Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 65

At that very moment, in an ordinary-looking residence barely a kilometer away from the Siheyuan, an infant who had been wailing incessantly suddenly fell silent.

The man and woman watching over the baby were dressed simply. Hearing the crying stop so abruptly, they rushed into the room to check, only to find the child fast asleep. They let out a collective sigh of relief, exchanged a weary glance, and quietly retreated from the room.

Back at the Siheyuan, Jiang Rui didn’t see Rong Jingtang in the front courtyard and guessed he had returned to the main house. He made his way inside, carrying the infant spirit, who was currently nestled against his chest, contentedly sucking on its thumb.

Ancient residences naturally suppress evil, and the red lacquer on the doors served as a further ward. Jiang Rui placed an additional talisman on the child, causing a pending whimper to vanish back into its throat.

Rong Jingtang stood with his back to him. His straight, unwavering silhouette hadn’t changed since the day Jiang Rui first met him—proud and seemingly without a single weakness.

Jiang Rui stepped forward, slowing his pace. He handed the infant, whose form was temporarily solidified, toward Rong Jingtang. “Your brother… I suspect he isn’t actually dead.”

Rong Jingtang turned. He stared silently at the child, noting a blood-red mole beneath the eye that was a near-perfect mirror of his own. After a long silence, he extended a single finger.

The child immediately grabbed it, shaking it up and down while letting out a silly, gurgling giggle. A smile, of which he was entirely unaware, touched Rong Jingtang’s face.

“By the way, what were you going to tell me earlier?” Jiang Rui asked, seeing that Rong’s mood had improved.

Rong Jingtang stroked his chin with his free hand and said slowly, “It’s nothing.”

Jiang Rui felt a flash of irritation—the frustration of having a secret within reach only for the trail to go cold. He wordlessly thrust the big-eyed brat back into Rong Jingtang’s arms and said with a fake, icy smile, “I’m going to the guest room.”

Rong Jingtang suddenly caught his arm. “There is no guest room.”

Jiang Rui’s expression clearly said: If I believe that, I’m an idiot.

“There is no guest room.”

…Jiang Rui decided that being an idiot wasn’t so bad after all.

He was about to suggest finding a nearby hotel for the night when he saw Rong Jingtang instructing Uncle Cheng to go out and buy clothes. Uncle Cheng poked his head through the door with a jovial grin, then clasped his hands behind his back and sauntered out toward the main gate.

Jiang Rui’s lip twitched. He watched as Rong Jingtang placed the child on his parents’ large bed and patted the mattress twice. “Sleep here.”

This time, Jiang Rui didn’t ask the stupid question of where Rong Jingtang intended to sleep. He took a deep breath, looked at Rong Jingtang’s pale neck in the moonlight, and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Fine.”

If I’m going to pursue this man, I might as well be proactive, he thought. He boldy removed his light jacket and hung it on a nearby rack.

However, as he reached for his inner layer, he froze. The antique clock on the wall showed it was only 9:00 PM. Though it was dark, it certainly wasn’t Rong Jingtang’s bedtime. His actions suddenly felt… intentional.

Jiang Rui took a deep breath, feeling helpless. Rong Jingtang finally averted his gaze and said casually, “Go to sleep.”

By the time Jiang Rui finally settled onto the ancient, creaking bed and calmed his mind, the exhaustion of the day took its toll. A cool body pressed against his side as the thin quilt was lifted.

Even in the summer, Rong Jingtang needed a cotton quilt. Jiang Rui sighed internally; unless he found the mastermind controlling Rong Jingtang’s health, all his efforts would be in vain. He was in the light while the enemy was in the shadows, aware of his every move. Furthermore, if he tried to uproot the “residual poison” in Rong’s body now, he would surely alert the enemy and cause Rong Jingtang even more suffering.

With his mind a mess of conflicting thoughts, Jiang Rui actually fell asleep. Perhaps he lacked any guard against Rong Jingtang, or perhaps the house felt too secure, but he didn’t even notice when Rong Jingtang woke up during the night.

As a result, he slept until noon the next day.

