Chapter 28

After paying the fees and collecting the books in turn, Sun Man asked Li Heng: "There is still over an hour until mealtime, where are you going later?"

Li Heng had a plan: "My hair is getting a bit long, I need to get a haircut. What about you guys?"

Liu Li yawned twice: "I didn't sleep well last night, I'm exhausted. I have to go back to the dormitory to catch up on sleep."

Sun Man hurried to say before Zhang Zhiyong could speak: "I'll go with you to the barbershop. My hair is getting a bit thick too, I'll go get it thinned out. You give the books to Zhang Zhiyong and let him take them away."

As she spoke, she turned to ask Zhang Zhiyong: "You don't have any objections, right?"

Zhang Zhiyong shrugged aggrievedly: "No objections. Since you've already arranged it like this, how would I dare to have any objections?"

After Liu Li and Zhang Zhiyong walked away, Sun Man spoke again: "Which barbershop are you going to? Outside the school? Or inside?"

Li Heng felt his pocket and cut across the small path to the right: "I'm too lazy to run outside, let's just go inside the school. They cut it carefully, and it's two mao cheaper."

This wasn't because he was greedy for cheapness.

The barbershop inside the school is located next to the faculty cafeteria and is run by the vice principal's wife. She isn't short on money; she originally opened the barbershop just to keep herself busy, but she didn't expect the business to be booming, as everyone loves to crowd in here.

Of course, besides the excellent technique, school safety is also a major factor that cannot be ignored.

Especially for those girls with some beauty, they basically don't go outside to get their hair cut because those barbershops have many street thugs.

Some owners are even thugs themselves.

Leaving the crowded area, Li Heng suddenly asked: "Tell me, you sent those two away, is it because you have something to discuss with me?"

"Smart, I knew I couldn't hide it from you."

Sun Man stopped, looked around, and finally stood on tiptoe to sit on the horizontal bar.

Li Heng followed and sat on another horizontal bar.

Sun Man asked: "Did you break up with Chen Zijin?"

Li Heng didn't immediately grasp this girl's intentions, so he didn't speak, just looked at her in confusion.

Sun Man raised her right hand in a gesture of answering a phone: "On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, I was bored and went to visit Song Yu's house, and I happened to hear Chen Zijin calling her."

If one were to talk about middle school, if Chen Zijin had the best relationship with anyone, it would undoubtedly be Yang Yingwen and Xiao Han.

But in high school, Chen Zijin learned the lesson from Xiao Han in middle school; fearing that if they separated, someone else would pick up the bargain, she followed Li Heng and chose liberal arts.

At this time, because Yang Yingwen and Xiao Han were studying science in another teaching building, the people closest to her became Song Yu and Sun Man.

The three girls almost ate, lived, went to the restroom, and even took walks after meals together; they were very close.

Li Heng thought for a moment and asked: "What did you overhear?"

Sun Man curled her lips: "Hey, don't use such an ugly word as 'eavesdrop,' I just caught a few sentences."

Li Heng showed an apologetic expression and asked her to continue.

Sun Man told him: "On the phone, Chen Zijin asked Song Yu about your situation last semester and also urged her to keep an eye on you..."

Li Heng was listening intently, but he didn't expect it to cut off with no follow-up.

He asked blankly: "And then?"

Sun Man said: "There is no 'and then.' Song Yu discovered me, and Chen Zijin didn't mention you anymore."

At this point, she asked the previous question again: "Your relationship with Chen Zijin has problems, right?

Otherwise, given how much she cares about you, why didn't she call you directly? Instead of trying to understand your situation indirectly through Song Yu?"

This girl's thinking is quite agile; she guessed it right away.

Li Heng didn't respond to this question, just said thank you sincerely.

Seeing that he seemed a bit gloomy, Sun Man tactfully didn't press the issue and turned to ask a second question:

"Honestly, do you secretly like Song Yu?"

He and this girl don't usually discuss romantic feelings, but they have always had a tacit understanding and are quite frank; their friendship is so deep that they rarely lie to each other.

Li Heng said frankly: "I do."

This answer didn't surprise her at all. Sun Man clapped her hands and praised: "Like a man, very straightforward!"

Li Heng sighed and said: "I thought it would be particularly difficult to admit this to an outsider, but I didn't hesitate or struggle at all. Sigh! Am I beyond saving?"

"Ha, spare me."

Sun Man chuckled and said: "Actually, whether you admit it or not, we all know it in our hearts; we just never exposed you."

Li Heng raised his eyebrows sharply: "We? Who else is included?"

Sun Man held up three fingers, bending one for each name:

"Me!

Song Yu!

And naturally, Chen Zijin!"

Hearing her say a name, Li Heng froze for a moment, gradually standing still in place.

After trying hard to recall for a long time, he came to his senses and asked: "How did you guess it?"

Sun Man said: "It wasn't a guess; it's just that your level of hiding your clumsiness in the past was too poor. In front of others, you deserve the word 'fox,' but every time you look at Song Yu, your eyes betray your heart."

Li Heng didn't refute and slowly fell into silence.

Not to mention the past, even now, having lived two lifetimes, when he sees Song Yu again, he isn't necessarily able to keep his heart as calm as water on the surface.

Sun Man asked: "Knowing that you mentally cheated, why didn't Chen Zijin make a scene with you?"

Li Heng looked up: "Why?"

Sun Man recited a line from the Book of Songs: "A fair, slim maiden, a gentleman's good mate."

Li Heng chewed on it silently a few times, and only then did he realize the meaning.

Sun Man held the horizontal bar with both hands and swung her legs, saying: "I've read many novels, including Qiong Yao's; I've read many domestic and foreign classics, including 'Dream of the Red Chamber'; from elementary school to middle school, Mai Sui has always been the person I admire most.

But honestly, I have never seen any living woman in reality who deserves these eight words—until I met Song Yu."

Li Heng looked up at the white clouds in the sky, as if he saw three faces there: Song Yu, Xiao Han, and Chen Zijin.

After lingering on his face for a long time, Sun Man suddenly asked: "The seats are being changed tonight. This is your last chance in high school; do you want to sit with Song Yu?"

Hearing this, Li Heng withdrew his gaze and looked at her: "In the final exam last semester, I was the third in class; I had no choice."

Over the past few years, Song Yu and Mai Sui have always taken turns occupying the first place in the class, never falling into others' hands.

For this reason, the head teacher, Wang Qi, even compiled statistics:

Since the streaming in Grade 11, in all exams, big and small, including monthly exams, unified exams, and regular exams, Song Yu has taken first place in the class 14 times and first place in liberal arts in the whole school 8 times.

Mai Sui has taken first place in the class 16 times and first place in the whole school 6 times.

And Li Heng is the eternal third, immovable. Except for the time he scored 61 in English.

The two girls are evenly matched, rivals, taking turns fighting for first place.

Perhaps because of the special feelings from their love-hate relationship, Song Yu and Mai Sui have always been desk mates. Every time they choose seats, they choose each other, never leaving the opportunity of being close to the action to outsiders.

Sun Man said confidently: "Don't worry about this, I'll go help you handle Mai Sui."

If it were before his rebirth, even if Li Heng were extremely tempted, he wouldn't dare to do this openly.

But now, he doesn't care about outsiders' opinions at all, and he has no psychological burden, at most worrying about Chen Zijin's feelings.

Li Heng asked: "Why help me?"

Sun Man didn't answer, jumped off the horizontal bar, and walked away, seemingly forgetting about the barbershop.

(End of chapter)