Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend-Chapter 455 - Your Brother-in-Law Might Like You a Little.

An Shui Shui was washing the large pot when, out of nowhere, someone hugged her from behind.

Hearing the voice, she immediately knew who it was.

An Shui Shui froze in shock and was about to cry out.

At that moment, Xu Xiu Wen leaned close to her ear and spoke. The warm breath from his mouth seemed to carry a magical power, causing An Shui Shui’s body to weaken involuntarily.

Feeling her softening body, Xu Xiu Wen chuckled.

An Shui Shui’s legs went weak, and her body felt powerless. She realized her brother-in-law had mistaken her for her sister.

She couldn’t allow this to happen with her brother-in-law. But it felt as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn’t speak for a moment.

And then, sensing something increasingly wrong, An Shui Shui panicked even more.

She stammered nervously, “Brother-in-law, it’s me, Shui Shui! I’m not my sister!”

Hearing his sister-in-law’s voice, Xu Xiu Wen was startled.

Just then, a noise came from behind them.

Xu Xiu Wen realized it might be An Shui Shui’s mother or her sister, An Shi Shi, coming. Panicking, he quickly stepped back a few paces.

Without Xu Xiu Wen’s support, An Shui Shui nearly collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, she managed to prop herself up against the stove in time.

Xu Xiu Wen hastily apologized, “Shui Shui, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was you.”

With that, he hurriedly left the room.

As he stepped into the courtyard, An Shi Shi happened to walk in from the other side.

“You’re awake, honey~” she greeted him with a sweet smile.

Xu Xiu Wen quickly composed himself, nodding with an air of calm. However, his flustered expression did not escape An Shi Shi’s notice.

This immediately aroused her suspicion.

“I’m going to the front room for a bit,” Xu Xiu Wen said hurriedly before walking off to the front of the house.

An Shi Shi’s smile faded as she watched his retreating figure. She glanced toward the kitchen and then quickly walked over.

Entering the kitchen, she immediately saw An Shui Shui leaning against the stove.

“Shui Shui.”

“Ah—Sister!”

Hearing An Shi Shi’s voice, An Shui Shui reacted like a guilty thief caught red-handed, her guilt written all over her face.

Seeing her expression, An Shi Shi had a vague sense of what had happened.

“Shui Shui, are you okay? Did your brother-in-law just... do something to you?”

An Shui Shui remained silent at first.

An Shi Shi, noticing her hesitation, immediately said, “I’m going to confront him right now. How could he do something like this to you? If he doesn’t give me an explanation, I’ll break up with him!”

“Don’t—” An Shui Shui finally spoke, too frightened to stay silent any longer.

She quickly stopped her sister.

An Shui Shui slowly turned to face An Shi Shi.

“Tell me, how did your brother-in-law bully you?”

Hearing this, An Shui Shui glanced at her sister. Her sister’s expression didn’t reveal whether she was angry or not.

After hesitating for a moment, she said softly, “Brother-in-law didn’t bully me. He just mistook me for you and hugged me for a moment.”

“Is that really all? Don’t be shy to tell me. If he dared to bully you, I’ll make sure to hold him accountable.”

Hearing this, An Shui Shui felt touched.

But she didn’t want her sister and brother-in-law to argue or even break up because of her.

Besides, her brother-in-law genuinely mistook her for her sister. It wasn’t intentional.

In her heart, An Shui Shui wasn’t angry with her brother-in-law. She was more embarrassed and flustered than anything else.

Lowering her head, she said, “Sister, please don’t be mad at Brother-in-law. He didn’t mean it.”

“You’re even speaking up for him?”

“Well, it really wasn’t intentional.”

“You’re really not mad at him?”

“Mm.”

“Alright, then I’ll let him off this time. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

“Mm-hmm. Don’t worry, Sister. I’m fine.”

An Shi Shi suddenly sighed.

“Sister, what’s wrong?”

An Shi Shi gave her a hesitant look before speaking. “Shui Shui, I need to tell you something, but don’t get scared.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

“I think... your brother-in-law might have a thing for you.”

“What?!”

An Shui Shui’s eyes widened in shock. Her face turned bright red, the blush spreading from her cheeks to the back of her ears.

Flustered, she quickly tried to deny it.

“Sister, don’t say that! Brother-in-law couldn’t possibly like me. He likes you! Please don’t misunderstand. Just now, he really mistook me for you—he even called your name when he hugged me.”

“Calm down. Don’t get so worked up.”

How could An Shui Shui not be worked up? She was not only embarrassed but also anxious, terrified her sister might misunderstand her relationship with her brother-in-law and ruin their bond.

“Listen to me first.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I know your brother-in-law loves me. But I’m certain he also has feelings for you.”

