Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 481

“Xiuwen, don’t change it anymore. Just write this book. It already sounds really interesting.”
“Alright, then this one it is.”
“But how long will it take you to finish? I don’t want to wait too long.”
“Haha… Don’t worry, a month will be enough.”

For Xu Xiuwen, who was familiar with the plot of this drama, he could have directly written the script.
But Xu Xiuwen didn’t do that.
He chose to publish it as a novel first.

The reason? He could earn money twice.
Who would ever complain about having too much money?

So, the plan was set.
The third drama would be an adaptation of Xu Xiuwen’s sixth novel, Coffee Prince No. 1.

This novel was planned to be just 200,000 to 300,000 words long, something he could finish within a month.

Meanwhile, far away in South Korea, Lee Seon-mi wouldn’t begin publishing her novel Coffee Prince until late 2006.
From the moment she started releasing it, some readers noticed something strange.

“How come this novel feels so similar to one written by a famous author from the neighboring country?”

Curious and concerned, Lee Seon-mi did her research.
What she found shocked her.

Indeed, the famous author in the neighboring country had already published a novel with the exact same title.
It had been released in July and completed by August, while she had only just begun serialization.

Lee Seon-mi went the extra mile—she had the book translated and painstakingly read through it.
The more she read, the more unsettled she became.

The plot and structure of the other book were eerily similar to hers, yet far more polished and complete.
She even wondered if the author had somehow plagiarized her ideas.
But that was impossible.

The other author had published their work months before her, and some of the twists and details in their story were things she hadn’t even figured out how to handle herself.

If anyone was guilty of plagiarism, it would be her, not the other author.

This realization threw Lee Seon-mi into a dilemma.
She couldn’t continue publishing her original story—it would inevitably be labeled as plagiarism.

She had no choice but to reimagine the plot while keeping the same character settings.
But no matter how hard she tried, her new storylines just couldn’t match the brilliance of the other novel.

It felt like she was constantly living in the shadow of that author.

Eventually, Lee Seon-mi gave up.
She simply couldn’t continue.

Of course, that’s a story for later—let’s set it aside for now.

On the same day, Xu Xiuwen wrote 20,000 words and directly uploaded them to the Jinjiang website.
This time, he didn’t notify anyone in advance, nor did he announce it in any of his chat groups.

He just quietly posted his new work.

Many of his readers didn’t even realize he had released a new book right away.
Some of his loyal fans, who frequently re-read his old works, stumbled upon it by accident.

At first, they thought they were imagining things.
After double-checking, they realized it wasn’t a mistake—there really was a new book.

Initially, most people assumed it was a glitch on the website.
How could Xu Renshan suddenly release a new book?

There had been no announcements in any of the fan groups, nor had the website made any updates about it.

It had to be a bug.

Some curious readers clicked on the new book and read a few chapters.
They were quickly captivated by the intriguing plot.
But the content was too short—not enough to satisfy their appetite.

At this point, some readers finally realized:
“This writing style… it must be a new book by the author!”
It wasn’t a bug.

Some immediately ran to the fan groups to ask about it.
But most fans in the groups were just as clueless.

It wasn’t until a few moderators reached out to Xu Xiuwen for confirmation that they got a definite answer.
The moderators then made an announcement in the group.

That night, the QQ fan group exploded.
Messages flooded in, overwhelming the chat.

The next day, even the Jinjiang website noticed and began promoting the book.

By mid-morning, the entire author and reader community on Jinjiang knew:
Xu Renshan had released a new book!

Authors who had published their work around the same time were in despair:
“Why did I have to clash with a giant? This is so unlucky!”

Meanwhile, authors who hadn’t released their books yet breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Xiuwen’s new book started gaining traction the very next day.
In a matter of hours, it climbed to the top of the website’s major rankings.

Other authors were exclaiming,
“The tiger has arrived!”

Readers, especially Xu Xiuwen’s loyal fans, were overjoyed:
“Xu Renshan has started a new book! We finally have something fresh to read!”

But there was still a downside—the content was too short.
It didn’t take long to finish reading, leaving fans hungry for more.

In no time, the comments section and fan groups were flooded with requests for updates.
The number of people urging him to write more was overwhelming, like a torrential rainstorm.

When the news reached Xu Xiuwen, he chuckled.
Then he sent a message to the fan group:

“I’ll update 10,000 words every day this month.”

As soon as this message was posted, the group erupted in celebration.
Drums were metaphorically beating, firecrackers metaphorically going off—it was a lively scene.

