Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 502

Xu Xiuwen was stunned.

He hadn’t expected Qiao Gang to bring this up.

Back then, when he recommended Mu Zhilan to Li Haimei, it was just a casual suggestion. He hadn’t done it seeking gratitude from the mother and son.

He was just about to say it wasn’t a big deal when Qiao Gang continued, “Brother Xu, are you free tomorrow evening?”

“Tomorrow evening? I should be. What’s up?”

“Brother Xu, my mom wants to invite you to dinner to thank you for recommending her the job.”

“No need, no need. That’s really unnecessary. It was just a small thing.”

Qiao Gang shook his head. “Brother Xu, maybe it was a small thing to you, but to our family, it was a big deal. If you don’t come, my mom will be really disappointed.”

Hearing Qiao Gang say that, Xu Xiuwen felt it would be impolite to refuse further. Besides, he really was free tomorrow evening.

After a moment’s thought, he nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll come by tomorrow evening. Just remind Sister Mu not to go overboard—keep it simple, a couple of dishes are fine.”

“Okay, Brother Xu. Then I won’t disturb you while you use the restroom.”

“Mm.”

Xu Xiuwen nodded and turned to enter the bathroom.

The restroom at this KTV was massive, at least 20 square meters, with luxurious decor.

You could pretty much do anything in here.

But Xu Xiuwen was just here for a quick break.

After finishing his business, Xu Xiuwen opened the door and stepped out of the restroom.

Looking up, he suddenly saw someone standing in front of him.

Taking a closer look, he realized it was one of the twin sisters.

But which one exactly? Xu Xiuwen couldn’t immediately tell.

After all, from the outside, Chen Shumi and Chen Shuwan were almost identical.

Their clothes, hairstyles—almost no difference at all.

After scrutinizing her a bit more, Xu Xiuwen concluded with high probability that the girl before him was the younger sister, Chen Shumi, not the elder sister, Chen Shuwan.

The reasoning was simple.

Although their appearances were the same, this girl had a somewhat cold expression.

It was through this detail that Xu Xiuwen judged who she was.

Assuming she was here to use the restroom, Xu Xiuwen stepped aside and said, “It’s all yours.”

He walked over to the sink, turned on the tap, and began washing his hands.

Looking up, through the mirror, he noticed that Chen Shumi hadn’t entered the restroom. Instead, she stood where she was, staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Xu Xiuwen asked with a smile.

Chen Shumi, her tone sharp, asked, “Why did you treat my sister like that earlier?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. You deliberately fell to take advantage of her, didn’t you?”

So that’s what this was about.

Xu Xiuwen felt wronged.

What had happened earlier was indeed an accident. Everything that followed wasn’t intentional either.

“You’ve misunderstood. I didn’t take advantage of your sister. It was purely accidental; I didn’t mean to.”

Chen Shumi’s face remained cold.

“Xu Xiuwen, if you dare bully my sister, you’ll pay for it.”

Xu Xiuwen almost laughed out loud at her words.

This girl had quite the personality.

But her threat directed at him was amusing.

After all, Xu Xiuwen wasn’t even afraid of gangsters, not to mention her.

Is it possible to be afraid of a rebellious teenager?

Probably not.

But Xu Xiuwen didn’t take offense at Chen Shumi’s attitude.

Though her tone wasn’t great, her intention—to protect her sister—was commendable.

Through a few brief interactions and conversations, Xu Xiuwen had more or less figured out the personalities of the twin sisters.

Generally speaking, among twins, one tends to have a stronger personality while the other is more subdued. Over time, the quieter one becomes more introverted, while the stronger one grows more outgoing.

Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi were no exception.

The elder sister was introverted, while the younger sister was assertive.

Xu Xiuwen decided not to argue or explain further.

He smiled and said, “Alright, let’s say it’s my fault. I apologize, okay?”

“Brother Wen, don’t apologize.”

Suddenly, another voice sounded.

It’s often said that twins share a psychic connection, and Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi seemed to have it too.

At the very least, Chen Shuwan was quite familiar with her younger sister’s personality.

When she saw her sister get up and head toward the restroom, she had a vague idea of what might happen. After a brief hesitation, she decided to follow.

And so, she overheard the conversation between Xu Xiuwen and her sister.

To her, the earlier incident was just an accident.

Teacher Xu was her idol; there was no way he would deliberately take advantage of her.

Her sister’s questioning of Xu Xiuwen made her feel guilty.

Hearing that Xu Xiuwen was about to apologize, she quickly interjected.

Xu Xiuwen was surprised to see that Chen Shuwan had come over too.

Chen Shumi, however, seemed unfazed. She had already noticed her sister standing nearby out of the corner of her eye.

