Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

However, all of this aroused dissatisfaction and concern from Hanzhe Zhong.

In Zhong Hanzhe's view, reading so many books with such intellectual depth and inspiration would only make Shi Huai'an more "restless" and might affect his originally peaceful and stable life.

He couldn't tolerate Huai'an becoming more and more outstanding.

In his view, any pursuit by Huai'an would send dangerous signals.

He worried that he would become increasingly unworthy of Shi Huai'an; he worried that the two of them would have less and less in common; he worried that Huai'an, in the bloom of youth, would be coveted by others…

He was madly in love with Huai'an, but his inferiority complex kept the two teetering on the brink of a major conflict.

He absolutely could not tolerate even the slightest bit of non-blood relation between a man of the opposite sex chatting and laughing happily with Huai'an. Because every time such a scene occurred, it would instantly shatter his already fragile sense of security, which was as thin as paper, and would also make him involuntarily fear that one day Huai'an would, like a light bird, climb up a high branch and spread its wings and fly away, completely leaving his world forever.

Therefore, he desperately hoped that Huai'an could bear him a child, and that she could be as busy as many ordinary women in the world, spending her days fussing over pots and pans.

In his heart, Huai'an's beauty, charm, gentleness, and virtue should belong only to him, and no one else should even think of touching her.

After all, he was just a poor kid from a poor family living in a slum; he was just a peasant who had only attended a private school for two short years. Although Huai'an clearly sensed his deep-seated inferiority complex and encouraged him to be confident, saying that he was so smart and hardworking, he didn't believe it. He knew that Huai'an was just trying to make him happy.

He interacted frequently with others, had a loud voice, was easygoing and humorous. He was one of the best among the sent-down youth. The village cadres treated him like a sworn brother and even arranged for Huai'an to be a substitute teacher at the primary school.

But his confidence was feigned, and as he treated Huai'an better and better, he became both proud and anxious.

Shi Huai'an's refinement and knowledge clearly come from a completely different social circle.

Nevertheless, Chung Han-che still longs to bridge the gap between them and strives to step into Huai'an's rich and colorful spiritual world.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to humble himself and asked Huai'an to teach him to recognize characters and read, and quietly listened to Huai'an's clear and melodious reading voice.

However, such beautiful times are ultimately fleeting. He would never allow Huai'an to indulge in her own little world for too long, leaving him all alone and helpless.

Whenever he thought of this, an intense, almost suffocating jealousy and unease would surge into his heart like a tidal wave, mercilessly devouring his already battered heart.

So when Shih Huai-an was engrossed in his book and ignored him one day, Chung Han-che suddenly exploded.

He rushed forward, snatched the book from her hands without a word, and violently tore it to pieces.

Not only that, but the unread books were also burned to ashes by Chung Han-che.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Shi Huai'an was heartbroken, but at the same time felt incredibly angry and helpless.

Chung Han-che's words were veiled and insinuating, accusing Shih Huai-an of being promiscuous and having an affair with Gu Jing-xing. His accusations became increasingly outrageous, turning baseless claims into accepted facts.

Sometimes, their heated arguments would escalate into physical altercations, with Zhong Hanzhe even hitting Huai'an. Huai'an, being a woman, was no match for a man in terms of strength, and was also inherently weak-willed, with no family to rely on and no way out.

Faced with this situation, Shi Huai'an felt immense pain and despair, but chose to endure it silently.

In order to keep the peace after the marriage, Shi Huai'an had no choice but to unilaterally cut off contact with Gu Jingxing—and in front of Zhong Hanzhe, he burned all the letters from Gu Jingxing and the notes with his contact information.

However, no one expected that when Gu Jingxing heard that Shi Huai'an was living in extreme hardship, he would not hesitate to personally visit her in that remote village.

When he appeared before Huai'an with many daily necessities, food, money, and food coupons, Huai'an was both surprised and helpless.

To save face, Huai'an didn't mention the friction between the couple to him.

To avoid suspicion and displeasure from Chung Han-che, she tried her best to maintain distance and estrangement, and subtly and coldly told Gu Jingxing not to come see her anymore, as she had a child and was doing well.

