A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1395 Who's Behind Me? (Please Subscribe!)

Hua Shier's words made Zhao Shiyong very uneasy, mainly because the information he provided matched up perfectly with Zhao Shiyong's own: studying in Shanghai, getting a female college student pregnant, that bastard Zhao...
Well, the main conditions are exactly the same. Although Zhao Shiyong may not admit that he is a bastard, he also thinks that this is too much of a coincidence.

Zhao Shiyong wanted to ask Hua Shier several times if the bastard Zhao was talking about him, but he didn't dare to speak up. He was afraid that if it really was him, he would send the guy in front of him directly to the legal channel. Maybe this was a crime scene right in front of him.

Ruan Wan was also in a state of turmoil. On the one hand, she was worried about Zhao Shiyong's mess, and on the other hand, she felt a sense of sympathy for the strange young man in front of her. But more than that, she felt a nameless fear that things would get out of control.

Just when the oppressive atmosphere and music were almost suffocating Zhao Shiyong, Hua Shier suddenly spoke up.

He turned off the 'sad background music' that was playing on repeat, and the carriage instantly became much quieter, but this quietness only made people more uneasy.

Then, as if casually chatting, Hua Shier gestured with his chin toward Zhao Shiyong:

"Hey bro, you don't look that old. Which university do you go to?"

Zhao Shiyong felt a chill run down his spine in an instant.

To tell or not to tell?
He opened his mouth, but his throat was dry, and he couldn't make a sound.

Seeing this, Ruan Wan braced herself and tried to gloss over the situation: "It's from Beijing University of Science and Technology."

Before she could finish speaking, the old man sitting next to Hua Shier, while sucking on a chicken bone, mumbled indistinctly:
"What science and engineering?"

Hua Shier immediately thought of Dongmei and chuckled as he told her:

"Beijing South University of Technology."

The old man glared at Hua Shier with annoyance: "What I meant was, this girl is talking about Beijing South University of Technology, but that young man is wearing a school badge on his chest, isn't that from FD?"

Hua Shier had actually seen the school badge a while ago; he was just joking, so he immediately cooperated by showing a 'surprised' expression.

"What a coincidence! My girlfriend is also from FD! Bro, what's your last name?"

Zhao Shiyong: "." He really didn't dare to say it.

Seeing that things were not going well, Ruan Wan tugged at Zhao Shiyong's sleeve, her voice trembling slightly:

"Shiyong, I...I'm a little hungry. Shall we go to the dining car and see what we can eat?"

Zhao Shiyong, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, nodded vigorously.
"Alright, alright! To the dining car, to the dining car!"

He forced a forced, more pathetic smile at Hua Shier, disregarding all manners, and practically dragged Ruan Wan away from the suffocating place, fleeing in a panic towards the dining car.

The old man watched the two men's disheveled figures as they walked away, shook his head, and sighed to Hua Twelve:
"These young people nowadays don't know how to manage money at all. Things on the train are so expensive."

Then, he began to earnestly persuade Hua Twelve:

"Young man, listen to my advice, don't act impulsively. You have a long life ahead of you, it's not worth it for this trivial matter."

Hua Shier had only intended to scare Zhao Shiyong, and now that the main target had run away, he was naturally happy to go with the flow.

His face instantly changed to an expression of 'sudden realization' and 'deeply moved':

"Sir! You're absolutely right! These are golden words! A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study! In a society governed by the rule of law, we must uphold the law! We can't resort to violence at the drop of a hat. You've really enlightened me!"

"Your advice is incredibly kind! It not only saved me, but also saved that bastard Zhao and his entire family! You are their great benefactor!"

The old man was taken aback by Hua Shier's sudden change of heart. He blinked and asked uncertainly:

"Is it that easy? Why don't you hold on a little longer!"

Now it was Hua Shier's turn to be confused: "What do you mean, sir? I listened to your advice and decided not to hit anyone, so why are you still unhappy about it?"

