Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 509

Gu Pandi first nodded, seemingly in agreement with the Bacon Law.

But then, as Xu Xiuwen finished speaking, she suddenly let out a chuckle.

“Aunt Gu, what are you laughing at?” Xu Xiuwen asked in confusion.

Gu Pandi glanced at him and asked, “No manners at all—are you my friend?”

“Uh…” Xu Xiuwen paused for a moment. “I can be.”

“Heh, Xiaoxu, I know you’re just trying to comfort me, but I—”

She hesitated.

Xu Xiuwen looked into her eyes and said seriously, “Aunt Gu, so you think I’m too young, and that I’m not worthy of being your friend?”

That put Gu Pandi in a tough spot.

No matter how she answered, it wouldn’t seem right.

And she was worried that Xu Xiuwen might take offense, so she quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant. Uh—”

After a brief pause.

“Alright, since you don’t mind that I’m so much older than you, I’m willing to be your friend.”

“Great! Then from now on, we’re friends.”

“Mm.”

“Since we’re friends, I don’t have to call you ‘Aunt’ anymore, right?”

Gu Pandi shot him a sideways glance, her expression a little odd, as if warning him not to push his luck.

But Xu Xiuwen pretended not to notice and continued, “Gu Pandi—Sister Pandi—nah, ‘Sister Gu’ rolls off the tongue better.”

Gu Pandi couldn’t help but laugh again.

She playfully rolled her eyes at him and said with a smile, “Xiaoxu, I don’t care if you call me Sister Gu, but if your mom finds out and gets mad, I won’t be able to help you.”

Thinking of Ning Wanqiu’s personality…

If she found out that he had switched from calling Gu Pandi “Aunt” to “Sister,” she might just grab a clothes hanger and turn it into a one-on-one match.

Xu Xiuwen hesitated for a moment.

But when he caught sight of the slight smile on Gu Pandi’s lips, he firmed up his resolve.

“It’s fine. If worst comes to worst, I’ll still call you Aunt Gu in front of my mom. But in private, I’ll call you Sister Gu.”

Gu Pandi didn’t object. Instead, she asked, “If you call me Sister Gu, then when I’m with your mom, how should I address her?”

Xu Xiuwen replied without hesitation, “Just call her whatever you normally do. We’ll each stick to our own way, no interference.”

Gu Pandi stayed silent, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of his proposal.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen added, “Sister Gu, you’re actually really young. Calling you ‘Aunt’ makes me feel like I’m making you sound old. ‘Sister’ is just right.”

“Smooth talker. I’m old enough to be your mom, and you call that young?”

“Mm, Sister Gu, you’re not old at all. This is the most charming age. You just don’t wear makeup. If you put on a little, and we went out together, people would just assume you were my sister. And if you got your hair done, I guarantee someone would even mistake you for my girlfriend. If you don’t believe me, we can test it out.”

“You brat! You dare say anything, even joking about being a couple? If Wanqiu finds out, how am I supposed to face her?”

“Hehe, I’m just trying to tell you that you’re still young. Now that Xiaoyu is in college, you should start thinking more about yourself. If someone makes you angry, just scold them. Do whatever you want, don’t worry about what others think, and don’t let yourself suffer.”

Gu Pandi’s smile suddenly disappeared.

She could hear the deeper meaning behind his words.

After a long moment, she turned back to Xu Xiuwen and asked, “Do you already know about me and your Uncle Jiang?”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t want to lie to her, so he nodded.

Only then did Gu Pandi realize that Xu Xiuwen already knew about her failed marriage.

Thinking back to how she had tried to hide it from him, afraid he would find out…

She suddenly felt that her previous actions had been rather ridiculous.

Gu Pandi’s voice was low and heavy. “Xiaoxu, do you think I’m a complete failure as a woman? I couldn’t even hold onto my own husband—he was taken away by another woman. And now, he wants to divorce me.”

As she spoke, Gu Pandi covered her face.

Tears slipped through the gaps between her fingers.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t rush to comfort her.

He simply let her cry for a while.

About five minutes later, he finally spoke. “Why do you think that way?”

Gu Pandi didn’t answer.

But the slight tremble in her body gradually stilled, showing that she had heard him.

Xu Xiuwen continued, “Uncle Jiang has a special job, always away from home all these years. You’ve taken care of everything in the household, big and small. Xiaoyu getting into Jinling University of Political Science and Law is thanks to your guidance and efforts. So how could you think of yourself as a failure?”

“But I couldn’t even keep my own husband.”

“Heh…” Xu Xiuwen let out a cold laugh.

