Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 200, Chapter 198: Peers and Good Friends

At the main entrance of Jiangnan Jiayuan residential community, a white Porsche with its hazard lights flashing gently honked its horn.

A figure opened the passenger door and got in.

"Did you buy a car?"

"Ah."

"Let's go."

The conversation between the two was quite brief.

Before stepping on the gas, Zhou Mingyuan glanced at the passenger seat out of the corner of his eye, a smile appearing on his lips, and looked out the window.

The counselor was wearing makeup.

Moreover, it's quite obvious.

The sunlight outside the car window had already begun to set in the west.

The white sedan drove past towering buildings and bustling traffic, past traffic lights and overpasses, the buildings outside the window becoming increasingly shorter and their arrangement more chaotic.

That's right.

The farther you are from Nanhu University, the less likely you are to run into any acquaintances.

Passing through the circular archway of the Yangtze River Bridge and past one bustling stall after another, the two finally reached a consensus and decided on their destination.

A remote barbecue restaurant.

The air was thick with the smoke of cooking oil, the noise of people filled the air, and neon signs flashed with a cheap yet enthusiastic light.

Greasy plastic tables and chairs filled the narrow aisle, and the air was filled with the aroma of cumin, chili powder, and the burnt smell of grease from charcoal.

All that remains is a vibrant, down-to-earth atmosphere.

This was completely out of place for Shen Yunrong.

She was still wearing her off-white work suit, and her high heels were reflected in the dim light.

She sat on a wobbly plastic stool, her lips tightly pressed together, her back ramrod straight, a stark contrast to the lively scene of beer foam flying everywhere not far away.

Zhou Mingyuan sat facing her, took off his coat, skillfully rinsed two sets of bowls and chopsticks with boiling water, picked up the greasy menu, and began to speak.

"Lamb skewers, beef tendon, chicken wings, grilled chives, eggplant. Does Teacher Shen drink alcohol?"

He looked up at Shen Yunrong, his gaze calm.

"."

Shen Yunrong traced circles on the table with her fingertips, making the rose-red color appear somewhat dull.

She didn't look at the menu or Zhou Mingyuan; her gaze was empty, fixed on the laughing young couples at the next table.

Their joy was loud and jarring.

Her throat tightened, and after a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth: "A dozen beers."

Soon, sizzling, oily meat skewers and ice-cold beer were served.

Zhou Mingyuan picked up a bottle and skillfully pried open the cap with the tip of his chopsticks, and golden foam instantly gushed out.

He filled the glass in front of Shen Yunrong and then poured one for himself.

"Xiao Zhou, I'm sorry."

Shen Yunrong did not move.

She stared intently at the bubbling beer in front of her, watching the water droplets quickly condense and slide down the glass, and continued speaking.

“There are no secrets within the system. I got emotional, so this is not your fault.”

"Even since the money was recovered, I haven't been able to say a single word to you in person."

"Thank you, thank you."

She suddenly reached out, grabbed the cup, tilted her head back, and gulped it down in one go.

The icy liquid, bitter and harsh, rushed down her throat, causing her to cough softly.

"Cough cough."

She covered her mouth, involuntarily bent over, and a stray strand of hair fell from her hair bun and stuck to her forehead.

"You don't have to be so polite."

Zhou Mingyuan did not immediately pat her back, nor did he hand her a tissue.

Only when Shen Yunrong's coughing subsided, leaving only increasingly labored breathing, did he pull out a few rough napkins and push them in front of her.

"I understand. Everyone knows that you, Teacher Shen, are always very respectable. It's normal to feel bad when people talk about this behind your back."

"."

Shen Yunrong lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

The noise of the barbecue stall seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, leaving only her deep breathing echoing between the two of them.

"Decent."

The word sounds like "electrocution."

Shen Yunrong suddenly raised her head, her voice heavy with nasal consonant, so low it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.

"I have no dignity left."

When their eyes met, Zhou Mingyuan saw despair, anger, and a deep-seated shame churning within her eyes.

"Most of my colleagues, when discussing this, think I'm just love-struck and..."

Her voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp edge that pierced through everything: "You brainless and clueless idiot."

"You big idiot."

Swearing and alcohol seemed to become outlets for venting.

She grabbed the beer bottle on the table and poured herself a full glass. Her hands trembled so badly that a lot of the beer spilled out, soaking a little of her silk cuffs.

Ignoring everything else, she tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp.

"Decent. Xiao Zhou, do you even know what decent means?"

I drank it a little too fast.

