Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 489

At this moment, Bai Yue’er suddenly asked,
“Xu Xiuwen, will you always like me?”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t know how long her “always” meant.
A year? Ten years?
Or a lifetime?

He couldn’t promise to like Bai Yue’er for a lifetime.
You could call him unfaithful.
But this was his true thought.

Who could guarantee that they’d like someone for a lifetime, never changing their heart?
But at least at this moment, Xu Xiuwen liked Bai Yue’er.
Starting from this moment, he also believed that he would always like Bai Yue’er.

At the same time, he understood.
Bai Yue’er definitely wouldn’t want to hear anything rational right now.
What she wanted was simply a promise.

So Xu Xiuwen replied without hesitation,
“I will. I’ll always like you. No one can take you away from me.”

This was exactly what Bai Yue’er wanted to hear.
She was moved and hugged Xu Xiuwen tightly, saying,
“Xu Xiuwen, I don’t care how many girlfriends you’ve had, and I don’t care about status. As long as you like me, I’ll be satisfied.”

“Thank you, Yue’er. I’m sorry to have wronged you.”

Bai Yue’er gently shook her head, her voice soft but firm as she said,
“We don’t need to tell him about us yet. I’ll find a good opportunity to explain it to him, let him call off the engagement, and I’ll return the bride price to him too.”

“And me?”

“You don’t need to tell him. Shi Xiangming is actually quite petty. If he finds out I’m breaking off the engagement because of you, he’ll definitely hold a grudge against you. I’m worried he might act on impulse and hurt you. I’ll handle the engagement issue with him.”

Xu Xiuwen pondered for a moment.
Bai Yue’er’s suggestion was actually the best approach.
Having her persuade Shi Xiangming to break off the engagement.

Xu Xiuwen also didn’t want to confront Shi Xiangming head-on.
It wasn’t that he was afraid Shi Xiangming might hurt him.
He was more worried that Shi Xiangming might go all out and make a huge scene.

Bai Yue’er’s proposal was a relief to Xu Xiuwen.
He gently caressed Bai Yue’er’s cheek and said with emotion,
“Thank you, Yue’er, for all you’re doing.”

Bai Yue’er shook her head and leaned into his embrace,
“It’s not hard. Yue’er is willing to do anything for you.”

Xu Xiuwen was deeply moved and subconsciously held Bai Yue’er tighter.

It’s said that a woman’s mood can change as quickly as the weather.

Just a second ago, Bai Yue’er was still basking in the emotion.
But suddenly, she let out a cold snort.
Then she forcefully pushed Xu Xiuwen away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t touch me!”

“Why not?”

“You shameless flirt! You’re with me, yet you’re still thinking about other women.”

“I’m not! I didn’t think of anyone else.”

“Don’t deny it. Didn’t you just say you wanted me to bring someone else next time to keep you company?”

Xu Xiuwen was instantly at a loss for words.

“Player!”

Seeing Xu Xiuwen speechless, Bai Yue’er was furious, gritting her teeth in anger.
She was fuming, as if she’d suffered a great injustice.

Suddenly, she lunged forward and bit down hard on Xu Xiuwen.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch… Yue’er, I’m wrong…”

It didn’t actually hurt at all.
But Xu Xiuwen still cried out as if in pain.

When Bai Yue’er heard him cry out in pain, she indeed let go.
Seeing Xu Xiuwen’s pained expression, she felt much more satisfied.

Then, she suddenly leaned closer to the spot she had bitten and gently blew on it.
As she blew, Bai Yue’er huffed, “Xu Xiuwen, there are some things I can pretend not to know, but for those kinds of things, don’t even think about it—I won’t agree.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t dare. I was just joking,” Xu Xiuwen replied with an awkward smile.

This earned him a playful, dramatic eye roll.

Bai Yue’er then asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Without hesitation, Xu Xiuwen nodded and put on a pained expression. “It hurts!”

“Hmph, serves you right!”

Though her words sounded harsh, the next second, Bai Yue’er leaned down again.
She softly blew on the spot where she’d bitten him.

As she blew, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xu Xiuwen was holding back a laugh. It didn’t take long for her to realize she’d been tricked.

Bai Yue’er’s face turned red.
“Xu Xiuwen, you’re so annoying…”

“Hehe…”

Seeing Xu Xiuwen laugh, Bai Yue’er tried to keep a stern face but couldn’t hold it for long. Eventually, she laughed too.

The two of them laughed together for a while, their gazes locked, until their laughter gradually subsided.

“Xu Xiuwen, I really like dogs. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because dogs don’t lie. They only give their whole hearts.”

“That’s true.”

“Xu Xiuwen…”

“Hmm?”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“What do you mean?”

“When you said you like me…”

“I do like you. If I’m lying, let me be reincarnated as a dog in my next life.”

