Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 283 Hu Xiaoyu, Oh Hu Xiaoyu (6k views, please subscribe)

Two days later, Wang Shu received an invitation from Jian Xiaojie to have afternoon tea together at a casual dining bar they used to frequent.

For this meeting, Jian Xiaojie specially brought a bottle of Château Margaux red wine, which has delicate tannins and complex aromas, making it more suitable for their enjoyment.

At a terrace table in this light-dining bar with a wonderful atmosphere and a view overlooking the south of the city, Jian Xiaojie excitedly took out a bottle of red wine and said proudly, "This is a good wine. I specially picked it out for you. Try it."

But Wang Shu reached out and covered the wine glass, saying apologetically, "No, I can't drink anymore."

Jian Xiaojie was stunned: "What do you mean you can't drink anymore? What's wrong with you?"

Wang Shu said gently but firmly, "I've given up drinking."

Jian Xiaojie was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Wait, you've quit drinking? Why? How about finishing this bottle before you quit? Or how about we have a drink to celebrate starting your abstinence?"

Wang Shu shook his head and chuckled, "So, does that mean we should celebrate drinking after a week of abstinence, and celebrate after a month? What if someone also wants to quit drinking to welcome them? Should we celebrate that too? When will I be able to quit drinking?"

Jian Xiaojie filled her wine glass almost to the brim, then took a big gulp.

For some reason, she's started to feel that red wine doesn't taste as good anymore.

After taking a swig, she continued, puzzled, "Tell me, why are you quitting drinking?"

Wang Shu didn't intend to hide it and said frankly, "Lü Yao and I are planning to have a child."

Jian Xiaojie was stunned: "Huh?"

No!

Why?

Jian Xiaojie frowned and asked, "Are you planning to get married and register your marriage?"

Wang Shu smiled and said, "There's no law that says you have to be married and have a marriage certificate to have a child, right? As for the child's household registration, that's easy to solve. Just spend some money on a paternity test and you can get the child registered. It's not a big deal."

Jian Xiaojie scratched her head, holding the wine bottle, and said with a hint of anger, "No, have you lost your mind? What do you want a child for right now? Don't you know that Lü Yao is in the prime of his career, and so are you?"

Wang Shu looked at Jian Xiaojie with a maternal gaze and said softly, "You can never finish building your career or making money. I never had any great ambitions to begin with, so it's okay."

"As for Lü Yao, I won't affect him. I'll take good care of the child myself, he doesn't need to worry about anything, and you don't need to worry either. If you miss us and the child, then come and see us. I think the child will miss his aunts very much."

Jian Xiaojie was going crazy.

She especially couldn't stand the way Wang Shu looked at her with those maternal eyes, as if they were from different worlds.

Jian Xiaojie said dejectedly, "Fine, OK! You've made a good plan, but do you know how much damage pregnancy does to a woman's body? Doesn't Lu Yao consider this for you? Now there are a whole range of services in Europe and America, even if you want to find a top student from MIT, it's no problem."

“If Lü Yao doesn’t want to pay for it, I will.”

Wang Shu remained tolerant of Jian Xiaojie, smiling faintly, "Lu Yao mentioned this to me, but I refused. I hope that my child with him is purely platonic."

Jian Xiaojie was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

After downing another bottle of red wine, she said, "You're crazy! I think you've gone mad from being in love! Do you even know what you're doing? You've been provoked by Li Rongzhen? If you're really that angry, I'll go and kill Li Rongzhen."

Wang Shu was speechless. After all, that was Lü Yao's child. Although he knew Jian Xiaojie was just saying things out of anger, it would be very bad if such words were used by someone with ulterior motives.

So Wang Shu said coquettishly, "You, stop talking nonsense."

Unexpectedly, Jian Xiaojie said with a straight face, "I'm serious."

