A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1570 Preparing to 'Fishing'! (Please Subscribe!)
The Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up in front of the Li family's house, its imposing presence immediately drawing the attention of the neighbors.

The car door opened, and Li Bala was the first to jump out. Meeting everyone's gazes, she greeted them with a grin: "Aunt Zhang, Aunt Li, you didn't expect it to be me, did you?"

The expressions on the faces of the neighbors were priceless. They had clearly imagined countless scenarios in an instant: a young delinquent girl hooking up with a rich man, a young delinquent girl being kept by a gangster, a young delinquent girl successfully becoming the mistress of a gangster—none of them thought of anything positive.

These older women, though their minds were churning with gossip, showed no sign of it on their faces, and instead greeted each other with enthusiastic smiles:

"Oh my, it's Bala! Why did you come back in such a nice car?"

Hua Shier instructed the driver to drive back first and call him when he needed the car, then got out of the car at a leisurely pace.

Li Bala excitedly raised her chin and proudly announced, "This car belongs to my cousin!"

Before she could finish speaking, Granny Li heard the commotion and came out of the house. She saw Hua Twelve at a glance, her eyes immediately reddening. She rushed towards him, her voice trembling:
"Tianlong, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to explain it to your grandmother."

Hua Shier nodded to the neighbors who were watching and then helped the old lady into the house.

Grandma Li stopped him, insisting that he wait at the door. The old lady turned and went inside, quickly bringing out a brazier for him to step over. She then sprinkled water infused with pomelo leaves on him, muttering incantations to ward off bad luck.

Hua Shier explained to the old lady that only people who have been to prison do this kind of thing, and he was just cooperating with the investigation.

But the old lady was stubborn and wouldn't listen to anything he said. She insisted that once you're in the government, you have to follow the rules.

Hua Shier had no choice but to obediently let her do as she pleased, thinking to herself: If the gods and monsters in the Journey to the West world knew that even the dignified Erlang Shen had to rely on stepping over a fire basin and using pomelo leaves to ward off bad luck, I wonder how much they would laugh at him.

After all that, he finally got inside. His great-aunt, of course, gave him a long lecture, telling him to think things through more carefully and not to be so impulsive in the future.

Of course, Granny Li knew that Hua Twelve was standing up for Li Bala, and praised him for being a responsible cousin. After praising him, she turned around and scolded Li Bala, blaming her for messing around all day and causing trouble.

In the past, Li Bala would definitely have argued back, at least saying a few words, but this time she hung her head and didn't say a word. Judging from her appearance, she really knew she was wrong and understood how much trouble her willfulness had caused.

At noon, Grandma Li cooked several of her signature dishes and kept piling them into Hua Shier's bowl, urging him to eat more, saying that he had lost weight in just one night.

These words made Hua Shier and Li Bala both laugh and cry.

After dinner, Grandma Li finally couldn't stay awake any longer and went back to her bedroom to rest.

Li Bala told Hua Shier that the old lady had been so worried last night that she hadn't slept a wink.

Hua Shier was touched when he heard this—his status as a relative was fake, but the old lady treated him like a real junior.

He used a little of his power to remotely comb the old lady's body.

In the bedroom, as her old ailments such as back and leg pain eased, Grandma Li's brows gradually relaxed, and she slept more soundly and peacefully.

After finishing these tasks, Hua Shier went up to the second floor, sat on the windowsill of Li Bala's room, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the distant sea in a daze.

Li Bala followed him over and stood behind him, saying in a rare, slightly awkward voice, "Thank you for standing up for me."

Hua Shier didn't even turn his head, and said irritably:
"No need to thank me. Just be more careful in the future. Don't act recklessly and do anything just because you're being willful. Everyone has to have some bottom line. If we weren't related, I would have slapped you across the face long ago for that stupid thing you agreed to with Zhang Yang."

This time, Li Bala wasn't being arrogant anymore, and tears streamed down her face.

To be honest, she regretted it as soon as it happened. Now, Hua Shier's ruthless and incisive criticism has completely broken her defenses.

She suddenly hugged Hua Shier from behind, wiping her tears and snot on his shoulder, and said in a sobbing voice:
"Who told you to ignore me? I agreed to seduce Xu Yi for Zhang Yang, just to spite you!"