“Sister Gu, Uncle Jiang cheating is his mistake, not yours. You’ve already done more than enough. It’s his poor judgment, his betrayal of your marriage. If anyone has failed, it’s him—not you. I won’t allow you to think of yourself that way.”

“You really think so?” Gu Pandi lowered her hands and looked at him.

The tears in her eyes had stopped.

“Yes.”

“Xiaoxu, you’re a good kid. But not everyone will see it that way. People will only think I failed, that I wasn’t a good enough wife…”

“Stop right there!” Xu Xiuwen interrupted her.

“First of all, don’t care about what others think. This is your life, your marriage. As long as you are happy, other people’s opinions are completely worthless.”

“Second, at the very least, I don’t think you’re a failure. In my eyes, you’re an incredible woman. As a wife, you managed the household so well. As a mother, you raised Xiaoyu into a great student. You get along with all the neighbors—over the years, I’ve never seen you argue with anyone. Whoever talks about you always has good things to say.”

“So to me, Sister Gu, you’re a perfect woman. I still remember telling my mom when I was a kid—when I grow up, I want to marry someone just like Aunt Gu.”

Hearing that, Gu Pandi’s face instantly flushed red.

She tried to put on a stern expression and scolded him, “You brat! You dare say anything, huh?”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled, scratching his head.

He wasn’t actually embarrassed—he was just pretending to be, to lighten the mood for Gu Pandi.

After a brief silence, Gu Pandi suddenly lifted her head, looked at Xu Xiuwen, and asked, “So in your eyes now, a woman like me is no longer perfect, is that it?”

Xu Xiuwen froze.

He even wondered if he had misheard her.

But when he looked carefully at Gu Pandi…

He was sure he hadn’t imagined it.

Yet why did her tone carry a hint of dissatisfaction?

Xu Xiuwen reacted quickly and immediately shook his head. “Of course not! Aunt Gu, in my heart, you’re still perfect. When I get married in the future, I’ll still choose a woman as outstanding as you.”

“Just a moment ago, you were calling me ‘Sister Gu,’ and now it’s back to ‘Aunt Gu’ again? I don’t believe a word you say.”

“Huh?”

That tone…

“Uh—I’m just used to it. Haha, I’ll be more mindful from now on.”

“Forget it. Just keep calling me Aunt Gu. You’ve called me that for so many years, and switching to ‘Sister Gu’ now feels weird. I’m afraid you’ll slip up in front of your mom if you get used to it.”

“I won’t.”

“You never listen. I really can’t control you.”

In other words—
“I’m done bothering with you.”

The conversation quieted down again.

Xu Xiuwen took the initiative to ask, “Feeling a little better now?”

Gu Pandi knew that Xu Xiuwen had been trying to comfort her just now.

She felt a bit touched deep inside.

“I’m fine now.”

“Then can I ask what exactly happened between you and Uncle Jiang? You mentioned divorce just now?”

After their conversation, Gu Pandi seemed to have opened up.

Faced with Xu Xiuwen’s question, she no longer tried to hide anything. She nodded honestly and said, “Mm.”

“What exactly happened?”

Gu Pandi explained, “He came back yesterday.”

Xu Xiuwen knew that the “he” she referred to was Uncle Jiang.

“Mm, and then?”

“Then today, we had a serious talk. He said he wants a divorce.”

There are many people in the world who cheat—men cheat, women cheat.

But most people do it for temporary excitement.

Once the rationality returns or the novelty wears off, most still choose to stay with their family.

Very few are willing to abandon their spouse for their lover.

Especially when children are involved.

Xu Xiuwen had assumed Uncle Jiang would be the same—
That his affair was just a fling, and that he’d soon realize his mistake and return home.

But now, hearing from Gu Pandi herself that Uncle Jiang actually wanted a divorce…

Xu Xiuwen was genuinely curious.

What kind of spell had that woman cast on Uncle Jiang, making him willing to throw away his wife and daughter for a divorce?

“Sister Gu, what do you think about this?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you think?”

“…”

“Alright, let me put it another way—do you still love Uncle Jiang?”

“We’re not young anymore. Do you think we’re like you young people, always talking about love?”

“Who says you can’t love anymore? I know you might feel embarrassed, but it’s just the two of us tonight. I want you to put aside all your worries and be completely honest—say exactly what’s in your heart.”

“Mm.” Gu Pandi hesitated briefly, then nodded in agreement.

“Alright, then tell me.”

“I don’t know if I still love him. I really don’t know.”

“When you see Uncle Jiang now, do you still feel anything? Any excitement?”

