[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-72":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},2259232,4409,"Chapter 72: Look, That","1987-my-era-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>This sudden situation startled Li Heng, who hurriedly crouched down and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Yong, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me—are you feeling unwell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong groaned weakly: “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m so miserable, my heart’s killing me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng blinked in surprise, then exhaled and sat down beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong gazed up at the sky, venting bitterly: “Fuck! Seriously? This fucking heaven’s unfair! Since we were kids, you’ve always been better-looking, smarter, and more popular with the girls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was jealous, sure, but I accepted it—we grew up together in diapers, after all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, we hang out every day, and you turn into a writer? What the hell am I supposed to do with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I stole every cent my old man spent on prostitutes, I still couldn’t match you—I can’t even keep up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng blinked. “Feeling the gap?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong pointed one finger at the sky, one at the ground. “Gap? What gap? You’re on Mount Qomolangma, I’m at the Mariana Trench—you stand to piss, I crawl to eat shit. This isn’t a gap anymore—it’s a chasm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…” Li Heng burst out laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong leapt up, grabbing his throat, spittle flying: “Still laughing? Laugh your ass off! No sympathy at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng pointed across the river to a restaurant. “I’ll treat you to a meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong said: “Too pissed to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said: “Braised pork, dry pot duck, and fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong swallowed hard. “I’ve eaten all that before—I’m not going!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said: “I’ll cover your monthly allowance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong counted on his fingers: “Shit! Only a week left this month—you’re just pretending to be rich.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Heng stood up and kicked him over. “Fine, you won’t eat this, won’t eat that—eat or don’t eat. I’ve got to go treat Xiao Han to dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong scrambled to his feet. “Who? Who are you treating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng replied: “Xiao Han.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong’s mouth dropped open, wide enough to swallow a cow: “Aren’t you into Song Yu? When did you start hooking up with Xiao Han?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng stretched lazily. “Ever heard the saying? Better to resolve grudges than hold onto them. Me and her? We’ve made peace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong reacted like he’d eaten shit—no, worse than eating shit:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bullshit! If you can land Xiao Han, I’ll drink the Zijiang River dry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man passing by overheard and said: “Kid, I drank from the Zijiang three times when I was young and still didn’t drain it—don’t brag.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong shouted back: “Grandpa, my brother’s a famous writer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reply made no sense at all—the old man grunted and walked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng bought two sodas from a roadside shop and tossed one to him. “Can’t you keep this quiet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will keeping quiet make a girl like Xiao Han dump you?” Zhang Zhiyong stood by the riverbank, cupping his hands around his mouth and bellowing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My brother’s a famous writer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rushing back to school, Zhang Zhiyong still wouldn’t give up, twisting his neck to ask: “You’re really not taking me to dinner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng shot back: “Me and Xiao Han will be eating and talking—maybe even exchanging glances. You gonna sit there like a lump of wood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiyong completely broke down, muttering curses all the way back to school—he’d go play basketball with Liu Li; he needed to vent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bought a soda, sprinted to Classroom 206 next door, and immediately spotted Xiao Han at her desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ying was sitting beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The classroom was empty except for them two, feeling vast and silent. Hearing movement at the door, Yang Ying turned first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she stood, gathering her pens and ink, sneering at Li Heng: “Looks like my job’s done—I’m leaving. Don’t want to be in the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng feigned an invitation: “It’s mealtime—why not eat together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his shock, Yang Ying plopped back down: “Fine, let’s eat! I won’t say a word.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng’s face twisted in agony—he’d asked for it, he’d asked for it, he wanted to slap himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han turned, glancing between him and her friend, smiling sweetly but hesitantly—both were close to her, and she was torn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng sat across from Yang Ying, forcing a laugh: “Old Rag, I’ll treat you another day. Today I need to talk to Xiao Han.