Rebirth to Save Myself

Chen Yuan didn't care whether Su Xia held a grudge against Chen Wenwei or not, as long as it wasn't against her. So she asked, "Do you want me to send you the photos? Or if you want a physical copy, I have those too. By the way, can't you tell that Lu Jingnian likes you? Chen Wenwei already said he likes you. Let me create more opportunities for you two, maybe you'll get together."

After listening to Chen Yuan's rant, Su Xia felt both helpless and amused, and then asked, "So it's because of what Chen Wenwei told you that you left me with Lu Jingnian and went home first?"

"Uh, it was Chen Wenwei who suggested that time, not me." Chen Yuan shifted the blame to Chen Wenwei again.

"Very good, very good. You agreed to his suggestion without the slightest hesitation? Tell me, between me and Chen Wenwei, who do you choose?" Su Xia was so angry that she asked a question that was equivalent to asking who you would save if I and your mother fell into the water at the same time.

“You, you, you, of course it’s you. What is Chen Wenwei? You are my most important little darling.” Chen Yuan answered immediately without hesitation.

"Hmph." Su Xia didn't believe this woman at all, and turned to look at the braised food.

As Lu Jingnian and his family stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by a delightful aroma. Xie Yuezhi's eyes lit up, and she immediately rang the doorbell.

"You're here!" Chen Yuan opened the door. They had already spoken in the elevator, so she knew without a second thought that it was them at the door, and she had slippers ready.

"Wow, I didn't expect you guys had this skill! I smelled it as soon as I got off the elevator. Looks like I'm here to enjoy myself today," Xie Yuezhi said happily as she walked in first, addressing Chen Chunqi and the others.

"No, Xiaxia prepared everything herself. We just helped out," Chen Chunqi said, not taking credit for it, and directly stating that Su Xia had prepared it all herself. They had originally wanted to cook themselves, but since they were entertaining guests, they felt that Su Xia's cooking skills were better.

"So amazing, you're truly an all-rounder!" Xie Yuezhi was also surprised, and then praised Su Xia.

"It's not that amazing, you can take your seat now."

"Sit down, sit down, let's try my daughter's cooking. I'm not exaggerating, it's comparable to restaurant food, come on, come on." Chen Jianguo invited everyone to sit down.

"Is this hot pot? Are both sides spicy?" Xie Yuezhi asked curiously, as both sides looked very red.

"No, one is a spicy hot pot, and the other is a tomato hot pot," Chen Yuan pointed and explained.

"Tomato hot pot, sounds interesting, I'll try it later."

"You can drink the soup first, it's really delicious with rice." Chen Yuan, a foodie, was the first person to recommend this way of eating.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yuezhi scooped a spoonful into her bowl, took a sip, and then said, "It's really delicious. I never thought tomatoes could be cooked like this."

Lu Jingnian also took a bite and was a little surprised. He wasn't a big fan of tomatoes, but this way of cooking them tasted sweet and sour. He looked at Su Xia earnestly and said, "It's delicious!"

"Okay, cook whatever you like." Su Xia nodded and then went to cook the beef herself.

"This tomato sauce was made by Xiaxia yesterday afternoon, slowly simmering a bunch of fresh tomatoes," Chen Chunqi said with particular pride.

"I was going to ask how to make this, but it turns out it takes so long." Xie Yuezhi originally wanted to make it at home, but after hearing how complicated it was, she gave up.

"Your daughter is outstanding!" Lu Zhongqing exclaimed, "This daughter is really much better than my son."

"That's right, both of my daughters are outstanding." Chen Jianguo has never been modest when it comes to his daughters; he is genuinely proud of them.

Everyone enjoyed a hot pot meal and unanimously praised the tomato broth. After dinner, they sat together drinking tea and chatting. Xie Yuezhi asked Lu Jingnian to take two girls downstairs to set off fireworks. Just as they came down, the property management said they could only set them off by the river, but they could help transport the fireworks there.

Just as she finished setting things up, Chen Wenwei called. Chen Yuan looked at her phone, smiled at Su Xia, and prepared to speak.

"Go ahead, but don't go too far," Su Xia said directly, referring to this woman who forgets her friends for the sake of a pretty face.

"Hehe, thanks Xiaxia." Chen Yuan jogged off to a nearby spot to have a sweet phone conversation.

"I just heard from your aunt and uncle today that your birthday is right after the New Year," Lu Jingnian suddenly asked.

"Yes, it's the Lantern Festival." Su Xia nodded, rummaging through the bag in her hand to see what fireworks were inside.

