A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1390 Cultural Performance, Zheng Wei Breaks Down! (Please Subscribe!)
Seeing that Section Chief Li's defenses were visibly breached, Hua Twelve continued in a mocking tone:
"You're asking me to explain how you put people in sacks right off the bat? Where's the evidence? Are you trying to frame me or set me up?"

"Who framed you! What nonsense are you talking to me about?" Section Chief Li was so angry that his face turned red and his neck veins bulged.

Hua Twelve quickly advised:
"Teacher, please don't do anything rash! You can't just tear that egg off, it would hurt so much!"

"Pfft!" The security guard next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing. Then, seeing the glare from Section Chief Li, he quickly lowered his head and coughed to cover it up.

When Section Chief Li turned around, he was trembling with anger. He slammed his hand on the table again, making the teacups on it jump.
"Trying to play dumb with me, huh? I've seen plenty of guys like you! Don't think I can't do anything to you just because you don't admit it! Let me tell you, your two roommates, Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai, right? And that girl named Zheng Wei, they've all confessed! Last night, it was you guys who put the sack on Chen Xiaozheng!"

He began to employ psychological tactics, leaning forward and speaking in a tone that seemed earnest but was actually putting pressure on Hua Twelve:
"I'm giving you a chance to confess now, to try and get you leniency! It's not easy for someone your age to go to university, so cherish it! Don't wait until I have irrefutable evidence in front of you, then it will be too late!"

Hua Shier wasn't buying it at all. He leaned back leisurely and extended his hand:
"Really? Then please show me your so-called 'conclusive evidence' now. You can't just talk about it."

Section Chief Li, caught off guard and somewhat embarrassed and angry, suddenly changed the subject, trying to find a breakthrough:
"Never mind the evidence! Tell me first, where did you go the night before last? You didn't come home! Someone saw you return to school this morning! How do you explain this? Did you have a guilty conscience and went out to lay low?"

Hua Shier scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain:

"Section Chief Li, there are plenty of students who don't return to their dormitories at night. Even if they are caught during room checks, at most they will only receive a verbal warning and have some moral education points deducted. Where I went last night is my personal privacy, and it doesn't seem to be your responsibility, does it?"

"What? What law says that staying out all night is the same as putting a sack over someone's head?"

Section Chief Li was momentarily speechless after being rebuked, but he was used to being assertive and said coldly:

"If you can't tell me, then it proves you're hiding something! What happened last night was your doing!"

Hua Shier was too lazy to waste any more words with him, so he took out his phone from his shirt pocket and started dialing in front of Section Chief Li.

Section Chief Li was taken aback. These days, cell phones were still a rarity among college students; even the cheapest ones cost two or three thousand yuan. He suddenly realized that this Hua Shier didn't seem like an ordinary college student, and asked warily:

"What are you going to do?"

As Hua Shier pressed the dial button, he said calmly:
"Nothing much, just call my lawyer in Beijing and have him handle the matter of someone trying to frame me."

As they were talking, the call connected. Hua Shier immediately pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello, is this Attorney Wang? This is Hua Shier. I've run into some trouble in Jinling. Someone is trying to frame me. You have a lot of experience in this area. Do you have any familiar fellow lawyers or reliable law firms in Jinling that you could recommend? I need professional legal assistance."

On the other end of the phone came a calm and capable male voice, speaking clearly and methodically. He not only immediately named several well-known law firms in Nanjing, but also directly provided the names and contact numbers of two senior lawyers, and said that if needed, he could fly to Nanjing immediately to help with the matter.

At first, Section Chief Li was skeptical, thinking that Hua Shier was bluffing. But as he listened to the professional and specific response from the 'Lawyer Wang' on the phone, his expression gradually changed, and fine beads of cold sweat began to appear on his forehead.

He finally realized that this student was no ordinary person and was not someone he could easily manipulate.

When Hua Shier hung up the phone and looked at him leisurely, Section Chief Li quickly forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and his tone softened instantly:

"Oh, Hua, this is all a misunderstanding. How could our security department not investigate something like this? What I was doing just now was just a routine inquiry to get to the bottom of things! Sometimes my tone might be a bit hasty, and my methods might not be quite appropriate, but I absolutely did not mean to frame you! Please don't take it to heart!"

