Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 504

“What should we do now?”
Chen Shuwan and Chen Shumi became nervous upon hearing this.
“Keke, let’s pool our money together.”
The sisters searched through their pockets but only managed to gather 500 yuan.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen suggested, “Let’s ask how much it is first.”

The three girls, anxious and uneasy, followed Xu Xiuwen to the front desk. The KTV owner happened to be there as well.
When he saw Li Ke, he smiled and said to the girl at the counter, “These are my friend’s kids. Give them a 90% discount on tonight’s bill.”

Li Ke stepped forward and said, “No need for a discount. We’ll pay whatever the amount is.”

“It’s fine, Li SZ and I are…” The owner started to explain.

Xu Xiuwen interrupted, “We’ll pay the full amount. We never take advantage of others.”

The KTV owner looked at Xu Xiuwen, whose gaze carried a deeper meaning, as if silently saying, I know what you’re up to. Don’t even think about it.
The owner’s expression immediately tightened.

After a moment of silence, he reluctantly instructed the girl at the counter, “Give them the bill.”

“The total is 3,200 yuan.”

Hearing this amount, Li Ke and the Chen sisters were stunned. The night’s expenses were far higher than they had anticipated. But even pooling all their money together, they only had 1,500 yuan—not nearly enough.

As the three girls hesitated, Xu Xiuwen said, “Alright, you all wait for me at the door.”

Hearing this, Li Ke understood his intention. After a brief hesitation, she and the sisters headed toward the door.

Xu Xiuwen pulled out his wallet to settle the bill.

After the girls left, the owner snorted, “Young man, what you’re doing here isn’t very fair.”

Xu Xiuwen’s lips twitched slightly as he responded, “You’re in business—stick to business. It’s best not to have inappropriate ideas.”

The owner, catching the sarcasm, turned sour. Yet there was something about Xu Xiuwen’s presence that felt intimidating. The owner, momentarily subdued, said nothing more.

Li Ke and the sisters stood outside the KTV waiting for Xu Xiuwen to catch up.

After paying, Xu Xiuwen quickly joined them.

Li Ke lowered her head and said softly, “I’m sorry, Teacher Xu. We ended up making you pay.”

The sisters beside her also wore apologetic expressions.

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “It’s alright. This amount isn’t much for me. But in the future, if you go to a KTV again, pick one that fits your budget. And especially with discounts like this—don’t accept them lightly.”

“Understood,” the three girls replied in unison.

Afterward, Xu Xiuwen drove the three girls home.

He first dropped off the Chen sisters near their house. Before getting out of the car, Chen Shuwan expressed her gratitude again, while Chen Shumi remained silent the whole time.

Watching the sisters walk toward their home, Xu Xiuwen restarted the car and prepared to drive Li Ke home.

Soon, they arrived at Li Ke’s building.

Li Ke asked, “Teacher Xu, would you like to come up for some tea?”

Xu Xiuwen asked, “Is your mom home?”

“Yes, she’s home.”

Hearing that Li Haimei was home, Xu Xiuwen felt a surge of heat in his chest. It had been a while since he had been intimate with her, and he couldn’t help but miss the feeling.

However, after some serious thought, he decided not to go up.

“I’ll pass. You should head in and rest early. And don’t mention tonight’s events to your mom.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Teacher Xu.”

Li Ke waved at Xu Xiuwen before opening the door and stepping out of the car.

By the time Xu Xiuwen drove back to Jiangning Garden, it was already late.
He picked up his phone and checked it—there were neither calls nor messages from Lu Xinyao.
For a moment, he wasn’t sure what the result was.
Xu Xiuwen thought about calling her to ask but, glancing at the time, figured she might already be asleep.
Better to ask her at the office tomorrow, he thought.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Xu Xiuwen drove to pick up Lu Xinyao.

Lu Xinyao usually commuted with Song Xiaomi, but today, it seemed as if she had anticipated Xu Xiuwen coming to find her. She deliberately let Song Xiaomi leave ahead of her.

When Xu Xiuwen called her, she came downstairs.

As soon as she got in the car, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t wait to ask, “Yaoyao, how did your test turn out last night?”

Lu Xinyao glanced at him and didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she asked, “What result do you hope for?”

“Me?” Xu Xiuwen wanted to say he didn’t mind either way.
But noticing the nervous look on Lu Xinyao’s face, he changed his words.
“I really love kids, especially one that’s yours and mine. If you’re really pregnant, I’ll be thrilled.”

His words were half true, half not.

Loving kids—that was true.
In his previous life, Xu Xiuwen never had children, so he always longed for one.

But being thrilled? That wasn’t entirely true.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of a child with Lu Xinyao.
It was just that the timing wasn’t ideal; it disrupted his plans.
If it could have been delayed a few years, that would have been better.