"Then, do you want to go see the lanterns together?" Lu Jingnian asked nervously, scratching his head as he asked.

“Sure, is there anyone else?” Su Xia nodded and then asked.

"Just the two of us." Lu Jingnian looked awkwardly towards the riverbank, worried that Su Xia would refuse.

Su Xia paused for a moment, then instead of replying, she took out her sparkler and asked, "Where's the lighter?"

"Oh, here it is." Lu Jingnian quickly took out a lighter from his pocket and handed it to Su Xia.

Su Xia took the lighter, lit the sparkler, and watched the burning sparkler in her hand, pondering whether to say yes or no. She then thought of Chen Yuan saying that Lu Jingnian liked her; she hadn't believed it at first, but now he'd taken the initiative to ask her out—did that mean it was true? But, for an older woman like herself to date a younger man seemed a bit inappropriate!

Su Xia asked herself honestly, what were her feelings for Lu Jingnian? She didn't dislike him, but it wasn't the clingy feeling she had with Chen Yuan and Chen Wenwei either. She just felt comfortable being with Lu Jingnian sometimes, without needing to do anything deliberately. But was that enough? Did that mean they could be in a relationship?

Seeing that Su Xia didn't answer, Lu Jingnian assumed she had been rejected, but he didn't say anything. The fact that he said those words today meant he could accept her rejection, even though he was a little sad. It was better than being rejected after confessing his feelings. At least for now, they could still be friends.

“Okay,” Su Xia suddenly said.

"What?" Lu Jingnian was still immersed in the feeling of being rejected and hadn't reacted at all. He looked at Su Xia with a blank expression.

"Fine, I didn't hear you." Su Xia awkwardly turned her head to the side, ignoring him.

"Then we'll meet after dinner." Lu Jingnian would be a fool if he still didn't understand; he decisively decided on the time.

The two remained silent after that. Su Xia played with the fireworks, and seeing that Chen Yuan still hadn't arrived, she started enlarging the fireworks. As the fireworks soared into the sky, blooming into beautiful patterns, the riverside wind made people pull their coats tighter, watching that fleeting beauty.

"Why did you release me without waiting for me?!" Chen Yuan ran over from a short distance away, shouting excitedly.

"By the time you finish your long phone call, we'll be freezing to death." Su Xia glanced at Chen Yuan, unable to bear looking at her.

"Oh, I didn't! Let's keep going, play with sparklers, and Lu Jingnian, take pictures for us." Chen Yuan quickly took charge, and everyone did their part.

"Old Lu, make sure the photos look good," Su Xia said to Lu Jingnian.

"it is good."

After the New Year, Lu Jingnian's family invited Chen Jianguo and his family over for a meal, as a way of returning the favor from their New Year's Eve dinner. The two families needed to reciprocate each other to maintain their relationship, so Chen Jianguo didn't refuse and brought a bottle of red wine to their home for dinner on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

"Come in, come in, make yourselves at home, don't be shy." Xie Yuezhi greeted everyone happily, and then added, "Neither Lao Lu nor I are very good at cooking, so Auntie cooked for us. Please don't mind, it's definitely not as good as Xiaxia's cooking."

"Not at all, I'd also like to try some authentic local dishes."

Chen Yuan and Su Xia didn't particularly enjoy the small talk between adults, so they put on their shoes and went inside. Seeing Lu Jingnian sitting in the living room, looking at them, Su Xia nodded to him and then asked, "Why didn't you reply to the chemistry questions I sent you yesterday?"

“It was too late yesterday. If I replied to you, you would definitely be thinking about it until very late, so I planned to give it to you in person today.” Lu Jingnian smiled. He and Su Xia had known each other since the first year of high school, so he knew some of Su Xia’s little habits.

"Wow, you know Xiaxia better than I do!" Chen Yuan said with a teasing expression, looking at the two of them.

“We often study together, so I know about this.” Su Xia didn’t respond to Chen Yuan’s words and directly told her to shut up.

“I’ve already written out the solution process; it’s in my room,” Lu Jingnian asked.

"Take it out, so the child can see it too," Su Xia said, pointing to Chen Yuan.

"No, it's vacation time, why should we be studying!" Chen Yuan tried to escape, but Su Xia grabbed her. She turned back to Su Xia and said, "I won't tease you anymore, okay?"

"Let's learn together and review our chemistry knowledge."

Then Lu Jingnian took out a notebook from the room, and Su Xia forcibly pulled Chen Yuan to start discussing it. Chen Yuan was thinking that she could just listen to the two top students discussing, but Su Xia kept asking her questions, asking her what she thought.

