[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-589":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},2259749,4409,"Chapter 589","1987-my-era-chapter-589",589,"\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with being alone? I’m a Fudan graduate, for heaven’s sake! My future is bright—I’ll be fawned over wherever I go!” Sun Manning puffed out her ample chest, beaming with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng glanced at her massive chest and sighed, “Can’t you be a little more low-key?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not Ye Ning—don’t be so arrogant. Who are you showing off for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Ning, double A, the very definition of barren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…” Sun Manning stuck her left hand on her hip and laughed triumphantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a loud burst of laughter, she asked, “When are you heading back to Shanghai?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng replied, “Today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning asked, “What time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng answered, “I’m leaving soon—I still have to catch a flight in Changsha. Why? You need something from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning hesitated, then said, “Around two this afternoon, Chen Lijun will come to see me. Too bad you don’t have time—if you did, we could’ve had dinner together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng’s thoughts stirred—he probed, “Are you selling me out? Telling her I’d be in Shaoyang today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her secret intentions exposed, Sun Manning grinned sheepishly to cover her embarrassment. “I was just trying to do you a favor! I felt she really wanted to see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng sighed, rolled his eyes, and asked, “Don’t you know I’m a wheat ear man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning teased, “Of course I know—you’re also Song Yu’s lover.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng snapped, “Then why are you doing this? Making things hard for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Sun Manning clapped her hands and turned toward the gatehouse door. “Did you hear that? He doesn’t want to see you—so are you coming out or not? Think it over yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng jumped in shock at these unexpected words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had this dumb girl changed? Gotten smart? Was her visit to pay New Year’s calls a lie?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had everything she just said been fake? A smoke screen to distract him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she guessed he’d come to the school and come here on purpose to ambush him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared fixedly at the gatehouse door, testing his suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, time seemed to slow—each second dragged like an eternity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just two minutes felt like two centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting longer, just as he was about to exhale, just as he thought Sun Manning was teasing him—he heard a soft “click.” The gatehouse lock stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, under his tense gaze, the gatehouse door opened—just a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the palm-sized gap, Li Heng saw who was inside—this…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… was indeed Chen Lijun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No room for doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was even more nervous than he was—her fingers twisted nervously at her hem, her eyes met his through the crack, then instantly retreated, her face flushing crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her complexion was pale with a rosy glow, like a flower bud just beginning to bloom in spring—uniquely alluring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her hesitate, Sun Manning stoked the fire. “Hey! If you don’t come out now, he’ll leave! I’m doing this against my conscience—how can you treat me like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Chen Lijun hesitated for a long while, then finally opened the door fully and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun dared not look directly at Li Heng, but still blushed and greeted him softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Heng, it’s been a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was quiet, but it reached Li Heng’s ears with perfect clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over her, and a line of poetry flashed in his mind: “Lotus blooms cannot match a beauty’s adornment; wind from the water pavilion carries the scent of pearls and jade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Chen Lijun had dressed up specially today—bursting with youthful energy, yet undeniably feminine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng stayed silent for a moment, his eyes lingering over her a second time before replying, “It’s been a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my goodness! You two were so close in high school, and now you’re this awkward after just a year and a half? Li Heng, give me your backpack—you take Lijun for a walk.” Seeing her friend’s discomfort, Sun Manning, ever the good Samaritan, pushed them further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng shot her a subtle glare—but it was too late. He couldn’t be cruel now, so he handed her the backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she got the bag, Sun Manning bolted off carelessly, as if the place were hell itself, unwilling to stay another second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once she was gone, Li Heng checked his watch and said, “Want to walk together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing him alone, Chen Lijun grew tense—her grip on her hem tightened slightly as she replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few exchanges, they crossed the road and walked upstream along the Zijiang Riverbank, toward a quieter stretch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind was strong today, chilling their faces, rustling their clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun’s hair was blown wildly, but she paid no attention—head down, she followed closely behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking a long stretch, they turned a bend in the river and saw a stone arch bridge ahead. They exchanged glances, then walked one after the other under the bridge to escape the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding a completely sheltered stone corner, Li Heng rubbed his hands and said, “Ah, it’s already past the New Year, yet it’s still so cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun pointed to a nearby small hill. “There are dry branches and twigs there—should we gather some to light a fire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng’s thoughts stirred. “Do you have a lighter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun unzipped her bag and pulled out a brand-new lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked curiously, “Why would a girl like you carry something like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun replied, “My younger brother keeps using lighters to set off firecrackers during the New Year—it’s so noisy, so I confiscated it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked, “So you just stuck it in your bag?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I put it anywhere else, he’d find it again. But he won’t dare rummage through my bag.” Chen Lijun explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “If your sister hates you this much, he must be your real brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun smiled, her tense mood slowly easing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said softly, “Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew this man was talking about trivial things just to ease the tension between them, to calm her nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “Go gather some dry grass for kindling—I’ll get a bundle of twigs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that, he headed toward the low hill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his back for a moment, Chen Lijun finally bent down to collect dry reeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the fire blazed up, burning brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the sparks crackle in the flames, Li Heng sat beside it and asked, “When did you get back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun answered, “The twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “Oh, you came back late. When are you leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun said, “The fifth day of the first lunar month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “So you’ll still have one day at home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun said yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that point, they fell silent—conversation halted, both staring at the fire without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, she extended her right hand and pushed the charred branch further into the flames. “Will I be delaying your departure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng replied, “Not really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Chen Lijun gazed at the bright flames and said, “Don’t blame Manning—I’m the one who begged her to arrange this meeting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng turned his head to look at her. He looked—but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Lijun froze, then whispered, “Do you think I’ve changed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “You’ve gotten much braver. You’d never have said this to me before—you wouldn’t have dared to be so direct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blushing furiously, Chen Lijun whispered, “You’re surrounded by beautiful women—I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to see you otherwise.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1249,"2026-06-19T15:27:37.100Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d023422a20cfd79fc1a3ffa04922d67141747bfbbb956c08b0031c58d2992e5a","1987-my-era-chapter-590","1987-my-era-chapter-588",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]