The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 18

Li Rong crossed his arms, his gaze resting on the measuring tape in Cen Xiao’s hands. He raised an eyebrow. “Cen Xiao, you know I’m only seventeen, right? Still underage.”

Cen Xiao approached, holding one end of the tape, and leaned in to murmur by his ear, “Don’t move.”

Li Rong obediently tilted his neck, his pale eyelids fluttering slightly. But he didn’t forget to tease, “I’m still just a kid, you know. I wouldn’t understand those little games you like.”

Cen Xiao paused mid-movement, staring into Li Rong’s mischievously glinting peach blossom eyes. “Should I teach you?”

Li Rong grinned and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Not particularly eager to learn.”

Cen Xiao wrapped the tape around his chest, pressing firmly at the shallow dip in his back. “This room isn’t soundproof.”

Li Rong immediately went quiet.

When they exited the fitting room, Li Rong fastened the last button on his coat and sighed to himself, “I just hope the suit turns out well.”

The tailor reassured him with a smile. “You can rest assured, sir. Our master tailors have won international awards and designed red-carpet looks for many celebrities. I’m sure the result will exceed your expectations.”

Li Rong’s eyes flickered with subtle amusement, his tone laced with playful mockery. “Oh, I’m not worried about your masters. I’m just concerned about this new apprentice here. His technique was so unrefined, it hurt.”

The tailor measuring him couldn’t tell if Li Rong was joking, so he looked to Cen Xiao for help. “Aren’t you two friends?” he asked.

Cen Xiao wrapped the measuring tape around his palm a few times, then placed it on the table beside him. He glanced at Li Rong and said calmly, “When you eat someone’s food, you can’t speak boldly; when you take someone’s help, you can’t act tough.”

Li Rong feigned shock, as if hearing the proverb for the first time. Curiously, he asked, “Really? Then why are you never shy with your words?”

Cen Xiao was momentarily caught off guard and found it amusing, though he kept his expression neutral. “Let’s go,” he said flatly.

Li Rong hurried to catch up, jogging after him and reminding him, “You’ll drop me home first, right? I spent a hundred on a cab to get here.”

Cen Xiao’s voice turned icy. “Do I owe you something?”

Li Rong nodded earnestly. “Yes, that shows you have a conscience.”

Cen Xiao didn’t argue.

Once in the car, Li Rong called the rental company to cancel his order. At first, they tried to make excuses, but Li Rong pulled up the contract and confronted them line by line. The representative, clearly unprepared for such persistence, grew irritated and finally processed the refund.

After hanging up, Li Rong leaned back against the seat, his earlier energy completely drained, as if all the strength had been sucked out of him.

His health had never been good. The back-and-forth that day had left him with no appetite, and his fragile stomach began to churn with acid.

When he finally quieted down, Cen Xiao glanced at him and turned on some soft music. “You didn’t use to talk this much,” he said.

The Li Rong he remembered had always been cold-faced, reluctant to speak even a single unnecessary word. That version of Li Rong seemed to have vanished forever.

Li Rong turned his head to look out the window. The shadows of trees flickered by rapidly, rushing past like stretched-out chocolate bars sliding off a conveyor belt.

His eyelids grew heavier. In response to Cen Xiao’s comment, he murmured almost randomly, “Power is rare—it’s reserved for those who have the ability to fight for it.”

“Mm.” Cen Xiao was silent for a long time, so long that by the time he replied, Li Rong was already on the verge of falling asleep. His quiet response barely reached Li Rong’s ears.

He used to think that if someone could stay the same forever, it would mean that nothing cruel had ever happened to them, that the harshness of reality had left no scars.

But that was just self-deception.

People must don their armor, wield their weapons, shed their vulnerabilities, step away from their comforts. Survival itself is a lonely battle.

Li Rong’s eyes eventually closed completely, and his breathing evened out. The freshly styled hair he had was now slightly rumpled, with the ends brushing lightly over his eyelids. Outside the window, the colors of the world faded away, leaving only a faint line of light resting on his throat.

Cen Xiao quietly adjusted the air conditioning to make it warmer, lowered the volume of the soft music, and slowed the car’s speed.

This was all he could do for him.

Li Rong stirred awake. As he opened his eyes, he realized it was already completely dark outside.

His eyes felt dry and sore, and his neck was stiff. The car had been parked on the roadside for a while, though the air conditioning was still on.

“We’re here? I fell asleep,” Li Rong mumbled.

His voice was soft and sticky from just waking up. His grogginess made him less guarded than usual, giving off a fleeting sense of vulnerability.

Cen Xiao glanced at him. “Your house is about to be repossessed.”

Li Rong blinked and glanced toward his small courtyard under the streetlight.

The greenery in front of the villa had long gone untended, growing wild and unruly, sprawling onto the cobblestone path.

Ever since Cen Xiao had taken responsibility last time, the property management had indeed become stricter. No one smashed his windows anymore, no one painted red paint on his doors, and even the wreath deliveries were actively intercepted by the property office.

