Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 19

Zhou Yang’s success in getting into Thirteenth High School completely thrilled Cui Xiyun. Jiang Rui instantly became the Zhou Family’s great benefactor, and even Father Zhou, who was constantly busy and hard to see, expressed a desire to meet him.

They had already scheduled a time for a meal, but due to Rong Jingtang’s sudden text message, Jiang Rui had to apologize to the Zhou Family and postpone the gathering.

He Fulan wasn’t pleased when she heard her son, who had just returned from Jinlin Province, was heading off to Xiangcheng again. Jiang Rui said, “Once high school starts, with more classes, I won’t have the freedom I have now. I have to take advantage of the time I have now to travel outside and see the world.”

Seeing that he was determined to go and not wanting to spoil his fun, He Fulan packed his luggage and sent him off to Qing City the next day.

After arriving in Qing City and watching his parents leave, Jiang Rui first met the person Rong Jingtang had sent. He was a young man in his twenties named Sui Ming, whose appearance was so ordinary he would be impossible to find in a crowd.

Yet, Jiang Rui dared not look down on this person. Anyone who could follow Rong Jingtang was certainly not ordinary. Furthermore, as a cultivator, he was very sensitive to signs of fortune and ill-will. The murderous, bloody aura on this man was nearly suffocating him.

Sui Ming was neither talkative nor taciturn; as long as Jiang Rui spoke, he kept the conversation flowing. He seemed to sense Jiang Rui’s slight aloofness toward him and didn’t force himself forward to cause discomfort.

The two took the train, traveling for over twenty hours before finally arriving in Xiangcheng.

Jiang Rui had been to Xiangcheng in his previous life. Since the country opened up, Xiangcheng had consistently ranked as a Tier 1 city, and he and Ye Wenbin had lived there for a while.

Ye Wenbin had finally agreed to be with him, and Jiang Rui naturally spoiled and doted on him completely. Xiangcheng was unlike Qing City; while no one dared provoke Jiang Rui in Qing City, few people in Xiangcheng would give him face.

Jiang Rui had initially planned to relax and live a comfortable life with Ye Wenbin in Xiangcheng, but he didn’t have a single peaceful day after arriving. Ye Wenbin had a fiery temper and, for some reason, seemed determined to provoke local figures. Jiang Rui was constantly preoccupied protecting him. If he tried to talk sense into him, Ye Wenbin would immediately give him the cold shoulder before he could even open his mouth.

After this happened many times, Jiang Rui had no choice but to say nothing and shoulder all the trouble himself whenever something happened.

Thinking back to the countless troubles then, and observing the relaxed ease of his life now, Jiang Rui was filled with emotion.

Past life and present life, two different lives, all due to a single difference in thought. One life was like a sword confined to its sheath, the other like a sword taking the unconventional path.

Embarking on the path to immortality (chang sheng lu) was something he had never considered. Yet, after being reborn, he had steadily walked onto this unconventional path (pian feng zhi lu).

Innumerable beings among the masses desperately seek immortality. He was no exception. He was afraid he could only, and must, continue down this path, taking each step with greater determination than the last.

Jiang Rui hadn’t expected the place where Rong Jingtang lived to be such a secluded and quiet residence with white walls and green tiles.

He walked through several covered corridors and passed through a few ornate, carved moon gates before exiting the front courtyard and entering the back garden.

Rong Jingtang was standing amidst the flower beds in the backyard, still dressed in a white windbreaker, surrounded by blooming flowers. His aura was pure and luminous, bright as the moon.

Jiang Rui watched him for a long time from a short distance away. The opening lines he had prepared on the journey were now completely forgotten.

Rong Jingtang seemed to sense his gaze and turned slightly, revealing his captivating face. It held the familiar cold indifference, devoid of any visible emotion, whether joy or anger.

Although Jiang Rui didn’t know the man in front of him deeply, he knew one thing: Rong Jingtang deeply disliked being indebted to anyone.

In Rong Jingtang’s eyes, Jiang Rui was an ordinary person who had done him a great favor, and he would do everything within his power for Jiang Rui.

The money, status, and power Jiang Rui needed could be his with a single nod from the man in front of him.

But that was precisely what Jiang Rui least wanted.

He smiled gently at Rong Jingtang and greeted him politely, “It’s been many days since we last met. Mr. Rong looks to be in much better health.”

Rong Jingtang walked out of the flower garden and sat down on a stone stool. “I’m a little better, thanks to your flowers.”

Jiang Rui did not act overly familiar, as he had when he served him food last time. He remained standing, the smile on his face even seeming a little too distant and polite. In truth, that was exactly the nature of their relationship.

“Mr. Rong, I can generally guess the purpose of your visit today. It’s about the flower business, isn’t it?”

Rong Jingtang remained silent, seemingly waiting for Jiang Rui to continue, or perhaps utterly uninterested in the topic itself.

Jiang Rui didn’t mind and continued, “I really have no intention of continuing this business. The reasons are inconvenient to elaborate on, so I ask for Mr. Rong’s understanding.”

“This business began with me, and it will naturally end with me,” Rong Jingtang said expressionlessly, his voice flat. There was no anger, nor any other emotion. It was as if he were merely stating an irrelevant fact.

Jiang Rui understood his meaning. The little scheme he had used to save the Zhou Family’s Cymbidium was perfectly clear to the man in front of him. It was only because Rong Jingtang was willing that Jiang Rui had the chance to establish this business. Now that he wanted to withdraw, he still needed the other party’s nod of agreement.

Actually, for Jiang Rui, selling one or two pots of flowers was the same as selling a hundred or a thousand; it made little difference. He also knew that the ling qi within the flowers was quite important to Rong Jingtang. However, a feeling of stifled irritation had been growing in his heart. It wasn’t there at first; the transaction was purely mutually agreeable. But ever since he met Rong Jingtang and saw the increasing payments for the flowers, this irritation grew from nothing and became increasingly obvious recently. It was nearly affecting his state of mind.

After careful analysis, Jiang Rui concluded that he likely disliked Rong Jingtang’s overly arrogant and controlling way of dealing with things, which in turn created a rift regarding the business between them.

If it’s not harmonious, let it end. Jiang Rui had always believed this.

He thought that given Rong Jingtang’s pride, he wouldn’t actually force him to continue the business, would he? But he hadn’t expected that the other party wasn’t forcing him, because Rong Jingtang never felt he was forcing him.

It was likely that in Rong Jingtang’s view, he was the only one who had the final say in this business from the day it started, and Jiang Rui did not have the authority to call it off.

Seeing Jiang Rui remain silent for a long time, Rong Jingtang spoke again: “Your things are very useful to me. The flowers are, and the honey is, too. The honey is even better.”

What did he mean by that? Was he saying that Jiang Rui not only couldn’t stop the flower business but also had to supply him with honey now?

Jiang Rui finally began to recognize the snake-like, neurotic essence beneath Rong Jingtang’s male-god exterior.

If it were anyone else, Jiang Rui might think the person was asking for his help. But this man asked for help with such haughtiness and arrogance that Jiang Rui’s decades of experience had only ever encountered this kind of behavior from this one man.