After My Rebirth Chapter 31: Someone I know

Chapter 31: Someone I know

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Seeing the look of delight on Jiang Rongxuan’s face, Li Sinian couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

Had he really been neglecting his business partner so much that just showing up at the office once every five visits made the man this happy?

He rubbed the tip of his nose lightly and said, “I haven’t really been around the office much lately. Figured, I’d come check things out today.”

Li Sinian followed Jiang Rongxuan into the office and placed a thermal lunch container on the desk. “I thought it’d be about lunchtime by now, so I cooked a few dishes and brought them over. Don’t complain if they’re not any good.”

Jiang Rongxuan sat down across from him and lifted the lid. “Now that’s way too modest coming from you. Is there anything you cook that doesn’t taste amazing?”

The container had four tiers. Li Sinian had packed three dishes and a soup, with rice as the staple.

Mushrooms were in season, so he’d made a light, fresh mushroom soup. The side dishes were stir-fried celery with pork, a cold black fungus salad, and a newly developed recipe he’d been experimenting with lately—pickled bass.

Jiang Rongxuan arranged the dishes neatly on the table, his gaze finally landing on the pickled bass.

Tender fillets of fish were soaked in a spicy red broth that seemed to blend right into the meat. Wisps of steam rose with the scent of pickled vegetables and millet peppers, giving off a tangy, fiery aroma. From the shine of the dish, Jiang Rongxuan could tell Li Sinian had poured a layer of his signature chili oil over it before serving.

He pointed at the fish with his chopsticks. “What’s this? Fish?”

“Yeah, pickled bass,” Li Sinian replied.

“Pickled bass?” Jiang Rongxuan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever had bass cooked like this before. I usually get it steamed.”

“This version has a richer flavor. It’s closer to Sichuan-style cooking,” Li Sinian explained. “Go on, give it a try. You’re the first person to taste this dish.”

As soon as he heard that, Jiang Rongxuan picked up his chopsticks without hesitation.

The boneless fish was tender and juicy, locking in the sour and spicy flavors perfectly. One bite, and the broth exploded across his tongue.

Damn, that hits the spot—that was the first thought to flash through Jiang Rongxuan’s mind.

It was like eating a bowl of spicy hotpot—intense, numbing, addictive.

Li Sinian had been watching his expression the entire time. Seeing that flicker of surprise and delight in his eyes, he couldn’t resist asking, “Well? How is it?”

“It’s delicious. Anyone who likes spicy food is gonna love this,” Jiang Rongxuan said, grabbing a spoon to scoop the pickled fish and its soup over his rice.

The rich red broth coated the white grains, making it look even more appetizing.

And he wasn’t just looking—his appetite had truly kicked in. He even switched from using chopsticks to a spoon.

Li Sinian had brought just enough food to fill Jiang Rongxuan about seventy percent full.

When he was done, Jiang Rongxuan stared at the completely empty containers, licking his lips a little reluctantly.

He wasn’t someone who usually indulged in gluttony, but Li Sinian’s cooking was simply irresistible.

As the lunch break ended, employees began trickling back into the office. It was almost time to get back to work.

While Li Sinian stepped out to use the restroom, Jiang Rongxuan took the thermal container to wash it and handed it back to him when he returned.

Seeing the still-damp container, Li Sinian gave a helpless smile. “I told you I’d take it back and wash it myself.”

“It was no trouble,” Jiang Rongxuan replied casually. Then he asked, “Work’s starting back up—are you heading home now?”

Li Sinian thought about it. He was a shareholder, after all. It wouldn’t look great if the one time he actually showed up just happened to be during lunch, and he left right after.

So he said, “Nah, I’ll wait for you. We can head back together after you get off work. I haven’t really gotten a proper look at the company yet anyway. I can use the time to take a tour. I might even be able to help out with some basic stuff. If you’re swamped, feel free to pass a bit of the workload my way.”

Jiang Rongxuan had been hoping Li Sinian would stick around longer, so he readily agreed.

He had his assistant bring in coffee, snacks, and a few magazines. “If you get bored, you can flip through these,” he said.

Li Sinian chuckled.

Jiang Rongxuan might call him “older brother” every other sentence, but he clearly didn’t see him as an older brother. In fact, not only did he not see him that way, he was treating him like a kid.

Instead of reading the magazines, Li Sinian followed the assistant on a tour of the office.

He’d always known Jiang Rongxuan came from the powerful Jiang family in Haicheng, and that they were well-off. But seeing the scale of the company in person still left him stunned all over again.

From the massive climate-controlled greenhouses, to offering generous salaries to attract skilled farmers from Mulin Village, to the over 300 storefronts across four top-tier cities, and now this high-rise office tower—taller even than the Li family’s own headquarters.

Only a family like the Jiangs could afford to throw money around like this.

The hiring standards at the company were high, and though not every employee was a genius, they all had a serious, professional attitude.

After touring the warm, well-run office environment, Li Sinian returned to Jiang Rongxuan’s office.

Jiang Rongxuan was still working. When he saw him come in, he simply looked up, gave a smile, and went back to his tasks.

Li Sinian played a mobile game while he waited, but no matter how long he sat there, Jiang Rongxuan never ended up assigning him any work.

Gradually, his posture slumped, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.

