[{"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-258":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},2294676,4489,"Chapter 258: None of Them Are Innocent","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-258",258,"\u003Cp>On the last night before going home, Li Ye and Wen Leyu strolled along the lake, reluctant to part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Li Ye would return in no more than half a month to prepare for the debate competition,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Ke would also be on a business trip during this half-month, so the quality of meals at home would inevitably drop—and the picky little cat was clearly sulking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After I’m gone, don’t over-exercise, don’t be picky about food, and don’t complain that the home-cooked meals taste bad—do you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm, I’m not the only one who complains—my brother hates Dad’s cooking too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re both asking for a beating. Do you really think Wen Uncle isn’t a cadre just because he doesn’t lash out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t get it—my dad’s really a paper tiger. He’s only fierce with outsiders, but he’s soft as butter with family. It’s my mom who’s truly terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop, stop, stop—don’t tell me that. When your mom finds out, she’ll take me down too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way~! Mom now praises you in every three sentences she speaks, driving my brother crazy with jealousy. If I hadn’t held him back, he’d have come looking for you eight times already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, take this money. I’ll be back in half a month. Let your brother take you out to eat at night—don’t get skinny from hunger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need, I have money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are your royalty payments, including some U.S. dollars. Lately, people keep coming to me to exchange foreign currency—better leave them with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then keep them with me! You’re too soft-hearted—you always spend recklessly, think you’re getting a bargain when you’re actually getting cheated. Maybe they gave you dollars just waiting for you to exchange them out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments before, Wen Leyu had acted as if she had no interest in money; now she waved her tiny hand and snatched the stack of cash from Li Ye’s grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when they were at the Second Grain Store, Wen Leyu had already said her share of the royalties was under Li Ye’s management—just feed her and that was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this money was hers—she was perfectly entitled to take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wen Leyu let go of Li Ye’s hand to stuff the cash into her wallet, Li Ye casually slipped his arm around her waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu glanced at him but didn’t resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was late at night—who could see? They’d already reached this point, so what was the point of pretending to be shy over a simple waist-hug?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye had only enjoyed half a minute of her soft, smooth warmth when a sudden shout interrupted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone’s going to jump into the lake! Help!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye cursed angrily but didn’t hesitate—he shoved Wen Leyu aside and sprinted over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he arrived, he cursed again: “Damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man stood five or six meters from the lake’s edge, his arms and clothes yanked by three others as he struggled desperately to pull himself toward the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a martial arts genius, Li Ye knew human limb strength reactions better than anyone—he instantly recognized this man had zero chance of actually jumping in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What the hell are you yelling for? You’re just wasting my time hugging my girl.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned to leave, but the three men spotted him and shouted: “Hey, student! What are you standing there for? Come help save him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m saving your ass?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now more people had gathered, drawn by the cries for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye grudgingly walked over and joined the crowd, hauling the would-be jumper out of danger with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Li Ye realize the man was Professor Jian from the Math Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on? Who’s this guy trying to jump?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems to be Jian Chongzhi from Math. Why would he drown himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know? This afternoon, Mu Yunning from Economics publicly dumped Professor Jian—he couldn’t take the heartbreak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the Jian who wrote ‘You’re a quiet snow lotus deep in my heart’? Even if Mu rejected him, why jump into the lake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t get it—I heard Mu used to be famous on campus, getting dozens of love letters every day. Only when she started dating someone did it quiet down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her boyfriend went abroad, was supposed to return last year but didn’t. Then a few days ago, he suddenly sent a letter back—after that, Mu stopped paying attention to Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Jian wrote a love poem every day, pouring out his soul—but it couldn’t beat a single letter from a heartless man. Sigh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye stared blankly at the crowd and muttered his third “Damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew for a fact that Jian wrote a love poem every day—true—but Mu Yunning always threw them straight into the trash in front of others, let alone “dumping” him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, a few casual words had reshaped Mu Yunning into an entirely different person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu had run over and stood beside Li Ye, listening intently. As she heard, she couldn’t help but sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If dying for love could win affection, then Mu Yunning wouldn’t be Mu Yunning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu’s voice rang out clearly, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye played along: “Student, you know about Professor Mu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu sniffed. “I’ve heard a bit. Over the years, Mu’s had at least eighty suitors. She’s tried this ‘jumping into the lake’ stunt at least twice—didn’t work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye froze. He thought: That stunt might not be useless—Yu Minhong used it to win over the class beauty from the Spanish Department, didn’t he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was a performance—he followed Wen Leyu’s lead: “But what if someone actually drowns?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu rolled her eyes. “Who’s going to be alone by the lake at this hour? Throw a stone in, and half the campus comes running to count the ripples.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two or thirty people gathered all paused, then turned their eyes toward Jian and his three accomplices—the spark of gossip began to blaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Love gossip was always the most interesting; love gossip with a conspiracy? Even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which department are you from? What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who just spoke up? Step forward!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one answered. More people gathered, as if watching a ridiculous comedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, when Mu Yunning was called over, the comedy reached its finale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning coldly said: “Professor Jian, I remember you taught a girl surnamed Yang from another school how to swim last year. Did you forget how? Want to relearn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Jian panicked: “No, no! What Yang girl?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning replied: “Yang Mengqing, Physics Department, Class of 1980, from Shida. Want me to call her right now and have a chat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye tugged Wen Leyu’s sleeve, and the two slipped away quietly into the dim night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d done what they needed to do—if Mu Yunning saw them, it’d be awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they were far away, Wen Leyu said coldly: “See? Your Professor Mu isn’t someone to mess with. Anyone who tries to trick her ends up eating their own shame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded vigorously: “Yeah, yeah, she’s really formidable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu tilted her head, studying Li Ye, then suddenly said: “I’m formidable too. You’d better—hmm~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye blinked, stared at her for a long moment, then said: “That’s nonsense. I’d never trick you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu’s face fell; she stuck out her tongue. “Forget it, forget it—I’m just imitating Mom. I’m not doing it well, hehe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh my god, Professor Ke, please don’t do this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t take away my little cute cat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1250,"2026-06-20T05:05:01.382Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","03ebcbc62f0f1e2481e240835ed34a4e1aa8801f43f54bcac3d0e81a02c50537","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-259","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-257",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]