As he spoke, he picked up a tissue from the table and wiped away his cold sweat:
"Well... we've basically understood the situation, and it shouldn't have anything to do with you. Hua, you can go back now. We're so sorry to have bothered you!"

Hua Shier glanced at him with a smile, really wanting to imitate Stephen Chow and say, "Guan, ah!"
But after thinking about it, I decided against it and didn't say anything more. I put away my phone, got up, and left the office with a flourish.

However, this matter cannot be left unresolved. Without any evidence, Section Chief Li did not conduct any investigations or visits, but instead resorted to coercion to extract a confession from him. This is clearly not a good thing, and it is highly likely that Zeng Yu was behind it.

Considering that this pair might have been the ones who tricked Zhu Xiaobei in the original storyline, Hua Shier felt he should strike first. He planned to release T1000 later and collect evidence of Vice Dean Zeng and this Li Ke's violations.

If these two are clean-cut, then they're lucky. But if they've done anything wrong and can't withstand scrutiny, well...
Soon, Zheng Wei, Xu Kaiyang, and Zhang Kai were also 'released' one after another.

These three were all stubborn, adhering to the spirit of "resisting punishment and going home for the New Year," and refused to budge. The security department could not obtain any substantial evidence and had no choice but to release them.

The four met up downstairs at the dormitory building. Xu Kaiyang spat in the direction of the security office and cursed:

"Chen Xiaozheng is a real son of a bitch! He can't win a fight, so he resorts to tattling on the teacher! He's a complete coward!"

Hua Shier corrected, "You were the one who couldn't beat them, and you got beaten black and blue, while they were fine. Then we avenged you by putting them in sacks!"

Zheng Wei giggled beside her.

Xu Kaiyang blushed and said, "None of that matters. Just tell me, is it necessary to report a conflict between dorm rooms to the security office?"

He turned to Zhang Kai and asked, "Old Zhang, if it were you, would you sue?"

Zhang Kai shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "Absolutely not! That would be too undignified!"

Xu Kaiyang then looked at Hua Twelve: "Twelve, what about you?"

Hua Shier said calmly, "I can't either. I'll just call the police."

"Damn it, you're even worse than Chen Xiaozheng!"

After saying that, the group of people smiled at the same time and chuckled foolishly.

After this incident, the dormitory where Hua Shier lived was completely broken up.

Chen Xiaozheng knew he had offended everyone, and living in the dormitory was awkward. He was also afraid of retaliation, such as sleeping in the middle of the night and being beaten up or having his underwear pulled down.

Well, Chen Xiaozheng isn't afraid of being beaten; he's afraid of having his underwear pulled down!
Two days later, Chen Xiaozheng used Zeng Yu's connections to move to another dormitory and temporarily disappeared from Hua Shier and the others' sight.

Without this thing that lowers atmospheric pressure, the atmosphere in the dormitory is peaceful.

Hua Shier's entrepreneurial endeavors have also made substantial progress. After several days of running around, he and Zhang Kai finally found a suitable location for their business: the Jinluan Building in Qinhuai District, about a 20-minute drive from Beijing University of Science and Technology.

They rented an entire floor of the building at a relatively favorable price to serve as the office and operations center for 'Jingnan Mall'.

The two returned to school excitedly, wanting to share the good news with Xu Kaiyang and discuss the next steps for renovations and company registration.

Upon entering the dormitory, he saw Xu Kaiyang sitting alone at the table, drinking alone with a few bottles of beer and a small bag of peanuts, looking dejected as if he had suffered a major blow.

"Hey, Lao Xu, did someone boil you? Who did this to hurt you so badly?"

Zhang Kai leaned over, picked up a bottle of beer, opened it, took a sip, and then asked.

Xu Kaiyang tilted his head back, took a big gulp of beer, let out a burp, and said sullenly:

"Who else could it be? Zheng Wei, of course!"

Under persistent questioning from Hua Shier and Zhang Kai, Xu Kaiyang finally revealed the truth in fits and starts.

It turns out that he finally mustered up the courage to formally confess his feelings to Zheng Wei today.