Wang Shu stared at Jian Xiaojie silently until her eyes began to dart away. Only then did Wang Shu gently comfort her, "Don't be angry. Giving birth is a perfectly normal thing for women. You'll have a child to play with in the future."

“I remember when I first brought Lü Yao to the party to introduce you to us, didn’t you say that you were there to join us, not to break us up?”

Jian Xiaojie was stunned and speechless. She never expected that the bullet fired two years ago would now whistle through the time tunnel and hit her right between the eyebrows.

But can these be the same?

For Jian Xiaojie, joining Wang Shu and Lü Yao gave her a strange sense of being a "Nu-tou" (a derogatory term for someone who is secretly enjoying themselves) from the bottom of her heart. This feeling was deeply hidden in Jian Xiaojie's heart, making her feel like a secretly happy "Nu-tou" player when playing cards with Wang Shu and Lü Yao.

However, most men don't really care if a woman joins their poker game, especially if she's particularly good at it and makes the relationship between the players more harmonious.

In her heart, Wang Shu had always been hers.

But now... that feeling of secretly rejoicing has collapsed in an instant and vanished completely.

Jian Xiaojie's feelings were complicated! Much more complicated than any other mother's!
It's like you have a car that you take great care of. Then one day, the car spirit finds a new master who you also admire for his driving skills, so you lend him your car. Occasionally, you even race together in the car.

Everything seemed wonderful.

But one day, your car's spirit suddenly tells you that she has secretly changed the name on the property certificate to that person's, and the property that originally belonged to you is gone!

Isn't this nonsense?

Who can bear this?

So Jian Xiaojie refilled her glass of red wine, chugged it down in one gulp, and then said, somewhat exasperatedly, "You want it pure? Then... how about I help you get pregnant?"

As she spoke, Jian Xiaojie offered a particularly high-sounding reason: "I can't bear to see you suffer. I'll take on this hardship myself. I'll be perfectly at ease being your stepmother in the future."

Wang Shu was shocked.

What's going on with Jian Xiaojie?
Doesn't she want to listen to what she's saying? Getting pregnant for me? Are you serious?
People shouldn't...

At the very least, it cannot be...

Wang Shu was deeply moved...

But she ultimately declined Jian Xiaojie's offer.

Feeling particularly frustrated, Jian Xiaojie asked, "Where's Lü Yao? Where is Lü Yao?"

She wants to talk to Lü Yao!
Wang Shu said with a smile, "He went to Hangzhou early this morning."

……

Hangzhou, Chinese Painting Art Museum.

Located in the suburbs of Hangzhou, this place is almost exactly the same as when Lü Yao visited it more than a year ago—equally secluded and elegant, equally tranquil and serene.

When Lü Yao arrived, the staff member guarding the door glanced at him and instinctively wanted to say that the Chinese painting gallery was closed to the public today. However, upon recognizing Lü Yao, the staff member immediately swallowed the words that were already on his throat and said, "You've arrived. I'll go and inform Director Hu."

Lu Yao immediately stopped the staff member: "No need, I can just browse around by myself."

Although it had been a long time since he had been here, Lü Yao still felt very familiar with the place. The gardens here were exceptionally elegant, and the sound of his shoes rubbing against the pebbles on the path added to the tranquility of the place.

Walking through the gardens and courtyards, which are still lush and green even in early winter, the quiet and serene environment is like an old courtyard in Beijing that has been forgotten by the world in the last century. Pigeons buzz overhead, and the sounds can be clearly heard from afar. It is as if you can hear the sound of petals falling to the ground.

If you have a rich inner life and yearn for tranquility, this place is truly wonderful.

Lu Yao strolled through the courtyard and corridors, leisurely arriving at Hu Xiaoyu's usual workroom. When Lu Yao arrived, Hu Xiaoyu was busy cleaning the shells of black abalone in the courtyard with her back to the gate.

Although Lü Yao had already made his footsteps very lightly, Hu Xiaoyu still heard the noise and turned around to look when he was almost at the door.

