After My Rebirth Chapter 35: A very cliché story

Chapter 35: A very cliché story

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

This was a very cliché story.

Li Sinian’s mother, Lian Menglei, had grown up as childhood friends with Li Cheng. Li Cheng had secretly loved Lian Menglei for many years. Unfortunately, the prince had his dreams, but the goddess of dreams had no interest. Lian Menglei never took Li Cheng seriously.

Lian MengLei had someone she liked. They had been together since college. His family was ordinary, and Lian MengLei had fought hard against her family to finally be with him.

That man was Li Sinian’s biological father.

Two years after Lian Menglei got married, the Lian family suffered a disaster and almost went bankrupt. Luckily, Li Cheng stepped in to help, which saved the family.

At that time, Li Cheng took the opportunity. Despite Lian Menglei already being married and pregnant, he used the Lian family as leverage to force her to divorce her husband and marry him instead.

The survival of the whole family depended on her, and Lian Menglei had no choice but to agree to Li Cheng’s demands.

Li Cheng did love Lian MengLei and wanted to marry her, but that didn’t mean he was okay with her carrying another man’s child.

So, after Li Sinian was born, he pretended not to care on the surface. But in reality, whenever Lian Menglei wasn’t around, he would mistreat Li Sinian.

After marrying Li Cheng, Lian MengLei was always melancholy. Li Sinian—the child she had with the man she truly loved—was her only hope to keep going.

She wouldn’t speak a single word to Li Cheng. Every day, she either took care of Li Sinian or was busy with the Lian family’s business.

The turning point came when Li Sinian turned one year old.

Lian MengLei had worked hard to revive the Lian family after marrying Li Cheng, hoping to escape the mistake of this marriage.

Unfortunately, while she was suffering and struggling, the man she was fighting for married someone else and started a new family.

At first, when Lian Menglei heard this news, she didn’t believe it. She thought Li Cheng was making up a reason to trick her into giving up, so she went to find her lover.

But seeing it with her own eyes, she realized Li Cheng’s version had been quite euphemistic—the truth was even harsher.

Her lover had married another woman, and they already had a child.

They had only been separated for a year, and that man had already fathered a child with someone new.

In other words, just as they had split, he hurried to marry a new wife.

Or maybe, it was better said that he had already gotten close to his new love before they even separated.

Lian Menglei confronted her lover, asking, “When we broke up, didn’t we agree to wait for two years? I suffered so much in the meantime. Why did you already have someone new?”

But her once gentle and considerate husband said, “You wanted me to wait for you? People only get a few two-year periods in their life. Who knows if you’d still love me after two years? I can’t waste my life waiting for you.”

Lian Menglei smiled bitterly through tears. “Then why did you promise me in the first place?”

He said, “At that time, if I hadn’t said that, you might’ve gone crazy. So I had to agree first.”

Lian Menglei returned home, lost and broken. Li Cheng told her that he had arranged that man’s wife.

Li Cheng had always been jealous of that man and wanted to find a woman to test him, to see if he was truly a good man.

It turned out obviously that the woman he chose only had to tempt him a little, and the man fell. He even took money from the family to support his mistress.

From then on, Lian Menglei gave up hope. She still barely acknowledged Li Cheng and focused all her energy on the Lian family’s business.

The only difference from before was that she no longer cared for Li Sinian.

She became a work machine, revolving entirely around the Lian family.

Later, Lian Menglei became pregnant again—this time, Li Cheng’s child.

Actually, Lian Menglei didn’t want this, but Li Cheng desperately wanted a child of his own with her. So one night when she was drunk, he took advantage of her and had unprotected sex with her.

That child was Li Wenxing.

Lian Menglei never really paid much attention to Li Sinian, and she didn’t care much for Li Wenxing either.

Indeed, in Li Sinian’s memory, his mother rarely came home. She was busier than Li Cheng, and Li Cheng never objected to this.

Although Li Wenxing was as neglected by their mother as Li Sinian was, there was one difference: Li Cheng.

Li Cheng had poured his heart into raising Li Sinian but had only average expectations for Li Wenxing—not because he expected so much from Li Sinian, but because he wanted his own child to live a carefree, happy life.

He wanted to put all the pressure on Li Sinian. He wanted to use Li Sinian as a puppet for his own child—to serve Li Wenxing and work hard for him all his life.

Li Cheng pointed at Li Sinian and said, “Understand this? Your blood isn’t pure—you’re a dirty person!”

“Heh, and you expect me to leave you the family inheritance, to hand over the company to you? What a joke! Everything in the Li family belongs to Wenxing! Don’t even think about taking a single penny!”

Li Sinian smiled too. “Do you know what’s across the tea house?”

Before Li Cheng could look out the window, Li Sinian said, “It’s a branch of a restaurant.”

“No Li family, and I’d still live just fine. Want a career? I’d have one. Want money? I’d have money. But the Li family without me? That’s another story.”

“You expect a useless brat like Li Wenxing to inherit your fortune? What a joke. With his brain, all he thinks about is exposing everything online—hurting his enemies but harming himself too. If you leave everything in the Li family to him, you’re just wishing for your own early bankruptcy.”

At those words, Li Wenxing suddenly raised his eyes to look at Li Sinian, his red-rimmed eyes full of hatred.

All the past admiration had been fake. This was Li Wenxing’s true feeling toward him: jealousy, resentment, unwillingness to accept.

Li Sinian met his gaze and said, “Don’t look at me like that. You being such a waste isn’t my fault. You should be mad at the person beside you—the father who supposedly loves you.”

