Chapter 22: The Treacherous Scheme of Retaliation Succeeds

Seeing Li Heng and Zhang Zhiyong, whom she had known since childhood, ganging up on her, Yang Yingwen stopped holding back and opened fire: "Hey! Are you two even men? You know perfectly well I’m terrified of ghosts—why be so petty? Do you expect me to scream and run all the way down the mountain in the morning? I’m a girl, for heaven’s sake!"

Zhang Zhiyong pursed his lips and muttered, "So what if you’re a girl? Girls don’t poop or pee? What a stinky remark!"

Yang Yingwen ignored him and stared directly at Li Heng. In her mind, Zhang Zhiyong was just Li Heng’s sycophant, so she went straight for the source of the problem.

After being stared at for a while, Li Heng started to feel uneasy. He complained with great dissatisfaction, "Don’t play the victim with us. We were like-minded, yet you’re the one playing mind games. What’s the use of a friend like you? Get lost, go away!"

Zhang Zhiyong immediately chimed in, "Exactly! And you’re not even pretty, so scram!"

Enraged, Yang Yingwen kicked Zhang Zhiyong, her head spinning with anger. She glared fiercely at Li Heng and retorted nonsensically, "Who was like-minded with you? Who would even want that? I’d rather look for Zhu Bajie—at least he knows how to coax his wife!"

Li Heng shot back, "Then go find Zhu Bajie, but you can’t register the marriage. Close relatives aren't allowed to wed."

"Hehehehe...!"

Hearing this, Yang Cheng, sitting in the front row, could no longer contain himself and let out a silly, pig-like laugh. Even the usually stoic Xiao Feng pricked up her ears. She hadn't turned a page of her book in a long time, and she even glanced back at the bickering pair with a look of surprise.

Xiao Han was a naturally poised girl who acted with an air of sophisticated detachment. While others couldn't help but laugh, her aloof and composed demeanor stood out even more. However, knowing that she needed to get along with everyone, she understood the importance of moderation. With a faint smile, she pulled on the combative Yang Yingwen, acting as a peacemaker.

As the old saying goes, everyone likes a little flattery. They were all old friends with no deep-seated grudges, and they usually got along famously. With Xiao Han tactfully providing a way out, Li Heng and Yang Yingwen implicitly took a step back, and the tension gradually faded.

The shuttle bus pulled away.

Qian Town was over two hundred miles from Shao City. In those days, the road conditions were poor—full of potholes and incredibly bumpy. Even if the driver pushed the speed, it would take at least four or five hours to reach the school.

During this tedious and long journey, the six of them, having attended the same middle and high schools, felt a natural sense of camaraderie. After the commotion between Li Heng and Yang Yingwen, the mood was set, and the group began to chat. Even the usually reserved Xiao Feng didn't keep to herself, chiming in every now and then.

In the middle of the conversation, Zhang Zhiyong suddenly brought up the old grudge between Li Heng and Xiao Han from their first year of middle school. With Li Heng sitting between them, Zhang Zhiyong grew bold and asked Xiao Han, "Xiao Han, I’ve had a question stuck in my head for nearly six years that I’ve never been able to solve. Can I ask you today?"

Xiao Han looked over, puzzled. "What question?"

Zhang Zhiyong asked, "Why did you and your friends keep stealing my brother's chair back in the first year of middle school?"

The question was sharp. Because Li Heng and Xiao Han were both prominent figures in their school throughout middle and high school, the others became intrigued and stared at Xiao Han, waiting for an answer.

In truth, it wasn't just Zhang Zhiyong who was confused; Yang Yingwen, Xiao Feng, and Yang Cheng were equally baffled. Usually, while Xiao Han was inwardly proud and aloof, she didn't like dealing with strangers, but she was a very easy person to get along with for her friends. How could she have stolen Li Heng's chair for no reason? And she did it twice—it was completely absurd! It was a true historical mystery that left everyone stumped.

Facing their gazes, Xiao Han lowered her head, rolled her eyes, and then looked up, pursing her lips. She tried to speak, pursed them again, and finally, a shy, embarrassed smile appeared on her face.