The old man had a regretful expression on his face, as if he hadn't had enough.
"Before I retired, I worked in the neighborhood committee my whole life. I was a master at mediating disputes. I've seen all kinds of situations!"

"I haven't even put in any effort yet, how come you've already gotten through to this? This guy got me all fired up, and you surrendered after just a few words. Isn't that just fooling me?"

Hua Shier was speechless. "I thought you were a good person, but it turns out you're all talk and no action. You're just looking for trouble and want to make fun of me, aren't you!"

Just now, when they were playing music and hitting people, this side was the focus of the entire carriage. Now, hearing the amusing conversation between the old man and the young man, the passengers around who were listening couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter dispelled the previous tense and oppressive atmosphere, and even the old man himself couldn't help but laugh along.

After this little incident, the second half of the journey became much easier.

Hua Shier chatted with the old man about all sorts of things, making the old man laugh heartily.

As they approached Shanghai, Hua Shier excused himself to use the restroom and left his seat. In the cramped train toilet, he once again used his transformation technique, not only changing his face to an even more ordinary and unremarkable one, but also changing his jacket to a gray workwear coat.

He looked at his reflection in the blurry glass window, and only after confirming that even his mother wouldn't recognize him did he leisurely walk out.

Hua Shier quickly spotted Ruan Wan and Zhao Shiyong at the connection between the two carriages. The latter still looked shaken and terrified, while Ruan Wan looked exhausted and worried.

He disguised himself as an ordinary passenger and brushed past them. In that instant, his finger flicked lightly as if by magic, and a white powder in a small transparent plastic bag silently slid into Zhao Shiyong's open jacket pocket.

The whole process was as fast as lightning. Not only were Zhao Shiyong and Ruan Wan, who were immersed in their own emotions, completely unaware, but even the other passengers passing by were completely oblivious.

After doing all this, Hua Shier acted as if nothing had happened and continued walking forward, disappearing into the crowded train carriage.

The train finally slowly pulled into Shanghai Station.

Hua Twelve quickly disappeared from the platform as the first wave of passengers disembarked.

He didn't go far. Instead, in a secluded corner, he transformed back into the young man he had been when he boarded the bus. Then, he quickly walked out of the station, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for FD University.

Zhao Shiyong's mistake involved Tan Xiaojing, a gentle girl from the south. She knew that Zhao Shiyong was coming back today to take her to have an abortion, so she skipped class and waited in the dormitory with mixed feelings.

When she heard someone calling for her, she thought it was Zhao Shiyong returning, but when she came downstairs, she found it was a young man she didn't recognize.

Hua Shier directly exposed Tan Xiaojing's affair with Zhao Shiyong, and then said:

"Never mind who I am. I'm just asking you, Zhao Shiyong wants to take you to get an abortion, are you just going to let him sleep with you for nothing? Are you willing to accept that?"

Tan Xiaojing's eyes instantly reddened. She forced herself not to cry and shook her head, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about. You should leave now!"

Hua Twelve smiled faintly:
“I’m here to help you. I’ll give you two choices. One is that I can help you get Zhao Shiyong to give you more financial compensation, so you won’t have spent your time with him for nothing. The other is that you don’t have an abortion, you can take a leave of absence from school and give birth to the child. I can find a way to get Zhao Shiyong to marry you. Choose one.”

Tan Xiaojing remained silent for a long time, but finally she couldn't help but say, "If what you said is true, then I want to choose the second option."

Zhao Shiyong and Ruan Wan, looking preoccupied, followed the other passengers off the bus.

As soon as they reached the exit passage, before they could even see which way to go, several men in hats who had been waiting there surrounded them. One of them was the train police officer, who pointed at Zhao Shiyong and said to his colleague:
"That's him! We received a tip that he was carrying drugs."

Zhao Shiyong was stunned, his mouth agape, his mind blank. Ruan Wan was also terrified, her face pale, and she didn't know what to do.

"Don't move! Cooperate with the inspection!"

Several men in hats rushed forward, taking full advantage of the situation, and immediately subdued Zhao Shiyong and Ruan Wan.

