1987 My Era

Chapter 603, Clear and Understood

This...this...!
Liu Xin's eyes were filled with disbelief. Was that person Zhou Shihe?

It must be Zhou Shihe.

It is said that a person's name is like the shadow of a tree. Even though she was far away at a medical university in Shanghai, she had heard about the beauty of the Fudan University student several times.

Rumor has it that the "King of Fudan University" is the one who puts all the female students in Shanghai in awe.

Hanhan is already very refined and beautiful! But in terms of temperament, well, if she were a boy, she would probably choose Zhou Shihe.

In Liu Xin's opinion, the only one who can outperform Hanhan is Zhou Shihe from Fudan University.

Should we tell Hanhan?
Could what I just saw have been a misunderstanding?
After weighing his options, Liu Xin ran a long way to find a general store, slipped inside, and asked, "Boss, can I make a phone call?"

"Where to?" the grocery store owner asked.

Liu Xin said, "Hunan Province."

The shop owner glanced at his watch, jotted down the time on a piece of paper, and gestured for her to make the call.

Knowing the place well, Liu Xin dialed the Xiao family's number.

The call connected shortly after, and it was Xiao Han's voice: "Happy New Year, who is this?"

Liu Xin said, "Hanhan, it's me."

"Oh dear! We just called to wish each other a Happy New Year on the first day of the Lunar New Year, why are you calling again? Xinxin, did you find some money? You're so willing to spend on phone calls." Xiao Han asked, taking a bite of an apple with her right hand.

To save on phone bills, Liu Xin didn't waste her breath telling her, "I have something to tell you, but you should be prepared."

"What's wrong? Is it something serious?" Xiao Han asked slowly, chewing her food.

Liu Xin kept it brief and told her sisters everything she had just seen and heard.

After listening patiently, Xiao Han put the apple aside, but then, finding it displeasing, picked it up again and threw it into the trash can. "What a coincidence?"

"What a coincidence! That guy is 100% your boyfriend. I've seen him so many times, I'd recognize him even if he were ashes. That unbelievably beautiful woman must be Zhou Shihe," Liu Xin said confidently.

Xiao Han was extremely frustrated, but she said crisply, "I asked him to go to Jing'an Temple. I've been having a lot of dreams lately and can't sleep, so I asked him to burn some incense for me."

Liu Xin was dumbfounded, not expecting such an answer from Hanhan, "What about Zhou Shihe?"

Xiao Han had already mentally stabbed Zhou Shihe dozens or even hundreds of times. What a vixen! In the time it took this beauty to take a nap, she had already seduced my honey like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

While torturing Zhou Shihe a thousand times in his womb, Xiao Han pretended not to care and said, "Let me ask you, does Zhou Shihe give you the impression of being frail and weak?"

Liu Xin recalled, "Yes, she was frail and delicate, and very charming."

Xiao Han revealed her sharp little tiger teeth and complained, "Remove the charming look."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xin, who had initially been worried for her friend, burst out laughing, "Take them off! Take them all off!"

Xiao Han said with a smile, "Zhou Shihe is frail and sickly, often takes medicine, and frequently prays to Buddha. They just returned from Singapore and happened to go to Jing'an Temple."

Liu Xin didn't have the habit of reading newspapers and didn't know about the Singapore concert, so she immediately asked, "Is that really true?"

"Of course, it's the real deal. You're really lucky to see my handsome honey while just strolling around Jing'an Temple." Xiao Han yawned casually.

"But! But I just saw Li Heng and Zhou Shihe sharing an umbrella, and they stared at each other for a long time under the umbrella. The scene looked just like a couple who had a fight." Liu Xin voiced her doubts.

Xiao Han asked, "Excuse me, did you hold hands?"

Liu Xin shook her head: "No, that's not true."

Xiao Han smiled, revealing a small dimple. "It's alright. The two of them are just not compatible. They always bicker whenever they meet and often argue in Lushan Village. Uh, let's not talk about this outside. After all, they are musical partners, and it wouldn't be good if word got out."

Liu Xin was skeptical: "Zhou Shihe seems like she has a very nice personality, right? How could she be so difficult to get along with?"

Xiao Han asked, "Xinxin, have you ever learned the saying 'You can know a person's face but not their heart'?"

Liu Xin instinctively replied, "I've studied it."

Xiao Han instructed, "Don't speak ill of my man. I'll have him treat you to dinner when school starts."

Liu Xin is a smart person; she knows that Hanhan is putting a gag order on her.

Considering Li Heng's current fame, reputation, and immense wealth, Liu Xin weighed the options in her mind, quickly suppressed her gossip, and made the right choice: "Haha, keep your word. Remember to have your fiancé treat me to a big meal later."

Xiao Han uttered four words: "Peace Hotel".

"Okay, okay." Liu Xin hung up the phone, then reluctantly paid the phone bill.

As Liu Xin walked out of the grocery store, she thought to herself: Hanhan seemed completely unconcerned, as if she already knew about Li Heng and Zhou Shihe's relationship. It seems either I was overthinking it, or Hanhan didn't want me to guess the truth. But either way, Hanhan was her good friend, and it was only right that she help her.

