Chapter 2: Rebirth (Part 01)

Holy shit, I actually reincarnated?!

That was Xu Xiangle’s second thought. His first thought was: Gu Ye, are you trying to show off how big your dick is by sitting there doing the splits? Doesn’t your groin hurt?

Xu Xiangle blinked rapidly, glancing around. He and Fuck Buddy A—that bastard named Gu Ye—were currently inside a gay bar called “First One.”

One blink, and it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Am I dreaming?

He pinched his arm hard. It hurt, so he wasn’t dreaming. He wanted to reach over and pinch Gu Ye, but he didn’t dare. Gu Ye was famous for his explosive temper; you’d have to have a death wish to mess with him.

They already knew each other—though not well. Gu Ye was the cousin of his tutoring student. He remembered that Gu Ye should be twenty-five this year, and he’d occasionally run into him at the student’s house. He never expected to run into him at this bar by pure coincidence.

Xu Xiangle focused and searched his memory. He realized today was his twentieth birthday. After having hot pot with a few close friends and a bit to drink, the alcohol had hit him, and he’d come here alone, looking for a high-quality man to lose his virginity to—a wild birthday to mark a milestone in his life.

Gu Ye, naturally, was here hunting for a hookup. He probably didn’t expect to “hunt” his cousin’s tutor.

The “past life” reel seemed to have just finished playing in his head. The memory of how he died was etched deeply into his mind. For a moment, he couldn’t determine the situation. Did I just dream all of that with my eyes open?

He covered his face with his hands, unable to believe he had actually “reborn.” If it were a dream, the images were far too vivid and real—the discomfort of pregnancy, the terror of the operating table, the shouting and confessions he heard right before he died…

Damn, this is so melodramatic! He couldn’t help but laugh, and tears almost welled up.

Whether it was an absurd dream or an unbelievable rebirth, fate was practically screaming at him.

Xu Xiangle, do you want your life, or do you want to have “fun”?

Last time, he had happily gone to a hotel with Gu Ye to lose his virginity and had an unforgettable twentieth birthday. As for this life? “Having fun” was trivial, but his life was precious. He decided right then and there:

He would stay chaste and pure! (Yeah, right.)

“Hey, what are you laughing at?” Gu Ye asked impatiently. He thought that even though he’d lowered his standards, the guy was hesitating for way too long. He must be laughing because he was just too happy.

“I appreciate your interest, Master Gu, but I think I’ll pass,” Xu Xiangle wiped his face and declined politely. “I was just joking earlier. Please don’t mind.”

Gu Ye sat up slowly, his expression tightening. “What if I said I do mind?”

“With your status, Master Gu, you can have anyone you want. With a flick of your finger, plenty of people would throw themselves at you. There’s no need to care about a nobody like me.”

Gu Ye crooked his pinky finger at him.

Xu Xiangle didn’t understand.

Gu Ye grumbled, “Why aren’t you throwing yourself at me?”

Xu Xiangle couldn’t help but want to laugh again. He realized only now that Gu Ye wasn’t just a self-centered bastard; he was actually a pretty funny guy.

Regardless, it was a relief that everything could still be changed.

“I’m really sorry, but I should go,” Xu Xiangle stood up, not wanting to get entangled with him any further.

To be honest, he’d had a bit of a crush on Gu Ye. Every time he went to tutor, he would secretly hope to run into him. However, the nightmare of dying on the operating table was too traumatic; he literally couldn’t look at him the same way anymore.

“Xu Xiangle!” Gu Ye suddenly grabbed his hand. His eyes were serious as he asked, “Are you going to go look for someone else?”

“That’s none of your business,” Xu Xiangle replied with a wry smile. “But I can tell you: no.”

He would rather live a solitary life with his own two hands than go through that tragic agony ever again, regardless of whether that “past life” was real or just a delirious delusion.

Gu Ye let go and lounged back in his seat. “Whatever. I wasn’t really interested in you anyway.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Xu Xiangle smiled and walked out of the bar without looking back.

Thinking back to this day in his “past life,” Gu Ye’s proposition had thrilled him. He’d successfully lost his virginity to Gu Ye, and they’d naturally become fuck buddies. Later, Gu Ye would skip out on a hookup and send his buddy, Lu Xingzhou, to take his place—becoming Fuck Buddy B. Then, the three of them began their debaucherous, “sex-only, no-love” throuple lifestyle. Looking back, it felt like keeping the “good meat” in the family, didn’t it?

The more Xu Xiangle thought about it, the more awkward he felt. He vowed that in this life, he would stay far away from those two to avoid repeating the tragedy of dying in childbirth.

Reborn, he didn’t even want to see those checks or bank cards ever again. Fate had warned him: stay chaste, stay away from men. Amitabha.

He didn’t see that as he left the bar, Gu Ye’s handsome face fell. He looked furious, as if he wanted to slash someone, causing anyone who wanted to approach him to retreat in fear.

Gu Ye was a classic “rich kid”—self-important, handsome, and wealthy. He was invincible in the dating game, and both men and women usually flocked to him. He couldn’t stand the idea of a “duck” he was about to eat flapping its wings and flying away. He called his buddy, Lu Xingzhou, in a rage: “A-Zhou, can you believe this? I got rejected today!”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: “Oh? Someone you, the great Master Gu, couldn’t catch?”

