Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 515

After the initial surprise, Xu Xiuwen recalled how hesitant Li Haimei had been during their phone call that morning.

She hadn’t returned home or contacted her family for over a decade.

That meant she was resisting them in her own way.

Whatever her reasons were for doing so…

But now—

She had given up on over ten years of persistence for him.

Xu Xiuwen could truly feel the weight he carried in Li Haimei’s heart.

A warmth spread through his chest.

Just then, he remembered what Li Heng had said earlier.

He immediately said, “You misunderstood. I’m not Li Haimei’s boyfriend. We’re just friends.”

Li Heng chuckled. “Alright, no need to hide it. My aunt already admitted it herself.”

“What did she admit?” Xu Xiuwen played dumb.

“If my aunt hadn’t personally admitted that you were her boyfriend and asked me to come find you, do you think I’d be here?”

Xu Xiuwen fell silent at that.

Li Heng continued, “My aunt hasn’t contacted our family in over ten years. When I got her call just now, I was really surprised. I never thought that after all this time, the first time she’d reach out… would be because of a man.”

He looked Xu Xiuwen up and down before shaking his head. “I really don’t understand my aunt’s taste. I don’t see what’s so special about you.”

Xu Xiuwen’s forehead was full of black lines.

He thought to himself, Even if that’s what you really think, can you not say it out loud?

You’re making me lose face here.

Suddenly, Li Heng grinned mischievously. “Xu Xiuwen, my aunt’s beautiful, right?”

“Yeah.”

“When I was a kid, I thought my aunt was the most beautiful person in the world. I wonder how she looks now.”

“She’s living happily now.”

“Really? That’s good to hear. I just don’t know when she’ll finally be willing to come home.”

After saying that, he paused for a moment before adding, “Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you out now.”

“Thanks.”

Li Heng then turned and walked out.

Xu Xiuwen followed behind him.

But as soon as they stepped outside, they were blocked by a man in military uniform.

“Young Master Li, he cannot leave with you.”

Li Heng’s expression darkened, clearly displeased. “Step aside. Muni has already agreed to let me take him out.”

At the mention of Muni, the man immediately stepped aside.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen finally relaxed.

The room he had been locked in was a basement.

Following Li Heng, they walked for a long time, passing through multiple heavily guarded doors before finally reaching the courtyard and seeing the sun again.

Xu Xiuwen turned his head and glanced back.

The Li family mansion was bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. It was grand, steeped in history.

But he felt no fondness for this place.

Li Heng said, “Are you free tonight? Since you’re in the capital and you’re my aunt’s boyfriend, and I happen to be free, I’ll take you to a great place.”

Now that Xu Xiuwen knew Li Heng was Li Haimei’s nephew, he didn’t mind getting on good terms with him.

Besides, he really didn’t have any plans for the evening. He could accompany Li Heng to this so-called great place.

“I’m free. But wait a moment, I need to make a call.”

“Alright, go ahead. I’ll come pick you up later.”

Xu Xiuwen nodded, took out his phone, and dialed Gu Pandi’s number.

Meanwhile, Gu Pandi had been in the hotel all afternoon.

For the entire afternoon, she had stood by the window, staring at the sky outside.

As time passed and it got later, Xu Xiuwen still hadn’t returned.

Gu Pandi grew more and more anxious.

She had already made up her mind—if he wasn’t back by 6:00, she would call him, no matter if it was dark or not.

Just as the clock was about to hit 6:00, her phone suddenly rang.

She immediately picked it up and glanced at the screen—it was Xiaoxu calling.

Without hesitation, Gu Pandi answered, her voice tense. “Xiaoxu, where are you? Are you okay? What happened?”

Three consecutive questions, fully revealing her worry.

Xu Xiuwen chuckled. “Aunt Gu, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I have something to do later, so I might be back at the hotel a bit late.”

Hearing his words, Gu Pandi finally relaxed.

“Alright. Got it.”

She then hung up.

Xu Xiuwen dialed another number—Li Haimei.

The call connected quickly.

“Hello? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Xu Xiuwen asked with a smile.

“You got out, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“They didn’t give you a hard time, did they?”

“No, they just asked me a few questions about you.”

“Mm.”

“You really kept me in the dark, huh? Why didn’t you tell me about your background earlier?”

“You never asked me.”

Li Haimei’s tone was indifferent, without the slightest trace of pride or arrogance.

“Guess that’s true.” Xu Xiuwen chuckled.