To completely dispel his idea, Zheng Wei didn't mince words this time and took Xu Kaiyang directly to the neighboring University of Political Science and Law, allowing him to see with his own eyes Lin Jing, the 'childhood sweetheart' who had only existed in legends and had never appeared in person.

"Damn it, there really is such a person."

Xu Kaiyang scratched his head in anguish: "He's actually quite good-looking, almost as good-looking as me."

Seeing his dejected appearance, Hua Shier sat down next to him, handed him a cigarette, and lit one for himself.

“Old Xu, I told you long ago, ‘A simp will only end up with nothing.’ Look at Lin Jing, he disappeared for half a year and ignored Zheng Wei, yet Zheng Wei still went to find him.”

"And you? You're always hanging around Zheng Wei like a shadow, showing concern for her well-being and coming whenever she calls."

“Your unchallenging 'simp' behavior will only make Zheng Wei think you are cheap.”

"Let me tell you, even if Zheng Wei were to go blind one day and fall for Chen Xiaozheng, she would never fall for a 'backup plan' like you who has no mystery or appeal whatsoever!" Hua Shier's words were a bit harsh, but they were the truth.

Xu Kaiyang was speechless, his face turning pale and then red.

He thought of the beautiful women surrounding Hua Shier, how Lin Jiamo and Fang Huiyuan could still chat on the phone endlessly even though they were far away in Beijing, and how Shi Jie was pursuing him so devotedly. He suddenly felt like he had grasped a lifeline and asked:

"Twelve, what should I do? Teach me! How do you manage to make so many girls devoted to you?"

Hua Shier took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and slowly said:

"Teaching you is no problem, call me godfather!"

"Godfather!"

Xu Kaiyang was shameless in his pursuit of women.

Zhang Kai looked at him with disdain, spitting out with a laugh, "Completely shameless!"

Xu Kaiyang rolled his eyes at Zhang Kai: "Get lost! If you're not ambitious enough, don't use my toilet paper when you watch movies at night!"

He opened his mouth, covered his face, and retreated in defeat!

Hua Shier chuckled: "It's simple, from now on, just leave her hanging."

"Leave her hanging?" Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai were both stunned.

Hua Shier taught Xu Kaiyang a lesson.

So starting the next day, Xu Kaiyang stopped bringing Zheng Wei snacks, reserving seats for her, and arranging study sessions with her. All the heartwarming gestures he made for Zheng Wei were cancelled.

Xu Kaiyang also refrained from constantly crowding around Zheng Wei. Even when they met in class, he would simply nod and greet her before sitting down with Zhang Kai and Hua Shier, no longer insisting on squeezing next to Zheng Wei as he used to.

Sure enough, a few days later, Zheng Wei began to feel uncomfortable.

She first discovered that no one was saving her a seat anymore, and when she went to the cafeteria, no one would prepare her favorite dishes in advance, and she had to wait in long lines herself. When she wanted to go to study at night, she could no longer see the figure who had long been used to hanging around her and who could take her back to the dormitory.

Zheng Wei finally couldn't resist asking indirectly, first asking Zhang Kai:

"Hey Zhang Kai, what's Xu Kaiyang been up to lately? He's been so elusive, we hardly ever see him."

Zhang Kai remembered Hua Shier's instructions and pretended to be clueless: "Huh? Really? No, I don't think so. Maybe you're busy studying? Or maybe you're thinking about our startup!"

Unable to get an answer, Zheng Wei came to ask Hua Shier again, her tone carrying a disappointment she herself didn't realize:
"Twelve, is Xu Kaiyang angry with me?"

Hua Shier looked at her, secretly amused, but outwardly sighed:
"Old Xu, he's probably just lost all his grief and his heart is dead; his life has lost all its color!"

Zhang Kai, listening from the side, wanted to laugh and really wanted to ask, "Is the color you're talking about yellow? Hmm, there haven't been any new films released lately."

Zheng Wei was speechless for a long time after Hua Shier's words, and felt even worse.

It seems that Zheng Wei and Lin Jing's relationship has also run into problems.

Their relationship was almost a carbon copy of Zheng Wei and Xu Kaiyang's, but reversed. Zheng Wei was always the one taking the initiative, while Lin Jing always seemed to be busy with coursework, club activities, internships, and various other reasons.

