Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

Tang Weiwei stood still.

The moment she saw Xu Xiuwen, she already knew.

It must have been planned between Xu Xiuwen and Su Yanyan.

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?

They had just gone downstairs to buy something, and Xu Xiuwen happened to be waiting downstairs.

Although she knew it was coordinated, Tang Weiwei didn't intend to avoid it.

She understood that, regardless of the outcome, she and Xu Xiuwen had to have this conversation.

Xu Xiuwen slowly approached Tang Weiwei.

A few days without seeing her felt like years.

The air seemed to carry a certain distance between them.

Xu Xiuwen's heart was filled with guilt.

When he stood in front of Tang Weiwei, he calmly gazed at her.

Her bangs seemed to have grown a little longer...

"Weiwei, can we go somewhere else to talk?"

Xu Xiuwen's tone was gentle, without a trace of forcefulness.

If Tang Weiwei refused, he wouldn't insist.

Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Tang Weiwei lightly nodded her head.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen let out a long sigh of relief.

He then led Tang Weiwei toward the campus.

Along the way, he hesitated to speak several times.

Unconsciously, they arrived at the small grove they used to frequent together.

Both of them stopped, as if by tacit understanding.

Xu Xiuwen turned to face Tang Weiwei.

Tang Weiwei also turned to face him, but she kept her head lowered.

After what felt like two minutes, they spoke simultaneously:

"You go first."

They both froze for a moment.

Then Tang Weiwei said, "Xu Xiuwen, just say whatever you want to say."

"I…"

Xu Xiuwen didn't know how to begin.

Tang Weiwei suddenly lifted her head to look at him.

Xu Xiuwen was startled when he saw her.

At some point, Tang Weiwei had already started crying, two tear tracks visible on her cheeks.

Xu Xiuwen's heart ached terribly.

He quickly said, "Weiwei, don't cry. When you cry, it hurts me."

Tang Weiwei, her voice choked with sobs, asked, "Are you here to break up with me?"

Xu Xiuwen froze on the spot!

Tang Weiwei, not hearing a response, assumed his silence meant agreement, and her heart ached even more.

If she had been holding back earlier, only sniffling softly, she was now crying uncontrollably.

Tang Weiwei cried so bitterly, as though she was pouring out all her grievances and sadness through her tears.

Even the hardest-hearted person would feel moved seeing this.

Let alone Xu Xiuwen, who shared a deep bond with the girl crying in front of him.

He felt a stabbing pain in his heart.

"Weiwei, please don't cry. Seeing you cry makes me feel terrible…"

Tang Weiwei sobbed for a long time.

Between her sobs, she choked out, "Xu Xiuwen, why don't you want me anymore? Wuwuwu…"

Xu Xiuwen was completely stumped by her words!

Not want her anymore?

Where did that even come from?

Wasn't she the one upset because of his cheating and wanting to break up?

Tang Weiwei continued sobbing, "Xu Xiuwen, tell me what I did wrong. I can change. Please, don't leave me, okay?"

If Xu Xiuwen had been unsure earlier, questioning whether he had misheard or misunderstood, now he was absolutely certain.

He hadn't misheard.

Tang Weiwei didn't want to break up with him.

She was even crying and begging him not to leave her.

For a moment, Xu Xiuwen felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.

If Tang Weiwei had cursed him out and firmly insisted on breaking up, it would have felt reasonable and fair.

But instead, she was pleading with him not to leave her?

Xu Xiuwen thought to himself, How could I possibly bear to leave you?

And he said it aloud: "Weiwei, what are you talking about? I don't like you enough as it is—how could I bear to leave you?"

Tang Weiwei's crying stopped abruptly.

Her tear-filled eyes widened in surprise and joy as she asked, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Xu Xiuwen immediately shook his head.

Tang Weiwei burst into tears again. "Then why did you scare me just now? I thought you wanted to break up with me! I thought you didn't want me anymore! Wuwuwu…"

Only then did Xu Xiuwen realize why she had been crying—it was all a misunderstanding.

Tang Weiwei's reaction was so endearing that Xu Xiuwen felt both amused and incredibly relieved.

He even wondered if he was dreaming.

Tang Weiwei didn't want to break up with him? She was worried about breaking up with him?

Xu Xiuwen pulled Tang Weiwei into his arms, holding her tightly as though he wanted to merge her into himself.

