Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

This was an extremely complex feeling. Hu Mengke longed for Li Zhuangsheng's seemingly unpolluted purity and beauty, yet she couldn't help but want to taint him and let him be stained with her own color... so that she could proudly say, "Look, all crows under the sky are black!"

So after a period of adjustment, Hu Mengke changed her approach. She maintained a positive and upbeat image on her public social media, but privately she became increasingly attentive to Li Zhuangsheng, constantly seeking topics for casual conversation, sometimes even deliberately steer the conversation in an ambiguous direction.

In an attempt to pique Li Zhuangsheng's interest, she even wore very revealing clothes, took several hot and alluring photos, and sent them to Li Zhuangsheng, pretending to ask what he thought of the clothes and whether they suited her.

When Hu Mengke sent the photos to Li Zhuangsheng, her heart was pounding, and she couldn't help but overthink. She eagerly awaited Li Zhuangsheng's reply, yet she was also afraid that he wouldn't give her the reply she wanted.

In fact, Hu Mengke couldn't quite explain what kind of result she wanted. She seduced Li Zhuangsheng to achieve her goal, but deep down she also didn't want him to be seduced by her.

This conflicting emotion swirled within her, causing her to become increasingly concerned about Li Zhuangsheng. Ultimately, she wore clothes she would never normally dare to wear and struck poses she would be ashamed to show to others.

After sending the photo, Li Zhuangsheng didn't reply for a long time. But Hu Mengke knew that Li Zhuangsheng must have seen it. He was usually very relaxed; unless he was on a date with Hu Mengdie, he was rarely without his phone or computer.

He didn't reply. What was he thinking? Hu Mengke couldn't help but make wild guesses, her heart pounding with the nervousness of a girl experiencing her first love.

Finally, half an hour later, Li Zhuangsheng sent a reply:
Haha, they look pretty good, but personally, I don't think these clothes are really suitable for wearing out. Haha, maybe I'm just old-fashioned and don't understand your young people's fashion. But you don't need to send me these photos anymore, because I don't have much of an eye for fashion, haha. You can discuss it with your boyfriend, or just ask your sister; she knows more about fashion and aesthetics than I do.

Hu Mengke read Li Zhuangsheng's reply word by word, her face burning as if it had been scalded by fire.

She couldn't help but feel ashamed, so ashamed she wanted to disappear. She suddenly realized what a foolish thing she had done.

In fact, people are often unaware of their own foolishness when they do stupid things. Only after hitting a wall do they experience a sudden and profound awakening.

Does this count as a rejection? Or did the other person not think too much about it and simply not want to see these inappropriate photos?
Would the other person think of her as some kind of promiscuous bad girl? Would they think she's the kind of slut who'd sleep with any man? Even, would Li Zhuangsheng think she was deliberately seducing him?
Fortunately, Li Zhuangsheng preserved her dignity to the greatest extent possible while refusing her, but it was precisely this gentleness that plunged Hu Mengke into a deeper dilemma.

Why are there such gentle and pure people, like the white moonlight in a dream, forever clean and pure, making people yearn for them, yet forever hanging high in a place that one cannot reach?

She verified the result, but felt both frustrated and relieved.

Li Zhuangsheng did not disappoint her; he remained untainted by the mud. But she was clearly no less beautiful than her sister, so why wouldn't Li Zhuangsheng even glance at her?
She even felt like she was going crazy, and she couldn't stop thinking about her brother-in-law, whom she had only met a few times... until she became pregnant unexpectedly.

After becoming pregnant, she tried to accept the situation and stop overthinking, but fate brought the two of them together again.

When she was most helpless, her closest boyfriend hurt her the most, while her parents only complained and scolded her, and her friends rarely visited her in the hospital... She was like a stray dog, but her brother-in-law did not blame her at all. He simply paid the bills for her and silently held up an umbrella to shelter her from the wind and rain.

He was so upright and honest, which made Hu Mengke jealous and resentful. Why wasn't she the one who met Li Zhuangsheng? Why did everything belong to her sister?

Finally, she thought she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even though her brother-in-law didn't love her, she felt an unprecedented happiness and contentment. But now, with Qin Luanyu's arrival, this small happiness suddenly became precarious.

It's like a beautiful dream the Little Mermaid had before she turned into a bubble in the sea.

Damn it, why?! Why was this dream so short?!

No, I don't want to!

However, faced with Li Zhuangsheng's unwavering concern and gentleness, Hu Mengke could only grit her teeth and force a weak smile through her tears: "I'm fine, I'm really fine... it's just that my period started... it hurts a little."

"But, it shouldn't be in these few days..."

"Things have been a bit chaotic lately, but that's common; it's not always on time every month!"

How dare you flatter yourself! I'm no Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid saved the prince, not the other way around. Qin Luanyu is the princess in the fairy tale; I'm merely a witch who's jealous of the Little Mermaid, only able to secretly curse someone else's happiness.

