[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","1987: My Era",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259183,4409,"Chapter 23: What Do You Take Me For?","1987-my-era-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>“Hey, Li Heng, why aren’t you talking to us? Are you feeling unwell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Heng sitting motionless, Yang Ying interrupted the conversation and raised his voice toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Xiao Feng turned her head to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiao Han remained still, the white rabbit milk candy shifting into various shapes inside her mouth as she amused herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng instinctively glanced at Xiao Han; she, like a mouse spotting a cat, froze for a moment, then subtly turned her head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She admitted she had just mocked him, had just received the definitive answer from him about sleeping with Chen Zijin. How could she now face this person calmly, generously, as if no resentment existed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless she truly didn’t care anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless she was naturally foolish enough to offer blessings even after two people had shared a bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless she was so calculating she could feign tolerance of all this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiao Han was none of these three, so she could only sulk and pout, masking her despair with an air of world-weary indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again ignored as if she were air—embarrassing, but Li Heng wasn’t surprised; this girl had done this to him before, and his past sins were countless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke gently to Yang Ying: “I’m fine. Didn’t sleep well last night, just a bit drowsy now. Keep talking, don’t mind me—I might doze off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really fine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ying stole a glance at his friend Xiao Han, sensing something was off, but couldn’t quite grasp it; finally he said, “Then rest a bit. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened afterward was unclear—Li Heng, having barely slept the night before, truly fell asleep. When he woke again, he found the bus stopped on a mountainside, nowhere near a village or town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bus was now empty. His scalp prickled with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, voices drifted in from outside. He leaned out the window and saw many people resting and chatting on an open patch of ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng shouted to Xiao Feng, the closest person, “Comrade Xiao Feng, what’s going on? Why has the bus stopped?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her name called, Xiao Feng—who usually kept quiet—turned over and replied, “The bus broke down. The driver took a tractor to the nearby town to buy parts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng pressed: “When will he be back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How would I know? The driver’s been gone a long time. He should be back soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he still stared at her, Xiao Feng guessed he was waiting and asked, “Have you slept enough? Want to get out and breathe some fresh air?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it had broken down, of all things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng was furious. In the future, if this happened, they’d simply switch to another bus to Shaoshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was 1987—only just after the Beginning of Spring. Not only could he not flag down a bus, he hadn’t seen a single one pass by in half an hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a bus appeared—but it was returning to the county, going the wrong way entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the ticket seller, it was past two, nearly three—no more buses were coming down, and any vehicles on the road were heading back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant they could only wait helplessly. There was no point in rushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few elderly passengers, having waited too long, loudly complained. But the ticket seller silenced them with one move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, “If you don’t want to wait, I’ll refund your money. Go find your own ride.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens—in this remote wilderness, with dusk approaching—who’d risk it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng got off the bus and walked straight toward Xiao Han and Xiao Feng, who sat on a large rock. He asked curiously, “Why are you two alone? Where are Zhang Zhiyong and the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was looking at Xiao Han as he asked, but she sat hugging her knees, staring blankly at the green grass, ignoring him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Feng glanced at Li Heng, then again at him, guessing they were in a dispute, and stepped in: “Yingwen probably ate something bad—she’s had stomach pain nonstop and went with the driver to town.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Zhiyong and Yang Cheng were worried and went with her. We two stayed behind to watch the luggage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This arrangement was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era rife with brutality, two boys were more useful and less vulnerable than girls outdoors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked, “Is Yingwen in severe pain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Feng glanced at Xiao Han, who still offered no reply, and continued: “It came on suddenly—I saw sweat on her forehead. She must be in real pain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Yingwen’s strong. She can still walk. Let’s hope for good news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Xiao Feng suddenly stood up, abruptly changing the subject: “You two talk. I’m going to step away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where? Should I go with you?” Li Heng asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Your presence would backfire.” Xiao Feng’s face flushed slightly, but she walked off without looking back—firm and decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Backfire? Was she going to the toilet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be awkward indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng thought this, then turned his attention back to Xiao Han beside him. His gaze was bright, unwavering—even though she gave no response, he stubbornly stared at her profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han felt slightly dizzy. What was this guy up to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had trained hard for a long time to achieve inner stillness. Now, after he’d just slept with Chen Zijin, what was this? What did he think I was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng whispered, “Have you noticed the little boy up ahead on the left? He’s been sneaking glances at you since we boarded. Could he have feelings for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han shot him a look and replied sharply, “It’s normal for someone to have feelings for me—I’m this beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was just like her—silent, and then devastatingly sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng smiled, shifting his gaze to her backpack: “Did you bring snacks? I’m hungry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han refused outright: “I didn’t bring any!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng muttered, “My nose is sharp—I smelled cream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he hadn’t smelled anything—he was guessing based on past experience. This girl loved pastries and always brought a pack in her backpack at the start of each term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han stared at the tips of the green grass and refused again: “Even if I had some, I wouldn’t give you any!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been rebuffed. The atmosphere grew awkward. Li Heng glanced at her backpack, then at her unmoving face, and said, “Alright then. We’ll talk another day. I’ll go find something to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up and left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when his footsteps faded did Xiao Han slowly lift her head and glance at his retreating back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1110,"2026-06-19T15:27:33.982Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","60beb2eee7d277ff39a8fb3e179d63d596b66f773a8187487b353d4585d7deff","1987-my-era-chapter-24","1987-my-era-chapter-22",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]