Jiang Rongxuan was busy as ever, and it wasn’t until he glanced at his phone and noticed a message from someone that he realized Li Sinian had fallen asleep.

He asked his assistant to bring in a blanket, then quietly walked over and draped it over him.

Li Sinian leaned against the armrest, his whole body sinking into the soft couch, making his already slender frame look even thinner.

He was fast asleep. His long lashes cast faint shadows under his eyes, making him look peaceful, almost delicate.

Jiang Rongxuan crouched beside him and tilted his head, staring intently at that handsome face.

After a moment, he straightened slightly, moving closer—too close—to the face that had haunted his thoughts day and night.

The distance between them shrank, breath mingling, the air heavy with something unspoken.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Jiang Rongxuan turned his face away and paused. He held the position for three full seconds before sighing—something between frustration and regret—and pulled back. He hadn’t done anything in the end. All he allowed himself was a soft, lingering brush of his nose against Li Sinian’s.

His touch was so gentle, he didn’t expect Li Sinian to wake up at all.

But just then, Li Sinian’s eyes fluttered open.

Jiang Rongxuan was undeniably good-looking, but in that moment, looks had nothing to do with it—anyone would’ve been startled to open their eyes and find a face hovering so close.

Li Sinian instinctively flinched, his body tensing before he registered who it was. The tension drained from his limbs.

“…What’s going on?” Li Sinian asked, voice low and husky from sleep—irresistibly so.

Jiang Rongxuan smoothly adjusted the distance between them, expression unreadable.

“I had something to tell you,” he said with a faint smile. “Just wanted to see if you were awake.”

Li Sinian shifted under the blanket, which slipped down with the movement. He folded it neatly, set it aside, stretched a little, and sat up straighter.

“What is it? Do you need me for something?”

“Not work,” Jiang Rongxuan said as he sat beside him. “It’s about that online plagiarism accusation.”

“You found out who paid for the bots?”

Jiang Rongxuan nodded. “Yeah. It’s… someone you know.”

“Someone I know?” That piqued Li Sinian’s curiosity. “Who?”

Meeting his eyes, Jiang Rongxuan said the name slowly. “Lin Yuan.”

Li Sinian’s eyes widened. “Lin Yuan?! Are you sure?”

His reaction made Jiang Rongxuan’s expression darken. His jaw tightened.

He had known, of course, about the unclear relationship between Li Sinian and Lin Yuan. He knew Li Sinian treated Lin Yuan differently. But seeing the disbelief, the unwillingness to accept that Lin Yuan could’ve hurt him—that still stirred a bitter jealousy in his chest.

Was he really still that into him? So much that even the evidence couldn’t shake it?

Jiang Rongxuan wanted to throw all the proof he’d dug up right in front of him—make his beloved “older brother” wake up and see reality.

When Li Sinian didn’t get a response, he frowned and asked again, “Are you absolutely sure it was Lin Yuan?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Jiang Rongxuan said, barely holding back his frustration. “Are you questioning my ability? Or are you just upset it was Lin Yuan? Can’t even believe it, huh?”

Li Sinian had never formally explained his family situation to Jiang Rongxuan, but bits and pieces had slipped out during their conversations.

And if Jiang Rongxuan had figured out Lin Yuan was behind the smear campaign, then it wasn’t surprising he also knew they had some kind of history.

Still, Li Sinian was puzzled. “Upset? Why would I be upset?”

His whole face—eyes and all—was written in confusion. He genuinely didn’t understand why Jiang Rongxuan thought he’d be heartbroken over something like this.

What was there to be heartbroken about?

“You used to really like Lin Yuan, didn’t you?” Jiang Rongxuan asked, voice tighter than before.

That was true. He had liked Lin Yuan. But they’d never actually been together. Their relationship was always ambiguous—never official.

Jiang Rongxuan was surprisingly sharp. Not only had he found out they knew each other, he even seemed to know how he’d felt.

Thinking that, Li Sinian asked bluntly, “How’d you know I liked him?”

Jiang Rongxuan didn’t answer.

But that wasn’t the point right now. Li Sinian didn’t press him. Instead, he explained why he’d been so surprised to hear Lin Yuan’s name.

“My relationship with Lin Yuan was always awkward, sure. But never hostile. He’s the kind of guy who still values relationships. As long as I didn’t do anything to seriously harm his interests, he’d never come after me.”

“I can say with one hundred percent certainty: Lin Yuan wouldn’t have done this. But the fact that he did… means something’s off.”

“There’s only one person who could change Lin Yuan’s mind about something like this. My younger brother—Li Wenxing.”

“So rather than saying Lin Yuan did this, it’s more accurate to say Li Wenxing did it. He’s the one who wants to blow up the negative press against me.”

Li Sinian pressed his lips together.

It made sense.

Lin Yuan had told him before that Li Wenxing was worried he wasn’t doing well and had encouraged him to accept a brand deal with Songyuan. That meant—Li Wenxing knew the “Nian Nian” from the scandal was him. That wasn’t a coincidence.

How amusing.

In his past life, Li Sinian had spent a lifetime jealous of Li Wenxing, because Wenxing seemed to get everything without even trying. But now, it seemed his little brother wasn’t as passive as he’d thought.

Was Wenxing really a natural favorite? Or had he just been playing the game better all along?