Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

Xu Xiuwen had no idea about An Shishi's thoughts.

Neither did Bai Yue'er.

When she heard Xu Xiuwen's compliment, Bai Yue'er was initially delighted, but the joy was quickly replaced by discomfort. She put on a stern face and asked, "You still haven't answered my question."

Xu Xiuwen chuckled, "I'm fine now. Feeling pretty good. The doctor said as long as I rest properly, I'll recover after some time."

Even though Bai Yue'er had already heard this from her roommate, it wasn't until Xu Xiuwen confirmed it himself that she finally breathed a sigh of relief and calmed her anxious heart.

Suddenly, Bai Yue'er pulled out a notebook and placed it in front of him. "This is from Weiwei. She asked me to bring it to you."

Xu Xiuwen glanced down and immediately recognized it as Tang Weiwei's usual notebook.

Bai Yue'er continued, "Weiwei said all the key points are in there. Just follow the notes to review, and you won't have any problems with the exam."

Hearing this, An Shishi couldn't help but glance at the notebook, her feelings a little conflicted.

The memory of Tang Weiwei denying any romantic involvement with Xu Xiuwen just last night was still fresh in her mind. Yet here she was, asking her roommate to deliver her notes to him.

It showed just how magnanimous and understanding Tang Weiwei was.

An Shishi thought to herself, Beautiful and kind-hearted—no wonder Xu Xiuwen can't let her go.

If she were Xu Xiuwen, she wouldn't be able to either.

Xu Xiuwen was deeply moved when he saw the notes. After everything that happened last night, Tang Weiwei still cared about his exams.

Puzzled, he asked, "Why didn't Weiwei bring them over herself?"

Hearing this, Bai Yue'er rolled her eyes at him and huffed, "Do you even have the nerve to ask? After what you did, you still expect Weiwei to forgive you?"

Judging by Bai Yue'er's reaction, it seemed she knew about his cheating.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Xiuwen's face. He explained, "It's not what you think."

He would've been better off not denying it. The denial only fueled Bai Yue'er's anger.

She glared at him and said, "Xu Xiuwen, are you even a man? You did it, but you can't own up to it?"

Xu Xiuwen sighed and replied, "I'm not denying it. I admit I cheated."

"At least you admit it."

Bai Yue'er had just returned to Jinling that morning. Hang Fei said he needed to stop by the company first, so she returned to campus ahead of him.

When she got back to the dorm, her roommates told her about Xu Xiuwen's infidelity.

What was strange was that when Bai Yue'er first learned about Xu Xiuwen cheating, she felt a little angry. But at the same time, she wasn't as furious as she thought she'd be.

The hospital room grew quiet.

Suddenly, Bai Yue'er asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. Are you going to break up with Weiwei or Cheng Lu?"

An Shishi also turned to Xu Xiuwen at Bai Yue'er's words, curious about his response.

After a moment of silence, Xu Xiuwen shook his head and said, "I'm not going to break up with either of them."

Bai Yue'er seemed to have anticipated his answer. Her expression turned complicated—she couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or satisfied.

"Not breaking up? Do you plan to keep stringing both of them along? What you're doing is wrong!"

"I know it's wrong, but I really like both of them. I can't bear to let either go."

Hearing this, Bai Yue'er pursed her lips, though her expression seemed to relax a bit.

Xu Xiuwen then asked, "What does Weiwei think? Did she say she wants to break up with me?"

Bai Yue'er shook her head. "I don't know. I just got back. I stopped by school and came straight here."

"Alright then."

Seeing the disappointment on Xu Xiuwen's face, Bai Yue'er couldn't help but soften. She added, "But from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like Weiwei is planning to break up with you."

"Really?" Xu Xiuwen's face lit up with joy.

Even though he wasn't planning to let go, that was just his one-sided wish. He had no idea whether Tang Weiwei intended to break up with him. Hearing Bai Yue'er say this gave him a sense of relief.

Bai Yue'er glanced at An Shishi and suddenly asked, "What about your girlfriend, Cheng Lu? Why isn't she here taking care of you?"

"She took care of me all night last night and went home to rest after breakfast this morning."

Bai Yue'er let out a soft snort and cast a sideways glance at An Shishi. She asked, "And who's she? Don't tell me she's another one of your girlfriends, Xu 'Big Radish'."

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm but was mostly skeptical.

An Shishi, however, didn't seem offended.

Xu Xiuwen was just about to introduce An Shishi when she stepped forward first.

An Shishi suddenly broke into an excited expression. "You're Sister Bai Yue'er, right?"

Her reaction and tone struck Bai Yue'er as odd, and she glanced at her suspiciously. "Do you know me?"