He held her for a long time before loosening his grip slightly and taking half a step back.

Bending down to her eye level, Xu Xiuwen looked at Tang Weiwei.

Even while crying, she was so beautiful.

Her little face was flushed, and tears, like pearls, rolled down one by one.

She looked heartbreakingly stunning.

Gazing at the tear tracks on her cheeks, Xu Xiuwen reached out and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

In the softest tone, he reassured her, "Alright, alright, no more crying. Seeing you cry is breaking my heart."

Tang Weiwei nodded firmly, slowly calming down and stopping her tears.

As her composure returned, she felt the intensity of Xu Xiuwen's gaze.

A wave of shyness surged within her, and she instinctively tried to lower her head to avoid his eyes.

Xu Xiuwen, seeing she had stopped crying, felt at ease.

He asked softly, "Weiwei, do you know how adorable you are? I really wish I could put you in my pocket and keep you with me all the time."

Tang Weiwei's heart fluttered with joy at his words, but she still asked, "What about Cheng Lu?"

The moment the name Cheng Lu was mentioned, the smile on Xu Xiuwen's face froze.

Tang Weiwei, noticing the silence, glanced up at him.

Seeing his expression, she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's okay," Xu Xiuwen replied, reaching out to gently caress Tang Weiwei's cheek, reassuring her not to worry.

Tang Weiwei nodded softly.

A few seconds passed in silence.

Xu Xiuwen suddenly said, "I'm sorry, Weiwei. I owe you an apology. I sincerely apologize to you."

"You don't have to apologize," Tang Weiwei whispered.

Xu Xiuwen shook his head. "No, I must. I shouldn't have been so greedy, dating both you and Cheng Lu at the same time. That was my mistake, and I shouldn't have kept it from you. To be honest, before coming to see you, I had already prepared myself. Even if you wanted to break up with me because of my infidelity, I was ready to accept it. I was just worried that you'd be hurt because of a scumbag like me."

Tang Weiwei lowered her head in silence.

Xu Xiuwen continued, "Weiwei, do you truly forgive me? You really won't break up with me because of what I did?"

Tang Weiwei nodded.

Xu Xiuwen was overjoyed at first, but then he quickly calmed down.

Perhaps Tang Weiwei liked him so much that she could forgive his past mistakes, even his two-timing. But that didn't mean she would tolerate him continuing to cheat.

Xu Xiuwen, however, had no intention of breaking up with Cheng Lu, nor did he want to break up with Tang Weiwei.

To put it bluntly, he wanted to continue dating both of them and hoped Tang Weiwei would accept it.

Of course, Xu Xiuwen knew this idea was shameless and would likely hurt Tang Weiwei even more. But he didn't want to keep deceiving her. He felt he had to be honest with her.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Xiuwen said, "Weiwei, there's something I need to be honest with you about."

"Hmm, go ahead," she replied.

"I…"

The words caught in Xu Xiuwen's throat, but Tang Weiwei comforted him, "It's okay, take your time."

"I don't want to break up with you. I want to stay with you."

"Hmm."

"But—" Xu Xiuwen hesitated before continuing, "But I also don't want to break up with Cheng Lu!"

Any other girl might have immediately questioned what he meant, but Tang Weiwei lowered her head in silence again.

Xu Xiuwen couldn't tell if her silence meant rejection or acceptance. He wasn't even sure if she understood what he was implying.

So, he explained further, "Weiwei, you and Cheng Lu are both my girlfriends. I can't bear to let go of either of you. But don't worry, I promise I won't let you feel wronged. I will always treat you well."

Tang Weiwei responded with another "Hmm."

"Huh?"

As if afraid Xu Xiuwen might not understand, she nodded and said, "I understand."

That's it? Xu Xiuwen was stunned.

Tang Weiwei's reaction was entirely beyond his expectations.

A normal girl would either curse him out as a scumbag or walk away in anger. That would be the expected reaction.

But Tang Weiwei was so calm?

Feeling uneasy, Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but ask again, "Weiwei, do you really understand what I mean? I mean, I'm not breaking up with either of you. Can you understand that?"

Tang Weiwei nodded again. "I understand."

"And you can accept it?"

"Hmm."

Xu Xiuwen was overjoyed.

Such an unbelievable stroke of luck had come his way.

He already liked Tang Weiwei deeply. Now, knowing how tolerant and understanding she was, he adored her even more.

But then, Tang Weiwei said something that froze him on the spot.

