Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1601 - 875: Reinforcements_2

Jiang Ning found himself truly puzzled by all this. Teacher Guo Ran had called him to her city for some fun times.

Chen Siyu wanted him to hop on an electric scooter and head to her place.

Tang Fu suggested Jiang Ning join her outside, keeping the purpose a secretive mystery...

Yao Yiyao subtly suggested she was gearing up to head to the river dam as a thank-you for pulling her from danger...

Moreover, Ma Shicheng, Lin Zida, and several others extended invitations his way too.

Jiang Ning had his own plans to cycle through the streets, clash with a handful of those Ghost Fire yellow-haired punks—yeah, he was swamped.

Noticing Jiang Ning's silence, Xue Yuantong blinked her eyes: "Would you come play badminton with me? We'll hit the court morning, noon, and night."

Jiang Ning: "Are you trying to wear me out completely?"

Xue Yuantong: "Well, whenever you head out for fun, could you bring me along? You always stir up chaos anyway, heh, someone has to keep an eye on you."

Jiang Ning rolled his eyes in clear contempt.

Annoyed by his attitude, Xue Yuantong snatched up every dish from the table, leaving Jiang Ning staring at an empty spread.

With her acting so ruthless, Jiang Ning countered with a proposal: "Fine, badminton with you today, shopping spree tomorrow, then street-side pot chicken the next day, and hot pot after that..."

Xue Yuantong beamed with delight as she listened, then pressed eagerly: "What about the day after that one?"

Jiang Ning: "You're still prying into the day after next—how can you plan that far?"

Chuchu pressed her lips together, barely holding back her giggles.

Xue Yuantong boiled with rage, fooled by Jiang Ning and mocked by Chuchu.

She burst out, launching into a heated quarrel with Jiang Ning that dragged on endlessly.

Their bickering stretched on for a good long time.

Observing the scene, Jiang Ning prompted: "Chuchu, grab Tongtong a cup of soy milk—bet her throat's parched from all that yapping."

Xue Chuchu's grin suddenly stiffened: "Eh?"

Xue Yuantong, still steaming mad on the outside, felt a warm glow inside from Jiang Ning's remark. She even teased: "Chuchu, what's with the sudden quiet—no more chuckles?"

...

Nightfall at 8 o'clock.

Dan Kaiquan and Guo Kunnan lingered in the city center, where the group discovered a spacious bathhouse. Post-soak, they lounged in the locker room, diving into a round of Dou Dizhu cards.

For broke teens in high school, a winter bathhouse ranked as prime hangout. A simple soak ran just seven yuan per ticket, and afterward, crashing in the lounge area could last half the day.

While the outdoors bit with icy chill, the bathhouse's relaxation zone wrapped around like a toasty hug. Munching crunchy green radishes and battling cards alongside buddies—that was peak bliss.

Zhang Chi skipped the card action; instead, he drifted to a quiet spot with a slot machine. Yuzhou's bathhouses stocked munchies but also tossed in basic games, and the temptation scratched his itch to play.

Unlike the bet-hungry Zhang Chi, Cui Yu stuck to the cards: "Pair of twos."

"Nobody claiming it? Alright, I'm out." Cui Yu grinned.

"Mix 'em up, shuffle away!"

As cards flew during the reshuffle, Cui Yu tossed out: "Oh yeah, Brother Quan, couple days back I roamed Wanda and spotted first-year Lan Zichen with some dude."

Dan Kaiquan's gaze flickered sharply, though he kept quiet.

Guo Kunnan, sitting close, probed carefully: "Wu Yunzhi?"

Cui Yu denied with a shake: "Nah, no clue who he was. Round face, kinda like Longlong's build. Doubt he's her boyfriend."

Wang Longlong, deep in the card play nearby: "???"

’I'm only spectating the game, and bam—you stab at my ego?’

Guo Kunnan: "Phew, that's a relief, or Brother Quan'd be crushed."

Dan Kaiquan eased inwardly but played it cool: "That's ancient history now."

Catching his pal acting so composed left Guo Kunnan off-balance. Folks crave like-minded company. We used to ditch lessons for gaming sessions, but now you're grinding studies—how's a guy supposed to unwind?

Back when we chased skirts side by side, splashing cash and sweat, but these days I'm flying solo. This imbalance hits hard!

