Chapter 119: Brother, Did You Ever Date Before? (Requesting a Day Off)

Xiao Qin arrived quickly, a girl with a strong presence, direct and efficient.

She and Bai Mingyan were likely boyfriend and girlfriend, and she immediately demanded an explanation.

Bai Mingyan replied briefly: “Old Bao’s second son saw Wen Leyu recently and fell for her at first sight. He wanted to use their childhood friendship as an excuse.”

“But yesterday Xiao Qi saw Wen Leyu riding a bike with a guy, so today Bao Er came over.”

“What childhood friendship? That’s all the connection there is between the Bao and Wen families? Ridiculous.”

Xiao Qin sneered, then turned with sarcasm: “Bao Er, where are you taking our Xiao Yu?”

Bao Er’s head nearly sank to the ground, but he forced himself to say: “There’s a new roller rink outside the front gate—new skates, new music, especially the music’s amazing. There’s also a dance hall in Dongcheng.”

What the hell is this?

Li Ye felt that if he were wearing glasses like Bai Mingyan, they’d have shattered into eighteen pieces by now.

You people aren’t supposed to be at golf courses or sky clubs? How come you’re down to this level?

Has the gap between us really not widened yet?

Li Ye glanced sideways and noticed Bai Mingyan frowning.

The girl named Xiao Qin showed outright contempt, though not for the level of the place.

“So you, Bao Er, actually like going to dance halls? Do you especially love those few minutes in the dark? Does your brother know?”

“No no, I don’t go to dance halls often. I still prefer roller skating.”

“Pfft~”

Xiao Qin gave Bao Er a scornful glare, then walked over to Wen Guohua.

Her sharp expression instantly softened: “Wen Ge, these kids are just fooling around. You’re magnanimous—let it go.”

Wen Guohua smiled gently and said: “What’s going on, Tan Qin? Do you know them?”

Tan Qin laughed weakly: “I don’t know them at all. It’s just that Bai Mingyan and Bao Lao Da grew up together—they’re old buddies.”

“Oh, so I should give Bai Mingyan’s family some face? But he’s defending his own brother’s face—what about my brother’s face?”

“.”

The girl named Tan Qin finally turned to look at Li Ye.

She’d noticed Li Ye long ago, and even by her high standards, she had to admit he had a body that made others jealous.

But once Bai Mingyan explained the situation, she pretended not to see him.

Just now, Bao Er hadn’t provoked Wen Leyu—he wouldn’t dare, even with two sets of balls.

He provoked “the kid from the outer courtyard,” Li Ye, but never expected Wen Leyu to react so strongly.

A bunch of kids were intimidated by one little girl—that was already embarrassing. Now you want to apologize to this guy too?

Which patch does he come from?

But after hearing Wen Guohua’s words, Tan Qin had no choice but to take Li Ye seriously.

Anyone Wen Guohua called “brother” couldn’t be underestimated.

But Tan Qin didn’t need to speak to Li Ye—she was only slightly lower in status than Wen Guohua. To smile at Li Ye in front of everyone? That’d be a loss of face.

She walked over to Wen Leyu and whispered: “Xiao Yu, what do you want to do?”

Wen Leyu replied coldly: “I don’t understand your rules. I’m just not happy.”

“.”

Tan Qin felt uneasy.

Her family had ties with the Wen family; she’d known Wen Leyu since childhood and had even visited the Wens just days ago, chatting happily with her.

That’s why she thought she had the standing to help her boyfriend Bai Mingyan resolve this small matter.

It was just two kids bickering—what’s the big deal?

But seeing Wen Leyu’s expression now, she realized things had gone bad—Wen Leyu was serious.

If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have lifted a finger. Who the hell is Bao Er? Let him die.

Bai Mingyan’s face was grim too—he knew today was bad luck.

Who is Wen Guohua?

When he left Beijing, “Big Wen” in high school had already made a name for himself in the circles.

Now he’d just returned to Beijing, and though his reputation had faded since then, he was desperate for someone to help him rebuild it. Stupid Bao Er had walked right into it—maybe he’d get dragged in too.