A man in a hat skillfully searched Zhao Shiyong and quickly found the conspicuous packet of white powder in his coat pocket.

"What is this?!" Uncle Hat asked sternly.

"This isn't mine! I didn't know! It's really not mine!"

Even though Zhao Shiyong had never seen a drug before, he had watched many Hong Kong movies and realized what the white powder in the plastic bag was likely to be and what the consequences would be. He screamed like a pig being slaughtered, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

Ruan Wan hurriedly explained, "Uncle Hat, this must be a misunderstanding! We don't know what this is!"

However, with the suspect caught red-handed, any explanation seemed weak and unconvincing.

The two men were handcuffed by the man in the hat and taken to the police station for investigation.

After a series of intense tests and questioning, the test results for the packet of white powder came back—the main ingredient was flour, mixed with a little laundry detergent, and it was not a drug at all.

Since it seemed more like a prank, and Zhao Shiyong and Ruan Wan had not committed any other illegal acts, the police finally released them after taking detailed statements. However, after all this commotion, it was already noon.

Zhao Shiyong was shocked, frightened, and aggrieved; his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Ruan Wan was also exhausted, and her gaze towards Zhao Shiyong became even more complicated.
The two rushed to FD University without even having time to eat. At the place they had agreed upon over the phone, they found Tan Xiaojing sunbathing on a secluded bench on campus.

However, what shocked them was that the young man sitting next to Tan Xiaojing was none other than the guy who had threatened to kill 'that bastard surnamed Zhao' on the train, the one who had kept them on edge the whole way!

Zhao Shiyong was so frightened that he couldn't speak and instinctively shrank behind Ruan Wan.

Upon seeing them, Hua Shier immediately stood up, his face instantly filled with 'anger,' and pointed at Zhao Shiyong, roaring:
"You're Zhao Shiyong?"

Zhao Shiyong was terrified. He clung tightly to Ruan Wan's arm, hiding half his body behind her, not daring to show his head.

Although Ruan Wan was also afraid, she still forced herself to stand in front of Zhao Shiyong and pleaded with Hua Shier:
"Let's talk this out calmly, and please don't resort to violence! If things escalate, it won't be good for anyone!"

Hua Twelve glared angrily at Zhao Shiyong, who was hiding behind him:

"Are you even a man? All you do is hide behind women! Get the hell out here!"

Zhao Shiyong's legs cramped up, and he dared not come out.

Seeing this, Ruan Wan could only continue to plead softly:
"Can we find a quiet place to sit down and talk? Please!"

Hua Shier pretended to suppress his anger, took a few deep breaths, and then 'reluctantly' agreed:
"Alright! Let's see what kind of nonsense you can come up with!"

The group found a secluded corner in a grove of trees. Hua Shier pretended not to recognize Ruan Wan at all, giving her a sidelong glance:

"You're speaking up for him? Who are you to him?"

Ruan Wan's eyes dimmed, she lowered her head, and said in a voice barely audible, "I'm his girlfriend." Hua Shier immediately exploded like a lit firecracker, pointing at Zhao Shiyong's nose and yelling:

"Fine! Zhao Shiyong! You have a girlfriend and you still dare to mess with my girlfriend?! Are you even human?!" He deliberately emphasized the words "my girlfriend".

Zhao Shiyong was both frightened and bewildered. He couldn't help but look at Tan Xiaojing and asked in a tearful voice, "Xiaojing, you didn't say you had a boyfriend."

Following the script she had discussed with Hua Shier beforehand, Tan Xiaojing immediately lowered her head, her shoulders shaking, and said in a tearful voice:

“I was drunk at the time. I was confused and thought you were him,” she said, pointing at Hua Shier.

Hua Shier immediately flew into a rage, his eyes widening in disbelief:
"Oh! So it wasn't my girlfriend who cheated on me! It was you, you bastard, who took advantage of her while she was drunk! This is against a woman's will! This is rape! Call the police! We have to call the police! Arrest you and put you in jail!"

