Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

Xiao Youran glanced at Xu Xiuwen, then at Cheng Lu.

But she couldn't figure anything out.

She snorted haughtily, as if expressing her dissatisfaction.

Xu Xiuwen and Cheng Lu exchanged a subtle glance, their eyes filled with amusement.

Xiao Youran returned with breakfast.

Since Xu Xiuwen's hands were injured, he had to rely on others to feed him.

As Xu Xiuwen's official girlfriend, Cheng Lu naturally took on the task without hesitation.

But Xiao Youran was clearly unwilling to let Cheng Lu have this role to herself.

She pouted and said, "Xiao Xu, let me feed you breakfast, okay?"

Cheng Lu couldn't help but retort, "Xiao Youran, Xu Xiuwen is my boyfriend. I'm right here. Can you stop clinging to him all the time?"

Xiao Youran was visibly upset.

"Who are you calling clingy?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Who are you calling deaf?"

"Are you an idiot?" Cheng Lu shot back without holding back.

Though Cheng Lu was usually reserved, when she turned up the heat, Xiao Youran couldn't keep up at all.

Realizing she was losing ground, Xiao Youran turned to Xu Xiuwen, her eyes brimming with grievance.

"Xiao Xu, look at her! She's bullying me again."

Cheng Lu chuckled dryly. "Xiao Youran, when have I ever bullied you?"

Xu Xiuwen had no choice but to step in as the peacemaker.

"Lu Lu, Youran, stop arguing. Can we all just compromise a little?"

"Lu Lu, Youran is just worried about me. Don't be mad, okay?"

Hearing Xu Xiuwen speak up for her, Xiao Youran immediately brightened up.

Cheng Lu, however, looked less than pleased.

But Xu Xiuwen quickly turned the tables.

"Youran, Lu Lu is my girlfriend. It's normal for her not to like other girls getting too close to me. Don't upset her, okay?"

Now Cheng Lu seemed a bit more satisfied, but Xiao Youran was clearly unhappy.

She pouted and said, "Xiao Xu, you only care about Cheng Lu and keep ganging up on me!"

Cheng Lu let out a light snort. "I can't be bothered with you."

She then took the breakfast Xiao Youran had brought, unpacked it from the plastic bag, and set up a folding table to start feeding Xu Xiuwen.

Xiao Youran huffed, "I don't care, I want to feed Xiao Xu too!"

So, the two women sat on either side of Xu Xiuwen's bed and began feeding him breakfast.

The breakfast consisted of pot stickers and red bean glutinous rice balls.

When Cheng Lu saw the pot stickers, she was reminded of that morning at Jiangning Huayuan and her argument with Xiao Youran. Clearly, Xiao Youran had chosen this breakfast on purpose.

Cheng Lu shook her head, deciding it wasn't worth arguing about.

She picked up a pot sticker and fed it to Xu Xiuwen.

Before he could even swallow, Xiao Youran quickly followed up by feeding him another one.

And so it went: one from Cheng Lu, then one from Xiao Youran.

Before long, Xu Xiuwen couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Xu Xiuwen quickly stopped them.

Xiao Youran reluctantly put down her chopsticks.

Xu Xiuwen sighed. "No more feeding! Do you think I'm a pig or something?"

Both Xiao Youran and Cheng Lu paused to reflect on the scene just now—it really did look a bit like they were feeding a pig.

The two of them burst into laughter simultaneously.

Both women were stunningly beautiful, their smiles captivating and dazzling.

Especially Cheng Lu, who was usually more reserved. Her rare smile carried an irresistible contrast, making her appear even more breathtaking.

Xu Xiuwen loved watching Cheng Lu smile.

What pleased him the most was that Cheng Lu rarely smiled in front of other men.

After the two women finished feeding Xu Xiuwen, Cheng Lu immediately started eating breakfast herself.

Xiao Youran, however, didn't touch the food.

"Aren't you hungry? Why don't you eat something?" Xu Xiuwen asked.

Xiao Youran gave an embarrassed smile and replied, "I'm not eating yet; I haven't brushed my teeth."

This small detail—whether or not they brushed their teeth before breakfast—revealed the personality differences between the two women.

In general, Xiao Youran was more delicate and pampered, like a princess. Having been doted on since childhood, she was more particular about small matters.

Cheng Lu, on the other hand, came from a family no less well-off than Xiao Youran's, but her personality was less pampered despite her cold demeanor. From her actions, it was clear she didn't sweat the small stuff and wasn't as particular as Xiao Youran.

Back to the present—while Cheng Lu ate breakfast, Xiao Youran just watched from the side.

