After rebirth, I rejected the rich yandere lady

Eat.

Although Xu Musen's "family position" had always been rather unremarkable,

there was no question that with two families now, especially with An Nuannuan included, Xu Musen was the most important core among all of them.

And after the first meeting, Father Xu and Mother Xu were naturally very pleased with An Nuannuan, this cute and well-behaved girl.

They also felt that Nuannuan's way of thinking seemed a bit different from other girls, but unexpectedly her cuteness was sufficient, she looked simple-minded, but she was not foolish at all, and in many little details, she was even more thorough than they had considered.

Most importantly, this An Nuannuan was absolutely obedient to Xu Musen—a well-known saying goes: a good mother-in-law can enrich three generations, the importance of a good daughter-in-law goes without saying.

It was just that Mother Xu was looking at An Nuannuan and Yao Mingyue, who sat one on each side of Xu Musen.

An Nuannuan would pick fish for Xu Musen, who patiently removed the bones, then divided the fish in half to feed An Nuannuan as well.

And Yao Mingyue would also pick ribs for Xu Musen, who, after removing the bones, would also share half with her.

This strange yet harmonious atmosphere.

Mother Xu was a bit stunned. Technically speaking…shouldn't Nuannuan and Ming Yue be considered…rivals in love?

Maybe not exactly, given that one was officially the girlfriend, while the other was the childhood friend who was like a sister…at least that was the public identity now.

But Ming Yue, that girl, definitely hadn't completely gotten over Xu Musen.

And Nuannuan, although it was their first meeting, one could also feel that Nuannuan was actually very clear-headed, looking simple but actually quite smart.

However, what most intrigued Mother Xu was that the two of them seemed quite peaceful together.

And it definitely wasn't their first time sitting together to have a meal.

Although the atmosphere was somewhat strange, overall, the two of them were actually quite harmonious.

The three of them sitting together, Mother Xu couldn't help but remember what her son had just said.

The three of them together seemed like…maybe…they could actually get along?

Mother Xu was startled by her own thinking but then considered that it was all the fault of her irresponsible son.

Thus, while eating, Xu Musen suddenly received another glaring eye from his mother.

But Xu Musen was used to it.

After finishing the meal, the birthday cake was brought out.

Liu Rushuang had specially ordered a large cake for Xu Musen's nineteenth birthday, which, counting his nominal age, made him a twenty-year-old man.

It was time to put candles on the birthday cake. Yao Mingyue had a pack of birthday candles; in previous years, they always placed birthday candles for each other on their birthdays.

But this time, when Yao Mingyue looked at the candles in her hand, she handed them to An Nuannuan instead.

Even if she was reluctant, with both families present, she wouldn't make everyone uncomfortable.

An Nuannuan took the candles, glanced at Xu Musen briefly, then took them out and split them in half to hand to Yao Mingyue.

"Let's help him with the candles together."

Yao Mingyue paused for a moment, looking at An Nuannuan whose eyes were bright and particularly comforting to look at.

Yao Mingyue paused only briefly before extending her hand to take the half-share of candles.

The two placed the candles one by one until there were eighteen candles.

The last one remained on the table, between the two of them.

Nineteen—the year that marked a pivotal change in Xu Musen's destiny.

It was also the year that changed the status of Yao Mingyue and An Nuannuan.

For the past eighteen years, Yao Mingyue had spent each birthday with Xu Musen, childhood friends whose thick and thin seemed to flicker over those eighteen candles burning with flame.

Every flicker of candlelight seemed to be a memorable segment of their past.

Yao Mingyue quietly watched the candlelight; at the other end of the candle, Xu Musen also watched silently.

Only now, beside him was another girl…

Yao Mingyue watched An Nuannuan, in front of her the last candle representing Xu Musen's nineteenth birthday.

It was as though from Yao Mingyue's hands, the memories that once belonged to them were passed on, and after turning nineteen, another person would light the candles for him.

Yao Mingyue wore no expression, unsure of what to display at this moment.

She felt a heaviness in her chest, but looking at those eighteen flickering candle flames, at least the memories of those eighteen years still belonged to them.

No matter the future, he would always remember the childhood friend who had lit eighteen candles for him…

Yao Mingyue looked up at An Nuannuan, whose gaze was also on the nineteenth candle on the table.

Yao Mingyue, however, picked up the candle first, gently caressed it in her hand, and then suddenly revealed a smile, handing it to An Nuannuan.

"The nineteenth one, you should place it."

Yao Mingyue's tone was neutral, whether this candle was worth fighting over didn't matter anymore.

Just like their time transitioning from eighteen to nineteen years old.

Ever since that confession in high school, the name An Nuannuan had slowly begun to encroach on Xu Musen's world.

Almost instantly monopolizing all the space that originally belonged to Yao Mingyue.

Of course, it was also because she hadn't cherished it properly.

Now, debating right or wrong had no relevance, Yao Mingyue wouldn't give up on the person she loved, that would never change.