[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981":3,"chapter-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-137":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year, the Flowers Bloomed in 1981",{"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},2294555,4489,"Chapter 137: One Hundred Thousand Love Letters Can","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-137",137,"\u003Cp>As a homeroom teacher, Mu Yunning would never casually judge conflicts between students, especially when one student was unilaterally beating another senseless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, could I see your manuscript?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye handed his manuscript to Mu Yunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning took it and glanced at it—immediately, she knew this wasn’t a love letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a few more glances, she began to understand its meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had written popular fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 1980s were the golden age of “Scar Literature,” where most literary works focused on “reflecting on the past and looking toward the future,” pursuing somber, profound themes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet works like Li Ye’s, the kind of popular fiction, were considered as unorthodox as wuxia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wuxia only gained orthodox status many years later, then turned around to sneer at new web novelists—until web fiction showed signs of being co-opted, at which point the criticism finally died down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like how a crosstalk master and De Yun She’s routines only became interesting when they slipped in some lighthearted moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Li Ye’s writing wasn’t orthodox, maybe she should offer some feedback?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Mu Yunning took the manuscript, sat down, and figured she’d spend three or five minutes giving Li Ye some pointers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t just a seasoned contributor to the Peking University campus newspaper for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then five minutes, ten minutes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning spent fifteen minutes reading through Li Ye’s ten-thousand-word manuscript.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she flipped past the final page and saw only blank paper, she was startled to realize she’d forgotten why she’d come—she hadn’t found a single flaw to point out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning took a slow breath, thought for several seconds, then returned the manuscript to Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong, He Dazhuang, and the others, who had been anxiously waiting, all turned to look at Mu Yunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their mindsets differed: Zhen Rongrong hoped Mu Yunning would downplay the incident, treating Li Ye leniently since he genuinely loved literature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dazhuang, however, wanted Mu Yunning to harshly criticize Li Ye—for his audacity to submit to journals at such a young age; first, try getting past the campus publication!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your writing is good, but you should interact more with the school’s literature society members and learn the characteristics of today’s mainstream literature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both He Dazhuang and Zhen Rongrong froze for several seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a result neither had anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s writing was actually good?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong instantly relaxed; He Dazhuang felt deeply wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Teacher, are you going to lift high and drop lightly like this?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, after returning the manuscript to Li Ye, Mu Yunning added: “He Dazhuang taking your things without permission was wrong, but you did hit him, so—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two apologize to each other, forget this unpleasantness, and remain good classmates and friends, alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What do you mean “taking my things was wrong”? I didn’t even get my hands on them before he punched me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t you see the dust on my clothes, the bruises on my face? Do Peking University teachers play favorites?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dazhuang’s face twisted into a pout, but he had no choice but to follow Mu Yunning’s suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dare you refuse? Heh, you’ll be wearing little shoes for the rest of your life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But He Dazhuang never expected that Li Ye would reject this clearly biased suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Mu, may I ask my classmates a few questions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning’s expression hardened. “Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned to Zhen Rongrong and the others: “Before my conflict with He Dazhuang, who did you think was stronger—me or him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Can’t you just let this small thing go?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong and the others looked uneasy, thinking Li Ye was petty—but upon reflection, they could somewhat understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was clearly strong and tough, yet He Dazhuang insisted he was weak—of course he’d be angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their misunderstanding, Li Ye asked again: “Or, at the very last moment before our conflict, who did you think would come out worse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong blinked in surprise, then instinctively said: “Before the conflict, I definitely thought He Dazhuang was stronger—I even tried to stop him, but before I finished speaking, you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye spread his hands. “See? Who was the instigator of this conflict? Isn’t it obvious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong and the others exchanged glances, but Mu Yunning caught on—her lips curled into a knowing smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said: “Because He Dazhuang was stronger than me, he assumed he could dominate me, so he had no qualms about forcibly seizing my personal manuscript—that’s what triggered the conflict.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent years in the real world, Li Ye knew one truth: when hiring laborers at the job market, avoid the giant, over-muscled men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight out of ten such men had terrible tempers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did they have bad tempers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they were strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In group labor settings, once they realized they could force others into submission through intimidation, their desire to dominate slowly took root.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were certainly honest, kind people—but more often, the loudmouths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dazhuang, this big guy, had a big temper—or rather, he’d grown so used to it that he unconsciously assumed Li Ye, with his slight frame, should submit to his will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined Li Ye was all muscle beneath the surface—just one flick of his wrist, and He Dazhuang was thrown into chaos, humiliated in front of everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhen Rongrong and the others lost in thought, He Dazhuang’s heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye wasn’t done: “Also, Teacher Mu, you’d better clarify some details right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning smiled, like a perfect straight man: “What details? Tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said seriously: “He Dazhuang just said the Student Union directly contacted the class committee to pursue me for dancing with a girl—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you or Teacher Zhang know about this? If neither of you knew, then what is this—school policy or personal action?