After Rebirth, I Married My Rival - Chapter 03

Chapter 3 The Unlucky Li Xinran

« Alright. Let’s walk and see if we can find a taxi. » Xu Yuan had no other choice; it really seemed like he was having some bad luck.

The two walked together down the street, the air feeling somewhat silent.

The evening breeze blew gently, really quite comfortable. Xu Yuan had his hands behind his head, admiring the night view of Jiangcheng. It had been a long time since he had taken a leisurely stroll like this.

In his previous life, after graduation, from starting a business to later achieving success, life had always been fast-paced. To describe it in twelve words: young, wealthy, busy every day, enviable.

If nothing unexpected happened, after Xu Yuan reached a cooperation with Tianyu Pharmaceuticals, the company would be able to go public successfully in a short time.

But the unexpected came so suddenly, everything starting over from scratch, as if heaven was playing a joke on him.

As he walked, Xu Yuan realized that someone seemed to be missing beside him.

Looking back, Li Xinran was hobbling forward with difficulty, her teeth biting her red lips, looking like she was in a lot of pain, but she didn’t make a sound.

This girl had actually twisted her ankle.

Xu Yuan stepped forward and helped Li Xinran sit by the nearby flower bed, not caring whether she was willing or not, gently holding her ankle.

« Ah… hiss. » Li Xinran tried to pull her foot back, but unfortunately it aggravated the injury. Her red lips parted, revealing two small tiger teeth.

Don’t move, let me take a look.

Xu Yuan said sharply, carefully taking off her shoe for her.

Li Xinran’s pretty face flushed red, but she didn’t dare to struggle anymore, afraid of the pain.

« Does it hurt? » Xu Yuan nodded towards the slightly swollen ankle and asked.

A little.

After a simple examination, Xu Yuan helped her put her shoes back on and looked up at Li Xinran, saying, « There shouldn’t be any major problem. The bones aren’t dislocated, it’s just a ligament strain. »

Li Xinran seemed a bit doubtful about Xu Yuan’s judgment and couldn’t help but pout.

I suspect you’re trying to take advantage of me, but I don’t have any proof.

« If I really wanted to take advantage of you, I’d just find an excuse and take you to a hotel right away, » Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at the girl and raised his hand to give her a playful headbutt.

« I have a phone and can call the police. » Li Xinran rubbed her forehead, which was a bit sore, and tightly clutched her phone to her chest, saying firmly.

Xu Yuan was simply unfairly accused, but he was too lazy to explain. He turned his back, patted his own back, and gestured for the other person to get on: « I was about to say you twisted your ankle on purpose, trying to give me a chance. »

« With the way you talk, do you really think any girl would like you? » Li Xinran frowned. Xu Yuan’s words made it seem like she had twisted her ankle deliberately.

« Hurry up, my leg is going numb from squatting, » Xu Yuan said, turning back to urge her.

Li Xinran hesitated for a moment, feeling the slight pain in her ankle. She carefully leaned forward and placed her hand on Xu Yuan’s shoulder.

Feeling the soft touch on his back, Xu Yuan was slightly surprised; this girl had something going on.

Xu Yuan’s big hand grabbed Li Xinran’s two fair legs and effortlessly carried her on his back.

« Am I really unlucky? I even twisted my ankle just walking, » Li Xinran suddenly said.

That warm, humid breath blew by Xu Yuan’s ear, and this strange sensation made the experienced Xu Yuan blush unconsciously. Fortunately, Li Xinran couldn’t see his current expression.

Actually, you want me to say no, right? But if I straightforwardly say no, you’ll definitely argue with me.

Come on, you’re a top student, the city’s top scorer. No matter how bad your luck is, you wouldn’t have lost your exam admission ticket before the test, right?

Xu Yuan didn’t know what this girl was thinking. She had studied so much, yet still believed in luck?
« I really lost it. Didn’t you pick it up and give it back to me? » Li Xinran said somewhat surprised.

Xu Yuan almost stumbled when he heard this.

When did this happen? It was so long ago that Xu Yuan had truly forgotten about it.

Isn’t this just setting me up? In my previous life, I actually raised a rival?
« This… in the end, it wasn’t lost, right? » Xu Yuan didn’t know how to continue.

…

Tianyuan Community.

Wan’er is back?

The one who opened the door for Lin Wan’er was a graceful and elegant woman, none other than Lin Wan’er’s mother, Bai Qiu.

Bai Qiu looked outside the door and said somewhat curiously, « Wanwan, didn’t Xiaoyuan come back with you? »

Because the two families lived opposite each other, Xu Yuan had always thought that being close to the water would give him an advantage during high school. Every morning, he would deliberately wait for Lin Wan’er, and after school, they would go home together.

Bai Qiu could clearly see Xu Yuan’s little intentions, but she always thought he was a good kid, so she never exposed him.

I don’t know. » Lin Wan’er shook her head, seemingly reluctant to mention Xu Yuan, and changed the subject: « Mom, hasn’t Dad come back yet?

« Your dad is working overtime tonight. Are you hungry? I made your favorite white fungus and lotus seed soup. » Bai Qiu gently stroked Lin Wan’er’s hair. As a mother, she could sense that her daughter seemed a bit unhappy.

« No, Mom, I’m a little tired. I’m going back to my room. » Lin Wan’er shook her head, changed into her slippers, then went back to her room and closed the door.

