Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

He sat quietly in the corner, his posture upright and elegant, surrounded by a faint scent of ink. Xin Youling liked this smell.

Jiang Ning held the brush, gently moving it across the xuan paper. His strokes were smooth and powerful, every twist and pause filled with an otherworldly grace.

The characters he wrote were as ethereal as his demeanor, completely free of standardized rigidity.

Xin Youling sat quietly beside him, not interrupting but silently appreciating.

The verses Jiang Ning wrote were: "The heart is like a white cloud, always at ease; the mind flows like water, going wherever it will."

It wasn't until he finished writing that he looked at Xin Youling and smiled, "Isn't this the busiest person in our class? What brings you here to play?"

Xin Youling pouted and, recalling his mischievous remarks from last night, said with a serious tone, "I need a favor."

Her tone carried a kind of assertiveness, the confidence cultivated from years of being a class officer and a leading figure among her peers.

Her words left Jiang Ning momentarily stunned, making him inadvertently recall the former Shen Qing'e, who loved to command him in the same tone.

Jiang Ning said, "Not helping. Please leave."

Xin Youling was taken aback: "Is the Calligraphy Room owned by your family?"

Jiang Ning picked up the brush and leisurely said, "Don't forget you promised me a favor. Are you planning to back out?"

Xin Youling remembered that day when she actively requested to secure the Evergreen Liquid quota for the class.

Her tone softened a bit: "I'm here to practice calligraphy."

Jiang Ning: "Go ahead."

Compared to the assertive Xin Youling, Jiang Ning still preferred the soft-spoken Geng Lu. When Geng Lu practiced calligraphy in the Calligraphy Room, she would still grind ink for him.

Unlike Xin Youling, who was completely unaware.

He ignored Xin Youling and continued writing.

Xin Youling was thoroughly ignored. Come on, she was the class leader of Class 8 and currently had the tendency to monopolize power. Back when she was class leader, most classmates were willing to give her face.

Xin Youling genuinely considered walking away to repay the favor she owed him.

But considering Jiang Ning's importance, she ultimately held back, willing to endure hardships for the glory of her dream.

She glanced at the student in front of her who was focused on practicing calligraphy and whispered, "I hear you're great at magic tricks. Interested in performing in front of the whole school…"

"Sorry, not interested," Jiang Ning said.

Xin Youling: "Don't you want to become famous in the whole school?"

Jiang Ning: "I prefer a low-profile life."

Xin Youling: "…"

She knew Jiang Ning had good grades, ranking second in the whole school, but he wasn't very famous. Fourth Middle School was a big stage with nearly three thousand students. If he could shine at the New Year's Eve gala, perhaps he could become famous throughout the school.

Xin Youling continued to tempt, "If you become famous in the whole school, your future…"

Jiang Ning, having long been exposed to Xue Yuantong's incessant persuasion, found Xin Youling's skills way off mark.

You have to know, when Tongtong got anxious, she'd lean close to his ear and try to persuade him with her warm breath, yet Jiang Ning remained unmoved as a mountain.

'Lingling is still too weak.' Jiang Ning focused solely on writing the noble texts, ignoring the girl's voice.

Ten minutes later, Xin Youling's throat was dry from talking, and Jiang Ning naturally handed her a bottle of water.

Xin Youling: "Thank you."

"You're welcome, you've worked hard too," Jiang Ning said.

Only after drinking the water did Xin Youling realize what happened, leaving her completely silent.

Jiang Ning finished writing another poem line: "Giving up?"

He teased her: "Maybe if you insist a little longer, I'll agree."

Xin Youling spoke for another ten minutes.

Jiang Ning: "I still refuse."

Xin Youling nearly lost her composure.

She once again experienced the frustration from when she first became the class leader of Class 8.

...

Five minutes before class ended, Jiang Ning left the Calligraphy Room,

He was heading to the cafeteria. This afternoon, Guo Ran had a class and couldn't get lunch for him early, so he had to fend for himself.

He went from the second floor to the first, seeing a group of sweaty sports students at the staircase, practicing explosive jumps to strengthen their leg power, blocking the stairs completely.

They were jumping intensely, and although they saw Jiang Ning, they didn't immediately give him a way through, planning to finish first.

After all, they were sports students, top-tier figures in the school in terms of strength!

Even though Jiang Ning planned to go to the cafeteria early, since his way was blocked, he stood by waiting quietly.

Until Xin Youling appeared behind him, her appearance bright and demeanor grand. Most boys in the world, upon seeing a pretty woman, instinctively lower themselves as if the other party is inherently superior.

The sports students immediately felt inferior, stopped jumping, and hurriedly made way for her like birds and beasts scattering.

A few sports students eager to impress, even puffed their chests, tightening their arms to showcase their strong physiques, hoping to catch the beauty's attention.

If they could get even a hint of her gaze, their vanity would surely surge to the max.

After all, under normal circumstances, unless in times of chaos, an ordinary sports student might never attract someone with Xin Youling's beauty and grace.

Xin Youling lifted her foot and walked down the stairs.

Jiang Ning, witnessing this scene, thought these sports students were truly something else.

He leisurely walked down the stairs, suddenly calling out, "Lingling, I think we can reconsider that matter."

Xin Youling had originally lost hope, but upon hearing this, she abruptly turned around, her face full of surprise, "You're not playing with me again this time, are you?"

Jiang Ning: "Haha, I'm sincere."

When Xin Youling smiled, her prominent undereye creases looked especially noticeable, like two crescent moons hanging beneath her clear eyes: "Alright."

Jiang Ning and Xin Youling left together.

A handsome yet roguish sports student watching this scene felt a twinge of envy in his heart, along with a strong sense of disappointment.

He blamed, "You guys are really spineless, why did you give way so fast just now?"

Another short and stout sports student reminded, "Bro, you were the fastest to give way just now, even using both hands and feet!"