With some free time on his hands, Xu Xiuwen focused on writing.
Fortunately, the drama’s plot was clear in his mind.
He remembered every detail vividly, so there was no risk of writer’s block like some other authors.

—

August 1st.
In a hotel room in Shanghai.

Knock knock.

The sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room.

There was no response.

Outside the door, Assistant Ban Chan grew anxious and called out,
“Yueyue, are you awake?”

Still no response.

Unable to wait any longer, Ban Chan pulled out her phone and called Bai Yue’er.

The phone rang for a long time before it was suddenly cut off.

Shortly after, Bai Yue’er came to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Ban Chan saw Bai Yue’er in a nightgown, silently walking back toward the bed.

She collapsed onto the bed without saying a word.

Bai Yue’er had been extremely busy lately.
Even last night, she had worked until 2 a.m.

She had just returned to the hotel. It was now 7 a.m. By calculation, she’d only slept for less than five hours.

Occasionally missing out on sleep might be fine, but this had become her daily routine.
Now, the moment she touched the bed, she didn’t want to get up.

Ban Chan, seeing Bai Yue’er lying down again, said, “Yueyue, you can’t sleep anymore. You still have an interview later!”

Bai Yue’er, lying face down on the bed with her head buried under the thin blanket, muffled her response from beneath the covers.
“Why is there an interview every day? Don’t they let people rest anymore?”

“Yueyue, today is the last day. You’ll get to rest tomorrow.”

“Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?” Upon hearing that she could rest, Bai Yue’er instantly forgot her fatigue. She pulled the blanket off and poked her head out.

“I’m serious.”

Bai Yue’er let out a light huff. “Xu the Slave Driver wishes I never rest, working every day to make money for him. Would he really agree to let me rest?”

Ban Chan knew exactly who Bai Yue’er was referring to when she said “Xu the Slave Driver.”
Lately, Bai Yue’er had called the boss that more than once.

Bai Yue’er was the company’s top star, and rumors said she and the boss were former classmates with a close relationship.
She could get away with saying such things. Ban Chan wouldn’t dare.

As for Bai Yue’er’s complaints behind his back, Ban Chan wouldn’t report such “minor matters” to the boss.

“I’m telling the truth, Yueyue. You really get to rest tomorrow,” Ban Chan said.

Hearing this, Bai Yue’er snorted, “Well, at least he has a shred of humanity.”
“Did he say how many days off I’ll get?”

“Three days.”

“Only three days? So stingy.”

Although Bai Yue’er grumbled, a faint smile crept onto her lips.

But in the next second, she sighed dramatically, “I’m the most pitiful person in this company. I even have to work on my birthday.”

“Yueyue…”

Ban Chan looked at the expression on Bai Yue’er’s face and wanted to reveal the truth to her, but in the end, she held back.

Suddenly, Bai Yue’er jumped up and said, “Work, work! I need to work hard and make money. Once I’ve earned enough, I’ll switch to another company and never work for Xu the Slave Driver again!”

At 9 a.m., Bai Yue’er had a scheduled media interview.

—

At 9 a.m., Bai Yue’er and her assistant Ban Chan arrived at the agreed-upon interview location—a coffee shop in Shanghai.

By the time they arrived, the coffee shop had already been booked out in advance.
Inside, it was filled with staff from NewBeauty Entertainment. Cameras and other equipment were all set up and ready to go.

The reporter interviewing Bai Yue’er was a woman in her early thirties, dressed in a tailored suit. She looked elegant and carried herself with poise.

Once the interview began, Bai Yue’er greeted the camera with a bright smile.
“Hello, friends of NewBeauty Entertainment. I’m Bai Yue’er.”

By now, Bai Yue’er was no longer the same girl who had just stepped out of her small village.
She had acted in two dramas, appeared on several TV shows, and participated in numerous interviews.
Facing the camera, she was natural and composed.

After her greeting, the reporter began asking questions about the filming of the drama.

These were straightforward and formulaic questions—ones Bai Yue’er had answered many times before.
Still, she patiently repeated her answers with a smile.

The reporter then moved on to ask for Bai Yue’er’s thoughts on the possibility of the drama winning awards.

Bai Yue’er said, “I didn’t expect this drama to win any awards, but personally, I’ve always seen winning awards as one of my life goals. It’s about letting people notice you and having the chance to become a capable actor…”

The interview went smoothly, and before she knew it, it was nearing the end.

While answering the reporter’s question, Bai Yue’er’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a familiar face in the crowd.

She froze for a moment.

But when she looked again, that familiar face had disappeared.

She thought she must have been mistaken and laughed at herself internally.

