Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 93

The title of the “Twin Flowers of Jingda” likely originated from that high-profile kidnapping case. Jiang Rui gave a casual smile, offering no opinion on the nickname. He quickly steered the conversation away to stop An Le from rambling further, finally putting an end to that pointless topic.

The anatomy class was held in the laboratory. While they were told there would be opportunities for hands-on practice later, this first session was merely to observe the professor’s clinical demonstrations.

The scent of formalin and disinfectant was thick in the air. Jiang Rui’s brow furrowed slightly; he discreetly rubbed a spot beneath his nose, allowing a faint floral fragrance to bloom, which finally made the environment bearable.

Perhaps intimidated by the oppressive atmosphere of the cold, pale lab equipment, the students—who had been buzzing with excitement moments ago—all fell silent in unison. Jiang Rui, however, sensed a heavy Yin energy surrounding the Medical Building. Though there were many remnants of the deceased, not a single vengeful spirit lingered. These were likely all individuals who had voluntarily donated their bodies to science.

Upon entering the lab, Jiang Rui realized the entire department was attending the lecture together. The laboratory was massive. Since seating was open, Jiang Rui scanned the room and decisively chose a spot in the front-middle—close enough to see clearly, but not so close as to be overwhelmed.

Zhao Jin-yan and An Le followed. An Le instinctively took the middle seat… and started eating. A flash of amusement crossed Jiang Rui’s eyes, but it vanished when he spotted Ye Wen-bin entering the room, surrounded by a group of male and female students.

The smile on Jiang Rui’s face slowly froze as a memory surfaced: in his previous life, Ye Wen-bin had indeed become a doctor. However, back then, Ye had attended a different university. Jiang Rui hadn’t expected their paths to cross here at Jingda; he was genuinely surprised.

It seemed Wang Cheng-hui favored Ye Wen-bin quite a bit, having gone through the immense trouble of pulling strings to get him into Jingda. While Ye’s grades were decent, getting into a top-tier institution like this usually required more than just “decent” marks.

Jiang Rui watched as Ye’s classmates laughingly occupied the row directly in front of him, gesturing for Ye to join them. Jiang Rui smiled thinly and lowered his head to organize his materials. When Ye Wen-bin reached the row, he naturally noticed Jiang Rui and froze for a moment. Though he turned away when his friends called him, he couldn’t stop himself from stealing glances back.

With Ye Wen-bin present, Jiang Rui actually found himself listening more intently. Even when called upon to answer questions mid-lecture, he handled them with effortless poise. Behind him, several female students whispered amongst themselves, but Jiang Rui ignored it, unfazed.

By the time class ended, Jiang Rui was finished for the day. Since they hadn’t touched any instruments yet, many students felt a lingering sense of disappointment, though they were already anticipating the next lab.

Jiang Rui knew the university usually granted a half-day break after anatomy labs—a “buffer period” for students to recover before the next session. He bid farewell to An Le and Zhao Jin-yan, intending to hail a taxi to find Rong Jing-tang.

Perhaps I should buy a car for commuting? he thought. But that would mean taking a driving test. As he pondered this, he pulled out his phone to text Rong Jing-tang.

Two or three people were walking in front of him. Jiang Rui didn’t pay them much mind; even while looking down at his phone, his body instinctively navigated around them. However, the person in front seemed determined to block his path. Jiang Rui stopped typing, pocketed his phone, and looked up.

It was Ye Wen-bin.

Jiang Rui raised an eyebrow. He watched as Ye Wen-bin apologized to the two boys beside him, who then walked off, leaving the two of them alone. Jiang Rui stared at him expressionlessly. Once the other students were out of earshot, the kind smile on Ye Wen-bin’s face vanished. He looked Jiang Rui up and down before saying, “Jiang Rui, I want to talk.”

Jiang Rui checked his watch and nodded casually. “Fine.”

Ye Wen-bin’s smile returned—a hollow mask—as he led the way, occasionally turning back to make small talk. “There’s a very good Western restaurant nearby. It’s almost lunchtime; shall we go there?”

Jiang Rui gave a non-committal nod and followed. They walked in silence until they reached the restaurant and were seated. Within minutes, a server arrived to take their orders. Jiang Rui ordered a Filet Mignon, cooked medium-rare. Ye Wen-bin hesitated for a moment before also ordering the Filet, but he requested it “medium-well.”

Jiang Rui paused but said nothing. He turned to the slightly hesitant server and added, “And some desserts as well, thank you.”

Ye Wen-bin didn’t notice the server’s subtle reaction; he was too busy surveying the decor. Jiang Rui picked up a magazine from the table and began to read. Ye Wen-bin sat with his hands clasped on the table, looking restless. Just as he was about to speak, the steaks arrived.

