Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

"Then she must like you quite a bit, or at least doesn't dislike you."

"What are you talking about? I'm not a bad person, why would she hate me! Besides, Mengke and I are actually quite in love..."

"Aren't they adulterers?"

Li Zhuangsheng turned his head and glared at Li Xiuyu: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm going to get angry!"

"Alright, I was just joking." Li Xiuyu said dismissively, "You and Hu Mengdie have made up?"

"I don't know if this counts as making up, but she probably won't argue with me anymore. I guess she wasn't in a bad mood because of this in the first place. I think Qi Haoyu is the real culprit."

"I don't think so. You'd better be careful... Of course, it has nothing to do with me." Li Xiuyu snorted.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing, just be careful!"

"I really don't understand what you're talking about..."

"Shouldn't we be getting our marriage certificate in a couple of days?"

"Yes, but no rush, it's effective for up to a month!"

"When do you plan to go?"

"I'll wait and see. Maybe Hu Mengdie will talk to me about this tonight."

Li Xiuyu laughed out loud: "I think it's difficult!"

Li Zhuangsheng looked at him strangely: "What exactly do you mean?"

Li Xiuyu shrugged: "I don't know either, but I think it's going to be difficult for you to get an divorce. Do you remember what I told you? Actually, the old couple from the Hu family hoped that you would take Hu Mengke and Xuanxuan into your life while you were marrying Hu Mengdie. That would be the safest way. They trust your character and ability, and they also believe that our family can provide their daughter with a stable life."

Li Zhuangsheng clicked his tongue, unsure of what expression to make.

"I don't think it's that far-fetched. I feel like I am..."

"If you keep deceiving yourself like this, then we can't have a conversation."

"Oh dear, oh dear, I was wrong! But to be honest, I think their imaginations are running wild, making it seem like Meng Ke is unwanted..."

"It's not that no one wants her, it's just that the risk is too high. Who knows if Hu Mengke's next partner will be someone like Zhang Xu? Besides, Hu Mengke is only good-looking; she has no education, no job, a child to support, and can't have children. Those are the realities. Marriage isn't a game; people are realistic. Do you remember that girl surnamed Huang in your class? She was less than 1.4 meters tall, and she had a boyfriend in high school, right? He was in my class too. But because she's short, she's still single and can't find a marriage partner!"

"You're being too materialistic. Marriage shouldn't be about being so calculating, right?"

"Marriage these days is all about careful calculation. You think Hu Mengdie's parents treat you very well, right? Why do they approve of you as their son-in-law? Because our family's conditions are among the best in the county. You've also lived up to expectations; a stable job is worth a lot these days. Plus, you're nominally a writer with the JS Provincial Writers Association, so your income is good, and you have no bad habits. Do you understand? They like you because of all your qualities. If it weren't for that, how do you think you'd be any different from Zhang Xu and the others? Don't tell me you have good character; what good is good character anyway?"

Li Xiuyu's words left Li Zhuangsheng speechless. He realized that he was so outstanding, when he was just an unknown nobody at school.

“Actually, you know yourself why Hu Mengke is so attached to you,” Li Xiuyu said. “Aren’t you also happy to play this hero?”

Li Zhuangsheng remained silent for a while, then scratched his head: "I still disagree with what you said. I think even if Mengke can't have children, she can always find a divorced woman with a child." Li Xiuyu said disdainfully: "You've watched too many family dramas, haven't you? Can you treat other people's children equally without any reservations? If a second-marriage couple doesn't have their own children, it's hard for them to truly connect. Do you know what a burden is? In short, Hu Mengke might have better options, but the chances aren't high, and she doesn't have the discerning eye to see through people's hearts."

"I never expected I'd be so popular..."

Whether it was self-deprecation or something else, Li Zhuangsheng smiled and scratched his hair.

“All relationships need to be based on material conditions, otherwise why would someone like you? Hu Mengdie liked you before, but if you didn’t have these material conditions, would she have married you?” Li Xiuyu said. “Do you think everyone is as pure as us? Our relationship is an exception!”

"Ugh!"

Li Zhuangsheng sighed heavily. There was some truth to it. Actually, he wasn't unaware of the logic, but once the romantic exterior was peeled away, the dull interior was truly disappointing.

"Little sister..." Li Zhuangsheng sighed for some reason, lay down next to Li Xiuyu, and rubbed weakly against her chest. "By the way, even so, what was that about you saying that divorce is difficult?"

"Because nobody wants you to get a divorce, especially Hu Mengke. Hu Mengke can't marry you, and she doesn't dare to gamble on when you'll get tired of her and find another woman to have a child with. In fact, deep down you should understand that the most trustworthy model is for you to marry Hu Mengdie and have a child, while not mistreating Hu Mengke and Xuanxuan at the same time."

"But when I wanted to divorce Hu Mengdie, Mengke didn't object!"

"She's only pretending not to object; she's just being a little clever... Never mind, I don't want to stir things up, anyway, you don't care."

"You're being so mysterious! How did you become such a riddle-maker!"

"Because I don't know the inside story either. And it's no use telling you, you're going to get a divorce anyway, it won't change the outcome. They don't understand you, they think you're a lump of dough, haha."

……

That evening, Hu Mengdie returned home, took off her coat, and knocked on Li Zhuangsheng's door.

"Good evening," Hu Mengdie said with a smile.

"You're back! What do you want to eat tonight? I haven't eaten yet. Shall we order takeout?"

Li Zhuangsheng chuckled dryly, thinking to himself, "So he's really not angry with me anymore?"

Hu Mengdie waved her hand, her face slightly flushed: "I won't eat tonight. I think I've gained a little weight recently... Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"What's the deal?"

"I want to learn to ride a bike... I think you taught me how to ride a bike before, so are you free this time? The weather is getting warmer now, and driving isn't very safe, so I want to learn how to ride a bike so I can ride an electric scooter..."

Li Zhuangsheng hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement: "Sure...when would you like to learn?"

Do you have a bicycle?

"Yes, it's downstairs... but my bike with gears is quite tall, I feel like it might be dangerous. I also think I have a bicycle from junior high... Hey, Li Xiuyu, is our bike still there?"

"Yes, it's in that old garage," Li Xiuyu said casually. "You guys fixed it last year and even rode it; it's not broken. Okay, go get it. Have a safe trip." (End of Chapter)