Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 63

Having subdued the King of Jade Essences, the flow of the jade veins became crystal clear to Jiang Rui. He no longer needed to expend his own spiritual energy to scout for unmined jade. Under the guidance of the little spirit, it didn’t take long for him to find a sizable, unclaimed territory. Though the location was remote and the terrain difficult, these were logistical matters that did not concern him.

After the unexpected taming of the little white tiger, the remaining half-month of summer passed in the blink of an eye. Checking the date, Jiang Rui sighed; he had intended to visit Rong Jingtang before leaving, but now he was in such a rush that he barely had time to report to school.

Because Peking University attracted so many students, the campus was incredibly crowded despite its prestige. Jiang Rui arrived alone with very little luggage. His former high school classmates were now scattered across the country, and very few had made it into this elite university.

After collecting his dormitory assignment and a few daily necessities, he headed to his room. He had tucked a small spatial ring inside his duffel bag, which allowed him to pull out an impressive array of belongings from a deceptively small package.

He was a late arrival. In a dormitory meant for four, only two spots remained. Jiang Rui greeted the two roommates already unpacking and moved to his assigned bunk to organize his things.

A short while later, the fourth roommate arrived.

As Jiang Rui sat at his desk setting up his laptop, he noticed the others stealing glances at him. He suddenly realized that in this era, personal computers were not yet common household items. It was too late to hide it now, so he simply left it on the desk and prepared to head out to arrange for an internet connection.

Just as he stepped out the door, he heard the last-arriving boy mutter under his breath, “What a show-off. Someone has too much money and time on his hands.”

Jiang Rui paused at the threshold. A faint, unreadable curve played at the corners of his lips as he glanced back at the boy.

The boy’s parents had clearly heard the comment and quickly nudged his arm to quiet him. Instead of backing down, the boy felt emboldened by his parents’ presence. Without looking Jiang Rui in the eye, he raised his voice slightly: “What? It’s not like I’m wrong!”

Jiang Rui tilted his head, watching the parents’ faces fall into expressions of worry as they scrambled to placate their son, promising to buy him a computer as well. The boy simply rolled his eyes and huffed at Jiang Rui.

This time, Jiang Rui didn’t even bother to look back.

In a university dorm, first impressions are everything. Jiang Rui was naturally handsome, and the items he unpacked were of exquisite quality. He likely hadn’t noticed that his lifestyle had gradually shifted; under the subtle influence of his parents and his long stays at the Rong estate, his standard of living had risen significantly.

Lord Rong, of course, looked down upon mediocre goods. He had instructed Uncle Cheng to purchase a duplicate set of everything he used for Jiang Rui. Consequently, even Jiang Rui’s toothbrush mug was likely the latest high-end designer release—though Jiang Rui himself remained blissfully unaware of the brands.

When Jiang Rui returned after setting up the internet, he found the dormitory had formed a subtle social hierarchy.

The first two boys had come alone. Though they didn’t seem like ordinary commoners—wearing recognizable brands and using department-store-grade supplies—they were reserved. The fourth boy, however, failed to notice these nuances. He continued to whine and act spoiled toward his parents. Jiang Rui found it hard to stomach; a twenty-year-old man acting like… what would the future call it? A “Mama’s Boy.”

Finally, evening arrived. The boy’s parents prepared to leave, and Jiang Rui breathed a sigh of relief. He drew his bed curtains, intending to meditate for a while, when a sharp tap sounded against the window frame.

He pulled back the curtain to find a bright, beaming face outside. “Is something wrong?”

“Hey, we’re heading out to grab dinner. Want to join?” the two earlier roommates asked.

Having nothing else to do and not yet having reached the “Fastage” (Bigu) stage of cultivation where one can abstain from food, Jiang Rui readily agreed. Intentional or not, the three of them bypassed the spoiled roommate across the room.

On the way, they introduced themselves. The taller, short-haired, and taciturn one was Zhao Jinyan—a name that suited his reserved nature. The one who had invited him was named An Le.

Their names matched their personalities perfectly. After Jiang Rui introduced himself, they reached the cafeteria. As someone who loved meat, Jiang Rui unashamedly loaded his tray with fish—the one dish Lord Rong despised.

Hmm, the cooking is quite a step down from my own, Jiang Rui thought, savoring a bite. Noticing the easy rapport between his companions, he smiled. “Did you two apply to this school together?”

“You can tell?” An Le’s eyes widened. “Yeah, we grew up together. Childhood friends.”

Jiang Rui nodded with a smile and continued his meal. It was a pleasant dinner, but the pleasantry ended the moment they returned to the dorm building.

