Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 503

This explanation made sense.

Xu Xiuwen vaguely guessed that Chen Shuwan might be his fan.

After all, they hadn’t met many times, and their conversations were even fewer.

Today, not only was this girl constantly standing up for him, but when she spoke to him, she would often get shy yet couldn’t help secretly glancing at him.

It didn’t quite seem like a case of a secret crush, considering they had only met once before. But if she were a fan, it would be easier to understand.

Whether out of consideration for a fan or because it was Chen Shuwan’s birthday today, Xu Xiuwen thought about it and nodded in agreement.

“In that case, I’ll sing a song. If it’s not great, don’t laugh at me, alright?”

The girls around him quickly assured him that they wouldn’t.

Xu Xiuwen smiled and went over to select a song.

2006 was a golden year for Chinese pop music, a time when numerous incredible songs were released.

Among them, one of Xu Xiuwen’s favorites was “Serious Snow” by Xue Zhiqian, released on June 9, 2006.

This song was a love ballad, filled with deep emotions, which aligned perfectly with Xu Xiuwen’s image of being the “most soulful guy in Langya.”

This song truly resonated with him.

Holding the microphone, Xu Xiuwen stood on the stage.

As the prelude began, the melody slowly flowed through the room.

“The snow falls so deep, falls so earnestly, reflecting the scars on my heart lying in the snow.
In the quiet of the night, it is love that secretly takes hold of my heart, reminding me to be on call, ready to love you.
The music is quiet, yet love still devours my heart step by step.
Falling for you, I’ve lost myself.
I loved you so earnestly, loved you so sincerely, yet I still heard you say it’s impossible.
In Shanghai, where it hasn’t snowed in over a decade, snow suddenly falls at the very moment you said goodbye…”

Xu Xiuwen’s voice was undoubtedly excellent.

When he sang with such deep emotion, it added an even greater allure to his performance.

His slightly furrowed brows tugged at the heartstrings of everyone watching.

Many soft-hearted girls suddenly felt a strong urge to step forward and smooth out his brows.

As for tonight’s main guest, Chen Shuwan and her younger sister Chen Shumi, they also listened attentively to the performance.

Since her sister was a fan of Xu Xiuwen, Chen Shumi naturally knew a bit about him too.

However, hearing his singing live left her stunned.

She hadn’t expected it to sound this good.

Meanwhile, Chen Shuwan was entirely immersed in the song.

She clenched her hands tightly against her chest, her face filled with emotions like concern and heartache, as if she had tied the song’s story to Xu Xiuwen himself.

When the song ended, the room fell into a stillness as quiet as the snow.

Even the few boys who had been envious or resentful of Xu Xiuwen earlier couldn’t help but admire his singing ability.

One of the boys, who had been especially unwilling to accept Xu Xiuwen’s popularity, had initially planned to sing right after him to show him up.

But as soon as Xu Xiuwen started singing, the boy realized the gap in their abilities.

At best, he was a decent amateur, but Xu Xiuwen was practically at a professional level.

The difference was undeniable.

He immediately dismissed his idea.

Xu Xiuwen’s singing was so captivating that even the boys were drawn in, let alone the girls, who were utterly mesmerized.

Several girls who hadn’t paid much attention to Xu Xiuwen before now looked at him with sparkling eyes—the kind of gaze one reserves for their idol.

Li Ke observed her classmates’ expressions and reactions, feeling immensely proud and smug. Her face practically said, “Hmph, see? My Teacher Xu sings so well!”

The twin sisters, however, reacted differently.

Chen Shuwan gazed at Xu Xiuwen, her heart suddenly racing like a deer running wild.

Chen Shumi, on the other hand, found her opinion of Xu Xiuwen improving significantly. She thought, Maybe it’s reasonable that my sister likes him after all.

Xu Xiuwen turned around, taking in everyone’s reactions. None of it surprised him.

After all, this wasn’t his first time singing at a karaoke session.

What could he do? It wasn’t his fault he was just that good.

At that moment, a girl suddenly called out, asking him to sing another song.

Xu Xiuwen smiled and waved his hand, politely declining before returning to the three girls.

With a warm smile, he asked, “How was it? Was my singing alright?”

Li Ke beamed and said, “It was amazing!”

Chen Shumi, however, gave a slightly haughty hum. “It was okay, I guess.”

Xu Xiuwen turned to the silent Chen Shuwan and asked again, “Wan’er, did I do alright?”

Chen Shuwan locked eyes with Xu Xiuwen, her heart beating even faster.

“It was beautiful,” she said softly.