In a soft voice, she said, "I've always accepted it."

Xu Xiuwen was stunned.

It took him a few minutes to snap out of it.

He widened his eyes and hesitantly looked at Tang Weiwei before finally asking, "Weiwei, what do you mean by that?"

Tang Weiwei, sensing his change in mood, was somewhat puzzled but quickly explained, "I've always known about your relationship with Cheng Lu."

Tang Weiwei's words were like a stone suddenly thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating countless ripples.

Xu Xiuwen's emotions mirrored those ripples—turbulent and unsteady.

He barely managed to compose himself and asked, "Weiwei, you've known about my relationship with Cheng Lu all along?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then why have you never asked me about it?"

Tang Weiwei replied, "Because you didn't tell me. If you wanted to talk about it, you would have done so yourself."

Her response made Xu Xiuwen frown.

"Are you stupid or something? I cheated on you, and you found out I was cheating, but you just waited for me to bring it up? What if I never said anything for the rest of my life?"

Tang Weiwei couldn't understand why Xu Xiuwen suddenly became so agitated.

She was slightly startled but still obediently responded, "You're my man. If you want to tell me, I'll listen. If you don't, I shouldn't ask."

Her answer did not satisfy Xu Xiuwen.

In fact, with Tang Weiwei's attitude, he should have been overjoyed.

But he couldn't understand her actions at all.

He simply couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

Still, the phrase "you're my man" pleased him.

"Weiwei, this isn't a small issue. It's about me having another woman. How can you just pretend it doesn't exist, even refusing to ask? Do you not care about me at all?"

Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but ask.

This was the part he struggled to comprehend the most.

Any other woman who truly loved a man wouldn't remain indifferent upon learning he had someone else, right? Even his mistress, An Shishi, often got jealous of Cheng Lu.

That was the normal reaction of a woman in love.

Tang Weiwei's behavior made Xu Xiuwen doubt whether she actually liked him at all or if he had been deluding himself.

Tang Weiwei grew nervous at Xu Xiuwen's words.

She quickly waved her hands and said, "I do."

Xu Xiuwen could tell that her nervousness wasn't an act.

"Then why aren't you jealous? I'm with another woman, and you're not angry at all?"

Tang Weiwei said softly, "A woman shouldn't spend her time being jealous and angry. That would only hold a man back."

Xu Xiuwen frowned and asked, "Who told you that?"

"My grandma."

Xu Xiuwen had already guessed that Tang Weiwei's mindset likely had something to do with her grandmother.

He still remembered the first time he saw her at the campus store—she didn't even use sanitary pads.

That alone was enough to show how poor the environment she grew up in must have been.

Because of poverty, many traditional and conservative views remained ingrained.

Plus, she had been raised by her grandmother since childhood.

Under her grandmother's influence, these ideas had taken root.

That was the only explanation that made sense.

Xu Xiuwen continued to ask, "What else did your grandma say?"

Tang Weiwei replied, "Grandma also said that a smart woman must know how to play dumb and learn to be tolerant… that she should put her man first in everything and always prioritize him above all else…"

Tang Weiwei murmured a string of traditional, even feudal, ideas.

These views wouldn't need to wait for the feminist movements of a decade later to be controversial—

Even in 2006, many women would have disagreed with them.

But in earlier times, such beliefs were considered ordinary and normal.

Xu Xiuwen had always thought Tang Weiwei was simply sweet and obedient.

Now, he felt as though he was seeing her in an entirely new light.

Tang Weiwei was unlike any girl he had ever known.

What made it even more surreal was hearing these words come from the mouth of a girl from Chongyu.

Still, no matter how you looked at it—

For any normal man, it would be impossible not to be drawn to a woman with such traditional views.

A woman who didn't get jealous, didn't get angry unnecessarily, didn't fight or argue, and centered her entire world around her man—

Who wouldn't adore her?

Of course, fast forward a decade, and a woman like this, if unlucky enough to encounter a scumbag, might easily end up heartbroken and exploited.

But right now, Xu Xiuwen was utterly enamored with her.

How could he let her lose?

On the contrary, he was the one who had lost.

He had always been fond of Tang Weiwei's personality.

Now, he found himself completely captivated, a prisoner of her love.

Xu Xiuwen pulled Tang Weiwei into his arms again.

And then, like the true scoundrel he was, he began his version of tender devotion…