Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 653 - 406: Fiddling_2

Now, after a year of relentless effort, he had become more powerful than ever before.

It was time to take back what he had lost!

Chen Qian put down his test paper halfway and comforted Yu Wen,

"Actually, I’m not really fair-skinned, I just appear so by your side. Don’t be discouraged, you’re very good."

Yu Wen’s expression turned stiff.

Dong Qingfeng was surprised at how well Chen Qian could comfort a girl.

...

Bai Yuxia approached Xue Yuantong for help with a question and even managed to understand some of it, which earned her a look of surprise from Chen Siyu. Bai Yuxia smiled softly.

From across the riverbank, Dan Kaiquan caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye.

He thought in agony, ’Hadn’t we agreed not to look at her?’

When the movie ended, Bai Yuxia showed no reaction, while Dan Kaiquan couldn’t calm his mind for a long time.

In an effort to restrain himself, he rested his arms on the desk and laid his head down, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

The movie had told a tragic love story.

The poignant scenes made Dan Kaiquan think of his own love, which had barely started before it hurriedly came to an end.

The distance between him and Bai Yuxia was like that between humans and spirits in the film—two parallel lines with an immense chasm in between that could never intersect.

At this moment, Dan Kaiquan felt an overwhelming pressure in his heart, as if he were suffocating.

’Distance, huh?’ He always believed not in fate but in defying it.

His consciousness began to drift, his eyelids felt heavy:

’What is distance, really?’

Pain, helplessness, regret, and reluctance fleetingly crossed his mind.

Scenes tangled in chaos, finally morphing into a familiar tableau.

He seemed to return to his childhood, to the little village he knew so well.

He was the boy who herded cattle, while Bai Yuxia was the daughter of the village landlord. From a young age, she was exceptionally beautiful, with many boys around her.

Whenever Bai Yuxia stepped outside, she was always in clean clothes, while he, was a dusty cattle-herding boy.

There was a distance between them.

What of it? Dan Kaiquan believed that with his efforts, he could one day break that distance!

He herded cattle, practiced martial arts, and studied.

Years later, he emerged in the village as a promising young man of note.

Finally, he earned a promise from the landlord, that in a few years, when the time was right, they would have a wedding.

By his own effort, Dan Kaiquan had closed the so-called distance.

Then the war came, and the village he treasured was trampled under the hooves of cavalry.

Dan Kaiquan was separated from Bai Yuxia amidst the chaos of war.

From the north, through immense hardships, he escaped to Jiangnan and became a lowly tugman.

"The mist shrouded the cold waters as the moon encased the sands, docking by night near the taverns along the Qinhuai River."

He saw Bai Yuxia again.

"Jiangnan youths vied for attention; the count of red silk dances unknown."

When they met again, she had become Jiangnan’s most renowned Oiran, with a single glimpse costing one hundred taels of gold.

And he, was a tugman who pondered over even eating a plain bun.

That night, Dan Kaiquan stood by the riverbank all night, sleepless.

The distance between him and Bai Yuxia had grown even more.

The next day, he quit his job as a tugman and plunged back into the north.

"Bold ambitions fueled by the flesh of foreign foes, jest and thirst quenched by the blood of the Xiongnu."

Three years later, the land was reclaimed, and he returned as a Great General.

But he found that Bai Yuxia had long since become the Crown Princess Consort of the Han Palace.

All of Dan Kaiquan’s glory suddenly lost its meaning.

Day and night he thought of her, restless, turning obsession into a demon in his heart.

Three months later, the Emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne.

On that day, he held the Fangtian Halberd, one man, one halberd, stormed the Golden Throne Hall, and assassinated the new Emperor.

The court was in shock, and no courtier dared to speak out, for he had already become too powerful to control.

He had seized the Jade Seal, and from that moment on, he became the Emperor.

Finally, Dan Kaiquan took step by step towards the harem, where he saw Bai Yuxia.

She was dressed in red, her brows knitted in displeasure, so beautiful that all else paled in comparison.

Dan Kaiquan looked at her, and in that moment, all the distances of the world were cut through by him, for he was the Master of Heaven.

His eyes brimmed with tenderness, ready to take Bai Yuxia’s hand.

