Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 1468 - 811: Sending Her Off (Part 2)

In the cozy bedroom, Tongtong curled up in the warm little quilt, sleeping peacefully, indifferent to the world.

Jiang Ning withdrew his Divine Sense, no longer paying attention to Tongtong. He opened the door and got up, drawing a stream of water from the water tank with his fingers, turning it into a trickle, continuously swirling around his body.

Jiang Ning emerged from the rising steam, completely refreshed, and his hairstyle was even more styled than if it had been permed.

He arrived at Chuchu’s house and saw Chuchu holding a potato, about to peel it.

"Not listening again." Jiang Ning blamed her.

Xue Chuchu quietly put down the potato, too embarrassed to speak.

After last night’s incident, Jiang Ning jokingly didn’t take her money, explained to her, and finally reminded her not to cook breakfast this morning, suggesting to eat out instead.

"Have you packed everything?" Jiang Ning asked.

Xue Chuchu: "Still missing some clothes."

Jiang Ning: "Alright, once you’re done, we’ll head to the urban area. I know a pretty good breakfast place there."

"Hmm..." With Tongtong absent, Chuchu rarely spoke.

Ten minutes later, Xue Chuchu had packed everything thoroughly. She carried a bag and a tote bag.

Seeing Jiang Ning looking over, she explained, "My cousin had a baby, so my mom bought her bird’s nest, donkey-hide gelatin, and vacuum-packed braised beef from the company."

Jiang Ning nodded, indicating he understood.

Xue Chuchu quietly followed him, silent once more.

’This is too dull... too quiet.’ Jiang Ning thought.

He was the first to head out the door, returned to his own house, and pushed his titanium gray electric scooter out, its lights bright and stylish.

Jiang Ning looked at Chuchu again, dressed in a light blue down jacket, pale like the faint blue of the horizon, with a cleanliness that was uniquely characteristic of students.

’Not bad, Chuchu is a genuine high school girl.’ Jiang Ning mused.

Even more wonderful was that aside from this purity, Xue Chuchu always maintained a slight sense of detachment, making her seem even more unattainable.

Jiang Ning placed the tote bag into the storage compartment of the scooter and then took Chuchu to the urban area.

Heading west, the day gradually brightened.

Jiang Ning said, "You’re quite impressive, getting up early to cook every day."

The key was that the food was quite good, almost every meal had stir-fried dishes.

The embarrassment from last night faded significantly, Xue Chuchu: "Just a habit, aren’t you the same?"

Jiang Ning: "Back when I was in school, there was no way I’d get up that early. I just wanted to sleep more; a bowl of instant noodles was enough every morning."

The wind in their faces tousled Chuchu’s hair. She tucked a few strands of hair from her forehead, her voice pure: "You and Tongtong have some similarities, but she changed later on."

Jiang Ning: "Hmm?"

Xue Chuchu reminisced about the past: "In primary school, we had early reading classes. In winter, it was still dark, and we often arrived at school while it was still early. Tongtong always had instant noodles in the morning, and when Aunt Gu saw this, she scolded her for eating so poorly, saying it was unhealthy, and decided to cook for her instead."

Jiang Ning: "Oh? Didn’t Tongtong start eating with you afterward?"

Xue Chuchu pursed her lips: "On the first day, Aunt Gu made a lot of delicious food for Tongtong, like stir-fried edamame with shredded meat, boiled eggs, scallion pancakes, and simmered meatball soup."

Jiang Ning: "Aunt Gu is impressive."

Xue Chuchu: "Once was alright, but then Aunt Gu got up early every day for two months to cook for Tongtong. And Tongtong, she got up later and later and became more and more picky..."

Jiang Ning imagined the scene and laughed: "I bet Aunt Gu really regretted it."

Getting up at around 5 a.m. every winter day to cook was too torturous.

Xue Chuchu: "Yeah, eventually she stopped and bought instant noodles for Tongtong again."

Jiang Ning laughed.

After this conversation, the sense of unfamiliarity between Jiang Ning and Chuchu dissipated, and they started talking about little things in life. Before they knew it, they had reached the old street in the urban area.

Only when Jiang Ning stopped the scooter did Xue Chuchu realize she felt surprisingly warm, not at all like the usual cold she felt when riding.

She was surprised as her gaze moved to the breakfast shop by the street. As the lid of the pot was lifted, a burst of steam rose, accompanied by the fragrant smell of buns.