As he spoke, he made a move to rush over and hit Zhao Shiyong, and shouted that he would call 110.

Zhao Shiyong was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly:

"No! She took the initiative! She seduced me!"

Hua Twelve's anger turned into laughter:
"She was drunk and out of her mind, she probably thought it was me! Of course she seemed 'proactive'! She's drunk, who gave you permission to touch her?! Huh?!"

As he cursed, he actually rushed over, grabbed Zhao Shiyong by the collar, and punched him in the eye.

Zhao Shiyong let out a loud yell, and his eye socket immediately turned bruised and purple.

Ruan Wan and Zhao Shiyong tried to break up the fight and speak kindly to each other, creating a chaotic scene.

At this moment, Tan Xiaojing 'opportunely' burst into tears, addressing the girl by the name they had agreed upon beforehand:

"I'm so sorry, but it's already happened. I... I'm pregnant with his child. You know I'm a traditional woman."

"It's impossible for us to be together now. I just want to be with Shiyong for the sake of the baby in my belly, so that the baby can have a complete family. Please grant my wish and let him go." She cried pitifully, which made me feel sorry for her.

Hua Twelve was "heartbroken and indignant":
"No way! Didn't you see? He already has a girlfriend! How can he be with you?!"

Tan Xiaojing revealed a 'sad' smile:

"If he doesn't want me, I'll just take the child and die." These words were incredibly impactful, leaving Ruan Wan in a daze.

Hua Shier pretended to be "shocked" by these words, stomped his foot suddenly, and his face contorted with struggle, as if he had made a great decision, before gritting his teeth and saying to Zhao Shiyong, who was still dizzy from the beating:
"Alright! Zhao Shiyong! Now I'm giving you two choices! One, break up with your girlfriend immediately, then register your marriage with Xiaojing, have the baby, and live a good life together!"

"Second, I'll go to your school right now, and I'll call the police and accuse you of rape! I'll get you expelled and make sure you spend the rest of your life in jail! You choose!"

Zhao Shiyong was extremely unwilling to give up the beautiful and gentle Ruan Wan and marry Tan Xiaojing, who was of average appearance and whom he was marrying under such circumstances.

He struggled to say to Tan Xiaojing, "Xiaojing, didn't we agree before that I would take you to the hospital to get rid of the baby when I got back? I'll make it up to you."

"Fuck you!"

Hua Shier kicked again:

"You fucking want to kill again?!"

"A human life! Even tigers don't eat their cubs, and you want to kill your own child? Are you even human?!"

He immediately started shouting that he would call the police, his voice getting louder and louder, attracting curious glances from students who happened to be passing by in the distance.

Ruan Wan, fearing that things would escalate and ruin Zhao Shiyong's future, disregarded everything else and pleaded with Hua Shier through tears:

"Stop shouting! Please stop shouting! Can't we just pay you back? We'll give you whatever amount you want!"

Hua Shier sneered, his face full of disdain:

"Compensation? Ha! What do you take Xiaojing for? A prostitute?! We don't want money! We just want justice!"

"Since you're unwilling to take responsibility, fine, let's meet at the police station! And then we'll go to your school leaders to settle this! Oh, and we also need to notify Zhao Shiyong's parents' workplaces! I refuse to believe there's no place in this world where we can get justice!"

This series of combined attacks, especially those targeting the school and parents' workplaces, completely shattered Zhao Shiyong's psychological defenses.

He was already a mama's boy with no sense of responsibility, and now he was trembling with fear, his face ashen. He instinctively turned to Ruan Wan, pleading with a tearful voice:
"Ruan Wan, Ruan Wan, please help me. Please save me!"

Looking at the man she had loved for so many years, who was now so pathetic, Ruan Wan's tears fell like broken beads.

She cried for a long time, looking at Zhao Shiyong's cowardly appearance, and then at the 'heartbroken' Tan Xiaojing and the 'furious' Hua Shier.

