Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend - Chapter 521

Watching Jiang Ruoyu’s retreating figure,
Xu Xiuwen stood frozen in place.
After a long while,
he let out a soft sigh.

It seemed he would have to avoid Jiang Ruoyu as much as possible in the future.

When he got home,
Xu Xiuwen received a message from Xiao Youran on QQ.

“Xiao Xu, you’re home, right?”
“Yeah, I’m home.”
“Ruoyu likes you so much; you must be happy about it, right?”
“Not at all.”
“Then why did you walk her home?”
“Didn’t you tell me to take her home?”
“And you just listened? You couldn’t refuse? You must’ve wanted to walk her home deep down.”

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but laugh.
Girls were truly unreasonable creatures.

He stared at his phone and slowly typed:
“I feel more wronged than Dou E. I’m doing everything I can to avoid Ruoyu.”

[T/N: Dou E: A reference to the Chinese literary character from The Injustice to Dou E, a story about a woman wronged and unjustly executed.]

“How do I know if you’re telling the truth? Let me ask you this—if both Ruoyu and I were pursuing you, who would you choose?”
“Of course, I’d choose you. Is that even a question?”

Even though Xiao Youran knew Xu Xiuwen would answer this way, seeing his response still made her a little happy.

After coaxing her for a while, Xu Xiuwen finally managed to put Xiao Youran in a good mood.

The next day, Xu Xiuwen kept his word. He accompanied Xiao Youran shopping, took her to eat delicious food…
The entire day, he practically never left her sight.
It was a small way to make up for not spending the summer break with her.

August 25th.
Xu Xiuwen took a morning flight to Chongqing.

By noon,
Xu Xiuwen arrived at the entrance of the road leading to Tang Weiwei’s village.

As expected,
Tang Weiwei was already waiting there.

It had been nearly two months since the last time he took her home.
Having not seen her for so long, Xu Xiuwen missed her dearly.

As soon as the car stopped, Xu Xiuwen eagerly got out.

Tang Weiwei was wearing a light green dress and white sneakers today.
She wasn’t wearing makeup,
her bare face fresh and pure,
like a lotus flower unstained by mud.
She was simply endearing.

Xu Xiuwen waved at her and said gently, “Come here and let me hold you.”

Although Tang Weiwei was shy, she still lowered her head and walked over slowly.

Xu Xiuwen opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Smelling the familiar scent on him, Weiwei felt a deep sense of contentment.

“Let’s go home.”
Xu Xiuwen patted Tang Weiwei’s head, then took her hand and walked down the dirt path leading into the village.

It was already noon.

Xu Xiuwen casually asked, and as he expected,
Tang Weiwei and her grandmother hadn’t eaten yet.

They had been waiting for him to join them for lunch.

Xu Xiuwen had anticipated this and had hurried all the way after getting off the plane.
Even so, it was nearly 1 PM by the time he arrived.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but feel a little touched by their thoughtfulness.

This time,
Xu Xiuwen had brought gifts again—clothes, supplements, and other items.

When he arrived at the Tang household,
Xu Xiuwen took out all the things he brought and then sat down, ready for lunch.

This meal was just the three of them.
No relatives or friends from the village were invited.

After the three quietly finished their meal,
Xu Xiuwen prepared to take Tang Weiwei and leave.

Before leaving, Xu Xiuwen specifically sought out Grandma and spoke with her privately for a while.
Even Tang Weiwei didn’t know what Xu Xiuwen said to Grandma.

She had asked once, but when Xu Xiuwen didn’t want to share, she didn’t press further.

In fact, Xu Xiuwen didn’t make any promises or guarantees to Grandma.
He simply told her to take care of herself and promised to visit again next time.

Grandma didn’t say much either. She just held his hand, her withered hand gently patting the back of his three times.

From Jinling to Chongqing, Xu Xiuwen had flown in.
But for the return trip, they took the train.

It wasn’t that Xu Xiuwen was reluctant to spend the money to take Tang Weiwei on a flight.
It was Tang Weiwei who didn’t want to spend the money.

Xu Xiuwen knew that if he insisted on flying,
she might agree,
but deep down, she’d feel bad about the expense.

So, Xu Xiuwen simply gave up on the idea of flying and chose to accompany her on the train instead.
There was no rush to save that one day; he treated it as a small journey together.

Tang Weiwei seemed to notice this subtle thoughtfulness.

After they boarded the train,
she kept asking Xu Xiuwen if he wanted to eat an apple.

The apples were ones she had bought on the way to the train station.

The first time she asked, Xu Xiuwen didn’t eat one.
The second time she asked, Xu Xiuwen still declined.

By the third time, her eyes carried a hint of expectation.

Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but smile helplessly and finally agreed.

Tang Weiwei, delighted, went to wash an apple.

When she returned to her seat,
she took out a small knife and began peeling it.

It’s worth mentioning that
she didn’t throw away the apple peels. Instead, she placed them in the lid of a metal lunchbox.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen asked curiously, “Why are you saving the apple peels?”

