Oh, dear! Fish me again

Walk to the end of this alley next to No. 1 Middle School and cross a street to find a shortcut to the old town of City A.

Of course Tang Shu's wallet was not lost. Following her memory of yesterday, she returned to the old and run-down house where Zhang Li lived and rented the one-bedroom and one-living-room old house on the fifth floor.

Two people died in this house two months ago. A couple had an argument, the man hacked the woman to death, and then jumped off the building.

This incident caused quite a stir and even made national news, which is why the property has been vacant for so long and has not been rented out.

Tang Shu was naturally not afraid of ghosts. She took a quick look around the house. Although it was a little old, it was cleaned everywhere.

So she decided on it immediately, and the landlord was so excited that he almost knelt down in front of her.

The roofs of these old and dilapidated buildings are shared and are generally used to dry clothes and grow flowers and plants.

But someone died in this building, and to get to the rooftop one has to go through the fifth floor, so many people are superstitious about it.

Tang Shu went up to the roof and saw that it was quiet.

She moved a creaky recliner from the rented house, and in the hot summer, she lay on the rooftop all day long in the sun.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, she slowly walked out of the door, thinking that the class at No. 1 Middle School was about to end.

The original body was from City A and had been taller than most girls around her since childhood.

She was also beautiful, with particularly delicate facial features, but her skin was a little rough and yellowish. Even so, she was still the school belle of the key high school in that small southern county.

After Tang Shu came, her body underwent significant changes.

Not only did her overall temperament improve by several levels, she also became more handsome, and her skin became several shades whiter overnight, so white that it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as skin so smooth that it could be blown away.

Look, after being exposed to the scorching sun for a whole day, her face not only did not turn red at all, but became even more delicate.

This is probably what is called photosynthesis of plants.

(No)

*

The school bell rang and Zhang Li walked out of the school gate slowly.

As usual, a few blushing junior girls followed behind him.

When they reached the school gate, one of the girls finally mustered up the courage to call him.

"Senior Zhang...Senior Zhang Li, can you please accept this letter...?"

Zhang Li turned around with a gentle and warm smile on his face.

"Of course, I will read your mind carefully."

He is tall and handsome, and the same school uniform as everyone else seems to stand out on Zhang Li.

The half-long bangs were a bit fine, and were enhanced by the sunset and breeze, making his handsome face look particularly gentle.

The three girls in the second year of high school looked at him, their faces turned red like tomatoes, they stammered a thank you, and ran away quickly.

Zhang Li put the pink envelope into his schoolbag, walked out of the school gate, walked left for a hundred meters, and turned into the alley.

The smile on his face evaporated without a trace, leaving only an expressionless and still face.

After coming out of the alley and crossing the road, Zhang Li paused.

In front, a girl in a goose yellow dress stood by the stone bridge, looking up towards the setting sun, enjoying it very much.

The evening breeze blew up her skirt, and she seemed to be glowing.

It’s the girl who asked for directions yesterday.

*

Tang Shu took out her cell phone and took a picture of the sunset.

The orange-yellow egg yolk is squeezed together by a group of crooked old buildings, and the picture has a bleak beauty.

Two young men with shifty eyes came towards her, and when they passed her, they separated into two groups, one in front and one behind.

"Beauty, your wallet fell." One of them patted Tang Shu on the shoulder and said.

"what?"

Tang Shu looked back in confusion and subconsciously took out her wallet from her bag.

He muttered, "It didn't fall off..."

Almost at the same time, another man snatched the wallet from her hand, stuffed it into his coat, and ran away quickly.

The man she was talking to whistled at her and ran off.

Tang Shu realized belatedly that she seemed to...

Got robbed.

She wanted to chase after him, but there was a full shopping bag at her feet, which tripped her when she raised her foot.

When I looked up again, the two men had run to the end of the road.

*

Zhang Li lowered his head, curled the corners of his mouth, and thought Tang Shu was a little cute.