Jiang Ning introduced, "The taste of these Huang’s Water Fried Buns is quite good."

They got up very early, yet in front of the breakfast shop, a small queue had already formed.

Jiang Ning also joined the line. At the front of the queue, the owner, wearing work clothes, stood by the boiler, scooped a ladle of water, poured it into the pot, then covered it, rhythmically turning the edge of the pot with his hands, with a very energetic and rhythmic motion.

From time to time, hungry customers would shout, "Boss, when will it be ready?"

"Almost ready! Almost ready!"

When it was Jiang Ning’s turn, he ordered 6 yuan worth of water fried buns and two bowls of egg soup.

The boss lady grabbed a bowl in one hand and an egg in the other, skillfully cracked the egg, and mixed it well.

Finally, she picked up a big ladle, scooped a spoonful of bone soup, raised it slightly, and poured it into the bowl. The soup was rich with ingredients like black fungus, shredded tofu, minced meat... and lastly, she sprinkled coriander on top.

Jiang Ning found the indoor space too stuffy, so he sat outside at an open-air table.

Xue Chuchu was wiping the table and benches. Jiang Ning waved his hand, spiritual energy swept over, cleaning it again, while also warming up the benches a bit.

The two of them faced the morning sun, gathered around the dining table. Jiang Ning took a sip of the soup; in the cold winter, it was fresh and hot, warming him up entirely.

He picked up his chopsticks, indicating the water fried buns on the plate next to him.

Xue Chuchu noticed that the buns looked quite appealing, with a golden crispy layer at the bottom and white dough on top.

She picked one up, blew on it, took a bite, hot at first, then fragrant and soft, followed by a mouthful of beef vermicelli filling.

Seeing her elegant eating manner, Jiang Ning asked, "Delicious, right?"

Xue Chuchu replied, "Yes, it’s delicious."

Jiang Ning picked up a bun, dipped it in chili oil, and said, "Occasionally eating breakfast outside is quite nice."

Of course, if one eats outside every day, it could easily become tiresome.

In his past life, Jiang Ning often ate breakfast outside, mostly by himself. Now bringing Chuchu along brought a different kind of joy, unlike when he was with Tongtong.

Because they were by the roadside, people were coming and going.

Being a pretty girl, Xue Chuchu naturally caught people’s attention, but no one came to disturb them. Jiang Ning specifically chose a small table for two to avoid sharing the table with others.

When breakfast was over, Xue Chuchu had eaten four buns, more than Jiang Ning, and she felt a bit embarrassed, voluntarily running to pay the bill.

Two young guys nearby, who had played games all night, saw the scene and looked at Jiang Ning with some shock and admiration.

Jiang Ning, basking in their envy, faintly smiled.

After Xue Chuchu finished paying, Jiang Ning rode his cool electric scooter and disappeared from the crowd’s sight.

He parked again in front of the passenger station.

"To Tu County, to Tu County!" Two black car drivers were shouting at the intersection.

Xue Chuchu never took this type of car, first, because they were relatively expensive, and second, due to the complicated crowd, often squeezing three people into the back seat, she couldn’t guarantee everyone would be good people.

She and Jiang Ning headed straight to the ticket hall. Xue Chuchu stopped walking, her bright eyes looking clear and moving, seemingly reluctant: "That’s enough, Jiang Ning. You should go back."

Jiang Ning nodded, "Okay, be careful on the road."

While speaking, his Divine Sense touched Xue Chuchu’s Protective Jade Pendant on her chest, which was filled with spiritual power, enough to handle everyday crises.

Considering Tongtong’s repeated enhancements to the Jade Pendant, the little rabbit bracelet... Jiang Ning formed a magic formation, drawing out a full two-tenths of mana, casting a temporary protective array around Chuchu.

With such a protection spell, even if the coach collided with two big trucks, she would still be unscathed. And if anyone harbored ill intentions, the array would trigger a counterattack.

’From Yu Zhou City to Hu Miao Town is about 65 kilometers; with the Spirit Boat’s speed, it could be reached within 5 minutes. Even if the array killed dozens of people, I could cover it up easily,’ Jiang Ning thought.

Xue Chuchu was oblivious to this. She took a few steps forward, blending into the crowd, ultimately unable to resist turning back.

Jiang Ning stood quietly at the hall entrance, watching her.

Xue Chuchu inexplicably felt at ease, her face blossomed with a gentle smile, melting away the coldness, revealing a hint of sweetness.