The solution was simple: if Bao Er came over and apologized to Li Ye, Wen Guohua wouldn’t press it.

But who among these kids doesn’t care about face? Bowing to Wen Guohua was fine—but apologizing to Li Ye? That’d be ridiculous.

Even if you knocked Bao Er to the ground right now, he still wouldn’t apologize to Li Ye.

Besides, Bao Er’s no one important—but his older brother? He’s no ordinary man.

Wen Guohua smiled at Bai Mingyan and said: “What are you two fussing over? They want to go out and play—why not go together?

I’m just a country bumpkin who just got back; I haven’t even seen the new sights of Beijing yet!”

You’re a country bumpkin? You’ve forgotten how wild you used to be?

“Alright then, let’s go! First, we’ll check out the roller rink, then I’ll take Brother Wen to see something new—consider it my apology to him, okay?”

Tan Qin had no choice but to signal Bai Mingyan, and everyone got into the car and headed for the roller rink.

Bai Mingyan, Bao Er, and the others all had motorcycles, while Wen Guohua and Li Ye followed behind on bicycles.

Once they’d put a little distance between them, Wen Guohua whispered to Li Ye: “No matter what new things you see later, don’t look clueless—don’t lose face…”

I heard you’re good at fighting—if they try to push you again, find an excuse and go hard. Get even. Don’t worry—I’ve got your back.”

Li Ye stared at Wen Guohua, stunned for several seconds before reacting.

He’d been watching silently, trying to figure out Wen Guohua’s intentions.

In his view, Bao Er had just shouted at him—annoying, sure, but nothing serious.

Even if Bao Er stubbornly refused to back down, Li Ye could just shout back, trade insults, and let it go.

But Wen Guohua’s later behavior showed Li Ye two things: a brother’s devotion to his sister, and how deeply Beijing people valued “face.”

【My guest is your target to mock?】

Li Ye also suspected Wen Guohua might be using this to establish authority.

After all, Wen Guohua had been away so long that being forgotten was normal.

But Li Ye never expected Wen Guohua’s real concern was to prevent Li Ye from “losing face,” and to give him a chance to “get even.”

If they were ordinary acquaintances, Li Ye losing face wouldn’t warrant such a fuss—but if…

【Look, Wen Leyu’s boyfriend’s a coward, a spineless worm.】

We’ve got to stand up now!

So Li Ye smiled and said: “Big Brother, don’t worry—I’m not just good at fighting, I’m good at roller skating too…”

Back in the day, that tall-legged girl who taught roller skating had taken plenty of Li Ye’s money.

Only when he was about to go all-in did he realize her true nature—and pulled back just in time, avoiding financial ruin.

But skills are never wasted—he’d kept some of them.

“Oh? I didn’t know that,” Wen Guohua chuckled at Li Ye. “You’ve got quite a few talents—writing, bayonet fighting, roller skating… What else can you do?”

“Not much.”

Li Ye smiled faintly, hiding a flicker of embarrassment beneath his gaze.

【I’ve met so many talented girls—I learned a lot. But you’re not getting to know any of it.】

……

Roller rinks appeared in Shenzhou during the 1970s, but only became popular in the 1980s.

Especially after energetic foreign songs flooded into Shenzhou, they drew countless young men and women eager to be trendy.

Beijing had a tradition of ice skating in winter, so roller rinks became even more popular.

Especially if you brought a girl who couldn’t skate—you could give her lessons on the spot, holding her hand, supporting her waist—all perfectly natural.

Clever troublemakers would deliberately drag girls to the center of the rink, where there were no railings, then wait for them to cry and plead—then naturally, they’d hug and hold them.

Otherwise, why do you think it was so popular?

But roller rinks were full of mixed crowds, and occasionally hot-headed youths would settle scores with fists.

That’s why Wen Guohua advised Li Ye: if things got bad, find an excuse to fight.

But when they arrived at the roller rink, everyone froze.

……

“Stay right beside me. I’ll teach you. Ignore them.”

After entering the rink, Wen Leyu got Li Ye his skates and sat him down to help him put them on.

