but not overly slender—just the right amount of softness and maturity. She had her knees pressed tightly together, leaving only a narrow gap between them, revealing little beneath her skirt.

Even with such restraint, the sight was undeniably alluring.

Xu Xiuwen could guess what was on Li Haimei’s mind.

He knew that if he stayed, it wouldn’t take long before something intimate happened between them.

At any other time, he would have stayed without hesitation.

But tonight wasn’t the right time.

After last night and this afternoon’s battles, Xu Xiuwen was feeling a bit tired.

This wasn’t an exaggeration. If he were asked to head into battle right now, it wasn’t that he couldn’t do it—he could.

But mentally, he felt somewhat drained. Physically, he might push through, but his performance likely wouldn’t be up to his usual standard.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t want to approach Li Haimei half-heartedly in his current state.

So far, he had been with her three times, and he truly understood the power of a mature woman like Li Haimei.

What if one round wasn’t enough for her and she wanted to go for a second? What would he do then?

To avoid embarrassing himself and disappointing Li Haimei, Xu Xiuwen decided it was better to rest and recover, and come back another day to spar with her in top form.

Without hesitation, he said, “You don’t need to do anything else. I’ll be leaving soon.”

“Huh? You’re leaving?”

Li Haimei’s eyes widened in surprise, her expression filled with confusion and disbelief.

Xu Xiuwen nodded. “I have something I need to take care of at the office.”

Hearing this, Li Haimei didn’t press for details.

She hid her disappointment well, but Xu Xiuwen still noticed.

However, he didn’t mention it.

Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, Xu Xiuwen said, “I’ll get in touch with you in a few days.”

Although disappointed, Li Haimei accepted his words gracefully.

Xu Xiuwen then got up to leave.

Li Haimei made a small effort to persuade him to stay, but when it didn’t work, she accompanied him to the door.

Before stepping out of the Li residence, Xu Xiuwen suddenly turned around, pulled Li Haimei into his arms, and pressed a deep kiss onto her lipstick-painted lips.

The unexpected gesture took Li Haimei by surprise.

The kiss, more intense and stimulating than usual, left her breathless and even more moved.

They kissed passionately by the entryway for quite some time before Xu Xiuwen finally let go of the flushed Li Haimei.

“I’m leaving now. Get some rest,” he said.

“Okay,” she replied softly.