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

That Gu Jingxing is like a persistent ghost!

Zhong Hanzhe clenched his teeth tightly, his cheeks puffed out slightly, emitting a soft "clucking" sound, as if he were grinding his teeth to dust. In his eyes, which were originally as calm as still water, a chilling hatred suddenly flashed like lightning across the night sky.

"Damn it! Why did Gu Jingxing show up again?" Zhong Hanzhe cursed inwardly. His intuition told him that this person would become a stumbling block between him and Huai'an, and that Gu Jingxing would be a variable in their relationship.

He knew that this person was the childhood sweetheart Huai'an had casually mentioned before—the one she had grown up with and was inseparable from. Thinking of this, Zhong Hanzhe felt an indescribable surge of jealousy and anger. He hated himself for not appearing in her life sooner, and hated that Gu Jingxing always managed to so easily capture her heart.

He carefully recalled everything about Gu Jingxing from his previous life. He remembered that Gu Jingxing joined the army at the age of 15. According to the current timeline, Gu Jingxing was in the second year of junior high school now, and should have joined the army after graduating from junior high school in July 1961. In two years, Gu Jingxing would temporarily disappear from his sight.

He knew that Gu Jingxing had written a letter to Shi Huai'an after joining the army, but he didn't know why Shi Huai'an hadn't received it. Zhong Hanzhe speculated that Shi Huai'an's stepmother might have confiscated and destroyed the letter. Huai'an's adoptive mother apparently died of illness in April 1964. In July 1963, when Huai'an was in fourth grade, he dropped out of school and went to the countryside with his mother to recuperate. In the spring of 1964, Huai'an borrowed money to return to the city and resume his schooling.

Zhong Hanzhe had an excellent memory; he remembered every word Shi Huai'an had ever said. He calculated the timeline and then realized something was amiss: it was September 1959, meaning there were still four and a half years until his adoptive mother passed away. If his adoptive mother was truly seriously ill, she wouldn't have gone to the countryside until July 1963, while Gu Jingxing joined the army after July 1961. In other words, Huai'an would have been able to receive letters within those two years.

Her adoptive mother treated Huai'an very well and naturally wouldn't stop them from corresponding. If her adoptive mother wasn't dead, there couldn't have been a stepmother situation. So where did things go wrong? Or was he mistaken? The timeline is different from his previous life; could it be that his rebirth caused changes in the present world?

In fact, Chung Han-che's calculations were not wrong. Gu Jingxing originally planned to join the army after graduating from high school. His uncle, who was a regimental commander in a military region, saw that the situation outside was not good and persuaded his father and sister-in-law to take Gu Jingxing to a secret training camp. Because it was a classified unit, he was prohibited from contacting the outside world for the first two years. Therefore, Gu Jingxing did not start writing letters back until the end of 1963.

Although Zhong Hanzhe couldn't understand it, he thought that no matter what, it was a good thing that he joined the army early, and it would be best if he went far away and never came back.

Zhong Hanzhe only learned of Gu Jingxing's existence on the day of his wedding to Shi Huai'an. At that time, there was no wedding ceremony, just a simple meal with a few relatives and friends. Gu Jingxing happened to be back from the army to visit his family. He rushed to Shi Huai'an's house excitedly, only to see her leaving for her wedding. Zhong Hanzhe was about to ride his bicycle to pick Huai'an up.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxing insisted on stopping them from coming downstairs. He bought a pair of thermos flasks and a silk quilt cover as wedding gifts, and stayed behind to get completely drunk. He kept pulling Zhong Hanzhe and saying, "This is my sister. You must treat her well. If you don't treat her well, I will break your legs..." and so on.

This caused Zhong Hanzhe extreme discomfort and suspicion. He was a meticulous person, and after returning home, he constantly tried to find out about their past from Huai'an, including the extent of their relationship…

Shi Huai'an was open and honest, telling Zhong Hanzhe all sorts of funny stories from her childhood. Her feelings for Gu Jingxing remained purely platonic; after all, they were both young and neither of them had confessed their feelings, so she didn't have any other thoughts. Huai'an treated Gu Jingxing like an older brother.

Ugh! I hate those ambiguous brother-sister relationships the most. Siblings who aren't related by blood are definitely up to no good!

Zhong Hanzhe wasn't stupid. He always felt that Huai An was such a good person that Gu Jingxing must have fallen for her; otherwise, why would he have reacted so badly upon hearing about Huai An's marriage? Moreover, Huai An must have said or done something during their courtship that caused Gu Jingxing to misunderstand. And so, the seed of doubt was planted in Zhong Hanzhe's heart, and it had begun to take root and sprout!