“Thank you,” Xu Xiuwen replied, almost instinctively reaching out to pat her head.

It was only after he had ruffled her hair that he realized—she wasn’t his girl.

He was about to apologize but noticed that Chen Shuwan didn’t seem upset. He let out a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand.

Chen Shuwan truly wasn’t angry.

But Li Ke, standing nearby, couldn’t help feeling a little jealous at the sight.

“Hmph,” she huffed. “I want to sing a song too.”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Li Ke ignored him and turned to Chen Shumi. “Mimi, sing with me, okay?”

Although the twins were both close friends with Li Ke, her bond with Chen Shumi was slightly stronger than with Chen Shuwan.

Naturally, Chen Shumi didn’t refuse and immediately nodded in agreement.

The two picked a duet, a love song, and the moment they stepped on stage, they captured everyone’s attention.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiuwen turned to Chen Shuwan and said, “Have a seat.”

Chen Shuwan nodded quickly, and they sat down together on the sofa.

As he watched the TV screen, Xu Xiuwen casually started a conversation with her.

“So, Wan’er, what do your parents do?” he asked offhandedly.

Unexpectedly, this simple question caused Chen Shuwan to lower her head in disappointment.

Xu Xiuwen noticed her silence and was taken aback. Had he said something wrong?

Before he could figure it out, Chen Shuwan softly replied, “I only have a mom, no dad.”

A single-parent family?

Realizing his misstep, Xu Xiuwen quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Wan’er. I didn’t mean to…”

Chen Shuwan shook her head, forcing a small smile.

“My sister and I were abandoned as newborns on our mom’s doorstep. She took us in and raised us. She treats us so well, even better than her own daughters.”

The twins’ fate was indeed tragic. Abandoned at birth.

If it hadn’t been for their current mother adopting them, who knew where they’d be now?

From her words, Xu Xiuwen could sense her immense love and gratitude for her adoptive mother, with no trace of resentment toward the parents who abandoned them.

This girl was clearly someone gracious and deeply grateful.

Xu Xiuwen then asked, “So, your mom never got married?”

Chen Shuwan shook her head. “No. At first, my grandparents were firmly against her adopting us. They worried it would affect her chances of dating and getting married. But Mom chose to move out for us and has remained unmarried ever since.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but hold her mom in higher regard.

Her mom was undoubtedly a kind-hearted woman.

Chen Shuwan continued, “Many people have tried to persuade her to get married, but she’s afraid a stepfather might not treat us well. So she said she’ll only consider it after my sister and I go to college.”

“I see. How old is your mom now?”

“She’s 34 this year.”

“So young?”

“Mhm. Mom adopted us when she was 18.”

No wonder her grandparents had opposed her mom’s decision to adopt the twins.

To most people, 18 is still an age where they’re considered a kid themselves. Few would dare—or be able—to take on such a huge responsibility.

Xu Xiuwen understood this well. He himself had been raised in a single-parent household. Ning Wanqiu had raised him on her own.

He deeply understood how difficult it was for a single woman to raise a child alone, which only made him admire the twins’ mom even more.

At the same time, knowing the twins came from a single-parent household, just like himself, stirred a sense of empathy and shared struggle within Xu Xiuwen.

He couldn’t help but reach out and gently ruffle Chen Shuwan’s hair.

She didn’t resist at all; in fact, she seemed to enjoy it a little.

In a gentle tone, Xu Xiuwen said, “Actually, I come from a single-parent family too. I’ve never seen my dad since I was born. My mom raised me on her own.”

“Really?” Chen Shuwan was surprised.

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “But so what? I still grew up healthy and strong. Now, I just focus on working hard to make money so my mom can live a better life. I’ve grown up, so now it’s my turn to protect her. You and your sister need to be just as optimistic. Don’t dwell on what you don’t have—focus on being grateful for what you do. Understand?”

“Mhm, mhm.” Chen Shuwan nodded earnestly.

Xu Xiuwen then added, “What’s your phone number? Let me save it. If you or your sister ever run into trouble, feel free to call me anytime. I know some people here in Jinling.”

Chen Shuwan shook her head. “We don’t have a cellphone, just a landline at home.”

This surprised Xu Xiuwen, but he still smiled warmly. “Alright, let me save that then. And remember my number too: 1xxxxxxxxxx.”

Chen Shuwan carefully memorized his number before giving him her home phone number.

After saving the number, Xu Xiuwen continued chatting with Chen Shuwan for a bit.

Meanwhile, Chen Shumi and Li Ke were on stage singing a duet—a love song.