Li Cheng’s eyes reddened, clearly provoked. “Don’t spout such divisive nonsense! My son is no useless waste!”

“I never let Wenxing meddle in the company because I wanted him to live freely. Since you don’t behave, it’s not too late for Wenxing to start learning now.”

“Don’t think so highly of yourself. What’s the Li family without you? I’m still in good health and have plenty of time to teach Wenxing!”

Li Wenxing turned his head and gave Li Cheng a long look. At last, a little smile appeared in his eyes.

Seeing the two of them displaying such father-son affection made Li Sinian want to laugh.

“Really? You’re healthy and have plenty of time to teach that waste?” Li Sinian glanced at Li Cheng’s abdomen. “You get angry easily, go out drinking regularly, and stay up late or pull all-nighters for work. Is your liver really okay?”

Li Cheng’s face changed dramatically with those words.

Li Sinian continued, “If you want to start teaching your ‘good son’ properly now, have you ever asked him if he wants to? You might as well ask Li Wenxing if he’s ever misunderstood you.”

“You’re so strict with me and so lenient with him. Wouldn’t he think you don’t care enough about him?”

“After all, he was willing to expose my name online just to make things hard for me, regardless of the Li family.”

Li Cheng instinctively glanced at Li Wenxing, their eyes meeting.

Li Cheng’s anger flared again. “Shut up! Stop stirring up trouble!”

Li Sinian snorted. “Father—or should I say, Mr. Li—calm down a bit, watch your liver.”

“Li Wenxing’s not very bright. Teaching him is a struggle. Don’t end up teaching him from beyond the grave.”

Li Cheng angrily swept the teacup off the table. Li Sinian didn’t even look at him, stood up, and stepped over the mess as he left.

Just as he reached the stairwell, loud voices came from behind—Li Wenxing and Secretary Shen’s assistant shouting at Li Cheng. He vaguely heard Shen Feng saying, “Call an ambulance.”

Li Sinian drove away. On the highway back to the city, he saw an ambulance speed past him.

This was the airport expressway, leading only to the airport. The teahouse they’d just visited was nearby, so he wasn’t mistaken—Shen Feng really had called for an ambulance.

He only found out about Li Cheng’s condition by accident.

One day, when he went to Li Cheng’s study to find some documents, he noticed a medical report pinned under the corner of the desk. That’s when he learned Li Cheng had cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis had a high chance of turning into cancer. With good care, liver function could recover. Without it, the path led straight to liver cancer.

He found out Li Cheng’s illness had started less than a month before he left home. Now it has been over a year.

If Li Cheng had taken care of himself properly during that year, the disease might have been cured.

But judging by how he reacted to Li Sinian’s words today, clearly he hadn’t. Getting angry and needing an ambulance after just a few words meant the condition had worsened.

Li Sinian understood why Li Cheng wouldn’t let Li Wenxing handle company matters. It was exhausting—never-ending busy work and frequent social events could easily wreck one’s health.

Just like himself before rebirth.

Unfortunately, Li Wenxing never appreciated Li Cheng’s good intentions.

Well, that was fine. Let the two pretend-loving father and son continue to distrust each other.

Li Sinian drove to see Jiang Rongxuan.

When he arrived, Jiang Rongxuan was still in the office, plotting strategies. It was two hours past mealtime, and he hadn’t eaten anything yet.

Li Sinian felt guilty and ordered takeout from a restaurant.

Meanwhile, online, someone had already posted photos of Li Wenxing. But Li Wenxing was backed by the Li family, so only photos had leaked.

Li Sinian told Jiang Rongxuan to call off the search. Jiang Rongxuan didn’t ask why and made a phone call.

About half an hour later, the food arrived. They ate, then checked online again. All news about Li Wenxing had been scrubbed clean.

There were no further developments. No idea if Li Cheng hadn’t ordered a crackdown or if Jiang Rongxuan’s influence scared people away.

Li Sinian told Jiang Rongxuan about his meeting with Li Cheng that day. Jiang Rongxuan looked surprised. “He actually didn’t force you to go home?”

“Why would he?”

“He’s raising you on purpose, wanting you to do the dirty work for your brother while your brother enjoys the benefits.”

“Although your relationship is completely broken, I think someone like him would still force you home using legal ties.”

Li Sinian shook his head. “He wouldn’t dare. He knows what I’m capable of. All his plans depend on me obeying him. If I don’t, handing the Li family over to me would be like giving it away.”

“With his health now, he probably can’t even keep an eye on me.”

Funny, this time he wasn’t the one struggling—Li Cheng was the one falling ill.

The Li family had bad luck; those who sacrificed for it were doomed to short lives.

Jiang Rongxuan gently patted Li Sinian’s back. “Don’t be sad, brother. People like that aren’t worth it. The most important person in this world is yourself.”

“I used to value family a lot, thinking blood was thicker than water. If my family treated me badly, it must be my fault.”

“Later I realized, that’s not true. Some people simply don’t deserve to be parents. It’s not worth being sad about them.”

Li Sinian enjoyed the comfort and didn’t push Jiang Rongxuan’s hand away. He squinted slightly and quietly said, “I’m just in a bad mood, but it’s not because of Li Cheng. It’s because he told me about my biological parents.”

He then shared Li Cheng’s story with Jiang Rongxuan.

Jiang Rongxuan finished listening and scoffed. “Interesting. Does whatever Li Cheng says have to be the truth? I don’t doubt his character at all. That story isn’t 100% true.”