Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

Chapter 743 IF·0·15
“Yes, Mengdie and Zhuang Sheng should go home tonight. Maybe they’ll remember something the next day after a night’s rest,” Hu’s mother nudged Hu Mengdie.

Hu Mengdie's face turned pale, but facing so many people, she didn't have the courage to stand up and object. She wanted to say, "I don't want to!" But facing her parents, facing Li Zhuangsheng's parents... she felt breathless.

"Uh, no need." Just then, Li Zhuangsheng chuckled and scratched his head. "We're in a rather awkward situation right now. How about letting Hu Mengdie go back with you tonight? Everyone's probably been busy all day and hasn't had a chance to catch up on what's happened these past few years!"

"Prude!"

Li Xiuyu muttered a sarcastic remark under his breath, but Li Zhuangsheng pretended not to hear it.

“Yes, these two children were frightened and are still getting to know each other. Anyway, we’re going to Nanjing together tomorrow, so there’s no rush,” Chen Lanying said.

Chen Lanying was quite understanding of Hu Mengdie in this matter. She thought that if she suddenly lost her memory and someone pointed to a stranger and said that the person was her husband, she would also feel frightened and uneasy.

Rather than letting Hu Mengdie and Li Zhuangsheng be together, it would be better to let her go home and stay with her parents.

Hu Mengdie finally gave Chen Lanying a grateful look.

Since both Li Zhuangsheng and Chen Lanying held this opinion, the Hu family naturally had nothing to say. After the Hu family left, Li Zhuangsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can stay here tonight," Li Minghua and Chen Lanying agreed.

This is, after all, Li Zhuangsheng's home, where he has lived for more than ten years. He has only moved into his new house there for half a year.

Li Zhuangsheng, of course, had no objections; he simply couldn't get used to sleeping in that unfamiliar new house. Especially now that Hu Mengke wasn't there to lull him to sleep.

"I'll go tidy up that room," Chen Lanying patted Li Minghua. "You come with me!"

"That room is piled with so much stuff, it's a complete mess. When are you going to finish cleaning it?" Li Xiuyu frowned slightly. "Let him sleep in my room tonight, I can talk to him!"

The couple exchanged a glance and thought it was a good idea. The brother and sister had always been close, and it wouldn't hurt for Li Xiuyu to give Li Zhuangsheng some advice.

Chen Lanying nodded: "Okay, then don't stay up too late tonight, you're going to Nanjing tomorrow!"

"Let's go to sleep!"

Li Xiuyu pulled Li Zhuangsheng into the bedroom.

"Didn't you say we were going to your room... Oh my god, when did my room become like this?!"

Li Zhuangsheng walked into the familiar bedroom and was a little dumbfounded.

It was my own doghouse the day before yesterday, how did it become Li Xiuyu's territory now?

“Since you’ve moved out, of course I’m taking over your room!” Li Xiuyu said matter-of-factly, turning on the electric blanket, taking off his clothes, getting into bed, and patting the quilt. “Come on in!”

"And what about your room?"

"It's become a storage room."

Li Zhuangsheng climbed onto the bed speechlessly, took out his phone, but it was already dead and switched off.

"Here, take this power bank!"

Li Xiuyu tossed the phone to Li Zhuangsheng, but just as Li Zhuangsheng plugged it in, the door was opened, startling Li Zhuangsheng so much that he quickly hid his phone under the covers.

"Son, what are you doing?" Chen Lanying blinked.

"oh oh……"

Coming to his senses, Li Zhuangsheng awkwardly took out his phone.

I'm an adult now, what's wrong with using my phone? I can use it however I want!
Li Xiuyu said calmly, "I was scared by you. I was afraid you would confiscate his phone."

Li Zhuangsheng blushed when his secret was exposed.

Chen Lanying was slightly taken aback, then laughed: "Alright, I just came to remind you two not to chat for too long, go to sleep early!"

"understood!"

Li Xiuyu waved his hand, and Chen Lanying left.

"Cough cough... I didn't react in time."

Li Zhuangsheng awkwardly tried to justify his behavior, thinking to himself that his reaction was a tacit admission that he had secretly kept a cell phone in high school.
But seeing that my mom wasn't angry, I guess she won't hold a grudge about what happened ten years ago.

Give me your phone, you can play on the tablet first.

As Li Xiuyu spoke, he took out a Honor tablet and exchanged it with Li Zhuangsheng.

"What are you going to do?" Li Zhuangsheng handed over the phone without thinking much.

"I'll wipe your butt."