“Yeah, just a few days left, I think.” He had nearly forgotten about it, not even bothering to find another place to live.

Cen Xiao’s fingers lightly brushed against the steering wheel. “If you want to—”

“I don’t.” Li Rong interrupted him decisively, then smiled. “Let me tell you something—you don’t understand. When a person isn’t there, a house is meaningless. If you cling to the past, you can’t move forward.”

In his previous life, for reasons unknown, Cen Xiao had insisted on buying this house back as a birthday gift for him.

He remembered how upset that “gift” had made him.

Li Rong stepped out of the car and glanced back at Cen Xiao with a faint smile. “See you at the party.”

***

Song Yuanyuan’s coming-of-age celebration was held at her family’s small estate in the outskirts of City A.

As the Song family’s only daughter, her debut was truly extravagant. Alongside the numerous dazzling gifts from business associates were sponsored desserts from niche luxury brands.

Mother Song had even set up a Disney-themed miniature castle in the yard, specifically for the girls attending to take photos.

Song Yuanyuan, long done with greeting guests, wore playful and sweet princess makeup. Her golden curly wig was pinned with a silver tiara, and she wore a cream-white gown that highlighted her shapely figure.

Supported by others, she climbed the steps to the castle, pushed open the sky-blue shutters, and posed elegantly with her chin resting on her hand.

Two professional photographers knelt on one knee below the castle, absorbed in capturing her image.

The invited guests didn’t hold back their praise.

“Yuanyuan looks so beautiful today! Forever eighteen!”

 “Truly a little princess—elegant and refined!”

 “A beautiful and kind-hearted girl. Whoever marries her in the future will be so lucky.”

 “Yuanyuan is definitely the center of attention tonight.”

Mother Song smiled. “Our Yuanyuan isn’t in a rush to get married. She’s always been focused on her studies and is very obedient—unlike some girls who agree to date as soon as a boy shows interest.”

“Exactly. Yuanyuan is becoming more and more like a true lady of grace.”

Mother Song added, “I’m not against her dating, but the world is complex, and she’s still too young to navigate it. As her mother, I have to be extra cautious—”

“Look over there!”

 “Who’s that?”

“Li Rong—Li Qingli and Gu Nong’s son.”

 “So that’s Li Rong… He really is—”

“Unbelievably good-looking.”

 “Undeniably stunning.”

Li Rong sat quietly in an inconspicuous seat in the back row, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, freshly pressed and sleek.

His physique was impeccable. The suit tapered slightly at his waist, and his legs, casually crossed, emphasized his lean build. The straight-cut trousers rode up slightly, revealing his smooth, slender ankles.

Though the formal black attire should have seemed severe, on him it carried an understated elegance. Beneath the fitted jacket, his white shirt collar fluttered faintly in the breeze, revealing glimpses of his long, delicate collarbones.

Li Rong possessed a face so stunning it felt almost unfair. Though sharply contoured, his features radiated a soft, refined charm. His peach blossom eyes, clear and bright, seemed to shimmer with sunlight, their gaze naturally alluring.

His thick, fine hair curled slightly at the ends, with one unruly strand brushing over the small mole at the corner of his eye. His lips, recently stained by the red wine served at the event, added a flush of vitality to his otherwise pale complexion.

Sitting quietly, he neither vied for attention nor made any noise, yet still managed to draw every onlooker’s gaze.

It was a beauty that blurred the lines of gender.

From within the castle, Song Yuanyuan instinctively noticed the shifting focus of the crowd. The compliments aimed at her earlier dwindled, as if suddenly rendered inappropriate.

Perplexed, she lifted her skirt and leaned out the window, glancing toward her mother.

Mother Song wore an unsightly expression.

This was Song Yuanyuan’s 18th birthday, her grand coming-of-age. 

Mother Song had spared no expense, hiring the best stylists and designers. She had intended to show that their family never needed to climb the social ladder toward the Li family. The earlier relationship between Song Yuanyuan and Li Rong had been because her daughter was beautiful and outstanding. Now that they were separated, it was Li Rong who no longer measured up to Song Yuanyuan.

But clearly, her daughter had been overshadowed.

And the culprit, to her dismay, was the supposedly unworthy ex-boyfriend.

Li Rong seemed oblivious to the attention he had drawn. Sitting up slightly straighter, he pressed his lips together and glanced around, his lashes trembling subtly. The motion of his Adam’s apple was slow and deliberate.

Then, as if amused, Li Rong chuckled softly, a faint, innocent smile gracing his lips. “Why is everyone looking at me? Today is my girlfriend’s coming-of-age celebration.”

Cen Xiao stood quietly not far away, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat.

He raised his champagne glass, taking a sip as his heated gaze lingered on Li Rong’s red lips.

The champagne bubbled in its slender, clear glass, swirling in tandem with Cen Xiao’s restless heart.

For the first time, Cen Xiao realized that someone could be so breathtakingly beautiful.

If Li Rong were willing to stand on that colorful, dazzling castle, he might actually be interested in seeing how the photographer captures it through their lens.