Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

Xu Xiuwen asked, "Is your husband still fooling around outside these days?"

Mu Zhilan froze for a moment.

She hadn't expected Xu Xiuwen to suddenly bring up her husband.

She hesitated for just a second, then honestly answered his question.

"Yes."

"Have you thought about divorcing him?"

Mu Zhilan gently shook her head.

"Why not? He doesn't work, spends all day fooling around—what's the point of having such a husband? You're still young. If you divorce him now, you can find someone better."

Mu Zhilan bit her lip and lowered her head.

Seeing her like this, Xu Xiuwen felt frustrated.

Mu Zhilan suddenly looked up and explained, "Xiaogang is still in high school. I don't want to affect his studies."

That reason seemed reasonable enough.

Xu Xiuwen nodded and didn't say more.

The hospital room fell silent again.

At that moment, Mu Zhilan noticed that Xu Xiuwen's face was flushed.

She suddenly became nervous. "Mr. Xu, are you okay? I'll call the doctor."

"Wait!" Xu Xiuwen hurriedly stopped her.

Mu Zhilan paused again.

Xu Xiuwen's face was red as a beet. He clamped his legs together and said, "No need to call the nurse. I'm fine."

"But your face…" Mu Zhilan hesitated, unsure whether to believe him or call the doctor.

Xu Xiuwen glanced at the door of the hospital room.

Inwardly, he thought, Why aren't Cheng Lu and Xiao Youran back yet? If they don't come soon, I won't be able to hold it in.

That's right. Xu Xiuwen suddenly had to pee.

His flushed face was because he was holding it in too long.

In fact, he'd already needed to go when he was on the phone earlier.

If it hadn't been for the young nurse overhearing his conversation, he would've asked her for help.

But the way the nurse looked at him after overhearing his call made him uncomfortable, so he decided not to ask her.

He figured he could hold it until Cheng Lu and Xiao Youran returned, and then one of them could help him.

But he had overestimated his endurance and underestimated how long it would take for the two women to come back.

"Mr. Xu, don't scare me. I'll… I'll go get the doctor."

Mu Zhilan looked genuinely worried.

Xu Xiuwen glanced at her, his expression awkward, but there was no other choice. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Help me get up."

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? Hurry up and help me."

"Oh, okay, Mr. Xu."

Mu Zhilan, still in a daze, approached and helped Xu Xiuwen up from the bed.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen sat up, he immediately turned and rushed toward the bathroom.

Mu Zhilan watched as he hurried into the bathroom.

At first, she didn't understand, but she quickly figured it out.

A faint blush appeared on her mature face.

Inside the bathroom, Xu Xiuwen encountered yet another problem.

Since both his hands were injured, he couldn't pull down his pants on his own.

He twisted and turned, struggling for a long time, but still couldn't get his pants down.

This left Xu Xiuwen feeling utterly helpless.

His face was flushed from holding it in, and he was seconds away from wetting himself.

This awkward predicament was something Xu Xiuwen had never expected.

He hesitated for a few seconds.

Xu Xiuwen called out toward the bathroom door, "Sister Mu, could you come in for a moment?"

Mu Zhilan froze when she heard him.

She quickly recovered and nervously asked, "What's wrong?"

"I can't pull down my pants. Can you come in and help me?" Xu Xiuwen lowered his voice, worried that someone passing by outside might overhear.

He was fully aware of how awkward it was to ask Mu Zhilan for help with this.

Not only would it embarrass him, but it would also embarrass her.

But when nature calls, it's not something you can ignore. He was on the verge of losing control.

Mu Zhilan, upon hearing this, was momentarily stunned, then let out a stifled laugh.

Realizing she shouldn't laugh, she immediately stopped, but the sound had already reached Xu Xiuwen's ears, making him feel even more awkward.

"I'm coming in," Mu Zhilan said, opening the bathroom door and stepping inside.

The hospital bathroom wasn't very spacious; it could barely fit two or three people.

Once inside, she saw Xu Xiuwen standing with his back to her.

Without turning around, Xu Xiuwen said directly, "Help me pull down my pants, please."

To Mu Zhilan, Xu Xiuwen was about the same age as her son.

She never thought of him as a grown man.

Even though his social status, wealth, and position far exceeded hers, she always regarded him as a child.

So she didn't overthink it. Nodding in agreement, she reached out from behind and pulled down his hospital-issued pants.

Since it was hospital attire, it came off easily.

"Alright, you can go now," Xu Xiuwen said.

Hospital gowns didn't come with underwear, so there was no need for further assistance.

Now that he could finally relieve himself, Xu Xiuwen quickly asked Mu Zhilan to leave.

Mu Zhilan hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll need to help you pull your pants back up later."