Tang Weiwei smiled and said, “The peels can be eaten too—they’re sweet and full of nutrients.”

Xu Xiuwen froze for a moment.
When he came back to his senses,
his heart was filled with a deep ache.

Only a child from a poor family would peel an apple and still save the skins.

If it were Xiao Youran, she definitely wouldn’t do this.

Perhaps worried that Xu Xiuwen wouldn’t believe her,
Tang Weiwei picked up a piece of apple peel and popped it into her mouth, saying as she ate,
“See? It’s really sweet.”

Xu Xiuwen didn’t expose her little lie and instead smiled warmly.
“Really? Let me try, then.”

This time, it was Tang Weiwei’s turn to freeze.

Before she could respond,
Xu Xiuwen had already picked up a piece of apple peel and eaten it.

“Hmm… it is sweet. Pretty tasty.”

Xu Xiuwen smiled gently again.
“You know what? I suddenly don’t feel like eating this peeled apple anymore. Let’s switch.”

Tang Weiwei stared at Xu Xiuwen, silent and still.
Her eyes quietly reddened.

Not wanting Xu Xiuwen to think of her as a crybaby,
she used the back of her pale hand to rub her eyes, stopping the tears from falling.

“Xu Xiuwen, why are you always so good to me?”

Both the redness in her eyes and her words caught Xu Xiuwen off guard.

When he finally came back to his senses,
Xu Xiuwen simply smiled.

His smile carried both helplessness and a trace of heartache.

Xu Xiuwen reached out and gently ruffled Tang Weiwei’s hair, asking,
“Just one apple, and that counts as me being good to you? And it’s an apple you bought.”

Tang Weiwei liked it when Xu Xiuwen touched her head—it felt so intimate.
She tilted her head up to look at him.
“But you are really good to me. Other than Grandma, you’re the person who treats me the best in this world.”

“That’s because I like you. I’ll keep treating you well in the future too.”

“Okay.” Tang Weiwei nodded.
She trusted Xu Xiuwen, as firmly as she believed the Earth was round.

Soon, Tang Weiwei finished peeling the apple.
She handed it to him.

“You eat it,” Xu Xiuwen said.

Tang Weiwei shook her head. “You eat it. I peeled it for you.”

Looking into her eyes, Xu Xiuwen felt that if he didn’t eat it, he’d be committing a crime.
And he didn’t want to be a criminal.

Taking the apple, he said,
“Alright, then peel another one for yourself. And don’t eat the peels anymore. The hard times you’ve been through before are in the past. Now that you’re my girlfriend, I won’t stand for you enduring even the smallest bit of hardship.”

“But the apple peels really are sweet,” Tang Weiwei mumbled softly.
Then she nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll peel another one.”

This was just a small moment on the train.

By the time they returned to Jinling, it was already the next afternoon.

The dorm building where Tang Weiwei had lived last semester had been renovated over the past few months and was now ready for residents again.

Xu Xiuwen helped Tang Weiwei move her belongings into the dorm.
That evening, they had dinner together and strolled hand in hand along the winding paths of the campus, taking in the beautiful sunset views.

After parting ways with Tang Weiwei, Xu Xiuwen returned to his place and went to bed early.

He didn’t have much time to linger with Tang Weiwei because early the next morning, just as the sun was rising, Xu Xiuwen set out for An Shishi’s house.

Without An Shishi accompanying him this time, Xu Xiuwen drove with extra focus.
On the passenger seat sat a black plastic bag filled with stacks of red bills.

By 8 PM,
Xu Xiuwen drove into Liu Family Village.

Perhaps because it was already dark,
his arrival didn’t cause much of a stir this time.
However, the sound of the car did prompt some villagers to open their doors and watch from the thresholds as he passed by.

Xu Xiuwen pulled up to the entrance of An Shishi’s house.

As soon as the car stopped,
he saw all three members of the An family—mother and two daughters—standing at the door, eagerly waiting for him.

Xu Xiuwen opened the car door and got out.

An Shishi immediately walked up to him, her eyes filled with concern.
“Honey, you must be tired. Thank you for all your hard work.”

“Not too bad. You know I’m full of energy,” Xu Xiuwen replied with a grin. “It’s not like you don’t know that.”

An Shishi didn’t catch on at first.
When she did,
she bit her lip and shot him a glare.

Just then, Liu Ruo said,
“Xiao Xu, wait here for a moment. I’ll heat up the food—it’ll be ready soon.”

“Okay, Auntie.”

As Liu Ruo turned and went inside,
Xu Xiuwen glanced at An Shishi’s younger sister, An Shuisui, who was standing at the door.

He waved at her.

An Shuisui hesitated for a moment but eventually lowered her head and walked over slowly.

“Brother-in-law~”

“It’s only been a little while since we last saw each other, and now you’re acting distant? Do you not like me anymore?”