Li Zhuangsheng asked with suspicion, "Is that really true?"

Hu Mengke smiled through her tears: "What other reason could there be... or if you and my sister make up, then I won't cry."

"Hehe..." Li Zhuangsheng indeed showed a hint of embarrassment. "Let's talk about my sister and me later. Since you're having such bad menstrual cramps, let's go home quickly! Oh dear, really... if you're in pain, just say so, you don't have to come out with me. But it's also my fault, I didn't notice sooner. I'm so sorry, let's take a taxi home now!"

Hu Mengke remained silent, tears welling in her eyes, and silently returned home with Li Zhuangsheng.

Li Zhuangsheng didn't ask Hu Mengke to cook lunch again, and instead ordered takeout. Since Li Xiuyu and Qin Luanyu weren't coming home for lunch, it actually saved them a lot of trouble.

Li Zhuangsheng told Hu Mengke to go back to her bedroom to rest, and he brewed her some tea himself, with longan, red dates, and a little brown sugar, which he had learned to make online recently.

"If anything happens to you, you must tell me. Don't be shy, there's no need to hide anything from me." Li Zhuangsheng brought the brewed tea into the bedroom, his expression serious and earnest.

"It's all because you never made up with my sister, that made me so angry." Hu Mengke's eyes were red.

"I...I, it's not that I don't want to make up, the problem is...your sister is still angry with me." Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head and gave a bitter smile.

"I'm not talking about that kind of reconciliation!"

"Oh, please don't make things difficult for me... I can agree to everything else, but this is really impossible, haha."

Hu Mengke knew Li Zhuangsheng was stubborn, and saying anything at this point would be futile. In fact, she was powerless to persuade him anymore; she just wanted to distract him.

She knew Qin Luanyu would really make a move; the other side would definitely launch a full-scale attack on Li Zhuangsheng. She felt like she was guarding a crumbling city, while the other side had a massive army that could wipe her out at any moment.

She didn't know when the enemy would arrive, but she knew that if they so desired, she would immediately lose everything.

"Have some water and rest for a bit," Li Zhuangsheng said, blowing on the water in his cup. "Would you like to play a game of chess with me? You can just lie in bed. Of course, it's up to you. If you're not feeling well and don't want to play, don't force yourself. I don't really like playing chess either. I'll stay with you."

……

When Li Xiuyu and Qin Luanyu returned, it was already past one o'clock in the afternoon. The two went into Hu Mengke's bedroom, and Qin Luanyu carefully picked up Xuanxuan and teased her.

"Where did you eat lunch... Hey, why did you buy so much stuff?" Li Zhuangsheng couldn't help but complain to Hu Mengke when he saw the shopping bags that Li Xiuyu and Qin Luanyu had put down. "Don't wrong an innocent person! This has nothing to do with me, these are for their parents." Li Xiuyu shrugged.

Li Zhuangsheng was taken aback: "Whose parents?"

Li Xiuyu rolled her eyes and plopped down in the chair in front of the computer: "Nonsense, of course it's your parents."

"Are you going to see my parents?" Li Zhuangsheng asked Qin Luanyu.

"Yes, it's a rare opportunity for us to come all this way, and we've even stayed at your house. It wouldn't be right not to visit your uncle and aunt," Qin Luanyu said with a smile, holding Xuanxuan in her arms.

Li Zhuangsheng stepped forward to examine the prepared gift. Although it was somewhat valuable, there was nothing wrong with it.

"I heard about these things from Sister Xiuyu. Will Uncle and Auntie like them?" Qin Luanyu turned her head and asked.

"I would, but there's really no need to buy such an expensive gift..."

"I'm glad your uncle and aunt like it!" Qin Luanyu winked at Li Xiuyu, thinking that her sister-in-law was indeed reliable.

This seemingly aloof school heartthrob's aunt probably also favors her. That's a normal choice for anyone.

She had actually prepared gifts for Li Zhuangsheng's parents, but it wouldn't be appropriate to give overly expensive gifts on their first visit; suitability was the most important thing. She would present the gifts more formally once her relationship with Li Zhuangsheng had progressed.

"Oh right, look what I bought for Xuanxuan! Ta-da!"

Qin Luanyu put Xuanxuan down, then took out a small box. Inside was a pair of small gold bracelets.

"Oh! A gold bracelet?" Li Zhuangsheng exclaimed in surprise, waving his hand hastily. "What are you doing? Why did you buy something so expensive!"

"Look at you, it's not like I bought it for you." Qin Luanyu rolled her eyes at Li Zhuangsheng and was about to put it on Xuanxuan. "Never mind that, I bought it for Xuanxuan!"

Li Zhuangsheng was stunned: "But..."

