Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1672 - 910: Worlds Apart

Days raced by, and in an instant, five days slipped away.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the Lantern Festival.

From a line of bungalows south of the Huishui River Dam, thin trails of smoke drifted upward, swaying lazily in the morning wind.

Firewood crackled fiercely in the kitchen stove as Jiang Ning wielded a fire hook to manage the blaze. Xue Yuantong lingered right beside him, her delicate cheeks flushed crimson by the glowing flames, her eyes shining with unusual brilliance.

"Jiang Ning, I've heard folks in the north love dumplings for the Lantern Festival, while southerners favor sweet rice balls. So tell me, what do we eat in the Central Region?" Xue Yuantong fidgeted with her fingers.

Aunt Gu, tending the clay pot, cast a glance at her silly girl and remarked, "Naturally, we eat both."

With that said, Aunt Gu peered into the pot of sweet rice balls and tossed the dumplings right in.

That's the tradition in Yuzhou—boiling sweet rice balls and dumplings together in one pot to savor them both, nothing to make a fuss over.

Once the dumplings were nearly done, Aunt Gu called out, "Tongtong, go fetch Chuchu for breakfast."

Tongtong shot him a glance and replied, "Jiang Ning, you go call her."

Last night, the three had been gaming in Diamond rank. He and Tongtong tore through opponents, but Chuchu took constant beatings, suffering a miserable time.

Chuchu wrapped up with a 0-7 record, lips pursed without a word, mumbled about studying, and headed home solo.

Xue Yuantong poked Jiang Ning, signaling him to apologize at once. Chuchu had surely been crushed last night and might quit gaming for good.

Jiang Ning reflected inwardly that Tongtong fretted excessively. She couldn't know Chuchu had furtively searched LOL guides while lying in bed after getting home.

He rose straight and strolled over to Chuchu's house, front door ajar.

This signaled Hua Fengmei had already gone. She toiled in the company's purchasing department, underperformed there, with her family saddled by house loan debt. Plain in appearance and crushed by the financial load, Hua Fengmei labored tirelessly each day.

As a result, Xue Chuchu spent most days alone at home.

Jiang Ning positioned himself at the courtyard entrance and shouted, "Chuchu."

"I'm here."

Jiang Ning strode into the little courtyard. Snow from a few days back was thawing today, making the yard bitterly chilly.

Clad in an oatmeal-toned down jacket, Xue Chuchu stood daintily, clutching a textbook while chanting English words.

Jiang Ning questioned, "Why not stay indoors where it's cozy?"

"I'm sharper out here," Xue Chuchu answered.

Jiang Ning probed further, "Then are you still splashing cold water on your face?"

Xue Chuchu pouted, eyed him briefly, then averted her gaze: "I'm not that foolish."

Jiang Ning scanned her ensemble that day—a mid-length down jacket in milk tea shade.

Jiang Ning burst out, "Wow, pretty girl!"

If Xue Chuchu weren't familiar with his nature, she'd swear some scoundrel had wandered into the village.

'Smooth talker...' Xue Chuchu mused to herself.

Jiang Ning inquired, "How come I've never spotted you in this before?"

Xue Chuchu possessed scant clothing, roughly equal to Jiang Ning's present assortment. She cycled through the identical handful of pieces across all seasons.

"A relative picked it up for me," Xue Chuchu shared, a trace of happiness flickering as she recalled.

Jiang Ning complimented, "It suits you well."

"But..."

At those words, Xue Chuchu felt curiosity surge within her.

Jiang Ning grinned widely, his tone crisp: "I always think the loveliest look is a girl in a black cotton jacket, black skinny jeans, white sneakers, neat ponytail—no makeup needed."

'Handing out fashion pointers now...' Xue Chuchu ridiculed silently.

Besides, how would a boy grasp women's style?

With that in mind, Xue Chuchu shot back indifferently, "Where'd you pick up fashion knowledge, the internet?"

Jiang Ning regarded her wordlessly, catching a spark of defiance in her gaze, as though she rejected the world yet remained tethered to it.

Jiang Ning answered, "I noticed it the very first time we met."

