Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

Xu Xiuwen didn't feel like An Shishi was trying to brush him off.

On the contrary, he found her reaction quite normal.

Any mother who learned that her daughter had a boyfriend would likely want to meet him and help assess his character, right? Xu Xiuwen completely understood this.

In his heart, he had always regarded An Shishi as his girlfriend.

Although he didn't hold her in as high regard as Cheng Lu or Xiao Youran, he didn't treat her as a short-term fling either.

He didn't mind accompanying An Shishi to meet her parents.

However, the timing might not allow it.

If he hadn't already promised Tang Weiwei to take her home, he would've agreed to An Shishi's request without hesitation.

But unfortunately, he had made that promise earlier.

Xu Xiuwen found himself in a bit of a dilemma and frowned.

The moment An Shishi saw him frown, she felt a wave of disappointment, followed by sadness and even a touch of self-mockery.

Of course.

She was merely his lover.

What right did she have to ask him to accompany her to meet her parents?

That was a privilege reserved for the official girlfriend.

An Shishi's mood plummeted instantly.

Xu Xiuwen snapped back to reality and immediately noticed the disappointment and sadness on An Shishi's face—a rare sight for her.

His heart ached a little.

He explained, "Shishi, it's not that I don't want to accompany you. I've already promised Weiwei that I'd take her home first."

Facing An Shishi, Xu Xiuwen chose to be honest and didn't try to hide anything from her.

After hearing his words, the disappointment and sadness on An Shishi's face deepened.

But she forced herself to stay strong, unwilling to let Xu Xiuwen see how she truly felt.

She even mustered a smile and said, "It's okay. You can take her home. I'll explain it to them."

Despite her words, An Shishi felt deeply hurt inside.

While she had accepted her status as Xu Xiuwen's lover, it didn't mean she didn't care about her place in his heart.

She could accept being less important than Xiao Youran and Cheng Lu.

After all, Xiao Youran was his childhood friend, sharing a bond that most people couldn't compare to.

And Cheng Lu was his official girlfriend, with mutual love between them.

Still, she had always believed she ranked third in Xu Xiuwen's heart.

Even after learning about Tang Weiwei's relationship with him, she maintained this belief.

But now, she realized the truth.

In Xu Xiuwen's heart, she wasn't even third. Perhaps not even fourth.

This disparity was what hurt her the most.

Although Xu Xiuwen didn't know exactly what was on An Shishi's mind, he could sense the low mood radiating from her.

Both Tang Weiwei and An Shishi were his women.

Though things hadn't progressed as far with Tang Weiwei, An Shishi had already given herself to him completely.

Xu Xiuwen didn't want to favor one over the other.

Seeing An Shishi so upset now, he found it hard to refuse her.

After a brief hesitation, he said, "Shishi, don't be upset."

An Shishi lowered her head and softly replied, "I'm fine. I'm not upset."

"Really? You're not lying to me?"

"Really."

An Shishi still wanted to put on a brave front.

But Xu Xiuwen wasn't so easy to fool.

He reached out and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look up.

The moment he did, he saw her reddened eyes.

"Why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry."

"I'm not crying," An Shishi denied stubbornly.

Xu Xiuwen sighed and said, "Don't be upset. I'll go home with you."

For a moment, An Shishi didn't process his words.

Xu Xiuwen repeated himself.

Her eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Hubby, are you serious? You're not lying to me, are you?"

Xu Xiuwen said helplessly, "What do I get from lying to you? A candy?"

Finally, An Shishi was convinced he was serious.

An overwhelming joy surged from her heart, rushing through her veins and flooding every corner of her body.

She jumped straight out of her chair and onto Xu Xiuwen, wrapping her pale, tender arms around his neck. Puckering her lips, she leaned in to kiss him.

Xu Xiuwen, worried someone might come into the living room and see them, felt his scalp tingle.

If anyone saw this—regardless of who—it would spell disaster for him.

"Stop it. This is the living room," he warned.

But An Shishi couldn't contain her emotions.

She ignored his words, her soft, rosy lips demanding a kiss.

Sensing her emotions, Xu Xiuwen had no choice but to give in.

They embraced and kissed deeply in the quiet living room.

The kiss lasted a full minute before Xu Xiuwen had to push her away.

After being pushed back, An Shishi wasn't angry at all. Instead, she looked at Xu Xiuwen with gratitude, her eyes shimmering with an indescribable brightness.

Xu Xiuwen immediately recognized it—she was deeply moved!

To be honest, her playful affection was stirring something in him.

The desire that Xiao Youran had extinguished earlier now reignited.

