Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1713 - 935: The Deal

Class 8.

Xue Yuantong slumbers deeply, cut off from the outside world.

Jiang Yanan delivers her meal, rousing her awake.

Cheers erupt from the balcony nearby, with shouts like "Jiang Ning won!" "Jiang Ning lost once more," "Jiang Ning only has to work hard to snag Yun Tingting as his girlfriend."

Xue Yuantong burns with anger.

Yet hunger gnaws at her, so she chooses to dive into her meal first.

The exchange student Huang Xingyue strolls past and spots her devouring the food with gusto, unable to resist inquiring, "Hello, what are you eating? It smells amazing!"

Xue Yuantong raises her petite face, eyes full of caution: "Spicy hot pot."

Huang Xingyue senses the girl might stash the food away any moment, astonished at such fierce food guarding.

Red oil and sesame seeds gleam atop the bowl, unmistakably proving the dish's tempting flavor.

"Could you tell me where you got your dinner?"

Xue Yuantong spins her chopsticks, remembering those earlier cheers, then declares, "Ask my servant Jiang Ning."

"Servant?" Huang Xingyue furrows her brow, since that word feels archaic—even in Africa, just one semi-slave nation lingers in West Africa.

China, however, follows no such practice.

Curiosity overrides her hunger for now, so Huang Xingyue asks, "Could you explain why he serves you?"

Xue Yuantong boasts proudly, "He was destined from birth to serve me."

Huang Xingyue nods: ’Born to serve.’

"What exact tasks does your servant handle for you daily?"

"Loads of them!" Xue Yuantong ticks them off: "Fetching my meals, escorting me to school, studying alongside me, gaming together..."

Huang Xingyue inquires, "And in return, what do you give him?"

"A roof over his head."

Huang Xingyue deems this reasoning airtight.

Xue Yuantong snatches a fried skewer, crunchy outside and coated in spicy sauce with scattered spices.

She gobbles it up eagerly.

Huang Xingyue eyes the remaining skewers in the foil bag, all looking just as appetizing, pondering: ’Aren’t Chinese folks known for their hospitality?’

After a brief pause, Huang Xingyue produces a chocolate bar: "Thanks for the explanation."

Xue Yuantong declines with a shake of her head: "I’m grateful for the thought, but no gifts needed."

Her mom had warned her young never to take treats from unknowns, a lesson etched deep.

"Fine." Huang Xingyue lingers a bit longer, sensing the girl’s total lack of warmth, before stepping toward the balcony.

In neighboring Class 9, boys chatter: "Word is, Class 8 has an African exchange student."

"Africa—that’s black people’s homeland, right?"

Ex-peddler Shen Xu chuckles: "Know why shooters tend to be white while track stars are black?"

A voice chimes in: "Blacks have innate power, superior genes!"

Shen Xu deadpans: "Fast runners get dubbed track athletes; the slow ones become moving targets!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Laughter explodes everywhere.

Huang Xingyue arrives at the doorway, catching every word. Her skin tone is yellowish-white, yet African blood runs in her veins.

Once Shen Xu wraps up, he spots Huang Xingyue’s mixed heritage and hesitates, querying, "You the exchange student?"

Huang Xingyue nods graciously: "Pleased to meet everyone."

Shen Xu, struck by her stunning grace and poise, replies swiftly, "Likewise, delighted."

As though the quip vanished into thin air.

Huang Xingyue hands him chocolate: "A genuine treat from my homeland."

Shen Xu lights up in delight, tears it open fast—only to taste eye-watering bitterness; utterly awful.

Huang Xingyue, regal as an exotic princess, queries softly: "Not to your liking?"

How could Shen Xu wound this gorgeous, open-hearted visitor from afar?

He swallows it forcefully, exclaiming: "Super tasty, love it!"

Huang Xingyue beams: "For our budding friendship."

Bitterness overwhelming him, Shen Xu fakes an emergency and bolts, desperate to dash to class and wash his mouth.

Huang Xingyue saunters down the balcony to the east hallway, encountering Jiang Ning.

Huang Xingyue promptly asks, "Hi, are you Jiang Ning?"

"Hmm?"

"Xue Yuantong called you her servant—is that real?"

Jiang Ning stays stone-faced: "She’s just joking."

"Got it." Huang Xingyue muses: ’Sly little one.’

"Then, where’d she get that food?"

Jiang Ning: "Hujia Spicy Hot Pot by the school entrance, plus the skewer stall beside it."

Huang Xingyue: "Thanks."

Politely, she extends some chocolate candy.

Suddenly, a pair of ink-wash painting eyes stares back at her, as though her sneaky little plot stands fully exposed.

A flicker of guilt washes over Huang Xingyue in an instant.

Jiang Ning takes the chocolate: "Thanks."

Without eating it right there, he offers some advice: "The hot pot there comes mildly spiced. Pile on extra chili, add it boldly, to truly capture the genuine flavor of Yuzhou’s local delicacy."

"I will." Huang Xingyue promises.

...

In the last period of evening self-study.

Guo Kunnan notices with shock that Huang Xingyue’s lips—since she sits right behind him—remain puffed up the whole evening, somewhat marring her prettiness.

Still, Guo Kunnan pays it no heed.

He’s texting his fresh online girlfriend; that’s right, he’s snagged a new one.

Progress with this girlfriend goes smoothly, all courtesy of Ma Shicheng’s guidance.

With Wang Longlong posted at the podium, he sneaks away to plop down next to Ma Shicheng.

Excitement lights up his face: "Brother Ma, she still thinks I’m from the province next door, and whenever we discuss her hometown Yuzhou, she’s touched that I went out of my way to study up on Yuzhou for her sake."

Ma Shicheng responds: "Exactly, and when you two meet face-to-face, claim you journeyed far to Yuzhou and even switched schools just to stay by her side."