Rebirth Begins with Rejecting My Childhood Friend

In the practice room,

under repeated requests from Xu Xiuwen,

Cheng Lu danced a solo performance just for him.

Watching her graceful movements, like a fairy descending to earth,

his girl, one that belonged solely to him,

Xu Xiuwen's eyes were filled with infatuation and pride.

As the evening grew late,

Xu Xiuwen accompanied Cheng Lu back to her dormitory.

Then, he waited downstairs.

Before long, Cheng Lu came down,

carrying a suitcase.

Xu Xiuwen then drove her to the train station.

At the platform, while waiting for the train,

Cheng Lu gave Xu Xiuwen a list of reminders.

The first was to never forget to call her.

The second was to stay away from Xiao Youran.

Even though the most intimate things between him and Xiao Youran had already happened,

Xu Xiuwen still nodded continuously.

Cheng Lu was very pleased with his attitude.

She suddenly leaned in.

Xu Xiuwen only felt the touch of her soft lips against his.

He could no longer care about time or place,

pulling Cheng Lu deeply into his embrace,

and kissed her passionately.

His arms wrapped tightly around her waist,

pressing her firmly against his body.

His strength caused Cheng Lu's body to arch,

highlighting her graceful figure.

Fortunately, she was flexible.

Had it been any other girl, they might've cried out, "My waist is breaking…"

When the deep kiss ended,

Cheng Lu pushed him away,

sending a flirtatious glare his way.

With a soft snort, she teased, "Pig, do you want to eat me up?"

Xu Xiuwen chuckled sheepishly.

Seeing his silly smile, Cheng Lu couldn't help but burst into laughter herself.

The two gazed at each other.

Though smiling on the surface,

their hearts were heavy with sadness and reluctance.

Finally, Cheng Lu broke the silence.

"The train's about to leave. Don't you still have things to do? Go back."

"Okay," Xu Xiuwen agreed, but his feet didn't move.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

"I want to look at you a little longer."

"You silly thing, haven't you seen enough of me already?"

Xu Xiuwen gently shook his head.

"Never enough. Even a lifetime wouldn't be enough."

Hearing this, Cheng Lu felt a twinge of emotion.

For a moment, it dissipated the sorrow and reluctance of their impending parting.

But then, the thought of Xiao Youran surfaced,

causing her to sigh softly.

"Why are you sighing?"

Cheng Lu looked at Xu Xiuwen and said,

"Sometimes, I really envy Xiao Youran."

There was no need to ask; Xu Xiuwen knew exactly what she envied.

He reached out to hold Cheng Lu again.

"When we get married, we'll be together every day. We'll never have to be apart again."

"Who said I'd definitely marry you?"

"If not me, then who?"

"That depends on how you behave," Cheng Lu said with a teasing smile.

Behind them, the train attendant began urging passengers to board.

Cheng Lu brushed her hair aside and said softly,

"Alright, I need to get on the train now. You should head back."

"Okay. Then I'll go."

Xu Xiuwen released Cheng Lu.

She turned and boarded the train.

Xu Xiuwen slowly walked toward the station exit.

After taking a few steps,

he turned back for one last look.

The train was there.

Cheng Lu didn't return to her seat immediately. Instead, she stood behind the window closest to the train door, looking at Xu Xiuwen through the glass.

Their eyes met.

Cheng Lu gave him a faint smile.

Her smile, usually tinged with a cool demeanor, now appeared incredibly gentle.

Xu Xiuwen waved his hand vigorously to bid her farewell.

Cheng Lu waved back softly in response.

Then, the train began to move.

Xu Xiuwen watched as the train carried her further and further away.

After leaving the train station,

Xu Xiuwen quickly adjusted his mood.

Life is full of partings, after all.

Everyone has to learn to get used to them, no matter how much it hurts.

Besides, a brief separation is just a prelude to a better reunion in the future.

Right now, the most important thing was to focus on resolving the issues at work.

Xu Xiuwen drove back to Jiaotong University.

