Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 479

Xu Xiuwen had just listened to three songs in a row.

Finally, Xu Qian put down the microphone.

Then she noticed Xu Xiuwen had returned.

Their eyes met in the dimly lit private room.

Xu Qian froze for a moment.

Xu Xiuwen smiled and praised, “You sing really well.”

Xu Qian replied, “Still not as good as you.”

“That’s true.”

Xu Qian wasn’t angry. She smiled with her lips pressed together, throwing him a playful side-eye.

She then asked, “Where are they?”

“Who?”

“Those beauties. Why didn’t you stay to chat and drink with them?”

“I don’t like that.”

Xu Qian threw another side-eye his way.

This time, Xu Xiuwen caught her.

He immediately widened his eyes and scolded, “You’re getting bold, daring to throw side-eyes at me!”

Xu Qian panicked and quickly denied it. “I didn’t! You must’ve seen wrong.”

Xu Xiuwen stared at her for a few seconds before saying, “If I catch you being disrespectful to your boss again, I’ll dock your bonus.”

Xu Qian instantly became anxious. “Why would you dock my bonus?”

“I’m the boss. If I say dock, I dock! Got a problem with that? Too bad; you’ll just have to take it.”

“Dock it, then! What’s the big deal,” Xu Qian said in frustration. She glared at Xu Xiuwen, thinking to herself, Black-hearted boss!

Before long, Qian Jian returned.

Xu Xiuwen knew he had gone to meet Li Xiangjun, but he didn’t know what they talked about. Nor did he ask.

Before they realized it, it was already late.

After saying goodbye to Qian Jian, Xu Xiuwen left.

Since it was late and he had had a bit to drink, Xu Xiuwen decided not to drive back to Guangming City that night.

Instead, he chose to stay in Fei City for the night.

Qian Jian wanted to arrange accommodations for him, but Xu Xiuwen refused.

He and Xu Qian found a standard hotel to stay in for the night.

Xu Xiuwen booked two rooms, one for each of them.

With room keys in hand, they headed to the elevator to go upstairs.

Just as they reached the elevator door, it suddenly opened.

Out stepped a man and a woman.

When Xu Xiuwen looked up and saw the man’s face, he froze in place.

“Uncle Jiang?”

The greeting made the man, who was about to walk out of the hotel, stop in his tracks.

Jiang Teng’s eyes quickly scanned the faces of Xu Xiuwen and Xu Qian.

He didn’t recognize Xu Qian.

But Xu Xiuwen looked familiar.

His gaze lingered for a moment before he recognized Xu Xiuwen.

The moment recognition dawned on him, he was visibly shocked.

Suddenly, something seemed to click in his mind.

In the next instant, his expression turned flustered.

Jiang Teng’s arm had been wrapped around the mature woman beside him.

He quickly pulled his arm free from her grasp as if to distance himself.

Then, as though trying to clear himself of suspicion, he deliberately took a step away from the woman.

The woman’s expression instantly turned awkward.

However, she didn’t say anything, only whispered, “You two talk first. I’ll wait for you outside.”

With that, the woman left.

Xu Xiuwen took the opportunity to size her up.

The woman with Uncle Jiang dressed in a style that looked youthful, but her actual age was probably close to Aunt Gu’s, give or take a year or two.

As for her looks, in Xu Xiuwen’s eyes, she was quite ordinary—far from matching Aunt Gu’s beauty.

But for most men, she might appear more attractive.

The reason was simple: she knew how to present herself.

It wasn’t just her makeup but also the dress she wore.

The neckline wasn’t high, revealing just enough to hint at the “Mariana Trench.”

If anyone wanted to see more, though, they wouldn’t be able to.

It was a masterful tease.

Her waist wasn’t exactly slim—in fact, it was slightly plump—but her hips were undeniably prominent.

Her choice of dress maximized her assets while concealing her flaws.

At a glance, you wouldn’t notice her thicker waist; instead, you’d be drawn to her shapely hips.

A curvaceous woman like her would turn heads wherever she went.

And then there was Aunt Gu, as Xu Xiuwen remembered her.

Aunt Gu’s facial features were incredibly refined. At first glance, she gave off the vibe of a proper, traditional woman.

With such a beautiful face, most women would treat it like a treasure, meticulously maintaining and pampering it.

But Aunt Gu rarely indulged in facial care.

Even so, her skin remained firm and wrinkle-free.

She usually went bare-faced, almost never wearing makeup, which naturally made her less noticeable.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who would grab your attention at first sight.

Only after closer observation would one realize her understated beauty.

Aside from her features, Aunt Gu’s clothing choices were plain and simple.

Her favorite outfits were always loungewear.

She dressed modestly, without any flair or extravagance.

Words like “sexy” were completely unrelated to her style.

