Chapter 29

After the interlude with Sun Man, Li Heng temporarily lost interest in going to the barbershop.

Unconsciously, he took slow steps, walking through this campus he had been away from for decades once again.

He found it was the same as in his memory: the dried-up pond, the stopped windmill, and the playground covered in leaves.

But even so, No. 1 Middle School is still the place that can turn him back into a child.

The plane trees at the school gate stretch all the way, and on the back wall of the campus, classmates look at the dim sky through the windows. Teenagers often favor the crumbling sunset yellow, not knowing that what they possess at this moment is the brightest dawn of their lives.

The big cafeteria he both hated and missed is still there; that auntie who served the food must have been a beautiful girl 20 years ago.

He looked up at the Grade 12 girls' dormitory and thought: In this life, I must take you back to my hometown, and make a promise to you again, for a lifetime!

Because, my love for you never lies.

Just as he was standing at the crossroads staring at the third floor of the girls' dormitory, Xiao Feng came down with a friend, holding a lunch box and spoon.

Xiao Feng hesitated for a few seconds, took a detour, and asked: "Li Heng, are you looking for Xiao Han? Do you want me to help you call her?"

Xiao Feng had seen the strangeness between Li Heng and Xiao Han on the bus yesterday, but she was cold-natured and pretended not to know.

When the bus broke down, she left under the pretext of going to the restroom to give them space, which was the best proof.

Li Heng waved his hand with a smile: "No need, I'm just passing by, planning to go to the barbershop to get a haircut."

Regarding Xiao Han, he didn't explain or refute. Because everyone is a smart person, doing something extra would only insult each other's intelligence.

Xiao Feng asked again: "Then did you pay the fees and collect the books?"

Li Heng said: "Collected, just finished this morning."

Xiao Feng nodded and left with her friend.

For her, initiating a conversation was entirely out of the friendship of being from the same hometown; saying this much was already the limit, and any more would make her feel burdened.

This girl!

Hey! Her grades are so good, but she just doesn't like socializing. How will she fall in love and get married in the future? I'm really anxious for her.

The barbershop is not far away; after passing a small rockery and walking another 20 meters, he arrived.

The storefront is small, and there is no plaque.

When Li Heng walked in, the landlady was bending over to help a girl trim her bangs.

What made him extremely depressed was that he clearly chose to come during lunch time, yet there was still a line of people waiting inside.

What surprised him even more was that Xiao Han was also there, and there were two familiar-looking girls sitting next to her.

Li Heng only felt they looked familiar but couldn't call out their names because he hadn't asked Xiao Han.

Hearing the movement at the door, the landlady turned her head and glanced, asking: "Haircut, or buying hot water?"

They cut hair here and also sell hot water.

Hot water is neither expensive nor cheap, 8 cents a bucket.

Li Heng answered casually: "Haircut, about how much longer do I have to wait?"

The landlady knew her business well: "There are two people ahead of you, why don't you sit for a while?"

The landlady didn't tell him how long he needed to wait; her attitude was neither cold nor hot, with no intention of keeping people at all.

Not short of money, hey, this is their confidence.

Li Heng looked around the shop and found that besides the barber, there were 9 people.

One person was sitting alone near the door, occasionally talking to the girl whose bangs were being trimmed; it was obvious these two were together.

There were also two men and two women on the bamboo bench on the left; listening to their chat, they were from the same small place.

The last three girls were Xiao Han and her friends, from the same dormitory, sitting next to each other on an old sofa.

Before he came in, Xiao Han, who was flipping through a magazine, was the focus of the whole room.

The girls secretly sized her up, and the boys stole glances from time to time. Although limited by the constraints of the era, their movements were very subtle and careful, fearing being discovered, but they truly couldn't suppress their restless hearts.

Is it a ghost wall? They just separated yesterday, and today they met again after going around in circles. Xiao Han laughed dumbly, subconsciously glancing at the door, and found that he came alone, feeling a sudden inexplicable joy in her heart.

But she is a pretentious girl, right? Her persona is one of elegant demeanor, calm and self-possessed.

Naturally, she wouldn't pay attention to Li Heng like others.

Xiao Han just swept a glance at someone faintly, then lowered her head and continued flipping through the Youth Digest.

However, her ears were quietly pricked up at this moment, and her peripheral vision accurately fell on his shoes, guessing in her heart which corner he would go to sit in.

At the same time, she was black-belliedly amusing herself: Sigh! You came to see this great beauty, and you didn't even change into a better pair of shoes? Although I know you have a good face, if you dressed more exquisitely, wouldn't I have more face?

With her gaze lingering on the empty seat to Xiao Han's left, after pondering for a while, Li Heng walked straight over and sat down under everyone's gaze.

When he came to her side, Xiao Han felt a moment of restraint, then without hesitation, she lowered her head and took a deep breath, pretending to be reading the magazine story with extreme seriousness to calm herself down.

Don't look at how she took the initiative to greet and seduce him yesterday; that exhausted all the courage she had accumulated over the past eighteen years. Now facing him, besides panic, there was only helplessness.