He didn't know where Tang Shu came from, or why she appeared in this place that looked like the Dead Sea. But people like him who grew up here wouldn't think the sunset in the old city was beautiful, nor would they have the leisure to stop and take a photo.

Zhang Li grew up in this mixed old town area and is familiar with all kinds of people.

Compared with the countless thugs who clutter the streets and alleys, pickpockets are the most despicable.

The leading man ran towards him, and Zhang Li suddenly reached out and grabbed the man by the collar.

"Wallet." He said to him coldly.

The man was in his early twenties, not tall, but extremely thin, and looked somewhat malnourished. He cursed and threw a punch at Zhang Li.

"Fuck you! Who are you?"

The man behind him also ran over, and seeing someone was getting in the way, he started fighting without saying a word.

Although Zhang Li was only an eighteen-year-old student, he was a head taller than them.

There is no child who grows up here who doesn't know how to fight.

"Shit, we are unlucky today! Be careful, little bastard!"

The two pickpockets were no match for Zhang Li, so they left with a cruel remark and ran away in disgrace.

Zhang Li picked up the schoolbag on the ground, dusted it off, walked to Tang Shu, and handed the wallet back to her.

"Be careful next time."

He thought to himself that this was a reward for the bag of anti-inflammatory and bruises medicine he received yesterday.

*

Humans are really too cunning, Tang Shu complained in her heart.

She put away her wallet, picked up the huge shopping bag on the ground, and followed Zhang Li.

He asked softly, "Brother, are you feeling better?"

Zhang Li ignored her, but did not put on his usual mask of a gentle school hunk. He just quickened his pace and turned down the stone steps that he had to pass every day.

Tang Shu, holding shopping bags in both hands, also walked down the stairs.

Zhang Li stopped in the middle of the stairs and looked back at her.

He said coldly, "Don't follow me."

"I didn't follow you~"

Tang Shu explained softly, "I moved to your floor, it's on the way~"

"Upstairs?" Zhang Li frowned. "503?"

"Yes~"

“That’s a haunted house…”

"I'm not afraid of ghosts~"

Zhang Li looked at Tang Shu in confusion, but did not ask another question. He just reached out and took the shopping bag from her hand.

Tang Shu walked beside him, looked up and asked casually, "Brother, do you want to ask me why I came to City A alone?"

Zhang Li nodded, "I am a little curious, but you don't have to tell me."

"Someone stole my stuff and I came to get it back."

Tang Shu looked ahead and said calmly, "It would be best if...she didn't have a good ending."

"Is that thing important to you?" Zhang Li asked.

"It's important," she smiled brightly, as if she was telling an insignificant joke, "If I don't pay her back, I might live a miserable life, or die in obscurity..."

Zhang Li said "hmm" without commenting, and did not express any opinion.

Tang Shu looked up and asked him, "Brother, do you think I'm bad?"

"Ah,"

The boy didn't know what he was thinking about, he lowered his head and smiled.

“Everyone is pretty much the same.”

*

The two walked one after the other. The boy in front was tall and silent, while the girl behind him was well-behaved and bright. They didn't speak for a while, which was quite harmonious.

They walked through the crowded old buildings, turned into several winding old streets that looked similar, and finally arrived at the entrance of the community.

Through the wide open door, I could see the group of people living downstairs in the unit.

The people who came to cause trouble yesterday are here again. This time, they brought loud speakers and other things. They are determined to make Zhang Li's whole life restless and make him unable to live here anymore.

Zhang Li put the shopping bag on the ground, turned to Tang Shu and whispered,

"Don't follow me."

He opened the schoolbag on his shoulder, took out something from it calmly, and hid it in his right sleeve.

From Tang Shu's perspective, she just happened to see that what he was hiding was a folding fruit knife.

Zhang Li knew that she saw it, but he didn't say anything. He just pursed his lips and walked in calmly.