Still, as he had always told himself—if she truly was pregnant, he wouldn’t shirk his responsibilities.

Hearing his words, Lu Xinyao seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief.
She bit her lip and said, “I tested it—it’s two lines.”

Two lines meant positive. She was pregnant.

Even though Xu Xiuwen had already suspected it, confirming it still stirred up complicated emotions.

He didn’t feel fear or disappointment.
Instead, he felt a sense of unease—an apprehension at the thought of becoming a father for the first time.

Having lived nearly forty years across his past and current lives, even Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Let alone someone like Lu Xinyao.

Xu Xiuwen knew he couldn’t show even a trace of panic or worry.

He reached out and held Lu Xinyao’s hand.

This time, she didn’t resist or pull away, letting him hold her hand in his palm.

“Yaoyao, I know saying this makes me sound awful, but I won’t lie to you. I can’t and won’t abandon Cheng Lu and the others. But don’t worry, I’ll always treat you well. If you want to keep this child, I’ll fulfill my responsibilities as a father and protect both you and the baby.”

Lu Xinyao felt frustrated.

She knew exactly how complicated Xu Xiuwen’s love life was.
If she could, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

But what was done was done.
It was too late to change anything now.

She only had two choices.

Either terminate the pregnancy and gradually find a way to separate from Xu Xiuwen,
or keep the child, hoping that Xu Xiuwen might one day leave the other women—or simply accept his infidelity.

To keep the baby or not?

Lu Xinyao instinctively touched her belly.
It was as if she could feel the heartbeat of the baby, which made her even more reluctant to part with it.

After a moment of silence, Lu Xinyao looked up at Xu Xiuwen and said, “Give me some time. I haven’t decided yet.”

“Of course, of course, take your time. No rush,” Xu Xiuwen replied with a smile.

“Mm.”

Xu Xiuwen started the car.
“You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”

Lu Xinyao nodded.

“You’re not alone anymore. From now on, skipping breakfast is not allowed.”

“Mm.”

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you to get breakfast now.”

“But it’s almost work time,” Lu Xinyao said hesitantly.

Xu Xiuwen turned to her and winked. “You forget I’m the boss. Work hours are up to me. From now on, you can start at 10 and leave at 3.”

Lu Xinyao couldn’t help but laugh at that.
She rolled her eyes at him and said softly, “What kind of boss are you?”

“I’m exactly that kind of boss.”

With that, Xu Xiuwen took Lu Xinyao to a famous breakfast spot in Jinling.
Just waiting in line took almost half an hour.

By the time they finished breakfast, it was nearly 10 a.m.
Only then did Xu Xiuwen leisurely drive her back to the office.

On the way, Lu Xinyao occasionally stole glances at Xu Xiuwen out of the corner of her eye.
Despite his infidelity, he could be quite gentle at times.

This left Lu Xinyao even more conflicted, unsure of what decision to make.

By evening, Xu Xiuwen initially planned to have dinner with Lu Xinyao.
But then he remembered that he’d promised Qiao Gang to have dinner at his place tonight.

So, he reminded Lu Xinyao to eat properly in the evening.
He had also intended to drive her home, but she firmly refused, urging him to focus on his own plans.

After work, Lu Xinyao left with Song Xiaomi.

Watching them walk away, Xu Xiuwen then got in his car and drove to Mu Zhilan’s house.

It wasn’t his first visit to Mu Zhilan’s home, so he was familiar with the route.
Once he reached the area, he parked his car by the roadside and called Mu Zhilan.

After the call, Qiao Gang quickly came to meet him.

Xu Xiuwen followed Qiao Gang to his home.

Mu Zhilan’s house was a single-story residence with a small courtyard.
By the standards of Jinling, such homes would be nearly impossible to find a decade later.

But in 2006, the surrounding area was still filled with houses like this.
Although the location was remote, it was in a school district.

If Xu Xiuwen remembered correctly, this area would undergo redevelopment around 2010.
The entire district would be demolished and rebuilt into modern residential communities.

Over time, property values here would soar.

So, while Mu Zhilan’s family was poor, they weren’t entirely without assets.
At the very least, they had this house.

When redevelopment came in a few years, their life would improve significantly.

That is, unless her husband’s awful behavior ruined everything.

It’s likely that even if they were given a large sum from the redevelopment, it wouldn’t take long for it to be squandered by her husband.

After entering Mu Zhilan’s courtyard, she came out to greet them.

The moment Xu Xiuwen saw Mu Zhilan, he froze for a second.

Today, Mu Zhilan looked quite different from her usual self.

First, she was wearing a sleeveless brown camisole dress that accentuated her figure perfectly.

