[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-55":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},2259215,4409,"Chapter 55: A Little Disappointed","1987-my-era-chapter-55",55,"\u003Cp>The next day was Saturday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After morning self-study, Li Heng and Liu Li hurried toward the science building behind the classroom block, since all the exam rooms were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the top 120 students in arts and top 120 in science were eligible for the scholarship exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong, of all people, ranked over 200th in the entire arts stream—he had no chance to take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arts stream had four exam rooms, thirty students each, arranged by ranking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng had ranked fifth overall in the last semester’s final exam, so he was assigned to the first room on the third floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Li was also in the first room, but he was seat number 17; as they neared the third floor, he patted Li Heng’s shoulder and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Buddy, do your best, don’t get careless—don’t give guys like Liu Yejiang any opening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng gave him a steady look: “Don’t worry—he won’t stir up trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exam rooms hadn’t opened yet; the hallway was packed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the right of the corridor was the first arts exam room; to the left, the first science exam room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Li Heng stepped onto the floor, he spotted Song Yu, Mai Sui, and Sun Manning gathered together on the right side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han, Yang Yingwen, and Xiao Feng were chatting on the left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced right, then left—damn it, he was suddenly stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu and Xiao Han—both were precious to him. Which side should he join?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instinct pulled him toward Song Yu, but his gut told him Xiao Han was secretly watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, his relationship with Xiao Han in this life hadn’t deepened yet—it was still just friendship. But he carried the weight of their past-life bond, so he naturally considered her feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, compared to Song Yu, Xiao Han was far more cunning, full of schemes and tricks—no less difficult to handle than the aloof and proud Song Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Li Heng, what are you standing there for? Come over and drink some soda!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he decided to head left under the pretense of greeting Yang Yingwen, Sun Manning waved her bottled soda, tempting him over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That shout drew every eye in the hallway; everyone turned to stare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, no choice now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng reluctantly retracted his step toward the left, turned halfway, and walked toward Sun Manning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder you’re beautiful and kind—you’re rich enough to buy soda. Seriously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took the soda, twisted open the cap, took a sip, then immediately offered praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning beamed, grabbed Mai Sui—who was standing next to Song Yu—and shoved Li Heng toward her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey… don’t crowd me next time. Know who you’re supposed to crowd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl had surprising strength; she nearly bumped into Song Yu. Li Heng joked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Milk makes the mother—Song Yu’s got two tangerines and didn’t offer me one, so of course I come to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu looked at him with a faint smile, thought for two seconds, then, amid the envious, jealous stares of the others, handed him her other tangerine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked calmly: “Did Zijin’s aunt come to see you yesterday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng was surprised, yet not really: “You saw her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu nodded slightly, murmured “Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she looked into his eyes, offering no further explanation of how she knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of eye contact, Li Heng instantly understood—this girl must have heard rumors from Chen Zijin, worried that Chen Xiaomi had come to cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were too many people around; Li Heng told her: “It’s too complicated to explain now. I’ll tell you later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu said okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk! Mai Sui, Lijun, Liu Li—look at them! They haven’t even gotten together yet and they’re already playing cryptic games, shutting everyone out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning, who had been eagerly listening, suddenly found the conversation cut off—she was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui smiled softly, sipped her soda, and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun, a little afraid of Li Heng’s tongue, pretended not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Li was even more straightforward—he just turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfazed by the lack of response, her gossip instincts flaring, Sun Manning leaned close and whispered to Li Heng: “Zijin settled in Beijing—will you apply to a university there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small group turned to look at Li Heng, including Song Yu—she was curious too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting their gazes, Li Heng paused, then said: “We’ll see. I need to wait until after the next three mock exams to decide my application based on my scores.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Mai Sui, Chen Lijun, and Sun Manning all turned their eyes to Song Yu. Women’s instincts were sharp—they sensed something unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, since Chen Zijin was in Beijing, Li Heng, as her boyfriend, should have shown determination—even if his scores weren’t good enough, his attitude should’ve been unwavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Heng hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the source of his hesitation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls didn’t understand his two-life thoughts—they assumed it was because of Song Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under their stares, Song Yu remained calm on the surface, but she was still only eighteen, still a little shy, and quietly avoided Li Heng’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The right side of the corridor was lively and crowded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls on the left side seemed quiet and distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they chatted while reviewing their Chinese lesson, Xiao Han subtly steered the topic toward Li Heng, asking Yang Yingwen:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yingwen, did you have another fight with Li Heng and Zhang Zhiyong? Just now, he seemed hesitant, almost afraid of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yang Yingwen involuntarily glanced at Li Heng: “No, we didn’t fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But lately he’s been acting mysterious, always disappearing—I wonder what he’s up to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Feng glanced at Xiao Han, who had just steered the topic to Li Heng and now pretended nothing had happened, then chuckled: “I heard from girls in Class 204 that Li Heng might be chasing Song Yu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yingwen was stunned, gasped, then pressed: “Really? Where did he get the nerve? Didn’t he just…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Yingwen didn’t finish, but all three girls came from the old town—they understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han’s eyes remained fixed on her Chinese textbook, but her ears were sharply tuned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Feng said: “I don’t know the details—I just heard. They say Li Heng made Mai Sui and Sun Manning switch seats so he could sit next to Song Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this, the homeroom teacher of Class 204 even called him to the office for a talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Yang Yingwen happened to see Sun Manning shoving Li Heng toward Song Yu—and she believed it a little more:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, that Sun Manning… really! He’s being so inappropriate! If Zijin found out, she’d be heartbroken!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Feng wasn’t close to Chen Zijin and didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Yang Yingwen’s sudden reaction, Xiao Han smiled sweetly and turned with Xiao Feng to look—just in time to see Song Yu handing an orange to someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly felt a little disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—not just a little. Very disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did it have to be this way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why chase Song Yu, and not me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was my past expression of feeling too subtle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this moment, the girl’s emotions turned melancholy, sorrowful, and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1195,"2026-06-19T15:27:33.982Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d724148bfb4935296d3ac4b5beddbc72d56113a5bd9a19e85e7c47c6d8aec24a","1987-my-era-chapter-56","1987-my-era-chapter-54",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]