Qin Luanyu snorted and puffed out her chest, saying, "I'm Xuanxuan's godmother. What's wrong with buying my goddaughter a bracelet?"

"Godmother?" Li Zhuangsheng was taken aback again. "When did this happen?"

“Last night, I already recognized Xuanxuan as my goddaughter!” Qin Luanyu shook her head slightly, smiling broadly. “Right, Sister Ke?”

Hu Mengke seemed to give a blank "hmm," or perhaps she didn't say anything at all, but just bit her pale lips in silence.

But at this moment, no objection meant acquiescence, and Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head, his face showing helplessness.

"Oh my, you really are..."

"Why are you in such a hurry? You're Xuanxuan's godfather, and I'm Xuanxuan's godmother. You're allowed to be nice to Xuanxuan, but I can't be nice to her, right?"

Li Zhuangsheng thought to himself, "When did I become a godfather? Well, it's not that hard to deny it..." so he didn't deny it.

Qin Luanyu put gold bracelets on both of Xuanxuan's little hands and proudly showed them to Li Zhuangsheng: "How about it? Doesn't it look good?"

"nice……"

"As expected of my goddaughter, she looks good in anything!" Qin Luanyu couldn't help but kiss Xuanxuan.

"How much did you pay for it?" Li Zhuangsheng couldn't help but ask.

"It's not much, just a drop in the ocean compared to what I have in my personal bank account!"

Li Zhuangsheng's lips twitched slightly. Seeing that Qin Luanyu was impeccable, he had no choice but to give up, but he still advised, "Don't buy such expensive things for Xuanxuan next time. They're not very useful."

Qin Luanyu raised an eyebrow, seemingly a little angry: "What's a thousand pieces of gold worth? It's all about the sentiment. To me, this is just a small amount of money. Spending a little money on my goddaughter will not only make me happy, but it will also make her look good when she's out in public. What's the problem? Why are you treating me like a different person when we're family? Besides, I can buy whatever I want. Why can't I spend money?"

Li Zhuangsheng was speechless for a moment. If he continued, it would seem too formal. The other person meant well, and Hu Mengke remained silent!
"Okay, okay, it was my fault." Li Zhuangsheng had no choice but to offer a perfunctory apology.

Qin Luanyu then gave a smug hum, hugged Xuanxuan tightly, and said with her smile still bright: "Xuanxuan is so cute. When you go to school in the future, go to Nanjing. I'll make the arrangements."

"Why go to Nanjing?" Li Zhuangsheng asked curiously.

"I plan to buy a house in Nanjing after I get married," Qin Luanyu said calmly.

"Aren't you from Hangzhou? Why are you buying a house in Nanjing?" Li Zhuangsheng was still puzzled.

Although most people from their county would choose to develop their careers in Nanjing, it seems unnecessary for a daughter of a wealthy family from Hangzhou to leave her hometown and come to Nanjing.

"Nanjing's education and medical standards are also very high, and it's close to Hangzhou, only a little over an hour away by high-speed rail." Qin Luanyu blinked and said matter-of-factly, "And Nanjing is also close to your home. As far as I know, Nanjing is your county's second hometown, right? In two years, a high-speed rail line will be available here, making it even more convenient to travel back and forth... When your parents retire, don't you want to bring them to live in Nanjing?"

"Hmm?" Li Zhuangsheng tilted his head.

He couldn't understand the causal logic. What necessary connection did this have with Qin Luanyu going to Nanjing? Nanjing is close to my home, and if you lived in Nanjing, you could come visit often... but you wouldn't have bought a house in Nanjing just for the convenience of visiting, would you?
Besides, why would I go to Nanjing? I work in the county. Do you know how valuable a secure job is these days? If I go to Nanjing and lose my job, who will support me?

"Is there a problem?" Qin Luanyu tilted her head, mimicking Li Zhuangsheng's posture.

“No problem… You have money, you can buy a house in Beijing without any problem.” Li Zhuangsheng said sullenly.

He would never stumble on the same topic twice; he might just be saying whatever comes to mind. Even if he were serious, with his wealth, what's wrong with buying a house in Nanjing?
If I had money, I'd buy one in Harbin, one in Sanya, one in Yantai, one in Dali, one in WLMQ, and one in Hulunbuir!
In summer, go to Harbin to escape the heat; in winter, go to Sanya to spend the winter; if you want to see the sea, go to Yantai; if you want to experience seclusion, go to Dali; if you want to feel the Western Regions atmosphere, go to WLMQ; if you want to ride horses and eat mutton, go to the Hulunbuir Grassland!
Qin Luanyu shook her head: "Forget about Beijing, it's fine to go there occasionally. I plan to buy a house each in Harbin, Sanya, Dali, WLMQ, and Hulunbuir in the future, just enough for temporary accommodations, it doesn't cost much anyway." (End of Chapter)