An Shishi smiled and nodded. "I've watched the dramas you've acted in. They're so good! I'm a big fan of yours."

Her words sounded genuine, and the excitement on her face made it hard to doubt her sincerity.

Bai Yue'er couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. After all, the person standing in front of her was a fan, and yet she had just been giving her such a hard time.

An Shishi continued enthusiastically, "Sister Yue'er, you're amazing! Your acting is incredible. I'm sure you'll win Best Actress someday!"

Bai Yue'er blushed slightly at the praise. She brushed her hair back and replied modestly, "It's not as good as you say. And, uh, I was wrong earlier—I shouldn't have acted like that."

An Shishi shook her head with a smile. "It's okay, Sister Yue'er. I don't mind at all. I'm Cheng Lu's roommate. She took care of Xu Xiuwen all night and just went back to rest this morning. I'm just here to take over for her. Xu Xiuwen and I have nothing to do with each other. We're just ordinary friends."

An Shishi's explanation completely dispelled Bai Yue'er's doubts.

Then An Shishi added, "Sister Yue'er, I thought you were already so beautiful in the dramas, but seeing you in person—you're even more stunning! You're absolutely gorgeous."

Bai Yue'er found the compliment a bit over the top, but she politely thanked her. "Thank you. You're very pretty too."

"By the way," she added, "you don't have to call me 'Sister.' Just call me Yue'er."

An Shishi shook her head. "I couldn't do that. You're my idol."

"It's fine, really."

"Well, if you say so. But if I call you that, don't blame me."

Bai Yue'er nodded.

"Yue'er~"

As soon as An Shishi said it, she covered her face and nervously asked, "You told me to call you that. You won't be mad, right?"

Bai Yue'er chuckled and shook her head. "Of course not. Don't worry. By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm An Shishi," she said shyly.

"An Shishi?" Bai Yue'er froze for a moment.

The name sounded oddly familiar.

"Actually, we've met once before—last semester at the swimming pool. Do you remember?"

With this reminder, Bai Yue'er finally recalled An Shishi.

She was a little surprised in her heart. An Shishi had changed so much since the last time they met.

Bai Yue'er collected her thoughts and smiled at An Shishi. "Then I'll call you Shishi from now on, alright?"

"Sure!"

Watching Bai Yue'er go from initial suspicion and even hostility to now speaking gently with a warm smile, Xu Xiuwen was stunned.

Of course, he knew that An Shishi was far from being a naive sweetheart, let alone an innocent darling. Her manipulative skills were quite strong.

He had just witnessed how a few words from An Shishi had Bai Yue'er grinning from ear to ear.

On one hand, he marveled at Bai Yue'er's simplicity; on the other, he felt a bit helpless.

He shot An Shishi a warning glance, signaling her to tone it down and not go too far.

An Shishi returned his gaze, quickly blinking a few times in response.

Xu Xiuwen said, "Since you two already know each other, there's no need for me to introduce you."

At that moment, An Shishi suddenly asked, "Yue'er, have you had breakfast yet?"

Bai Yue'er hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

An Shishi immediately said, "Yue'er, this is the breakfast I just bought. Xu Xiuwen has already eaten, and since you haven't had breakfast, you should eat it."

Bai Yue'er quickly shook her head. "How could I take your breakfast? What will you do if I eat it?"

"I already ate something earlier."

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen's expression tightened.

An Shishi glanced at him with a smile and said, "Yue'er, I really did eat already. If you don't believe me, you can ask Xu Xiuwen."

Left with no choice, Xu Xiuwen nodded and said, "She did eat earlier. If you're hungry, you might as well have it. It'd just go to waste otherwise."

Seeing that both of them insisted, Bai Yue'er didn't doubt them. She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I am a bit hungry."

With that, Bai Yue'er prepared to eat the breakfast An Shishi had bought.

An Shishi thoughtfully unfolded the folding table by the bedside and even opened the lids of the breakfast containers for Bai Yue'er.

Bai Yue'er felt both flattered and further convinced that An Shishi really was her fan.

While Bai Yue'er was eating, Xu Xiuwen took the opportunity to quietly remind An Shishi as she walked by, "Don't stir up trouble for me."

An Shishi replied with a pout, "What trouble could I possibly cause?"

"Don't play innocent with me!"

Xu Xiuwen knew she was putting on an act.

At his words, An Shishi suddenly switched to another expression. She smiled and said, "That depends on how you behave."

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't spent any time with me for ages."

"But I'm injured right now."

"It's fine, I can wait until your hand heals."