Finally, as if all her strength had been drained, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, all that remained in her eyes was a deathly grayness.

"Shiyong, I'll help you this one last time. Let's break up. You...you should marry her."

Zhao Shiyong also cried, but more than that, he felt fear and relief. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Ruan Wan, which was considered his tacit agreement.

Hua Twelve seized the opportunity to seal the deal:
"Zhao Shiyong! It's not enough for you to just talk! Call your parents over! Let's talk this out face to face! This is such a big deal, and you still need to ask your girlfriend? I've figured it out, you're just a damn mama's boy who hasn't been weaned! Call them right now!"

Having reached this point, Zhao Shiyong could only make a trembling phone call home.

That evening, Zhao Shiyong's parents rushed to Shanghai. Upon seeing their son's bruised and swollen face, Zhao's mother was heartbroken and burst into tears. She immediately wanted to call 110 (the police emergency number).

Hua Shier, without fear, stepped forward:
"I'm the one who hit her! Go ahead and call the police! Perfect timing, the police are here. Let's talk about how your son took advantage of my girlfriend while she was drunk, raped her, and got her pregnant! Let's see who's guilty more!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother's momentum immediately diminished, but she refused to admit defeat and stubbornly argued:
"You're talking nonsense! It's clearly your girlfriend who's been indecent and seduced my son! Who knows if the bastard in her belly is Shiyong's! Don't try to pin this on us!"

Hua Shier had anticipated her response and gave a cold snort:
"You won't admit it? Fine! Then call the police! Go to the school! We'll investigate thoroughly! My girlfriend was drunk and incoherent at the time, which is against a woman's will, and that's illegal! As for whether the child is your son's? That's simple! With today's advanced technology, a paternity test can be done through amniocentesis after five weeks of pregnancy! If it really is your son, you can expect your son to go to jail! If not, I will take full legal responsibility! You can call now!"

As he spoke, he made a move to walk outside to find a phone to call the police.

Zhao Shiyong's parents were now truly anxious; they dared not gamble with their son's future and their family's reputation. Zhao's father quickly stepped forward to stop Hua Shier, his tone softening:
"Young man, young man, don't be impulsive! Let's talk this out! We're both young, making a mistake is forgivable. Let's settle this privately. Whatever your request, just say it!"

Hua Shier then 'reluctantly' stopped and pointed at Tan Xiaojing, saying:
“Ask your son! This is Xiaojing’s first time. I didn’t even have the heart to touch her, and your son ruined her! She’s a traditional woman. Who else can she marry besides your son? Your Zhao family must take responsibility for this! Make your son break up with his girlfriend immediately and marry Xiaojing. That’s the only solution!”

Zhao's mother had always looked down on Ruan Wan, feeling that she was not good enough for her son, and was happy to see the breakup happen.

But she was extremely unhappy that her son had married Tan Xiaojing so casually, feeling that the woman was scheming and had forced him into marriage in such a dishonorable way.

Hua Shier noticed her reluctance, and his face darkened:
"What? You don't want to? Then let's go through with this! Go to the police, go to the school, go to your boss! Let's see who can afford to waste this time!" With that, he turned to leave again.

Father Zhao turned pale with fright. He knew better than Mother Zhao the consequences of making a scene. He quickly grabbed Hua Twelve and said repeatedly:

"We agree! We agree! We'll do it your way! Break up! Get married!"

To be on the safe side, at Hua Shier's strong suggestion, they found a local law firm. Originally, the firm was closed for the night, but they called and paid extra to hire a lawyer to come and witness the proceedings. Then, with the lawyer in witness, Zhao Shiyong handwrote two documents.

One document is Zhao Shiyong's "letter of repentance," which details how he had sexual relations with Tan Xiaojing on a certain day, month, and year, while she was drunk and incoherent, and how many times he did so afterward, resulting in her pregnancy. Zhao Shiyong signed and affixed his fingerprint to the document.