Xu Xiuwen awkwardly replied, "Just go for now."

Hearing this, Mu Zhilan obediently stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door.

Once he heard her leave, Xu Xiuwen finally relaxed and answered nature's call.

The sound of water splashing filled the small bathroom, and the redness in Xu Xiuwen's face gradually faded.

After finishing, Xu Xiuwen had no choice but to call Mu Zhilan back to help him pull up his pants.

This timid, unassuming woman appeared much calmer than expected during this embarrassing task.

In contrast, Xu Xiuwen was mortified and wished he could disappear into the ground.

At the same time, he silently blamed Xiao Youran and Cheng Lu for not coming back sooner.

But he couldn't deny that he had told them to take their time and enjoy their meal without rushing.

When Xu Xiuwen returned to his bed, he lay down and, after a moment of silence, awkwardly muttered, "Thank you."

Mu Zhilan smiled faintly and quickly shook her head. "It's no problem, Mr. Xu."

Xu Xiuwen added, "Alright, it's getting late. You should head back and rest."

Mu Zhilan thought for a moment and agreed.

After she left, Xiao Youran and Cheng Lu returned shortly after, almost as if they had coordinated it.

Or perhaps they had eaten together.

Both women noticed Mu Zhilan leaving Xu Xiuwen's room.

Seeing another visitor, Xiao Youran asked a few questions, though she didn't pay much attention since Mu Zhilan was a woman in her thirties or forties.

Xu Xiuwen brushed off her inquiries with vague answers.

As for the awkward bathroom incident, Xu Xiuwen naturally had no intention of sharing it with them.

After that, everything settled down.

During the night, Cheng Lu and Xiao Youran took turns caring for Xu Xiuwen. One stayed awake to look after him while the other rested on the hospital bed in the room.

Morning came quickly.

When Xu Xiuwen woke up, the first thing he needed was to use the bathroom.

He lifted his head slightly and glanced around. Xiao Youran had taken the first shift during the night and was now resting on the opposite bed. Cheng Lu, who had taken over for the second half of the night, was slumped over the side of his bed, fast asleep.

Xu Xiuwen debated whether to wake Cheng Lu or not.

But before he could decide, Cheng Lu stirred and woke up on her own.

She opened her eyes and saw Xu Xiuwen staring at her with his large, wide-open eyes.

"You're awake?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.

Xu Xiuwen nodded. "Lu Lu, I need to use the bathroom."

Cheng Lu immediately stood up and helped him out of bed.

With her assistance, Xu Xiuwen made it to the bathroom.

This time, recalling the awkwardness from the night before, he got straight to the point: "Lu Lu, you'll need to help me pull down my pants."

Cheng Lu's expression remained calm, showing no sign of discomfort.

But as soon as they stepped into the bathroom and she started helping him, she suddenly rolled her eyes at him.

With a light huff, she said, "You pervert. Even now, you're still thinking about that kind of thing?"

Xu Xiuwen flushed with embarrassment. "It's not my fault! It's a normal reaction—every guy wakes up like this."

Cheng Lu rolled her eyes again but proceeded to help him.

However, it turned out pulling his pants down wasn't as easy as expected, almost as if they were hooked onto something. It took some effort.

Even relieving himself turned out to be difficult, leaving Xu Xiuwen with no choice but to give Cheng Lu a pleading look.

With her help, he finally managed to finish.

The two emerged from the bathroom together.

Xu Xiuwen's expression was slightly awkward, while Cheng Lu, despite trying to appear composed, had a flushed face and a faint warmth lingering on her cheeks as she thought about what had just happened.

They returned to the room just as Xiao Youran woke up.

She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and asked, "Xiao Xu?"

Xu Xiuwen turned to look at her and managed a faint smile. "You're awake?"

"Yeah. Why are you out of bed?"

"Just went to the bathroom."

"Oh."

Xiao Youran's gaze shifted to Cheng Lu, noticing her noticeably flushed cheeks.

She couldn't help but ask, "Cheng Lu, why is your face so red?"

Cheng Lu was Xu Xiuwen's official girlfriend.

It made perfect sense for her to help him, especially given his current condition.

But when Xiao Youran asked, Cheng Lu's demeanor still became slightly unnatural.

She brushed her hair back, trying to maintain an air of calm as she replied, "It's nothing."

Xiao Youran stared at her for a few seconds but couldn't discern anything unusual.

Only after Xiao Youran looked away did Cheng Lu shoot Xu Xiuwen a sharp look.

Not wanting to dig further, Xiao Youran turned to Xu Xiuwen and smiled. "Xiao Xu, are you hungry? What would you like to eat? I'll go get it for you."

Freshly awake, her voice was sweet and melodious, a delight to the ears.