However, not long after Gu Jingxing left the village, Zhong Hanzhe, accompanied by more than a dozen educated youth and his sworn brothers from the village, stopped him on the path and began punching and kicking him without saying a word.

Gu Jingxing was completely unprepared. Although he fought back fiercely, he was ultimately outnumbered and beaten badly.

Ultimately, the village secretary, considering that Gu Jingxing was a soldier, led a group of people to rescue him.

However, even after being beaten so badly, Gu Jingxing did not back down at all. Instead, before leaving, he warned Zhong Hanzhe again that as a man, he should treat his wife well.

Beating a soldier without cause constitutes intentional injury, which is punishable by imprisonment, and is a serious crime with a sentence of at least ten years.

However, Gu Jingxing did not want to cause Huai'an any trouble or pain, so he chose to endure it and did not make a big fuss about it.

After hearing about it from others, Huai'an had a big argument with Zhong Hanzhe.

This intensified Zhong Hanzhe's hatred for Gu Jingxing.

From then on, Gu Jingxing seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.

She remembered:

After being transferred back to the city, on a sunny day, Huai'an and a female colleague from the same unit went to the bank to deposit the day's revenue for the unit.

They walked side by side on the bustling street, chatting and laughing.

Suddenly, Huai'an's gaze was drawn to a figure on the street with a dazed look in their eyes.

The familiar yet towering silhouette sent a shiver down her spine.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Gu Jingxing, whom I hadn't seen for many years!

The once spirited and youthful boy has now become a mature and resolute young man.

Despite the passage of time, Huai'an and Gu Jingxing recognized each other from the vast crowd immediately.

At that moment, their eyes met, as if transcending the barriers of time and space, returning to that beautiful time in the past.

But at that moment, no one had the courage to go up and say hello.

Huai'an knew all too well that her extremely jealous husband would have unimaginable consequences if he found out that she had met and spoken with Gu Jingxing.

Gu Jingxing was also aware that Huai'an had a jealous and suspicious husband, and did not want to disturb Shi Huai'an's peaceful family life because of his appearance.

And so, the two people, no longer young and impulsive, stood quietly in place, gazing at each other across the road.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, vehicles flowed endlessly, and the air was filled with noise and clamor.

But at this moment, for Huai'an and Gu Jingxing, the whole world seemed to consist only of each other.

Their eyes met, filled with endless longing, regret, and helplessness, as if a single glance could last a lifetime.

Before he knew it, Huai'an's eyes gradually welled up with tears, which streamed down his face uncontrollably.

But she dared not take another step forward, fearing that this small action would break the fragile balance before her.

In the end, she could only nod slightly at Gu Jingxing from afar before turning away, leaving behind a lonely figure.

The female colleague next to her quickly noticed Huai'an's change in mood. Seeing the tear stains on her eyes, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Huai'an, why are you crying? Who was that person just now?"

Huai'an hurriedly wiped away her tears and replied calmly, "Oh dear, it's just that the sand got in my eyes... Don't talk nonsense, let's go quickly."

In fact, Huai'an knew perfectly well that this female colleague was known for her big mouth. If he told her the truth, the matter would probably spread throughout the entire workplace within a few days, and might even reach her husband's ears.

Therefore, she preferred to conceal the truth rather than cause herself unnecessary trouble.

Otherwise, an uncontrollable war would be inevitable. She was tired of arguing and just wanted a peaceful life, wishing only for Gu Jingxing to live a long and healthy life.

Another year passed, and Huai'an heard that Xiao Yi had someone tell her that Gu Jingxing was still alone, and someone had written to the army, falsely accusing him of seducing a married woman and destroying her family.

After an investigation by his superiors, he was given a demerit and placed in solitary confinement in the military.

Later, Gu Jingxing relentlessly took on all sorts of dangerous missions, always leading from the front and disregarding his own safety. Finally, he was injured during one mission. His superiors, valuing his talent, allowed him to transfer from the military back home and assigned him to a good unit. He worked tirelessly, neglecting sleep and meals, and now suffers from a serious, incurable illness.