When he saw Xiao Youran,

she didn't ask if he'd spent the morning with Cheng Lu—because it was all too obvious.

To his surprise, An Shishi came downstairs with Xiao Youran.

Xu Xiuwen, who was planning to take Xiao Youran out for lunch before heading to Feishi in the afternoon,

was slightly taken aback to see An Shishi tagging along.

Truth be told,

Xu Xiuwen had always struggled to decipher the dynamic between An Shishi and Xiao Youran.

Their relationship seemed ambiguous: sometimes close, sometimes distant.

The dormitory itself had a clear divide,

split into two factions separated by the Yangtze River.

Xiao Youran led the "North Faction,"

while Cheng Lu headed the "South Faction."

An Shishi, both in terms of personal connections and geographic alignment,

was undoubtedly a member of the South Faction—

a loyal ally of Cheng Lu.

In other words, she belonged to the opposing camp of Xiao Youran.

Yet, when it came to direct interactions between the two,

rarely did they openly argue.

In fact, when it was just the two of them,

their rapport could be surprisingly good.

Xu Xiuwen admitted he simply couldn't understand the nature of female friendships.

After helping Xiao Youran load her suitcase into the car's trunk,

he drove the two women to a commercial street near Jiaotong University for lunch at a random restaurant.

During lunch,

Xu Xiuwen received a call from Yang Baishan.

On the phone, Yang Baishan asked if Tang Weiwei wasn't traveling with Xu Xiuwen by car.

Xu Xiuwen laughed and brushed off the question.

After lunch,

An Shishi returned to school on her own.

Xu Xiuwen then drove Xiao Youran to his company.

It was Xiao Youran's first time visiting Xu Xiuwen's company,

and everything seemed novel to her—

especially his office.

She glanced around his office and teased with a smile,

"Xiao Xu, your office is so plain."

"Well, of course. The company's just starting out—there's no need for extravagant decor."

"Mm, I believe your company will definitely thrive and grow."

"Haha, thanks for the blessing."

Before long,

"President Xu, the materials are ready," Song Xiaomi reported.

Xu Xiuwen nodded at her in acknowledgment.

Song Xiaomi glanced at Xiao Youran, who was casually seated in Xu Xiuwen's chair, while Xu Xiuwen himself stood nearby.

She couldn't help but shoot another curious look at Xu Xiuwen,

wondering about the current nature of their relationship.

Could it be… President Xu is still two-timing?

....

After leaving the company,

Xu Xiuwen drove Xiao Youran toward Feishi.

Along the way,

Xiao Youran excitedly brought up various topics.

Though it wasn't ideal to be distracted while driving, having someone to chat with made the journey far less tiring.

This reminded Xu Xiuwen of the last time he went on a business trip with Lu Xinyao.

The entire journey, they barely exchanged a few words.

Thinking of Lu Xinyao,

Xu Xiuwen felt a faint heaviness in his heart.

Earlier, when he was at the company,

she still hadn't shown up for work.

Xu Xiuwen decided that once he returned to Jinling,

he'd make time to check on Lu Xinyao.

By a little after 2 p.m.,

they arrived at the Anhui Provincial TV Station building in Feishi.

Xu Xiuwen made a call,

and Meng Dong, his old acquaintance, came down personally to greet him.

Seeing the stunning girl standing next to Xu Xiuwen,

Meng Dong froze for a moment.

The last time, Xu Xiuwen's secretary was already quite beautiful.

Now, not only had he switched to a new one,

but this one was even more breathtaking.

Unable to hold back, Meng Dong asked,

"Brother Xu, who's this?"

Xu Xiuwen chuckled and replied,

"Brother Dong, this is my secretary, Xiao Youran."

Earlier in the car,

Xu Xiuwen had wanted Xiao Youran to wait for him in the car while he went up to sign the contract.

But she had looked at him with such pitiful, pleading eyes that he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

In the end, he reluctantly agreed to let her tag along.

