Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1668 - 908: Princess, Your…

The barbecue dinner finally wrapped up.

Dong Qingfeng covered the tab. With eight people, the total hit 500 yuan, around 60 yuan each—not overly pricey, yet far from cheap.

The owner tossed in a free can of Red Bull. Dong Qingfeng passed it off to Cui Yu without a second thought.

Cui Yu lit up with joy. The five yuan tip hadn't meant much, but snagging that Red Bull felt like a big deal, bumping up his liking for Dong Qingfeng a notch.

Dong Qingfeng lingered at the entrance. The savory barbecue scents and lively chatter of diners trailed behind him. Out front, snow swirled endlessly, blanketing the street in white, all muddled by foot traffic. Cold didn't touch him; warmth filled him instead.

Dong Qingfeng had turned into a true Yuzhou local by now. In the last year, Yuzhou City had boomed with prosperity—pretty wonderful.

He eyed a couple of guy classmates and queried, "You heading to Meng Gui’s place later?"

Guo Kunnan replied, "Nah, we’re hitting the net cafe for games, pulling an all-nighter, then crashing at the big bathhouse till dawn."

"Nice plan, total free spirits." Dong Qingfeng commended, though he preferred solo trips and fancy hotels over roughing it.

Guo Kunnan ditched Brother Ma’s recent wisdom upon hearing that. He figured this lifestyle rocked: gaming with buddies online, chowing down on feasts, steaming in the bathhouse—never a dull moment.

One by one, the crew exited the Korean barbecue joint. Icy winds slapped their faces, delivering a sharp chill that highlighted winter’s bite.

Dong Qingfeng nearly complained about the freeze when his eyes locked in place. Through the snow veil, a streetlamp glowed with a fuzzy, gentle light. A girl in a pale blue puffer jacket stood amid the flakes, seeming to catch the glow around her.

"Xue Chuchu!" Dong Qingfeng blurted out involuntarily.

Right then, Jiang Ning appeared buying from the vendor.

Jiang Ning clutched a skewer of strawberry tanghulu, fresh berries coated in syrup to tame their tartness. It tasted delicious.

Tongtong munched on her strawberry tanghulu and spotted Dong Qingfeng’s crew.

So she elbowed Jiang Ning.

Calmly, Jiang Ning told the vendor, "Pack me thirty yuan of tanghulu."

Xue Yuantong, thrilled, teased, "Jiang Ning, grabbing all that tanghulu will wreck your teeth!"

Jiang Ning shot back, "No problem, get them."

Xue Yuantong beamed happily.

The vendor quickly bagged the strawberry tanghulu—four small skewers for ten yuan, making twelve in total.

Once the tanghulu was bought, Jiang Ning quickened his steps toward the group.

Guo Kunnan called out right away, "Hey, what luck running into you, Brother Ning!"

He added with regret, "We just scarfed barbecue. If we’d spotted you sooner, we’d have dragged you along."

Jiang Ning responded, "Yeah, we ate already too."

Xue Yuantong cozied up to Jiang Ning with Chuchu in tow.

Meng Zi Yun stole glances at Xue Chuchu, quelling the flutter in her chest. She normally brimmed with confidence in her appearance, but right now, she kept her voice low.

That notion sparked her to sneak a side-eye at the elegant, classic Zhou Jinglan.

Zhou Jinglan blanked out briefly, then snapped to and stared straight at Jiang Ning. "Hi there."

Xue Yuantong sized up Jiang Ning. Since when did he pal around with other girls on the sly?

Jiang Ning passed around the strawberry tanghulu. "Share with whoever’s here."

Meng Zi Yun blinked in surprise and chimed, "Thanks!"

Back in class, she saw Jiang Ning as somewhat aloof—not quite arrogant, more uniquely detached. Never dreamed she’d munch tanghulu from his hand today.

If not for the crowd, she’d snap a pic for Moments to flex a bit!

Strawberry tanghulu hooked even tough guys. Dong Qingfeng’s bunch each grabbed a skewer, nibbling while yakking—a fresh thrill.

Just Tongtong sulked a tad, figuring Jiang Ning got them all for her!

Handed out to eight folks, only four skewers remained.

'Thirty yuan—that’s ages of grind for Dongdong...'

Adding the earlier 150 yuan barbecue and prior 10 yuan tanghulu, Dongdong’s daily pay fell short.

Since Yuantong began making her own cash, every spend triggered thoughts of how long Dongdong toiled for it.

Still, her heart ached, yet she never skimped.

Zhou Jinglan nibbled a strawberry. Super sweet, though her spirits stayed sour.

A bunch of youths wandered the snowy street, flakes dancing overhead.

Dong Qingfeng had sprung for the meal before, now Jiang Ning shelled out, leaving Guo Kunnan sheepish at freeloading.

Guo Kunnan wasn’t cheap. Spotting a college girl’s stall, he went big: ten bowls of coconut milk lotus seed hot soup.

"Brother Jun, none for you?" As he offered to Hu Jun, Guo Kunnan noticed him on his phone.

Hu Jun answered, "Brother Nan, hang onto it—Mom’s ringing."

Hu Jun sported a sleek black puffer, radiating mature vibes.

Guo Kunnan mused that with Hu Jun’s old-school style, he’d never pick it; girlfriend’s doing, for sure.

Guo Kunnan envied quietly.

"Mom, yeah, you after me? Out playing in town!"

"What? Head home? Nope!"

"What? Chat with her? Cool, sending her WeChat now." Hu Jun ended the call quick.

Guo Kunnan puzzled, "Brother Jun, you actually tell your mom about the girlfriend?"

For teens like them, that was bold—scary and awkward.

Hu Jun shrugged his jacket coolly. "No biggie. Parents don’t push top grades; they want a solid high school girlfriend so they skip future worries and skimp on dowry cash."

Nearby, Wang Longlong whispered, "Damn, skipping just dowry? Kid-raising expenses too."