Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 498

Lu Xinyao’s heart tightened, and she quickly turned her head, diverting her gaze.
“What? What am I hiding from you?”
“I’ll give you one more chance to come clean. Are you sure you’re not hiding anything from me?”
“No.” Lu Xinyao’s tone was firm.
“Then what is this?”

Xu Xiuwen pulled a pregnancy test kit out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table.

The moment Lu Xinyao saw the test, she panicked. She quickly grabbed it and hid it behind her back, glaring at Xu Xiuwen with displeasure.
“Xu Xiuwen, what right do you have to go through my things? Don’t you understand the concept of respecting someone’s privacy?”

“Heh… I didn’t go through your things. It was right there on your table. Do I need to dig through anything to find it?”

Lu Xinyao thought back carefully and realized it was true.

A few days ago, she had been throwing up frequently. At first, she didn’t know why. Then, the thought of pregnancy crossed her mind. She was too scared to go to the hospital for a checkup, so after much hesitation, she bought a pregnancy test to check herself.

But she feared the result wouldn’t be what she wanted, so she kept putting it off. The test ended up sitting on her vanity, forgotten.

Yesterday, she brought Xu Xiuwen home, completely forgetting about the test on the table. And today, it was discovered by him.

Lu Xinyao felt a twinge of regret. How could I have been so careless?

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Say what?”
“Why do you have something like this on your vanity? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Lu Xinyao looked up at Xu Xiuwen, her eyes full of defiance.
“Why do I need to explain? Who are you to me?”

“Lu Xinyao!”
“So what?”

Xu Xiuwen had always taken a firm stance when dealing with Lu Xinyao, while she was usually more passive. But at this moment, Lu Xinyao stubbornly stared him down, refusing to back down even a bit.

This left Xu Xiuwen feeling helpless.

Fortunately, he was quick to adapt. If force didn’t work, he’d take the soft approach. As the old saying goes, A great man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.

Xu Xiuwen gazed into her eyes, softening his tone.
“Yao Yao, I’m not forcing you to explain. I’m just worried about your health.”

His voice was much gentler than before.

Lu Xinyao was a little surprised. She had been prepared to argue with him to the end, but his sudden shift to tenderness left her at a loss.

She bit her lip and hesitated. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not pregnant.”

“Then why did you buy a pregnancy test? If you can give me a reasonable explanation, I’ll believe you. Otherwise, how can I trust you?”

“It was a freebie from the supermarket when I was shopping. Does that work for you?”

Xu Xiuwen had lived many years, but this was the first time he’d heard of supermarkets giving out pregnancy tests as freebies.

“In that case, let’s go to the hospital this afternoon. Don’t go to work for now, and I’ll go with you to get checked.”

“There’s no need.”

“Yao Yao, how long are you going to keep hiding this from me? Don’t you think this is unfair to me? I’m the child’s father—I have the right to know about the child.”

Lu Xinyao looked at him and said coldly, “You speak so righteously, but don’t forget—it was you who forced me in the first place.”

“I know I was wrong at the start. You have every right to be angry with me, but you can’t let your emotions risk your health or the baby’s. Do you know how worried I’ve been about both of you?”

That sentence touched something in Lu Xinyao’s heart for a fleeting moment.

She bit her lip and looked into Xu Xiuwen’s eyes. His gaze didn’t waver in the slightest. It was deep and sincere, a look that could make any girl fall for him.

Suddenly, her heart started pounding.

She shifted her gaze and, after a few seconds of silence, said softly, “I don’t even know if I’m pregnant or not. I haven’t tested yet.”

Hearing her finally stop denying it, Xu Xiuwen’s heart leapt with joy.

Of course, he already knew she hadn’t tested yet. After all, the pregnancy test kit was still new.

He decided to press his advantage. “Yao Yao, let me go with you to the hospital this afternoon. We can get it checked out, okay? Even if you’re not pregnant, it’s fine—we can treat it like a health checkup.”

He thought she would finally agree, but to his disappointment, she still shook her head.

Just as disappointment started to creep into him, her next words brought him relief.

Lu Xinyao said softly, “I don’t like hospitals. I’ll test it myself after work tonight, and I’ll tell you as soon as I know the result.”

Xu Xiuwen thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. “That works too.”

His gaze was so gentle that Lu Xinyao felt a little uncomfortable.

She quickly said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

“Wait,” Xu Xiuwen called out to her.

“What is it now?”

“What do you want to eat tonight? After work, I’ll take you out.”