She said crisply, "Because back then, I thought he was a delinquent who didn't need to study, so I felt completely justified in taking it."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng shot her a sideways glance. Receiving his inscrutable look, Xiao Han, feeling guilty, kept her smile, though it looked less natural now. She lowered her head again to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and her earlobe felt searingly hot to the touch.

Because she had aggressively taken his chair twice, she had actually spent the last six years in middle and high school silently wondering how Li Heng viewed that incident. How did he view her as a person? After all, both in terms of beauty and academic performance, she was considered a celebrity from middle through high school. Having received so much praise and envy, she had subconsciously accepted the idea that she was someone special.

And today, she had finally uncovered the answer to the mystery she had pondered for so long.

What kind of celebrity was she? Just a mediocre name in a sea of faces.

However, she was most skilled at feigning sincerity and would not let her hurt feelings show. Furthermore, even if it was a failure, today was a record-breaking, milestone day. Although it wasn't exactly pleasant, it was the first time she had gathered the courage to initiate a greeting with him, even though it received no response.

She reflected: was her greeting interrupted by the shopkeeper? Did he deliberately pretend not to see her? Or was it because Chen Zijin was sitting between them?

The others were still chatting and laughing happily, but she had drifted away. It wasn't until a Napoleon biscuit was waved in front of her that she quickly forced a smile and took it. Reciprocating the gesture, Xiao Han took a half-bag of White Rabbit creamy candies from her bag to share with everyone, saying that good things should be shared and not kept to oneself.

In those days, White Rabbit candies were considered high-end goods; they were not only expensive but also in short supply, making them hard for the average person to find. Naturally, being so popular, they tasted exceptionally good. With the addition of various snacks, the group became even more animated, and the back of the bus became livelier than a party.

The bus pulled over for a few minutes at the Liudouzhai gas station to refuel and allow passengers to use the restroom. Seeing Yang Yingwen, Xiao Feng, Yang Cheng, and Zhang Zhiyong head out, Xiao Han retracted the step she was about to take and looked smilingly at Li Heng, who was lagging behind.

"Mr. Li, may I ask you a question?"

This girl was Xiao Han, whom he had already learned to fear in his past life—she was the master of making things difficult for others. Li Heng instinctively refused: "No!"

Hearing this, Xiao Han felt a momentary suffocation. Fortunately, she was a girl who cared deeply about her image, so she tried her best to keep the smile on her stiff face. Even so, she felt embarrassed and immediately turned her head to avoid his piercing gaze. Just as she was about to apologize and say something like, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he spoke again.

Li Heng said habitually, "If you want to ask me, 'Who is better looking, you or Song Yu?', I advise you not to waste your breath. I’m not going to answer that."

This was the question Xiao Han cared about most in her previous life, and it was the question she had kept asking him right up until his rebirth.

After saying this, Li Heng froze in place, realizing he had spoken too soon. He realized his thinking had followed an old habit, a form of instinctive muscle memory.

The past did not represent the present. In this life, his relationship with Xiao Han was still at the stage of ordinary classmates; how could she have asked such an intimate, shameless question so abruptly?

Sure enough, Xiao Han was stunned when she heard this. Once she reacted, her incredibly beautiful eyes darted around, and, as if possessed, she leaned in slightly and asked, "Then, in your heart, who do you think is better looking, me or Song Yu?"

As soon as the question left her lips, Xiao Han felt she had gone mad—she must be crazy! She roared at herself internally: What are you doing?

Although she was falling apart inside, she maintained a calm and composed look on the surface, gazing at him with a half-smile.

Li Heng was speechless. He knew this girl was a master of seizing an opportunity and had a dark heart. Honestly, the two of them were the most beautiful girls he had ever seen in his past life—one from middle school, one from high school. Later, they became legendary figures, and he cherished those years too much to pit the two brightest pearls against each other. He believed that every boy in their student days who had a crush on them felt the same way, because to compare them would be a profanity. It would be a profanity against them and a profanity against the emotional refuge of his own youth.

Li Heng dodged the issue and asked instead, "What was it you wanted to ask me earlier?"

Seeing him afraid to answer her pointed question, she felt inexplicably healed. She kept her smile and asked, "Oh, that... ha... weren't you afraid that this question might be even more embarrassing?"