Xu Xiuwen noticed her secretly swallowing her saliva and teased her with a smile, "If you want to eat, go ahead. You can always buy toothpaste and a toothbrush at the hospital store later."

Unable to resist the temptation of food, Xiao Youran thought for a moment and said, "I'll go buy them now."

With that, she left the ward.

Xiao Youran went to the hospital store and bought some toiletries, including a toothbrush and toothpaste.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she finally sat down to eat breakfast.

Meanwhile, Cheng Lu also washed up briefly and began helping Xu Xiuwen clean his face and teeth.

Cheng Lu's care was meticulous, cleaning everything from the corners of his eyes and earlobes to between his teeth.

As she worked, Xu Xiuwen quietly watched her. Cheng Lu's focused expression was particularly captivating.

Noticing his gaze, Cheng Lu rolled her eyes at him and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xu Xiuwen grinned and replied, "I'm just thinking how beautiful my girlfriend is."

Cheng Lu couldn't help but smile, clearly pleased. She pressed her lips together in a small grin.

Xiao Youran, who overheard the comment, wasn't happy and let out a cold snort.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Xu Xiuwen called out.

The door opened, and An Shishi walked in carrying breakfast. She smiled and said, "Master, guess what I brought for you!"

But the next moment, she froze.

"You guys already ate?" she asked, noticing the unfinished breakfast on the folding table.

Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "Good morning, Shishi. Too bad you're a bit late—we've already eaten."

"Oh, okay." An Shishi looked a bit disappointed.

Xu Xiuwen then asked, "Why are you here so early?"

An Shishi smiled. "I'm here to take over your shift."

"Take over what shift?" Xiao Youran asked, puzzled.

An Shishi explained, "You two stayed up all night. Now it's my turn to watch over him. You both can go rest."

The three of them finally understood what she meant.

Xiao Youran immediately shook her head. "That's not necessary. I already got a few hours of sleep last night."

Cheng Lu also added, "I'm not tired."

An Shishi said, "You two shouldn't push yourselves. Go back, rest well, and get some proper sleep. Once you're refreshed, you can come back to take care of Xu Xiuwen."

Xu Xiuwen suddenly agreed. "Yeah, Shishi's right. You've both been looking after me all night. You should go back and get some rest."

"But…"

Xiao Youran was clearly unwilling to leave. She felt like she still had plenty of energy to keep going.

At that moment, An Shishi subtly cast a meaningful glance at Xu Xiuwen.

Xu Xiuwen immediately understood her signal.

He suddenly said, "It's better if you go back and take a shower too."

"Huh?" Xiao Youran froze.

At first, she didn't understand what Xu Xiuwen meant, but then she noticed him sniffing lightly. It dawned on her that he was subtly implying she had a smell.

Xiao Youran instantly protested, clearly upset. "Xiao Xu! I just showered the night before last. I don't smell at all!"

"But you didn't shower last night, did you?"

Seeing the aggrieved look in Xiao Youran's eyes, Xu Xiuwen quickly corrected himself. "No, no, that's not what I meant. I just think a shower would make you feel better. I wasn't saying you smell."

"Xiao Xu, you're so annoying!" Xiao Youran could tell he wasn't being entirely honest.

This made her feel slightly self-conscious. Did she really smell because she didn't shower last night?

The thought made her anxious, and now all she wanted was to go home and take a shower. She couldn't stand the idea of staying by Xu Xiuwen's side if she wasn't at her best.

Cheng Lu, on the other hand, wasn't as reactive.

Without saying much, she simply nodded and agreed to Xu Xiuwen's suggestion. She turned to An Shishi and said, "Shishi, I'll leave Xu Xiuwen in your care. Please look after him for me."

An Shishi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lu Lu. I'll take good care of him."

With that, Xiao Youran and Cheng Lu left together.

Watching the two of them leave, Xu Xiuwen let out a long sigh of relief.

When he turned back, he noticed An Shishi looking at him with an amused expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

An Shishi smirked and asked, "Husband, is there nothing you want to say to me?"

Xu Xiuwen guessed what she was getting at but decided to play dumb.

"Huh? Say what? I don't know what you're talking about."

An Shishi gave a faint smile. "You don't know? Then I guess I'll have to go ask Tang Weiwei myself."

"Shishi!" Xu Xiuwen's tone turned serious.

But while this tactic worked on Xiao Youran, it had little effect on An Shishi.

She smiled and asked, "What? What's wrong?"

"Can you not make trouble?"

An Shishi's smile didn't waver. "How am I making trouble? I'm just curious about your relationship with Tang Weiwei. Is that considered trouble?"