“Pfft—” Bai Yue’er giggled and said, “That wouldn’t be much of a punishment. Being a dog is great—carefree, no worries, no stress.”

Xu Xiuwen hugged Bai Yue’er tightly but didn’t say anything.

“Xu Xiuwen~”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t lie to me, okay? Even if one day you don’t like me anymore, don’t lie to me, okay?”

Xu Xiuwen looked down at Bai Yue’er’s expression. She seemed a bit anxious, as though worried about losing him.

“Okay, but that day will never come.”

After a moment of silence, Xu Xiuwen asked, “Why are you hugging me so tightly?”

Without saying anything, she simply held him tighter.

…

The next morning, Bai Yue’er flew to Beijing with Ban Chan.
She left Xu Xiuwen alone in the hotel.

The events of the past three days felt like a dream.

But Xu Xiuwen knew very clearly it wasn’t a dream.
The best evidence was a blood-stained bedsheet.

That sheet…
Xu Xiuwen had cut out and kept as a memory.

Bai Yue’er left Shanghai.
Xu Xiuwen stayed behind.

He still had things to do.

As mentioned before, Xu Xiuwen’s sixth novel—the next drama his company had decided to adapt—was already confirmed: Coffee Prince.

If everything went as expected, the drama adaptation would undoubtedly become a hit.
However, even before the drama aired, the novel had already become a sensation on the Jinjiang website.

When the first chapter was published, Xu Xiuwen didn’t inform anyone, so the website didn’t help with any promotion.
But that didn’t stop the novel from achieving remarkable success.

In just a short period, the novel swept through all the major rankings on Jinjiang, dominating them by a wide margin and making countless authors green with envy.

The story of the novel primarily revolved around a coffee shop.
Xu Xiuwen vividly remembered how, in his previous life, when this drama became a hit in South Korea, it also brought fame to the coffee shop featured in it.

Fans and drama enthusiasts flocked to the café, taking photos and checking in.
Even up until the time Xu Xiuwen was reborn, that café in South Korea was still a popular tourist spot.

So, Xu Xiuwen had no reason to miss out on such a profitable opportunity.

He planned to open a café called Coffee Prince.

Xu Xiuwen had thought this through carefully before deciding to open a coffee shop.
First of all, as long as the drama became a hit, the café would inevitably gain popularity alongside it.
Fans coming to check in and visit would undoubtedly bring in a steady stream of customers.

Even in the worst-case scenario—if the drama flopped or the café failed to attract customers—Xu Xiuwen wouldn’t lose out.

After all, property prices in Shanghai had been steadily rising for years.
Xu Xiuwen clearly remembered that by 2022, property prices in Shanghai had reached an astonishing level.

It’s worth mentioning that Shanghai’s property prices had been rising continuously since 2000, with particularly noticeable growth.
However, in 2005, the growth rate suddenly slowed down.

In 2004, the average housing price in Shanghai was about 6,385 yuan per square meter.
To curb the rapid increase in housing prices, the city implemented a series of measures to stabilize the market.

As a result, in 2005, housing prices didn’t continue to rise. In fact, at their lowest, they dropped to around 6,414 yuan per square meter.

Under the macroeconomic controls of 2005, the real estate market remained stable in 2006.
But starting in 2007, housing prices in Shanghai surged again.

By the end of 2007, the average transaction price had reached approximately 9,755 yuan per square meter.
Then came the 2008 global financial crisis, causing the real estate market to drop to around 7,800 yuan per square meter.

But by 2009, Shanghai’s housing prices had skyrocketed again, showing no signs of slowing down.

That’s why 2005 and 2006 were the most stable periods for Shanghai’s housing market, making them the best times to buy.

Xu Xiuwen planned to open his coffee shop in Shanghai. Instead of renting, he decided to buy a commercial property for the café while also investing in some residential real estate.

After all, with an average price of just over 6,000 yuan per square meter, this was the lowest property prices would ever be in Shanghai.
In the years to come, no year would see prices lower than this.

Fortunately, Xu Xiuwen had some spare cash on hand for investing in property.

As a reborn individual, Xu Xiuwen wasn’t about to miss such an opportunity.

At nine in the morning, Xu Xiuwen woke up and, after breakfast, headed out to meet a real estate agent.

Before coming to Shanghai, Xu Xiuwen had already done some research online and contacted an agent.

When it came to buying property in Shanghai, Xu Xiuwen had his own ideas.

Shanghai was a massive city with countless properties.
Picking the best investments from so many options wasn’t going to be an easy task.

But that kind of difficulty only applied to other real estate speculators.
For Xu Xiuwen, it was much simpler.

In his previous life, Xu Xiuwen had seen a property appreciation chart.
Both the capital city and Shanghai had multiple properties on the list.

Setting aside the capital city, the Shanghai list compared property prices from 2006 to 2022.
Many neighborhoods had seen price increases exceeding tenfold.

