Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

Chapter 688 The Grey Dog
Time passed, and the ginkgo trees on campus bloomed and faded. Sunrise and sunset, waxing and waning moon. Tender leaves sprouted from the grass and trees, and the cold wind swept away the withered branches.

"call……"

Li Zhuangsheng sat on a bench on campus, exhaling a puff of white breath. Suddenly feeling a bit tired, he lay down on Li Xiuyu's lap.

Li Xiuyu lowered his head and stroked Li Zhuangsheng's face, then played with his hair.

"It's quite warm today."

Li Zhuangsheng squinted; the winter sunlight was especially precious.

“It’s warmer at home,” Li Xiuyu complained. “It’s making me stand outside with you in the dead of winter, exposed to the cold wind.”

"Just soak up some sun, get some Vitamin D!" Li Zhuangsheng laughed, looking up at Li Xiuyu's handsome face. "Didn't Wen Zhuoya say she was coming to see you this weekend?"

Li Xiuyu asked, "Do you think she likes me?"

Li Zhuangsheng was somewhat surprised, as Li Xiuyu had never mentioned this topic to him in his previous life.

"I wouldn't dare say, but she hasn't confessed her feelings to you yet," Li Zhuangsheng said with a mischievous grin.

"If she likes me, do you want me to trick her into your bed?" Li Xiuyu asked.

Li Zhuangsheng raised his hand and flicked Li Xiuyu on the forehead: "Can you stop being so shameless! Besides, why do you have to send people to my bed! Do you really want your brother to become a scumbag?"

"Don't you think you aren't?" Li Xiuyu taunted. "Now Yao Xingyu, Xie Jiangqing, Yi Xiaoqian, and even Bai Min all know you're a scumbag who's two-timing multiple women."

"You forgot to mention Yang Junxiao and Qin Luanyu."

"You still have the nerve to say that?" Li Xiuyu chuckled and pinched Li Zhuangsheng's cheek. "When Heidan came to visit you during summer vacation, he was furious!"

“She’s our cousin, don’t always call her Blackie,” Li Zhuangsheng said with a smile.

It was during the summer vacation after Yang Junxiao's high school entrance exam. She had some free time and came to Nanjing to stay for a few days. So Li Zhuangsheng introduced her to Hu Mengdie, Zhu Zhixue, and Yi Yunshui.

This wasn't originally on his itinerary, but Yang Junxiao met Hu Mengdie at the company, and after Li Zhuangsheng introduced them, the two met Zhu Zhixue at school. So Li Zhuangsheng went ahead and called Yi Yunshui out as well.

The reason Lin Yuehua wasn't mentioned was because the other party lived in the county town, not in Nanjing.

Of course, even so, Yang Junxiao was shocked. She never expected that her honest and kind-looking nephew would suddenly become the vanguard of the romantic group!
She adopted the demeanor of an elder and criticized Li Zhuangsheng, but naturally, it was to no avail.

"Didn't you also say she was a steel plate?" Li Xiuyu retorted sarcastically.

“That was…” Li Zhuangsheng coughed lightly, “It was a neutral metaphor.”

"If you have the guts, say it to her face." Li Xiuyu glanced at her sideways.

Li Zhuangsheng laughed and played with Li Xiuyu's small hand: "I wouldn't dare, they have something on me."

Li Xiuyu snorted softly and smiled: "What kind of leverage is that? That's not your leverage."

“No one only wants to reap the benefits without thinking about taking any responsibility.” “You’ve really become much more frank,” Li Xiuyu said calmly.

"Go find Wen Zhuoya and hang out." Li Zhuangsheng stood up. "I'm going to the company."

The winter sun was exceptionally warm, and Li Xiuyu's thighs felt so comfortable that he didn't want to get up at all.

Suddenly, Li Zhuangsheng remembered the visual novel "You, Me, and the Apple of Eden." Actually, the game was unremarkable in both text and graphics, and it's not well-known even today, but Li Zhuangsheng would occasionally think of it.

Perhaps it's because there's also a story in the game that takes place in the warm winter sun, but he can't remember the specific details.

All I remember is that the female lead is the male lead's distant cousin, but the two look extremely alike, and the reactions of others hint that they are actually twins. However, their relationship is never officially revealed until the end of the story. The female lead seems to vaguely sense their connection, but the male lead remains completely unaware.

The truth was never revealed until the very end, and those who knew the inside story chose to remain silent, which meant that the two did not face the same inner judgment and choice that the Kasugano siblings faced regarding their forbidden love.

Perhaps it was this blank space that left a deep impression on Li Zhuangsheng. Although this approach reduced many conflicts and points for expansion, from a practical perspective, it seemed to be the best way.

Back at the company, Li Zhuangsheng stayed in his office for a while, preparing for a meeting.

He is currently a junior in college. The company has been doing quite well in the past two years, with a series of cultural and creative products selling quite well and a considerable number of art books sold. Although it is still losing money overall, the degree of loss has been greatly reduced. Currently, it can recover about 80% of the cost, and the future looks promising.

Furthermore, the simulation management game they developed in collaboration with "Huabiao Millennium" has successfully obtained a license and begun internal testing. Because he combined many gameplay elements, the feedback has been quite good. Now, Li Zhuangsheng is waiting for the game to be released and generate revenue to support the animation.

As a person from the future, Li Zhuangsheng has advanced experience in swindling money from players. He is very confident in his methods of getting players to spend money.

Today's meeting was the monthly general meeting. It started with Rong Hongguang, who mainly reported on the animation's progress, material selection, and audience feedback. Then Qian Feishu briefly mentioned the game's development progress, and everyone discussed directions for improvement. Finally, Yi Xiaoqian presented the company's revenue figures for the previous month.

Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie sat at the head of the table, listening silently. Since they already had a general grasp of the meeting's content, neither of them offered any opinions, only speaking up occasionally during the discussion.

After the meeting, Hu Mengdie held a small meeting with a few people. Li Zhuangsheng did not attend and went straight back to his office.

He thought to himself that it was a good thing Li Xiuyu wasn't here today, otherwise he would have been whispering in Li Xiuyu's ear, saying things like, "Hu Mengdie looks more like the BOSS than you do," and "Now the company only knows about Xiaodie, but not Zhuang Sheng," and so on.

That's the face of a treacherous minister!

If she were placed in ancient times, countless loyal ministers and generals would have died because of her slander.

Li Zhuangsheng could understand why Li Xiuyu always spoke ill of Hu Mengdie in front of him. During the summer between their freshman and sophomore years, the two completely broke up.

Although Li Zhuangsheng never asked Li Xiuyu directly, he was certain that Hu Mengdie was the person Li Xiuyu hated the most, without exception.

It wasn't just because of what Hu Mengdie had done to her, but also because of the hatred she felt for being betrayed by her most trusted best friend.

The fact that the two didn't fight upon meeting was already a great relief for Li Zhuangsheng, who was very grateful for Li Xiuyu's magnanimity.

Shortly after, Hu Mengdie walked directly into the office, picked up Li Zhuangsheng's cup, took a sip of water, and frowned slightly.

(End of this chapter)