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ying instinctively wanted to snap: “What could you possibly need to talk to Xiao Han about? Trying to hit on her?” But seeing her friend’s willing expression, she felt powerless—and without a word, grabbed a book and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the nuisance gone, the classroom was now just the two of them. They glanced at each other, and Xiao Han’s face flushed with shy embarrassment, fear, and awkwardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forced herself to relax, trying to break the silence, biting her lip and smiling—then biting again, until finally, the smile broke free:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, uh, Mr. Li… I didn’t expect you’d actually come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, she wanted to bite her tongue off: Girl! Why did you reveal your feelings? Calm down! Be composed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng smiled, revealing his nice teeth: “So you’ve been waiting for me? You haven’t eaten yet, then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han panicked, furious with herself—she’d made a fatal mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She longed to say sweetly, “I’ve already eaten, you don’t need to bother,” but feared he’d leave if she did—so she forced a composed nod:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. I’m not very hungry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng stood. “I’m hungry. How about we go order first, then eat and talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han reminded herself not to panic, nodding gently: “Then I’m imposing on you—I’m sorry for the expense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They left the classroom one after the other. At the stairwell corner, Li Heng suddenly noticed his shoelace was loose—he stopped to tie it, when suddenly his back was bumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, he staggered sideways on the stairs, nearly twisting his ankle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han rushed down, grabbing his arm in panic: “I’m so sorry—I turned too fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes met. Li Heng stared straight into hers, then asked softly: “Am I a tiger? Why are you so nervous around me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not— I just…” She couldn’t bear his bold gaze any longer, and looked away, pitifully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, her face burned, her ears burned—scorching hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t remember how they left school—numb, she followed him into Lao Liu’s Restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting in the private room overlooking the backyard vegetable patch, Xiao Han remained stiff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She first clasped her fingers neatly on her knees like a refined lady, back straight—then felt awkward, shifted slightly, and finally found a comfortable posture in the solid wood chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after completing this ritual did she raise her head and smile at him—only to find Li Heng watching her with a knowing look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han’s sweet smile froze on her face. She felt wretched—like a peacock desperately fanning its feathers to attract love, unaware the observer was a master player, and she was transparent, pitifully so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of sunset pierced through the window, blindingly bright—she quickly turned her head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fought to remain composed, desperately searching for words—this silence was suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But across from her sat Li Heng!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy she’d loved for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mind drew a blank—she couldn’t break the quiet. Could she say, “I’ve liked you since middle school”? Or, “I hated how you and Chen Zijin flaunted your love—I’d clench my teeth watching you”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she say, “You were such a jerk in first year—I was scared of you, yet still fought you for the desk”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling how she and her two friends had viciously mocked him, leaving him dazed and confused, Xiao Han suddenly smiled—her entire body relaxed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’s my honey? So what? I’m not afraid—he’s been cursed at until he was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng washed a cup, poured her tea, and asked: “What made you smile like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han cupped the warm teacup in both hands, her voice bright: “I remembered something funny.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked: “Was it about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han hesitated, then nodded politely: “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng leaned forward, intrigued: “What memory? Tell me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few opening lines, Xiao Han grew more comfortable, sipped tea, and cleared her throat:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back in first year, your grades were average, but you were famous—many girls talked about you behind your back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, people on the street would point at your back and say: ‘Look, that’s Li Heng.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked: “Because you often led fights?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han smiled faintly: “Partly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked: “What else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han’s dimples appeared. “Girls said you were kind of good-looking… uh-ha, that phrase wasn’t mine—I’m just repeating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked: “What was your first impression of me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han’s gaze dropped, fixed on his left forearm for a long time, then sighed softly: “It must’ve been the ‘C’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must’ve been that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still remember watching you carve into your skin with a pencil knife, slice after slice—blood everywhere—it left a mark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, time seemed to freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stared at each other—neither spoke. The private room fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did ‘C’ stand for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Xiao Han, Chen Zijin was both best friend and rival. Their relationship was contradictory yet sharply defined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she didn’t believe in fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she believed in human effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she always knew exactly what she wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she feared unrequited love—“I love you, but it means nothing to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Xiao Han wouldn’t let Chen Zijin’s multiple roles confuse her—even as a best friend, she refused to yield in love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1593,"2026-06-19T15:27:33.982Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cc8ed3708421e7a70e9e78c6597426b6705517bf28b013745cb0cf96aadc017d","1987-my-era-chapter-73","1987-my-era-chapter-71",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]