Of course, in Liu Xin's heart, or rather in their dormitory 303, the sisters all hoped that Hanhan and Li Heng could go all the way and become husband and wife. In that case, Li Heng would become their powerful backer, which would be very helpful for them when they entered society in the future.

After much thought, Liu Xin came to a decision. She didn't choose to offend Li Heng, nor did she dare to, otherwise her studies might be cut short. So she decided to keep what she had witnessed to herself and try her best to maintain a good relationship with Hanhan.

...

the other side.

Xiao Han put the receiver back, picked up the plush toy on the sofa and started tugging at its fur, thinking with distress: No wonder he's the man I chose, he goes out and cheats on me as soon as he leaves this beauty, and he's not exactly low-class either.

Then she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully: Zhou Shihe, are you really willing to harbor filth and corruption? Don't make me look down on you.

She was somewhat wary of Zhou Shihe, as the latter was no less dangerous than Song Yu.

If Zhou Shihe were to rush in, would she not know whether to cry or laugh?
For a moment, she wanted to set off for Shanghai immediately, but then she lost heart. Her train tickets with her sister were for the twelfth day of the first lunar month, and she couldn't leave now.

...

After leaving Jing'an Temple, the two people under one umbrella didn't talk much, walking obediently all the way and boarding the bus in an orderly manner.

When the car arrived in Hongkou, Li Heng suddenly asked, "My mouth is so dry, do you still have any White Rabbit milk candy?"

Zhou Shihe glanced at him, reached into her bag, took out three milk candies, and quietly handed them to him.

Li Heng asked, "Is all your belongings here?"

Zhou Shihe hummed in agreement.

Li Heng picked up two, leaving one for her: "Let's eat together."

Zhou Shihe's gaze lingered on the White Rabbit candy in her palm for a moment. After thinking for a while, she unwrapped it, took a small bite, and then asked gently, "I heard from Manning that Sui Sui gave you this kind of candy in high school?"

Li Heng countered, "Why does that girl tell you everything?"

Zhou Shihe smiled faintly: "Ningning is very curious about you and Maisui. She likes to pry information out of Manning all the time."

Li Heng recalled for a moment and nodded: "I have indeed eaten it. Actually, it wasn't just White Rabbit Creamy Candy. Mai Sui High School usually carried all kinds of candies in paper wrappers with them, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy would only appear once every seven or eight times."

Zhou Shihe asked, "Are they hard to buy in southern Hunan?"

Li Heng said, "First, they are hard to buy, and second, they are relatively expensive. Ordinary families simply cannot afford them under normal circumstances."

Using the candy wrapped in paper as a cover, the two of them suddenly opened up and started talking. It was as if some kind of restraint had disappeared. They chatted all the way and soon arrived at Fudan University.

After getting out of the car, Li Heng opened the umbrella again, expertly covering half of her head with it. After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Shihe quietly came under the umbrella and said to him, "Let's go to the market."

"Buying groceries? Old Li's restaurant is open, aren't you going to eat there?" Li Heng asked.

Zhou Shihe said, "Okay, I'll cook tonight."

Li Heng seemed a little surprised, but didn't ask any further questions, assuming that she was in a good mood and wanted to cook.

As they crossed the road, the two encountered Zhang Zhiyong and Liu Chunhua at a bend in the alley.

The dim-witted man was carrying a full load of all sorts of dishes.

With Zhou Shihe present, Zhang Zhiyong tried his best to appear serious and asked, "Uncle Heng, where are you going?"

Li Heng said, "You're going to the market to buy vegetables too."

Zhang Zhiyong showed off the vegetables in his hand: "I'm buying vegetables, you know. It's almost closing time now, so the vegetables are cheaper."

After chatting for a while, Zhang Zhiyong remembered something and hurriedly said, "Old Heng, the Zhao family beat up Li Ran."

Li Heng frowned: "Didn't she run away? How come she got beaten up again?"

"She did escape, but she was stopped by the Zhao family on the train to Guangdong Province. Hey! Then this killer and Sister Zhao An got into a fight, and he broke Zhao Wanling's left hand," said the simpleton.

Li Heng hurriedly asked, "Where is she now?"

The simpleton said, "Li Ran was also injured in the attack by the Zhao family who rushed over. Later, he took Zhao An off the train and ran away. Their whereabouts are still unknown."

Li Heng asked, "How do you know this so clearly?"

Liu Chunhua added, "He overheard it in the hospital ward when he visited Zhao An's mother."

Li Heng asked, "How is Zhao's mother?"

Liu Chunhua said, "I'm still in the hospital."

Li Heng pondered for a moment and then asked, "Where did Li Ran get off the train?"

Zhang Zhiyong replied, "Jinhua Station."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng said to the two of them, "The rain is getting heavier. You should go back to the shop. We need to go buy some groceries first, or we'll have to close up shop soon."

"Hey, that's good."

With a nod, the simpleton took his wife and left. But after walking only about 50 meters, he reverted to his old ways, complaining incessantly, "Damn it! I never want to see Zhou Shihe again. Holding back my words is exhausting and makes me unhappy."

