Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

Cui Yu heard this and immediately put on an act, "Oh, Brother Quan, you're my competition this time."

"You're running the hundred meters too?" Dan Kaiquan was surprised.

Cui Yu stomped on the spot twice, warming up his body, and boasted,

"Not bad, that's indeed me. In junior high, I was the main force on the track team, and I'm not bragging, but my speed was unmatched in the class. At the sports meet back then, I don't know how many girls were crazy for me!"

Cui Yu, basking in the memories, couldn't help but get sentimental.

Dan Kaiquan glanced at Cui Yu, who was as skinny as a rack of bones.

"Don't doubt it. Back in junior high, they called me the 'Civilian Sprinter'," Cui Yu continued to boast.

Dan Kaiquan saw how well he could put on an act and immediately felt annoyed.

He had been training every day on the field for this sports meet, working his butt off just for a smile from Bai Yuxia.

Not to boast, but in the one-hundred-meter dashes, Dan Kaiquan had never been afraid of anyone!

"Let's have a race," Dan Kaiquan suggested.

Cui Yu quickly declined,

"I haven't practiced in a long time. Let's not, maybe some other time."

Dan Kaiquan questioned, "Were you just spouting nonsense before?"

"How can you slander an honest person like that? I have old injuries," Cui Yu said.

Meng Gui from the group said, "You didn't injure yourself running with Pang Jiao last time, did you?"

Cui Yu was really annoyed, "How could that be? Let's race!"

"Great, I'll be the referee," Meng Gui cheered.

So Meng Gui and the others watched as the two agreed to race one hundred meters.

Dan Kaiquan and Cui Yu stood side by side on the synthetic track, at the starting line, preparing. All of a sudden, Cui Yu struck a professional athlete's starting pose.

He bent his body, propped his hands on the ground, fingers pressing against the track.

Dan Kaiquan was shocked, "Brother Cui, that's so professional, way too professional!"

Guo Kunnan and Meng Gui praised, "Brother Cui can definitely win this time."

In terms of momentum, he completely overshadowed Dan Kaiquan.

Dan Kaiquan started to doubt his own abilities; after all, he was starting from a standing position, a completely different level.

He wanted to back out but, as a man, he had no way to retreat.

Cui Yu: "Don't blame me for bullying you later."

Dan Kaiquan had no choice but to bite the bullet and run, hoping not to lose too miserably.

"Contestants, take your positions," Meng Gui raised his hand.

Just as he was about to shout,

Only to hear Cui Yu say, "Hold on!"

Meng Gui looked at him strangely.

There, Cui Yu turned face down and kissed the track as if he were kissing a beloved.

He said, "This is called a sense of ceremony."

The others nearby were so embarrassed that they wanted to pretend they didn't know him.

"On your marks... Go!" Meng Gui shouted.

As soon as he finished, Dan Kaiquan took off like a wild dog unleashed, sprinting madly.

Dan Kaiquan gave it everything, his legs pumping furiously; he charged ahead like an arrow shot from a bow and sprinted toward the finish line.

Not seeing Cui Yu ahead of him, Dan Kaiquan was brimming with confidence and pushed through to complete the race.

But when he looked back from afar, Cui Yu was lying motionless on the track.

He went back.

Meng Gui, Guo Kunnan, and Hu Jun stood around Cui Yu, as if observing a rare animal.

"What happened, Brother Cui? Did you fall? Are you okay?" Dan Kaiquan asked with concern.

Meng Gui replied, "He's fine, he just lay down right after starting; I think he chickened out."

Hu Jun said, "Yeah, Yu lied!"

Guo Kunnan suggested, "Should we help him up?"

Hu Jun calmly responded, "No need."

He glanced over towards the field then suddenly exclaimed,

"Pang Jiao is coming! Pang Jiao is here!"

At these words, in less than a second, Cui Yu leapt directly up from the ground!

Cui Yu's face was panicked, his eyes darting around,

"Where? Where?"

He didn't want to lose and had deliberately laid down on the track to play dead. If Pang Jiao really did show up, his reputation would be ruined!

Cui Yu didn't want to become the next Shen Xinli.

...

After Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning finished visiting the snack street, they decided to head home.

To aid with digestion, Xue Yuantong chose to walk part of the way.

As they made their way home along the road, chatting as they walked,

Xue Yuantong seemed to have an endless stream of whimsical ideas, never running out of things to say, while Jiang Ning mostly just listened, rarely speaking.

After about twenty minutes, Xue Yuantong's mouth felt dry from talking, so she looked at the milk tea shop by the road.

"Jiang Ning, could you go buy some milk tea, please? Get two cups—I'll treat you."