Shen Yunrong put down her wine glass, her cheeks flushed, her eyes staring blankly at the distant neon lights, her voice suddenly becoming low.

She was really bursting with pent-up frustration.

Apart from Zhou Mingyuan, who knew the whole story, she found it difficult to find anyone else to confide in about her inner turmoil.

colleague?

impossible.

Classmates or friends?

It's good enough if you don't laugh at yourself.

family?

She denied it immediately.

"As far back as I can remember, the phrase my dad most often said was, 'A person lives for their reputation, just as a tree lives for its bark.'"

She drifted into a hazy memory, her fingers nervously rubbing the cold beer glass.

"In elementary school, I had to be number one in my class because only by being number one could I earn the teacher's praise and avoid being told by the neighbors, 'Old Shen's daughter is nothing special.'"

"In middle school, I couldn't get too close to boys because it was easy to fall in love too early, and I couldn't play with chatty girls either, even if they just liked to laugh and make noise, because they didn't seem like good girls."

"I studied hard, pursued postgraduate studies, and entered a university because it's a respectable path, a respectable job, and it sounds good!"

Her voice grew louder and louder, carrying the feeling of something that had been pent up for many years finally bursting forth.

"I dare not get tired, dare not love, dare not show weakness, dare not admit what I want, and dare not accept a relationship that goes against universal values."

"I lived my life as a symbol of respectability, thinking I had built an impenetrable wall of steel. But what was the result?"

Her fingertips turned white from the force, and her face was full of self-mockery.

"The result is good."

Zhou Mingyuan chimed in at the opportune moment.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it strangely pierced through the surrounding noise and clearly reached Shen Yunrong's ears.

"What did you say?"

Shen Yunrong's eyes widened.

"I said that the outcome of the company's death might be a good thing for you."

He released his grip, picked up his wine glass, and took a slow, deliberate sip, his posture relaxed, as if chatting with an old friend.

"."

The counselor was stunned, her face filled with astonishment and disbelief.

"Honestly, Teacher Shen, you really lived a stupid life before."

Zhou Mingyuan wiped his mouth and continued.

Just listening to you from the other side makes me feel tired.

"Aren't you tired of being so formal all day long?"

The man shrugged, then spat the bone out of his mouth toward the trash can with a "plop."

He misjudged it, and the bone fell to the ground. He bent down again, wrapped it in a tissue, and threw it into the trash can.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the glimpse of Shen Yunrong's fair and delicate calves peeking out from under her skirt.

Her breasts were round and firm, with lifted calves and incredibly slender ankles, which seemed somewhat mismatched with the plumpness above.

Small frame, big butt.

Her figure alone is top-notch.

It's no wonder Zhou Mingyuan said these things to his older sister today.

In his eyes, having such exceptional qualities yet remaining single for over twenty years is truly a waste of talent.

"You and I."

Shen Yunrong was suddenly scolded, and her eyebrows furrowed. Just as she was about to retort, she was interrupted by the man and stood there.

"From now on, just live more authentically, like you did just now!"

Zhou Mingyuan continued.

"reality?"

The other party couldn't help but ask a question in return.

"Looking disheveled, emotionally distraught, sitting at a barbecue stand complaining to you like a wronged woman? Is that what you call authentic?"

"Why not?"

Zhou Mingyuan's gaze was intense.

"At least you showed emotion just now, and only when you showed emotion can you be considered real."

“You weren’t wearing that mask. You were afraid, you were in pain, you were lost, and you were venting like a living, breathing person.”

“If it were someone else, I might not have the right to make a subjective judgment, but I have seen the real you.”

Zhou Mingyuan paused for a moment, then looked over with a half-smile.

"Ms. Revlon, I've seen all your chat history. What are you pretending for?"

"."

The man's words struck Shen Yunrong's heart like a heavy hammer.

She bit her cherry lips tightly, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, and fell silent.

Ask yourself, have you ever truly lived for yourself?

"You want to make money too, right? You want to date handsome guys, right? You want to experience a lot of things, don't you?"

The man picked up a skewer of crispy, golden-brown chicken wings and handed it to Shen Yunrong, speaking softly.

"Do what you want to do, learn to reconcile with your desires, and you won't be deceived."

"Here."

"Look here, look around."

Zhou Mingyuan gestured for her to look around.

At the next table, a shirtless man was bragging loudly, his face flushed and neck red; those young couples were already quite drunk, secretly kissing and cuddling; the proprietress was shouting orders at the top of her lungs, her face shiny with oil.
There is no elegance or restraint here, only the most primal and vibrant vitality.