Today she wore a Suzhou-embroidered Chinese-style jacket, with a light blue horse-face skirt underneath. The Chinese-style outfit, combined with Hu Xiaoyu's delicate and lovely face, made her look as serene and beautiful as a painting.

This courtyard forms the canvas and the scenery within the painting.

Because of her busy schedule, Hu Xiaoyu had a single ponytail with braided hair and some messy strands hanging down her forehead. The sleeves of her coat were also rolled up for convenience. This unkempt appearance did not make her look disheveled at all. Instead, it added a touch of everyday life to the beautiful Hu Xiaoyu.

She really fits in here.

Her clean and pure aura often makes people overlook her beauty.

When Hu Xiaoyu saw that the person who came was Lü Yao, she was slightly taken aback before smiling slightly and saying, "You came earlier than I expected. Please come inside and sit down. I'll wash my hands and then come in."

Although they hadn't seen each other for a very long time, Hu Xiaoyu didn't seem to feel any awkwardness when she saw him.

Lü Yao nodded and said, "Okay."

He arrived at Hu Xiaoyu's usual workroom, which was almost unchanged from the last time he visited. Piles of tattered ancient books filled with a rustic charm were everywhere, and the room was still filled with the smell of various medicines. The difference was that there were now many design drafts and design samples.

Hu Xiaoyu truly put her heart into designing for the "Yong" family.

Although the outside world is changing rapidly, time seems to move very slowly for Hu Xiaoyu, and even the travel is slow. She also has a kind of otherworldly quality that transcends time.

A short while later, Hu Xiaoyu came in from outside. Her previously messy hair was now neatly combed, revealing her clean and pretty face.

After drying her hands, she began preparing to brew tea. Once the aroma of the tea filled the room and diluted the smell of medicine, Hu Xiaoyu brought the tea over and said, "This is pre-Qingming Longjing tea. Try it."

Lu Yao took the teacup, took a light sniff, and smelled a refreshing aroma of tea. Unfortunately, Lu Yao was not a cultured person and could not find any particularly elegant words to praise Hu Xiaoyu's craftsmanship and treasured tea. After taking a sip and hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "Hmm, very good."

Hu Xiaoyu sat next to Lü Yao. Lü Yao, who was usually very adept at navigating the world of romance, was now somewhat reserved, as if he were a novice who had just graduated from the ranks.

After a long silence, Lü Yao finally said, "You must have heard about my situation from President Rong, right?"

Hu Xiaoyu rested her arms on the table, holding a teacup in both hands, and smiled, "You mean Li Rongzhen? I've heard about her." Lü Yao nodded, "I remember you saying a long time ago that I should remember to come find you one day, and here I am."

This was both keeping a promise and saying goodbye.

Lu Yao continued, "I heard from President Rong that someone like me is not suitable for you. I thought that by avoiding it and remaining silent, you would understand, and that with the passage of time you would gradually come to your senses and let go."

Hu Xiaoyu listened quietly, and only after Lü Yao finished speaking did she look at him, tilt her head, and smile, "So?"

What are you trying to say by saying all this? A breakup?

Hu Xiaoyu shook her head: "No, we were never even together, so saying we broke up is a bit ridiculous. How should I describe the current situation? Did you come all this way to tell me to stop liking you? To persuade me to give up on you?"

When she said this, her expression was playful, like an observer making fun of the matter, leaving Lü Yao speechless, as if it really was a bit outrageous.

Hu Xiaoyu continued in a lighthearted, almost teasing tone, "Do you imagine me as a pitiful woman locked in the deep palace, facing the high walls alone all day, shedding tears, like the delicate and frail Lin Daiyu who buries flowers in grief?"

She took a sip of her tea: "You really underestimate me. You all underestimate me."

At this moment, Hu Xiaoyu seemed to be burning with dazzling brilliance, so much so that even Lü Yao could hardly look directly at her.