The other document is a 'guarantee', guaranteeing a complete breakup with his current girlfriend, Ruan Wan, and agreeing to register his marriage with Tan Xiaojing within a certain period. He also voluntarily agrees to pay 100,000 RMB as a bride price and compensation for emotional distress to Tan Xiaojing.

Upon hearing the figure of 100,000 yuan, Zhao's mother jumped up again:
"One hundred thousand?! That's way too much! Why should we get compensation for emotional distress? We've already agreed to marry her!"

Hua Shier's eyes widened:
"How can you say there's no emotional distress?! She was originally going to marry a brilliant, promising young man like me, but now she's forced to marry your son, that mama's boy, that good-for-nothing, that loser! How big must her psychological gap be? How severe must the emotional damage be?"

"Besides, she wasn't acting voluntarily in the first place! This is compensation for attempted crime! Paying you 100,000 is already letting you off easy! Do you want it or not? If not, we'll continue with the proceedings!"

Seeing that Hua Shier's voice was getting louder again, and fearing that it would attract the attention of others, Zhao's father disregarded everything else and quickly restrained his wife, who was still arguing, and made the final decision:
"Here you go! We'll give it to you! That's settled then! Sign it! Sign it now!"

The letter of repentance and the letter of guarantee were made in triplicate; one copy was kept at the law firm, and Tan Xiaojing kept two copies.

Hua Shier instructed Tan Xiaojing that if the Zhao family went back on their word, she should take these two documents to court and sue them; she would win every time.

With that, the matter was perfectly resolved.

Tan Xiaojing got her wish, kept her child, and received a marriage commitment.

Zhao's mother never liked Ruan Wan, so her son breaking up with her was exactly what she wanted.

Thus, in this absurd drama directed by Hua Shier, Tan Xiaojing takes over while pregnant, Zhao Shiyong resolves his troubles, Zhao Shiyong's parents successfully exonerate their son, and in the end, it seems that everyone 'gets what they want'—except for Ruan Wan.

Her years of affection, her wholehearted devotion, and her sincere efforts to come to her rescue were ultimately rewarded with her boyfriend's betrayal and abandonment under pressure, as well as the subtle disdain from his family.

She became a complete outsider, a fool who was sacrificed and abandoned.

It was late at night when all the formalities were completed.

With tears streaming down her face, Ruan Wan walked up to Zhao Shiyong, who looked like a defeated rooster. One last, profound look at the boy who had been with her for most of her youth, her voice choked with emotion yet carrying a sense of detached peace:
"Shiyong, I'm leaving. I wish you happiness."

Zhao Shiyong kept his head down the whole time, not daring to look at her, and did not utter a single word of pleading or apology.

Hua Shier walked over, patted Zhao Shiyong on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Kid, you got lucky this time!"

The moment Hua Shier patted Zhao Shiyong's shoulder, a subtle, hidden force silently entered Zhao Shiyong's body through Hua Shier's palm, traveling along the meridians to the Shenshu acupoint and lurking there.

This hidden force is enough to keep Zhao Shiyong from having any desires and to allow him to focus on his studies for at least the next twenty years!
This can be considered as an extra 'interest' that Hua Shier collected on behalf of Ruan Wan.

This will also ensure that Tan Xiaojing's plan to "marry because she is pregnant" will not be disrupted in the short term due to Zhao Shiyong's recidivism.

The less capable Zhao Shiyong is, the more precious the child in Tan Xiaojing's belly becomes!
This forced marriage was effectively 'nailed down' by Hua Shier using such extreme measures.

She walked straight to the bus stop after leaving the law firm, but before the bus to the train station arrived, Ruan Wan fainted from overwhelming grief.

The next morning, Ruan Wan woke up from her sleep and felt herself being held in someone's arms, feeling exceptionally warm and safe.

She thought she would meet her boyfriend in her dreams, just like before, but the scenes from yesterday flashed through her mind, making Ruan Wan realize that she and Zhao Shiyong had already broken up.

So here's the question: who is the person embracing her from behind?
Thank you to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, Rain Again and Again, and God of Death Li Meng for the donations. Thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!