Xu Xiuwen sat down on the bed and replied, "I'm fine with anything. Just get whatever you want."

Xiao Youran nodded and turned to Cheng Lu. "Cheng Lu, what about you? Want me to bring you something?"

Cheng Lu answered indifferently, "Whatever."

Xiao Youran pouted slightly before heading out to buy breakfast.

After she left, the room grew quiet.

Cheng Lu immediately rolled her eyes at Xu Xiuwen and said, "This is all your fault. She almost figured it out just now."

Xu Xiuwen chuckled. "How can you blame me? I didn't do anything."

"Even while hospitalized, you can't stop being a pervert!"

Xu Xiuwen protested his innocence with an exaggerated tone.

With no one else around, Cheng Lu stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.

"Why are you sighing out of nowhere?"

"You're such a handful."

"What did I do?"

"What made you think it was a good idea to play the hero and rush into a burning building? So many people didn't dare go in, but you just had to be the brave one, huh?"

"I was acting on impulse at the time. I'm sorry, Lu Lu, for worrying you."

Cheng Lu's voice softened. "I'm not looking for an apology. Did you even think about me? What if… something had happened to you? What would I do then? Why can't you consider me, or yourself, before acting? Do you know how worried I was, how heartbroken I was when I found out you were hurt? Do you think pulling stunts like this makes you look cool? You're so selfish, Xu Xiuwen!"

If he had been joking earlier, now he was silent.

Cheng Lu's voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced his heart.

Cheng Lu had always been strong.

But now, she looked fragile and vulnerable. Her flickering gaze revealed the unease she felt deep inside.

Xu Xiuwen realized just how much his actions had frightened her.

But even if he had to make the choice again, he knew he would still do the same thing—because the person in danger had been Shen Minyao.

Of course, he couldn't tell Cheng Lu the real reason.

All he could do was say softly, "I'm sorry, Lu Lu, for worrying you."

Cheng Lu remained quiet for a while, her mood visibly low.

Then she shook her head and said, "It's okay. I'm just being too sensitive."

She looked at Xu Xiuwen.

Her gaze was direct, warm, affectionate, and deeply moving.

She said, "Even though I don't support what you did, at least you didn't embarrass me. I know the man I've chosen isn't a coward."

Hearing the word "coward," Xu Xiuwen's mind flashed back to the night he confessed his feelings.

Back then, Cheng Lu had teased him, calling him a coward.

Xu Xiuwen felt his heart soften.

Yesterday, he had been consumed with guilt over Tang Weiwei.

But now he realized the person he owed the most was Cheng Lu. She had been the first to establish a relationship with him.

Every time he got involved with another woman, it was a betrayal of Cheng Lu and their relationship.

She was the one truly "hurt" in all of this.

In that moment, his heart was filled with remorse.

He said sincerely, "I'm sorry, Lu Lu."

Cheng Lu thought he was apologizing for getting hurt.

She wasn't really angry at Xu Xiuwen for being injured, nor for playing the hero.

She was just frustrated by her own inability to help him.

If she could, she would have taken his place and been the one injured.

Cheng Lu shook her head gently.

She gave him a beautiful, tender smile.

Reaching out, she softly stroked his cheek and said in the gentlest tone, "It's okay. You don't need to apologize to me."

Their gazes intertwined, locking onto each other.

In each other's eyes, they saw the purest, most genuine love—love that pulled their hearts closer and closer together.

Before long, Cheng Lu leaned down and pressed her lips against Xu Xiuwen's.

For one of the few times since they first kissed, Xu Xiuwen found himself passively receiving her kiss.

Cheng Lu's kiss was intense, as if it carried the weight of unspoken emotions waiting to be released.

Xu Xiuwen stopped thinking entirely.

All he knew was that her kiss was incredibly sweet.

When the passionate kiss finally ended, they were both breathless, panting softly as they pulled apart.

Xu Xiuwen looked at Cheng Lu.

Cheng Lu stared back at him.

Suddenly, they both burst out laughing at the same time.

Cheng Lu playfully rolled her eyes at him, her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush. "You're such a pervert!"

Her tone was light, but paired with that coquettish eye-roll, it carried a teasing allure.

If it weren't for his injuries, Xu Xiuwen would've pulled her into his arms right then and there, letting his actions do the talking.

Feigning a helpless tone, he said, "You were the one who kissed me. And with our relationship, what's wrong with a kiss?"

Cheng Lu smirked and replied, "Doesn't matter. You're a pervert. I said you are, so you are. No arguments allowed."

Her last words were accompanied by a soft, melodious laugh.

It was clear her mood had improved significantly.

A short while later, Xiao Youran returned to the hospital room with the breakfast she had gone out to buy.

As soon as she stepped in, she noticed the strange atmosphere lingering in the room!