“By the way, how did you know they brought me in?”

“Brother Zhao told me.”

“Brother Zhao? Who’s that?”

Li Haimei replied, “Zhao Jinping.”

Xu Xiuwen’s smile froze instantly.

Li Haimei was quick to pick up on the shift in his breathing.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“If I ask, will you answer me?”

“I will,” Li Haimei said without hesitation.

“But I don’t want to ask anymore… I’m afraid I won’t like the answer.”

“Xu Xiuwen! Do you think this is funny?”

“What did I do?”

“Say it if you want to say it.” Li Haimei’s tone grew colder, her irritation evident.

“Alright, I’ll ask. What’s your relationship with Zhao Jinping? He… he’s your ex-husband, isn’t he?”

Xu Xiuwen finally voiced the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

Li Haimei never expected him to ask that.

She was stunned for a moment.

A full thirty seconds passed.

Then, she suddenly let out a short laugh but quickly suppressed it.

“Are you jealous right now?”

“That’s right. Just the thought of him being your ex-husband makes me really unhappy.”

Li Haimei laughed again before explaining, “You misunderstood. Brother Zhao is my brother’s friend. We grew up together. He’s always treated me like a little sister, and I’ve always seen him as an older brother. He’s definitely not my ex-husband, and I never—” She trailed off, skipping over the rest.

“Really?”

“Believe whatever you want.”

A grin instantly appeared on Xu Xiuwen’s face. “As long as he’s not your ex-husband, that’s all that matters. Now I can relax.”

Li Haimei murmured under her breath, “So petty… the guy even helped you…”

“I still have something to ask you.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

“Is Li Heng your nephew?”

“Mm. He’s my brother’s son.”

“He knows about our relationship. Did you tell him?”

“Mm.”

“Why?”

“He kept asking about us. If I didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t have agreed to find you.”

“Then doesn’t that mean your brother will find out about us soon too?”

“You think that just because I don’t say anything, we can keep it from him? You’re being too naive.”

“If your brother finds out about us, will he object?”

“There’s no need to ask. He’ll definitely object—he’s an old-fashioned man.”

“Then what should we do?”

“If he threatens you to leave me, will you?”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t answer right away. He seriously thought about it for a few seconds before responding.

“No.”

Hearing this, Li Haimei let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already fallen out with him. He can object all he wants, but he won’t interfere in my affairs.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Alright, it’s getting late. You should go back and rest. You must’ve been scared today.”

“It wasn’t too bad. But I won’t be going back just yet—your nephew said he wants to take me somewhere.”

“Li Heng?”

“Yeah, him.”

“Then go. I have things to take care of anyway…”

“Alright…”

After ending the call with Li Haimei, Xu Xiuwen turned around—only to find a car parked not far behind him.

Taking a closer look, he saw that it was a black Audi A8.

Judging by its appearance, it was the latest model.

Xu Xiuwen estimated that this car was worth at least a million yuan.

If it was the fully loaded version, it could be close to two million.

Compared to this Audi A8, his own BMW seemed almost insignificant.

Given Li Heng’s family background, Xu Xiuwen wasn’t surprised that he was driving an Audi A8.

What truly surprised him were the countless passes stuck on the windshield.

With so many passes, this car could drive anywhere in Beijing without restriction.

Not just anyone had that privilege.

But thinking about the Li family’s status, Xu Xiuwen found it unsurprising after all.

Shortly after, Li Heng personally drove the car, taking Xu Xiuwen away from the Li residence.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t familiar with the roads in Beijing, so he had no way of guessing where they were headed.

Before long, the car turned onto a road with fewer vehicles and then into a narrow alley, stopping in front of a large courtyard.

Xu Xiuwen remained in the car, observing the place in front of him.

Seeing this, Li Heng introduced, “This restaurant is an old establishment, but most people don’t know about it. Even if they do, they can’t just walk in. It only serves regular patrons or those brought by them.”

As he spoke, the security guard at the entrance noticed the car and, after confirming the passes on the windshield, opened the gate.

Li Heng slowly drove the car into the courtyard.

Once inside, the space suddenly opened up.

Several cars were already parked inside.

As soon as Li Heng parked, a middle-aged man in a red robe, exuding an air of wealth, walked over to greet him.

Just as Li Heng stepped out of the car.

The man greeted them with a broad, meaty smile. “Young Master Li, how would you like things arranged today?”