“I don’t dislike you!” An Shuisui quickly explained.
Only then did she notice the teasing smile on Xu Xiuwen’s face and realize she’d been tricked.

“Brother-in-law~” she said again, this time with a hint of playful annoyance.

Without another word, Xu Xiuwen reached out and ruffled An Shuisui’s hair, smiling as he asked, “Did you miss me while I was away?”

An Shuisui hesitated for a moment.
She glanced at her sister beside her.

Noticing this, An Shishi laughed and said, “Your brother-in-law is asking you, why are you looking at me?”

Understanding her sister’s hint, An Shuisui sneaked a quick glance at Xu Xiuwen, then blushed and lowered her head, replying in a soft voice, “Mhm.”

“And how exactly did you miss me?”

Feeling shy, An Shuisui hid behind An Shishi and whined, “Sis, look at what Brother-in-law’s doing.”

This little sister-in-law was simply too adorable.

“All right, all right, let’s go inside and talk,” An Shishi said with a smile.

“Wait a moment, I need to grab something,” Xu Xiuwen said.

“What is it?” An Shishi asked.

As Xu Xiuwen walked toward the car’s backseat, he explained, “Shuisui’s heading to college soon, right? She doesn’t have a phone or a computer yet. These are things she’ll need sooner or later, so I went ahead and got them for her. Consider them my gift to her for starting university.”

He opened the car’s back door and took out a brand-new phone and laptop.

The phone was Nokia’s latest model this year, specially purchased from overseas.
The laptop was HP’s newest lightweight and high-performance notebook.

Xu Xiuwen handed the phone to An Shuisui.

Shuisui had long dreamed of owning her own phone, but she never dared to ask for one.
After all, her tuition and living expenses were already covered by her sister and brother-in-law.
She worried that if she asked for a phone, she’d seem greedy and ungrateful—even to herself.

She had already decided that once she started college, she would work part-time and save up to buy one for herself.

What she didn’t expect was that Xu Xiuwen would not only bring her a phone but also a laptop.

Staring at the latest phone in her hands, An Shuisui grew more and more enamored with it.
She even thought it looked better than her sister’s phone.

As she gazed at the phone, unable to look away, An Shishi noticed her reaction.

One glance at the phone’s design was enough to tell her it wasn’t cheap.
So, she intentionally asked, “This phone must’ve cost quite a bit, right? It’s the latest model?”

Xu Xiuwen smiled lightly. “It’s the latest model, but it didn’t cost much.”

“‘Didn’t cost much’ still means at least a few thousand, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Hearing that number, An Shuisui’s eyes widened in surprise.

Then, she quickly said, “Brother-in-law, this phone is too expensive—I can’t accept it. You should keep it for yourself.”

“If I bought it for you, it’s yours. How would it make sense for me to keep it for myself? It’s one thing to be polite with others, but are you really going to be polite with your brother-in-law?”

“But—”

“No buts. It’s yours now. If you don’t want it, I’ll just throw it away.” As he spoke, Xu Xiuwen made a move as if he were about to toss the phone.

Believing him, An Shuisui quickly shouted, “Don’t, Brother-in-law!”

Only after shouting did she notice the amused smiles on her sister’s and brother-in-law’s faces. Realizing she’d been tricked, her face turned bright red.

Seeing this, An Shishi said, “All right, Shuisui, just keep it. It’s a token of your brother-in-law’s care.”

Hearing her sister’s approval, An Shuisui hesitated briefly before nodding.

She then looked at Xu Xiuwen, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Brother-in-law, you’re so good to me…”

Xu Xiuwen chuckled at her words.

Reaching out again to ruffle her hair, he said warmly, “You’re my one and only little sister-in-law. If I don’t treat you well, who else should I treat well?”

Hearing this, An Shuisui felt even more touched.

Xu Xiuwen handed over the laptop as well. “This laptop is yours too. Take it.”

This time, An Shuisui didn’t refuse. After a brief moment of hesitation, she accepted it and smiled. “Thank you, Brother-in-law.”

An Shishi chimed in, “All right, let’s not stand in the doorway. Come inside.”

“Okay.”

Xu Xiuwen followed the two sisters into the house.

As soon as he entered, he spotted An Zhanjin, the father of the An family.

An Zhanjin was sitting in a chair against the wall, half-leaning back with a cigarette in his mouth. He flicked ash onto the floor while exhaling rings of smoke.

From the very first time Xu Xiuwen met him, he thought this man had an intimidating appearance.

Those sharp, penetrating eyes seemed to pierce right through you, sending chills down your spine.

When An Zhanjin noticed Xu Xiuwen enter, he didn’t say a word to him. Instead, his attention was drawn to the phone and laptop bag in An Shuisui’s hands.

“What are you holding there, Shuisui?” he asked.

Upon hearing her father’s question, An Shuisui hesitated briefly before softly replying, “They’re a laptop and phone that Brother-in-law bought for me.”