Huai'an understood what Xiao Yi meant; he was concerned about his old friend. Upon hearing this, Huai'an could immediately guess who the informant was, and she felt extremely guilty and uneasy.

That day, she had a day off and lied to Han-Cheung, saying she was taking her child to a tailor shop to take measurements and make clothes before leaving.

Actually, she took her third child to Gu Jingxing's house. At this time, Gu Jingxing's grandfather and mother had already passed away.

Gu Jingxing also moved to a single dormitory at his workplace. Huai'an brought the child with her to avoid suspicion, so that they wouldn't have trouble explaining themselves if they were bumped into each other.

When she gently pushed open the door, a strong smell of alcohol hit her.

She frowned and looked closely. The room was tidy, but several empty wine bottles were lying haphazardly on the floor next to the bed, emitting a pungent smell of alcohol.

Gu Jingxing, on the other hand, lay on the old bed, his beard unkempt, his face haggard, and his body emaciated, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. He had lost all his former military bearing.

Hearing the noise, Gu Jingxing coughed and struggled to sit up in bed.

"Don't move, it's okay..." Huai'an said.

He stopped what he was doing, raised his head, and his bloodshot eyes first looked at her at the door, then slowly moved to his third son who was holding his mother's hand tightly, and then he coughed violently again.

Upon seeing his third son, he forced a smile and said in a hoarse voice, "Sorry, the house is a mess. This must be your third son, right? He's so cute, just like you were when you were little."

The third child was an innocent little girl, only four or five years old. She had two cute little braids, and her big eyes stared curiously at Gu Jingxing. Tilting her little head, she asked, "Who are you?"

Before Gu Jingxing could answer, Huai'an hurriedly said, "This uncle is sick, don't tell Dad."

"I know, I won't tell. Dad will hit me if I do," the third child blinked and answered seriously.

Then, Huai'an carefully placed the oranges and canned goods she was carrying on the table. She then picked up an orange, peeled it, and handed it to the third brother first. Next, she took a peeled orange and walked over to Gu Jingxing, handing it to him and gently scolding him, "You're so sick, why don't you go to the hospital for treatment? Why do you torture yourself like this? How could you be so foolish!"

Gu Jingxing took the oranges, his eyes brightening as he looked at Huai'an. He said with apparent magnanimity, "It's incurable... I don't want to continue treatment... I'll send all the money I leave behind to the orphans left behind by my comrades..."

After saying that, he looked at the third brother again, his lips moved slightly, but in the end he didn't say anything. He just lowered his head and fell into a suffocating silence.

"What happened to your body? How are you going to eat? Let me cook you some noodles now," Huai'an said, looking around.

"Don't worry, the cafeteria staff will deliver three meals a day. I'm well taken care of," he replied.

"Why did you have to leave the military? If you had stayed in the army, you probably wouldn't have gotten this illness... I remember you used to swear you would stay in the army for life!" Huai'an sat down, feeling a little more at ease, trying to break the slightly awkward atmosphere by making conversation.

Gu Jingxiao lowered his head slightly, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he smiled faintly and said, "I was injured during an important mission. My physical condition no longer allows me to stay in the army, so I chose to transfer to civilian work... And to be honest, my prospects in the army are rather limited. Coming back might be a good choice for me."

Hearing this, Huai'an's heart tightened, but he still pretended to be relaxed and joked, "Then why haven't you gotten married yet? Back then, the people who wanted to arrange marriages for you must have worn your doorstep down!"

She hoped to lighten the mood a bit by bringing up this topic.

However, Gu Jingxiao merely glanced at Huai'an and calmly replied, "Does marriage necessarily bring happiness? I don't want anyone controlling me..." Although his words were brief, they seemed to contain endless profound meaning.

Time ticked by, and silence fell between them once again.

After an unknown amount of time, Huai'an finally couldn't help but ask with heartache, "Is it really worth it?"

Gu Jingxing raised his head, his gaze meeting Huai'an's. After a long while, he smiled softly and said slowly, "Actually, I don't know whether it's worth it or not... After all, no one can know in advance whether their life will be valuable."

So what about you? Do you feel that everything you've sacrificed was worth it?

After he finished speaking, the two fell silent once again.