I Don’t Want to Be Reborn With You 3

Chapter 3: An Old Acquaintance Appears

Material is the carrier of spirit, and the body is naturally the carrier of the soul. To put it in a roundabout way, the soul influences the body, and the body reacts to the soul—Lu Li didn’t know if he had returned to the age of sixteen, or if his sixteen-year-old self had gained the memories of the future. He was more passionate, more straightforward, and more resolute than his true self. This was the spirit of a young man, a rare quality that should have disappeared with time and the wear and tear of society.

He didn’t dislike this change.

Back in the low-rent apartment, Zou Yameng made a simple meal of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork, and braised eggplant. The two sat around the small wooden table, chewing quietly.

Lu Li loved Sister Yameng’s cooking. It had a very homey flavor, warm and comforting. His favorite thing to do when he was young was to sit in the quiet room, listening to the patter of rain, and savor the sweet and sour pork ribs his sister made. He liked them a little sour. Unfortunately, after Sister Yameng’s suicide in his previous life, he never had the chance to enjoy them again.

Lost in his thoughts, his chopsticks bumped against Zou Yameng’s. Their eyes met. Zou Yameng felt that Lu Li was a little different today, more confident than before, which gave her a dangerous premonition. She felt that she should fulfill her educational responsibility as an older sister.

“No puppy love.” After holding it in for a long time, she blurted out.

“Huh?”

“You’re still young, no puppy love.” She forced herself to look directly at Lu Li. “You can’t just say those things to girls, you know? Boys should also respect themselves and love themselves, don’t be a scumbag, always sweet-talking and coaxing people, understand?”

But those words were from the bottom of Lu Li’s heart. He was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly. He had always been used to listening to Zou Yameng. Sister Yameng respected him very much. Since he entered high school, she rarely spoke to him in a commanding or instructive tone. Did he make her feel insecure because of his behavior?

Lu Li was the one who washed the dishes. He could cook too. When he was a child, the government assigned him a guardian, a snobbish aunt who took the government subsidy but rarely took care of him. Little Lu Li had to learn to cook for himself, fumbling with the kitchen utensils alongside Zou Yameng. He even got a big burn on his arm from the hot oil once.

He still remembered that Zou Yameng was much calmer than other kids her age. She took him to the community clinic, stopping and asking for directions along the unfamiliar streets, comforting him all the while. It wasn’t until later, he didn’t know when, that Sister Yameng suddenly said she could cook and told him to eat the food she made from now on. Only then did he realize why she had been wearing long sleeves in the heat.

After dinner, Zou Yameng went back to her room next door. She used to love hanging out in her brother’s room, but one day she noticed the shy and embarrassed look in junior high school Lu Li’s eyes when he saw her wearing a camisole, and some other desire she couldn’t understand. Since then, she rarely stayed at Lu Li’s place.

Lu Li took a nap and then went out to the milk tea shop where he worked part-time. The kind shop owner paid him an extra five hundred yuan and told him to study hard, saying he could come back to work during the next vacation. Holding the “huge sum” of two thousand five hundred yuan, he was a little conflicted.

He knew he was going to college. Universities in Shenzhou were all private and terribly expensive. Good grades weren’t enough to go to college. A poor kid like him had to go through the government’s special program, which meant targeted employment after graduation. But he didn’t like that kind of work, so he had to save up for the first year’s tuition himself. This two thousand five hundred yuan should be deposited in his little piggy bank.

But he thought of the class monitor’s words, and then he thought of Sister Zou Yameng. As if possessed, he walked towards the phone store.

Zou Yameng had a second-hand phone. Because she needed to keep in touch with her team, she gritted her teeth and bought an old one from a wealthy classmate who didn’t want it anymore. The second-hand phone was in terrible condition. It was obvious that the previous owner didn’t take good care of it, and the system was very laggy, often driving Sister Yameng crazy.

He chose a previous generation flagship phone that cost two thousand three hundred and ninety-nine yuan and asked the clerk to wrap it up, planning to surprise his sister. Suddenly, he felt someone watching him. He turned around and saw a girl who was both unexpected and not.

