Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

The rain had stopped at night.

At the school gate.

Yang Sheng looked enviously at Jiang Ning’s mountain bike:

"Next time, I’ll install fenders too, it’s convenient for riding to school on rainy days."

The rain had poured down so heavily in the afternoon that she couldn’t ride her bike and had taken the bus to school instead. On rainy days, the buses were especially crowded and uncomfortably packed.

Even with her agility, Yang Sheng had to wait for two buses before she managed to board one.

Jiang Ning, being dragged along by Xue Yuantong, said, "Just having fenders isn’t enough, you should also get a good rain cape."

Xue Yuantong continued:

"Exactly, it’s best if you take me with you, and I can even help you hold the rain cape."

She lifted her chin, looking as if she had accomplished a great feat.

As if without her, Jiang Ning would have been drenched by the rain.

Jiang Ning and Yang Sheng made their way through the crowd to the intersection outside the school.

"We’ll go ahead," Jiang Ning said.

Yang Sheng waved her hand: "See you tomorrow."

She was usually sarcastic and mocking towards the boys and girls in the class she disliked, but in front of Jiang Ning, Yang Sheng rarely showed that side of herself, instead appearing quite carefree.

At times, when she encountered something she didn’t understand, she would often ask Jiang Ning for help.

Having received favors from Jiang Ning, she never fell behind in return.

She would take the initiative to invite Jiang Ning for spicy hotpot or deep-fried skewers, her gestures unbound by convention.

...

The air was crisp and eerily silent after the rain at the river dam.

Only the streetlights emitted a faint glow.

Xue Yuantong hugged Jiang Ning tightly, complaining, "Aren’t you hungry? Go faster!"

’I can’t stand this hunger.’ Xue Yuantong heard her stomach groan.

Jiang Ning didn’t argue with her; he pedaled with strength surpassing ordinary humans, accelerating the mountain bike to an unbelievable speed.

Xue Yuantong felt the streetlights zoom by in reverse and closed her eyes, not daring to look anymore.

At that moment, with Spiritual Power boosting its speed, the mountain bike was much faster than a motorbike, and a collision with a pedestrian would definitely send the person flying, resulting in a destroyed bike and loss of life.

However, Jiang Ning’s Five Senses and Divine Sense were fully deployed, scouting ahead for any movements.

The peak speed didn’t last for 10 seconds before the mountain bike gradually slowed down and finally turned down from the dam.

Aunt Gu wasn’t waiting at the door as before; Xue Yuantong hopped off the bike and ran into the house:

"Mom, I’m back!"

She sniffed, catching the rich aroma.

Aunt Gu had just taken the foil-wrapped chicken wings out of the oven, looking a bit surprised:

"You’re back so early today, did school let out ahead of time?"

Aunt Gu had a rough sense of her daughter’s usual arrival time; today was about five minutes earlier than usual.

"I’m just really hungry." Xue Yuantong wouldn’t be simple-minded enough to tell her mom about racing, otherwise, she’d undoubtedly worry and scold her.

"Is Jiang Ning back too?"

"He’s always so slow, still parking the bike," Xue Yuantong said while washing her hands.

Halfway through her hand-washing, Jiang Ning entered.

Aunt Gu took out two plates and placed them on the dining table, then she put the roasted chicken wings on them:

"Alright, eat them while they’re hot," she said with a smile.

Xue Yuantong grabbed her chopsticks.

Aunt Gu had roasted four chicken wings in total, two for Tongtong and two for Jiang Ning.

Aunt Gu also washed some green grapes, poured two cups of boiled water, and left the kitchen.

Leaving only Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong.

The two sat down at the dining table, Xue Yuantong biting into the meat, thoroughly enjoying her meal.

Compared to her gusto, Jiang Ning was much more indifferent, occasionally picking up a green grape and popping it into his mouth.

The green grapes were sour and sweet, seedless, and very convenient to eat.

Xue Yuantong’s eating resembled that of a little thief-cat; having just finished a chicken wing, she felt blissful, but mixed with a trace of misfortune.

Because she only had one chicken wing left.

She sneakily glanced at Jiang Ning’s plate, where an untouched chicken wing still lay.

Her feeling of happiness replenished because Jiang Ning was her food supply.

After eating a green grape, Jiang Ning glanced at her:

"What are you looking at?"

Xue Yuantong shrunk back her gaze, nonchalantly saying:

"You saw wrong."

Jiang Ning was only too aware of her intentions, he scoffed quietly and continued eating grapes.

Xue Yuantong felt insulted—Jiang Ning’s attitude deeply wounded her.

How dare he look down on her so? She hadn’t even eaten yet!

A blatant prejudice.

Xue Yuantong challenged: "Humph, you’re laughing again?"

Jiang Ning: "I didn’t laugh."

"You did laugh," Xue Yuantong said, feeling aggrieved and biting fiercely into the meat.

"Alright then, I laughed," Jiang Ning admitted, openly mocking her.

Xue Yuantong’s dignity had never been so affronted, didn’t she have any face left?

Xue Yuantong immediately ignored Jiang Ning, concentrating on her meat, snubbing him was the best way to retaliate.

She wanted Jiang Ning to regret underestimating her, make him apologize; otherwise, he would be allowed only one steamed bun for breakfast tomorrow.

In Xue Yuantong’s mind, a grand strategy had been fully planned, determined to make Jiang Ning respect her.

"Xue Yuantong?" Jiang Ning called her.

Xue Yuantong tilted her small head to the side, too disdainful to pay him any attention.

"Tongtong?"

Still no response.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning pretended to pick up his plate to leave.

Xue Yuantong couldn’t hold back, calling out anxiously:

"Fight if you must, but why take away the plate?"

She was utterly aggrieved.

"You can’t do this even if we fight."

Jiang Ning had only been trying to scare her and, hearing her reaction, he put the plate back down.

He looked at Xue Yuantong’s pathetic state and said:

"This last one, I can’t finish."

Xue Yuantong’s mood lifted, beaming with joy:

"Hehe, Jiang Ning, you’re the best person to me in the whole world."

...

Monday morning.

The results for various subjects gradually came in.

Dan Kaiquan held his physics exam paper, a high school physics paper, with a full score of 100 points.

He scored 92 points.

"Who else? Who else?" Dan Kaiquan bragged arrogantly.