Li Ye, who’d been ready to show off, stopped and asked Wen Leyu: “Can you skate?”

Wen Leyu nodded: “A little. I skated on Houhai as a kid—I think I still can.”

Li Ye nearly said yes.

Why?

Because after spending so much time with Wen Leyu, he’d never held her hand.

If you’re teaching me, won’t you have to teach me hand-in-hand?

Lots of couples on the rink were teaching each other one-on-one—we’d just be copying them, nothing out of place.

But Wen Guohua was sitting right there.

To flirt with his sister right in front of his brother—wasn’t that too brazen?

Fine, let’s put ourselves in their shoes.

Li Ye said to Wen Leyu, “I really know how to rollerblade—I’ll teach you!”

Wen Leyu blinked, unconvinced.

How could she not know what that backward place, Qingshui County, was like?

Are you really Old Huai’s adopted grandson?

Li Ye had no choice but to say, “I traveled to Yangcheng recently and tried rollerblading—it’s not hard at all.”

Wen Leyu remained doubtful: “Fine, but don’t get too far from me—there are plenty of bad kids here.”

There were certainly bad kids at the roller rink, but Bao Er, Wen Guohua, and their crowd dressed and behaved nothing like the kids from the alleyways, so trouble rarely found them.

“Alright! I’ll get used to it first—give me a score.”

Li Ye politely told Wen Leyu he’d give it a try, then stepped onto the floor and began skating.

Roller skates from 1982 weren’t like the ones from the future—just four wheels front and back, with weaker control.

But Li Ye still had his foundational skills; years of childhood training in stances and leg strength made him adapt quickly.

A-turns and balanced squats were child’s play—real showstoppers were the flashy moves.

Have you ever seen the flower crab?

It was just that the roller skates of this era limited his performance—if not, he’d have pulled off several A-level tricks easily.

Within minutes, every kid in the rink had stopped to stare at the show-off in the center.

Bao Er, who had been sulking, didn’t even notice his cigarette had fallen to the ground.

【Why did I come to the roller rink?】

Furious, Bao Er asked his friend: “Xiao Qi, didn’t you say that guy was a country bumpkin?”

Xiao Qi was innocent: “I heard it from Xiao Mu—he does have an accent! What do we do? Should we call your brother? Otherwise we’ll lose face.”

“Call my brother? Only you’d think of that. Forget it—I’ve got something urgent. I’m leaving.”

Bao Er turned and walked off—he wasn’t stupid. If Li Ye came over to show off and challenge him, how would he respond? Now was the perfect time to go.

For someone like him, backing down mid-encounter was still a kind of surrender—just not as humiliating as doing it face-to-face.

He could always claim later he’d yielded to Wen Guohua—but if Li Ye cornered him, that’d be truly embarrassing!

“Wait up—I’ve got something to do too.”

“I’ve got a date with two girls to watch a movie. Let’s go.”

Tan Qin watched Bao Er and the others slip away quietly, then chuckled: “Wen Ge, looks like we worried for nothing.”

Wen Guohua rubbed his chin, squinting at Li Ye: “Yeah. Worrying for nothing.”

“Who is that handsome guy?”

“A student from Jingda. He’s Wen Leyu’s classmate.”

“Jingda?”

Tan Qin was surprised, and tried to probe Wen Guohua for more info—but noticed his gaze had turned strange.

Li Ye had stopped skating inside the rink; he didn’t care whether Bao Er left or not.

His eyes were fixed entirely on Wen Leyu, diligently coaching his own wife.

Rollerblading and ice skating were different—starting, stopping, and balance all worked differently.

But there was some overlap—if you knew one, you picked up the other faster.

But Wen Leyu hadn’t skated in years, and this was her first time on rollerblades—her balance was terrible.

Didn’t that give Li Ye his chance?

Back then, that rollerblading girl had been a professional—and unintentionally stirred Li Ye’s heart.

Now Li Ye was far more restrained, but he still gently took Wen Leyu’s hand, occasionally brushing her waist.