She continued, "I'm still living a similar life to before, which is fulfilling and I enjoy it. At first, I might have had some trouble adjusting to the sudden quietness of life, but I got used to it later."

"Later, I would occasionally check your updates online. Although you were surrounded by beautiful women, you actually handled your relationships with men quite well. The glitz and glamour around you would sometimes give me some fantasies, but that was all."

Hu Xiaoyu looked at Lü Yao and said very seriously, "Lü Yao, I am not a self-pitying person."

Lü Yao was speechless.

Lu Yao, who always thought himself eloquent, charming, and smooth-talking, was as tongue-tied as a crow that had never uttered a sound in front of Hu Xiaoyu, and his mentality was as naive as a green recruit.

It was just like when Ga Zi first met Master Pan, or when Brother Chen first encountered three sheep.

I had prepared a whole lot to say, but now I couldn't utter a single word.

This feeling of being completely crushed by the other party in terms of the density of their thoughts and information...it feels so good! It's like a dark rat from the sewer being caught and exposed to the sun. All his struggles and hesitations were so easily resolved by Hu Xiaoyu. This feeling is so exhilarating and satisfying.

Influenced by this feeling, Lü Yao couldn't help but laugh speechlessly.

So what about all that messy mental preparation he did on his way here?
Lu Yao pursed his lips and said, "I was being foolish. Someone with such a strong inner core like you doesn't need someone like me to chime in. Sorry for bothering you."

As he spoke, he got up, preparing to leave.

But before he could reach the door, Hu Xiaoyu suddenly called out, "Lü Yao."

Lu Yao subconsciously stopped in his tracks. Then, with his back to Hu Xiaoyu, he heard Hu Xiaoyu get up and walk towards him. Immediately afterward, a pair of slender arms reached around his waist from behind and hugged him.

The sudden hug caught Lü Yao off guard, leaving him somewhat frozen in place.

Judging from the touch behind her, Lü Yao felt that Hu Xiaoyu's figure was very slender, but the feedback from the touch against her back made Lü Yao realize that Hu Xiaoyu was carrying a lot of fruit.

This was the second time Lü Yao had been this close to Hu Xiaoyu.

Lu Yao felt a little uncomfortable, even somewhat at a loss: "What's going on?"

Hu Xiaoyu didn't say anything, but hugged her even tighter.

After a moment, she said half-jokingly, "Just consider it me taking advantage of you."

Even with Hu Xiaoyu behind her, Lü Yao could still feel the coldness and reserve that had built up slowly crumbling under this embrace from behind, silently, like the sound of snow quietly sliding down a hillside.

After a long while, Hu Xiaoyu said, "Let's spend the Spring Festival in Hangzhou this year."

Every muscle in Lü Yao's body tensed up in an instant.

Yes.

The Lunar New Year is almost here again.

In other people's eyes, Lü Yao hadn't been home for Chinese New Year for two or three years after graduation.

However, in Lü Yao's own timeline, he hadn't been home for Chinese New Year for almost ten years in both his past and present lives.

That was a forbidden place in his heart. He rarely talked about his family with others, nor did he want to discuss family matters with them. But he also hoped to have a place to stay during the Spring Festival.

After a long silence, Lü Yao said, "Okay."

Lu Yao felt the atmosphere behind him lighten a little, and then Hu Xiaoyu loosened her embrace, her voice coming from behind him: "Alright, you can go now."

"Don't look back."

Lü Yao: "..."

He obediently did as he was told and walked out of the yard without ever turning his head back.

Only after watching Lü Yao's figure disappear outside the courtyard gate did Hu Xiaoyu raise her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She pursed her lips, not even quite sure why her eyes were wet.

She could actually see through Lü Yao's true nature. His desire for women wasn't that strong. What made him unable to let go of so many women around him wasn't the women themselves, but what these women possessed.

Li Rongzhen is an interest that Lü Yao cannot let go of, and a strategic move for the future.