Why is he on my mind everywhere I go?
What’s so special about him anyway?
He’s just a jerk!

At this point, the reporter had almost finished asking all the questions.
She suddenly smiled and said, “I heard today is your birthday?”

Bai Yue’er smiled and replied, “Yes, it is.”

She assumed her assistant, Ban Chan, had told them.

The reporter continued, “A fan of yours told us about your birthday and insisted we prepare a birthday cake for you.”

Bai Yue’er covered her mouth and laughed.
She looked into the camera and said, “I almost forgot it was my birthday today. Thank you for remembering.”

The reporter added, “Why don’t we cut the cake together?”

As soon as the reporter finished speaking, a young man stepped out from the back of the crowd. He was holding a large cake with lit candles—nineteen of them in total.

At first, Bai Yue’er’s attention was entirely on the cake.

But when she caught a glimpse of the young man’s face, she immediately froze, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Why… why… it’s so big? (It’s you?)”

Fortunately, she was quick-witted and corrected herself mid-sentence.

Everyone present thought Bai Yue’er was amazed by the size of the cake, unaware that she was actually shocked by the person carrying it.

Bai Yue’er quickly composed herself. She shot Xu Xiuwen a glance—half proud, half playful—but the smile on her lips was uncontrollable.

Unlike the polite, rehearsed smiles she’d given during the interview, this was a genuine, heartfelt smile, one of pure joy.

It was so sweet that all the men present couldn’t help but feel their hearts skip a beat.

She looked as refreshing and delightful as biting into a juicy pear on a hot summer day.

Xu Xiuwen walked up to the table, still holding the cake.

Placing it down, he smiled and said, “Hello, Bai Yue’er. I’m your fan. Happy birthday.”

Bai Yue’er rolled her eyes at him—this jerk, always making things up.

She discreetly glanced around and saw that no one had recognized him. Her heart felt both sweet and a little nervous, like a mischievous secret she was trying to hide.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd started singing the birthday song.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Bai Yue’er blew out the candles and made a wish.

Then, she began cutting and distributing the cake.

Bai Yue’er personally handed out a small piece of cake to everyone present.
Since it was cut by the popular actress herself, not a single person refused.

When she finished, Bai Yue’er took the last piece of cake and walked over to Xu Xiuwen.

In a low voice, she said, “Why are you here? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Xu Xiuwen grinned. “I came to celebrate your birthday. Not telling you was part of the surprise. So, are you happy?”

Bai Yue’er huffed. “What’s there to be happy about…”

Though her words said otherwise, the smile on her face hadn’t faded for even a second since Xu Xiuwen appeared.

She was, without a doubt, overjoyed.

She hadn’t expected Xu Xiuwen to actually remember her birthday.

After finishing the cake, the interview officially came to an end.

The staff from NewBeauty Entertainment started packing up their equipment, getting ready to leave.

Bai Yue’er and her assistant also began to head out.

To avoid suspicion, Xu Xiuwen deliberately left separately from them.

It wasn’t until the NewBeauty staff had completely cleared out that he returned to join the two women.

Bai Yue’er and her assistant had hailed a cab and were now seated inside. The car was parked on the roadside, not far from the coffee shop.

Bai Yue’er wore a mask to avoid being recognized. She turned to her assistant and said, “Xiao Chan-jie, Xu Ba-Pi (Slave Driver) came to see me, and you didn’t tell me?!”

Ban Chan replied, “President Xu didn’t want me to. He said he wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Hmph. You’re my assistant, not his. If he tells you not to say anything, you just listen to him? You better not do this again next time.”

“Got it, Yue Yue.”

Bai Yue’er wasn’t actually upset.

She sat in the car waiting for Xu Xiuwen to come over.

Although it had only been a minute or two, it felt like half a century to her.

Bai Yue’er pouted and grumbled, “Why’s he so slow!”

Before she could finish her sentence, the rear car door opened.

Xu Xiuwen appeared outside the car.

Bai Yue’er immediately fell silent, scooting over to make space on the right for him to sit.

The driver suddenly asked, “Everyone’s here now, right?”

“Yes, we’re all here,” she replied.

Bai Yue’er then turned to Xu Xiuwen and asked, “Where are we going next?”

As she spoke, her gaze stayed on him.

“Back to the hotel first,” Xu Xiuwen said.

“What? Back to the hotel?”

Bai Yue’er sounded a little disappointed.

“You have another interview this afternoon,” Xu Xiuwen reminded her.

When he noticed the disappointment on her face, he couldn’t bear it.

Softening, he added, “After your afternoon interview, I’ll take you out to celebrate your birthday properly. How about that?”