Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1707 - 931: Unbearable

The back row beside the window, Gong Jin's prison.

Staring at Pang Jiao's robust and imposing frame right in front of him, Gong Jin felt his line of sight nearly cut off, severed from the whole world, which stirred an unwilling sense of pettiness inside him.

"Is she in my way for the view? No, she's trapping my freedom!"

Gong Jin shouted, "Wang Yong!"

Wang Yong caught sight of Gong Jin's thankful look, and right then, every struggle paid off completely!

Indeed, endless feasting, merrymaking, and fun paled next to real bonds forged in hardship—and weren't he and Gong Jin now facing the exact same trial?

Pang Jiao shut out the sunlight, but she became the shining beacon in Wang Yong's existence.

"I have no regrets!" Wang Yong mused with deep gratitude.

He declared earnestly, "Brother Jin, anytime at all, count me in with you!"

Right then, his words overflowed with true heart, stripped of petty gains.

Just like two wanderers pressing close for warmth around a blazing campfire.

The class-ending bell tolled, jolting Wang Yong and Gong Jin from their snug embrace of solidarity.

Gong Jin bolted from his desk, dashing outside to gulp fresh air—his lungs begged for a cleanse.

Lin Zida and Zhuang Jianhui from Class 1 approached as a pair, "Brother Jin, heard your class switched seats—where'd you end up?"

While Lin Zida talked, he stretched his neck, trying to peek inside the room.

Gong Jin, who cherished his image above all, would die inside if his buddies learned of his pathetic spot...

He darted sideways fast, cutting off Lin Zida's sightline.

Gong Jin replied coolly, "It's fine, you know, wherever I end up sitting, it's all the same anyway."

As he spoke, he draped an arm over Lin Zida's shoulder, wandering out to the balcony.

"But sticking in the classroom too long sure gets boring."

Zhuang Jianhui picked up on a hint of wrongness and planned to dig deeper later.

"Your itch for something new hit kinda quick, huh?" Lin Zida laughed. Class 8's hotties held fame across all of sophomore year, while Bai Yuxia dazzled the whole school with her evening party dances.

Gong Jin adopted a serious expression, "You know, girls have never sparked my interest."

Zhuang Jianhui nodded, "Fine, next class we've got some business to handle—wanna tag along?"

Gong Jin bobbed his head fast, "Yeah, yeah, let's hit the road right now!"

Zhuang Jianhui pondered silently: ’He isn't even asking what it's for?’

Down the stairs the three went, bumping into Wei Xiu Yuan along the path with his badminton racket in hand.

Dong Jiayi, Class 1's sweet little beauty, called out, "Zhuang Jianhui, you all off downstairs for badminton?"

Zhuang Jianhui's reputation stayed pristine; his epic freshman-year dunk, striking looks, stellar academics, and enigmatic heritage remained the ultimate fantasy for tons of girls.

Standing nearby, Wei Xiu Yuan watched his pursuit of Dong Jiayi slip from 99.99% to 99.98%, throwing him into mild panic.

Zhuang Jianhui answered, "Nah, got stuff on today."

Disappointment washed over Dong Jiayi.

Wei Xiu Yuan let out a relieved breath; his odds climbed back up, up, and up once more!

Yun Tingting alone had ignited badminton fever throughout sophomore year. Liu Chuandao of Class 8 was rounding up buddies for skill practice too.

Cui Yu and Meng Gui proclaimed, "We watch Yun Tingting's game from the balcony daily—no need to go down and play ourselves!"

Liu Chuandao fired back, "Theory group."

Duan Shigang chimed in right away, "I'm in; we gotta have hands-on practice too!"

Liu Chuandao flashed a thumbs-up, "Action group!"

Meng Zi Yun ditched Cao Kun to tag along with Dong Qingfeng, stranding Cao Kun lonely and ignored. He chose badminton instead, knowing it'd leave him aching everywhere later.

Cao Kun thus jumped in to join and quipped, "What group fits me? Action group too?"

Liu Chuandao eyed what looked like a "green hat" hovering over Cao Kun's head and declared, "Recycling group!"

Cao Kun looked baffled, "What do you mean?"

With three already but needing one more, Liu Chuandao spotted Guo Kunnan close by and called, "Hey, wanna join us for badminton?"

Guo Kunnan paused two seconds, then asked, "You playing badminton just to chase Yun Tingting?"

Liu Chuandao stated firmly, "What guy doesn't like Yun Tingting?"

Guo Kunnan mulled it over briefly and replied, "Can I text my girlfriend first, get her approval, then we head down to play?"

Liu Chuandao remarked, "You that scared of your girlfriend?"

Guo Kunnan grinned, "Not scared—it's respect."

That's the duty and faithfulness every real man must uphold!

Displeased, Liu Chuandao turned his back, declaring, "Then you can’t play with us; you’re a disgrace to men!"

With those words spoken, Liu Chuandao set about gathering more players.

Chai Wei, standing alone, observed the entire scene.

He had nearly been cornered by Jin Hua earlier that day and knew he ought to build some alliances.

Thus, he approached Liu Chuandao on his own initiative, eager to join their badminton game.

Liu Chuandao felt astonished; was Chai Wei truly seeking friendship with him?

As the proverb warns, one shouldn’t strike a smiling face, and moreover, Liu Chuandao had ambushed Chai Wei with a burlap sack in the past. Perhaps remorse was stirring, so he permitted Chai Wei to join and secretly acclaimed him as:

"Making friends with everyone group!"

…

"Hey! Is she really okay?" Chen Siyu poked Bai Yuxia, sneaking a sideways glance at Xin Youling nearby.

Recess was underway, yet Xin Youling lingered at her desk, her face bearing a hint of somber elegance, akin to a widow freshly bereaved of her spouse, compelling others to offer fervent consolation before his portrait!

Chen Siyu shook her head swiftly, inwardly repenting her crude notion.

Bai Yuxia murmured softly, "She should be fine, right?"

Her tone carried hesitation. In Bai Yuxia’s view, Xin Youling had always been an exceptionally resilient girl, but now, defeated for the class president role by Yu Wen’s lavish spending ploys, she appeared to be stripped bare layer after layer, laid vulnerably open to…