Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1671 - 909: Lost and Found Again (2)

She was completely drunk on the thrill, dying to belt out a song right then and there.

Me, Yu Wen, only sixteen, now loaded with three hundred thousand!

While Yu Wen wasn't looking, Jiang Yanan stealthily checked Huang Zhongfei's reaction.

True to his role as class president with lofty standards, he betrayed no awkwardness, keeping his poise impeccable.

Jiang Yanan fidgeted, scraping the floor awkwardly with her toes.

With a sour tone, Lu Qiqi asked: "Wenwen, what do you intend to buy?"

Yu Wen caught the envy in her friend's voice and felt a secret thrill; it had been ages since Qiqi showed such jealousy.

Glancing at Lu Qiqi, Yu Wen spotted the gold earrings and ring glinting on her. Back then, Lu Qiqi had paraded them around casually, oozing an air of riches.

This had sparked endless silent curses from Yu Wen: 'Such a gaudy girl!'

The very next instant, Yu Wen declared, "I’m getting a gold bracelet, 40 grams—no, make it 50 grams!"

Gold prices sat low these days, just two or three hundred per gram. Add in the craftsmanship, and a 50-gram bracelet still came to barely over ten thousand.

A sharp twinge hit Lu Qiqi. For a show-off like her, watching her rival surge ahead was tough to swallow.

"Hey, isn’t 50 grams a tad much? It’d be so heavy and flashy..." Lu Qiqi remarked.

Composed and steady, Yu Wen replied: "No worries, I’ll just claim it’s a fake one."

Lu Qiqi clamped her lips shut.

Jiang Yanan remembered how Yu Wen once sported a red cord with gold beads on her wrist—Cui Yu had yanked it off with a magnet one day, sending Lu Qiqi into hysterics right there.

This scene only solidified Jiang Yanan’s resolve to keep a low profile; fortunes shift fast.

As they chatted, chaos exploded at the bus stop: "Where’s my phone? Damn, where is it?!"

A man in his thirties yelled frantically, patting himself down everywhere.

Onlookers at the stop backed away a couple paces.

Good Samaritans scanned the ground with their gazes to aid the search.

After fruitless rummaging, the man neared Yu Wen’s group, his face turning sincere: "Hey, could I borrow your phone for a quick call?"

Yu Wen retreated a step, clutching her bag close, eyeing the stranger warily.

Jiang Yanan grabbed her phone, feigning to offer it over.

Huang Zhongfei blocked her, declaring, "What’s your number? I’ll dial it for you!"

It was a classic hustle: the scammer grabs your phone for a call, an accomplice snatches it and bolts, while the first guy pretends to pursue before vanishing.

"My number’s tricky to recall..."

"No problem, just tell me..." Huang Zhongfei urged.

"139... wait!" The man abruptly stared down: "Who dropped this cash?"

The 'dropped money' ploy beat 'spot the UFO'; folks reflexively looked earthward and spied a crisp red hundred-yuan bill.

With eyes locked on the bill, minds raced with schemes—then from behind the shelter, a blur darted out, snatching Yu Wen’s bag like a ghost and sprinting off.

Yu Wen staggered sideways and tumbled down. Snapping to the theft, she shrieked in panic, "Ah! My bag! My bag!"

Meanwhile, the phone-shouter slipped away unnoticed.

Huang Zhongfei bolted after the robber without delay.

Yet the thief had a head start of seconds and moved like lightning, pulling ahead to dozens of meters and stretching the gap.

Yu Wen stared in horror as the figure receded into the distance, despair nearly overwhelming her.

…

At the crosswalk, with the red light ticking down to 90 seconds, Xue Yuantong at last saw green.

As her tiny foot rose to step forward, shrieks rang out from the bus stop, followed by a shadow hurtling near.

"What’s going on?" Her little face twisted in confusion.

Closer now, Xue Chuchu spotted the bag clutched in the runner’s grip and scowled, "Trouble—that’s a thief!"

Her words barely out, the sprinting crook barreled toward them in two seconds flat, gearing up to plow through.

Jiang Ning snagged Tongtong’s collar, hoisting her airborne to dodge the collision.

The thief barreled onward, but in the split-second pass, Jiang Ning casually stuck out his foot.

Charging at top speed, the thief stumbled hard, soaring briefly mid-air. At that velocity, the crash was brutal.

No elite athlete could tuck and roll to safety, let alone a petty crook.

He slammed down, flipping end over end, tumbling twice more amid pained moans, too wrecked to rise.

Huang Zhongfei arrived panting, eyeing the thief’s sorry state. He’d seen Jiang Ning’s effortless trip.

No time for gratitude, Huang Zhongfei whipped out his phone and rang 110. Theft meant cops on the case.

By the time Yu Wen’s crew arrived, Huang Zhongfei had hung up and recapped the takedown.

Jiang Yanan’s narrow eyes sparkled with awe at Jiang Ning.

Even Lu Qiqi, despite her rivalry with Yu Wen, expressed thanks: "Jiang Ning, you saved the day... Without you..."

After all, it was her LV bag too; losing it would sting.

Yu Wen, no fan of Jiang Ning before, teared up at his heroic save: "Jiang Ning, don’t worry—I’ll reward you big time. Once I claim my prize, you’ll get proper thanks!"

Her relief at the recovery shone through: "I’ll never forget this!"

Jiang Ning eyed her coolly. In his past life, Yu Wen ranked as Shen Qing’e’s closest pal, Lu Qiqi second, Jiang Yanan on the fence.

Now, everything had flipped.

A sly grin crossed Jiang Ning’s face: ’Can’t wait to see Shen Qing’e’s reaction when school resumes.’

Police lights flashed as the cruiser pulled up. Jiang Ning slipped away amid the green light, crossing to claim his trusty e-scooter.

…

Snowflakes kept drifting down, blanketing the sidewalk in a seamless layer, crafting a delicate, shimmering rug under the moon’s glow.

"So pretty," Xue Chuchu murmured softly.

Tongtong blinked in surprise: "Eh, Chuchu, didn’t you always rave about village snow being the best?"

Tongtong’s comment yanked Xue Chuchu’s mind to two winters back—a frosty day in the Old City apartment, with Tongtong snapping pics of the flurry for her.

Then, fresh to city life, she’d clung to rural memories, her heart rebelling against urban sprawl.

Yet this last year had transformed her...

She tilted her head skyward, watching the snow dance lazily—flake by flake, building in gentle waves, elegant and unyielding.

Through the swirling flurry, distant skyscrapers pulsed with neon haze.

A rush of emotion hit Xue Chuchu; this vista might linger in her memories for years, turning into cherished nostalgia.

To Tongtong, she said, "Both have their charms."

Xue Yuantong couldn’t reply right away to Chuchu, too occupied juggling her mom’s WeChat barrage...

Earlier, flush from the scratch-off win, she’d bragged to Mom, craving praise.

Mom’s first reply: "That lucky? Three hundred yuan jackpot."

Followed by 30-second and 20-second voice clips.

Xue Yuantong didn’t need to wonder; Mom had rambled excitedly in voice notes about her triumph. But Chuchu needed her now, so she skipped playing them.

Instead, she fired off a casual: "Haha, you’re hilarious, Mom!"

Just pocketing her phone, Mom shot back: "Cut my hand filleting fish for your morning soup, and you laugh?"

Xue Yuantong froze: "Huh?"

She hit play on the voice note, Aunt Gu’s voice spilling out with the injury tale.

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