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning nodded slightly and turned to class monitor Zhen Rongrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong blinked in shock, then answered honestly: “Yesterday afternoon, Liu Chunbo from the Student Union came to us—urged us to monitor class conduct, improve academic discipline, and help Li Ye—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning asked: “Why didn’t you report this to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dazhuang immediately interrupted: “I suggested reporting it to you, but Zhen Rongrong stopped me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong’s face paled. “I thought it was a small matter, so I wanted to handle it within the class first—I didn’t notify you right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Mu Yunning and Li Ye understood: Zhen Rongrong had been protecting Li Ye, but lacked experience—she’d mistaken the Student Union’s random feather for an imperial decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even decades later, brats still feared the Student Union—how much more so in 1982’s well-behaved students!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Chunbo?” Mu Yunning said. “I see. Next time something like this happens, don’t rush to target your classmates—notify me first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning paused, then added: “Your role as class committee is heavy—you must supervise classmates’ studies while protecting their interests. Balancing that requires careful judgment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong exhaled in relief and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dazhuang felt worse—he didn’t understand why his sincere devotion to the class had somehow made him look like a traitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye left the classroom, rode his bike to the girls’ dormitory—he’d arranged to have dinner with Wen Leyu, and he’d delayed so long, he wondered if the girl was already hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the girls’ dormitory, Li Ye stopped a girl just coming downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me, classmate, could you please call Wen Leyu from Room 306? Thank you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl gave Li Ye a strange look, then glanced sideways before nodding and turning back to call for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s observation was sharp—he noticed the girl’s odd behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned slightly, following her gaze—there stood a short boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had already noticed the boy earlier, because his clothing style differed drastically from ordinary Peking University students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most students still wore blue or gray military-style jackets, but this short boy wore a dark striped suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the suit looked utterly “tacky” to Li Ye, in this era, in this setting, it screamed one word—fashion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not. Showy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy noticed Li Ye staring and stared back. After a few seconds, he bowed slightly and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s expression changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that bow—the gesture—was unmistakably Japanese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye narrowed his eyes, masking the coldness in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sought to stay low-key, but no cat lets others touch its food—anyone who dares touch his big orange cat had better watch out for Li Ye’s ruthlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you staring at? Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu came downstairs just then, calling for Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment Li Ye asked the girl to call her, to when she appeared, less than a minute had passed—clearly, Wen Leyu had been waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the short-suited boy had been waiting for Wen Leyu too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward quickly, smiling warmly, stumbling through his Chinese:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello… Miss Wen, I just… delivered a letter to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy had barely spoken half his sentence when Wen Leyu cut him off coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he showed no embarrassment, smiling on: “I’m Nakamura Naoto, Class of 1980, Chinese Language and Literature…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just delivered a letter to you… we met before at the foreign language event… please give me your guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitely Japanese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Li Ye could react, Wen Leyu said: “From now on, please stay away from me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps to accommodate Nakamura Naoto’s Chinese proficiency, Wen Leyu spoke in halting, stumbling phrases,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but this tone hurt even more—like a little girl angrily swinging a giant hammer, thudding rhythmically, making Nakamura Naoto’s face turn pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye couldn’t help laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What an idiot—he doesn’t even know who Wen Leyu’s grandfather is. That old killer has spilled countless foreign bloods on his hands, yet he’s blind enough to chase after Wen Leyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that just asking for a beating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye mounted his bicycle and rode off happily with Wen Leyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they’d gone a short distance, he teased her: “Sis, you’re already getting love letters now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu clenched her tiny fist and started pounding him, hitting him while scolding: “Turn around right now and go check the trash bin on our floor—that letter. If I so much as peeked at the seam, do whatever you want to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, I believe you, I believe you—stop hitting, it hurts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu punched him seven or eight times before stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, she instinctively pressed her small head against Li Ye’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if there were ten thousand love letters now, they couldn’t match that one warm glance back then. Who cares about them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, don’t care about them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was extremely pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At this point, no one but Little Master me can catch up to Wen Leyu!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the girls’ dorm, Nakamura Naoto stood frozen for a long time before slowly calming down,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then he strode off with a dark expression straight toward a student union activity room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, several students were gathered around a tape recorder learning English, though the tapes beside it included many pop songs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Nakamura Naoto with a sullen face, a boy with a small pompadour walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong, Nakamura?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nakamura Naoto smirked coldly: “Liu Sang, is the tape recorder I donated you working well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s great! I use it to learn English and listen to songs—the sound quality is excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what about the favor I asked you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Favor? What favor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nakamura Naoto’s face flushed from white to red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You sneaky Zhina people are all liars, just as I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth: “That freshman, the one from Economics—I remember Jingda doesn’t officially allow dating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right—I took care of that for you. But I can’t guarantee the outcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1953,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","57bc513a7e8a16f3e9dd2ec403e671ecb62ad7763cbc63454d4c741444cfb670","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-138","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-136",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]