"Nobody here knows you are Shen Yunrong from Nanhu University, and nobody cares that you were scammed by your online boyfriend."

"Everyone only cares about whether the meat skewers are flavorful enough, whether the beer is cold enough, and whether they are happy enough."

Zhou Mingyuan's voice was deep and powerful.

"True dignity should be about living freely and not being so conventional, right?"

"Living your life like that is just plain stupid."

"Laugh out loud when you're happy, swear when you're sad, and lean in for a kiss!"

The man drawled out his words, deliberately pointing to the young couple kissing passionately at the next table.

"To live life to the fullest, openly and honestly, is true living!"

He paused, then refocused his gaze on Shen Yunrong's pale face.

"It's true that you were scammed out of money."

"It's true that this matter has spread."

Why do I say it's a good thing?

Zhou Mingyuan leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere.

"Now that the news has spread throughout the school, you can finally put it aside."

"Drop those damn shackles, drop the dignity you've been carrying for so many years. Everyone thinks you're an idiot, and that's a fucking good thing!"

Shen Yunrong's pupils contracted slightly as she looked at him in disbelief.

"Trusting me is a good thing."

Zhou Mingyuan repeated.

"Only when the Shen Yunrong who lived in the eyes of others died could the real Shen Yunrong have a chance to come back to life."

He picked up the wine bottle and refilled Shen Yunrong's empty glass, the golden liquid swirling inside.

".real?"

Shen Yunrong relaxed her tense back and said in a hoarse voice.

She didn't want to pretend anymore.

Anyway, you're all fucking dead, Shen Yunrong, what's the point of you acting respectable anymore?
"Really, I understand you perfectly."

Zhou Mingyuan saw the counselor put down his chopsticks and hand him two tissues.

“People like you who have never stepped out of the ivory tower are prone to getting stuck on minor issues.”

"You're making it sound like you've already walked away."

Shen Yunrong straightened her neck, wiped her mouth, then took out a small mirror from her bag and applied lipstick as if no one else was around.

Dior 999, Flame Blue Gold.

As the most authentic bright red lipstick in the world, she has never mustered the courage to use it since she became financially independent.

Although I bought it a long time ago, for some reason, I always feel that it doesn't suit my personality.

But today, Shen Yunrong suddenly wanted to try it.

Looking at myself in the mirror again, the color rendering is excellent, my skin tone is brightened, and the effect is quite good.

"Of course I'm different from you; our mindsets are on completely different levels."

Zhou Mingyuan crossed his arms and smiled.

"On the one hand, if I were you, I wouldn't choose to live the way you do, wasting my life."

"On the other hand, after being respectable for so many years and suppressing my emotions for so long, even if it's just out of instinct, I need to find an outlet for my emotions."

"Am I not already venting?"

The smoke from the barbecue stalls rose in swirling motions, mingling with the aromas of cumin, chili, and grilled meat.

The laughter from the next table, the boss's shouts, and the clinking of beer bottles created a noisy yet vibrant background sound.

Shen Yunrong stared blankly at Zhou Mingyuan.

The light from the embers danced in his eyes, reflecting her image at that moment.

"What kind of venting is drinking this little bit of horse urine?"

Doesn't that count?

She looked down at the golden liquid in her glass; the foam had long since dissipated, leaving only a calm surface.

"Boss, bring two more dozen!"

"."

Hearing Zhou Mingyuan continue to ask for more wine, Shen Yunrong did not refuse.

She slowly reached out, no longer gulping down the beer in a fit of rage, but hesitantly grasping the beer glass covered in water droplets.

The rough cup wall rubbed against my palm, bringing a strange, real tactile sensation.

"Come on, starting today, don't care what others think, don't overthink things, accept your imperfections, and try a different way of living!"

"May you find yourself, cheers!"

Zhou Mingyuan opened two bottles of wine with practiced ease and handed one to Shen Yunrong.

"cheers!"

She squinted, picked up her wine glass, and removed her glasses, tucking them casually into her shirt collar. Her back was no longer straight, and she began to relax.

It's rather strange.

From a social perspective, the other party should clearly maintain boundaries and distinct boundaries with themselves, but they don't do that at all.

Whether it was his expression, tone of voice, or that carefree attitude, everything about him made Shen Yunrong feel somewhat dazed.

It's like sitting across from someone your own age.

good friend.

A good friend who's kind of handsome.

(End of this chapter)