Lu Xinyao glanced at his expression. She knew that if she refused, he wouldn’t let it go.

So she said, “Up to you.”

“Alright, I’ll book a restaurant now.”

“Okay,” she replied, this time not refusing.

“Then I’ll be leaving first.”

“Alright.”

Lu Xinyao stood up and reached for the pregnancy test on the table, ready to leave Xu Xiuwen’s office. But before she could grab it, he was a step ahead and snatched it.

“What are you doing?”

Xu Xiuwen grinned. “You don’t have anywhere to put it. I’ll keep it for now and take care of it.”

Lu Xinyao rolled her eyes at him but didn’t argue.

After all, she was wearing a long dress today and indeed had no pockets.

Just then, Xu Xiuwen’s phone rang.

Whenever Xu Xiuwen answered calls, Lu Xinyao would leave the room to give him privacy. Today was no exception.

She turned and walked toward the door of the office.

As she stepped out and was about to close the door, she vaguely heard a woman’s voice coming through the phone.

—

3:00 p.m.

“Green Mountain” was a modestly famous coffee shop in Jinling City.

It didn’t have extravagant or flashy décor—just a small, simple storefront.

The café featured large floor-to-ceiling windows, cozy sofas, and a serene atmosphere.

In this space of just a few dozen square meters, you could read, listen to music, or savor a cup of delicious coffee.

The male barista had a gentle face, always wearing a warm smile.

In a place like this, even if you came alone, you could comfortably stay for hours.

It was the afternoon, not yet time for work or school to end, so the coffee shop was quiet with only a few patrons.

By the booth near the floor-to-ceiling windows, a woman sat as if waiting for someone.

At that moment, the café door opened, and a young, tall, handsome man walked in.

The man stood just inside the entrance, scanning the interior of the coffee shop. His eyes quickly landed on the woman sitting by the window.

Without hesitation, he strode toward her, the crisp sound of his shoes on the floor echoing in the quiet café.

The sound finally caught the woman’s attention.

She turned her head toward the door, and when she saw the man, a smile lit up her face.
“You’re here.”

Ji Yan stood from her seat, intending to greet Xu Xiuwen.

Xu Xiuwen gave her a small nod before sitting across from her without any formalities.

Just then, a server came over.

Xu Xiuwen ordered a coffee and then shifted his gaze to Ji Yan.
“What do you want to talk to me about?”

Ji Yan smiled. “Can’t I just chat with you without a reason?”

Xu Xiuwen thought to himself: Are we even that close? Chat with me for no reason?
“If you have nothing to say, I’ll leave.”

“No, no—there’s something I want to say to you.”

“Then go ahead.” Xu Xiuwen’s expression was indifferent.

Ji Yan stared at the young man sitting across from her. His face, his presence—everything about him made her heart race.

Her mind wandered back to yesterday.

She had come to Jinling to meet Liu Yang, who happened to have a dinner event to attend. Initially, she wasn’t interested, but when she found out the dinner was hosted by the owner of Guangming Distillery, her interest was piqued.

When she arrived at the dinner, she met the owner—Xu Xiuwen.

It had been a long time since she felt her heart stir like this.

Xu Xiuwen’s handsome features, tall and strong build, effortless charm, and fearless, audacious demeanor—all of it was exactly her type.

So, when Liu Yang was ready to leave, she chose to stay behind.

Even though her relationship with Liu Yang wasn’t ordinary and her decision might embarrass or anger him, she didn’t care.

Ji Yan had always been clear about what she wanted and what she didn’t. She wasn’t like other women who would say one thing and mean another.

Now that Xu Xiuwen had caught her eye, she decided to take the initiative to seduce him.

But the results were… underwhelming.

After they parted ways that night and she returned to her hotel, she even had a vivid, blissful dream about him—a dream so intense that she had to change her underwear when she woke up.

Lying in bed the next morning, she couldn’t stop thinking about his face. She let her imagination run wild and indulged in a private moment of self-satisfaction.

Feeling utterly content afterward, she lay in bed and started planning how to win him over.

Eventually, she decided to call Xu Xiuwen and invite him to meet. Getting his number was surprisingly easy; after asking a few people, she had it.

The good news was.

Xu Xiuwen had agreed to meet, and the two arranged to meet at the café.

When she saw Xu Xiuwen in person, Ji Yan’s heart raced uncontrollably.

It only confirmed what she had been suspecting—she was probably falling for this man, even though he was several years younger than her.

But Xu Xiuwen’s apparent impatience frustrated her.