Hua Shier tried to push her away, but the girl clung to him tightly.

Finally, he had no choice but to resort to his ultimate move: he precisely inserted two fingers into her nostrils, forcefully pushing them open, and stared at her warily.
"Don't be silly, we're relatives."

Li Bala covered her nose and retorted confidently, "I've checked, we're fourth-generation collateral relatives, which meets the legal standards!"

Hua Shier stared wide-eyed, looking incredulous: "Are you sick? Why are you investigating this? Please keep your voice down. If the neighbors hear you, you may not care about your reputation, but I do."

Li Bala's willful streak returned, and she opened her arms to pounce again, only to be pushed back down by Hua Shier's finger. Frustrated, she stomped her feet and blurted out her innermost thoughts:
"I don't care, I've just fallen for you!"

If Li Bala's attitude towards Hua Shier was previously just a vague feeling of affection because he was handsome and picked her up from get off work every day, then after he slapped Jiang Jiao, beat up Zhang Yang, and stood up for her, that vague feeling completely disappeared, becoming incredibly clear and real.

Hua Shier held up two fingers, making a sticking-in gesture, warning her not to pounce on him again, then said seriously:

"I have someone I like. My deskmate, He Yuanyuan."

Li Bala stared in disbelief, her eyes wide: "Is it really that country bumpkin? What makes her prettier than me? You must be lying to me, or you're blind."

Hua Shier smiled and replied, "She's much prettier than you."

Li Bala was so angry that she bared her teeth and brandished her claws, pointing at him and angrily concluding:

"It's been diagnosed. You have a problem with your brain. Do you have face blindness? This is an illness, and it needs treatment."

Hua Shier pointed to his eyes, his tone very certain:
"My eyes never make mistakes. My aesthetic sense is even higher than my looks!"

Li Bala felt a pain in her chest from anger, grabbed her handbag, and walked out.

Hua Shier called out to her retreating figure, "Where are you going?"

Without turning her head, Li Bala bluntly uttered a sentence:

"Go check out my bar. Make some money so I can support you when you fail your college entrance exam."

Hua Shier chuckled and called out to her, "Then you won't be able to wait. Remember to come back for dinner tonight, I'll cook a big meal."

He left early this morning, and his classmates must have already heard the news. If nothing unexpected happens, someone will definitely come to see him tonight.

Although he wasn't popular with most people in the class—even Qin Hui had three friends, so he couldn't possibly be worse off than Qin Hui.

As expected, He Yuanyuan, You Ta, and Li Er rushed over immediately after school. You Ta greeted them happily as soon as he entered:
"You're alright? That's great!"

Hua Shier bypassed Youta and hugged He Yuanyuan tightly, his tone both affectionate and exaggerated:

"My deskmate, I'm so touched that you're so worried about me!"

Yuta stood there dumbfounded, feeling like all her concern had been wasted. How could you just stand right there, a grown man like me, and pretend you didn't see me at all, just walking right past me?
He Yuanyuan froze, her face burning red, when he suddenly hugged her. Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

"You...you...let me go..."

Li Er laughed like a silly girl. Hua Shier released He Yuanyuan, then opened her arms to Li Er, inviting her in a serious manner:
"Little Ears, do you want to come and hug me too, and feel my chest muscles?"

Li Er's face flushed red all the way to the roots of her neck.

Yuta quickly stepped forward and hugged Hua Shier to help his cousin out of the predicament.

"I'll carry her for her!"

"Alas--"

Hua Shier immediately pushed him away with a look of disgust, which made the two girls burst into laughter.

He stopped making a fuss and called to the group, "I knew you guys were coming, so I specially prepared a seafood feast. Yuta and Li Er, you two call home and have dinner here tonight."

Yu Ta and Li Er politely declined, but Hua Twelve glared at them, adopting an unyielding stance:

"If you don't agree, it means you don't consider me a friend." Only then did the two relent, and they each called home, saying they would go back after dinner.

Just then, Li Bala returned. She greeted Li Er warmly as soon as she entered, but her gaze immediately turned hostile when she looked at He Yuanyuan.