Once the food and tea were set down, Jiang Rui cut into his meal and said to Ye, “Please, eat.”

Ye Wen-bin waited for the server to leave before gritting his teeth. “Jiang Rui, I hope you can stay away from Brother Hui.”

Jiang Rui nearly bit his tongue. He looked up with a half-smile, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and swallowed his food. While Ye Wen-bin watched him with an anxious, furrowed brow, Jiang Rui replied, “I think you’ve misunderstood. My interactions with Mr. Wang are purely business. What do you mean by ‘staying away’?”

Ye Wen-bin wasn’t entirely sure himself. It was just that every time Wang Cheng-hui mentioned Jiang Rui, his expression was… off. It was as if he was determined to possess Jiang Rui.

Ye Wen-bin secretly studied the person sitting across from him. Jiang Rui was undeniably handsome, well-educated, and refined. In the presence of such a person, any young man would feel a sense of inferiority. Ye Wen-bin considered himself quite superior, yet whenever he faced Jiang Rui, he felt he could never truly hold his head high.

Jiang Rui set down his utensils. He looked at the anxious yet resentful youth before him and let out a soft sigh, marveling at how he could have been so blind in his past life. He had once thought Ye Wen-bin was a noble, aloof doctor, only to have his entire life ruined by him.

“You…” Ye Wen-bin knew that whatever was happening was Wang Cheng-hui’s doing, but he couldn’t be sure if Jiang Rui was playing hard to get. Lately, Wang hadn’t been returning to their shared residence, disappearing for days at a time. A few days ago, someone had even told him that Wang Cheng-hui had invited Jiang Rui to dinner!

“Anyway, I’ve said what I needed to say. I hope you have some self-respect!” Ye Wen-bin huffed, slapped the table, and prepared to storm out.

Even though Jiang Rui hadn’t intended to provoke him, Ye Wen-bin had already backed himself into a corner. Jiang Rui called out to him. Under Ye’s triumphant gaze, Jiang Rui said calmly, “You haven’t paid the bill yet.”

Ye Wen-bin’s face turned several shades of pale and red. He watched Jiang Rui stroll leisurely out of the restaurant before turning his fury toward the approaching server. “Check, please!” he snapped, forcing back his rage.

The server, seeing how young and handsome he was, assumed it was just teenage moodiness and didn’t take offense. He casually remarked, “Is this your first time having steak, sir?”

Ye Wen-bin nodded. The server chuckled. “I thought so. Not many people order ‘medium-well’ these days, though there’s nothing wrong with it…”

Ye Wen-bin froze. “What’s wrong with medium-well?”

The server’s smile faltered. He looked at Ye’s stiff expression and quickly made an excuse to serve another table. Ye Wen-bin picked up his phone and did a quick search. The top result for “medium-well steak” was the phrase: “country bumpkin.”

Ye Wen-bin’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone, the hatred in his eyes deepening.

Jiang Rui had barely touched his meal. Truthfully, he only ate steak when absolutely necessary. As an Easterner, he preferred cooked food—specifically his mother’s home-cooked meals. He preferred to save his appetite for the warm Chinese food waiting for him at the Rong estate.

He cast a concealment array to lower his presence to the size of an ant and flashed back to the Rong residence. The scent of food was already wafting through the hall. Jiang Rui chuckled, clutching his stomach, and walked in.

Even if he wasn’t the traditional “breadwinner” and Rong Jing-tang wasn’t exactly a “homemaker,” having someone at home waiting with a hot meal provided a strange sense of satisfaction and peace.

Jiang Rui smiled as he saw Rong Jing-tang end a video conference on his laptop. “Good appetite today?” Jiang Rui asked.

Rong Jing-tang nodded. “You should be happy too.”

“Is there news regarding Wang Cheng-hui?” Jiang Rui asked, placing some greens into Rong’s bowl.

“Mm.” Rong Jing-tang swallowed slowly. “The government has already flagged that batch of medicinal materials.”

Lately, for some reason, Wang Cheng-hui had been desperate to expand his influence in the capital. The profit margin on those herbs was enormous; though the quality was poor, the quantity was vast. To offload them quickly, he would have to look for unlicensed hospitals—facilities that were illegal but had enough capital.

There weren’t many such hospitals, but in a city as large as the capital, there were a few candidates.

“We must intercept them before those drugs hit the market,” Jiang Rui said. After a moment of thought, he pulled out his phone and sent simultaneous texts to Xiao Lu-nan and Zhou Yong-ping.