But she kept warning herself in her heart, calm down! He is Li Heng, can't panic, can't let him make a joke of her.

Tilting her head to read a story with her, Li Heng suddenly asked: "When did you come? Also for a haircut?"

Because the sofa space was small, the two were almost sitting next to each other, the distance was very close, and Xiao Han could feel the warmth at her ear.

She tucked her fine hair back with her right hand and answered without raising her head: "Trimming my bangs, they are covering my eyes a bit."

"Did you have lunch?"

"No, I ate some fruit in the morning, not hungry now, planning to go eat outside later."

"Then let's eat together after the haircut, you treat me."

Xiao Han raised her eyebrows in surprise, raised her head, and smiled with pursed lips: "Are you so righteous and confident when sponging a meal now?"

Li Heng spread his hands calmly: "You know, my pockets are usually like they've been licked by a dog; I can't afford expensive big meals.

And you are so beautiful, I'm embarrassed to take you to eat at a roadside stall.

Thinking it over, it's better for you to treat me."

Then, under the shocked expressions of Xiao Han's two friends, he added unhurriedly:

"But don't worry, this meal won't be eaten for nothing; in the future, when I have money, I will definitely treat you back."

Hearing the words "treat you back," Xiao Han stared at his bright eyes as if petrified. It turned out that fate hadn't ended yet, and a sweet joy burst out from the bottom of her heart.

No one doesn't hope that the Old Man under the Moon is on their side; she is a girl in her prime, and she is the same.

Ever since she had emotional demands on him, every word and action of his was endowed with indescribable special meaning by her.

Xiao Han revealed shallow dimples and said crisply: "Then I wish Mr. Li great wealth in the future, make big money, and come back to treat me."

Li Heng was puzzled: "Hmm? Aren't you treating me today?"

After meeting his gaze for a moment, Xiao Han turned her two pockets inside out, her movements clean and neat.

Empty?

There was no money in her pockets, Li Heng's gaze moved down and fell on her pants pockets.

Receiving his gaze, this time Xiao Han didn't indulge him, withdrew her gaze, and lowered her head to continue reading.

She complained in her heart: Don't you know how ungraceful it is for a beauty like me to turn out my pants pockets in public? Chen Zi Jin's husband!!!

Hey! This is the familiar taste. Chatting halfway, this girl can suddenly interrupt and ignore you.

Li Heng had long been accustomed to her temperament in his previous life, so he didn't feel any discomfort for a moment.

He asked her in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Xiao Han, are you playing hard to get? Deliberately stringing me along?"

After speaking, Li Heng straightened his body, and his gaze fell elsewhere.

That nonchalant look was as if he hadn't just said those rebellious words.

Originally, given their current relationship, he shouldn't have said such outrageous words, but he had the emotional bonus of his previous life, so he couldn't help but tease her.

Sure enough, Xiao Han, whose little thoughts were exposed, almost couldn't hold the book steady, her hands trembling slightly.

Fortunately, she was a person with extremely strong psychological quality; after swaying for a bit, she forced herself to recover as before.

The landlady's craftsmanship was skilled, and she quickly finished one; when she was preparing for the next one.

Unexpectedly, the girl with slightly curly hair on the bamboo chair said: "My hair will take a long time to straighten, Auntie, you cut his first."

The landlady quickly glanced at Li Heng and asked: "Know each other?"

The girl's face flushed slightly, and she nodded.

Li Heng looked at the girl who looked like a passerby opposite him and finally remembered; she should be a classmate from Grade 10, but they had never interacted.

The landlady was a person who valued efficiency and immediately said to Li Heng: "Go wash your hair in the backyard first."

Li Heng said thank you sincerely to the girl, got up, and followed her to the backyard.

The room suddenly became quiet; everyone, including Xiao Han, subconsciously glanced at the girl, but the girl's expression was calm, and in the next second, she was chatting and laughing with her friends again.

She is a carefree girl, kind-hearted, no threat. After Xiao Han made a "judgment" on the girl, the string she had just tightened relaxed again.

Two minutes later, the landlady and Li Heng both returned to the barbershop from the backyard.

The landlady tied the cape on him, grabbed his hair with her hand, and asked: "So long, have you not had a haircut for three months?"

Xiao Han looked up and silently gave the answer: two months and eighteen days.

She has a thick notebook that only records one thing, and all the words revolve around him.

Recording his usual dressing style.

Recording the year, month, and day when he and Chen Zi Jin showed affection in front of her again.

Recording how Chen Zi Jin came to argue with her again for his sake.

These years she has recorded a lot, but what she records most is his back.

Because he is another woman's man, hindered by secular morality, Xiao Han, who is afraid of others discovering her ulterior motives, can only observe him secretly in corners where no one is around.

Whenever only at this time...

Whenever only when admiring him from a distance behind his back, she can take off all her disguises and happily mutter whether he has lost weight again?

Has he grown taller again?

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(End of chapter)