This caused him to be frequently absent when Zheng Wei needed him.

This is the fundamental reason why Lin Jing almost never appears in front of Zheng Wei and her group of friends.

Although Zheng Wei is usually oblivious, her repeated disappointments inevitably led to feelings of frustration and resentment.

Time flies by, and another half month has passed in the blink of an eye. The winter month has quietly arrived.

The first snow of the winter fell in Nanjing, with fine snowflakes fluttering down and covering the campus with a thin layer of white gauze.

Jingnan University of Science and Technology celebrated its sixth annual campus arts festival.

Zheng Wei signed up for a solo performance and invited Lin Jing well in advance, hoping he would come to see her performance.

Lin Jing accepted Zheng Wei's invitation over the phone, saying she would definitely come.

On the night of the performance, the school auditorium was packed to capacity, and the atmosphere was lively.

When it was Zheng Wei's turn to go on stage, she stood in the center of the stage with her guitar in her arms, her eyes eagerly searching for that familiar figure in the audience.

However, she searched the front row, the middle row, and the back row, but the person who had promised to come still did not appear.

As the music began to play, Zheng Wei looked at the empty seat she had specially asked Li Weijuan to save for her. Thinking about her anticipation over the past few days and her current disappointment, a wave of grievance and sadness washed over her. Her nose stung, and she finally broke down, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Before the song even started, she was already a sobbing mess on stage.

The audience began to whisper among themselves, and the scene became somewhat awkward.

At this crucial moment, Hua Shier grabbed Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai and rushed onto the stage.

Hua Shier took the guitar directly from Zheng Wei, slung it over his shoulder, and spoke loudly into the microphone:

"Dear teachers and students, I'm sorry, Zheng Wei is a little excited. The next song is dedicated to everyone here from our dormitory 301, especially to every lovely girl today! Music!"

After he finished speaking, his fingers glided across the strings, and a light and familiar melody began to play.

It's Richie Jen's "The Girl Across the Way"!
Hua Shier winked at the audience and sang while playing the piano:

"Hey girl over there, look over here, look over here! The performance here is amazing, please don't pretend to ignore me!"

After he finished singing the first line, he blew a kiss to Shi Jie in the audience. She blushed and watched him act silly on stage with love and doting in her eyes!
Halfway through the song, Hua Shier improvised some lyrics, gesturing with his chin to Zheng Wei, who was still somewhat dazed and had tears on her face, and Xu Kaiyang, who looked nervous yet pretended to be calm, and sang:

"Hey girl over there, look over here, look over here! Xu Kaiyang here is so cute, it's no wonder he likes you."

"puff"

The audience erupted in deafening laughter and whistles!
Xu Kaiyang's face instantly turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. But looking at the enthusiastic reaction from the audience and Zheng Wei next to him, who was both embarrassed and angry, his embarrassment turned into an indescribable warmth and courage.

Zheng Wei was both amused and exasperated by Hua Shier's sudden antics and lyrics change. Her earlier sadness and grievances were instantly washed away. She stomped her feet in embarrassment and anger, trying to snatch Hua Shier's guitar, but Zhang Kai and Xu Kaiyang stopped her with a smile.

The three of them huddled together on stage. Although they sang off-key and their voices cracked, their youthful joy infected everyone present.

The auditorium was filled with a joyful atmosphere, with applause, laughter, and whistles almost lifting the roof off.

In the end, Zheng Wei joined in, and the four young people on stage, with a chaotic yet sincere 'rescue performance,' pushed the cultural performance to an unexpected climax.

Snowflakes continued to fall silently outside the auditorium windows, while inside, the youthful energy was enough to melt away the chill of the entire winter.

The next day, Ruan Wan and the others told Xu Kaiyang in class that Zheng Wei had caught a cold and was alone in the dormitory.

Xu Kaiyang immediately skipped class and rushed over to comfort her, bringing her food and medicine.

Zheng Wei was probably moved, so she threw herself into his arms and cried. Then, there was a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between them. Just as they were about to kiss each other, the door was pushed open.

A man who looked like a migrant worker, carrying two large travel bags, asked in a Henan accent:
"Excuse me, does Li Weijuan live in this room? I'm her classmate."

　Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!

　　(End of this chapter)