【written request for leave】

Hello everyone, I'm the author's sister. My brother is currently ill and receiving medical treatment in Nanjing, so there will be a few days off from updating the novel. Please understand. I apologize on my brother's behalf!

Li Xiuyu opened Li Zhuangsheng's "Writer's Assistant," typed rapidly, then pulled up Li Zhuangsheng's photo album, found a few of his own photos, and sent them out together.

"What is this thing?" Li Zhuangsheng asked, both surprised and puzzled.

"This is what you make money from; you're an online novelist now."

"Am I not a civil servant?"

"Writing novels part-time is a job that even elementary school students can do anyway."

Li Zhuangsheng was both surprised and delighted: "I'm actually a writer!"

No wonder I was able to marry Hu Mengdie, no wonder Hu Mengke likes me too!

I'm fucking awesome!

Li Zhuangsheng recalled a light novel he had once read, in which the male protagonist was a light novel author who debuted as a high school student. "I really am the protagonist of my life... Oh, no."

"Hmm, would you like to see your work?"

"I want it!"

"Here it is, take a look for yourself." Li Xiuyu tapped a few times on the tablet, showing Li Zhuangsheng his work.

"Mmm, let me see!"

Li Zhuangsheng looked at his future work with great interest. He had actually been writing his own novels by hand since elementary school, but he had never been able to stick to it. He often wrote them sporadically, and the content was very boring.

However, he always harbored the heart of a writer. He felt he should be able to become the Cao Xueqin of the new China, or at the very least, the Jin Yong.

"This is written... but why does it sound so much like an online novel?"

After watching for about half an hour, Li Zhuangsheng's expression became somewhat complicated.

"Nonsense, what you're writing is web novels!"

"Am I supposed to write this right now?"

"hold head high!"

"Aren't there any serious classics or anything like that?"

"No." Hearing Li Xiuyu's resolute words, Li Zhuangsheng lowered his head helplessly, his feelings becoming increasingly complicated.

Becoming a writer is great, but isn't it a bit pathetic that you only write third-rate online novels? How did you end up with people like Tiancan Tudou and Chen Dong? I thought you'd be like Yu Hua and his ilk!

"What, are you not satisfied with your current situation?"

"Hmm...it feels a bit complicated. A mix of relief and discontent is swirling in my heart, leaving me with mixed feelings," Li Zhuangsheng sighed. "I avoid hearing about literary inquisitions, and even writing books is just for making a living!"

"I've heard you say that before."

"Really?" Li Zhuang thought to himself, it seems I haven't completely forgotten my ideals after all!
"It was about seven years ago. At that time, you said you wanted to write a masterpiece."

"And then?" Li Zhuangsheng pressed.

"And then what I write, even a dog wouldn't read." Li Xiuyu smiled faintly.

Li Zhuangsheng suffered another blow, and his entire body visibly weakened.

Li Xiuyu raised an eyebrow: "I didn't expect you to be reading online novels in high school while also having a prejudice against them... But you can think of it this way: you're not an online novel writer, you're a light novel writer now!"

"Aren't light novels from Japan? Where did China get light novels from...?"

"Isn't a light novel just a novel that's easy to read? Look."

Li Xiuyu switched to the category section, and sure enough, Li Zhuangsheng saw that his novel was categorized under "Light Novels".

"Uh..." Li Zhuangsheng was confused for a while, then suddenly realized, isn't this still an online novel?!

Forget it, let's calm down. I'll just reluctantly become an online novelist.

Seeing Li Zhuangsheng's reluctant expression, Li Xiuyu reminded him, "Think about it carefully, you've come to paradise."

Li Zhuangsheng tilted his head: "What do you mean?"

"How many anime, light novels, and visual novels have been produced in the last ten years? None of them are ones you've ever seen!"

“That’s right!” Li Zhuangsheng exclaimed excitedly.

This is the future world for him, and he's an adult now, so he can watch anime and play games however he wants!
"Have the manga series 'Heaven's Lost Property' and 'The World God Only Knows' ended? Will there be any anime adaptations?"

Li Xiuyu laughed and said, "It seems there aren't any new anime episodes, but the manga should be finished. You can try looking for it on your tablet."

Li Zhuangsheng nodded excitedly, opened his browser, and searched for the whereabouts of his favorite anime works.

But when he suddenly looked up, he saw Li Xiuyu's slightly doting face.

"Hey, do you think I'm a child?!"

Li Zhuangsheng realized that his authority as the older brother had been challenged.

“You’ve always been a kid, haven’t you? You haven’t changed much.” Li Xiuyu grinned and pinched Li Zhuangsheng’s face. “Didn’t you say that Hu Mengdie recognized you at a glance last night? Do you know why? Because you haven’t changed much from high school until now.”