"Sure, just watch my mountain bike for me," Jiang Ning entrusted her with the solemn duty of guarding his mountain bike.

So there stood Xue Yuantong by the roadside, keeping watch over the mountain bike, while several people were lined up at the milk tea shop—Jiang Ning would likely have to wait in line for a bit.

She leaned on the bike, zoning out as the sun was setting, and soon the streetlights came on.

Xue Yuantong imagined the festival tomorrow, thinking about how she would spend it with Jiang Ning and what delicious things she might eat.

Life was so beautiful!

Xue Yuantong felt as happy as she had been during her childhood.

As a child, she always looked forward to tomorrow: chasing after bugs in the fields, watching her favorite cartoons, and hoping her parents would buy her new toys—she always wanted to fall asleep quickly each night.

Because there was hope for tomorrow.

But after the family tragedy, she no longer anticipated the coming days.

She stayed up late at night, even resisting the arrival of tomorrow, because it seemed there was no difference between it and today.

Compared to the next day, the past held her interest more; she wanted to cling to the present.

Now things were different. She looked forward to tomorrow once more, like waking up early to see Jiang Ning, having breakfast together, going to school together, and doing more interesting things.

While she cherished these pleasant thoughts, she turned her gaze toward Jiang Ning by the milk tea shop's entrance, her eyes softening significantly.

'Jiang Ning, that guy, probably has no idea about any of this.'

'He's so silly every day.'

'Even queuing up so slowly, nowhere near as quick as me.'

Xue Yuantong missed Jiang Ning, and she willed him to hurry up with her mind, but unfortunately, he couldn't sense her thoughts.

She remained holding onto the bike.

At that moment, a little boy approached from behind, looking very young, perhaps only in the first or second grade.

The boy struggled with a bag in his hands, trudging along laboriously.

An old man followed him, nearly one hundred eighty centimeters tall, with a robust body, holding a black long stick in his hand.

His eyes flitted about, sneakily watching the little boy for a moment.

"Little buddy, what are you carrying? Let grandpa help you," the old man snatched away the boy's bag without asking.

"It's my books," said the little boy.

The old man inquired, "Have you finished school for the day?"

"I'm done with school. My mom is working overtime and couldn't come to pick me up," the little boy replied, grateful as he thought he had met a kind person.

The old man, walking ahead with the boy, said, "Grandpa has some tasty treats at home, come have something to eat at grandpa's place first."

The little boy replied, "My mom said I can't go to strangers' homes."

Hearing this, the old man didn't show anger but delight, revealing a smile.

"Your mom is working late; just come wait at grandpa's, and I'll take you home afterward."

Still, the little boy shook his head in refusal.

Unrelenting, the old man greedily stared at the boy's face.

"Grandpa has a video game console; come play games at my house, and after you're done, grandpa will take you home."

At the mention of the video game console, the boy seemed tempted, but remembering his mother's advice, he said,

"Grandpa, please give me my bag; I need to go home," the little boy called out.

But the old man suddenly turned hostile, his face darkened as he said,

"If you're not coming to my place, then forget about your bag!"

The little boy was stunned.

Xue Yuantong had watched the whole scene, anxious; she wasn't quite sure what the old man intended to do with that little boy at his house.

But she was certain it wasn't anything good.

She wanted to intervene, but she felt too weak.

The little boy was about to be coerced into walking away with the old man.

Xue Yuantong's face was a picture of anxiousness, her eyes darting towards Jiang Ning, yet she worried about pulling him into it.

Even though Jiang Ning was formidable, the man was old—if he just lay down and played the victim, what then?

At that moment, Jiang Ning came over with two cups of milk tea.

Xue Yuantong looked at Jiang Ning, hesitating to speak.

Jiang Ning handed her one of the milk teas and took two steps forward, stretching out his hand to snatch back the little friend's bag.

The old man glared at Jiang Ning, a mix of shock and anger!

He clutched the long stick as if he would pounce any second.

Jiang Ning just glanced at him; Xue Yuantong couldn't guess the old man's thoughts, but Jiang Ning could see right through him. Although he wasn't a saint, he couldn't simply stand by and let the boy live with a lifelong shadow.

With an even tone, Jiang Ning said, "Beat it."

His voice carried the intimidating force of Divine Power. The old man felt an explosion in his ears and was struck with fear.

Without uttering another word, he fled in utter terror.

Xue Yuantong was gobsmacked.

She had thought it would be a tough ordeal, but Jiang Ning had resolved it so effortlessly.

Jiang Ning patted Xue Yuantong's head. "No need to stare anymore; let's drink our milk tea."