Not long after their marriage, Huai'an and Zhong Hanzhe responded to the national call to go to the countryside as educated youth. Initially, they were still deeply in love, and life was peaceful and uneventful. However, as time went by and they spent more time together, their conflicts gradually surfaced.

Especially during arguments, Zhong Hanzhe's strong male chauvinism was on full display. He not only spoke extremely harshly, but also made baseless accusations that Huai'an had already found a new lover and a "next partner." Even worse, he often unjustifiably suspected Shi Huai'an of having ulterior motives towards him, and this distrust left Huai'an exhausted.

Sometimes, their heated arguments would even escalate into physical altercations, with Zhong Hanzhe even hitting Huai'an. Faced with this situation, Shi Huai'an felt immense pain and despair. In order to gain some temporary peace and tranquility, she finally made a difficult decision—in front of Zhong Hanzhe, she burned all the letters from Gu Jingxing and the notes containing his contact information. From then on, she completely severed ties with Gu Jingxing, hoping to quell Zhong Hanzhe's anger and suspicion.

However, when Gu Jingxing returned to his hometown for a blind date, he overheard the news that Shi Huai'an was living in dire straits. This news struck him like a hammer blow, causing him unbearable pain and restlessness. After some searching, he finally learned the specific location where Shi Huai'an had been sent down to. Without hesitation, he decided to personally visit her in that remote village.

Before setting off, Gu Jingxing carefully prepared many daily necessities and food, hoping to bring some warmth and care to Shi Huai'an as an older brother. With his luggage full, he embarked on this long and arduous journey.

When he finally arrived at Shi Huai'an's village and saw his thin and haggard figure, an indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart. Despite this, he suppressed his grief and smiled as he handed over the items he had brought to Shi Huai'an one by one.

However, not long after Gu Jingxing left the village, Zhong Hanzhe somehow got wind of it. He was furious, believing that Gu Jingxing's appearance was a serious provocation to his dignity and an intolerable humiliation. So, he stormed off with more than a dozen educated youth and his sworn brothers from the village to find Gu Jingxing, and without saying a word, he began to beat him.

Although Gu Jingxing fought back fiercely, he was ultimately outnumbered and beaten severely. However, even after suffering such a beating, Gu Jingxing showed no sign of backing down. Instead, before leaving, he warned Zhong Hanzhe again to treat Shi Huai'an well.

This incident deepened Zhong Hanzhe's hatred for Gu Jingxing. With nowhere to vent his anger, he took it all out on Shi Huai'an. Back home, Zhong Hanzhe and Shi Huai'an had a fierce argument. Losing control, he physically assaulted Shi Huai'an. The unfortunate Shi Huai'an was powerless to resist and, in the chaos, hit his head hard on the corner of a table, immediately losing consciousness.

After a long period of emergency treatment, Shi Huai'an finally survived, but due to severe brain damage, she suffered a concussion and lost part of her memory upon waking. She could not remember any of the hardships she had experienced in the past or her relationship with Gu Jingxing.

Meanwhile, Zhong Hanzhe didn't give up. Harboring resentment, he racked his brains to get revenge on Gu Jingxing. After careful consideration, he disregarded the truth and fabricated a lie, writing a letter to the military unit accusing Gu Jingxing of seducing a married woman and destroying her family. This malicious letter caused a huge uproar in the unit, and higher-ups took it very seriously, immediately launching an investigation. Despite Gu Jingxing's repeated defenses, the evidence was conclusive, and he ultimately received severe punishment.

From then on, Gu Jingxing seemed to vanish into thin air, disappearing without a trace. Shi Huai'an, however, remained completely unaware of all these changes, silently enduring the hardships of life in that remote mountain village.

Zhong Hanzhe's thoughts surged like a tidal wave. Recalling the past, he felt no remorse. At this moment, he was increasingly convinced that Shi Huai'an's so-called selective amnesia was purely a facade! Otherwise, why would he forget only things related to Gu Jingxing? However, this speculation could not be verified. Although the doctor had repeatedly warned him not to provoke Shi Huai'an further, Gu Jingxing had already received his due punishment, so he chose to bury the matter deep in his heart and never mention it again.

