Forcing Me to Be Reborn?!-Chapter 42 - 41 Opening a Store for You

Chapter 42: Chapter 41 Opening a Store for You

In the room, Lin Lu continuously lifted the tip of her slipper-wearing jade foot, then put it down again, tapping against the wooden floor.

She stared at the record book spread out on her desk, and the name Cheng Zhu somehow gave her a weird feeling.

“I kind of want to cross him out.”

But then she thought about it and decided it was better to just write names directly.

“Everyone’s friends, after all, friends should be straightforward. If I don’t write names directly, it makes me look like I have something to hide, huh!” thought Lin Lu.

Speaking of which, it was she who had initially invited Cheng Zhu to play games.

...

But unexpectedly, both of their skills were equally mediocre, uniquely terrible in their own ways.

Yet, she wasn’t annoyed, finding their mutual critique of each other’s poor skills quite entertaining.

And today, she even learned a new term.

In a game just now, she executed a useless “Flash,” dodging neither skills nor assassination.

Cheng Zhu caught that death of hers and chuckled, commenting that her move was like a “flashy relocation to a grave.”

Lin Lu was infuriated at the moment but looking back now, she found it amusing.

The voice actress laughed as she closed her record book and put it back in the drawer.

Since her grandma passed away, she had continued this habit which started when she read a sentence: “Pausing time is a divine skill, but photography and recording let us peek into the skills of the gods.”

She felt quite regretful when she saw that sentence.

She hadn’t taken many photos with her grandma.

So then, she began to actively document her life.

It was as if her grandma’s death had changed some of her life habits, affecting drips and drabs of her life.

—The departure of a loved one isn’t just a momentary downpour, but a lifetime of dampness.

Unlike Shen Qingning, who wasn’t into taking photos or videos, initially, Lin Lu often asked to take photos with her, which made her slightly uncomfortable.

But as she came to understand her idea, the aloof girl gradually became more cooperative.

And after ending the voice call, what was Shen Qingning doing?

The reserved girl blanked out for about half a minute.

Then, she picked up her phone and messaged in her cousins’ WeChat group.

The group included Shen Ming Lang, Jiang Wanzhou, and a cousin.

Shen Qingning: “Do you guys feel something off about Cheng Zhu and Lin Lu?”

In this group, only the cousin wasn’t in Hang City but worked in Beijing, missing Shen Ming Lang’s birthday due to this, yet he was always the most active in the group.

Cousin: “Lin Lu? You mean the voice actress, your sweet friend Lin Lu?”

Shen Ming Lang: “What’s the issue?”

Jiang Wanzhou: “I also think there’s something off.”

Cousin: “By the way, who the hell is Cheng Zhu? No one told me last time.”

Shen Ming Lang: “Now that you mention it, I noticed they’ve been less active in the group lately.”

Jiang Wanzhou: “Duh, that’s just the most superficial aspect!”

Cousin: “What? You have another group without me!?”

Shen Qingning: “I think Lin Lu actually enjoys playing with him.”

Shen Ming Lang: “What’s so strange about that? I like playing with my cousin too!”

Cousin: “If no one responds to me, I’m leaving the group!”

Jiang Wanzhou: “No, no, no, Shen Ming Lang, you idiot, you still don’t get it!”

Shen Ming Lang: “What I don’t understand? Don’t I understand Lin Lu or Cheng Zhu?”

Cousin: “No! Damn it, who the hell is Cheng Zhu!!”

In the group chat among the four relatives, after some hesitations, Shen Qingning didn’t go into deeper discussions, feeling it would be presumptuous to assert that Lin Lu might have feelings for Cheng Zhu.

Jiang Wanzhou, reminded of Cheng Zhu’s shocking statement “I can also charm your cousin,” chose to remain silent.

Only Shen Ming Lang, with a veteran’s tone, said: “Well, Lin Lu is so beautiful and has such a pleasant voice, it’s normal for young guys to be a little smitten!”

“But, I’m so outstanding, and even I didn’t have a chance with Lin Lu, let alone Cheng Zhu.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“If he managed to charm Lin Lu, I’d wash his underwear for a year!”

“He’ll soon realize his own place.”

“Being friends peacefully isn’t fine? Isn’t it fun to play together?”

Clearly, when he mentioned “playing together,” he didn’t consider the feelings of the cousin far away in Beijing.

At that moment, the cousin in the group unleashed the same impotent rage as before: “Seriously, why does no one notice me? What am I even here for?”

…

…

At nightfall, Cheng Zhu took Little Youzi out for a walk after dinner.

Though it was called a walk, he was actually checking if a certain small supermarket had started transferring its ownership.

He led her by the large hand holding the small one, strolling leisurely.

Little You’s small stature and short legs struggled to keep up with his long strides.

The summer weather in August was sultry, and their hands, held together, could easily get sweaty.

Every time Little You felt her palm becoming sticky, she would wipe it on her little skirt, dry off the sweat, and immediately stuff her little hand back into Cheng Zhu’s large hand.