Xu Xiuwen had caught a glimpse of her figure once before, a fleeting moment that left a strong impression.

She had a well-endowed upper body, her curves exactly where they should be.
Her waist was slender yet full, giving her a soft, feminine allure.

Though she wasn’t particularly tall, her legs were long and well-proportioned, with full thighs and slender, shapely calves.

That glimpse had been unforgettable.

And now, seeing her again dressed like this brought it all back.

But her outfit wasn’t the only thing different about her.

Her hairstyle was styled in loose, wavy curls as if she had just been to a salon.
Her face was made up, enhancing her already exquisite features.

She had a classic oval face with delicate facial features, but with the addition of makeup, her beauty seemed to shine even brighter.

Her skin was exceptionally fair, and as the saying goes, “Fair skin covers many flaws.”

Of course, she didn’t have any flaws to hide. Her fairness only added to her youthful charm.

At this moment, no one would guess she was the mother of a teenage boy.
Most people would assume she was a stunning and elegant woman in her early thirties.

It was obvious to Xu Xiuwen that Mu Zhilan had put a lot of effort into tonight.
He doubted even her husband had ever seen her like this.

Normally, Mu Zhilan didn’t wear makeup and dressed in plain clothes.

It was hard for Xu Xiuwen not to feel flattered.
But having seen his share of the world, he quickly collected himself.

Carrying the milk and supplements in his hand, he said, “Sister Mu, I brought some things for Xiaogang. He must be working hard in high school.”

Mu Zhilan was about to politely refuse when Xu Xiuwen smoothly changed the subject.

With a smile and a hint of surprise, he said, “Sister Mu, you look so different tonight.”

The unexpected compliment caught Mu Zhilan off guard, making her nervous.
“Do… do I not look good?” she asked hesitantly.

Xu Xiuwen laughed. “You misunderstand. I mean, Sister Mu, you look absolutely stunning tonight.”

Hearing this, Mu Zhilan’s face turned half-red.

She glanced at Qiao Gang beside her and whispered, “Thank you.”

Qiao Gang chimed in with a grin, “Brother Xu, don’t just stand in the doorway. Come inside.”

Mu Zhilan, snapping out of her shyness, quickly added, “Yes, come in, Boss Xu. Have a seat. I’ll cook a few more dishes—it’ll be ready soon.”

“No need to prepare too much. Just a few dishes, enough for everyone to eat.”

“How can that be? Boss Xu, you’ve helped me so much. This is your first time here, so I must cook a few more dishes.”

“Well… alright then.” Xu Xiuwen nodded, saying no more.

Once inside Mu Zhilan’s house, Xu Xiuwen quickly glanced around.

The floor wasn’t tiled but plain cement.
The walls were painted white, though the paint had long since faded.

The living room furniture consisted of a square table and a few chairs—nothing more.

It was the very definition of poverty.

Although the house was a bit sparse in terms of furnishings, it was still very clean and well-kept.

At this moment, there were already five or six dishes on the table, including chicken, fish, and meat—everything looked delicious, with both color and aroma.

Xu Xiuwen sat down on a chair.
As soon as he settled in, Qiao Gang asked, “Brother Xu, do you want beer or liquor? I can go get some now.”

Xu Xiuwen quickly waved his hand. “No alcohol for me.”

“It’s fine, Brother Xu. Our family’s doing better now. We can afford to buy some alcohol.”

Xu Xiuwen thought to himself: I’m not worried about whether you can afford alcohol. I’m worried about drinking causing trouble.

But seeing that Qiao Gang seemed determined, Xu Xiuwen hesitated for a moment before saying, “Well, just buy a little if you really want to.”

“Alright, Brother Xu. Please wait for a moment.”

Qiao Gang then hurried out of the house.

With nothing else to do while sitting in the living room, Xu Xiuwen glanced around.
Mu Zhilan’s house was a two-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
As a guest, Xu Xiuwen didn’t feel it was appropriate to wander into the bedrooms on his own.

After a moment of thought, he stood up and went to the kitchen door.

Standing at the kitchen entrance, Xu Xiuwen’s eyes landed on Mu Zhilan, who was busy frying something.
Her cooking movements were smooth and skillful, clearly indicating that she was an experienced cook.

At this moment, Mu Zhilan had finished cooking a dish and was preparing to plate it.
She turned around to grab the plate, but it seemed to come to her on its own.

When Mu Zhilan looked up, she saw Xu Xiuwen standing there.
“Boss Xu, you should sit down. I can handle it myself.”

Xu Xiuwen smiled. “I’m just watching. There’s nothing else to do anyway.”

Mu Zhilan took the plate and continued plating.
Xu Xiuwen didn’t leave the kitchen. Instead, he stayed next to her and started chatting.