She stared at He Yuanyuan from head to toe, left to right, for a long time, making the already introverted He Yuanyuan almost turn into a groundhog, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into on the spot.

Li Er chuckled and reached out to block Li Bala's view, asking her:

"What are you looking at?" Li Bala put her hands on her hips, her face full of dissatisfaction.

"I just want to see what this country bumpkin has that I don't. I confessed to that guy this morning, and he said he likes this country bumpkin and that she's prettier than me—I want to see what makes her pretty."

He Yuanyuan covered her face, feeling as if steam was billowing out of her body.

Both Li Er and You Ta showed surprised expressions, wondering how this could be possible.

Although Li Bala may not be considered a stunning beauty, she is definitely youthful and beautiful, possessing a unique wild beauty.

On the other hand, He Yuanyuan, just as Li Bala said, looks like a complete country bumpkin.

Hua Shier, while tossing the ladle, turned around and winked at them:
"Don't you believe me? After dinner, I'll show you just how beautiful my Yuanyuan really is."

He Yuanyuan's face turned so red it was almost bleeding, and her head drooped like a quail's, but for some reason, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

In the bedroom on the first floor, Grandma Li, who had just woken up from her afternoon nap, heard the conversation outside and came out to see He Yuanyuan. When she did, she had a kind smile on her face, as if she were looking at her granddaughter-in-law.

A seafood feast was served, with all kinds of seafood laid out to the brim.

The group ate and chatted, thoroughly enjoying themselves, and everyone marveled at Hua Shier's exceptional culinary skills.

After the meal, Grandma Li went out to play cards with a smile, leaving the young people to their own devices.

Hua Shier told You Ta and Li Er not to leave yet, and then, in front of everyone, began to modify He Yuanyuan.

He helped He Yuanyuan take off her old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses and carefully trimmed her bangs.

After a series of procedures, He Yuanyuan's facial features were gradually brought out, and her appearance improved dramatically—almost replicating the peak level of the "most beautiful Zhong Ling" in the real world. In addition, because she was younger, she had a more pure and lively charm.

Yuta, Li Er, and Li Bala, who were watching, had expressions that went from disbelief to surprise, then to astonishment, until finally their mouths were agape in shock, unable to close them for a long time.

He Yuanyuan herself wasn't particularly surprised. Of course she knew she was good-looking; she was just deliberately dressing up to look ugly.

After Hua Shier tidied her stray hairs, he made a "look" gesture: "Ta-da! The number one beauty of Tianzhong School makes her dazzling entrance!"

Li Er held He Yuanyuan's hand, looked her up and down, and couldn't help but ask:
"Yuanyuan, you're so beautiful! Why do you always dress like that?"

He Yuanyuan blushed and explained in a low voice, "My sister was worried that it wouldn't be safe for me to study alone in our hometown, so she made me dress up like that on purpose."

Hua Shier smiled and turned to Li Bala, raising her chin triumphantly: "Are you convinced now?"

"I refuse to accept this."

Li Bala spoke with a tough exterior, but her tone clearly lacked confidence as she tried to salvage the situation:
"She's like Little Ears, she's pure and innocent. Only you immature boys like that. I'm more of a wild beauty—when you're a few years older, you'll like my type."

Hua Shier reached out and shoved Li Bala aside. Just look at that name—it's practically begging to be shoved.

In front of everyone present, he solemnly announced: "I hereby declare that He Yuanyuan will be my girlfriend from now on."

He Yuanyuan looked puzzled and weakly protested, "You...you haven't even asked for my opinion yet."

Hua Shier waved his hand and said confidently, "A true man doesn't need others' approval to act. I can make the decision on my own."

Everyone: "..."

Just then, Li Er's mother called, urging her to come home immediately.

Yu Ta got up to escort Li Er back, and Hua Twelve also went to see He Yuanyuan off on the way.

He casually asked Li Bala if she wanted to go to work together, and Li Bala rolled her eyes in annoyance and flopped onto the sofa:
“I used to be an employee, I had to go to work every day. Now I'm the boss's wife, why would I go to work? I can just go upstairs and sleep.”

The group went out the door, and hadn't gone far when they heard the second-floor window behind them be flung open with a bang. Li Bala leaned halfway out and shouted loudly into the night:

"Yu Tianlong—I will not admit defeat!"

