Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 473

“Sis?”

Lu Xinyao said impatiently, “Why are you talking so much? Can’t you be quiet for a while?”

Lu Xun replied with a hint of grievance, “Sis, I’m just worried about you.”

Lu Xinyao was instantly speechless.

She was full of resentment with nowhere to vent it, especially when she noticed the faint smile at the corner of Xu Xiuwen’s lips. It made her even more annoyed.

“Fine, I’m upset because the salary’s too low, okay?”

Lu Xun believed her explanation.

Of course, Xu Xiuwen knew that wasn’t the real reason.

He suddenly smiled and said to Lu Xinyao, “So it’s about the salary? How about this—come back to work, and I’ll double your current pay.”

Lu Xinyao was so angry her teeth ached.

How could she not know that Xu Xiuwen was deliberately making things difficult for her because of Lu Xun’s presence?

When Lu Xun heard that Xu Xiuwen was offering to double his sister’s salary, he was overjoyed.

“Sis, he’s offering to raise your salary. Why not go back to work?”

Lu Xinyao was torn.

This naive little brother didn’t know anything.

How could she go back to that company? It was a wolf’s den!

What kind of younger brother tries to convince his sister to go back into a wolf’s den?

But she couldn’t tell Lu Xun the truth.

After hesitating for a moment, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

Xu Xiuwen suddenly said to Lu Xun, “Lu Xun, did you know? Your sister is incredibly capable. I can’t manage a day without her.”

Lu Xinyao immediately caught the double meaning in his words and glared at him angrily.

Xu Xiuwen, unfazed, continued to smile faintly.

Lu Xun, on the other hand, didn’t pick up on any hidden meanings. Hearing Xu Xiuwen praise his sister’s abilities, he felt a sense of pride as if he had been complimented himself.

“Of course! My sister is the best.”

Lu Xinyao really wanted to expose all the horrible things Xu Xiuwen had done.

But she couldn’t.

If her brother found out, it wouldn’t just make him upset or angry. With his personality, he would definitely not let it go.

She had already accepted the losses she suffered at Xu Xiuwen’s hands.

She didn’t want to escalate the situation further.

So, even though she was fuming inside, she bit her tongue and said nothing.

Thankfully, at that moment, the restaurant began serving dishes.

The fragrant aroma of the food filled the air, and the siblings’ stomachs grumbled simultaneously, as if urging them to start eating.

The three of them began their meal.

Xu Xiuwen, having eaten earlier at Li Haimei’s house, wasn’t very hungry. He only had a few bites, mainly to accompany the siblings.

After the meal, Lu Xinyao prepared to part ways with Xu Xiuwen.

But before she could, Xu Xiuwen said, “Lu Xun, since you’ve just arrived in Jinling, how about I take you around for a tour?”

Lu Xun had already taken a brief tour with his sister the day before, but who would refuse to explore a bit more?

Still, he didn’t agree right away.

Instead, he turned to look at Lu Xinyao.

If his sister agreed, then he would agree.

Lu Xinyao wanted to refuse.

But when she saw her brother’s expectant expression, she hesitated and eventually nodded.

Noticing the smug smile on Xu Xiuwen’s face, Lu Xinyao knew he had succeeded in his ploy once again.

Next, Xu Xiuwen led Lu Xinyao and Lu Xun to the busiest shopping district in Jinling.

As they passed a sneaker store, Xu Xiuwen suggested they go inside.

Once inside, Xu Xiuwen directly said to the sales associate, “Can I take a look at the basketball shoes in the display window?”

The female clerk asked for the shoe size.

Xu Xiuwen turned to Lu Xun and asked, “What size shoes do you wear?”

Both Lu Xinyao and Lu Xun assumed Xu Xiuwen was buying the shoes for himself.

But when they heard him ask for Lu Xun’s size, Lu Xun froze for a moment before responding instinctively, “Size 42.”

“Bring him a size 42 to try on,” Xu Xiuwen said.

The sales associate went to fetch the shoes.

Lu Xun, surprised, asked, “Why?”

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “Your sister and I are friends. Since you’re her brother, that makes you my brother too. This is our first meeting, and I didn’t prepare any gifts. I noticed you kept looking at those shoes earlier. If you like them, consider this my gift to you.”

Lu Xun was stunned.

His good upbringing told him he shouldn’t accept such a gift.

But his love for those basketball shoes made it hard to refuse.

So he found himself caught in a dilemma.

At first, Lu Xinyao also thought Xu Xiuwen was buying the shoes for himself.

When she realized he was buying them for her brother, she immediately understood his intentions—he was trying to win over Lu Xun.

She thought Xu Xiuwen was utterly shameless, blatantly trying to buy someone off with money.

She wanted to reject the offer on her brother’s behalf.

But when she saw the look on Lu Xun’s face, she hesitated.