Even without Gu Jingxing as a potential threat, the presence of other men still caused Zhong Hanzhe great anxiety and sleepless nights. His suspicious nature intensified day by day. Even just seeing Shi Huai'an chatting with a male customer while selling goods at the counter would ignite his jealousy and uncontrollable rage. Not to mention, when Shi Huai'an got up early to wash clothes at the door and happened to run into their neighbor Lao Xiong, who got up and greeted him, this scene made Zhong Hanzhe furious, as if his whole world was about to collapse.

He knew all too well that his intense, almost distorted love had already descended into a pathological state. Sometimes, after an emotional outburst, Wallace Chung would secretly blame and regret himself. But unfortunately, it was like a stubborn, chronic illness; no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to cure, much less change.

Zhong Hanzhe frowned, lost in deep thought. He recalled his experience of living his life again, and a wave of emotion welled up in his heart. Although time had turned back, to this day, he was still empty-handed, penniless, and living a life of poverty.

After careful consideration, Zhong Hanzhe secretly made up his mind: since things were like this, he might as well start working hard to change everything from this moment on. And the first thing he had to do was improve his studies. Only in this way could he make Shi Huai'an look at him with new eyes and develop a sense of admiration.

Furthermore, if he could engage in conversation with Shi Huai'an under the guise of discussing academic issues, he might gradually win her favor over time. After all, he was five years older than her, possessing far more knowledge and life experience. Therefore, he could not only offer her academic assistance and guidance but also act as her protector, safeguarding her from bullying on campus.

Besides, they're classmates now! As the saying goes, "being near the water tower makes it easy to get the moon first," with such a unique advantage, Zhong Hanzhe firmly believes that as long as he perseveres in giving his heart and effort, he will definitely be able to win Shi Huai'an's heart.

As for that guy named Gu Jingxing… humph, he'll be enlisting in the army in two years anyway, so he's nothing to fear, and there's no need to rush to deal with him. At this moment, Zhong Hanzhe had made thorough preparations and was confidently marching towards his goal.

The following day at noon, sunlight bathed every corner of the campus. A tense yet expectant atmosphere permeated the school, as the rankings for each grade would be announced that day.

Soon after, school staff carefully posted lists of students' names and grades on the bulletin board. This act seemed to ignite a fuse, instantly attracting a large number of students who flocked to the list. They were eager to know how they had performed in the exam and how they fared compared to their classmates.

Students surged toward the bulletin board like a tidal wave, eagerly searching for their names. The students in Class 1 of Grade 7 paid particular attention, especially when they saw that two of the top three students in the grade were from Class 1: Zhong Hanzhe in first place and Shi Huai'an in third place. Everyone exclaimed in amazement.

In that instant, Lin Shaoyi couldn't contain her excitement and joy, and shouted excitedly, "Shi Huai'an, look! You're amazing! You actually got third place!"

Hearing her friend's enthusiastic call, Shi Huai'an felt a warmth in her heart, and a faint smile bloomed on her face. She responded with a touch of modesty, "Hehe, just so-so, third in the world." Her nonchalant and easygoing attitude made the surrounding classmates burst into laughter.

At this moment, Gu Jingxing also squeezed through the crowd to Shi Huai'an's side, stretched out his hand, gave a big thumbs up, and praised with a big smile: "Haha, I told you long ago, with your strength, you can definitely do it!"

Seeing this, Shi Huai'an turned to look at him with interest and asked curiously, "So how did you do on the exam this time?"

Gu Jingxing tilted his head slightly, mimicking Shi Huai'an's tone, and replied with a grin, "It's just so-so, only fourth in the grade." After saying that, the two smiled at each other, their eyes full of appreciation and encouragement.

Lin Shaoyi opened her mouth wide and sighed, "You're in the second year of junior high! You guys are all so competitive. I have to work hard to catch up with you."

Huai'an smiled and waved to Gu Jingxing, saying, "I'm leaving." Then she took Lin Shaoyi's hand and they chatted and laughed as they returned to the classroom.

As soon as I entered the classroom, Zhong Hanzhe walked towards me, a hint of smugness on his face, but he tried his best to remain calm and composed.

He whispered to Shi Huai'an, "Shi Huai'an, Teacher Cai wants to see you in her office." He then winked at her.

Shi Huai'an didn't say much after hearing this, she just nodded, and then turned and walked towards the teacher's office without hesitation. Along the way, she secretly wondered what the teacher wanted to see her about.

Upon arriving at the office door, Shi Huai'an gently knocked, and Teacher Cai responded from inside, "Come in."

Shi Huai'an then pushed open the door and entered.