It was An Baili.

It wasn’t unexpected because An Baili lived near this street, so it was normal to run into her here.

It was unexpected because An Baili, who was supposed to be an ugly duckling in his memory, had actually tidied herself up a bit – she had brushed her thick bangs aside, untied her pigtails, and simply revealed her bare face, which was surprisingly stunning. He had to admit, An Baili was really beautiful in her teenage years.

He always felt that An Baili was a good girl, but maybe they weren’t right for each other. Two people starved for love coming together would only lead to endless friction and torment. Moreover, the current Lu Li was a little afraid of the young An Baili. He was afraid of her disregard for life. The usually weak An Baili actually dragged him to hell with her after he decided to divorce.

Lu Li’s panic only lasted for a moment. He quickly realized that the current An Baili shouldn’t know him yet. He pretended to look around casually, his gaze sweeping past An Baili, but his heart was pounding:

Why was she different from how he remembered? And why was she looking at him? Please, don’t look at me, don’t look at me, pretend I don’t exist, pretend I don’t exist.

Murphy’s Law states that the things you least want to happen are the ones that will happen. An Baili walked towards him with a suppressed smile, not noticing Lu Li’s twitching eyebrows at all.

“Classmate, are you choosing a phone?” Her voice was very pleasant, but to Lu Li, it was the last voice he wanted to hear.

“Uh-huh.” He was a little perfunctory, successfully feigning the shyness and introversion of a teenage boy.

An Baili didn’t say anything more. Lu Li glanced at her curiously, only to see the girl staring at him intently. The emotions in her eyes were all too familiar to him, and they sent chills down his spine. A ridiculous possibility surfaced in his mind.

Could it be that An Baili was reborn too? Otherwise, why would she be here? Why would she dress up?

Playing dumb had always been Lu Li’s forte. He pretended not to see the burning gaze of the person beside him, took the package from the clerk, and walked out with his head down. An Baili followed behind him unhurriedly. If he didn’t have the memories of his previous life, he would never have guessed that An Baili was following him.

Although An Baili was usually clueless, she had a keen sense when it came to matters between men and women, like a special edition Sherlock Holmes. Back in school, An Baili would secretly throw away the love letters he received, and she would always show up when he was alone with other girls. At that time, Lu Li thought that An Baili was helping him, but now that he thought about it, he realized that it was just a reflection of her morbid possessiveness.

He really didn’t want to be reborn with An Baili.

He really didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore.

Lu Li wasn’t a pushover either. He took several turns through the streets and finally shook off An Baili. By this point, he was certain that An Baili was definitely reborn. The good news was that An Baili didn’t know that he was reborn too.

He returned to the low-rent apartment, thought for a moment, then walked to Sister Yameng’s room and opened the door with his key. By the way, he and Sister Yameng both had keys to each other’s apartments. They had always been family. Sister Yameng, like him, didn’t have a responsible guardian, so they had lived together, eaten together, slept together, and done everything together since childhood.

The little boys in the neighborhood even teased that he and Zou Yameng were a shy husband and wife. Zou Yameng was so angry that she chased them down ten streets.

“Sister, I have a present for you.” The best time to give a gift wasn’t now, but on a holiday or birthday. But Lu Li couldn’t help but present her with the best thing he could find. He didn’t want to wait another moment. She deserved it.

Zou Yameng was watching a variety show on her phone. It was actually about wives’ self-cultivation. Seeing Lu Li approaching, she panicked and returned to the main menu, looking at Lu Li with a blank and innocent expression. Lu Li knew that his sister had two dreams. One was to win a national championship, and the other was to be a good wife. In his previous life, both of Zou Yameng’s dreams were shattered.

She had shouted out these two dreams while drunk on the day of his college graduation. He had never seen Sister Yameng drunk before. That was the only time. At that time, he and An Baili had already confirmed their relationship, and Sister Yameng was the first to bless them.

“What present? I won’t accept anything too expensive.” Her face was still flushed, radiant.

Seeing Lu Li take out the new phone from the package, the first expression on Sister Yameng’s face was not joy but anger.

