Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1598 - 874: Dying for a Taste

At Sister Ma’s Barbecue Restaurant, a wave of blackness suddenly clouded Sister Ma's vision.

Overwhelming panic, sheer shock, and utter disbelief swirled around her from every side, nearly choking her with their intensity.

'Back then, whenever I urged Jingjing to head home sooner, she always pushed back, yet today she finally said yes, and I was thrilled that she was paying attention... What a fool I've been!'

'It's got nothing to do with obeying me; obviously, it's all for protecting the child she's carrying, rushing back to take better care of the pregnancy!'

The thought of the baby twisted her heart in pain once more; Jingjing was merely sixteen or seventeen years old this year, barely more than a kid herself!

From deep in her throat, she forced out a few words, roaring like a fierce lioness: "Who did this, who was it!"

Running the barbecue spot all by herself, Sister Ma also handled the grilling duties personally; when fury overtook her, flames seemed to shoot from her eyes, making her truly fearsome.

Grabbing the knife nearby used for slicing lamb, she clutched it tightly, burning with the desire to plunge it into the culprit right then and there!

Inside the room, a laid-back young fellow with yellow hair, caught in Sister Ma's piercing glare, trembled violently as his legs went weak right away.

Though Sister Ma was female, armed with a deadly blade and a murderous expression that screamed violence, she was utterly terrifying.

The yellow-haired youth freaked out immediately; crap, why's she glaring at me like that—I haven't done a thing!

Earlier, he'd attempted to chat up the attractive waitress, only for Sister Ma to shoo him away bluntly; the little yellow hair had held onto that resentment, but he'd never risk breaking the law over it!

Stuttering in fear, the yellow-haired guy blurted: "Big sis, no, wait—I just had a hospital exam yesterday, and I'm sterile!"

At that declaration, Ma Shicheng and the rest turned their heads; heavens, right in front of everyone, what guy would confess to that out loud?

The little yellow hair had just dodged a bullet.

Sister Ma's menacing stare roamed across everyone in the room.

Pei Yujing then caught on that she'd said the wrong thing and quickly clarified: "Mom, it was Jiang Ning—he's the one who told me to say that."

Those words hit like a storm, turning the sorrow and rage on Sister Ma's face into something almost solid.

Guo Kunnan, who had been ready to pay up, caught the name and felt his Dao Heart lock up tight, a sharp hum echoing inside; 'Impossible... Jiang Ning?'

His mouth hung open in shock.

Dan Kaiquan, Cui Yu, and Wang Longlong were totally stunned too, blurting out, "Damn it!"

Zhang Chi, as though he'd uncovered some massive bombshell, thought to himself, 'Hahaha, Jiang Ning, that guy from class eight—you're done for now!'

Right away, a surge of bitter envy gripped Zhang Chi; Pei Yujing was Sister Ma's girl, and Sister Ma’s Barbecue pulled in great money with its delicious grub—what the hell, why does everything awesome land in Jiang Ning's lap!

That envy warped his face into a sneer.

Once the initial surprise faded, Guo Kunnan couldn't hide his thrill; with Jiang Ning tied up with Pei Yujing, didn't that leave him with fewer rivals in class 8?

A world of freedom for soaring birds, endless depths for swimming fish! Guo Kunnan was over the moon!

Sister Ma sighed deeply: "Jingjing, you're too naive—how could you pull something like that? You're so young! I despise myself for not guiding you right!"

Sure, that Jiang Ning might be tall and good-looking, but pulling off something so reckless at his age marked him as bad news; what kind of future awaited her Jingjing now!

Pei Yujing stayed composed in her response: "Mom, I only claimed I was pregnant, but actually, I'm not."

"You're not... wait, you're really not pregnant?" Sister Ma froze in place.

Pei Yujing clarified: "That's right; earlier, when I turned guys down, I'd mention the one hundred thousand dowry demand, but Jiang Ning said that wasn't ideal—he recommended pretending I was pregnant instead, as it'd work even better to push them away."

Sister Ma felt a mix of relief and joy: "So you're telling me you're truly not with child?"

Pei Yujing: "Exactly."

...

Meanwhile, the real troublemaker, Jiang Ning, found himself at Hu Qi Mountain.

As night descended, the forest came alive under a starry sky, with moonlight spilling like liquid silver.

Far off, the city's glowing lights pulsed, separating it from this wild realm like night and day.

Gentle chirps from bugs and the murmur of streams filled the air, while owls glided overhead; below, in the woods, a leopard's eyes gleamed faintly, its form darting nimbly through the trees.

Jiang Ning positioned himself on the earth, eyeing the fruit trees ahead; bathed in moonlight, the cherry blossoms shimmered with a soft pink glow, and bunches of ripe red cherries shone vibrantly, seemingly drinking in the lunar light.

With a light flick of his hand, Jiang Ning caused the cherries to drop one after another, drifting smoothly into a hovering fruit basket.

Having barbecue by himself felt too heavy without something fresh; adding fruit would balance it out nicely.

Once the cherries were gathered, Jiang Ning extended a finger, and the pair of baskets shifted as though nudged by a breeze, tracing a graceful curve through the sky before gliding toward the Tiger Nest Mountain Villa District.

Up on the second story of one villa, the window stood ajar, letting in a chilly gust; Ding Shuyan had slipped on a light jacket over her top, since her home featured underfloor heating throughout.

All at once, a bamboo basket of fruit sailed in via the window, settling softly onto the table like some movie magic trick.

Ding Shuyan held back her wonder and grabbed her phone; sure enough, a text from Jiang Ning popped up: "See that?"

Earlier today, after Jiang Ning stepped off the high-speed rail, Ding Shuyan had driven over as always to fetch him, letting him out close to Sister Ma’s Barbecue.

Her eyes scanned the basket, packed with plump, rosy cherries that were huge and enticing, their skins so sheer the juicy insides sparkled through.

Dubbed the fruit royalty, Ding Shuyan caught their superior scent with just a whiff, recognizing them as rarer than the finest varieties.

Staring at them, a slight craving stirred within her.

Yet Ding Shuyan excelled at restraint, texting back to Jiang Ning: "Received it—now I get why I felt off-kilter today; guess happiness hit me that hard (heart)"

Jiang Ning grinned at his reply: "Please, spare me the drama."

Ding Shuyan didn't mind, her deep eyes sparkling with a playful light.

Lifting the basket, she swung open her room door, rinsed the big cherries first, set aside half, then hit the elevator call, riding up to the villa's fourth level.