Jiang Rui’s face went blank as he spotted an incredibly familiar black car. He felt a headache coming on. Under An Le’s confused gaze, he massaged his temples and whispered, “Let’s go up.”

Inside the room, Rong Jingtang was already seated in Jiang Rui’s “throne”—his desk chair—and had turned on the laptop to… watch cartoons.

Jiang Rui’s lip twitched. He glanced at Sui Ming, who stood behind Rong Jingtang wearing sunglasses. He truly felt for the man; wearing sunglasses indoors at night must be a challenge.

“Young Master Jiang,” Uncle Cheng said, stepping forward with a smile. “Our Young Master has just moved back to the Capital and isn’t familiar with the area. Would you mind showing him around?”

Jiang Rui, a native of Qing City, was speechless.

Whether it was because Rong Jingtang’s aura was too overbearing or the spoiled roommate’s was too weak, the room fell silent. Aside from the lighthearted An Le, who offered them some fruit, no one dared to speak.

Rong Jingtang stared at the red apple offered to him without a word, his eyes fixed solely on Jiang Rui.

With a sigh, Jiang Rui stepped forward, took the apple, and said helplessly, “An Le, you guys go ahead and hang out. I won’t be sleeping in the dorm tonight. I’m going to show… my brother around.”

An Le waved him off understandingly.

Rong Jingtang’s eyes instantly lit up. He stood up abruptly, snatched the apple from Jiang Rui’s hand, and extended his hand toward Zhao Jinyan. “Hello. I am Ruirui’s brother, Rong Jingtang.”

Zhao Jinyan visibly stiffened at the mention of the name. He quickly pulled An Le’s reaching hand back behind him and said cautiously, “Zhao Jinyan.”

Rong Jingtang gave a brief, firm handshake before letting go. He turned to Jiang Rui. “Ruirui, let’s go.”

Jiang Rui could practically see a large, wagging tail behind Lord Rong.

In the car, Jiang Rui turned to him. “Uncle Cheng said you moved back to the Capital?”

Rong Jingtang nodded but didn’t give a direct answer. He rested his chin on his hand and said flatly, “You’re unhappy.”

Jiang Rui wasn’t unhappy. On the contrary, he was somewhat pleased to be able to see Rong Jingtang often. But was the Rong family’s business based in the Capital?

Jiang Rui lowered his head, hiding his thoughts. He hadn’t missed Zhao Jinyan’s reaction. The boy had clearly heard of the name “Rong Jingtang” before, which was why he had responded so tersely. In the world of high-stakes power, the more you say, the more mistakes you make. For a man as deep and calculating as Rong Jingtang, excessive flattery was only annoying.

The Rong family…

Jiang Rui looked out the window. In his past life, he and Wang Chenghui had visited the Capital and encountered members of the Rong family. But Wang Chenghui’s social standing had been too low; even until the day Jiang Rui died, Wang had only managed to be on speaking terms with them.

However, Jiang Rui remembered clearly: in his previous life, among all the members of the Rong family that Wang Chenghui had desperately tried to research, there had never been a man named Rong Jingtang.

He didn’t doubt Rong Jingtang’s identity. He only wondered why such a prominent living person had never been mentioned or contacted by anyone in his past life.

Rong Jingtang, unaware of Jiang Rui’s internal monologue, closed his eyes to rest. To him, just sitting quietly with Jiang Rui was enough.

“Now that you’re back, will you return to Xiangcheng?” Jiang Rui asked.

Rong Jingtang tilted his head lazily. “Mhm.”

Jiang Rui didn’t understand why, if the Capital was the Rong family’s stronghold, he would bother returning to Xiangcheng, but he knew he couldn’t investigate that just yet.

“Where are we going?” Jiang Rui asked. He wasn’t familiar with the Capital’s roads; everything was a blur of skyscrapers.

“Home,” Rong Jingtang replied softly. There was a rare trace of genuine warmth in his voice. Jiang Rui smiled, noting that he said “home” rather than “the Rong residence” as he had in Xiangcheng.

The car pulled into a beautifully decorated Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). Surrounded by modern high-rises, this small courtyard looked exceptionally unique and historic.

“This is the home you meant?” Jiang Rui stared at the blue bricks and green tiles, genuinely stunned.

In the Capital, a Siheyuan was something money alone couldn’t buy. Yet Rong Jingtang didn’t just have a unit—he owned the entire courtyard. And judging by the vast empty space surrounding it, the entire plot of land belonged to him.

This forced Jiang Rui to re-evaluate the scale of the Rong family’s power, yet he suspected that even this was merely the tip of the iceberg.