At this moment, the sales associate returned with the shoes.

Lu Xun instinctively took them but didn’t try them on right away.

Xu Xiuwen encouraged, “Try them on first. We can decide whether to buy them later.”

Lu Xun, following his suggestion, tried them on.

Once he had the shoes on, he was overjoyed.

Standing in front of the mirror, he admired them from every angle, unable to bring himself to take them off.

Seeing how much her brother loved the shoes, Lu Xinyao didn’t have the heart to disappoint him.

She sighed and said, “Lu Xun, if you like them, I’ll buy them for you.”

“Really? Sis, you’re the best!” Lu Xun was ecstatic.

Lu Xinyao turned to head to the checkout.

But when she heard the price from the cashier, her jaw almost dropped.

“That expensive?”

Lu Xinyao had assumed the shoes her brother liked would cost a few hundred yuan at most.

But when she asked, they turned out to be over a thousand.

That was nearly equivalent to a month of her salary.

Even though the price was steep, she had already promised to buy them for her brother.

So, she prepared to pay.

But when she opened her wallet, she suddenly remembered she didn’t have enough money.

She had never been overly frugal and often treated herself to nice clothes and makeup.

After quitting her job at Xu Xiuwen’s company, she moved out of the company dormitory and rented her own place, further straining her finances.

Although it was a shared apartment, the prime location and upscale furnishings made the rent expensive.

It was a pay-three-months-in-advance plus a two-month deposit arrangement, which had drained the last of Lu Xinyao’s savings.

Having been at her new job for less than a month, she hadn’t yet received her first paycheck.

At the moment, she had only a few hundred yuan left in her account.

Lu Xinyao was instantly put in a difficult spot.

Xu Xiuwen took out his card and handed it to the sales clerk. “Put it on my card.”

The sales clerk immediately took the card and began processing the payment.

Watching the clerk already handling the transaction, Lu Xinyao bit her lip and said, “I’ll pay you back later.”

“I don’t care about the money. If you really want to repay me, you can do it another way,” Xu Xiuwen said with a suggestive smile, his gaze sweeping over her.

Lu Xinyao stiffened instantly.

She immediately understood his implication and glared at him fiercely.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled at her reaction.

After buying the shoes, Xu Xiuwen then took Lu Xun to pick out a few pieces of clothing—all high-end brands with hefty price tags.

Although Lu Xinyao wanted to pay, she couldn’t afford to, and Xu Xiuwen was adamant.

In the end, she remained silent.

After treating them to dinner and buying shoes and clothes, Xu Xiuwen had completely changed Lu Xun’s opinion of him.

By the end, Lu Xun was even calling him “Brother Xu.”

Though Lu Xun was only two or three years younger than Xu Xiuwen, his simple, naive demeanor made him seem much younger.

But Xu Xiuwen liked simple people.

Even if Lu Xun weren’t Lu Xinyao’s brother, he would still have enjoyed the dynamic.

After their shopping trip, Xu Xiuwen drove them home.

Before the siblings got out of the car, Xu Xiuwen turned to Lu Xun and said, “Lu Xun, I really hope your sister will come back to work for me. Could you help persuade her?”

“Sure, Brother Xu,” Lu Xun replied with a smile.

“Great. You two get some rest, then.”

“Take care, Brother Xu,” Lu Xun said, waving goodbye.

Once they were out of the car, Lu Xinyao said, “Lu Xun, go on up. I need to talk to him.”

Lu Xun nodded, carrying the shopping bags as he turned and left.

It wasn’t until his figure disappeared from view that Lu Xinyao turned back to Xu Xiuwen.

Her gaze was icy.

“Well?” Xu Xiuwen prompted, “You said you had something to say. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

Lu Xinyao frowned. “Xu Xiuwen, do you think what you’re doing is funny?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb! Don’t think that by doing all this, I’ll forgive you for what you’ve done.”

Xu Xiuwen suddenly laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Lu Xinyao asked, puzzled.

Xu Xiuwen turned to look at her, seated in the backseat.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were the one who said I’m your friend. As a friend, buying your brother a set of clothes and a pair of shoes—shouldn’t that be normal? Why are you making it sound like I have ulterior motives?”

Both of them knew what Xu Xiuwen’s true intentions were.

And both knew the other understood them perfectly.

Xu Xiuwen knew that Lu Xinyao knew.
Lu Xinyao also knew that Xu Xiuwen knew she knew.
But Xu Xiuwen refused to admit it.
And Lu Xinyao had no way to force him.

“Shameless!” Lu Xinyao bit her lip and spat.

It wasn’t the first time she had cursed at him.
In the past, whenever she scolded him, he never seemed to mind.
But this time was different.

The moment she finished her words, she noticed Xu Xiuwen’s face darken.
Her heart skipped a beat.