“Sister, don’t say things like that...” An Shui Shui lowered her head, too ashamed to meet her sister’s eyes.

“I’m not saying this without reason. Don’t we look very similar? And honestly, even though I hate to admit it, Shui Shui, you’re prettier than me. Sometimes, I even get jealous of how beautiful you are.”

“I’m sorry, Sister!”

An Shi Shi chuckled. “You don’t need to apologize. We’re sisters, born from the same mother. It’s not your fault I’m less attractive.”

“But...”

“I’m not blaming you. What I mean is, since we look so much alike, and you’re so beautiful, it’s natural for your brother-in-law to like you. I wouldn’t even be mad about it. In fact, yesterday, I teased him about something. I joked that in our local custom, when a new son-in-law comes to the house, the sister-in-law has to spend a night with him.”

An Shui Shui panicked instantly.

“Sister! How could you make such a joke?”

“Ha, don’t get so worked up. Aren’t you curious about how he responded?”

An Shui Shui’s heart suddenly started pounding wildly.

She knew she shouldn’t be curious, but she couldn’t help wanting to know the answer.

An Shi Shi didn’t keep her in suspense.

“Your brother-in-law didn’t refuse.”

An Shui Shui’s face flushed bright red in an instant.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, no words came out. She didn’t even know what to say.

“That’s why I said your brother-in-law might like you. Yesterday in the house, he mistook you for me, didn’t he? And today, he did it again. Do you really think it’s just a coincidence?”

“I... I don’t know...”

“Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I believe it was intentional. He just wants to take advantage of you.”

“How can Brother-in-law act like this!” An Shui Shui pouted in frustration.

“Shui Shui!”

An Shi Shi’s tone suddenly rose.

An Shui Shui glanced up at her sister, startled. Her sister’s expression had turned serious, making her nervous. She couldn’t guess what her sister was about to say.

“What is it, Sister?”

“Be honest with me.”

“Mm.”

“What do you think of your brother-in-law as a person?”

An Shui Shui’s mind was in turmoil.

She felt embarrassed, annoyed, proud, and even a little secretly pleased.

She had just turned 17, an age when a young girl starts to dream about romance.

Her brother-in-law was tall, handsome, and came from a prominent family. He was also gentle and kind.

Just yesterday, he had helped her out of a tough situation.

If not for him stepping in, she might have been forced to marry her despicable cousin, Huang Luo.

She greatly admired and respected her brother-in-law, even to the point of idolizing him.

That was precisely why, when he mistook her for her sister twice, she didn’t get very angry.

At school, her male classmates couldn’t even touch her finger—she wouldn’t let them.

But her brother-in-law not only touched her but held her, and all she felt was embarrassment.

After hesitating for a few seconds, An Shui Shui replied, “I don’t know... but I don’t dislike Brother-in-law.”

“I see.” An Shi Shi seemed to be deep in thought.

“Shui Shui.”

“What is it, Sister?”

“If your brother-in-law likes you and keeps trying to take advantage of you, just endure it for a while. He’ll be leaving in a couple of days anyway. I’ll also warn him not to do anything that would ruin your reputation. That way, you won’t have to worry about facing your future in-laws.”

“Sister, what are you even saying?!”

Wasn’t her sister basically implying that her brother-in-law would keep taking advantage of her? An Shui Shui was both embarrassed and mortified, so she could only pretend to be angry.

Seeing her expression, An Shi Shi immediately guessed what she was thinking.

An Shi Shi gave a faint smile.

“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more. Let’s focus on making lunch.”

Meanwhile, Xu Xiu Wen had gone outside the front gate to get some fresh air.

Not long after, Liu Ruo returned.

Seeing Xu Xiu Wen, Liu Ruo’s heart skipped a beat, and her face grew slightly warm.

She tried to maintain a calm demeanor as she exchanged a few words with him before heading to the backyard kitchen.

Around noon, An Shi Shi’s eldest uncle arrived and insisted on taking Xu Xiu Wen to his house for lunch.

Xu Xiu Wen couldn’t refuse, so he went along.

At the uncle’s house, a large table of dishes was prepared. Xu Xiu Wen casually glanced over and saw chicken, duck, and fish, all present. The meal was lavishly prepared.

He noticed the uncle’s children staring longingly at the feast, drooling over the dishes. But they didn’t make a fuss or ask to sit at the table to eat. They simply watched from a distance.

Besides the uncle’s family, other relatives of An Shi Shi were present, most of them men.

Everyone treated Xu Xiu Wen with great enthusiasm, their words carrying a tone of flattery.

Xu Xiu Wen didn’t look down on them for this. He fully understood their mindset.