Xu Xiuwen weighed the pros and cons and figured it was better to agree. Besides, from another perspective, An Shishi—being his mistress—didn't usually ask for much. Now she was only asking him to spend more time with her, which wasn't an unreasonable demand.

Xu Xiuwen nodded and said, "Alright, once I've recovered, I'll go shopping with you."

"Are you sure you're not lying to me?" An Shishi asked, half-doubtful.

"Don't worry," he reassured her.

At last, An Shishi felt relieved.

She smiled with satisfaction.

Bai Yue'er, who was eating breakfast, vaguely heard the two talking but couldn't make out their words.

She stopped and turned her head, asking, "What are you two talking about?"

An Shishi immediately pouted and said to Bai Yue'er, "Yue'er, Xu Xiuwen says I'm annoying and told me to leave."

Xu Xiuwen thought to himself, When did I ever say that? But before he could explain, Bai Yue'er interjected, "Xu Xiuwen, you're injured, and Shishi has been taking care of you at the hospital. Yet you're saying she's annoying? Do you even have a conscience?"

Out of Bai Yue'er's sight, An Shishi secretly grinned at Xu Xiuwen.

Xu Xiuwen sighed helplessly and silently took the blame. "My fault. I shouldn't have said she is annoying."

Bai Yue'er snorted. "Good that you realize. Shishi, just ignore him."

"Alright, thank you, Yue'er."

Bai Yue'er nodded and continued eating her breakfast.

Soon, Bai Yue'er finished her meal. But instead of leaving the ward immediately, she decided to stay.

Lately, Bai Yue'er had been quite busy running around for promotions of her new drama.

As the company boss, Xu Xiuwen expressed some concern for her.

When Bai Yue'er talked about her work, she showed no signs of fatigue or frustration. On the contrary, she seemed full of energy, animatedly sharing many amusing incidents she had encountered during filming and interviews.

Xu Xiuwen attentively played the role of a listener.

Meanwhile, An Shishi acted like a genuine fan, listening with excitement and enthusiasm.

Especially when she learned that Bai Yue'er's second drama would be premiering soon, she clapped her hands in delight.

However, Xu Xiuwen knew very well that An Shishi wasn't into dramas and couldn't possibly be Bai Yue'er's fan.

Watching Bai Yue'er beaming with joy, coaxed by An Shishi, Xu Xiuwen found the situation both amusing and exasperating.

Time passed quickly.

Soon, a doctor came for the rounds.

After reviewing Xu Xiuwen's condition, the doctor was about to leave when there was a sudden knock at the door.

A voice followed: "Excuse me, is Xu Xiuwen here?"

It was the voice of a middle-aged man, unfamiliar to Xu Xiuwen, who couldn't recall hearing it before.

Still, he responded, "Come in."

The door opened, and in walked a middle-aged man, about 1.7 meters tall. Behind him was a young man of similar age to Xu Xiuwen, standing around 1.8 meters tall.

Xu Xiuwen didn't recognize the former, but he did recognize the latter.

The tall young man was none other than Du Hao, whom Xu Xiuwen had encountered twice before.

At this moment, Du Hao no longer exuded the arrogance and smugness of their previous meetings. His head was bowed, and his expression was timid, as if he were afraid of something.

Seeing Du Hao, Xu Xiuwen immediately guessed the middle-aged man's identity.

Du Youwei! Du Hao's influential father.

What puzzled Xu Xiuwen was how they knew he was injured and hospitalized, and why they had specifically come to see him.

What was their plan?

Xu Xiuwen said nothing, choosing instead to watch and see what would unfold.

Du Youwei was carrying a fruit basket and a box of fruits.

As soon as he entered, he said, "Mr. Xu, I heard you were injured. I found out you were at this hospital, so I came to check on you. How are you doing? Are you okay? I happen to know the director here—do you need me to call him over to take a look?"

The male doctor who had just finished his rounds and was about to leave overheard Du Youwei's words.

He sneered inwardly.

The director was the most respected figure in the hospital, rarely seen even by the staff. How could just anyone summon him on a whim? If this wasn't boasting, what was?

Out of curiosity, the doctor turned to see who this braggart was.

But what he saw left him startled.

The male doctor's expression immediately turned serious. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Director Du, what brings you here?"

Du Youwei glanced at the male doctor after hearing his words but didn't recognize him. He hesitated and asked, "You are?"

The male doctor immediately introduced himself. "Director Du, I'm a doctor here. My name is Bian Chao. I was fortunate enough to meet you once before, though you might not remember me."

Du Youwei's expression remained indifferent upon hearing this. But after noticing the doctor's attire, he suddenly asked, "Are you Mr. Xu's attending physician?"