Guo Kunnan: "Come on, Brother Quan—ain't a girlfriend the best? Sharing meals, cramming books, casual talks, midnight walks on the playground under stars, fingers intertwined."

Just picturing it painted Guo Kunnan's Dao Heart rosy, shifting straight to lovestruck vibes.

Dan Kaiquan heard him out, offered a faint smile, then laid it out firmly: "One, I know my looks are nothing special. Two, my wallet's tight just for me. Three, studies and workouts demand my time—no slack. Four, games are my jam."

Guo Kunnan gaped: "Brother Quan, you've pierced right through the veil?"

Dan Kaiquan, basking in the nod, declared gravely: "Indeed, enlightenment has dawned."

The chat veered toward heavier waters, kicking off a profound exchange—as Guo Kunnan pressed: "Brother Quan, what trials forged this wisdom in you?"

Dan Kaiquan sensed Brother Nan's genuine vibe, a wave of sorrow swelling as he yearned to spill his grim backstory.

Then Wang Longlong piped up: "Anan, it'll click for you at Brother Quan's stage."

...

A clinic roughly two kilometers from the grand bathhouse.

Yu Wen perched on a stool, one cheek puffed up hugely, painting a woeful picture.

The white-coated doc shot a few looks her way, tapped at the computer, and while eyeing the display, muttered: "Face care—where's that option?"

Yu Wen's shaky voice trembled in fear: "Doc, did my face get smacked clean off?"

Doctor: "Nah, I'm griping about the pharmacy's nerve."

Yu Wen jolted but kept her sour expression.

Lu Qiqi at her side offered apologies: "Sorry, Wenwen, never saw that coming..."

Lu Qiqi's winter break adventures had turned downright odd.

After Qi Tianheng dumped her, Lu Qiqi landed in a tricky spot. He'd showered her with gifts—LV purses, premium iPhone 6PLUS, steady cash transfers—piling up to tens of thousands, skyrocketing her standards and making locals seem beneath her.

Lu Qiqi figured: ’Any future guy better match Qi Tianheng's level, or it'd feel like settling for scraps.’

Clinging to that mindset, she hunted for prospects, and persistence paid off—she snagged an 18-year-old whose folks ran a business. Barely a week of texts in, he wired her three grand.

All at once, noise erupted outside the clinic; a towering, pale girl with narrow eyes strode inside.

Jiang Yanan, stepping through the door, locked eyes on Yu Wen and gasped in surprise: "Wenwen, you look thrashed! Who's the culprit?"

Lu Qiqi jumped back into her tale: "He was super open with cash, but oddly, he ghosted often, and the wires dried up. I got Ma Shicheng to dig, uncovered his QQ."

"Added him via a burner account, and boom—couple's page up for hundreds of days. I got played!"

She'd prided herself on toying with guys, yet here she was duped—first urge was to flip the script on destiny.

"Yanan, get this—I got cheated on!" Lu Qiqi vented, her feelings still raw and turbulent.

Jiang Yanan creased her brow: "Hold up, how long were you two connected?"

Lu Qiqi: "Under two weeks."

Jiang Yanan: "Qiqi, ease up—hear me out, their space logs hundreds of days, so who's scamming who ain't set in stone!"

Lu Qiqi blinked in shock.

Yu Wen, face fallen: "Yanan, that chick was fierce—when I backed Qiqi, she whacked me spinning."

Jiang Yanan pictured the chaos, and oddly, it struck her as comical.

Fiery Yu Wen, swallowing such a hit, fumed: "Gotta settle the score!"

Lu Qiqi sparked: "Call the class monitor!"

Yu Wen shot it down fast: "Absolutely not, too embarrassing."

Lu Qiqi sighed, forced to brainstorm fixes; she pulled her phone, flicked through numbers, then recalled a stocky guy built like a grizzly.

She aimed to ping Yan Tianpeng on WeChat but realized she'd axed him, yet memorized his digits.

Lu Qiqi rang up; the line picked quick.

Lu Qiqi cut to chase: "Yan Tianpeng, I'm in a bind—will you lend a hand?

Yan Tianpeng boomed back with zeal: "Haha, count on it—I'll back you no questions asked!"

Lu Qiqi probed: "So, spot me 500 yuan?"

Yan Tianpeng laughed: "I meant no cash strings, Qiqi!"