The way they sang and stared deeply into each other’s eyes might make someone think they were a couple.

But, jokes aside, they actually sang quite well.

Especially Chen Shumi.

When she sang, her expression was focused, exuding a mature and commanding presence. Her voice, too, carried the same captivating quality—rich and full of emotion, as if it carried countless untold stories.

But she was only a 16-year-old girl in the bloom of her youth.

The only explanation could be sheer natural talent.

When the song ended, Li Ke immediately rushed over, seeking Xu Xiuwen’s approval.

Knowing what she wanted to hear, Xu Xiuwen didn’t hold back on his praise.

He even went out of his way to compliment Chen Shumi, highlighting her performance in particular.

Chen Shumi reacted much less visibly—she only glanced at him briefly, her expression indifferent.

Soon, under the persuasion of Chen Shumi and Li Ke, Chen Shuwan also decided to sing a song.

It’s worth mentioning that Chen Shuwan’s singing voice was also beautiful.

The twins had similar vocal tones but distinct characteristics, each leaving a lasting impression.

Before long, the gathering began to wind down, and people started leaving one after another.

Earlier, Xu Xiuwen had already agreed to send Li Ke and the Chen twins home.

It was late, and letting them return on their own didn’t sit well with him.

Figuring it wouldn’t take much of his time, he decided to go through with it.

As the four of them walked out of the private room, Xu Xiuwen casually asked, “Was tonight’s bill split evenly among everyone?”

Chen Shuwan shook her head. “No, Ke Ke is treating everyone.”

“You’re treating?” Xu Xiuwen’s brows furrowed instantly.

From what he recalled, they’d ordered quite a bit—fruit platters, snacks, plenty of drinks, though no alcohol. Coupled with the luxurious private room, the night’s expenses were at least two or three thousand.

Li Ke didn’t notice Xu Xiuwen’s expression. She grinned and said, “Don’t worry! It’s not that expensive. The owner said he’d give me a 90% discount.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen’s brows knitted even tighter.

“You know the owner? Are you two close?”

Li Ke smiled and explained, “I don’t know him, but he knows my mom. He’s one of her friends.”

“You’re being absolutely reckless!”

Xu Xiuwen, visibly displeased, raised his voice at her.

Li Ke was stunned. She felt both aggrieved and confused, unable to understand why Xu Xiuwen suddenly yelled at her.

Beside her, Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi were also startled by his outburst.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t shouting for no reason. He was genuinely upset with Li Ke.

From her earlier explanation, he caught the detail about the owner giving her a 90% discount.

What kind of business operates that way?

If the owner truly was a friend of Li Haimei’s, that might explain it. But Li Ke had also mentioned she didn’t even know the owner—it was the owner who claimed to know her mom.

Firstly, Xu Xiuwen doubted that someone like Li Haimei would be friends with a KTV owner.

Secondly, if the owner really was a friend of Li Haimei, wouldn’t they visit her during holidays or special occasions? How could Li Ke not know them?

That left one likely explanation: the owner recognized Li Ke as Li Haimei’s daughter because he knew of Li Haimei.

And because of this recognition, the owner offered them a discount.

As the saying goes, you can’t accept favors without obligation.

For someone at Li Haimei’s level, the last thing she needed was to owe someone a favor—especially one she wasn’t even aware of.

What if the owner wasn’t exactly a law-abiding citizen?

If trouble ever arose and it ended up implicating Li Haimei, it might not cost her her job, but it could tarnish her spotless record.

Realizing he might have been too harsh, Xu Xiuwen softened his tone and tried to suppress his temper.

“You’re Li Haimei’s daughter. Whatever you do outside, you need to think about how it might affect her and her career. You don’t even know the owner here, and just because he claims to know your mom and says he’s her friend, you believe him?”

After listening to Xu Xiuwen’s words, Li Ke—who wasn’t actually foolish—quickly understood his point and realized why he had suddenly gotten upset.

Li Ke became aware that she had indeed made a mistake.

“I’m sorry, Teacher Xu. I shouldn’t have taken advantage.”

Seeing her genuine attitude in admitting her fault, Xu Xiuwen’s anger completely dissipated.

He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, offering reassurance, “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you. I should have explained calmly.”

“It’s okay,” Li Ke said, shaking her head. “I’ll tell the owner not to apply the discount. I’ll pay the full amount.”

“How much money did you bring?” Xu Xiuwen asked.

“One thousand yuan,” Li Ke replied.

“With all the fruit platters you ordered and the cost of this private room, that definitely won’t be enough,” Xu Xiuwen said matter-of-factly.