Rebirth to Save Myself

But are you looking forward to tomorrow, hoping something good will happen? Or perhaps you don't look forward to tomorrow, because you don't want to face it, but tomorrow will still arrive on time. As everyone goes abroad one after another, the number of students in the class gradually decreases, and the classroom becomes more spacious.

When some girls learned that Lu Jingnian was also going abroad, they went up to him and confessed their feelings. They meant that they didn't know when he would come back, and regardless of whether he agreed or not, they just wanted to give their youth a proper ending. So Lu Jingnian spent the entire week receiving love letters and being confessed to. Su Xia, watching these girls rack their brains for unique confessions, thought to herself, "Youth is just right."

Shen Zhiheng was not surprised to learn that Lu Jingnian was going abroad, because he had grown up with Lu Jingnian and knew that his plan was not difficult. What was surprising was that he was willing to let go of Su Xia.

"Honestly, have you ever thought about not going abroad?" Shen Zhiheng grabbed Lu Jingnian and asked secretly.

Lu Jingnian glanced at Su Xia, who was walking not far behind him. They had just arrived at the airport and were heading to the boarding gate. He turned to Shen Zhiheng and said, "At first, I thought that if she asked me to stay, I would stay."

"And then? Xiaxia didn't say anything? Or did she try to persuade you to stay but you didn't agree?" Shen Zhiheng's gossip instincts were ignited. He had to know the whole story before Lu Jingnian left the country.

"She asked me to go abroad." Lu Jingnian was a little surprised now, but it was also within his expectations.

"Wow, bro, I can tell you're not interested in her. Otherwise, why would I have asked you to go abroad? There are so many blonde beauties overseas. You'll forget about her when you come back!" Shen Zhiheng said, looking at him with a pitying expression.

Lu Jingnian pushed her away and said, "She promised me that if I go back to China and she doesn't have a boyfriend, I'll go for her."

"What are you going to do? Be her boyfriend? Are you trying to climb the social ladder?" Shen Zhiheng shamelessly sidled up to Lu Jingnian again, looking at him.

"Yes."

"Sure thing, Lao Lu. With this guarantee, you can have a blast abroad, but don't forget about your brother!"

"Leave far away."

No matter how slowly everyone walked, they eventually reached the security checkpoint. Lu Zhongqing helped Lu Jingnian check in his luggage, and then said to Lu Jingnian, "Study hard, your parents are waiting for you to come home."

Xie Yuezhi held Lu Jingnian's hand and looked at him, saying, "When you get there, listen to your aunt. If you need anything, just ask Mom and Dad. Take care of yourself. Mom and Dad aren't around, so take good care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay, Mom. Don't worry, I'll call you as soon as I arrive."

"Okay, good son."

"Brother, I'll take you flying when you come back to China," Shen Zhiheng said, patting Lu Jingnian on the shoulder.

"I reckon you'll be the one carrying me then, Huaqing boss." Lu Jingnian patted Shen Zhiheng on the shoulder in return.

"Hehe, no problem, no problem." Shen Zhiheng instantly became arrogant and put on airs.

After everyone said goodbye, Lu Jingnian walked up to Su Xia, looked at her and said, "Wait for me to come back."

"Lu Jingnian, I wish you all the best and a bright future." Su Xia smiled, not responding to his words, but offering him her blessing instead.

"Ah."

With Lu Jingnian going abroad, Chen Yuan's second year of high school came to an end. The school announced that the second round of comprehensive review would begin on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, which infuriated Chen Yuan. They had already had make-up classes before the Lunar New Year, which didn't end until the twenty-sixth. Now, with less than two weeks of holiday, they had to go back to school—this was outrageous!

Su Xia didn't care whether she attended classes or not; she was still studying. Even after Lu Jingnian went abroad, they hadn't lost contact. Su Xia would still send him questions she didn't understand, and because of the time difference, Lu Jingnian would often reply much later. Perhaps Su Xia had already figured out the questions by then, but she was still touched by his thoughtfulness.

Shen Zhiheng was bored out of his mind at home, but all his friends and classmates were preparing for the college entrance examination, so he was too embarrassed to ask them out. Lu Jingnian had just arrived abroad and was busy integrating into university, so he had even less time for him. So, Shen Zhiheng decided to travel, to see the beautiful landscapes of his motherland, and to appreciate the magnificence of the mountains and plains. For a while, Su Xia's social media feed was filled with his posts.