Wen Leyu was initially embarrassed, but seeing couples around them holding hands, she gradually stopped feeling awkward.

They glided slowly around the rink, like a pair of butterflies dancing together—never clinging, yet inseparable.

Li Ye’s grip was strong, giving Wen Leyu a deep sense of security.

Wen Leyu’s hand was soft, making Li Ye feel the meaning of possession.

Li Ye ventured: “How about we come back and skate again tomorrow?”

Wen Leyu answered instantly: “Yes—just us two.”

“.”

What a great fortune to have a girl like this, willing to spend her life with you?

Just as Li Ye was feeling content, a teasing voice spoke: “Hey, everyone’s leaving—how long are you two going to keep skating?”

It turned out Wen Guohua had already put on ice skates and had been gliding beside them for half a lap—but both Wen Leyu and Li Ye had ignored him.

He looked at their clasped hands and smiled: “Brother, you skate really well—teach me too!”

Oh no—he’d been too careless, holding Wen Leyu’s hand for so long and upsetting her brother.

Come on, big brother, don’t be mad—I’ll teach you everything I know, guaranteeing you’ll charm twice as many girls.

But just as Li Ye was about to let go, Wen Leyu gripped his hand tighter.

Her small hand squeezed his firmly, as if giving him courage.

The pout on her lips seemed to say: “He’s just my brother—not Mom and Dad. What’s it to you?”

“Ahem, Tan Qin invited us to see something new—it’s almost time. Let’s go.”

Wen Guohua smiled at Li Ye, as if to say: “Kid, don’t get too cocky. Know your limits—don’t push me to flip out.”

Seeing Tan Qin and Bai Mingyan approach, Wen Leyu finally released Li Ye’s hand and glided aside to take off and change her skates.

While Wen Leyu returned the roller skates, Wen Guohua looked at Li Ye and suddenly asked: “Brother, ever had a girlfriend before?”

You noticed that? I didn’t seem awkward at all!

Li Ye’s expression darkened, and he said sadly: “Wen Leyu knows. Teacher Ke knows too.”

Tan Qin and Bai Mingyan led Wen’s siblings and Li Ye to a rehearsal hall of an arts troupe.

Li Ye felt a quiet anticipation rising inside him.

He’d seen “Fang Hua”—those dancing girls, their figures, their faces, pure and radiant.

【This is what you people should really be doing!】

But even from afar, Li Ye heard the music from the rehearsal room—it wasn’t elegant ballet.

When they entered the large rehearsal hall, Li Ye was stunned.

What Tan Qin brought them to see was truly novel for this era—but in the future, it wouldn’t be remarkable at all.

Dozens of girls and a few boys marched in rhythm to the music, “click-click-click,” like proud chicks—this was a modeling rehearsal.

Fashion models in 1982 were genuinely rare.

Flowing skirts, high heels—even two models wore ultra-short skirts, extremely avant-garde for the time in Shenzhou.

Wen Guohua’s eyes lit up instantly.

Even Wen Leyu was shocked, her mouth slightly open, staring in disbelief at the unrecognizable models.

Tan Qin felt triumphant—after being overshadowed all evening by the Wen siblings, she finally exhaled.

But when she glanced at Li Ye, she froze in surprise.

She expected someone like Li Ye, faced with such fashion-forward scenes, to blush and fluster.

But Li Ye’s expression? Dull, empty, as if he were a monk in a temple.

Was he a country bumpkin who couldn’t appreciate beauty? Or just emotionally immature, wasting such a handsome face?

That didn’t make sense—any man, even a thirteen-year-old boy, should react!

But Tan Qin had no idea what Li Ye was feeling.

This? This? This?

Don’t you know modeling strides are pushed forward, not just walked?

Hips and waist move uncoordinatedly, calf lifts are inaccurate, and their aura is rigid, lifeless—just posing like they’re the center of the universe, utterly failing to stir any sense of beauty.

Better to go rollerblading with my little Yu!

Thank you to reader “Live Freely” for the reward, and to reader “Dragon Tree But Not a Monk” for the reward.

(End of Chapter)