Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 510

Because he had gone to bed late, Xu Xiuwen also woke up later than usual the next day.

By the time he woke up, it was already close to 10 o’clock.

After a quick wash, he opened the door and stood at the entrance of his bedroom.

Xu Xiuwen saw that the door to Aunt Gu’s room across from him was still closed.

Had she woken up yet? Or was she still asleep? If she was still sleeping, knocking on the door would be impolite.

He scratched his thigh, turned around, and walked toward the living room.

As he arrived in the living room, just as he was about to sit down, he suddenly caught sight of Gu Pandi.

She was standing on the balcony, using a drying rod to hang freshly washed clothes on the drying line.

Many people preferred using a dryer—it was quick and convenient.

But Xu Xiuwen preferred air-drying clothes.

Because that way, they would carry the scent of sunlight.

He had left quite a few worn clothes in the washing machine the day before.

Now, they were all neatly hung on the drying line.

There was no doubt that Gu Pandi had washed them for him in the morning.

Xu Xiuwen knew she must have noticed the pile of dirty clothes and taken the initiative to wash and dry them.

Some girls wouldn’t even lift a finger even if their own laundry piled up into a mountain.

Yet Gu Pandi—who had been crying like a pitiful little kitten just last night—got up early the next morning and busied herself with housework.

Xu Xiuwen hadn’t asked her to do the laundry; she had done it of her own accord.

This was proof that she was indeed the type of woman who embodied the virtues of a good wife and loving mother.

He glanced down at the floor.

It was spotless and gleaming.

No need to ask.

She must have cleaned it just now too.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t sure whether to admire how she couldn’t sit still or to simply praise her.

At that moment, Gu Pandi noticed him.

She turned her head and smiled at him.

“Xiao Xu, you’re awake. You must be hungry. I made something simple to eat—I’m not sure if you’ll like it. Just wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

“Uh… no rush…”

Xu Xiuwen responded, then casually sat down on the sofa.

Although he felt a little guilty letting Aunt Gu do all the work, he also didn’t want to refuse her kindness.

After hanging up the clothes, Gu Pandi took the basin to the bathroom, quickly returned, and headed to the kitchen.

Before long, an exquisite breakfast was set on the table.

Xu Xiuwen watched Gu Pandi moving around.

For a moment, an unfamiliar yet familiar feeling washed over him.

It reminded him of his past life, during his marriage to Shen Minyao.

Back then, he would often sit in the living room, watching Shen Minyao bustle around the house.

The time, place, and people had all changed.

But that fleeting moment of warmth had returned.

In a way, Gu Pandi and Shen Minyao had quite similar personalities.

Both were willing to devote themselves to the household, and neither felt that doing chores while their husband sat on the sofa watching was unfair or something to complain about.

This kind of quality would become increasingly rare in the future.

“Xiao Xu, come have breakfast.”

Xu Xiuwen stood up and walked to the dining table.

There was century egg and lean pork congee, along with freshly fried meat patties.

The meat patties glistened with oil and emitted a delicious aroma, making his mouth water.

“Just looking at it makes me hungry.”

“Hehe, then hurry and eat.”

“Aunt Gu, have you eaten?”

Gu Pandi didn’t answer. She just smiled at him.

“Uh… Did I say something wrong?”

“Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to be my friend and call me ‘Sister Gu’ from now on? Are you regretting it already?”

To be honest, Xu Xiuwen did feel a bit of regret.

Yesterday, he had indeed been a little too casual.

Even though his original intention was to comfort Gu Pandi.

But now, seeing her again today, a sense of regret naturally crept in.

After some hesitation, he chose to call her “Aunt Gu” instead of “Sister Gu.”

Now, being confronted by Gu Pandi directly, he couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.

However, it also made him realize something—

Gu Pandi didn’t actually mind him calling her “Sister Gu.”

Otherwise, she could have simply ignored what had happened yesterday instead of bringing it up on purpose.

After a brief pause, Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, “Regret? Not a chance. Having an older sister like Sister Gu, I couldn’t be happier.”

“You sweet talker.”

Gu Pandi chuckled softly.

Xu Xiuwen picked up a meat patty and took a bite.

The rich, savory flavor filled his mouth—it was absolutely delicious.

“Sister Gu, come sit down and eat too. Your cooking is amazing. If my mom had even half your skills, I wouldn’t have overslept so much in high school.”

Gu Pandi shot him a playful glare. “You’re just lazy, don’t blame Wanqiu’s cooking.”

“Hehe.”

“If Wanqiu hears you talking about her like this behind her back, she’ll definitely say you’re shameless.”

“Well, as long as you don’t tell her, she won’t know.”

“Wanqiu is my best friend. Why would I cover for you?”