To make it plausible,

he decided she'd pose as his secretary.

So now, when Meng Dong asked,

Xu Xiuwen naturally introduced her as such.

Xiao Youran, quick to react, smiled politely and said,

"Hello, I'm Xu Xiuwen's secretary. Please take care of me."

Meng Dong had already guessed as much.

In his mind, though, he thought Xu Xiuwen was quite the player—

every secretary of his was this stunning,

and they seemed to change every few days.

He couldn't help but remark,

"Brother Xu, you really know how to enjoy life. Makes the rest of us jealous."

Xu Xiuwen could only give a bitter smile.

He knew Meng Dong had misunderstood,

but there wasn't much he could say to clarify, so he just let it slide.

"Let's head up," Meng Dong said as he turned to lead the way.

Xiao Youran leaned closer to Xu Xiuwen and whispered,

"Xiao Xu, I did a good job, didn't I? He didn't figure out I'm not your secretary."

Xu Xiuwen smiled helplessly.

He thought to himself:

Meng Dong might not have realized you're not my secretary,

but he now thinks I'm the kind of unscrupulous boss who takes advantage of his secretaries.

From another perspective,

Xiao Youran was indeed very innocent—

her mind was free of impure thoughts.

Girls like her were easily deceived by men.

Thankfully, she had him to protect her.

Inside the TV station building,

Xu Xiuwen headed to the conference room.

After lengthy discussions,

the two parties finally finalized the contract.

The outcome was that

Anhui Provincial TV would purchase the drama at 400,000 yuan per episode,

and they promised to air it during the summer primetime slot.

The contract also included a new clause—

they would have the right of first refusal for secondary broadcast rights.

However, whether they would buy those rights depended on the ratings of the first broadcast.

With the contract settled,

Xu Xiuwen was finally at ease.

The cost of the second drama was around 2 million yuan.

It sold for 14.4 million.

Roughly calculated, that's a profit of over 10 million.

The return on investment is astonishing.

However, not every drama in this industry can sell for such a high price.

The main reason lies in the consistently high quality of dramas produced by Xu Xiuwen's company.

If a company invests heavily in producing a drama, but the quality doesn't meet expectations, naturally, it won't fetch a good price.

If it doesn't sell well, forget about making a profit—there's even a chance of losing money.

That's why every company in the industry carefully selects scripts.

Xu Xiuwen, however, has a unique edge—he's a reborn individual.

It's like having divine foresight.

He knows which dramas will become hits in the future, so he focuses solely on adapting those successful ones.

This significantly reduces his risk.

This is his advantage, one that no other company in the industry can replicate.

---

Everything wrapped up right at 5 p.m.

Xu Xiuwen originally planned to leave immediately, but Meng Dong insisted on inviting him to dinner.

Xu Xiuwen couldn't refuse, nor did he want to, so he agreed.

Last time, Xu Xiuwen had paid for the meal.

This time, Meng Dong was determined to play host.

Xu Xiuwen didn't argue with him over it.

Meng Dong chose the restaurant and also paid for the meal.

During dinner, Meng Dong casually suggested heading to a bar afterward.

Xu Xiuwen thought of Liu Xinran and teased him with a smile, "Brother Dong, your intentions don't seem to be about the bar itself."

Meng Dong immediately understood the underlying meaning of his words.

What surprised Xu Xiuwen was that Meng Dong shook his head and said, "Sigh, Brother Xu, you don't know—Liu Xinran hasn't been to that bar for a long time. I've gone there a few times, but I haven't seen her."

"Oh, is that so?" Xu Xiuwen replied with a faint smile, not giving it much thought.

At this moment, Meng Dong suddenly leaned in closer and whispered, "Brother Xu, do you still remember that Long guy from the other day?"

"Of course I remember."

Xu Xiuwen could hardly forget that Brother Long.

It was after drinking his wine that Xu Xiuwen ended up getting intimate with his secretary, Lu Xinyao, that night.