Liu Chunhua was speechless: "He's a perfectly fine person, he's not going to eat you, why are you so nervous?"

"You don't know, my legs tremble whenever I see a beautiful woman, let alone such a stunning beauty. Damn, it's killing this old man." Zhang Zhiyong is most afraid of seeing four women.

The order is: Song Yu, Zhou Shihe, Yu Shuheng, and Xiao Han.

In front of Song, Zhou, and Yu, these two were completely unable to let loose.

Xiao Han is a little better off, as we're more familiar with each other, but I'm still afraid. Because Xiao Han is a smiling tiger! If I accidentally offend this lady, I won't even know how I died. I can't afford to mess with her!

At the market, Comrade Zhou was picking out vegetables, while Li Heng was loitering and daydreaming behind him. He was worried about Li Ran, and also felt sorry for the fierce girl. If she were to get together with Zhao Anzhen in the future, it would be like giving her mother-in-law and sister-in-law a beating in advance.

In his memory, whether in his past life or this one, Li Ran was never an easy person to deal with; he was incredibly fierce.

"What would you like to eat?" Zhou Shihe, who was in front, suddenly asked him.

Li Heng answered instinctively, "In the water."

Zhou Shihe gave him a strange look but didn't say anything.

Li Heng chuckled, then realized that he not only had fish in his hand, but also shrimp—all from the water.
He looked around and said, "Four dishes are enough. We can't finish any more. If we want to cook more tomorrow, we'll buy fresh ones tomorrow morning."

Zhou Shihe asked, "Should we invite Zhang Zhiyong and Liu Chunhua over for a meal?"

Li Heng shook his head, "Forget it, they won't come. Otherwise, I would have called them just now."

As intelligent as Zhou Shihe was, she didn't ask Zhang Zhiyong why he didn't come back. She had a vague guess in her heart.

After all, Zhang Zhiyong always seemed to have trouble speaking whenever he saw her.

As I entered the school gate, I unfortunately ran into some acquaintances: Principal Sun and his wife, with Huang Ziyue bouncing along beside them.

Huang Ziyue was initially very happy, but when she bumped into a man and a woman sharing an umbrella, she immediately pouted and muttered angrily, "Pah! You two are a pair of adulterers. I wish you a baby soon, twins this year! They're ugly and have no anus."

After scolding him, Huang Ziyue rushed over and offered him her umbrella, saying solicitously, "Senior, your right shoulder is all wet, let me give you the umbrella."

Principal Sun twitched his beard, looked up at the sky, and felt as if all his old face had vanished.

Principal Sun's wife looked at Li Heng, then at Zhou Shihe, and finally at her beloved granddaughter, her expression somewhat bewildered, not quite understanding what was going on.

Zhou Shihe, on the other hand, seemed very quiet.

Li Heng asked, "Weren't you going out? You gave me the umbrella, what are you going to do with it?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just came out for a stroll and dropped my grandparents off at the school gate to catch their bus." Huang Ziyue lied through her teeth, her eyes fixed on Zhou Shihe.

She was intimidated by Senior Zhou last time, so she can't show weakness again this time; she needs to regain her confidence.

She said, "My senior is so pretty."

Zhou Shihe said thank you.

Unexpectedly, Huang Ziyue suddenly blurted out, "Senior, can you teach me how to pursue Senior Li Heng? I really like him."

These words were very offensive, causing Principal Sun and his wife to frown.

Zhou Shihe smiled gently, politely called out "Principal" to Principal Sun, and walked past Huang Ziyue toward Lushan Village.

Li Heng greeted Principal Sun and his wife and followed them, but did not take the umbrella.

Seeing that her punch had hit nothing but air, Huang Ziyue stomped her feet in frustration.

As soon as everyone left, Principal Sun's wife couldn't help but ask, "Yueyue, what's wrong with you today?"

Huang Ziyue pouted, "My beloved candy has been stolen."

Grandma looked puzzled and turned to her husband.

Principal Sun coughed twice, put his hands behind his back, and said, "You're just making a fool of yourself. You still think you can win over that kid like this? You're dreaming."

Huang Ziyue looked up: "Grandpa, do you have any good ideas to help me steal a man?"

Upon hearing the words "stealing a man," Principal Sun's beard trembled with anger. He walked away, not wanting to deal with this good-for-nothing. He figured his granddaughter couldn't possibly win Li Heng's heart anyway, so it was better to just ignore him. Meanwhile, he was thinking to himself: next time I run into Li Heng, I'll have to give him a little warning, make him watch his pants, and not let his belt slip and end up sleeping with my granddaughter.

With Teacher Yu, Xiao Han, and Mai Sui around, Principal Sun didn't think Li Heng would really fall for his granddaughter. But that guy was a womanizer, and his granddaughter was beautiful and proactive—she was practically a tempting dish. Who knew if he might suddenly get interested and take advantage of Zi Yue? Then he'd be left with nothing but tears.

P.S.: My mother has been discharged from the ICU. I've only updated 17 words this month so far, which is unsatisfactory. Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I should be able to resume normal updates next month.

(End of this chapter)