Chapter 23: Why Must Old Friends Meet Again

It's mainly that Liu Yiyan is a bit dim; she really looks like she's easy to trick.

Dealing with a woman like this, one doesn't have to worry about getting the short end of the stick.

Some women look considerate and gentle, but they have plenty of hidden agendas; bickering and jealousy are secondary, and some might even want to make off with your entire family fortune.

Relatively speaking, with Liu Yiyan's brain, even if she were to make off with her own meager stocks, she probably wouldn't even understand what they are.

However, Liu Yiyan refused, firmly stating, "I will earn the remaining money myself. I've already landed a job as a host for a late-night program, and I will pay you back this two hundred thousand later."

Xu Heng glanced at Liu Yiyan; although her bold words sounded quite imposing, the two of them had just been studying for an entire night.

The sense of deep insight into knowledge still lingered in their minds.

In the few months since his rebirth, he had almost wholeheartedly devoted himself to the great cause of making money and hadn't studied yet, so he was very thirsty for knowledge.

……

The peaceful summer vacation had become a bit more absurd because of Liu Yiyan's appearance.

Fortunately, it was already the end of August when the two started studying biology, so Xu Heng hadn't spent much time interacting with Liu Yiyan.

At first, Liu Yiyan's attitude toward him was very indifferent, but later, after several sessions of academic growth, she actually started to cling to him.

Women always have a natural advantage in this regard.

Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Xu Heng had to return to school early; this time, he bought a bus ticket.

There were currently no buses from Tong City to Jinling, but a student who studied in Jinling and whose family specialized in the tourist bus industry volunteered, got a bus from her father, and then promoted it in various university town group chats.

Many students in Tong City already disliked the slow trains, which would take a whole day to reach Jinling if they encountered even the slightest breakdown, so upon hearing that the bus would arrive in three or four hours and drop them off near the university town, quite a few people immediately came to inquire.

Xu Heng was one of these people; he also didn't like the slow trains, as they were too time-consuming and exhausting, and since the high-speed rail from Anhui Province to Jiangsu Province hadn't been built yet, the bus was the best substitute.

As for airplanes... sorry, Tong City in the later year of 2023 didn't have an airport either.

With a sufficient number of passengers, the date was quickly set.

September 1st.

During a normal start-of-term week, students would usually choose later dates like the 3rd or 4th to return to school, but since there was only this one bus from Tong City to Jinling, many thought that earlier was better—they had to go back anyway, and going back early meant they would have space to air out their quilts.

As a sophomore, Xu Heng didn't have much luggage to bring; before six o'clock that morning, he arrived at the scheduled departure point carrying a crossbody shoulder bag and a laptop bag in his hand.

Tong City Gymnasium, which was also the place where most medium-to-long-distance buses arriving in or departing from Tong City parked.

By the time he boarded, quite a few people had already arrived.

"Which one are you from the group?"

"Jinling University, Xu Heng."

Xu Heng handed over a fifty-yuan note.

The girl standing at the bus entrance looked up and took a few extra glances at his appearance, then noted his name on a sticky note and stepped aside.

"Sit wherever you like."

"Got it!"

Xu Heng stepped onto the bus, sat down by the rear window, and placed his laptop bag on the seat next to him.

This bus had forty seats, and there were only thirty-seven people going to Jinling this time; counting the driver and the organizer, that made thirty-nine, meaning there would be one empty seat left.

When others saw the bag on the seat next to Xu Heng, they would assume he was saving it for his "girlfriend"; it was very common for high school couples to get into a university in the same city.

In reality, Xu Heng didn't have a so-called girlfriend; he just didn't really want to sit with others, especially strange men.

This plan went smoothly until two minutes before the bus started.

However, just as the other seats were filled and the bus engine was roaring, Xu Heng caught a glimpse of another girl boarding the bus out of the corner of his eye. The last girl to board seemed to be chatting with the girl who organized the Tong City to Jinling bus, though Xu Heng couldn't hear clearly; the other people on the bus who knew each other were chattering away, and the noise was very chaotic.

Finally, he saw that girl pulling the last girl to board toward him.

Xu Heng simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

"This is the only seat left, see if it's okay? If not, I'll sit here and you can sit in that sunny spot in the front."

"Hmm? Ziyun, why aren't you saying anything?"

"……"

Hearing the two words "Ziyun," Xu Heng felt a bit subtle, thinking to himself, could it really be such a coincidence?

But there weren't many people from Tong City going to school in Jinling to begin with, and even fewer named Ziyun.

Xu Heng slightly opened his left eye and peeked at the two people talking beside him.

It would have been fine if he hadn't peeked, but one look revealed those familiar willow-leaf brows and phoenix eyes staring right at him.

"Am I that ugly?"

Ying Ziyun's voice was cold, her expression indifferent.

Xu Heng helplessly spread his hands: "I just didn't expect the last passenger to be you."

"Heh."

"If there are no seats in the front, you can sit next to me; there's no one here." He picked up his laptop bag and said politely.

But Ying Ziyun didn't appreciate it: "I'm going to the front. Jingjing, you take this seat."

That girl with the plain appearance said "Ah," and then her train of thought finally caught up.

"Ziyun, is he that ex-boyfriend who still won't stop pestering you?"

"Who knows~" Ying Ziyun turned and left.

She didn't give Xu Heng a good look, and Xu Heng couldn't be bothered to give her one either; although he still held onto that beautiful sentiment for his first love, Ying Ziyun, he wasn't a hot-blooded youth anymore, constantly mourning our lost youth all day long.

So, in the end, the girl named Zheng Jingjing sat in the seat to his right.

Zheng Jingjing was clearly a close friend of Ying Ziyun, and her mouth hadn't stopped moving since she sat down.

"Can you tell me the story between you and Ziyun? I promise not to spread it."

"Did Ziyun dump you, or did you dump Ziyun? Why does it look like you two aren't just broken up, but actually enemies?"

"Sigh, don't look at Ziyun's temper—she's as stubborn and foul as a rock in a latrine—but actually, she's very soft-hearted inside. If you go and coax her properly, maybe you'll get back together immediately."

"..."

After a long string of words, by the time the bus had driven over the bridge, Xu Heng was finally amused by this young girl and replied, "Aren't you afraid she'll find out if you describe your friend like that behind her back?"

"Whether I'm afraid is one thing, just tell me if it's vivid or not."

"Not vivid, very abstract."

Ying Ziyun's temper was indeed foul and stubborn, but that certainly didn't make her a rock in a latrine; at the very least, she didn't look like a rock in a latrine.