Unfortunately, the time and place were entirely inappropriate.

Otherwise, Xu Xiuwen wouldn't have hesitated to take things further with An Shishi.

"Hubby, don't you want me?" she asked softly.

"I do," Xu Xiuwen admitted without hesitation.

"But not now!"

"We'll be quick. If we hurry, no one will notice," she coaxed.

Xu Xiuwen refused to be swayed.

"Absolutely not right now."

An Shishi was momentarily disappointed but quickly broke into a happy smile.

"Thank you for agreeing to go home with me, hubby."

"Don't thank me just yet. I need to tell you something first."

"Go ahead," An Shishi said, still smiling.

"I've already promised Tang Weiwei that I'll take her home first."

"Okay."

An Shishi wasn't upset, knowing Xu Xiuwen would give her a proper explanation, so she waited patiently.

"You stay at school and wait for me. Once I'm back, I'll go home with you."

"Alright, I understand."

"Tomorrow, I'll buy the tickets. You…"

"Hubby, can we not take the train back?"

"No train? Then you want to take a long-distance bus? Won't that be a bit too slow?"

An Shishi shook her head and said, "I don't want to take a long-distance bus either."

"Then let's fly."

"Hubby, I mean, let's drive back instead."

"Drive?" Xu Xiuwen was momentarily stunned.

"Why drive? It takes more than ten hours to drive from here to Guilin, doesn't it?"

An Shishi hesitated, as though unsure whether to explain.

Xu Xiuwen didn't press her further. Instead, he nodded and said, "Alright, we'll do it your way. We'll drive back."

An Shishi immediately let out a sigh of relief.

She leaned into him again, smiling brightly. "Thank you, hubby. You're so good to me."

Xu Xiuwen smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"I've been out for a while now. I'll head back to my room. You finish your meal."

An Shishi shook her head. "I'm full."

"Alright, then just put the dishes in the sink. You can wash them later. I'll head back first."

An Shishi nodded obediently.

On his way back to his room, Xu Xiuwen chuckled softly to himself.

He knew exactly why An Shishi wanted him to drive her home.

It wasn't hard to figure out.

It was all about saving face.

Xu Xiuwen drove a BMW 5 Series worth 650,000 yuan.

Even a decade later, such a car wouldn't be something most people could afford.

And in 2006, it was practically a luxury beyond imagination.

In An Shishi's home village—and likely even in the surrounding areas—there was probably no one who could afford a car like that.

As her man, driving an expensive car home would naturally make An Shishi feel proud.

She didn't want to admit it outright, likely because she was worried that if she told him her real reason, he'd think she was too vain.

What she didn't realize was that Xu Xiuwen had figured it out immediately.

Caring about appearances wasn't unusual—it was normal for both men and women.

There was nothing shameful about An Shishi wanting to save face.

Xu Xiuwen didn't dislike or think less of her for it.

An Shishi was now his woman. But he wasn't someone who tried to idealize his partners.

When An Shishi first approached him, it was because she was attracted to his wealth and talent.

That was a fact, and Xu Xiuwen had known it from the start.

He also knew about her slightly manipulative, "green tea" personality.

But that hadn't made him guard against her or dislike her.

In fact, he found himself growing more and more fond of her.

Even though An Shishi initially chose him with a purpose in mind, once they were together, she gave him her full cooperation.

No matter what he asked her to do or how he wanted it done, she always complied without hesitation.

Xu Xiuwen could feel that her obedience came from the heart.

That was what made him fall for her even more.

So, even though he knew she cared about appearances or might have other flaws, it didn't bother him.

Instead, it made her feel more genuine to him, which only deepened his affection for her.

...

Returning to the master bedroom,

Xu Xiuwen wasn't sure if Cheng Lu had fallen asleep.

Instinctively, he moved quietly, careful even when opening the door.

As the door opened, Xu Xiuwen glanced at the bed.

Cheng Lu lay with her back to him, seemingly asleep.

He silently closed the door and walked to the bed, lying down next to her.

"You're back?"

The moment Xu Xiuwen lay down, Cheng Lu's voice sounded.

"Yeah. You haven't slept yet? I thought you were asleep."

"Why did it take so long?"

"I made instant noodles for Shishi while I was at it."

"Okay. It's late. Let's sleep," Cheng Lu said without probing further.

Xu Xiuwen originally intended to sleep,

but knowing Cheng Lu was awake,

he changed his mind.

The fire stirred by An Shishi in the living room earlier

had yet to subside.

All Xu Xiuwen had to do was slightly turn his head,

and he could see Cheng Lu's back.