Chen Yuan ultimately decided against going abroad. She said her English wasn't good enough, and she'd be unfamiliar with the place and people there. Besides, there were excellent universities in China, so there was no need to go. Chen Jianguo had only mentioned it casually; if Chen Yuan had actually gone abroad, he probably would have been sad. It was better for her to stay in China, where they could see each other anytime.

Chen Wenwei, who initially thought Chen Yuan would go abroad, was extremely worried, fearing she would be blinded by the allure of the world. He had acted quickly, but he was also afraid of being poached! After a combination of reasoning and a little coaxing, Chen Yuan gave up the idea of ​​going abroad—a truly joyous occasion!

That day, Chen Yuan pulled Su Xia to lie on the bed for a long-awaited late-night chat. Although Su Xia couldn't understand why people were so excited and enjoyed chatting at night, she still couldn't refuse Chen Yuan's request.

"Xiaxia, what if I don't do well on the test?"

"What kind of poor exam performance are you referring to?"

"Exactly, what if I don't get into university?"

"Don't worry, with your grades you'll definitely get into university. The only thing to worry about is the difference between good and bad universities. Where did you and Chen Wenwei agree to apply?"

"He wants to go to the north, and he wants to choose between the capital, Nanjing, and Shanghai."

"Well, after you graduate, do you plan to go back home or stay where your university is located?"

"Isn't it too early to ask that question?"

"It's not too early. Choosing a university is basically choosing where you'll develop your career after graduation. Many people yearn for the capital city because it's inclusive and offers endless possibilities. However, the capital city also has a drawback: there are too many people. Everyone wants to settle down in the capital, so every year many people leave with regrets."

“It’s okay, I can come back if things don’t work out. You don’t know, Dad was saying the other day that you and I should decide who will manage the company for him.”

"Then you can study business management, and become a CEO after graduation."

"No way, I want to earn my own money."

"Ah, I was thinking that if you became the boss, I could stop working and be supported by you."

"Then you should go and work hard. I'm counting on you."

The two women passed the buck, each hoping the other would become rich while they themselves could stay home and do nothing. They imagined how wonderful it would be to live a comfortable, carefree life by relying on their best friend.

From the very beginning of their senior year, Chen Chunqi was constantly busy, trying to cook delicious meals for them every day to nourish their bodies. He bought ingredients and tried all sorts of folk remedies and recipes that others mentioned. If Su Xia and Chen Yuan didn't eat, then everything went into Chen Jianguo's stomach, making Chen Yuan and Chen Jianguo gain weight, while Su Xia only gained a mere two pounds.

The three people looked at Su Xia and asked, "Where did you eat all of that?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because I have good digestion?" Su Xia was also puzzled. She ate a lot every day and was the one with the biggest appetite in the family. But Chen Yuan gained five pounds, while she only gained about two pounds.

"That doesn't make sense. I've fattened up these two, so why is Xiaxia still standing still?" Chen Chunqi wondered.

"Mom, to be precise, I've gained weight too; I haven't stayed in the same place," Su Xia said weakly, raising her hand to indicate.

"No, Lao Chen, take the two kids for a checkup tomorrow." Chen Chunqi waved his hand, indicating that he should get them checked out to see if there was anything wrong. This is a crucial time for seniors in high school; their health must be on track, and nothing should go wrong.

“Yes, it’s time for the annual physical exam, you should come along too, so our whole family can get a full check-up.” Chen Jianguo nodded in agreement.

Both of them were impulsive and energetic. The next day, regardless of whether it was during class time, they asked their teacher for leave and rushed to the hospital for a full-body checkup. Chen Jianguo went through the VIP channel, and the results came back quickly. Chen Jianguo was a bit overweight and needed to control his diet. Chen Chunqi was in very good health and had nothing to worry about. She came from a happy family and had no worries or anxieties, so her health improved along with her positive mindset.

Chen Yuan is in good health. She complains about being fat every day, but the doctor says her weight is within the normal range and she doesn't need to lose weight; health is the most important thing. As for Su Xia, she doesn't know what's wrong with her either; the doctor's tests show she's still anemic.

"Are there any other symptoms? She eats a lot every day, but she doesn't seem to gain weight. Could it be a problem with her digestion and absorption?" Chen Chunqi asked the doctor worriedly.