It seemed An Shishi was still suspicious about last night's events.

Xu Xiuwen felt a headache coming on.

"What kind of relationship could I possibly have with her?"

An Shishi pouted slightly. "Do you think I'm as easy to fool as Cheng Lu and Xiao Youran?"

Her words made it clear to Xu Xiuwen—there was no hiding it from her.

She must have figured it out last night.

After some thought, Xu Xiuwen realized there wasn't much point in denying it. After all, An Shishi was already his lover.

He admitted, "Fine, I'll admit it. It's exactly what you think."

An Shishi rolled her eyes and asked, "Do you even know what I think?"

Xu Xiuwen nodded. "I know. It's exactly what you're thinking."

Hearing this, An Shishi let out a soft hum. Her expression remained calm, not showing any real anger.

An Shishi looked at Xu Xiuwen and said seriously, "Xu Xiuwen, you're really something. Hiding yet another lover from the three of us."

In truth, Xu Xiuwen didn't see Tang Weiwei as just a lover. He always treated her as a girlfriend. This was, in fact, a subtle difference from how he treated An Shishi.

However, he wasn't foolish enough to admit that in front of An Shishi. Otherwise, even if she wasn't angry, she would certainly be furious then.

Xu Xiuwen nodded. "I didn't want to, but I had no choice."

"Heh."

An Shishi let out a cold laugh, unclear whether she found him humorous or absurd.

"I've never heard of someone having no choice but to take a lover. If you didn't want one, could she have forced you?"

Xu Xiuwen countered, "And what about you? Back then, I didn't plan to get involved with you either. Weren't you the one who pushed me into it?"

An Shishi hadn't expected such a reply and was momentarily stunned.

When she came to her senses, her expression darkened, her emotions visibly sinking.

"So that's what you think of me?"

Her voice was tinged with grievance, sadness, and even a trace of disappointment.

Xu Xiuwen realized immediately that he had said the wrong thing.

"No, Shishi, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Tears welled up in An Shishi's eyes as she began to sob. "I know you regret it. You never wanted to be with me in the first place because I'm not as pretty as the other three… Boohoo…"

She cried so suddenly that Xu Xiuwen was caught off guard.

Seeing her tears, he couldn't help but feel distressed.

No matter what, An Shishi was his first woman, and for a man, a first woman often holds a special place.

Moreover, Xu Xiuwen wasn't at the point of being tired of An Shishi. He still liked her a lot—whether it was her personality off the bed or her demeanor on it.

Though she sometimes stirred up trouble with her sly and playful attitude, Xu Xiuwen didn't mind. In fact, he enjoyed her mischievous charm.

After all, there was a saying: There's no such thing as a "green tea" girl, only a thoughtful little sister who cares about her brother.

"Don't cry anymore!"

"You regret it, and you still won't let me cry…" An Shishi sobbed with a pitiful expression.

Seeing her like this, Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He immediately stopped himself, but it was too late—An Shishi caught it.

She widened her eyes, her crying stopping abruptly.

Her gaze seemed to say, How dare you laugh?!

Xu Xiuwen quickly composed himself and spoke sincerely. "Shishi, you know I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was, sometimes relationships between people can be complicated. My relationship with Tang Weiwei is like that, and so is my relationship with you.

"Although you drugged me at the start, I genuinely fell for you afterward. So, don't worry—I've said it many times: as long as you're willing to stay with me, I'll never regret it, and I'll never abandon you."

Hearing this, An Shishi was touched and immediately threw herself into Xu Xiuwen's arms.

Since both of Xu Xiuwen's hands were injured, he couldn't stroke her hair and could only let her lean against him.

However, from an angle Xu Xiuwen couldn't see, An Shishi smirked to herself briefly before hiding the smile.

She then pulled back slightly, looked up at him, and asked, "So how did you and Tang Weiwei get together?"

Xu Xiuwen hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to tell her the story of how he met Tang Weiwei.

When she heard it, An Shishi's eyes widened in shock.

"So, hubby, you were with Tang Weiwei before Cheng Lu? Does that mean Cheng Lu is actually the 'other woman'? Haha… And I'm the third? Xiao Youran is the fourth?"

Xu Xiuwen frowned. "What do you mean, third, fourth—are you keeping score or something?"

An Shishi pouted playfully. "I'm just saying! Now tell me, am I right or not?"

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. "Not exactly. Back then, Tang Weiwei and I just had feelings for each other; we weren't officially together yet. To be honest, I don't even know when we officially started dating."

An Shishi shook her head with a smile. "Hubby, you're such a scumbag!"