After lunch, he was dragged into playing cards for a while.

By the time Xu Xiu Wen finished eating and socializing and returned to the An family’s house, it was already 3 p.m.

Xu Xiu Wen was slightly tipsy.

As soon as he reached the door, An Shi Shi came out to greet him and helped him back into the house.

An Shui Shui, who had been standing with An Shi Shi, turned around and ran to the backyard as soon as she saw him.

After sitting down inside, Xu Xiu Wen asked curiously, “Why did Shui Shui run off as soon as she saw me?”

An Shi Shi shot him a sharp, playful look. “You’ve got the nerve to ask? You’re always taking advantage of Shui Shui; she’s scared of you now.”

Xu Xiu Wen gave an embarrassed laugh. “Shi Shi, don’t say that. When have I ever taken advantage of Shui Shui?”

“Don’t try to deny it. I know everything.”

Xu Xiu Wen felt even more awkward and didn’t know what to say.

An Shi Shi sat down beside him.

She suddenly let out a sigh and said, “Husband, our family has always been poor. The only reason Shui Shui and I could go to high school was because we both had excellent grades, and the school waived our tuition fees. Actually, Shui Shui’s grades were much better than mine. As her elder sister, I should have given her the chance to go to college. But Shui Shui voluntarily gave that opportunity to me. From that moment on, I’ve always felt guilty toward her.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Xu Xiu Wen already knew about this.

Now that An Shi Shi brought it up again, he wasn’t impatient in the slightest.

Instinctively, he reached out to hug her and said, “Stop feeling guilty. You have me now, don’t you? Shui Shui can go to college too. Neither of you has to sacrifice anything anymore.”

An Shi Shi hugged him back and said, “Mm, I know. Meeting you was the greatest blessing of my life.”

Just as they were sharing this warm, heartfelt moment, An Shi Shi suddenly smiled and said, “Husband, I want to talk to you about Shui Shui.”

Xu Xiu Wen’s heart skipped a beat as he recalled the incident that morning when he mistook Shui Shui for Shi Shi.

Feeling a pang of guilt, he rushed to explain before she could ask.

“Shi Shi, let me explain. What happened this morning was a total misunderstanding. I only saw her back, and I really thought it was you.”

“Only you know if it was truly a misunderstanding,” An Shi Shi said with a playful, knowing smile. “Who knows? Maybe you actually have feelings for Shui Shui.”

Xu Xiu Wen knew that his explanation was hard to believe. After all, one mistake could be excused as a misunderstanding, but mistaking An Shui Shui for her sister twice in a row?

He chuckled awkwardly. Still, he felt compelled to deny it.

“Shi Shi, what are you talking about? How could I possibly have feelings for my sister-in-law?”

“Really? But didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted Shui Shui to sleep with you?”

“Shi Shi, you were the one who brought that up first. I was just playing along with what you said. You’re not upset about that, are you?”

“Hehe, don’t worry, husband. I’m not angry. You’re my husband and Shui Shui’s benefactor. No matter what you do, I wouldn’t get upset. Besides, Shui Shui doesn’t dislike you either.”

“That’s a relief.”

But what An Shi Shi said next left Xu Xiu Wen both shocked and delighted.

She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “Husband, Shui Shui is still underage. If you’re too hasty and take her virginity now, I’m afraid it might affect her ability to have children in the future.”

Xu Xiu Wen had an inkling of what An Shi Shi was implying, but he couldn’t believe it was what he thought.

For a moment, he was unsure and decided to feign ignorance.

“Shi Shi, what are you saying? I’m her brother-in-law! How could I possibly do something like that? Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

An Shi Shi gave him a sideways glance and said, “Hmph, I know you like Shui Shui. Stop pretending.”

“Huh? Pretending? I’m not pretending at all!” Xu Xiu Wen looked completely innocent.

An Shi Shi didn’t respond.

She simply gazed at him quietly.

Xu Xiu Wen started to feel increasingly uneasy under her gaze. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and said, “I really don’t know what you mean.”

“You don’t know? Fine, then forget I said anything.”

“Wait, no, don’t!” Xu Xiu Wen quickly grabbed An Shi Shi’s hand.

An Shi Shi could no longer hold back and reached out to pinch Xu Xiu Wen’s waist.

It didn’t actually hurt because she used hardly any force, but Xu Xiu Wen still pretended to cry out in pain.

An Shi Shi laughed, “Alright, stop pretending. I didn’t even use any strength.”

Xu Xiu Wen rubbed his waist, then asked again, “Shi Shi, what were you trying to say just now?”

“I was saying, if you really like Shui Shui, I wouldn’t mind sharing you with her.”