Ji Yan thought for a moment before suddenly pulling a business card out of her bag and handing it to him.

“We didn’t properly introduce ourselves yesterday. Hello, I’m Ji Yan, manager of the Marketing and Sales Department at Shuanghe Distillery.”

Xu Xiuwen took the card, glanced at it briefly, and then placed it on the table.

“Miss Ji, to have achieved the position of manager at such a young age, you must be incredibly capable.”

Ji Yan chuckled. “You’re too kind, Mr. Xu. You, on the other hand, are so young yet already own a promising distillery. That’s truly impressive and admirable.”

Xu Xiuwen smiled faintly. “Shuanghe Distillery is an established and well-known brand. Guangming Distillery still has a lot of catching up to do to match its success.”

Hearing this, Ji Yan sighed softly. “Mr. Xu, you might not know this, but Shuanghe Distillery isn’t doing as well as people think.”

“Oh? Could you elaborate, Miss Ji?”

This was already venturing into Shuanghe’s internal matters.

If it were anyone else, Ji Yan would never have revealed such information.

But this was Xu Xiuwen.

Without hesitation, she said, “Shuanghe Distillery isn’t what it used to be. In recent years, various distilleries have been competing fiercely for market share, and Shuanghe’s share has shrunk significantly. Especially this year—it’s been a dramatic decline. The future is very uncertain.”

Xu Xiuwen knew Ji Yan was telling the truth.

Shuanghe Distillery had once thrived, thanks to its quality liquor, cultural branding, and reasonable pricing. Its reputation wasn’t limited to Jiangsu Province; it had significant recognition in neighboring regions as well, comparable to the current prominence of Heyang Distillery.

But as its competitive edge weakened and other distilleries began aggressively expanding, Shuanghe’s market share was eroded.

In 2010, under the local government’s guidance, Shuanghe Distillery was acquired and merged with Heyang Distillery.

“If Shuanghe’s development is struggling, then Miss Ji may need to start considering her future plans.”

Ji Yan chuckled again. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Xu. I’ve worked at Shuanghe for many years, accumulated a wealth of connections and resources, and made a good amount of money. Even if I were to leave Shuanghe now, I wouldn’t have much to worry about.”

A subtle smile appeared on Xu Xiuwen’s lips.

It seemed Ji Yan was implying she might leave Shuanghe Distillery.

Just then, the coffee Xu Xiuwen had ordered was brought to the table.

He picked up the cup, took a sip, and placed it back down.

Before he could speak again, Ji Yan suddenly asked, “Mr. Xu, do you have a girlfriend?”

Instead of answering immediately, Xu Xiuwen studied her expression.

Ji Yan liked him.

At the very least, she was interested in him.

This much, Xu Xiuwen was certain of.

Last night, her boldness and forwardness had surprised even him, a self-proclaimed expert in such matters.

Today, she was more restrained than before, but the way she looked at him was still captivating.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but think that if he were to strip down and lie on a bed right now, the woman sitting across from him would have no hesitation in devouring him completely.

Instead of answering, Xu Xiuwen countered with his own question: “What do you think?”

“Mr. Xu, you’re handsome, accomplished, and charming. Anyone who gets to be your girlfriend would be so lucky. If I were a few years younger, I don’t think I’d be able to resist pursuing you myself.”

Ji Yan also didn’t directly answer Xu Xiuwen’s question. While complimenting him, she threw him a flirtatious glance, testing his reaction.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled at her words. “Miss Ji, you’re giving me too much credit. Maybe it’s because I’m not good with words, but I’ve never had a girlfriend.”

Hearing this, Ji Yan covered her mouth and laughed, then quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Mr. Xu. I wasn’t mocking you for not having a girlfriend. I just think the girls around you have such poor judgment—how could they not appreciate such an outstanding man like you?”

“Heh, you’re flattering me,” Xu Xiuwen replied with a smile.

“Mr. Xu, what kind of girl do you like?” Ji Yan asked, her tone playful. “I happen to know many wonderful women. Perhaps one of them fits your criteria, and I could introduce you.”

Xu Xiuwen locked his gaze on Ji Yan’s eyes and said, “I like women who are older than me.”

Ji Yan’s heart skipped a beat at his response, though she tried to maintain her composure. “You like women who are older than you?” she asked, though inside, she was thrilled.

“Yes,” Xu Xiuwen continued. “I’ve never seen my father. My mother raised me alone. So I might have a bit of an Oedipal complex. I’m attracted to women a few years older than me—someone who can take care of me, someone like an older sister.”