No one understands rebirth better than me

Chapter 160 Has the temperature dropped?
"I have no opinion."

Guan Ren shrugged.

Because it felt just as Luo Xiaobei had said, Gu Youli was his former deskmate, and they had a very close relationship, so she couldn't be considered an outsider.

Even if you see him and Luo Xiaobei acting like children, hugging and cuddling like adults, it's no big deal. You can just explain it away.

"I'm afraid that if word gets out, some people won't be able to handle it and will have to go home and hide for several days..."

Guan Ren muttered to himself, which was keenly caught by Luo Xiaobei's ears, and he narrowed his eyes:

Do you think Gu Youli will get out?

"Uh... what if she's talking in her sleep in the classroom?"

"Pooh!"

Would Gu Youli sleep in the classroom?

Hmm... okay, I think I slept with him.

If you don't sleep in class, you'll definitely be slumped over your desk after class.

Even if she were to sleep, who could she sleep so soundly with? As for talking in her sleep?
Given the possibility of such an exception, it's more likely that "Guan Ren might not be a pig's head."

However, as the conversation progressed, Luo Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat, and then, almost as if possessed, she tentatively murmured:
“Oh, Ren…”

"Ok?"

"If... I mean if, some things really do get out, what do you think the final word will be?"

"How about what?"

"Oh dear! It's just..."

Luo Xiaobei's slender arms were still wrapped around her childhood friend's waist, but her head, which had been held high with an air of superiority, was now lowered, and she muttered to herself as she glanced absently at the ingredients on the cutting board:
"...If some things get out, how do you think others will perceive our...relationship?"

……

Actually, as soon as Luo Xiaobei asked the question, her heart jumped.

She had already decided to use companionship to "safely" confess her feelings to him.

They had clearly decided to ask for a "declaration of victory," not a "charge horn."

But today, perhaps because of the special occasion, or perhaps because there were some people in the place that made her feel uneasy, Luo Xiaobei couldn't help but test the waters with some ambiguous questions again.

Luo Xiaobei, look at you! You're in such a hurry again!
She secretly regretted it.

But the words have already been spoken.

Luo Xiaobei could only keep breaking off pieces of celery from the cutting board, snapping and smacking, while keeping her head down and pretending to be nonchalant.

At the same time, I pray that this pig-headed person continues to think like a pig-headed person and doesn't overthink things.

……

Fortunately, the prayers seem to have been effective.

Because Guan Ren's attention was seemingly successfully drawn to Luo Xiaobei's restless little hands, and he was worried about the celery he had just bought, he probably wasn't distracted by anything else.

Snapped.

So Guan Ren slapped her wrist, took her hands that were constantly fiddling with the celery stalks, and held them obediently in his palm. Then he looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment:

"Relationship... um... if rumors really spread, they'll definitely say, 'You and I are a couple.'"

“…Huh?!”

Luo Xiaobei's body trembled slightly, and she suddenly raised her head.

"Isn't it?"

Seeing Qingmei's dazed expression, Guan Ren frowned:

"Bei, you haven't realized yet that we're really not young anymore, have you?"

"..."

"If you keep asking for hugs every now and then, it might be okay if you explained it to Gu Youli, but in other people's eyes, it's impossible for us to just be childhood sweethearts. They'll definitely think we're a couple."

"..."

Luo Xiaobei stared at him, only blinking silently.

Clearly, Guan Ren perceived her slightly shocked reaction as a sign that she hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation…

But in reality, Luo Xiaobei's mind went blank temporarily because Guan Ren suddenly and naturally uttered the words "couple."

It's not that she's fantasizing about anything...

Just hearing him talk about this kind of topic, it was hard to help but feel a little moved.

However, this feeling of attraction only lasted for a moment.

Because Guan Ren gently pulled her into his arms the next moment, patting her back with his large hand:

"Actually, even if there are rumors, let them go. We know our own feelings for each other since childhood, and what others say doesn't matter."

"..."

Luo Xiaobei's feelings at this moment were simply indescribable.

What... what is this called?
She was held in the arms of the boy she liked, who gently told her not to care about what others were saying...

This sounds like a pretty romantic thing, but the problem is...

The problem is, the gossip from others is exactly what she wants!

What was originally a nice statement would have sounded much better if it had simply replaced "the feelings between us" with "the feelings between us"...

Luo Xiaobei's face flushed red and then turned black.

The reason she felt red was because the boy's gentle hug made her feel comfortable both physically and mentally.

The reason she felt black was that, considering the situation above and below, the circumstances seemed somewhat strange, which even made her a little depressed.