But don’t mistake this for a lack of a good figure—it wasn’t.

According to Xu Xiuwen’s observations, Aunt Gu’s body was in no way inferior to that of younger women.

While not exceptionally pronounced, if the woman with Uncle Jiang was the Mariana Trench, Aunt Gu was at least the Kermadec Trench.

Moreover, the parts of Aunt Gu’s figure that should be slim were undeniably so—like her waist.

Although often hidden under loose-fitting clothes, Xu Xiuwen distinctly remembered one time when Aunt Gu came to their home to help Ning Wanqiu cook dinner.

It was winter then.

She had taken off her coat and tied an apron around her waist.

When the apron’s straps were fastened, her waist wasn’t particularly tiny but was the kind of proportionate, toned slimness.

As for her lower body, she wasn’t the type to be bulky or shapeless.

On the contrary, her legs had a great shape, just the right balance between full and slender.

But then.

Few men would know these things, and that was due to Aunt Gu’s modest and dignified nature.

She never showcased herself in front of other men.

Xu Xiuwen was lucky enough to notice.

On the one hand, it was pure chance. On the other, it was because he was much younger back then, and in Aunt Gu’s eyes, he was just a child.

So, she didn’t pay much attention to his presence.

Some people’s beauty strikes you instantly but grows tiresome over time.

Aunt Gu’s beauty, however, was the kind you could never get tired of.

The longer you looked, the more her beauty revealed itself.

In Xu Xiuwen’s eyes, Aunt Gu was leagues ahead of the woman with Uncle Jiang.

If he had to choose between the two, he wouldn’t hesitate for even a second.

Out of a hundred times, he’d choose Aunt Gu a hundred times.

But it seemed Uncle Jiang didn’t see it that way.

He had a virtuous wife at home, yet he didn’t cherish her and instead got involved with another woman outside.

Xu Xiuwen found this absurd.

That’s right—he wasn’t naïve.

From the intimate posture of the two earlier, Xu Xiuwen could already tell something was off about their relationship.

He saw it as clearly as daylight.

But he didn’t say anything and instead played dumb, curious to see how Uncle Jiang would explain himself.

Jiang Teng, meanwhile, had recognized Xu Xiuwen.

Looking at the tall, handsome young man before him, who was even taller than himself, Jiang Teng felt a mix of sentiment and panic.

He wasn’t sure how to explain himself or how to brush it off.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

“Xiao Xu, what are you doing here?”

Jiang Teng’s gaze shifted to Xu Xiuwen’s companion, Xu Qian.

Seeing an unfamiliar young woman beside him, Jiang Teng became curious about her identity and their relationship.

He remembered Xu Xiuwen being quite close to Lao Xiao’s daughter, didn’t he?

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t expected Uncle Jiang to turn the tables on him.

He paused briefly before smiling and responding, “Uncle Jiang, I came to Fei City to discuss a business deal. This is my secretary, Xu Qian. It’s late, and I’ve had some drinks, so I booked two rooms. I’ll head back once I’ve sobered up tomorrow.”

Though Xu Xiuwen’s tone seemed casual, his words were carefully chosen.

He explained not only why he was in Fei City, Xu Qian’s identity, and why they were at the hotel but also emphasized that he had booked two separate rooms.

This preemptively eliminated any potential misunderstandings or speculation.

As expected, Jiang Teng understood the situation after hearing him out.

He even noticed the two room cards in Xu Xiuwen’s hand, putting any doubts about their relationship to rest.

Whether Uncle Jiang mentioned this to others later didn’t matter—Xu Xiuwen had already made everything clear, and that put his mind at ease.

He then asked, “Uncle Jiang, what brings you here? And that lady just now… who is she?”

The moment Xu Xiuwen asked, Jiang Teng’s expression turned awkward.

Uncertain how to explain and wanting to avoid the topic, Jiang Teng replied, “Xiao Xu, I’m here to take care of some matters.”

He deliberately avoided the more pressing question.

“I see,” Xu Xiuwen responded.

Xu Xiuwen nodded, but the very next second, he pressed further.

“Uncle Jiang, was that lady just now your colleague?”

“Yes, I came here with a colleague for work.”

“Uncle Jiang, what kind of work brings you to a hotel? Are you investigating a case?”

“Exactly. This matter is classified, so you mustn’t tell anyone.”

“Not even Aunt Gu or Xiaoyu?”

“Absolutely not!”

The nervous expression paired with the flawed explanation made Jiang Teng’s words utterly unconvincing in Xu Xiuwen’s eyes.

Xu Xiuwen wanted to laugh but managed to hold it in.

He nodded and said, “Alright, Uncle Jiang, I’ll keep it a secret.”

“I have something to do, so I’ll head off now.”

