Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 105

Once Jiang Rui was certain his parents were asleep, he quietly entered the room to light a stick of calming incense. He then placed a few drops of spiritual spring water from his hidden realm onto their lips. Watching as the water was instantly absorbed and the dark circles under their eyes vanished at a visible rate, he finally stepped out of the room.

To lead others onto the path of cultivation without permission was a violation of the Heavenly Dao. Everyone’s destiny is fixed by a “Boundary” at birth; therefore, a cultivator who exists outside these limits can cause significant cosmic disturbance by leading others into immortality.

Jiang Rui had no intention of making those around him cultivators. For one, their talents were ordinary; for another, the future was unpredictable. In this modern era, where “middle schooler syndrome” (Chuunibyou) was rampant, if he taught someone, they might not be able to hide it and would likely show off their powers. Once that happened, the secret would no longer be a secret.

Upon leaving the bedroom, he saw Rong Jingtang sitting upright in the living room. He held a remote, idly flipping through channels, though he had thoughtfully muted the volume so as not to disturb the sleeping elders.

Jiang Rui smiled, stepped forward, and said in a normal voice, “You can turn the sound up. They’re both fast asleep.”

Rong Jingtang obediently unmuted the TV. The sound of the news filled the room, and as luck would have it, a trending report was just beginning. The keywords on screen were: The Zombie Drug, interests involved behind the pharmaceutical factory, and the true mastermind. The headline was incredibly eye-catching.

Jiang Rui watched silently. On the screen, Wang Chenghui was still in a hospital bed. His defense lawyer was desperately pushing through a swarm of reporters as several people shielded Wang Chenghui while moving him into a medical van.

Truthfully, while Jiang Rui had severed the veins in all four of Wang Chenghui’s limbs, to an outsider’s eye, his arms looked normal. The only visible injury was the bowl-sized wound on his head from when he hit the tree. Half a month had passed, and the wound had mostly healed. Accompanied by medical and police personnel, he entered the courtroom.

The scene shifted to the trial. The defendants and plaintiffs sat on opposite sides. Jiang Rui watched Wang Chenghui’s lawyer argue until he was red in the face, yet his defense was as fragile as an egg hitting a stone.

The previous “scapegoat”—the man in his forties—was now in tears, constantly looking back at the gallery. The camera followed his gaze to a woman in her thirties and a teenage child. Jiang Rui recalled Huai Qing saying this man was a “good person.” As for how good, Huai Qing hadn’t elaborated. Since it had been pre-arranged, this man would be released on the spot and compensated with a large sum by the true defendant.

Jiang Rui could already predict that Wang Chenghui would receive a life sentence. He was about to change the channel when the camera panned to the prosecutor’s seat.

It was Wang Xiaorui.

Jiang Rui paused, his finger hovering over the button. On screen, Wang Xiaorui pushed up her glasses. With a cold, stern face, she produced several data sheets. After a sharp look at the defense, she began listing Wang Chenghui’s crimes one by one.

Because Wang Chenghui was still injured and hadn’t been convicted yet, the court allowed him a stool. He sat there, face ashen and deathly still. As Wang Xiaorui’s voice fell, whispers rippled through the gallery. The judge hammered his gavel twice to restore silence.

The final verdict was exactly as Jiang Rui expected. Wang Chenghui was sentenced to life imprisonment. Due to the severe nature of his crimes, his attempt at bribery, and his use of a scapegoat, he was stripped of any right to sentence reduction. All his assets were confiscated by the state, and his political rights were revoked for life.

As the judge read the final word, the man who had been released embraced his wife and son, weeping. Wang Xiaorui remained expressionless, a picture of impartial justice. The camera lingered on her for a moment before cutting away.

Jiang Rui tilted his head and looked at Rong Jingtang. Rong Jingtang’s lip twitched in a nearly imperceptible arc. He glanced at Jiang Rui and said, “Let’s have braised fish for dinner.”

“Okay,” Jiang Rui said softly, his eyes curving into crescents. He leaned over and gave Rong Jingtang a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. It was a touch as light as a breeze, yet it left Rong Jingtang sitting there with a silly grin for a long time after Jiang Rui left.

The place where Wang Xiaorui lived wasn’t actually far away. Since she hadn’t chosen medicine, she had naturally gone to law school. Given her grades, she would have certainly gotten into Z University. Jiang Rui stood at the gate of Z University, choosing not to waste energy on teleportation.

Wang Xiaorui was a year or two older than him; she had started school late due to family issues, but her academic performance was top-tier. If she was at Z University, she must have skipped grades just like he did. After standing at the gate for a while and attracting many glances from students, Jiang Rui finally saw the person he was waiting for.

Wang Xiaorui was as low-profile as ever. She drove a black car and pulled up in front of him, rolling down the window. “Get in.”

