Rebirth and the Beautiful Soaring

The villa was small and not luxurious; it had neither a tennis court nor a swimming pool.

The villa Yu Fei bought in his previous life was much bigger and more luxurious than this one, with all the necessary facilities.

But the most important significance of this villa lies in its location, which is situated on the picturesque shores of West Lake, a place where every inch of land is incredibly valuable.

Yu Fei's favorite spot is the second-floor balcony of the villa, which faces the endless expanse of lotus leaves on West Lake. In summer, sitting there drinking tea, admiring the lotus, painting, and playing music would be wonderful.

Moreover, his painting, playing instruments, and singing skills have improved significantly, and now is the perfect time for him to showcase his talents in front of his grandfather.

Because he knew his grandfather's temper, the more approval he could gain from his grandfather, the greater his freedom and rights would be.

While Feifei was lost in thought, the old man spoke up, "Feifei, what are you thinking about so intently? Have you missed this home because it's been so long since you've been here?"

Yu Fei snapped out of his reverie, shaking his head and sighing to himself. Reborn people always feel sentimental, and this had become his habit.

He smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, it's been a long time since I've been here. I really miss it. The main thing is that West Lake is so beautiful. In the summer, the lotus leaves and flowers stretch as far as the eye can see. Every morning when I wake up, I can admire their elegant beauty, rising from the mud unsullied, from the balcony. Of course, I miss even more the refined and elegant style that Grandpa used when he painted."

Yu Hong chuckled softly and said, "I never expected my Feifei to become so romantic. Your maternal grandfather told me that you secretly learned pen sketching and are quite good at it, but I don't quite believe it. How about you draw a lotus flower in West Lake for me right now?"

Yu Fei shrugged and said, "Grandpa, I haven't even sat down yet, and you're already asking me to paint. That's not very appropriate. Besides, look at me, I'm all sweaty and covered in dirt from the car ride. I should take a shower and change into clean clothes before I start painting. Do you think what Fei Fei said is right?"

Yu Hong laughed and said, "You've got a sharp tongue, kid. You've really changed a lot. Grandpa likes it very much. Alright, go take a shower now. We'll chat again when you come out."

Yu Fei carried his luggage and strolled up to his bedroom on the second floor.

Actually, this was originally Yu Fei's father's room, but he requisitioned it after he went abroad and rarely came back.

On the clean, smooth wall, there is still a photo of my parents' wedding.

The men in the photos are handsome and dashing, the women are beautiful and elegant, and their smiles are sweet and radiant.

Yu Fei can still feel the love they shared back then.

In the past, Yu Fei at this age only focused on studying and rarely paid attention to these details.

But Yu Fei is different now. He is a middle-aged man who has experienced life's trials and tribulations. He knows that since his father still hangs this wedding photo, it means that he did not forget his mother during the years of their divorce, but instead missed her from time to time.

After all, this villa was bought by my father after his divorce, and if he didn't miss it, why would he hang the wedding photos on the wall?

This reflection forced Yu Fei to re-examine the matter. Perhaps, as his aunt said, his parents were two people who loved each other. If there were conflicts, they could communicate. Divorce was actually the biggest mistake.

Just as his aunt had hoped, Yu Fei suddenly felt that perhaps his parents remarrying would be a good outcome. After all, what child would want their biological parents to be separated?

After having this thought, Yu Fei suddenly remembered that his father seemed to have returned to Linxian to look for his mother when he was in the third year of junior high school, and the two had a very unpleasant argument, which was later dropped.

When Yu Fei was in his first year of high school, he finally received the news that his father had remarried.

A heaven, a hell.

Sometimes, the choice is made in a single thought.

Yu Fei didn't know the real reason why his father and mother had a falling out, but he always felt that for two people who love each other, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.

In his past life, he was indifferent to his father when he was young and rarely spoke to him. In his young mind, he always thought that the one who was wrong was the one who left him when his parents separated.

Perhaps he should change his attitude towards his father, because in his mother's eyes, her son is also a very important factor.

With these thoughts in mind, Yu Fei took out a change of clothes from his backpack and went into the bathroom.

Yu Fei's grandfather, Yu Hong, was a tea lover, especially fond of Longjing tea from Longjing Village, not far from West Lake.

When Yu Fei came downstairs to the living room after taking a shower, his grandfather had just brewed a pot of tea, and there were fruits and pastries on the coffee table.

"Feifei, if you don't like tea, have some fruit and pastries. By the way, did you stop for lunch on the way? If not, Grandpa will cook you some noodles."

Yu Fei smiled and said, "Grandpa, this tea smells so good. It seems to be top-grade Longjing tea. This is really good stuff. Fei Fei would like to try some too. As for lunch, I already ate on the way. Someone else treated me!"

Of course, Yu Fei actually thought to himself, "It was someone else who paid for it," because he didn't want to cause any more trouble.

He couldn't help but smile when he recalled how Cheng Yuan kept putting food on his plate when they stopped to eat, giving him the feeling of an older sister doting on her younger brother.

Yu Hong nodded and said, "Alright, then let's enjoy tea together, grandfather and grandson."

Talking and drinking tea with Grandpa is a rare treat.

Perhaps without being reborn, Yu Fei wouldn't have felt this simple, ordinary joy, but now he deeply feels it. This is the difference of being reborn—it allows him to have a deeper understanding of life.

After finishing a pot of tea, Yu Hong brought up Yu Fei's pen sketches once again.

In fact, Yu Fei understood his grandfather's thoughts; he wanted to take over his grandfather's teachings and learn traditional Chinese painting.

However, Yu Fei is now in his forties, and he is able to control his own choices. He will not let others lead him by the nose, even if that person is his grandfather.

Of course, it's not that he doesn't like drawing, but a pen sketch is enough—simple, unpretentious, understated yet meaningful.

"Alright, Grandpa, I'll draw it. But Feifei feels like she's wielding a big sword in front of Guan Yu."

While casually joking with his grandfather, Yu Fei began to paint with great enthusiasm.

There are many written descriptions and paintings about lotus, and Yu Fei's favorite is Zhou Dunyi's "On the Love of Lotus".

When his grandfather mentioned painting lotus flowers as a theme, he began to think about how to formulate the topic and establish the theme.

Lotus flowers are very familiar to people in Jiangnan. When Yu Fei was a child, he picked lotus seeds and dug lotus roots in the pond with his aunt. He is confident in his ability to capture the charm and elegance of lotus flowers in his paintings.

With the swishing sound of the pen gliding across the paper, the image quickly froze, showing several lotus flowers blooming elegantly and beautifully on the shore of West Lake.

"I love the lotus for its purity, rising from the mud unsullied, washed by clear ripples without being seductive, its stem straight and hollow, not sprawling or branching, its fragrance growing more pure as it spreads, standing tall and clean, to be admired from afar but not to be trifled with."

In the deliberately left blank space, Yu Fei wrote the title of "On the Love of Lotus" in his elegant and vigorous penmanship, and then signed it. The pen sketch of "On the Love of Lotus" was officially completed.