Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

"Huh?" Li Zhuangsheng was taken aback.

"What's wrong?" Qin Luanyu tilted her head.

"No, uh, what did you say?"

"We discussed this before," Qin Luanyu said with a leisurely smile. "Looks like you've forgotten. Even if we bought all of these, it would only be less than ten million, which is still affordable!"

"Oh, so you've discussed it before. No wonder your thoughts are so similar to mine." Li Zhuangsheng broke out in a cold sweat, almost thinking the other person had mind-reading abilities.

"You forgot? I said just a few days ago that my future goal is to travel and see all the beautiful landscapes of our motherland. Hmm, drive an Yangwang U8!"

Li Zhuangsheng chuckled, "Hmm, I remember now... Haha, it's great to be rich, you can travel around everywhere! But don't you have to inherit the family business?"

Qin Luanyu shook her head, her bright eyes fixed on Li Zhuangsheng: "It's alright, the old man is still young, it's the perfect time for him to work hard! When he can't work anymore, I'll sell the company, or..."

"Or will you take over?" Li Zhuangsheng asked.

“When the old man can no longer work, my child should be grown up by then, so I’ll let him take over,” Qin Luanyu said with a smile.

Li Zhuangsheng couldn't help but laugh and tease, "No way, you've spent your whole life just enjoying yourself, haven't you!"

Qin Luanyu replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, isn't that good? Do you want to work hard all day, socialize, worry about money, and scheme against people all the time? If you have money to spend, why would you want to suffer? Isn't that crazy?"

"Indeed! If I had your conditions, I'd be ready to retire too!" Li Zhuangsheng slapped his thigh and nodded repeatedly. "Unfortunately, I don't have that opportunity!"

"That's not necessarily true. Anything can happen in life. You might become rich overnight tomorrow!"

Li Zhuangsheng echoed the nonsense, saying, "That makes sense. I'll buy a lottery ticket and try it tomorrow."

"Lottery luck is so low, you might as well hope a rich female reader falls in love with you."

Li Zhuangsheng burst into laughter: "This is worse than winning the lottery! You have so many rich women, I'm already incredibly lucky to have you as a reader! Or did you recommend my book to your rich female friends?"

Qin Luanyu's lips twitched slightly. Li Xiuyu lowered her head, seemingly wanting to chuckle, but considering the gift the other party had bought for her, she didn't laugh out loud.

"Ahem!" Li Xiuyu coughed heavily. "By the way, are you taking some people out to play this afternoon?"

"Me..."

Li Zhuangsheng hesitated as he spoke. His original plan was to spend half a day with Hu Mengke. But now, Hu Mengke didn't seem to be in the mood. He had already made arrangements with Qin Luanyu, and if he changed his mind... this put Li Zhuangsheng in a difficult position. Should he ask Li Xiuyu to take Qin Luanyu out for another half day?

"How are you feeling now, Sister Ke? You should be alright now, right?" Qin Luanyu turned to look at Hu Mengke.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Hu Mengke pursed her lips and gave Li Zhuangsheng a forced smile. "You can go out with her this afternoon."

"Are you really alright?" Li Zhuangsheng asked with concern.

"Yes, it's really alright..." Hu Mengke took Xuanxuan from Qin Luanyu's arms and said softly, "I didn't sleep well last night, so I wanted to take a nap later. You guys go play, Xiuyu is still at home."

"Okay..." Seeing this, Li Zhuangsheng no longer hesitated. "Call me if you need anything. If there's anything else you want to buy, tell me on WeChat and I'll bring it back when I go home."

……

Bathed in the spring sunshine, Li Zhuangsheng and Qin Luanyu drove their Ferrari to Peach Blossom Spring.

"Actually, I really like peach blossoms." Qin Luanyu said, wearing cool sunglasses. "It's a pity I've never had the chance to properly appreciate them."

"why?"

"You're so silly! I'm an athlete, I've been training the whole time, how could I have had a chance to appreciate flowers!" Qin Luanyu rolled her eyes at him. "Besides, you need someone to appreciate flowers with, right? I can't go alone, that would be too lonely!"

Li Zhuangsheng suggested, "You could find a boyfriend."

Qin Luanyu's eyes widened, and she pulled up her sunglasses: "I wanted to too! I've known him for so long, and I wanted to confess to him, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned!"

"How to say?"

"She actually has a boyfriend!"

Li Zhuangsheng looked at him with pity: "That's truly pitiful."