“We’ve been married for so long—where would there be any excitement?”

“Are you still angry about him cheating?”

Gu Pandi thought seriously about it before answering, “When I first found out, I was furious. But now, when he actually said he wanted a divorce, I don’t feel angry anymore. He likes that woman, he wants to sleep with her—fine, I could turn a blind eye. But now that he wants to divorce me? That, I hate him for.”

“If you’re not angry, then why do you hate him? Is it because you don’t want to let him go?”

“It’s not about that! I just worry that getting divorced will affect Xiaoyu. I don’t want my relationship with him to become a reason for her in-laws to look down on her in the future.”

“Come on! At a time like this, you’re still thinking about whether Xiaoyu’s future in-laws will look down on her? Can you please start thinking about yourself for once?”

Xu Xiuwen only realized after speaking that his voice had gotten a bit loud.

He took a deep breath and softened his tone. “Does Xiaoyu know about Uncle Jiang cheating?”

“No. I’ve been hiding it from her.”

“Why?”

“Xiaoyu has idolized her dad ever since she was little. If she finds out he cheated, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.”

That was something Xu Xiuwen did believe.

Jiang Ruoyu had indeed always taken pride in having a father.

If she found out that the man she had always respected was also capable of cheating,
she would undoubtedly be devastated and deeply disappointed.

“Do you plan to keep hiding it from her forever? How long do you think you can keep it a secret?”

Gu Pandi didn’t answer.

Xu Xiuwen remained silent for a few seconds before asking, “So, do you plan to divorce Uncle Jiang?”

Instead of answering his question, Gu Pandi said, “Wanqiu advised me to endure it for Xiaoyu’s sake. She said as long as he sincerely admits his mistake, I shouldn’t get a divorce.”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t say anything.

That did sound like something Ning Wanqiu would say.

A direct example was herself.

Everyone knew that raising a child as a single mother was incredibly difficult.

Yet Ning Wanqiu still chose that path.

Xu Xiuwen had once asked her why she never tried to find him a father.

Ning Wanqiu’s answer was that she was afraid he would suffer,
afraid that if she remarried and had another child, no one would love him anymore.

So she would rather remain single,
choosing to give Xu Xiuwen her undivided love as a mother.

Gu Pandi continued, “Your Aunt Zhang also told me not to get divorced. She said even if I do, it’ll be hard to find a man with better conditions than your Uncle Jiang. So I might as well stay with him. But I should make him write an apology letter and promise that if he ever cheats again, all the house and savings will belong to me.”

That also sounded exactly like something Aunt Zhang would say.

Xu Xiuwen’s impression of Zhang Ruoshu was: beautiful, selfish, and materialistic.

A personal example—

Before he started making a lot of money, Aunt Zhang had never truly supported his relationship with Xiao Youran.
She thought people from lower-tier universities had no future.

But the moment she found out he was earning big money,
she stopped opposing them altogether—
and even subtly started helping Xiao Youran create opportunities.

She was a woman driven by self-interest.

So her advice to Gu Pandi—
to secure financial control and not divorce unless a better man appeared—
was completely in character.

Xu Xiuwen asked, “And you? What do you think?”

He had expected Gu Pandi to say she didn’t know again.

But this time, she said, “I want to divorce him!”

Xu Xiuwen widened his eyes in surprise.

But in the next second, she hesitated, “But I’m not sure if it’s the right decision.”

People always say it’s better to mediate than to encourage separation.

But Xu Xiuwen couldn’t just sit by and tolerate Uncle Jiang’s betrayal of Gu Pandi.
She had taken care of him since he was young.

He couldn’t stand to see her hurt.

“Do you want to hear my opinion?”

“Mm.”

“My advice is—don’t rush into a decision right now. Wait until you’ve truly calmed down, then decide. No matter what you choose—whether to stay or to leave—I’ll support you.”

Gu Pandi listened carefully.

She frowned slightly, deep in thought.

Before long—

Her brows smoothed out.

She turned to Xu Xiuwen and said, “Mm. I’ll listen to you.”

Xu Xiuwen immediately smiled.

“Sister Gu, I don’t know how long you’ll need to make your decision, but you can stay here as long as you want. I won’t tell anyone, so no one will disturb you. You don’t have to worry.”

Hearing this, Gu Pandi reached out and gently patted Xu Xiuwen’s head.

“Thank you, Xiaoxu.”

“It’s nothing. It’s getting late, Sister Gu. You should get some rest. Staying up too late will give you dark circles.”

“Alright. You should sleep early too.”

After that, the two of them went back to their rooms for the night.