“I’m your friend too!”

“You… hehe… at most, you’re just a little friend.”

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t convinced and instinctively retorted, “Little or not, you’d have to try for yourself to know.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Wasn’t that basically flirting? Aunt Gu would definitely get mad.

He carefully glanced at Gu Pandi.

She didn’t seem to catch the hidden meaning in his words.

“Alright, since you’re a new friend, I won’t tell Wanqiu this time.”

With that, Gu Pandi turned and walked into the kitchen to grab a bowl and chopsticks, getting ready to eat breakfast with him.

Seeing that she really hadn’t caught on, Xu Xiuwen let out a long breath of relief.

He couldn’t help but sigh—Aunt Gu might be older than him, but her mind was far more innocent. Meanwhile, he had long been corrupted by the flirty women from his past life.

But what he didn’t know was—

The moment she turned away, Gu Pandi’s face flushed red.

—

After breakfast, Xu Xiuwen said to Gu Pandi, “Aunt Gu, I have to go to the office. I probably won’t be back for lunch. Take care of yourself.”

“Alright, I got it.”

Seeing that, Xu Xiuwen didn’t say more and left the apartment.

—

After work in the afternoon, Xu Xiuwen had dinner with Lu Xinyao.

Afterward, they strolled around for a bit, and by the time he drove her back to the company dormitory, it was already 8 PM.

By the time he returned to Jiangning Garden, it was nearly 9 PM.

He pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, and stepped into the living room.

Then, he suddenly saw someone lying on the sofa.

More precisely, a woman.

That’s right—it was Gu Pandi.

She was lying on her side, eyes closed, seemingly fast asleep.

Even in sleep, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

Xu Xiuwen hesitated.

He wanted to wake her up and tell her to go sleep in her room, but at the same time, he didn’t want to disturb her dreams.

After thinking it over—

Xu Xiuwen returned to his room, grabbed a thin blanket, and then carefully walked over to Gu Pandi, gently covering her with it.

He was as careful as he could be.

But just as he was about to turn and head back to his room, a voice came from behind him.

“Xiao Xu? You’re back?”

Xu Xiuwen turned his head and saw that Gu Pandi had woken up.

“Sister Gu, did I wake you?”

Gu Pandi sat up like a sleeping beauty, the thin blanket slipping down her smooth skin and gathering at her lap.

“Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“Yeah, I ate outside before coming back.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed a fleeting trace of disappointment in Gu Pandi’s eyes.

But she quickly smiled and said, “If I had known, I should have called and asked you.”

“Sister Gu, you haven’t had dinner yet?”

“Hehe, I was waiting for you to come back and eat together, but I accidentally fell asleep.”

Gu Pandi pushed the blanket aside and got up, walking toward the dining table.

It was only then that Xu Xiuwen noticed the beautifully arranged dishes on the table.

Four dishes and a soup.

Carefully prepared, visually appealing.

There were only the two of them in the house.

Since he hadn’t cooked, that meant Gu Pandi had made dinner.

Xu Xiuwen was momentarily stunned.

She had actually prepared dinner and waited for him to come home and eat together.

The thought of her waiting for him, waiting until she fell asleep, with the food growing cold—

A wave of guilt suddenly washed over him.

“I’m sorry, Sister Gu. I should have called you.”

“It’s okay, I’ll just reheat the food.”

Gu Pandi warmed up the dishes and brought them back to the table.

She smiled—

A smile that was incredibly gentle.

“Xiao Xu, do you want to eat a little more?”

Xu Xiuwen had originally planned to say no.

But when he saw the warmth in her smile, for some reason, he changed his mind.

He nodded and said, “Yeah, suddenly I feel a little hungry. I’ll have another bowl.”

“Sit tight, I’ll get it for you.”

Gu Pandi turned and went into the kitchen to scoop a bowl of rice.

Xu Xiuwen sat down, and the two of them ate together.

Even after being reheated, the food still tasted great.

But more importantly—

After a long, tiring day of work, coming home to find a woman who had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him to eat—

That kind of warmth was irreplaceable.

Yet, right after that thought crossed his mind, Xu Xiuwen snapped back to reality.

Gu Pandi wasn’t his wife.

She was his aunt.

Yesterday, he hadn’t lied to her—

Ever since he was a child, he had truly believed that a virtuous woman like Gu Pandi would make a perfect wife.

If he were Uncle Jiang, he would have cherished this rare happiness and never cheated.

Uncle Jiang’s taste in women was terrible.

Leaving behind a good woman like Aunt Gu for some cheap homewrecker?

Just because she dressed a little sexier?

If Aunt Gu wore one of those stepmother-style dresses with black stockings, she wouldn’t be any less attractive than that mistress.