“Why did you buy me a phone?” She was as nervous as a little housekeeper. “How much did this cost? Where did you get the money? Why didn’t you keep it for yourself to use at school? You, you, you…”

Lu Li found that he enjoyed listening to her nagging more and more. He smiled and sat down next to Zou Yameng, stopping his sister who was about to return the phone. He put on a pitiful tone, “Don’t you want the phone I bought you?”

“I, it’s not that I don’t want it.” As expected, Sister Yameng’s expression softened immediately. “It’s just, well, I’m very happy and touched. But I also feel bad for you. Li, why don’t you keep this phone for yourself?”

As long as he acted like an abandoned puppy, saying nothing, just sitting there pitifully, Sister Yameng would be at a loss and easily persuaded. This was a little trick he had learned.

“I’ll just use your old phone, Sister.” He hugged Zou Yameng. “I still prefer to use Sister Yameng’s old phone. It makes me feel a sense of belonging.”

Zou Yameng pushed him away, “Are you dating someone?”

“Huh? No!”

“No? You’re saying such sweet things, and you’re still pretending to be innocent.” It turned out Sister Yameng wasn’t stupid. “Are you secretly dating someone?”

Lu Li also felt that he was being a little too eager. He was just too happy to see the cheerful and straightforward Sister Yameng from the past. He quickly sat up straight, his head down like a child waiting to be scolded. Seeing him like this, Zou Yameng couldn’t bring herself to question him any further. She felt that her brother wouldn’t lie to her.

Zou Yameng stressed again, “No puppy love…” For some reason, she changed her tune, “No dating. Even if you want to date, you have to let me check her out first, okay?”

“Okay.”

Zou Yameng’s expression softened even more. She hugged Lu Li back, her ample bosom pressing against his chest without reservation. “Okay, I love the gift, Sister is very happy. Thank you, Lu Li, thank you very much, you’re so generous, may you be blessed with good health~” Her words made Lu Li laugh. He rested his head on his sister’s shoulder, smelling the scent of her body, feeling inexplicably peaceful.

His sister’s hair tickled his face, making him itch, and he moved uncomfortably. Zou Yameng’s face suddenly turned red, “Don’t rub… What are you doing, you little pervert.”

Huh? What am I doing?

This time, Lu Li was truly innocent, not his usual act. He lowered his head slightly and realized that his sister was wearing a camisole without a bra. Two small points were clearly visible on the gray fabric, more prominent than usual. He wasn’t a virgin anymore, and he immediately understood.

Although Zou Yameng called him a pervert, she didn’t let go of her arms. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were a little unfocused.

“You use the new phone, Sister will just use the old one.” Still stubborn as a mule, refusing to listen. Lu Li felt that the phone he bought was for her, wasn’t it? If she wasn’t going to use it, why did he even buy it? They weren’t rich.

His sister was usually smart and calm, but at times like this, she was infuriating. Lu Li mischievously hugged her tighter, pressing their bodies closer together. The two protrusions rubbed against the fabric, actually making Zou Yameng let out a soft moan of arousal. The hug was too tight, their body heat, scent, and even the humidity all mixed together. Lu Li felt that he had gone too far and subconsciously wanted to let go.

That involuntary moan also brought Zou Yameng back to her senses. She pushed Lu Li away and said in embarrassment, “Why are you hugging me so tight? You’re hurting me.” She tried to pass off that embarrassing moan of arousal as a cry of pain. This flimsy excuse made Lu Li understand something. He nodded, pretending to be oblivious, and took the opportunity to ask, “Then Sister should use the new phone, otherwise…”

“Okay, okay, I’m going to take a shower, get out!”

“Didn’t you just shower this morning?”

“Mind your own business!”

After kicking the boy out, Zou Yameng sat awkwardly on the bed, looking at the brand new phone on the floor, muttering to herself, “Why are you suddenly being so nice… It’s all your fault.” She took off her shorts and saw the wet mark on her panties, her cheeks flushing red. It was sticky and uncomfortable. Her fingers reached out uncontrollably, and she couldn’t help but picture her brother’s face in her mind.

The next second, she came to her senses and slapped herself.

“What am I doing?”