Xu Xiuwen stared into Lu Xinyao’s eyes.
His gaze made her feel uncomfortable.
She chose to look away, turning her head to the window to avoid his eyes.

In a low voice, Xu Xiuwen said,
“I’ll give you one day to resign from your new company and sort out your personal matters. The day after tomorrow, I expect to see you at work.”

Lu Xinyao turned to him, indignant.
“What gives you the right to decide for me? I already told you I need time to think about it.”

“Lu Xinyao, you can’t escape the palm of my hand. If I were you, I’d behave and do as I’m told.”

Xu Xiuwen’s gaze was calm, yet it resembled a deep, unfathomable pool.
No one could tell what lay hidden beneath its surface.

“You—!”
Lu Xinyao was so furious she could barely speak.
She realized that in front of Xu Xiuwen, it seemed like she couldn’t put up any resistance at all.
This left her with a profound sense of helplessness.

“What will it take for you to let me go?”
Her tone softened.

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen smiled faintly.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward her.

Startled, Lu Xinyao instinctively leaned back.
But behind her was the seatback—she had nowhere to go.
She could only watch as Xu Xiuwen closed the distance.

In her nervous gaze, Xu Xiuwen’s face came closer.
Her body tensed up immediately.

The next second.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly tilted his head and kissed her.

Lu Xinyao’s eyes widened in shock, utterly incredulous.
She was about to push him away and lash out at him.
But then, she saw his eyes.

There was a dangerous glint in them, so dangerous that it froze her in place.

Xu Xiuwen pulled back almost as quickly as he had leaned in.

“I need a secretary by my side. And I’m someone who values familiarity, so it has to be you.”

His tone was calm, as if nothing had happened.
He didn’t look at her again but turned his head away.

Lu Xinyao said nothing in response.
She quietly unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door, and walked into the building.

Once inside, she could no longer maintain her facade of composure.
Leaning against the wall, she took deep, uneven breaths.

She clutched her chest with her hand.
Her heart was pounding furiously.

It took her a long while to calm herself down.
When she finally returned to her place, she looked collected on the surface.

But inside, she was anything but.

As soon as Lu Xinyao stepped into the house, she heard Lu Xun ask, “Sis, Brother Xu isn’t just your friend, is he?”

Her heart, which had just calmed down, started racing again.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Lu Xun shook his head and replied, “I’m not talking nonsense! Brother Xu treated us to a meal, took us shopping, and bought me such expensive clothes and shoes. If he were just an ordinary friend, why would he be so generous?”

Lu Xinyao didn’t know how to explain it to her younger brother.

Lu Xun grinned and said, “Sis, stop hiding it. Brother Xu is your boyfriend, isn’t he?”

She hadn’t expected Lu Xun to think in that direction.
And when Lu Xun saw her silence as tacit confirmation, he became even more certain of his guess.

Lu Xinyao suddenly asked, “What do you think of him as a person?”

“He’s great! He’s tall, handsome, gentle, friendly, and rich. I think Brother Xu is an excellent choice for a boyfriend.”

Some of what Lu Xun said, she agreed with—like being tall, handsome, and wealthy.
But gentle and friendly?

She thought of Xu Xiuwen’s domineering attitude when they were alone, and she scoffed inwardly.
That bastard sure knew how to hide his true colors.

Lu Xinyao knew her brother well.
From his expression, she could tell he genuinely had a good impression of Xu Xiuwen.
She realized there was no point in denying it anymore, so she decided not to.

Seeing this, Lu Xun chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, Sis, I won’t tell Mom and Dad.”

Relieved, Lu Xinyao relaxed.
As long as he didn’t go blabbering to their parents, it didn’t matter if he kept guessing on his own.

That night, Lu Xinyao gave up her bed to her brother and spent the night squeezing in with her roommate.

…

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Xiuwen had given Lu Xinyao one day to handle her personal matters.
On the morning of the 17th, he arrived at the company on time.

After spending the morning attending to business and listening to employee reports, noon came and went.
Still, there was no sign of Lu Xinyao.

Xu Xiuwen thought she had decided to rebel further and wasn’t planning to show up.
But in the afternoon, she finally arrived at the company.

In the office, Lu Xinyao stared at Xu Xiuwen and said through gritted teeth, “Are you satisfied now?”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled lightly. “Satisfied. Very satisfied.”

On the surface, she seemed full of indignation from being forced.
But deep down, it felt as if she had let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Xu Xiuwen continued, “Did you resign from the other company?”

Lu Xinyao nodded.

“And your living arrangements? When are you returning the place? When are you moving into the company dorm?”

“I spoke to the landlord this morning. I can return the place anytime, but the two months’ rent I prepaid is probably a loss.”

“As long as you can get your deposit back.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need me to find someone to help you move?”

“No need,” she replied coolly.