The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 130

Tang He had a toothbrush in his mouth, spitting out foam as he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone, “I’m up, I’m up. I’ll be at the training hall in no time.”

Li Rong squatted on the ground, zipped up his suitcase, rested his arm on his knee, and said, “Sorry, something came up. I can’t make it to training today.”

Tang He frowned, pausing mid-brush: “It’s New Year’s, you’re alone—what could possibly come up?”

Someone like Tang He, with a wife and kids, had nothing going on, so Li Rong certainly shouldn’t either.

Li Rong countered, “Do you really want to know?”

Tang He hesitated. “…Should I?”

Li Rong smirked, pushed his suitcase to the door, and grabbed a towel before heading to the bathroom. “I remember you’re on good terms with President Cen. Guess I shouldn’t tell you then.”

Tang He: “…”

Well, with that, he could already guess.

He rinsed his mouth quickly and darted back to bed. His wife was propped up on pillows, engrossed in a TV drama. Seeing Tang He return, she asked, “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Tang He sighed, “Clearly, you can’t trust young people when they claim to prioritize work.”

***

Tickets for New Year’s Day weren’t easy to come by, and Cen Xiao could only get an afternoon flight at 1 PM. By the time Li Rong landed in Tangshi, it would be past 4 PM.

From the moment Cen Xiao woke up, he was restless, his longing intensifying as the hours ticked by.

This morning, Mother Xiao was in better spirits, having not seen Cen Xiao and Xiao Muran for a long time. Illness had made her more affectionate toward her family. She chatted endlessly with Cen Xiao, sharing anecdotes from the cultural scene and stories about her still-living old friends.

Cen Xiao, however, kept glancing at his phone. Li Rong had gone silent after boarding his flight, but he couldn’t stop himself from checking.

Eventually, the group chat for District Nine popped up with a message: Han Jiang had sent out a red envelope.

The previously silent chat instantly came alive, with everyone rushing to thank the boss.

District Nine had a tradition of keeping things strictly professional, and Han Jiang wasn’t the type to encourage company culture. During holidays, the group rarely saw chatter beyond work-related announcements. With it being New Year’s and no pressing issues, the chat had been quiet for days.

But now that Han Jiang started the red envelope frenzy, other team leads had to follow suit, flooding the group with gratitude.

Cen Xiao hesitated for a moment, then scrolled up to Han Jiang’s envelope and clicked on it.

To his surprise, Han Jiang had been unusually generous this time, seemingly ensuring that everyone could claim a share. Even though Cen Xiao was late to it, he still managed to grab some.

He frowned slightly. Was Han Jiang in a particularly good mood?

Du Mingli, ever the office politics expert, was already buttering up Han Jiang in the chat, applying tactics from his finance industry days.

Han Jiang, however, didn’t engage, clearly uncomfortable with such flattery.

Soon after, Cen Xiao received a private message from Geng An.

[Geng An: Cen, I heard a rumor. Apparently, Han Jiang’s son came back from abroad for the New Year. Usually, his parents visit him overseas, but this year they couldn’t leave, so Han Ying returned instead.]

[Cen Xiao: How did you find out?]

Even Cen Xiao hadn’t heard this news. Han Jiang was notoriously good at keeping his personal life under wraps.

[Geng An: Remember that school reunion I mentioned? I met our old class belle there. She must’ve learned from someone else that I work in Ghost Eye and tried fishing for info from me. But instead, I turned the tables on her. Apparently, after Han Ying returned, he started reconnecting with her. She’s been struggling in her marriage and probably saw an opportunity.]

Geng An was sharp. Knowing that information about Han Ying could be valuable to Cen Xiao and Li Rong, he didn’t hesitate to exploit the situation.

Class reunions were often arenas for showing off. If the former belle attended despite her troubles, it likely meant she had some new developments in her life.

[Cen Xiao: Got it. Thanks.]

Han Ying was married—or at least had been.

Despite Han Jiang’s efforts to keep his family out of the public eye, certain key events, like marriages, were shared with key figures in Blue Pivot. 

Xiao Muran had even sent a lavish wedding gift—a valuable painting—years ago.

But that had been some time ago.

Han Ying’s return, combined with his immediate attempt to reconnect with an old flame, suggested lingering feelings.

Judging by Geng An’s account, this classmate must be quite attractive. After her divorce, she likely reconnected with Han Ying, reigniting an old flame.

Ambiguity always stirred emotions and imaginations. Han Ying’s reasons for returning this time—whether for family matters or Jiang Zeng—remained unclear.

But based on Geng An’s description, it didn’t seem like Jiang Zeng had gotten much out of her conversation with Han Ying, especially regarding his marital status. That was probably why she turned to Geng An, hoping for some workplace gossip.

“Cen Xiao, Grandma’s talking to you,” Xiao Muran reminded him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Cen Xiao returned to the present and looked at Mother Xiao’s eager face. “Sorry, there’s a matter with District Nine I need to handle.”

She waved dismissively. “Go ahead. Check the items on the shelf and take anything you like. Whatever’s left, I’ll have your grandpa send to the director of Hongsuo Research Institute.”

“Zhu Yan?” Cen Xiao asked, startled.

On the shelf were several sets of exquisitely packaged tea sets. Though not antiques, they were priceless. The ceramic master who made them produced only a few each year, and only someone like Father Xiao could acquire so many.

“Yes, Zhu Yan. You know him?” Mother Xiao was increasingly pleased. Cen Xiao was no longer the rebellious child who clashed with his parents. It seemed that working had indeed matured him.