The one that left the deepest impression on Xu Xiuwen was Zhangjiang Haoyuan.
In 2006, properties in Zhangjiang Haoyuan were relatively cheap, priced at only 8,000 yuan per square meter.
By 2022, the average price had risen to around 1.25 million yuan per square meter—a staggering 15-fold increase.

So, without a second thought, Xu Xiuwen decided to buy property there and wait for it to appreciate in value.

As for living there?
Xu Xiuwen hadn’t planned on that for now.
His current focus was in Jinling, not Shanghai.

In the future, it was possible he might spend some time in Shanghai,
but even then, he wouldn’t live in Zhangjiang Haoyuan.

Because Xu Xiuwen had already set his sights on another residence: Tomson Riviera.

In his previous life, Tomson Riviera was a top-tier luxury home Xu Xiuwen didn’t even dare to dream of.
But in this life, it was no longer out of reach.

Tomson Riviera was developed by Tomson Group Limited, located along the Binjiang Avenue in Lujiazui, Shanghai.
Covering an area of over 20,000 square meters, the total construction area exceeded 115,000 square meters.
It consisted of four extremely luxurious riverside residential buildings and a high-end clubhouse.
The tallest building reached 44 stories, with a height of 153 meters.

Tomson Riviera began presales on October 19, 2005, with an initial price of 110,000 yuan per square meter.
The smallest unit was 434 square meters, while the largest reached 1,243 square meters.
At the time of its launch, it was dubbed “the most luxurious residence in China.”

Despite its fame, only three units were sold in the four years following its launch.

From February 2007 to 2009, no transactions were recorded.
The lack of sales even forced Tomson Group to adjust its marketing strategy.

Following the 2008 global financial crisis, Tomson Riviera finally relented in March 2009, abandoning its “no price reduction” stance.
A unit sold at a reduced price of just 68,000 yuan per square meter, with some units priced as low as 50,000 yuan per square meter.

By 2022, the price of Tomson Riviera had soared to 270,000 yuan per square meter.

So if Xu Xiuwen wanted to buy a unit there, 2009 would be the perfect time.

Xu Xiuwen had already made up his mind:
If he had spare cash by 2009, he would buy a unit at Tomson Riviera just for fun.

Back to the present—
Xu Xiuwen arrived at the real estate agency on time.

As soon as he walked in, he asked, “Is Qiao Yumin here?”

There were a man and a woman in suits in the shop.
The woman in the suit immediately stood up and said, “Hello, I’m Qiao Yumin.”

She walked over quickly, her face beaming with a friendly smile. Speaking fluent Mandarin, she asked, “Are you Mr. Xu?”

Qiao Yumin was the real estate agent Xu Xiuwen had contacted in advance.

Xu Xiuwen took the opportunity to size her up.

She looked pretty good—she reminded him of a younger Tao Hong.
When she wasn’t smiling, the resemblance was striking. When she smiled, it became even more so.

However, she was much taller than Tao Hong, probably just over 1.7 meters, and she was wearing low-heeled shoes.

Standing in front of Xu Xiuwen, Qiao Yumin’s height was almost on par with his.
Most men would feel a bit pressured standing next to her.

Xu Xiuwen, however, enjoyed interacting with beautiful women, especially when the woman before him bore such a striking resemblance to Tao Hong.
Naturally, he felt a bit more favorable toward her.

Qiao Yumin, on the other hand, was also sizing up Xu Xiuwen, still uncertain if this was the “Mr. Xu” she was supposed to meet.

Xu Xiuwen gave a slight nod and said, “That’s me.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yumin’s smile grew even brighter and more enthusiastic.

Today, Xu Xiuwen had arranged with her to view three properties, all located in Zhangjiang Haoyuan:
one two-bedroom, one three-bedroom with one living room, and one three-bedroom with two living rooms.

On the way to view the properties, Qiao Yumin casually asked, “Mr. Xu, where are you currently working?”

Xu Xiuwen answered calmly, “I run my own company.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yumin immediately assumed he was a second-generation rich kid.
For someone Xu Xiuwen’s age, how else could he afford to run his own company if not for being a trust-fund baby?

Realizing that today’s client was likely a wealthy second-generation entrepreneur, Qiao Yumin felt a surge of excitement—not because she thought she could latch onto someone rich, but because she knew there was a high chance the properties would sell if she could satisfy Xu Xiuwen.

And if that happened, she’d earn a hefty commission.

As they continued, Qiao Yumin began enthusiastically introducing the various advantages of Zhangjiang Haoyuan.

One of the most notable selling points was that Zhangjiang Haoyuan was located in a top-tier school district, with access to Zhangjiang Experimental Primary School and Zhangjiang Group School.

For most people, school districts were a crucial factor when buying a home, and in this regard, Zhangjiang Haoyuan had a significant edge.