The table fell into a comfortable silence.

Just as they were about to finish eating, Gu Pandi suddenly spoke.

“Xiao Xu.”

“Mm? What’s up?”

“I want to leave tomorrow.”

“Leave? Where are you going?” Xu Xiuwen asked, puzzled.

“Don’t worry, I’m not running away from home again. After being trapped in Langya for so many years, now that I finally have time, I want to go out and see the world.”

“Going out to see the scenery sounds like a great idea. Where are you planning to go?”

“I’m thinking of climbing Mount Tai first.”

“Mount Tai, huh?”

Mount Tai is located in Antai City, Dongshan Province. Known as the “leader of the Five Great Mountains,” it’s said to be the place where the First Emperor of Qin performed his Fengshan ceremony.

The most famous attractions of Mount Tai are its Four Wonders, which many tourists visit specifically to see: the Mount Tai sunrise, the Sea of Clouds and Jade Plate, the Glowing Sunset, and the Yellow River Golden Belt.

Hearing that Gu Pandi wanted to climb Mount Tai, Xu Xiuwen thought it was a great idea. Sweating a little and enjoying the scenery sounded perfect for someone in a low mood.

“I think Mount Tai is a great choice. What time are you leaving tomorrow? Have you bought your train ticket?”

“I already got the ticket today. It’s for tomorrow morning.”

“Alright, then I’ll drive you to the train station in the morning.”

“Thank you, Xiao Xu.”

“Sister Gu, don’t forget—we’re friends. No need to be so polite.” Xu Xiuwen winked at her with a smile.

Gu Pandi smiled as well.

The next morning, Gu Pandi got up early.

How early? Her train was at 6 AM.

Which meant Xu Xiuwen had to wake up at 5 AM to drive her to the station.

He had stayed up late the night before, chatting with his girlfriends, so he was yawning nonstop on the way.

Gu Pandi felt guilty, her eyes filled with both apology and gratitude.

After sending her off, Xu Xiuwen originally planned to go back home and get some more sleep.

But then he thought about how he had to pick up Lu Xinyao later, and going back and forth would be a hassle.

So, he simply drove straight to her dormitory.

Quietly, he went upstairs.

Taking out a key, he inserted it into the lock, turned it gently, and the door opened.

Don’t ask where the key came from.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Xu Xiuwen tiptoed inside, put on his slippers, and carried his shoes as he walked toward Lu Xinyao’s room.

Since Xu Qian was now staying at the Guangming Distillery for the long term, only Song Xiaomi and Lu Xinyao lived in the apartment.

The curtains leading to the balcony were drawn, leaving the living room dim.

Neither of the two women had woken up yet.

Xu Xiuwen reached Lu Xinyao’s door.

Once again, he pulled out another key from his pocket and repeated his little trick.

Click.

The door unlocked.

And no, you still shouldn’t ask where the key came from.

Some things are just… inevitable.

Creak…

The door opened slowly, making a faint noise.

Xu Xiuwen carefully pushed it open and peeked inside.

The room was dark, with the curtains still drawn and no lights on.

But he could still make out Lu Xinyao sleeping soundly in bed.

He stepped inside, put down his shoes, and quietly locked the door behind him.

Then, he tiptoed to the other side of the bed, took off his clothes, lifted the blanket, and slipped under it.

In her sleep, Lu Xinyao suddenly felt someone holding her.

At first, she thought she was dreaming.

But soon, she realized—this wasn’t a dream.

Her body tensed as she snapped awake.

There was indeed someone behind her.

Startled, she was about to scream.

Then, she heard a familiar voice.

“It’s me.”

“President Xu?”

“Mm.”

“How did you get into my room? How did you unlock the door?”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled.

Seeing this, Lu Xinyao immediately said, “Get off my bed! Who let you in?”

But Xu Xiuwen tightened his arms around her, refusing to let her go.

“Xu Xiuwen, let go of me!” Lu Xinyao kept her voice down, afraid that Song Xiaomi might hear.

“Stop fussing. Just let me sleep for a bit. I had to wake up early to take someone to the train station—I’m exhausted.”

“You bastard, pervert, shameless scoundrel!” Lu Xinyao cursed a few times but got no response.

She turned her head to check.

Xu Xiuwen’s breathing was steady—he had already fallen asleep.

It felt like punching cotton.

She was speechless.

Lu Xinyao glared at him, then huffed and lay back down without another word.

After a while…

She actually fell asleep too.

Later, when her alarm rang, Xu Xiuwen reached out and turned it off.

A little while after that…

Knock, knock, knock…

Suddenly, Song Xiaomi knocked on the door.

The sound jolted Lu Xinyao awake!