Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1664 - 906: Words Become Law (Part 2)

‘Incredible,’ Jiang Ning mused to himself.

Yet, regardless of how flawless the disguise might be, it was destined to unravel beneath his mana.

He paused briefly before typing: “Do you have a hen? I need a hen.”

Shen Qing’e: “What weight do you want?”

Jiang Ning: “My girlfriend is in postpartum confinement, what weight hen do you think is best for making soup?”

Reading those words in the chat, Shen Qing’e abruptly noticed the ceiling light bulb glaring intensely, as dizziness overwhelmed her and the room seemed to whirl.

After calming her mind for some moments, Shen Qing’e quickly messaged back: “Your girlfriend in postpartum confinement? How old is your girlfriend? Is she a student?”

“When is the baby born?”

“Speak up! Don’t lie to me!”

The sheer desperation in her messages was palpable to Jiang Ning. He typed back unhurriedly: “Boss, you’re crossing the line.”

With the reply sent, Jiang Ning simply dimmed the screen and settled in to savor Chuchu’s devoted attentions.

…

While Jiang Ning remained utterly composed, Shen Qing’e descended into full-blown turmoil.

‘Is this for real? If so, who’s the one in confinement?’

‘Postpartum confinement…’ Shen Qing’e fidgeted restlessly, her fingers absently prodding the screen until she opened the Tieba app.

The Yu Zhou Fourth Middle School Tieba was managed superbly—even during New Year’s, they ran a fireworks photo contest backed by Qi Tianheng’s donation. Shen Qing’e had a friend snap her hoisting a Kongming Lantern solo and snagged a 50-yuan prize.

She unintentionally landed on the Tieba front page, where a sizzling hot post caught her eye: ‘Fourth Middle School’s Barbecue Princess actually…’.

Shen Qing’e was well aware of the Barbecue Princess—it was Pei Yujing from grade 2 class 3, who’d once delivered a drink to Jiang Ning in class 8.

Clicking in, the thread claimed the Fourth Middle School Barbecue Princess was expecting, admitting it publicly before witnesses, with the OP swearing it was true.

A chill gripped Shen Qing’e’s heart as ominous suspicions swelled.

Replies flooded in questioning the father, but the poster dodged, directing everyone to the 188th floor for the reveal.

Shen Qing’e scrolled straight to the 188th floor—it was locked—and the 199th had the poster stating: “Sister Ma grilled the Barbecue Princess on the baby’s dad right there; she didn’t name him, just dropped four words: ‘New Year’s Day Fire God’—those in the know get it.”

Shen Qing’e immediately remembered the New Year’s Day gala performer: Jiang Ning from grade 2 class 8!

Thunderstruck, Shen Qing’e froze in shock, murmuring: “Postpartum confinement, postpartum confinement…”

So that’s why he ordered a hen from me—for her postpartum soup…

A heavy boulder seemed to crush Shen Qing’e’s chest, stifling her breath; she sat rigid, thoughts blank.

It felt just like that childhood doll she’d eyed longingly in the shop window daily, only for someone else to claim it one day, forever out of reach…

Flashes of memories surged: at the recent town meetup, Ji Yan, Wang Xue, and Li Jing gushed about Jiang Ning with sparkling eyes, the vibe electric.

Shen Qing’e had watched their longing, inwardly smug since she saw Jiang Ning daily in her own class.

But now, he slipped from her grasp entirely.

Physical nausea hit Shen Qing’e; venomous resentment toward the Barbecue Princess boiled up—she yearned to face her down and demand why she lured Jiang Ning away.

“Postpartum confinement?” Shen Qing’e scoffed repeatedly.

Hearing this, Shen Mu frowned in confusion: “Qing’e, you even know about postpartum confinement?”

Shen Qing’e jolted— she’d voiced it aloud without realizing!

Her quick wits kicked in; she tamped down the churning emotions, plastered on a grin, and deflected: “I heard folks mention hen soup’s vital for postpartum recovery—super nourishing. Thought I’d get one for my sister someday.”

Shen Mu dropped her suspicions: “Right, when your sister’s expecting, grab her a couple hens to build her strength.”

Mind whirling, Shen Qing’e probed: “Saw some childless villagers buying hens for soup too.”

“Oh, like Xiao Tang’s family? They’re doing a little confinement.” Shen Mu noted.

Perplexed, Shen Qing’e asked: “What’s little confinement?”

Shen Mu: “Little confinement follows a miscarriage.”

Light dawned; Shen Qing’e’s pulse spiked tensely.

If Pei Yujing’s in little confinement, maybe there’s still hope to salvage this?

‘Yeah, she’s just a student—it has to be little confinement…’ Shen Qing’e clung to the wish.

…

Nightfall.

Wealth Roast Meat Restaurant.

Gazing outside, Jiang Ning noted the sun’s daytime blaze yielding to evening’s deepening gloom and sharper cold.

Sensing the hush before the storm, he remarked: “Snow’s coming.”

Xue Yuantong munched roast meat and slurped cola, unfazed: “You drive like a pro—I’m totally relaxed.”

Mid-bite, her phone buzzed—her mom.

Xue Yuantong cleaned her hands and picked up: “Mom, hehe, chowing down on roast meat—you jealous?”

Aunt Gu responded evenly: “You’d be shocked at all the tasty stuff your mom sneaks without you knowing.”

Xue Yuantong sulked: “Tch.”

Aunt Gu: “Business time: Remember your cousin I brought up? She wants a family dinner. Chatted with her boy—your cousin—he’s at uni in Jiang City, asked about you, winter break plans. Told him you’re glued to games, League of Legends all day. He plays too, so I shared your contact—play nice.”

Xue Yuantong bantered a bit more, ended the call, then checked WeChat. Sure enough, a friend request from the distant kin—she approved it.

At that moment, in a city townhouse with hall floor heating humming, a pajama-clad college kid yelled: “Mom, little cousin added me!”