Smiling, Cen Xiao recalled Li Rong mentioning Zhang Zhaohe’s connection with Zhu Yan. “Of course I know him. I just didn’t realize Grandpa had a relationship with him.”

Mother Xiao snorted softly, “What kind of relationship? Just formal reciprocation. Your grandfather doesn’t think much of Zhu Yan. But don’t repeat that outside.”

Cen Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Why doesn’t Grandfather think highly of Zhu Yan?”

Mother Xiao hedged, “It’s not something you need to worry about. It’s old history—only those who are particularly stubborn would still care about it. Disapproval is one thing, but social obligations must still be maintained. You’ll need to do the same in the future…”

No matter how Cen Xiao probed, Mother Xiao refused to elaborate on Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan was now highly respected and about to retire with honor. He had indeed made significant contributions to the Hongsuo Research Institute. While he was reluctant to relinquish his position to Jiang Weide, which was a minor flaw, now wasn’t the time to dig up old grudges and cause trouble for him.

Mother Xiao added, “The friend I mentioned earlier will also be coming over tonight, and it seems his granddaughter will be here too. I know you’re seeing someone, but you’re still young. There’s no harm in broadening your horizons.”

Cen Xiao glanced at the time. “Alright.”

He didn’t want to argue further with his grandmother about this. Either way, he wasn’t planning to be there tonight. He could find an excuse, and his mother—always keen to oppose her own mother—would back him up anyway.

Sure enough, Mother Xiao looked pleased, thinking her advice had finally sunk in with the younger generation.

By 4 p.m., however, Cen Xiao was already driving to the airport.

By the time Mother Xiao tried to look for him, he was long gone. He had extended his leave until noon the next day, with a flimsy excuse.

Mother Xiao was both furious and anxious, but Xiao Muran remained indifferent, even siding with him in opposition. With her poor health, Mother Xiao could only concede.

Li Rong, meanwhile, had taken another nap on the plane and felt groggy upon landing.

As soon as he saw Cen Xiao, he leaned against him, sticking close like glue. “How long did you wait?”

Cen Xiao wrapped his arms around Li Rong, who was bundled up in soft cotton clothing. He lightly pinched Li Rong’s waist through the layers. “Aren’t you hot? Look around—who else is dressed like this?”

Li Rong yawned, his face still flushed from sleep. Half-closing his eyes, he mumbled, “I overslept and didn’t have time to change.”

He was starting to feel the heat. The moment he got off the plane, the humid air hit him. Even the lingering warmth of the setting sun felt stronger than A City’s noon heat, leaving his skin damp and sticky.

Once inside the car, Li Rong shifted to the backseat to change. He took off his cotton coat and sweater, pulling on a short-sleeved shirt.

Cen Xiao parked by the roadside and glanced into the rearview mirror.

Li Rong paused mid-movement. About to change his pants, he noticed the car had stopped. “What’s wrong?”

Cen Xiao replied in a low voice, “You finish changing first.”

Li Rong caught sight of the look in his eyes through the mirror and immediately understood. However, he pretended to play innocent. “I can change while you drive. It doesn’t bother you, does it?”

Cen Xiao responded, “I’m worried I’ll crash if I keep driving, so I stopped to watch in peace.”

A faint smile curved Li Rong’s lips. Leaning toward the driver’s seat, he whispered by Cen Xiao’s ear, “You’ve missed me that much?”

Cen Xiao turned his head slightly and kissed Li Rong on the lips. “What do you think?”

Li Rong had just taken off his padded jacket, and his body was still radiating warmth. When Cen Xiao leaned in, it felt like snuggling up to a small heater.

Li Rong’s face was flushed from the heat, his skin dampened by the humid air. Just woken up, his eyes were misty, and his eyelashes brushed up and down right in front of Cen Xiao.

Cen Xiao kissed him thoroughly before reluctantly letting him go, murmuring, “I’m starting to understand those ancient foolish emperors more and more. I had two important things to tell you, but now I’ve completely forgotten.”

Li Rong shot him a glare. “Then hurry up and turn on the air conditioning, or your seductress concubine will overheat and die.”

Cen Xiao chuckled softly. “It’s set to ventilation. You’re drenched in sweat—let it dry first.”

“What important things?” Li Rong pulled back and started changing his pants as he asked.

Though they could flirt anytime and anywhere, they never truly forgot about serious matters.

Cen Xiao lowered the temperature slightly and shared what Geng An had said and Mother Xiao’s evaluation of Zhu Yan.

Li Rong quickly finished changing his clothes, opened the car door, and switched to the passenger seat. “Han Ying’s back in the country?”

Zhu Yan and Zhang Zhaohe could be set aside for now, as he hadn’t found any intersection between them and their current investigation.

Besides, Li Rong was convinced Zhu Yan wasn’t as flawless as the outside world made him out to be. At over seventy years old, with the world having changed several times over, how could Zhu Yan possibly remain the same?

Cen Xiao replied, “Han Ying seems very interested in Jiang Zheng, so it doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving anytime soon.”

Li Rong responded with a thoughtful “Hmm…”

Cen Xiao turned the steering wheel and headed straight for a high-end hotel not far from the villa retreat area. “Right now, my main concern is whether we should shower first or hit the beach.”

Li Rong tilted his head to glance at him. “Middle of the day—there’s no one at the beach?”

Cen Xiao turned to look at him too. “I’m taking you to eat beachside barbecue. Where’s your mind wandering?”

Li Rong’s eyes curved into a soft smile as he replied playfully, “I was just asking about the beach. What did you think I was thinking?”

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