Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1648 - 899: Real-Life Make-Believe

January 9th, 8:30 AM, winter sunlight warmed the river dam.

Zhang Ruyun wiped down his motorcycle by the entrance once more, cloth dipped in warm water, scrubbing it inch by inch with great care. Yet, thoughts of his girlfriend drifting further away filled his face with unmistakable sorrow.

Tongtong, the little padded jacket, whispered quietly to Jiang Ning, "He looks like he’s about to cry."

Jiang Ning cradled a porcelain bowl filled with honey date rice porridge, took a gentle sip, and remarked, "Men don’t shed tears, merely because they haven’t reached the point of heartbreak."

Zhang Ruyun’s mouth twitched as he shot Jiang Ning a glance before looking away.

Deep down, he grumbled: ’I’ve got a girlfriend to hold hands with every day, what about you, Jiang Ning? You’re always messing around with Xue Yuantong, that little girl—what good is that?’

Indeed, Zhang Ruyun had a girlfriend.

Chuchu emerged from the house in a plain down jacket, carrying two big homemade steamed buns that gleamed white, though they seemed dull next to Xue Chuchu’s fair, pink-tinged slender fingers.

"Eat some buns, don’t just drink porridge," Xue Chuchu said.

Jiang Ning responded, "Your porridge is really tasty, lots of rice soup, very thirst-quenching."

Xue Chuchu smiled faintly upon hearing this. Jiang Ning always complimented her this way, even if he seldom helped out; she saw right through it, yet each time a spark of inner joy lit up.

Perhaps from her upbringing, she craved that sense of approval.

Jiang Ning bit into the bun and cast a sidelong glance at Zhang Ruyun.

Xue Yuantong mused inwardly, ’Hmph, silly Jiang Ning acts so childish.’

Zhang Ruyun felt a chill run through him.

"Eh, at noon today, I’ll meet up with my girlfriend for a meal—let her treat!" Zhang Ruyun declared suddenly.

A surge of rivalry drove him to pull out his phone and start a WeChat call to his girlfriend.

The call connected swiftly.

Zhang Ruyun’s tone softened instantly, full of concern: "Ah Yue, are you up yet?"

A girl’s voice replied from the phone, "Brother Yun, I’m up, what about you?"

Zhang Ruyun switched to speakerphone right away, proudly letting Jiang Ning and the others listen in.

But during their talk, Ah Yue brought up the gold bracelet her dating partner had given her.

Zhang Ruyun’s face darkened in an instant.

Youthful love burned pure yet fiercely possessive, quick to flare up—Zhang Ruyun’s voice sharpened: "Ah Yue, I really don’t get it, why accept a gift from him?"

Ah Yue: "I didn’t know; it came in a handbag, and only after opening it did I see it was a Zhou Dafu bracelet."

Zhang Ruyun: "It’s not about the bag—if you don’t want it, why take someone else’s gift?"

"How can you act like this?"

"If it were me, I’d reject any gift outright."

Overwhelmed by agitation, he bombarded her with harsh words about her error.

Ah Yue, pushed to her limit, fired back instinctively: "Just because you won’t accept doesn’t mean I can’t! Why should I act like you or think from your perspective? I see it as fine, just an exchange between friends—nothing wrong!"

Zhang Ruyun’s phone shook in his grip like it was ill: "Do you even know what accepting a gift means? What it implies?"

Watching the spectacle, Xue Yuantong murmured to Jiang Ning, "Don’t accept gifts lightly—even corrupt officials hesitate to take without giving back."

Jiang Ning flashed her a thumbs up.

Xue Yuantong crossed her arms, thinking smugly that she’d grasped this long ago; back when Jiang Ning first arrived and offered to bike her to school, she’d refused to owe him a favor.

She stayed aloof, never burdening others.

But lately...

The young pair’s argument escalated wildly; Ah Yue poured oil on the flames: "My mom wants me to grab a meal with him today too."

Zhang Ruyun almost lost it: "A guy and a girl eating out alone—you think that’s proper?"

Ah Yue: "I’m not like you; I won’t cross lines. Go on, he’s just a friend."

With that, Ah Yue ended the WeChat call.

Zhang Ruyun’s attempt to redial failed to connect.

He stared at his phone, muttering, "Why? Why does someone change so fast?"

He recalled their school days—meeting, bonding—back then Ah Yue was innocent; despite simple lives, they pushed forward together. As a respected student council member, Zhang Ruyun often took her for part-time gigs, sharing dreams of a bright future.

But now, why had a mere family-introduced dating partner flipped everything, altering her very essence?

His strict principles meant nothing to Ah Yue anymore.

True love shifts in a heartbeat.

Zhang Ruyun gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh: "A couple ranks below friends, haha—what can I do?"

Jiang Ning munched the bun, sipped porridge, and commented, "If you act like you don’t know, all three can coexist peacefully."

Zhang Ruyun, heart aching and mind in turmoil, asked desperately, "But how do I pretend not to know?"

Xue Yuantong chimed in, "Then become friends with her too—ask if you can join the meal."

Zhang Ruyun fell utterly silent.

Xue Chuchu thought to herself scornfully, ’Smart move: cut losses and crash the party.’

…

AM.

Jiang Ning lingered by the door, perched on a small stool, locked in a chess match with Xue Yuantong.

Beside the board, Dongdong sported grown-up clothes like a little adult, planted firmly on the ground, eyes fixed westward, safeguarding their tranquility.

Jiang Ning declared, "Dongdong, with your promotion and raise, you’re now deputy director of the strawberry greenhouse—do great things ahead!"

Xue Yuantong added brightly, "The future looks boundless."

Dongdong beamed, revealing a warm smile.

Dongdong’s rise had solid grounds; one trigger was Xue Yuantong’s group brag the night before, relayed by Tang Jing to Huang Yuzhu.