Hua Shier escorted He Yuanyuan to her doorstep. The two stood under a streetlamp. He Yuanyuan, her face flushed, head bowed, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, hesitated for a long while before finally mustering the courage to ask softly:

"I'm going to study at Hong Kong Island for university and I'll be living with my sister. Would you... apply to the University of Hong Kong?"

Hua Shier didn't give her a definite answer, but just smiled and said softly, "We'll see." Then he raised his hand and ruffled her hair, urging her to go inside quickly.

A hint of disappointment flashed across He Yuanyuan's face. She gave a soft "oh," obediently went back into the house, and gently closed the door.

The next day at school, several things sparked considerable discussion in the class.

First and foremost, He Yuanyuan's looks caused a sensation, unsurprisingly. None of her classmates expected that the plain-looking girl they had known for three years would actually be so beautiful.

Secondly, Zhang Yang's father came over in the morning to complete the leave of absence procedures for him.

Then, Jiang Jiao changed classes and publicly announced her breakup with Zhang Yang.

Hua Shier chuckled after hearing this. It seems that Father Jiang wasn't completely foolish; he finally realized from this incident that gigolos can't be truly trusted and had his daughter cut ties with him beforehand.

It remains to be seen whether Zhang Yang, without the financial support of the young heiress, can still, like in the original story, avoid financial worries, get into his desired university, and achieve great success in his career.

Of course, Hua Shier had already broken both of the other party's arms, so the matter was considered closed. If the other party still didn't know what was good for them and tried to use any more tricks, then he shouldn't blame Hua Shier for being ruthless.

A few days later, he received a call from Xu Pingqiu.

Old Xu immediately launched into a tirade, clearly already aware that he had injured someone, scolding him for acting recklessly and disobeying discipline.

After Hua Shier finished cursing, he slowly and deliberately explained his plan.

When Xu Pingqiu heard that the other party was at fault first, and that Hua Shier was acting in a way that would benefit the undercover mission and increase his credibility with Brother Kun, his anger subsided considerably. However, he also warned him that he must report anything in advance in the future.

Hua Shier pursed his lips at his phone, then casually told Xu Pingqiu about the attack in the detention room, asking him to avenge him. Of course, when reporting, he solemnly gave a high-sounding name, calling it "eliminating the bad apples in the team."

A few days later, news came that the deputy had failed the internal investigation and had been dismissed from his post.

The college entrance examination is just around the corner.

Hua Shier performed as expected, unsurprisingly gaining admission to Yangcheng University with the highest score in the humanities, and securing the top spot in the province.

Everyone was puzzled as to why he didn't apply to Peking University or Tsinghua University, but the school fully respected his personal decision and immediately put up a long banner at the school gate to celebrate.

Among the 12 students from Huashi University who were admitted to Guangzhou University, He Yuanyuan was probably the most heartbroken.

A few days after the college entrance examination, He Yuanyuan was personally picked up by her sister and taken to Hong Kong Island.

Before leaving, she called Hua Shier. The voice on the other end of the line was light and airy, as if she had made a great decision before speaking:

"You...you must come to Hong Kong Island to see me."

Hua Shier promised her over the phone that she would definitely go.

After He Yuanyuan left, Hua Shier also packed his bags and left Dongshan Island. He left the luxury car that Jiang's father had given as an apology to Li Bala.

That day, Li Bala cried the most. She chased after the long-distance bus for a long distance, and finally stood in the swirling dust, cupped her hands into a megaphone shape, and shouted with all her might at the departing bus: "Yu Tianlong—I will not give up!"

Hua Shier returned to Guangzhou. Xu Pingqiu had already prepared manpower for him—Mouse, Zhang Meng, Wang Shenxiu, Luo Jialong, and a few other close friends. After a period of special training, they now looked somewhat like qualified gangsters.

This group of people will accompany him to Hong Kong Island to carry out the long-planned 'fishing' mission.

P.S.: The college entrance exam is coming soon. I wish all the brothers taking the exam the best of luck and hope they can achieve their goals!

Thank you to the following brothers for their generous donations: 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, and King Gigi 16050. Thank you also to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendations. Thank you so much!