As they passed a milk tea shop, Little You repeatedly looked back but never voiced her desire.

She was the kind of child that did not make many demands or throw tantrums like some children who whine for this and that, sometimes throwing fits right in the street if refused by their parents.

Cheng Zhu stopped walking and looked down to ask, “Do you want a drink?”

Little You did not respond directly but cautiously asked, “Brother, do you have money?”

Cheng Zhu was amused by her question and laughed heartily before replying, “Brother recently made some money, you know.”

People are strange when talking with cute kids, unable to resist adding some tones to their voice.

Typically, Cheng Zhu could go from:

“Challenge, day one not saying curse words!”

“To opening with *fuck*!”

But in front of Little You, his tones became much softer.

Little You looked up at him, blinking her big eyes, and as she tilted her head back, her braids fell backward, she said, “Then let’s have one just this once!”

Because her mom, Xu Yun, always controlled her snack and milk tea consumption, constantly telling her that she could have them only occasionally.

So at her young age, she had already learned to flexibly define the word “occasionally.”

Regardless of the frequency, whenever she ate, she would always say to herself: “I’m just having some this once.”

Cheng Zhu took her to order, even lifting her up to choose for herself.

The little girl looked around for a long time before tentatively asking, “Sister, which milk tea is the cheapest?”

“And also, it should be sweet, I can’t drink sour ones.”

Cheng Zhu couldn’t help but smile, saying, “No need to worry.”

He ordered a cup of her favorite flavor and specifically added coconut jelly. She didn’t like tapioca pearls but had a special fondness for coconut jelly.

After paying, while waiting for the milk tea, Cheng Zhu snapped a photo of Little You and sent it to the group, tagging Jiang Wanzhou.

“Aren’t you interested in recognizing a god-sister? Little You wants some milk tea, aren’t you going to contribute?”

Seconds later, Jiang Wanzhou sent Cheng Zhu a large red packet in the group chat.

The red packet was generous enough to buy two cups of milk tea, effectively treating Cheng Zhu to a cup as well.

—He really [I’m crying to death].

Lin Lu then jumped in: “Wow, how cute your sister is!”

Cheng Zhu directly replied, “What sister? Don’t be disrespectful; call her Auntie Teacher!”

Shen Ming Lang, always enthusiastic about such topics, also chimed in: “Ningning was very cute when she was little too, too bad she’s not cute at all now.”

Shen Qingning saw the message but couldn’t be bothered to respond.

After the milk tea was ready, Little You, with her milky voice, said to the cashier, “Thank you, sister.”

Cheng Zhu, with a stern face, said, “I paid for it, you should thank me too.”

“Thank you, brother,” said Little You.

As for Jiang Wanzhou, Cheng Zhu didn’t mention him at all.

With her milk tea, Little You’s walking pace quickened.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the small supermarket.

Cheng Zhu had visited two days ago and still hadn’t seen a transfer notice, but today it was posted.

“Let’s head back,” he said to his sister after buying a bottle of water.

As they quickly returned to the restaurant, the siblings intuitively didn’t enter immediately but found a corner to sit down, waiting for Little You to finish sipping her milk tea before going inside.

Just then, a table of customers had finished their meal, and Cheng Zhu went to help his mom clean up the table.

While tidying up, he casually shared what he had seen and heard.

It was like the usual family small talk – he talked about his last visit to a supermarket where a girl and an old man had caused a disturbance because the girl had gotten an abortion for the supermarket owner…

Cheng Zhu chatted like he was performing a stand-up comedy, even playing his own straight man.

Xu Yun glanced at him annoyed and said, “Always running your mouth, wonder who you take after!”

She didn’t say anything else but memorized the fact about the supermarket’s transfer, planning to discuss it with Cheng later.

At that moment, Cheng Zhu turned his head and saw Little You listening intently.

He knew she didn’t understand, but in her eyes, any supermarket where you could buy snacks was one of the most amazing places in the world, comparable to a milk tea shop, so she listened even though it made no sense to her.

Cheng Zhu, contemplatively, asked, “What kind of shop would Little You want to open when she grows up?”

The little girl hesitated greatly before making her choice between a supermarket and a milk tea shop, saying, “A milk tea shop!”

Cheng Zhu gently tapped her head and boasted in front of their mom, “That’s fine. When your brother makes money, he’ll open one for you!”

Xu Yun didn’t take it seriously but smiled and looked at her son, saying, “Look at you showing off.”

But Little You was full of anticipation, “Can we pinky promise?”

“Of course,” Cheng Zhu smiled and extended his hand.

At that moment, Cheng, having no dishes to cook, came out of the kitchen to drink a bowl of chilled mung bean soup.

Xu Yun immediately said, “Cheng, your son is bragging again, saying he’ll open a milk tea shop for your daughter in the future.”

Hearing this, Cheng Zhu immediately raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of antagonism, and said, “Mom, you’re exaggerating. I didn’t say I’d open the shop just for her.”

…

(ps: Temporarily first on the new book leaderboard, I need votes to secure it! I love being on top.)