Li Heng nodded. "That's why I would weigh it carefully before deciding whether to answer."

Her gaze lingered on his profile for two seconds. With her hands behind her back, she cleared her throat and said, "Ever since I came back from winter break, I've kept hearing rumors about you and Chen Zijin. Tell me, is the story true?"

Li Heng smiled, revealing his neat, white teeth, and countered, "Then would you prefer it to be true or false?"

Li Heng’s relaxed smile suddenly stung Xiao Han. The years of suppressing her feelings while watching him and Chen Zijin show off their affection in front of her became sharp and painful. How long was she going to keep yielding? How long was she going to shrink away in fear? What was she ultimately afraid of?

Xiao Han said pitifully, as if begging for mercy, "In middle school, in the dorms, on the road, I could always hear girls gossiping about you behind your back. Some of it was good, some bad. You were really famous back then. During my three years of high school, many girls from other classes came to ask me, 'What's his name?' including some of my friends."

Li Heng asked with interest, "So, did you tell those friends? How did you introduce me?"

Twisting the tip of her right shoe in the dirt, Xiao Han smiled and said, "At that age, when we were in the prime of our youth, it wasn't easy to find a member of the opposite sex who could put one's heart at ease. Back then, I couldn't bear to tell them about you and Chen Zijin. But now, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and tell them clearly: the poor boy and the noble girl from the Chen family have already slept together, so don't bother dreaming about him anymore."

Hearing these aggressive words, Li Heng’s face twitched. His expression gradually froze, and he fell into silence.

The poor boy and the noble girl from the Chen family...!

The destructive power of those words was even greater than Xiao Han had imagined. She didn't know why she had said such cruel things—words meant to disgust him, and she had said them directly to Li Heng.

The boy standing opposite her was Li Heng!

But the words had just blurted out when her brain overheated. Yet, seeing his shocked reaction, Xiao Han didn't regret it; instead, she felt a glimmer of joy. An irrational, unprincipled joy. It was like the petty revenge of an underdog succeeding.

*So you slept with Chen Zijin! So you act more carefree than I do! So you and Chen Zijin acted intimate in front of me for five years—did you really think I was just a punching bag? Did you really think I was a pushover?*

At that moment, it was as if three identical versions of Xiao Han appeared in her mind: one watching him calmly and rationally; one looking down at him with a malicious, sneering expression; and one looking at him, heartbroken and dejected. She couldn't tell which one was prevailing. She only knew that as they stared at each other, her thoughts drifted away until her mind went blank.

...

"Xiao Han, Li Heng, why are you two just standing there like statues? We still have such a long way to go; why haven't you gone to the bathroom yet?"

Just as they were caught in that awkward, soul-searching moment, Yang Yingwen, who had returned first, stepped right between them, patting one and then the other, urging them on. Seeing that neither moved, Yang Yingwen looked back and forth, asking worriedly, "You two haven't been fighting, have you?"

"No, I was just talking to him about the rice. My dad really likes the rice from his family and said he wants to buy more once he finishes it," Xiao Han was the first to snap back to reality, her eyes curving into a smile.

Tian Run'e carrying rice to the market to sell was no secret in Shangwan Village; everyone knew it. Yang Yingwen didn't suspect anything, but she asked again, "Then are you still going to the bathroom?"

"I am."

"I'll go with you."

As they were about to leave, Yang Yingwen turned back to Li Heng: "Aren't you coming?"

Li Heng waved his hand. "You guys go ahead. I don't need to. I'll wait here for you."

...

When the bus started again, the momentum of their conversation seemed to have been cut off. The group no longer had the strong desire to chat as they did before. Zhang Zhiyong and Yang Cheng had fallen asleep, both in the same posture—mouths agape like sharks, heads tilted to the side. The only difference was that the chubby Yang Cheng was snoring.

The snoring, louder than a bomb, seemed to bother Xiao Feng, so she moved to the only empty seat in the back row. Soon, the three girls were back at it, chattering away together.

PS: I was afraid you guys would be waiting, so I didn't split it. Here is a 4,000-word combined chapter.