Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

Actually, Su Fengnan didn't really intend for Yang Qinqin to have anything happen between her and Li Hua; she just planned for her to put on an act. But Yang Qinqin knew in her heart that if it wasn't for real, how could a scumbag like Li Hua be so easily fooled?

In order to get that money, she chose to do it voluntarily.

A few days later, when Su Fengnan learned the truth, she sat in front of her computer and couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Yang Qinqin is really a ruthless person! No wonder she could do something like this in her past life, where everyone is destroyed. She was probably driven to desperation and had no other choice but to choose to perish together with others."

"Sis, who are you talking about?"

Su Fengxia, who was doing her homework next to her sister, heard her sister muttering and asked curiously.

Su Fengnan snapped back to reality and waved her hand dismissively, "It's nothing, I'm just thinking about the plot of the novel. You go and do your homework."

"Oh, okay." Not getting the answer she wanted, Su Fengxia shrugged and obediently lowered her head to do her homework again.

Yang Qinqin's chosen path was irreversible, and Su Fengnan could only sigh and accept reality. Just in case, she secretly kept a copy of Yang Qinqin and Li Hua's hotel booking record, as well as the audio recording of their conversation. Better safe than sorry, just in case she needed it someday.

Not long after, Yang Qinqin received the final payment from Su Fengnan, and together with the 30,000 yuan she had extorted from Li Hua, she had a total of 60,000 yuan. In those days, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money for her.

She quickly packed her bags, went to the train station, bought a ticket, and prepared to travel to another province to stay with her fellow villagers. Before leaving, Su Fengnan asked Su Fenghai to give her a business plan for small commodities and local snacks. If she was interested, with her resilience, it wouldn't be difficult for her to start a small business and rebuild her life.

At the train station, Su Fengnan himself did not appear; it was Su Fenghai, who was wearing a mask, who saw him off.

"I hope you live a good life from now on and don't go down the wrong path again. If you do, no one will be able to help you anymore." Su Fenghai handed her a heavy paper bag. "Take this, you can eat on the train."

"Thank you." Yang Qinqin took the bag of fragrant bread, her expression somewhat wistful.

The aroma of that bread was something she had only tasted once as a child, sneaking a bite from her neighbor's. She hadn't had the chance to taste it again since. When she grew up and could buy it herself, she could never find that same flavor again.

"I know you're helping me, thank you." Yang Qinqin composed herself, slung her bag over her shoulder, and resolutely walked into the train station waiting hall, never looking back.

She was a sensible person and understood that the person who asked her to do this was actually giving her a way out. Although she didn't know the other person's identity or background, since her goal had been achieved, she wisely refrained from further investigation.

……

Yang Qinqin's matter was resolved quickly, but if one really wanted to investigate, one could actually find some clues. However, Li Hua was just an ordinary working-class family's son, and he didn't think about it too deeply at all.

With the harassing text messages from Li Hua no longer in her mind, Ning Xiaojun finally felt completely at ease and began to focus on her studies.

On Saturday morning, after dealing with Yang Qinqin's situation, Su Fengnan fell into another kind of tension—she was going to see Zhou Chenyu's grandmother in the afternoon and was worried about what gift to bring for her first visit.

Ning Xiaojun already knew that Su Fengnan had taken leave, so she didn't inform Ye Hua and the others. When the three boys arrived at her house, Ning Xiaojun had to entertain them all by herself.

Seeing that Su Fengnan hadn't arrived yet, Ye Hua casually asked, "Ning Xiaojun, why hasn't Su Fengnan come yet?"

"Oh, her? She can't come. Something came up at home," Ning Xiaojun replied as she poured them water.

"Something happened to her family?" Ye Hua was taken aback.

"No! I meant she had some family issues, don't talk nonsense." Ning Xiaojun rolled her eyes at him and casually tossed a workbook to Ye Hua. "Hey, stop gossiping and hurry up and do your homework! Let me tell you, if you don't work hard this last year, we'll all go our separate ways and we don't know when we'll see each other again. Cherish these precious moments."

"Yeah, my dad said if I don't pass the exam, he'll make me work on a construction site carrying bricks," Yang Chao chimed in with a bitter face.

"You think you won't pass the exam? Don't be so modest, or I'll beat you up." Ye Hua gestured with his fist at Yang Chao.

"Um... can I interrupt for a moment?" Qiu Wen pushed up his glasses and weakly raised his hand.

Three pairs of eyes instantly turned to him.

Under everyone's gaze, Qiu Wen suddenly stammered.

"Tell me, what is it?" Ye Hua pressed.

Qiu Wen then stammered, "Um... when I came here, I saw a girl following Ye Hua suspiciously at the intersection..."

He looked at Ye Hua and asked tentatively, "It's not someone who's admiring you, is it? Or did you offend someone and they're following you?"

"What does it look like? Did you see it clearly?" Ning Xiaojun immediately became alert.

Qiu Wen thought for a moment: "A girl with an afro, I couldn't see her face clearly..."

Ning Xiaojun understood what was going on. She looked at Ye Hua and said, "Your bad luck with women, isn't it?"

Ye Hua frowned: "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't do anything."

"Yeah, we didn't do it. They've already followed us all the way here." Ning Xiaojun picked up a small toy from the table and tapped it on Ye Hua's head. "Don't cause me any trouble, or you'll be sorry."

"Who are you talking about? I don't understand." Qiu Wen looked bewildered.

"Just focus on your homework, you don't need to understand." Yang Chao gave Qiu Wen a look that said "don't ask questions," and started working on his problems on his own.

Ye Hua began to feel agitated. He knew that Gu hope had been following him for a long time, but he had ignored her before. Now that she had actually followed him to Ning Xiaojun's apartment building, he had to take it seriously.

"I'm going out for a bit." With that, Ye Hua walked downstairs.

When he arrived at the street corner downstairs from Ning Xiaojun's house, he indeed saw a girl hiding there furtively.

Ye Hua walked over, and seeing that she could not hide, the girl had no choice but to step forward, stammering, "Ye Hua..."

Ye Hua frowned deeply: "I've already said, we can't be together, can you please stop?"

Gu hope clenched her fists tightly, biting her lower lip, and mustered her courage to say, "Ye Hua, have you ever seen anyone so humble when they like someone?"

"I used to like you, but you were indifferent to me. I thought it was because I wasn't good enough. But later I realized it wasn't that. You're only gentle to others, but you're cold to me. Just because I like you, does that mean you have to treat me like this?"

As she spoke, Gu hope's tears fell in droves.

Seeing her like this, Ye Hua became increasingly irritated, and her tone grew more impatient: "Gu hope, I've told you before that your feelings for me are causing me trouble. We're not suitable for each other. Don't follow me anymore, or don't blame me..."

Gu hope wiped away her tears with a bitter smile: "You have someone you like, right? I know who she is."

Ye Hua's eyes turned cold as he stared intently at her: "No, don't make things up."

Gu hope sneered twice: "Ye Hua, others might believe you, but I, Gu hope, don't. You can see through her eyes."

"Gu hope, don't be so self-righteous. No means no. You can leave now; this is the last time."

After Ye Hua finished speaking, he turned and left resolutely without even a moment's hesitation.

His merciless departure deeply wounded Gu hope. She stood there, dejected, until Ye Hua was no longer in sight, before dragging her heavy steps away.

……