Chen Shuwan stepped closer and said, “Mier, stop it. I trust that Brother Wen isn’t that kind of person.”

She tugged at Chen Shumi’s sleeve.

Chen Shumi huffed softly but didn’t argue.

Then Chen Shuwan turned to Xu Xiuwen, her tone slightly apologetic. “Brother Wen, please don’t mind her. My sister is just overly concerned about me.”

Chen Shuwan’s gentle and understanding personality was truly endearing.

By contrast, Chen Shumi wasn’t as likable.

It was fascinating how the same face could seem so different depending on the personality.

Xu Xiuwen shook his head with a smile. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. Her misunderstanding is understandable—it was indeed my oversight earlier.”

“Mm.”

The three of them fell into silence.

Chen Shumi glanced around, let out a soft humph, and said, “I’m heading back.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Xu Xiuwen, who had been in the middle of washing his hands, continued.

When he looked up again, he noticed that Chen Shuwan was still standing there, not leaving.

“Wan’er, is there something else you need?”

Earlier in the private room, the lighting had been dim, so Chen Shuwan could only make out the general outline of Xu Xiuwen’s face. She hadn’t seen him clearly.

But now, under the bright lights of the restroom, she could see his features in detail.

She couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

And, of course, Xu Xiuwen noticed.

Flustered, Chen Shuwan stammered, “I… I’ll head back now.”

With that, she hurriedly turned and left.

Xu Xiuwen was amused by her adorable reaction.

He then returned to the private room.

The door to the private room was pushed open from the outside.

A server entered, pushing a small cart.

On the cart sat a two-tiered cake.

One tier read: “Happy Birthday, Chen Shuwan.”
The other tier read: “Happy Birthday, Chen Shumi.”

Li Ke got up and began placing candles on the cake, while Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi were surrounded by their classmates in the center of the room.

When Xu Xiuwen walked over, the girls instinctively stepped aside, making way for him.

He approached the twins.

Once Li Ke finished placing the candles, someone turned off the lights in the room.

At everyone’s urging, the sisters stepped forward to blow out the candles, one taking each tier.

Xu Xiuwen counted the candles—there were 16 on each tier.

By Langya’s custom, the sisters were already considered 17 years old.

Sixteen would be too young, he thought. At that age, dating would be too early.

But seventeen? That would be just right.

Still, Xu Xiuwen guessed the twins hadn’t started dating yet. Otherwise, surely their boyfriends would’ve shown up by now.

The sisters each made a wish before blowing out their candles.

Someone, possibly the instigator, began singing the birthday song, and soon the whole room joined in.

Amid the singing, Chen Shuwan, being the older sister, went first.

It took her several breaths to blow out all the candles.

Then it was Chen Shumi’s turn.

Her lung capacity was clearly better than her sister’s—she managed to blow out all the candles in one go.

As soon as the candles were extinguished, someone turned the lights back on.

The sisters began cutting and distributing the cake.

Chen Shumi handed the first slice to Li Ke.

Xu Xiuwen assumed Chen Shuwan would also give her first slice to one of their classmates.

To his surprise, after cutting a slice, she handed it straight to him.

With a gentle voice, she said, “Brother Wen, this is for you.”

Xu Xiuwen was caught off guard by the gesture.

A few of the male classmates watching the scene clenched their teeth so hard, they were practically grinding their molars.

Xu Xiuwen accepted the cake with a smile. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Brother Wen,” Chen Shuwan replied sweetly, then turned to continue cutting the cake for the others.

“Wait a moment, Wan’er,” Xu Xiuwen called out.

“Huh? What is it, Brother Wen?”

Xu Xiuwen put his cake down and reached into his pocket, pulling out two small red boxes.

“I didn’t have time to carefully pick out gifts, so I just grabbed something on the way—bracelets. I hope you like them.”

Earlier, after receiving Li Ke’s call, he had stopped by a mall on the way and picked out two bracelets. They weren’t expensive, just a few hundred yuan each.

Chen Shuwan’s eyes lit up with surprise and joy at the unexpected gift.

Her big, beautiful eyes fixed on Xu Xiuwen, filled with both happiness and gratitude.

Shaking her head, she said, “Brother Wen, I can’t accept your gift. I didn’t invite you to celebrate with me because I wanted anything. Just having you here for my birthday makes me really happy.”

Those words were so heartwarming they could melt anyone’s heart.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled softly and said, “It’s just something that costs a few hundred bucks, nothing expensive. Just take it—it’s a gift from an older brother to his younger sister.”

Hearing this, Chen Shuwan bit her lip lightly and finally nodded in agreement.

She accepted the gift happily, then looked up at Xu Xiuwen and asked, “Brother Wen, can I open it now?”