…And consequently, Jiang Rui was late for his university registration.

His face was grim as he sat in the car, watching the hour mark on his watch pass. Rong Jingtang sat beside him, unbothered, flipping through a book—though if one looked closely, he would stare at a page for ages and then suddenly flip ten pages at once.

Giving up on the morning session, Jiang Rui finally reached his dorm and collapsed onto his bed with a sigh of relief. Below him, An Le burst into the room and immediately started a commotion upon realizing Jiang Rui had missed the first roll call.

“Jiang Rui! Hey, hey! I’m talking to you!” An Le climbed the ladder to Jiang Rui’s bunk, poking his head up. “Man, you’ve got guts. Missing the Dean’s very first session?”

Jiang Rui rolled his eyes internally and began to mislead the innocent youth. “I wasn’t feeling well… my brother already went to request leave for me.”

The way he spat out the word “brother” was so full of suppressed grit that An Le actually believed him.

Zhao Jinyan watched Jiang Rui’s conflicted expression with amusement. When Jiang Rui had first appeared, the room had fallen silent; he looked like someone stepped out of a painting. If he wore traditional robes, he would be the perfect image of an elegant scholar.

“So that’s how it is,” An Le said, shaking his head. “But you’re famous now. The Dean is strict. Compared to high school… I think we’re in for a rough time.”

An Le groaned, and Jiang Rui remembered they were all in the same department. With An Le’s personality, he might actually make a good doctor; patients hated seeing a grim-faced physician, and An Le’s patient, energetic nature would be a hit.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Rui said with a smile.

An Le was still a bit mopey but brightened up quickly. “Are you going to the freshman orientation meeting this afternoon?”

Jiang Rui nodded. “I’ll be there.”

“Good,” An Le laughed. “Jinyan and I actually told the teacher you were sick, but the old man didn’t believe us.”

Jiang Rui found this strangely touching. “Thanks.”

As he lay back down for a nap, he saw An Le still staring at him with big, innocent eyes. Jiang Rui waited a beat, glanced at Zhao Jinyan (who was pretending to sleep), and asked, “What is it?”

“Don’t I get a reward?!” An Le asked, sounding righteously indignant.

Jiang Rui: “…”

“There are apples on the desk. They’re from home; want one?” Jiang Rui knew the boy wasn’t after money.

Sure enough, An Le beamed. He patted Jiang Rui as if he were a savvy protégé, but forgot he was on a ladder. He missed his footing and nearly tumbled.

“Oh my god!” An Le squeaked, jumping down and grabbing two large apples from Jiang Rui’s desk. “I need to eat one of these to calm my nerves!”

Jiang Rui watched him, then subtly reduced the density of the spiritual energy attached to the apples. An Le was a good person, and Jinyan seemed promising too. He noted that Jinyan wouldn’t be an ordinary man in the future; perhaps he could arrange for them to assist Xiao Lunan later.

Jiang Rui smiled at his own calculations. Since the “young master” roommate wasn’t in, the atmosphere was peaceful.

He drew his curtains and created the illusion of sleeping before sitting cross-legged to cultivate. When the afternoon came, An Le was the first up, excitedly dragging Zhao Jinyan to put on their uniforms. When they saw Jiang Rui, both froze.

Jiang Rui looked at them with a gentle smile. “What’s wrong?”

An Le’s face flushed red as he shook his head vigorously. Zhao Jinyan pushed up his glasses and remained silent, but as he passed Jiang Rui, he hesitated and said, “Let’s go together.”

Jiang Rui nodded. Throughout the walk, they were the target of constant pointing and whispering from other students. Jiang Rui acted as if nothing were happening, while An Le grew redder, looking more like a child than ever.

Jiang Rui looked at the girls and sighed. In this era, people were still conservative. Girls would steal glances or perhaps walk past them a few times, whispering behind their hands. In the future, people would be bold enough to walk straight up and confess.

He realized he was feeling increasingly relaxed. On campus, he felt more like a normal person. His aura smoothed out, and even the faint shadow left by the infant spirit began to fade away.