Suddenly, he was slapped on the head, Dan Kaiquan lifted his head from the desk, and Guo Kun Nan exclaimed, "Stop sleeping here, let’s go out and buy some pancakes."

Dan Kaiquan regained consciousness; he saw Bai Yuxia and Chen Si Yu leave the classroom a few meters away.

...

The evening self-study session ended.

Ten minutes later, the majority of the students from other classes had left, but over half of Experimental Class 1 remained, studying in the classroom.

Outside in the corridor, stood three people. Li Shi leaned against the balcony, her eyes looking toward Ding Shuyan in the classroom, waiting to walk home with her after she finished.

Lin Zida dragged over a stool and sat in the corridor, leisurely playing games.

Zhuang Jianhui leaned on the balcony, pressing on his temples to relieve his fatigue, while chatting with Lin intermittently.

"Do you still remember Yuan Lin, who said a few days ago that he was coming to Yuzhou for a visit?" Zhuang Jianhui said.

"Isn’t he studying in Shen City? What’s he doing coming to our little place, to drink rice wine?" Lin Zida chuckled, Yuzhou’s rice wine was indeed famous.

Zhuang Jianhui gazed upon the tranquil campus without turning his head, "He was just saying it, you know his personality."

Lin Zida played his game, "Yeah, I bet he thinks we’ve fallen on hard times."

Zhuang Jianhui continued, "It’s likely we won’t have many chances to meet in the future. His path... after all, it’s different from ours."

Li Shi asked with curiosity, "What path?"

Lin Zida grinned, not bothering to conceal his words, "A path that doesn’t involve taking middle school or college entrance exams, instead going straight overseas after graduation."

Many of their peers in their circle took this path, attending international schools from a young age, focusing on developing hobbies and interests with a light curriculum, not subjected to exam-oriented education, but rather so-called quality education.

Li Shi knew something about this, she quickly understood what both were implying,

"That’s not necessarily true, if they want to attend a university in our country, they might give it a try."

Zhuang Jianhui was skeptical, "Them?"

Those quality education students, if they were to compete in the college entrance exams, they could be crushed by those who spent every day grinding out practice exams, doubting their very existence.

...

A day passed, it was early Friday morning.

Xue Chuchu was studying in the next room, Jiang Ning leaned on the sofa, enjoying a horror movie; Xue Yuantong had been scared back home.

This method wasn’t bad, in the future, if she becomes a nuisance, she could be chased away with this little trick.

Xue Yuantong tossed and turned in bed, having completed her game, she felt a bit empty, her mom was also asleep.

Only food could fill this void. She remembered the fruit Jiang Ning had brought last time and sent a message,

"Jiang Ning, do you still have those red grapes? I won’t eat them, just asking."

Soon, she received a reply, "No more."

Xue Yuantong could barely hide her disappointment. How wonderful would it be to have delicious and juicy grapes tonight?

A whole night of peaceful sleep, but alas, they were gone.

"Ah, okay then." She collapsed onto the bed, flinging her calves listlessly.

She wanted to sleep.

Right before she was about to fall asleep, she received a message from Jiang Ning, "Why didn’t you ask if I had any other fruit?"

Seeing this message, Xue Yuantong instantly revived, imagining a big watermelon, its taste second to none compared to the red grapes. Eating a slice late at night would surely be a delightful experience!

She instantly regained her spirits, changing from lying down to sitting up, pouting her lips, "So do you have other fruits?"

Jiang Ning tapped on the screen, "No."

Xue Yuantong’s face first went blank, then all her anticipation turned into anger. With her wit, she guessed Jiang Ning was teasing her.

That was mean! He had turned bad!

It had always been her teasing Jiang Ning, but tonight, she was the one played for a fool. Xue Yuantong was wholly discontented.

She snatched up the phone, tapping the screen, "Jiang Ning, that was too much!"

She began to type in the chat box, preparing to lecture him until he apologized on his own.

Jiang Ning sent with a laugh, "Then why didn’t you ask if I was lying to you about not having fruit?"

Xue Yuantong’s hopes rose again, "So you actually do have fruit, and you were just tricking me just now?"

Jiang Ning, "I wasn’t lying."