Good heavens, what was I thinking? I was thinking, why are we discussing chemistry problems on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year? Can't we take it easy and relax a bit?

Finally, dinnertime saved her. As soon as she heard the announcement that it was time to eat, she immediately stood up, indicating that she should be more enthusiastic about eating. Su Xia was just teasing her, so she put down her homework and went to eat with her.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the school's designated registration day; classes will officially begin tomorrow. Before we know it, it's the second semester of our junior year. The students in the experimental class are all starting to prepare—some are going abroad, some are taking certification exams—everyone has their own plans. Su Xia, however, feels she should focus on passing the chemistry competition first before worrying about the future. After all, she still needs to participate in the college entrance exam; otherwise, the atmosphere won't be as conducive.

Everyone went to school early to register and then went home. Su Xia said she wanted to eat dinner early tonight because she had plans to go out.

"Who is it? Is it He Yuanyuan?" Chen Chunqi asked curiously.

"No, Xiaxia didn't ask me out. Who did you ask out to, Xia Tian or Lingling?" Chen Yuan was also curious and asked. This was the first time Su Xia had said that she had asked out to anyone other than herself.

“Classmate,” Su Xia replied succinctly.

"Something's fishy." Chen Yuan looked at Su Xia, trying to find something amiss.

"Yes, there is." Su Xia nodded perfunctorily, indicating that there was something fishy going on.

"Who is it, Xiaxia?" Chen Yuan leaned closer to ask Su Xia, thinking that Su Xia would tell her.

"I'm not telling you." Su Xia turned around and went back to her room to change her clothes. It was quite cold today, so she needed to wear something warmer.

No matter how much Chen Yuan said, Su Xia wouldn't utter a single word, which only piqued Chen Yuan's curiosity, making her want to go out with Su Xia. However, Chen Chunqi stopped her. She trusted Su Xia completely; since Su Xia was finally going out to play with her friends, she was more than happy to oblige!

"Mom, aren't you afraid that Xiaxia will go out with boys?"

"What are you afraid of? Xiaxia's grades are so good, why worry about her? The one who should be worried is you. Whether you can get into university is still a question."

"Mom, although my grades aren't as good as Xiaxia's, they're still good enough for me to get into university, okay!"

"I'm worried about your grades, which are like a rollercoaster. When will they be as stable as Xiaxia's? I don't care if you date."

"Mom, you're being unfair. Xiaxia can date, but I can't."

"Didn't I say that once your grades are as stable as Xiaxia's, I won't interfere with whatever you want to do?"

On the other side, Lu Jingnian and Su Xia had already met up. Su Xia asked him, "Where are we going to see the lights?"

"Go to the ancient alley; there's a Lantern Festival there every year."

"Okay, you lead the way, I'll follow you. But don't kidnap me, Lao Lu."

"I can't bear to part with it," Lu Jingnian said softly, then raised his voice to Su Xia, "Don't worry, I'm reliable."

The two of them took a bus to the ancient alley, a tourist attraction that is decorated with various lanterns every year for the Lantern Festival to create a festive atmosphere. Therefore, in addition to local residents, many tourists come to admire the spectacle. Everywhere they looked, there were people, jostling and pushing their way forward, frequently taking out their phones to take pictures and record the moment.

"Why don't you grab my clothes so we don't get separated in the crowd?" Lu Jingnian asked Su Xia.

"Okay, sure." Su Xia grabbed a bit of fabric from Lu Jingnian's sleeve and followed him forward.

However, there were just too many people, and Su Xia was pushed aside several times before she could grab hold. Fortunately, Lu Jingnian noticed the grip loosen and turned to look at her. This is where his height advantage came in; Lu Jingnian, at least 185cm tall, stood out like a crane among chickens, seeing only the tops of people's heads and easily finding Su Xia. Su Xia, at only 165cm, could only struggle and squeeze through the crowd, occasionally glancing up to see where Lu Jingnian was.

"My God, how can there be so many people?" Su Xia finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd and gasped for breath in the corner.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect so many people this year. I wish I hadn't come." Lu Jingnian was also very apologetic. With so many people, how could anyone see the lanterns? It was lucky that they weren't targeted by thieves.

"Look at that lantern, it's quite interesting!" Su Xia pointed to the lantern opposite, which was thoughtfully shaped like a little rabbit, looking adorable.

“Let’s go a little closer and take a look. Hold onto my clothes tightly,” Lu Jingnian said.

"Or, let's hold hands instead; grabbing our clothes is too easy to slip through our fingers."