"Awooo—~"

"hiss?!"

A sudden pain shot through the back of his hand. Guan Ren leaned back strategically, glaring at Luo Xiaobei with the eyes one would give a little bitch:
Why are you breathing out?

"Hmph~!"

"Hey, don't go! Didn't you say you were coming to help me out?"

"Hehe~ Type it yourself!"

Luo Xiaobei turned around, wrinkled her little nose, and stuck out her pink little tongue to make a face:
"Don't you have hands? You want me to help you?" "..."

Day after day…

But that was within Guan Ren's expectations. He never expected this guy to be of any use other than adding more mouths to his house.

Besides, people who cook often know that sometimes having another person in the kitchen can be a hindrance, so it's better to do it yourself.

However, even after Luo Xiaobei left, Guan Ren couldn't help but recall her fresh look today.

For example, that sweet and innocent jellyfish hairstyle…

For example, beneath a lovely skirt, long, slender legs are neatly encased in velvet pantyhose…

Before he knew it, Guan Ren found himself feeling a sudden flutter in his heart.

"As expected of her..."

Guan Ren shook his head. To be honest, no matter how familiar he was with Qingmei, he had always highly regarded her beauty.

"Put aside all distractions... Hmm, let's clean Sister Gu's fish first... Tsk, this fish is so slippery, it'll definitely taste very tender later..."

----------

Guan Ren continued to work.

As soon as Luo Xiaobei stepped out of the kitchen, she saw a tall and elegant figure walking towards her from the living room.

……

To be honest, Luo Xiaobei was very glad after seeing Gu Youli today.

I'm glad I at least put some thought into my outfit.

Even Luo Xiaobei himself was somewhat amazed by Gu Youli today.

Putting everything else aside, that gray wool trench coat alone is not something an average high school girl could pull off.

With her outstanding figure, Gu Youli effortlessly paired a beige scarf with slim-fit jeans, and combined with her understated elegance, she exuded the mature charm of a freshman girl.

Although freshman girls aren't exactly mature to begin with...

It's at least a bit more engaging than girls' high school.

The allure of this "maturity" made Luo Xiaobei feel quite threatened for a time.

Perhaps only a girl like Luo Xiaobei, who grew up on cuteness and is also naturally beautiful, could rival her.

……

"Gu Youli~"

Luo Xiaobei smiled and looked at the teacup in Gu Youli's hand:

Do you want some water?

"no."

Gu Youli shook her head:

"Aunt Guan went to the bedroom. I noticed her tea was a bit weak, so I wanted to add some more tea leaves."

"oh oh."

Luo Xiaobei nodded:

"But the tea leaves aren't in the kitchen."

"Eh?"

"The dried roses that Sister Qiaoyun brewed are in the TV cabinet."

"This...is like this..."

"Uh-huh."

As Luo Xiaobei spoke, she opened the TV cabinet, and sure enough, there were several packets of dried roses inside.

"Here, this will do."

"Yes, thank you, Xiao Bei."

"It's okay, it's okay~"

In Luo Xiaobei's heart, Gu Youli was a very good girl.

But there are some things, especially today, that Luo Xiaobei still feels she really wants to say:

"It's normal that you're not familiar with the Guan family. Just ask me if you don't know anything in the future."

"..."

Coincidentally, in Gu Youli's heart, Luo Xiaobei has always been a cute, lively, and very likable energetic girl.

But today, there were some things Gu Youli wanted to say properly, even after pursing her lips:

"Okay, thank you Xiao Bei... I haven't been here many times yet, so I'm not very familiar with it. It's okay, I'll get more familiar with it as I come more often."

Luo Xiaobei's gaze paused slightly for a moment, then she nodded and said:
"...Mmm~ You're welcome to come anytime~"

Gu Youli's eyelashes trembled slightly. The word "come" fell into her ears, as if reminding her that the girl in front of her and someone had been childhood sweethearts for more than ten years.

Admittedly, this originally had nothing to do with her.

That nasty deskmate, who his childhood sweetheart is, has absolutely nothing to do with me; it's something I don't care about at all.

only…

It's just the same thing.

Today, Gu Youli felt that there were some things she really wanted to say.

Finally, she subtly pinched her chin with one hand, and gently tilted her beautiful, fair chin up slightly:

"Yes, Xiao Bei, you too, come often."

------------

"hiss--"

In the kitchen, Guan Ren, who was washing vegetables, suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.

"This awful December weather, has it gotten colder again...?"

(End of this chapter)