“Everyone’s constitution is different. Some people can eat a lot and still not gain weight. She is a little anemic, but looking at her previous reports, her anemia has improved a lot. She just needs to take care of herself gradually. She should exercise more, eat iron-rich foods two to three times a week, and can also take iron supplements. There are no other major problems.” The doctor patiently looked at Su Xia’s reports from the past few years and explained to Chen Chunqi that these were normal, and that the levels were a little low, but it was not a big deal.

"That's good. It's good that you're getting better." Chen Chunqi was relieved. It was a good thing that Su Xia's health was slowly improving.

"Yes, just get it checked on time every year."

After the medical check-up, Chen Chunqi and Chen Jianguo felt relieved and continued making nourishing soups for the two of them. However, Chen Jianguo wasn't included; the doctor said that if he continued to gain weight, he would develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. So, Chen Chunqi bought a treadmill and placed it in the living room, urging Chen Jianguo to run on it every day. Although Chen Jianguo wasn't happy about it, he still had to obey his wife's instructions. One sentence from Chen Chunqi touched him: "If you leave now, what will happen to the three of us, mother and daughters? Yuanyuan and I aren't familiar with your business, and although Xiaxia is smart, people might mistreat her because she's a young girl. Can you bear to see the business you built for your daughters handed over to others?"

"It's not that serious, is it? The doctor just said I have a bit of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar!"

"It's not that serious, Xiaxia. You should explain the dangers of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol to him."

“Okay, Mom. Dad, the ‘three highs’ mainly refer to high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar. The harm of the ‘three highs’ is mainly to the heart, brain, and kidneys, that is, to the blood vessels. Because the heart, brain, and kidneys are mainly affected by blood vessels, it causes a series of harms. For example, in the brain, it may cause cerebral arteriosclerosis, which will then lead to cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, and stroke. For the heart, it can cause coronary heart disease, heart failure, and arrhythmia. For the kidneys, it may cause renal artery stenosis, leading to uncontrollable high blood pressure, and the rise in creatinine will gradually develop into uremia.” Su Xia explained the knowledge she found online and the information she learned from the doctor.

"See that? Stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, heart failure, uremia—which of these isn't fatal? Tell me about it!" Chen Chunqi looked at Chen Jianguo, wanting to see what kind of excuse he could come up with.

"Okay, okay, I give up. I'll run every day from now on, I'll run every single day." Chen Jianguo was also terrified; it was too scary. For the sake of his wife and daughters, he should take better care of his health.

"That's right, I'll keep an eye on you every day."

Life continued uneventfully. Starting in their senior year of high school, teachers required all students, whether day students or boarders, to attend evening self-study sessions, which lasted until 9:30 PM. Chen Jianguo would wait for them at the school gate every evening to pick them up and take them home, occasionally taking them out for a late-night snack. This infuriated Chen Chunqi. She would prepare snacks at home for them to come back, only to have Chen Jianguo take them out to eat at some barbecue stall.

"Mom, don't be angry, I'll take you next time," Chen Yuan said, hugging Chen Chunqi affectionately.

"Is my cooking not good enough? Why do you want to eat out instead of coming home to eat?" Chen Chunqi felt wronged.

"No, no, we were just passing by and the aroma attracted us, so we stopped and ate a little. We even packed some for you to take back. Right, Xiaxia?" Chen Yuan quickly turned to Su Xia for help; she couldn't appease her alone!

"Mom, actually we were worried about tiring you out. That's why we thought we'd eat out and come back, but we were worried about you being home alone, so we packed some for you to try too." Su Xia also moved closer and sat down on the other side of Chen Chunqi to comfort her.

"Hmph, I won't listen." Chen Chunqi said arrogantly, "I won't be appeased by your words."

“Mom is still angry, and the barbecue won’t taste good if it gets cold. Let’s eat the barbecue first and then appease Mom,” Chen Jianguo said, walking towards the dining table.

"You dare? Chen Jianguo, don't you know your own body? You dare to eat barbecue so late at night. You're not allowed to eat it, I'll take care of it for you." Chen Chunqi ran over in one stride, took all the barbecue from the table, and then quickly returned to his room.

Chen Jianguo smiled as he watched her retreating figure and said to the two of them, "Go back to your rooms and wash up and go to bed early."

"Okay, Dad."

"Okay, Dad."

"I'm going to comfort your mom. Don't worry, she'll be fine by tomorrow morning."

"Dad, did you go out for barbecue?" Chen Yuan looked at Chen Jianguo with disbelief.

"Nonsense, I'm leaving."