He flashed a smile and departed after speaking.

Behind, Xue Chuchu froze in place, her eyes gleaming with shifting emotions.

'He remembers after all?' She'd erased it from memory long ago.

...

Within the city district, at a bun stall.

Guo Kunnan, Cui Yu, and Wang Longlong sat waiting indoors. Ma Shicheng's power leveling scheme had solidly strengthened their camaraderie.

Cui Yu let out yawns now and then, appearing utterly drained from poor sleep.

A silhouette dashed in from the street.

"Whoa, Brother Quan's arrived!" Cui Yu uttered feebly.

Ever since Dan Kaiquan embraced workouts, he'd stuck to running five kilometers each morning religiously.

Fresh from his run, steam rose from his scalp, sweat beaded on his brow from exertion, lending him a striking vibe.

Drawing repeated looks from the bun vendor lady.

Guo Kunnan approached the steaming bun steamer outside and hollered, "Boss, four big meat buns to start!"

The vendor responded, "Coming right up!"

She flipped open the steamer, snatched four piping-hot buns barehanded, and dropped them into a basket.

Dan Kaiquan scowled, deeming it grossly unhygienic!

He halted her promptly: "Auntie, why no tongs?"

The lady laughed heartily, "Aw, the fine young lad worries for me. No bother, heat doesn't faze me."

Dan Kaiquan grimaced in discomfort.

Cui Yu and crew erupted in guffaws.

After grabbing the buns, they chowed down inside. Wang Longlong asked puzzled, "Brother Nan, why the rush in eating?"

Cui Yu clarified, "Brother Long, you're clueless. Brother Nan's got a girlfriend now—he's dropping her at work soon!"

Wang Longlong gaped: "Impossible! Missed hanging out a few days, and it's like ages flew by!"

Guo Kunnan just beamed contentedly.

Dan Kaiquan clapped his shoulder, cautioning against folly: "Brother Nan, treasure her—stay faithful."

Those words sobered Guo Kunnan, who announced gravely, "I've wiped all female contacts from my phone."

Dan Kaiquan inhaled sharply, seeing he was hopelessly smitten: "No need to go that far, really..."

Steering away from Guo Kunnan's topic, Wang Longlong leaned in eagerly: "Anyone else think Yu Wen's been off lately?"

Cui Yu bobbed his head instantly, "Mosquito's been parading her gold bracelet, fancy bag, name-brand outfits, iPhone 6P daily. Damn!"

Dan Kaiquan chimed in, "Plus Bose headphones."

Guo Kunnan frowned in confusion: "Where'd you catch sight of that?"

Wang Longlong stared in disbelief: "You seriously missed it?"

Dan Kaiquan stifled a chuckle: "He cleared out his female friends list."

Silence fell over the table.

A stir erupted outside; Wang Longlong peeked and spotted the topic herself—Yu Wen!

Yu Wen sported flawless makeup, curled lashes to perfection, swathed in a posh wool overcoat, LV bag in tow, radiating wealth.

Spotting Wang Longlong's crew, Yu Wen drawled scornfully, "Oh, you lot are here as well."

Dan Kaiquan and pals gawked, 'No way—this is Yu Wen?'

Yu Wen flaunted her caseless phone and magnanimously told the server, "I'll foot their table's bill."

The waiter, impressed by her flair, figured it wasn't mere buns.

Yu Wen claimed a nearby table among classmates, her former haughty pal Lu Qiqi reduced to a meek attendant.

Yu Wen fanned her fingers; Wang Longlong spied talon-like black manicures.

Most striking: chunky gold bracelet and five gold rings adorning her digits, blooming like a prosperity emblem.

Yu Wen side-eyed her, "Qiqi, didn't your boyfriend promise a gold bracelet?"

Lu Qiqi fidgeted, forcing out, "He's holding off till gold prices fall."

Yu Wen smirked elegantly, tone airy: "Holding off for what drop? He's waiting for your worth to plummet!"

Lu Qiqi mustered only a strained grin.

Wang Longlong and friends reeled in shock, the scene feeling like a bizarre flipped reality.