Li Heng glanced at him, his expression slightly cold.

“Get me a larger courtyard. Serve all your signature dishes, and prepare a few jugs of your special rice wine. I’m having drinks with a friend.”

“Understood, Young Master Li. Please wait a moment.”

After saying that, the man led Li Heng and Xu Xiuwen through several corridors before arriving at a spacious courtyard.

A small river ran through it, and there was a pavilion—an ideal setting for tea, wine, and elegant gatherings.

Without stopping, the man continued forward.

Directly ahead stood a large building.

Upon entering, it became clear that this was the dining area.

The entire room exuded a rich, antique charm.

From the color and fragrance of the dining table and chairs, Xu Xiuwen guessed they were made of huanghuali wood.

Every detail in this room showcased the deep heritage of the restaurant.

Casually, Xu Xiuwen asked, “Li Heng, how’s the food here?”

Li Heng responded confidently, “The chefs here come from a line of imperial cooks who once served Empress Dowager Cixi. You won’t find better cuisine anywhere else.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but look forward to the meal.

As they waited, Li Heng asked how he and Li Haimei had met.

Xu Xiuwen wasn’t about to reveal everything, so he altered the story slightly.

When Li Heng heard that someone had almost drugged Li Haimei, his face darkened with anger, fists clenching as if ready to throw a punch.

But when he heard that Xu Xiuwen had saved her, he let out a breath and looked at him with gratitude.

Taking the opportunity, Xu Xiuwen asked, “You and your aunt seem very close?”

Li Heng nodded. “Yeah. I’m ten years younger than my aunt. Before I turned eight, she practically raised me. But ever since she left home, I haven’t seen her again.”

“Xu Xiuwen, tell me more about my aunt.”

“Alright. Li Haimei…”

As they chatted, the conversation naturally brought them closer.

Suddenly, Li Heng said, “Xu Xiuwen, you may be my aunt’s boyfriend, but you’re seven years younger than me. I’m not calling you uncle.”

Xu Xiuwen gave a helpless smile. “I understand.”

“How about this—if you actually marry my aunt one day, I’ll call you uncle then. Until that happens, let’s just be friends.”

Xu Xiuwen’s eyes lit up. “Sounds good.”

“I’m older than you, so from now on, just call me Brother Heng. In Beijing, if anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name.”

“Alright, Brother Heng. You can call me Xiuwen.”

“Alright, Xiuwen.”

Just as they settled on how to address each other, the restaurant began serving the dishes.

In the blink of an eye, the table was covered with exquisite dishes.

Looking at the spread before him, Xu Xiuwen was dazzled.

He finally understood the dilemma of Empress Dowager Cixi’s meals—too many choices.

With so many dishes, even if he only took a bite of each, he’d be full.

After the food was served, a female attendant entered carrying a wooden tray.

On the tray sat five white jade wine jugs.

She placed them carefully on the table before turning to Li Heng. “Honored guests, this is our restaurant’s special rice wine. It has a strong aftereffect, so please drink responsibly.”

Li Heng nodded.

The attendant then opened one of the jade jugs, ready to pour for them.

Li Heng waved his hand. “That’s enough. We don’t need service here—you may leave.”

The female attendants obediently left the room.

Li Heng picked up one of the white jade wine jugs, opened the lid, and poured a bowl of wine for himself.

Xu Xiuwen followed suit and poured a bowl for himself as well.

The rice wine in this restaurant seemed to be specially crafted.

As soon as the lid was opened, the fragrant aroma of rice wine filled the air.

The color of the wine was white but not murky, clear yet not too light.

It was evident that this was high-quality rice wine.

After pouring the wine into his bowl, Li Heng raised it and said, “Xiuwen, I offer you this first bowl of wine as a toast, to thank you for saving my aunt.”

With that, he quickly drank the entire bowl of rice wine in one gulp.

Seeing how decisively he drank, Xu Xiuwen didn’t want to hesitate, so he too drank the wine in one go.

As the rice wine hit his taste buds, Xu Xiuwen’s eyes lit up.

It was sweet without being overly rich, tart without being harsh, and the taste was fragrant, sweet, and smooth, leaving a lasting impression.

He put the bowl down and praised, “Good wine, excellent wine.”

Li Heng smiled and said, “Xiuwen, try the food here as well, see if it suits your taste.”

Xu Xiuwen picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

“Mmm… not bad, not bad. The flavor is really good.”