“Alright, goodbye, Uncle Jiang.”

With that, Jiang Teng turned and left.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t rush to get into the elevator.

He stayed where he was, watching the hotel’s glass doors.

Through the transparent glass, he saw Jiang Teng step outside and walk straight to the woman.

It looked like he said something to her.

The woman appeared upset, turned her head, and quickly walked off in the other direction, clearly angry.

Xu Xiuwen saw Jiang Teng sigh and then hurriedly chase after her.

Watching this scene, Xu Xiuwen retracted his gaze, then turned to Xu Qian and said, “Let’s go.”

Once inside the elevator, Xu Qian couldn’t hold back her curiosity.

“President Xu, who was that just now? Do you know him?”

Xu Xiuwen glanced at Xu Qian, noting her eager, gossip-loving expression.

Her eyes practically sparkled with anticipation.

Shaking his head, he said, “Don’t know him.”

Hearing this, Xu Qian huffed in dissatisfaction.

When they reached their hotel room doors, Xu Xiuwen opened his door, preparing to enter.

The memory of his previous hotel stay with Lu Xinyao suddenly came to mind.

He didn’t want a repeat of that experience.

So, he turned and warned Xu Qian, “Let me make this clear—no matter what happens, even if the sky falls, you’re not allowed to knock on my door!”

Xu Qian found his request absurd but said nothing, merely nodding in agreement.

Back in his room, Xu Xiuwen quickly washed up and lay down on the bed.

Staring at the stars outside the window, his thoughts drifted to his encounter with Uncle Jiang downstairs.

He couldn’t decide whether to tell Aunt Gu or Xiaoyu about what he’d seen.

After much hesitation, he decided it was better to keep quiet for now.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Xu Xiuwen took Xu Qian back to Guangming City.

This trip to Fei City had been worthwhile.

They had closed a big deal, a piece of good news that left everyone at the factory thrilled.

For the veteran employees who had endured the bankruptcy of the old distillery, their only hope now was for the factory to grow and prosper.

The new employees were equally excited.

With strong sales of the new liquor, the factory’s growth would ensure their benefits and job security.

But this was only the first step for Guangming Distillery’s New Aged Original Liquor to claim its place in the provincial market.

With the continued airing of the TV drama and the relentless bombardment of advertisements, more and more people began taking an interest in Guangming New Liquor.

The positive reputation it had accumulated started to ferment, and demand for the liquor surged in the market.

However, an awkward situation arose.

In other cities across the province, only a few small shops carried Guangming New Liquor, while larger supermarkets and department stores had none in stock.

At this point, the distillery began supplying liquor to Qian Jian.

The first batch consisted of 3,000 bottles, which sold out completely in just three days.

Many stores faced a supply shortage and looked to Qian Jian for restocking.

In turn, Qian Jian could only rely on the distillery to ramp up production.

Guangming Distillery was forced to work overtime, producing new liquor around the clock. At the same time, it temporarily reduced supply to Langya City, reallocating some stock to fulfill Qian Jian’s orders.

While Qian Jian’s distribution network covered multiple cities, his primary focus was on Fei City.

Other cities did receive some supply, but he prioritized merchants under his network in Fei City.

Seeing the explosive demand for Guangming New Liquor in Fei City, distributors from other cities couldn’t sit still any longer.

They began swarming to contact the distillery, with many personally visiting to procure liquor.

Within just one week, Xu Xiuwen signed contracts with distributors in seven different cities.

At this point, Guangming New Liquor was in complete short supply.

With confidence boosted, Xu Xiuwen stood firm when faced with distributors attempting to haggle prices.

“If you’re not in a hurry to sign, then neither am I. We can all wait.”

However, for distributors who sincerely wanted to collaborate, Xu Xiuwen was straightforward and efficient—signing contracts and promptly arranging shipments.

Distributors who received their supply wasted no time distributing it.

As a result, the first batch of Guangming New Liquor they obtained sold out in no time.

The liquor’s popularity exceeded their expectations, further spurring those yet to sign contracts to take action.

Over the next two days, Xu Xiuwen was inundated with contract signings, barely having time to drink water.

In less than a month, Guangming New Liquor had rapidly broken into the provincial white liquor market and carved out a niche for itself.

While it couldn’t yet be said to have firmly established itself, it had certainly gained a foothold.

Guangming New Liquor Year Aged Original’s price point, overwhelming demand, and exceptional taste quickly solidified its image as a premium liquor in people’s minds.

At this time, the high school entrance exams had just concluded.

Many families were preparing celebratory banquets to honor their children’s academic success and invite guests.

A new saying began to circulate in the market: “Drinking Guangming Liquor leads to a bright future.”

Suddenly, Guangming New Liquor became the go-to choice for many parents hoping for a bright future for their children.