Seeing Lin Wan’er like this, Bai Qiu couldn’t help but sigh: « Could it be that Xiao Yuan confessed… and Wan’er rejected him, so they’re not on good terms? »
Bai Qiu would never have thought that Xu Yuan would swear brotherhood with Lin Wan’er in front of so many people.

In his impression, Xu Yuan’s fondness for Lin Wan’er was obvious, but the boy had a gentle personality and wouldn’t do anything reckless just because a confession was rejected, right?

At that moment, Lin Wan’er opened the door again and whispered through the crack to Bai Qiu, « Mom, Xu Yuan said he has always seen me as a little sister. »

« Ah? » Bai Qiu was a bit stunned upon hearing this.

It’s not what she thought? Did Xu Yuan reject his own daughter?

“Wanwan, Xu Yuan rejected you? That can’t be. Hasn’t Xu Yuan’s child always liked you?” Bai Qiu was a bit puzzled. Could it be that she had misunderstood Xu Yuan all along?

“No, no one confessed. It was just very sudden.” After saying this, Lin Wan’er closed the door.

Today was the first time she walked home alone at night. It turns out that walking alone makes her feel so insecure.

Her feelings at this moment were somewhat complicated, and suddenly many memories of Xu Yuan being kind to her long ago flooded her mind.

Buying her breakfast, rushing her to the hospital overnight, comforting her when she performed poorly on exams. It seemed that whenever Lin Wan’er needed something, Xu Yuan would always be there.

« It’s just my little sister, so he’s probably still the same as before, » Lin Wan’er murmured to herself.

At this moment, Xu Yuan had no idea what Lin Wan’er was thinking. Otherwise, he would definitely be very troubled—was he really such a simp back then?

“Oh no, what should we do? We already made plans to go on a trip together next week.” Bai Qiu patted her thigh, quite distressed.

The two families had agreed to go hiking on Mount Tai next week, and Bai Qiu was afraid that because of this matter, the trip would be canceled, affecting the relationship between the two families.

After all, the children’s friendships are the children’s business, and the adults have their own social circles.

  ……

Finally arrived!

Xu Yuan let out a long breath and put down the girl he was carrying on his back. Fortunately, Li Xinran lived on the first floor; otherwise, Xu Yuan would have been exhausted.

Li Xinran’s home was on the first floor, in a room at the very end of the hallway. To be honest, entering and exiting was quite inconvenient. Because several bicycles were parked in the hallway, people coming and going probably didn’t even notice there was a room inside on the first floor.

“Thank you for today… Why don’t you come in and rest for a bit?” Li Xinran tugged at a corner with her small hand, hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

« Isn’t it inappropriate so late at night? What if uncle and aunt see us… It seems just right to me. » Xu Yuan originally wanted to refuse, but then thought, wouldn’t it be better to be misunderstood?

« Do you have to be so honest about what’s on your mind? » Li Xinran frowned. Why hadn’t she noticed before that Xu Yuan was so thick-skinned?
But to disappoint you, my hometown is in the countryside, and this place is rented. I live here alone.

« Oh oh… even better. » Xu Yuan chuckled.

Li Xinran, who was about to open the door, suddenly stopped her action, squinting her eyes and looking at Xu Yuan warily.

« Just joking, trying to lighten the mood. » Xu Yuan could only helplessly shrug.

The house Li Xinran rented was not big, only about a dozen square meters, not like a normal apartment layout in a residential complex, more like a storage room.

Although there were many things in the room, they were all neatly arranged, and there was a faint scent of a young girl.

« Only plain water, so we’ll have to make do, » Li Xinran said apologetically to Xu Yuan.

« It’s okay, I have a bottle of drink in my pocket, » Xu Yuan said with a smile, pulling out a bottle of iced black tea that he had casually taken from the table earlier.

« Wow, another bottle, » Xu Yuan said, glancing at the bottle cap by chance, feeling that he was quite lucky.

« Really, let me see? » Li Xinran’s eyes lit up, reaching out to take the bottle cap as if she had seen something new.

« It’s just marketing, the chances of winning are high, what’s so strange about it? » Xu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.

« I’ve never won. » Li Xinran looked up at Xu Yuan, her eyes somewhat plaintive.

« Well… then this bottle cap is for you. I hope it brings you good luck. » Xu Yuan said, their eyes meeting, and without warning, he sneakily snatched off her glasses.

“What are you doing?” Li Xinran, caught off guard, tried to snatch her glasses back, but her vision was blurry and she couldn’t see clearly. In her frantic flailing, Xu Yuan grabbed her wrist and restrained her.

“Be careful not to hurt your foot again. Honestly, I must have been blind before not to realize my deskmate was such a beauty,” Xu Yuan said very seriously.

Li Xinran at this time was completely different from the one in the future.

Youthful and pure, those lively eyes were fully revealed, giving off a cute and innocent vibe.

“Let go!” It was the first time a boy had complimented her like this, and Li Xinran couldn’t help but blush.

“Xinran, it’s so late. Letting a boy into your house is really dangerous. Luckily, I’m a gentleman, otherwise, what would you do?”

Xu Yuan released her hand, returned her glasses to Li Xinran, and took the chance while she was still stunned to quickly rush out the door. Otherwise, Li Xinran might have shouted “pervert.”

“Why is this person like this?” Li Xinran was so angry she wanted to stomp her foot, but afraid of the pain, she gave up.