For Lü Yao, Wang Shu and Jian Xiaojie were both people of affection and gratitude.

As for the young girls under Lü Yao's company, such as Zhou Bella, Cheng Xinyu, and Chen Xing, they were entangled with Lü Yao in terms of dependence and affection... Their bodies, emotions, and interests were intertwined, making it impossible to untangle them.

Hu Xiaoyu understood all of this. Even in her artistic family, she had seen too many similar things growing up.

However, understanding does not mean accepting.

So she hoped that one day Lü Yao would be able to sort out these relationships, or... she would be able to accept them.

As for why it had to be Lü Yao... to be honest, Hu Xiaoyu herself couldn't explain it. Just like a blank sheet of paper always yearns for vibrant colors, and a tranquil world always peeks into bustling prosperity, Lü Yao seemed to possess something that naturally attracted her.

Before her heart was moved, Hu Xiaoyu lived a clear-headed, rational, and organized life. To her, the love and affection between men and women seemed like mundane stories—interesting, but ultimately just stories.

It wasn't until she was deeply entangled in love, her thoughts becoming chaotic and tangled, that the true taste of the mortal world suddenly entered her heart. When she tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep, she realized that all her previous clarity was nothing more than a cold, detached observation from the sidelines, as if she had never been in the thick of it.

Even when love becomes a poison, she is still just an ordinary mortal.

The extreme contrast and disparity only made Lü Yao's image more deeply imprinted in her heart. Even though she knew that getting close to Lü Yao was like drinking poison to quench her thirst, she still longed for him. When she hugged Lü Yao from behind and felt the person she longed for was in her arms, so real and solid, she tasted even more sweetness from the poison.

There are some paths you know are wrong, or even dead ends, but you're still willing to walk them to the end, to see the scenery along the way.

It turns out that feelings are such a confusing and incomprehensible thing.

Hu Xiaoyu has indeed become more confused than before, but this confusion has allowed her to experience more feelings she had never experienced before.

She might be wrong.

But this made her life experience even richer.

Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Hu Xiaoyu took a few deep breaths and returned to normal. Then, as before, she rolled up her sleeves and continued brushing her black gold abalone shells in the yard. She would use these things to design new mother-of-pearl patterns later.

……

After leaving the Chinese painting gallery, Lü Yao returned to his Land Rover.

"call--"

Lu Yao couldn't help but let out a long sigh. To be honest, he didn't know what he was nervous about, or even when he started to feel suppressed by Hu Xiaoyu's aura.

Was it when Hu Xiaoyu uttered his first words? Or when he first saw Hu Xiaoyu's back in the courtyard? Or perhaps... when the name "Hu Xiaoyu" and the figure it represented came to mind?

Lu Yao couldn't tell them apart at all.

Inside the car, Lü Yao couldn't help but rub his face hard twice.

After returning from studying abroad, Lü Yao was surrounded by many women, but he was very clear about how he treated different women and the place each woman held in his heart.

This is not trash.

Rather, it is clarity.

As for the "heart and eyes are filled with you" that little fairies ask for... that only exists in Qiong Yao's novels and female-oriented novels. If you can't understand this point, you will always be confined by the "natural attributes of men and women" and unable to break out of the framework.

Top-tier designers are no longer satisfied with using labels like "male" and "female" to differentiate groups, which is why we see self-defined labels like Walmart shopping bags and RT-Mart fish-killing knives.

Beneath the layers of chaos and confusion, this world is simple, pure, and somewhat cruel, even bloody—because there are only two kinds of people in this world:
The strong, and the weak.

Because of the added benefit of studying abroad, Lü Yao has always remained clear-headed.

But this clarity of mind failed Hu Xiaoyu.

Lu Yao sighed again, leaning back in the driver's seat, his eyes vacant as he murmured, "Hu Xiaoyu, oh Hu Xiaoyu..."

(End of this chapter)