They were silent until they reached a quiet cafe. After they both ordered coffee, Wang Xiaorui studied Jiang Rui for a long time before finally smiling. “Sigh, you’re getting more and more handsome. How are women supposed to survive?”

Jiang Rui’s lip twitched. Looking at the familiar Wang Xiaorui, he said, “Tell me about it.”

Wang Xiaorui’s voice faltered. Her eyes suddenly reddened as she gripped her coffee cup tightly. “My mother is dead.”

Jiang Rui’s hand paused. He didn’t speak, acting as the perfect listener.

Wang Xiaorui’s voice trembled, yet she spoke clearly. “When the surgery happened years ago, I wasn’t allowed because I was too young. My father set his sights on my mother. I was locked in a room, but I heard him say he was taking her to the hospital for a check-up—claiming it was a necessary step before they remarried…”

“Later, she was pushed into the operating room. After that, she never came back. I couldn’t even find her body.” She wiped away a tear, her unpainted face showing the exhaustion of many sleepless nights. “It took me two whole years.”

“My father… he’s still technically human. After my mother died, he treated me decently and paid for my schooling. I spent a year sucking up to him to make him happy so he’d let me move into his house.” A cold smile touched her lips. “Then, I spent another year studying day and night to find evidence, all while calling that other woman ‘Mother.'”

Jiang Rui lowered his eyes. This was the Wang Xiaorui he knew. Resilient and enduring; to think so far ahead at such a young age was remarkable. Her only loving parent was gone, and her father was a coward who feared his new wife. To get into Z University under those conditions was truly admirable.

Wang Xiaorui looked straight at Jiang Rui. “After that, I spent two more years gathering evidence. Last October, I personally sent my father to prison. He was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve.”

“You were still a minor last year,” Jiang Rui noted.

“Yes,” Wang Xiaorui laughed happily. “Because I was only sixteen and a minor, I participated in the trial as a special legal entity. During the trial, I released videos of the beatings I endured while living in the Wang house, as well as the private agreement my father made with the hospital to sell my mother’s organs!”

She had searched everywhere for her mother, and it wasn’t until she saw that agreement that she had to accept the truth: her mother had been foolish her whole life and had ultimately been destroyed by that man. In the end, she hadn’t even been left with a whole body for burial.

“Later, I ruined that woman’s family and drove them to bankruptcy. She was so busy worrying about my father that she had no time for her own relatives. She was useless to begin with; without her family’s support, her life now is only slightly better than a beggar’s.”

Wang Xiaorui stopped crying and looked at Jiang Rui. “Oh, right. And my half-brother.”

“After he received my mother’s heart in the transplant, he died of post-operative inflammation. Don’t you find that ironic?”

After finishing her story, she wiped her eyes. “These things have been bottled up in my heart for years. Saying them out loud now… I finally feel like a living person again, like I actually have someone to talk to.”

Jiang Rui looked at her calm face, already guessing what she would say next.

“I took on the Wang Chenghui case just to draw you out.” Her long lashes veiled her eyes. “From now on… let’s not meet anymore.”

The kindness he showed her in high school was now paid in full.

“Okay,” Jiang Rui smiled warmly, watching her walk out of the cafe.

Just then, a flashy red Porsche pulled up outside. A stylish young man hopped out, and his eyes lit up the moment he saw Wang Xiaorui. He rushed over, grabbed her hand, and started talking. Wang Xiaorui said a few words that clearly deflated him, then shook him off and walked away without looking back.

As the man turned toward the cafe window, Jiang Rui realized it was Xie Gaoling.

Xie Gaoling spotted Jiang Rui. Seeing Wang Xiaorui’s tear-streaked face, his expression shifted to one of alarm, and he looked ready to storm into the cafe.

Jiang Rui walked out to meet him. “If you have time to mess with me, you’d be better off catching up to her and giving her a kiss.”

A woman like Wang Xiaorui didn’t respond well to pressure, but a bold move like that usually worked best.

Xie Gaoling looked skeptical. Jiang Rui sighed, deciding to help his friend one last time. “Her mother passed away; she just needed someone to talk to. You know we were like… ‘besties’ in high school?”

Xie Gaoling finally relaxed and nodded. “Right, Xiaorui could never be into you anyway.”

Jiang Rui’s lip twitched at his punchable attitude. He rolled his eyes. “Remember what I said. Go after her.”

“Thanks, brother!” Xie Gaoling grinned, hopped into his car, and trailed after the black car. Fortunately, there were many pedestrians, so the black car wasn’t moving fast.

Jiang Rui laughed helplessly, waved them off, and found an empty corner to teleport into a mall’s blind spot. He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and realized something… in his rush to leave, he had forgotten to pay the bill.

He rubbed his nose. I’ll pay them back when I remember. For now… Lord Rong wants fish. Time to buy some fish!