[{"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-880":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},2295298,4489,"Chapter 880: So I Guessed Wrong!","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-880",880,"\u003Cp>Did I act rashly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye held his daughter close, silently puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after thinking it over carefully, he finally sensed something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zhao Meiwen simply wanted to study abroad, Grandma Wu Juying would have arranged it for Li Ye right away—there’d be no need for Zhao Meiwen to tell him herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What’s this? Your step-sister can go study in Hong Kong, but your cousin can’t? Don’t you know blood is thicker than water?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye asked Zhao Meiwen: “Meiwen, from Grandma’s tone, is there something you’re not saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen’s face instantly flushed red; she lowered her head and started picking at her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could make a teenage girl blush? Li Ye immediately guessed the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could press further, Grandma Wu Juying had already exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, look, didn’t I just say this? Why are you embarrassed? Your skin’s so thin you can’t even speak up at home—now you want to go live in some foreign land?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you were as bold and sharp-tongued as your sister Xiao Yue, we wouldn’t worry—you could go anywhere. I know the saying: reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you can’t even speak up at home, what’ll happen when you go to the Land of the Free with that boy? What if he bullies you? What if he sells you? Do you even know how far that place is? Over twenty thousand miles! Your mother only has you, her one daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Grandma’s words, Li Ye roughly understood what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cousin had a boyfriend, and now that boyfriend was going abroad to study—so she wanted to go with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What’s wrong with that?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At eighteen or nineteen, isn’t this the age when love comes first? If Wen Leyu had chosen to study overseas, Li Ye would have followed her without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye urged: “Grandma, Grandma, don’t rush. The more you pressure her, the more she’ll resist. Let’s hear what Meiwen has to say first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wu Juying snorted: “Hmph, if she could explain herself clearly, would I have made you talk to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already said—if she could give you a reasonable, logical reason, we wouldn’t oppose it. But look at her now? When real trouble comes, all she knows how to do is cry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Li Ye finally understood what Grandma meant by “bold and sharp-tongued.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a relationship, the smarter, stronger partner holds the upper hand; the shy, quiet, gentle one inevitably ends up submissive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though sensible parents and elders believe mutual love and equality make the best marriage, which parent doesn’t fear their child being the weaker one in love?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So a woman like Li Yue—sharp-tongued, decisive, strong-willed—gives parents peace of mind; a girl like Zhao Meiwen? Naturally, they worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing tears welling in Zhao Meiwen’s eyes, Li Ye knew he couldn’t push further—he turned to Li Juan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Juan, tell me what’s really going on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Juan had been holding it in—she blurted out immediately: “At school, Meiwen dated a very close classmate, and this year he was selected for government-sponsored study abroad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meiwen tried hard too, but she wasn’t chosen. But the boy’s going, so she panicked—she wants to go first, then just enroll in any school she can find.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Your cousin’s planning to be a dependent spouse!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said I’d enroll in just any school!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen wouldn’t dare argue with Grandma or Big Cousin, but with her best friend Li Juan, she had some backbone—she pouted and defended herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already inquired—there are several universities in the city where Jiawei is going. If I go over and study hard for a year, I’ll definitely get in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the Land of the Free is a civilized society—how could they sell me? You can’t think so badly of him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey hey, I need to clarify something,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye interrupted Zhao Meiwen, speaking seriously: “The Land of the Free isn’t as nice as you think. Human trafficking happens all the time—even cases of cannibalism aren’t unheard of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen’s gaze froze, as if stunned by Li Ye’s words—then her face filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cannibalism? That’s a horror from which era?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye sighed and didn’t tell her anything darker—he asked practically: “What did this Jiawei say to you after he got the overseas spot? Don’t hide anything—tell me the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen’s face flushed even redder, but finally she said: “He said no distance can break our bond,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two years is just over seven hundred nights—he’ll write me a hundred letters, each one proving his heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy crap, Li Ye muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meiwen, is your Jiawei some kind of poet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen’s face stiffened for a moment, then she shook her head violently like a rattle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she knew very well: although her big cousin was also a “literary type,” he despised certain kinds of poets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye’s perception was razor-sharp—he could tell this girl was lying to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy who makes a girl lie for him? He’s no ordinary guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Art comes from life—if a plot easily resonates with audiences, then in reality, that plot must exist—and not as an isolated case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was already suspecting whether Jiawei was just like Mu’s ex-boyfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Yunning gave her study-abroad slot to him, and he married a white woman—leaving Mu Yunning single to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Li Ye had the power to send his cousin overseas so they could be sweethearts, who could guarantee Jiawei wasn’t another Chen Shimei, all about self-interest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, if Zhao Meiwen were his own sister, he’d smash this romance right now—there are millions of men in the world—why pick one who’s maxed out on flowery lies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a one-percent chance isn’t worth risking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a cousin isn’t a sister—he couldn’t just act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye asked gently: “Do you think he treats you well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen nodded quickly: “He does. When I was sick, he brought me meals; when it got cold, he reminded me to keep warm; when someone bullied me, he stood up and argued for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Man, these days it’s so cheap to charm a girl!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Zhao Meiwen count her fingers while listing her boyfriend’s virtues, Li Ye knew this was tricky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t help her go abroad, they’d almost certainly break up—and Zhao Meiwen would resent him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he helped her go, and she got hurt later, wouldn’t he be doing harm with good intentions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meiwen, does his family know about you two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye decided to follow the traditional Huazhong approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To see if a boy truly loves a girl, just look at how his parents treat her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A boy bringing his girlfriend to meet his parents is ten times more reliable than empty vows spoken without effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his parents don’t even know who you are? Obviously, he’s stringing you along while looking for a better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, if a girl only talks about love, enjoys being spoiled, but never introduces you to her family? She’s no good either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after Li Ye asked this, Zhao Meiwen fell silent again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s heart sank—he turned sharply to his sister Li Juan: “Xiao Juan, you tell me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Juan shrank back, helplessly saying: “A few days ago, after Ruan Jiawei was selected for government-sponsored study abroad, his classmates threw him a celebration party—I and Meiwen went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We met Ruan Jiawei’s parents. His mother told Meiwen: ‘Within a year, you must get a government-sponsored study-abroad slot.’ Meiwen got angry and said she’d go abroad this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So I guessed wrong! They look down on our girl!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So familiar words. So familiar scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Grandma Wu Juying didn’t smash the romance herself—she made Li Ye do it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t Lu Jingyao’s father the same?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If you get into college next year, I won’t oppose you two.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it—dragging you along with a one-year deadline?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye couldn’t help asking: “At the class celebration, Jiawei’s parents showed up—so he’s from Beijing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Juan nodded: “Yes. His father works for something called the Economic Committee—everyone calls him ‘Comrade Ruan.’ His mother is deputy principal of an elementary school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Holy shit, I thought he was some big shot—he’s just a total jerk!]\u003C\u002Fp>",1382,"2026-06-20T05:05:02.628Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f85718ad1de599766c6d7f98365dbb0bcf7a02a3643de5678e06e073e9a8c4f2","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-881","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-879",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]