Meng Dong, with a mysterious air, said, "I heard that Brother Long got both his legs broken and was sent to the hospital. What's more, I heard his tongue was cut out too."

Xu Xiuwen was startled.

"That brutal? Who did it?"

Meng Dong shook his head. "No idea. Maybe one of his enemies."

But Xu Xiuwen felt otherwise.

His first thought was of the bar's owner, Li Xiangjun.

Could it have been him who orchestrated that guy Long's downfall?

Xu Xiuwen had no evidence to connect Wang Erlong's incident to Li Xiangjun.

But if it really was Li Xiangjun, then the man was truly ruthless.

For him to dare to pull something like that, his background must be far from ordinary.

Thinking about how Liu Xinran was Li Xiangjun's woman, Xu Xiuwen felt it was actually a good thing that Liu Xinran hadn't been going to the bar.

As for his friend Meng Dong, though he had a tendency to be a bit lustful, lust is, after all, a natural trait of men.

Aside from that, Meng Dong was a decent person.

But his obsession with Liu Xinran worried Xu Xiuwen.

If Meng Dong ever crossed a line one day, he might find himself in trouble with Li Xiangjun.

That would be a disaster he'd regret forever.

After dinner, Meng Dong still wanted to drag Xu Xiuwen to a bar for some fun.

Xu Xiuwen politely declined again, saying that when they visit Jinling next time, he'd host them.

With that, the group dispersed into the evening breeze.

Xu Xiuwen prepared to drive Xiao Youran home.

The car was parked in a roadside parking spot, and the two of them walked toward it side by side.

Suddenly, Xiao Youran made a surprised sound.

"What is it?" Xu Xiuwen turned to look at her, asking.

Xiao Youran pointed to a hotel not far on the right and said, "Xiao Xu, look, isn't that Uncle Jiang?"

Uncle Jiang?

Wasn't Uncle Jiang in Jinling for a business trip and training?

Xu Xiuwen's first thought was that Xiao Youran had mistaken someone else for him.

But he still followed her gaze.

In his line of sight appeared a man and a woman.

The man was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, while the woman was dressed in a sexy short skirt.

The man had his arm around the woman's waist, and the woman leaned into him, laughing and chatting flirtatiously.

The two, intimately wrapped around each other, were heading toward the hotel entrance.

Xu Xiuwen only needed one glance to recognize that the man was indeed Uncle Jiang—

Jiang Ruoyu's father and Aunt Gu's husband.

Xu Xiuwen froze.

How could Uncle Jiang possibly be in Fei City?

And even more, why was he heading to a hotel with a sexy woman?

Xu Xiuwen didn't dare think further.

He maintained a calm tone and said, "That's not Uncle Jiang. You must have mistaken him for someone else. Let's hurry up and get in the car."

He then pulled Xiao Youran toward the passenger side of the car.

When they reached the car, he opened the door and nudged her into the seat.

Anxiously, Xiao Youran said, "Xiao Xu, take another look. It's really Uncle Jiang. I'm not mistaken!"

"Even if it is, it's none of your business. Don't meddle in things that don't concern you."

Xu Xiuwen closed the car door, walked around the car, and got into the driver's seat.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen sat down, Xiao Youran blurted out, "Xiao Xu, who do you think that woman was? Why would Uncle Jiang go to a hotel with another woman?"

Xu Xiuwen replied, "Stop talking nonsense. That wasn't Uncle Jiang."

Xiao Youran huffed, "I'm not stupid. I can tell whether it was Uncle Jiang or not."

Starting the car, Xu Xiuwen glanced at her and said with a smirk, "Heh, who said you're not stupid? If you're not stupid, who is?"

Xiao Youran's attention instantly shifted from Uncle Jiang and the sexy woman to Xu Xiuwen calling her stupid.

Pouting, she retorted, "I'm not stupid. You're the one who's stupid."

Playing along, Xu Xiuwen chuckled and said, "You're absolutely right. I must be stupid—otherwise, how else would I have been tricked into being with you?"