“It’s yours now. You don’t need my permission—do whatever you want,” Xu Xiuwen replied with a smile.

“Alright.” Without hesitation, Chen Shuwan opened the jewelry box.

Inside was a light green bracelet, small but unique—a Hetian jade bracelet with an elegant design.

The chain was made of 14K gold-plated material with a high-quality finish. Tiny sparkling zirconia stones surrounded a small natural white shell centerpiece, forming a delicate gourd-shaped pendant.

The Hetian jade beads were small, translucent, and exceptionally lustrous, with a soft, light green hue.

Chen Shuwan took one look and instantly fell in love with it.

She eagerly took out the bracelet and put it on her wrist.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but glance at her wrist.

So slender.

White and delicate, but not overly thin. It had that elegant, slightly bony beauty reminiscent of classical women in period dramas.

As soon as Chen Shuwan put on the bracelet, the surrounding girls erupted in admiration.

Their excitement drew the attention of both Li Ke and Chen Shumi, who was still cutting the cake.

Chen Shuwan raised her wrist and waved it at her sister, half showing off, half sharing. “Doesn’t it look beautiful?”

Chen Shumi glanced at the bracelet and immediately took a liking to it.

“Who gave it to you?”

“Brother Wen gave it to me as a birthday gift,” Chen Shuwan replied.

Chen Shumi said nothing, but she turned to glance at Xu Xiuwen.

Xu Xiuwen found her reaction amusing.

This Chen Shumi was clearly a bit of a tsundere.

Her expression clearly said she liked it and wanted one too, but she wouldn’t say it outright.

Instead, she gave him a look, leaving him to figure it out himself.

Xu Xiuwen thought it was quite entertaining.

He didn’t tease her for long and, with a smile, handed over the other jewelry box.

“Chen Shumi, this is my birthday gift for you. I hope you’ll like it.”

Chen Shumi glanced at Xu Xiuwen, then said seriously, “Thank you.”

She accepted the gift and immediately opened the jewelry box.

Inside was a bracelet as well, though it was a different design from the one her sister wore.

Her bracelet was made of moonstone, featuring ten beads strung together on a delicate sterling silver chain.

It was exquisitely crafted.

Though it wasn’t identical to her sister’s, Chen Shumi was just as pleased with her bracelet.

The sterling silver bracelet matched her personality and style perfectly.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she put it on her wrist as well.

Watching this, Li Ke couldn’t help but feel envious.

She pouted on the spot and complained, “Teacher Xu, you’re so biased!”

“How am I biased?” Xu Xiuwen asked, amused.

“I was the one who met you first, yet you gave gifts to Mier and Wan’er and left me out!”

Xu Xiuwen laughed. “It’s their birthday. It’s not yours.”

Li Ke realized she didn’t really have a point, so she rolled her eyes mischievously. “So what you’re saying is, when my birthday comes, you’ll get me a gift too?”

“Of course,” Xu Xiuwen replied.

“Yay! Then I’m looking forward to it!” Li Ke beamed with excitement.

After Li Ke spoke, she looked at the bracelets of the two sisters and praised, “Mier, Wan’er, your bracelets are really beautiful.”

There was a flash of envy in her eyes.

Chen Shuwan whispered, “I think so too. I really like it.”

The few boys in the room shot Xu Xiuwen unfriendly looks.

This guy had come in and stolen all the attention from the girls.

Now, he had even gifted a bracelet to each of the sisters. He had completely stolen the spotlight.

Among the boys, Qiao Gang watched Xu Xiuwen and felt a little envious of him.

At the same time, his thoughts became even more resolute.

Meanwhile, Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi continued to cut the cake.

The cake was large, and everyone got a piece.

The sisters each cut a piece as well.

Li Ke had already finished her piece.

She suddenly looked up at the TV screen, then turned to Xu Xiuwen and said, “Teacher Xu, would it be okay if you sing a song?”

The surrounding girls all turned to look at her after hearing her request.

Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi weren’t exceptions.

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. “Forget it. You all sing. I won’t sing.”

Li Ke didn’t insist.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

She suddenly leaned over to Chen Shuwan’s ear and whispered something.

The next second, Chen Shuwan turned to Xu Xiuwen and said, “Brother Wen, I heard you’re really good at singing. Since it’s my birthday today, could you sing a song for us?”

“How do you know I’m good at singing?”

Xu Xiuwen thought it must have been Li Ke who told her.

But Li Ke saw the look in Xu Xiuwen’s eyes and immediately clarified, “Don’t look at me, it wasn’t me who said it.”

Chen Shuwan softly explained, “Brother Wen, actually, I’m your fan. I’ve seen your singing videos.”