“I almost had him, but he bailed last minute. If he hadn’t, I’d be screwing him in a hotel bed right now. He’s clearly trying to play me!”

“Who dares to play you? Tell me about it.”

“My cousin’s tutor. I ran into him at First One today. He was the one who approached me, saying he wanted to spend his twentieth birthday with me. It was obvious he was trying to seduce me into bed. He still looks like a virgin, too.”

“I thought you didn’t like virgins? You always said they were a hassle.”

“This one’s different. I wanted to screw him the moment I saw him.” Gu Ye recalled the first time he saw Xu Xiangle—wearing a white shirt and jeans, looking delicate, fresh, and boyish. He was clean, shy, and would blush when he saw him. He’d sneak glances with his eyes, and those small, hook-like looks made people’s hearts itch.

“Oh? What’s his name?” Lu Xingzhou asked with slight interest.

“Xu Xiangle.”

“Xiangle (‘Enjoying pleasure’)?”

“Xu as in ‘to miss,’ Le as in ‘happy.’ His name is so lewd, and so is he. Every time he sees me, he looks at me with those watery eyes, hooking me in. He had me itching for it ages ago. Who is he trying to fool with that ‘innocent’ act? What a tea-bagging bitch!”

“You don’t have to be so angry. Maybe he’s just playing hard-to-get.”

“I hope so. If he’s playing hard-to-get, then I’ll just play along for a while.”

“If he’s fun, don’t forget to share with your brother.”

“Ha, obviously!”

The two continued to banter, ending with Gu Ye saying, “I refuse to believe I can’t get him. Once I do, I’ll let you have a turn.”

Meanwhile, Xu Xiangle was unaware that he was being targeted by two wolves in sheep’s clothing. Walking out of the bar, the autumn wind was chilly. He pulled his jacket tighter and returned to his rented room with a heavy heart.

Truth be told, he did feel a tiny bit of regret. Gu Ye was an ideal fuck buddy—rich, handsome, well-endowed, and had great stamina. Every time they hooked up, it felt amazing…

Stop! Cherish life, stay away from men!

He tried his best to forget the horrible images from his “life reel,” reciting the periodic table of elements while he showered. He couldn’t help but remember the times he and Gu Ye did it in the bathroom, with Gu Ye pressing him against the wall…

Stop! Stop! Stop! If I keep thinking about this, I’ll regret turning him down!

Xu Xiangle started reciting math formulas instead. By the time he finished washing up and was ready for bed, his brother, Xu Xiangfu, called: “Xiao Le, I’m sorry to bother you so late, but could you lend your brother some money? It’s an emergency.”

Xu Xiangle felt helpless. He’d lost count of how many “emergencies” Xu Xiangfu had. The money he lent him never came back; it totaled at least 100,000 to 200,000 by now.

“Brother, I’ve already lent you everything I could. I don’t have any money left.”

“Doesn’t that tutoring job pay well?”

“Everything I saved up is already with you. I only have about 30,000 left.”

“That 30,000 will do!”

Xu Xiangle was so angry he wanted to laugh. He felt even worse. He asked in a sharp tone, “Brother, are you trying to force me to my death?”

Did he think he was a god? Did he think he didn’t need to pay rent or tuition? Did he think he could live on air alone?

Xu Xiangfu stammered, “Xiao Le, why are you saying that? You know your sister-in-law’s illness costs a lot of money…”

Xu Xiangle retorted sarcastically, “If you quit gambling, your wife’s illness would naturally get better.”

“You…” Xu Xiangfu choked on his words, then snapped out of shame and anger. “One word: are you going to give it to me or not?”

Ha, it went from “borrowing” to “giving.”

Xu Xiangle was truly furious now. “No money. I’m not giving it. I’m going to sleep.”

“Xiao Le! Xiao Le! This is a real emergency, the loan sharks are coming to my door…”

“Goodnight. Goodbye.”

Xu Xiangle simply shut his phone off and tossed it on the nightstand. He wouldn’t pay any more attention to the brother who only knew how to ask for money. He wasn’t a brother; he was a vampire.

I don’t care if it’s an emergency, he thought. If you’re brave enough to borrow from loan sharks, you better be ready to lose a hand or a foot. If his parents blamed him, he didn’t care. Xu Xiangfu had become a vampire because they were the ones who kept enabling him.

To be honest, he still had a bit over 100,000 in savings that he’d pinched pennies to save. His tutoring wages were enough for daily expenses, but he wouldn’t let Xu Xiangfu bleed him dry. He wasn’t going to play the saint.

Thinking about tutoring, he remembered that Gu Ye was his student’s cousin. Will he fire me because I turned him down today? He worried. Gu Ye was proud, and he’d definitely lost face today.

This tutoring job was his only source of income. He hoped Gu Ye wouldn’t hold a grudge; jobs with this kind of hourly pay were hard to find, let alone working at a fast-food joint or drink shop.

He had just turned twenty, a junior in college. Aside from needing to cover his own tuition and living expenses, he had to send 10,000 a month back to his parents, plus a brother who constantly had his hand out. Sigh, life is truly hard!

If I knew I would be reborn, I should have memorized some lottery numbers. If I’d won the jackpot, I wouldn’t have to worry about money in this life.

Sighing, Xu Xiangle didn’t feel “happy” (Le) at all. He felt like he should change his name to Xu Xianku (Wanting to Cry).

A twentieth birthday, a melodramatic rebirth—today was really, fucking intense!

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