She was wearing a set of sleepwear that was both cute and seductive.

The top was short-sleeved with lace accents,

and the bottoms were shorts.

The lace on the top,

which happened to cover her back,

was sheer and thin.

Combined with Cheng Lu's smooth, fair skin,

the sight was irresistible.

It would have been hard for any man to resist.

Xu Xiuwen reached over from behind,

his right hand naturally slipping beneath the hem of her top.

...

Sunlight filtered through the clear glass windows,

slipping through the gaps in the curtains and illuminating the room.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden sound of knocking broke the morning silence,

startling the woman in bed awake.

The noise woke Cheng Lu.

When she opened her eyes,

the first thing she saw was Xu Xiuwen, still sound asleep.

Sleeping Xu Xiuwen looked even more handsome than usual.

Cheng Lu smiled faintly,

but the smile was quickly interrupted by the urgent knocking.

Without opening the door,

she already knew who it could be.

Apart from Xiao Youran,

no one else would knock so early.

Cheng Lu got dressed and went to open the door.

Click.

The door opened.

"Xiao Xu, are you awake?"

Xiao Youran was momentarily stunned to see Cheng Lu opening the door.

She quickly asked, "Cheng Lu! Why are you opening the door? Where's Xiao Xu?"

Cheng Lu looked at Xiao Youran calmly. "He's still sleeping."

Xiao Youran tried to look into the room.

"Xiao Youran, don't you think you're being a bit too much?"

"What?" Xiao Youran asked innocently.

"Out of respect for the fact that you and Xu Xiuwen grew up together, I've been patient with you, but you're crossing the line. You need to know that everyone's patience has a limit."

Already feeling wronged, Xiao Youran couldn't hold back after hearing Cheng Lu's words. She retorted, "What gives you the right to say that to me?"

Cheng Lu didn't get angry after hearing Xiao Youran's words.

She smiled faintly and said, "I have no interest in arguing with you. I just want to remind you that Xu Xiuwen is my boyfriend, and you should mind your boundaries."

Seeing her smile only made Xiao Youran even more furious.

She thought to herself, I won't let you and Xiao Xu be happy together. I'll ruin things for you, just watch.

Cheng Lu, noticing Xiao Youran's expression, realized her words were in vain.

She shook her head, too uninterested to continue the conversation, and turned to head into the bathroom.

Xiao Youran let out a soft snort,

then walked into the master bedroom and approached the bed.

Her eyes swept across the scene.

The sheets were messy, as was the blanket,

making her heart sink slightly.

But when she saw that Xu Xiuwen was wearing pants,

she breathed a sigh of relief, her expression softening.

Xu Xiuwen should be glad that after last night,

he had fumbled in the dark to put his pants back on.

Otherwise, if he had been lying there bare,

Xiao Youran would have immediately realized he hadn't kept his promise from the night before.

"Xiao Xu, wake up…"

Xiao Youran gently shook Xu Xiuwen's arm, trying to wake him up.

Xu Xiuwen was already in a half-awake state,

so the slight shaking roused him fully.

He opened his eyes,

and the first thing he saw was Xiao Youran's pretty face.

Xu Xiuwen, in a good mood,

instinctively reached out and pulled Xiao Youran into his arms.

Caught off guard, Xiao Youran fell into his embrace.

For a moment, Xu Xiuwen seemed to forget where he was.

He smiled and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Although Xiao Youran was startled by his actions, she quickly calmed down and felt delighted.

Xiao Xu woke up and wanted to hug me first thing—this proves I'm more important to him than Cheng Lu.

Xiao Youran nodded and replied, "Yes, I slept very well."

Just as Xu Xiuwen was about to say something else,

the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

He blinked, snapping back to full awareness.

If Cheng Lu came out of the bathroom at this moment

and saw him holding Xiao Youran,

it would be hard to explain.

Xu Xiuwen hurriedly released Xiao Youran,

but his movement was so abrupt that he almost pushed her over.

Xiao Youran, barely managing to stay on her feet,

looked at him in frustration.

Xu Xiuwen whispered, "That was a mistake! A mistake!"

"Why are you pushing me away? Are you that scared of Cheng Lu seeing us?" Xiao Youran pouted.

"I need to get up now," Xu Xiuwen said, awkwardly changing the subject.

Fortunately, Xiao Youran just snorted and didn't press further.

A small crisis was averted.

Xu Xiuwen got dressed and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

By the time breakfast was ready,

the girls had finished washing up and gradually gathered in the living room.

After breakfast, it was already 8 a.m.

Xu Xiuwen drove Cheng Lu to the train station to reschedule their tickets.