"Really? Is it because I have a good mindset that I look young?"

Li Zhuangsheng touched his face with a smug look, then stared at Li Xiuyu.

Li Xiuyu smirked: "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I think you look pretty good with short hair too. You look like one of those pretty boys in Japanese dramas, so handsome it's unbelievable."

Li Zhuangsheng seized the opportunity to retaliate, pinching Li Xiuyu's cheek as well.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Although you look good with short hair, I actually prefer your long, straight black hair."

Li Xiuyu lightly patted Li Zhuangsheng's shoulder: "Mind your own business!"

"Xiuyu, it's so good to have you here."

Li Zhuangsheng looked down at the tablet and repeated himself.

"Can you please stop being so perfunctory? What's so great about me?"

"Actually, I was quite scared last night. I was wondering if I had come to the future, or a parallel universe that seemed to be in the future... What is this world like? Is it still the one I used to know? I was very uneasy, but when I saw you, I relaxed. I felt that no matter what kind of world it is, you would help me."

Li Xiuyu laughed, drawing out the words, "Yeah, after all, your little sister is your beast of burden—"

Li Zhuangsheng retorted indignantly, "Hey, I'm clearly your beast of burden... Damn it, I remember I still have three of your beast of burden coupons that I haven't used yet!"

Li Xiuyu smiled and spread his hands: "Well, there's nothing I can do about it, it's expired and invalid!"

The two chatted casually, with Li Zhuangsheng asking about everything from high school to university, and then about his own graduation and marriage.

He never asked Hu Mengdie. Although he even asked which relatives came to the wedding, he never asked a single question about Hu Mengdie.

"Sigh, I only got into a second-tier university..." Li Zhuangsheng sighed again, then said indignantly, "I always thought I was cut out for a first-tier university!"

"Actually, you're from a third-tier university, and a private one at that," Li Xiuyu mocked him with a smile. "You just got lucky. When we were in college, most third-tier universities had already become second-tier universities."

"Tch... As expected, a person's fate sometimes has to take into account the course of history... But I actually graduated from a private third-tier university... Hey, are you sure you're not lying to me on purpose? I'm actually a graduate from a first-tier university!"

"Pah, why don't you just say you're a graduate of Tsinghua or Peking University?" Li Xiuyu spat. "You should be grateful you only got into a third-tier university. With your grades before senior year of high school, you could only get into a private junior college!"

"...I don't believe it!"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask your parents. Back then, you were addicted to playing on your phone, your grades were terrible, you were at the bottom of your grade, you had to take exams in the cafeteria, and you were constantly beaten up by Seven Wolves cigarettes."

Li Zhuangsheng exclaimed in surprise: "Really? I actually managed to get into university back then?"

Li Xiuyu blinked and looked away: "Yes, thankfully you pulled back from the brink in the last few months and finally caught up by studying hard."

“…No matter what, it feels great!” Li Zhuangsheng clenched his fist.

"Because it's because the third-tier university is being upgraded to a second-tier university?"

"Because I woke up and the college entrance exam was already over!" Li Zhuangsheng said with immense happiness, hugging Li Xiuyu. "Damn it, I don't have to get up at 5:30 anymore to go to early morning self-study! And although I've been playing anime and games for the past ten years... Xiuyu, why don't we just live like this for the rest of our lives!"

"First of all, don't change my gender!" Li Xiuyu pushed Li Zhuangsheng away, laughing through gritted teeth. "Secondly, stop making empty promises. I really believed you back then! What about your wife if we spend our lives together?"

"So be it..." Li Zhuangsheng shrugged. "Whether she'll even be interested in me now is another question. I guess I'm going to get divorced."

"Wow, you're so open-minded. That's Hu Mengdie, you know. Didn't you always talk about her during military training? You're really willing to divorce her?"

“Uh, no… this isn’t something I can decide…” Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head, his eyebrows drooping, and sighed, “You saw the way she looked at me, and she doesn’t like me anymore. Besides, I bet she knows about that incident. It would be a miracle if she didn’t divorce me!”

Li Xiuyu raised an eyebrow: "If your memories return and she falls in love with you again, would you still get a divorce?"

Li Zhuangsheng remained silent for a long time, then scratched his itch: "That's impossible. I've already cheated on her with her sister, how could she still like me? I hope she doesn't throw me in a pig cage!"

Li Xiuyu looked intently at Li Zhuangsheng, as if he wanted to ask something, but ultimately held back.

"Go to sleep early, we're going to Nanjing tomorrow," Li Xiuyu said.

(End of this chapter)