Qin Luanyu spoke angrily, her teeth grinding together: "That bastard, he never told me he had a girlfriend! He lied to me so much!"

"Oh dear, could he be a jerk who's been stringing you along?" Li Zhuangsheng realized.

"It shouldn't be that bad, right?" Qin Luanyu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Wow! Let me tell you, you've known each other for so long, and he's had a girlfriend without letting you know. He's definitely a scumbag!" Li Zhuangsheng said indignantly. "I'm telling you, this kind of guy is definitely stringing you along on purpose, trying to have his cake and eat it too!"

Qin Luanyu coughed: "Actually, he's not that bad..."

Seeing that the other party was actually speaking up for the scumbag, Li Zhuangsheng was heartbroken: "Let me tell you, you absolutely mustn't fall for it! I'm a guy, I know exactly what this kind of scumbag is thinking! There was a girl in our class who was also fooled by a scumbag before! Even when someone told her, she didn't believe it!"

"oh oh……"

"Seriously, believe me! Don't have any lingering feelings for this kind of scumbag, and don't be fooled by his sweet talk. This kind of person will never repent!"

Qin Luanyu's eyes curved into crescents, hiding a watery smile: "Well, it's not that serious. Actually, I still like him."

Li Zhuangsheng was stunned; he never expected that this rich woman would be so love-struck!

“However, you can curse him a few more times to vent my anger,” Qin Luanyu added.

"After I've finished yelling at him, can you promise not to go after him?"

“No way.”

"Why?" Li Zhuang asked angrily.

"Because as far as I know, he and his girlfriend broke up." Qin Luanyu smiled sweetly, "This is exactly my golden opportunity!"

Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head speechlessly, feeling that this world was truly surreal.

Have you fallen that deeply in love with him? Who is this jerk anyway? And how handsome is he?! Wake up, girl!
Out of the corner of her eye, Qin Luanyu saw Li Zhuangsheng's speechless and sullen expression, and her smile became even more smug and cheerful: "What's wrong with you? Are you jealous?" Li Zhuangsheng was stunned for a moment, and his face slowly turned red, visibly spreading from his neck to his cheeks.

"No, no... why would I be jealous?" Li Zhuangsheng quickly waved his hands, almost wanting to lift his feet and swing them. "You've misunderstood... no, it has nothing to do with me... oh dear, I'm just afraid you'll be deceived..."

Li Zhuangsheng's flustered movements made Qin Luanyu laugh uncontrollably. After teasing the young man, she said with satisfaction, "Why are you in such a hurry? I was just joking with you!"

"Really?"

Li Zhuangsheng blushed as he glanced at Qin Luanyu's expression, afraid that she might misunderstand him and think he had some improper thoughts about her, like a toad lusting after a swan.

"Hey buddy, haven't you heard that the prettier a girl is, the more likely she is to lie? You're so naive, you're easily fooled."

"Oh my...you scared me to death!" Li Zhuangsheng breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Just pretend I didn't say anything earlier, I was just mentioning it casually."

"You're jealous, how can I pretend you didn't say anything?" Qin Luanyu grinned. "But in my heart, our relationship will always be the most important. Since you don't like him, then let him get lost!"

Li Zhuangsheng stammered, "Uh, actually it's not necessary... I don't know either..."

As the redness on his face gradually faded, Li Zhuangsheng felt a strange lingering sensation in his heart.

He hadn't realized how important he was to someone, even if it was just a joke. But then again, it didn't seem like a joke. Would someone really suspend their studies and come to this remote little town for an ordinary friend?
He gazed out the window at the flow of traffic, meeting the bewildered eyes of those peering through red lights.

The scenery in Peach Blossom Spring is beautiful, and although it's not a weekend or holiday, there are still quite a few people there. Li Zhuangsheng remembers that this place didn't exist ten years ago; it must have been built later.

After parking the car, the two walked along the flower path. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, some white and some red, with fallen petals scattered on the ground.

"The peach blossoms here are truly beautiful," Qin Luanyu said, gazing at them in a daze.

"What are you thinking about?" Li Zhuangsheng asked.

"The peach tree is young and lush, its flowers are bright and beautiful."

"May this daughter, upon her marriage, bring harmony to her family."

"What?" Qin Luanyu exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, "You said you want to marry me?"

"Huh?" Li Zhuangsheng was startled again. "Not you? What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you just say you were going to marry me?"

"Oh my god!" Li Zhuangsheng cried out, his face contorted with embarrassment. "Sister, please stop teasing me! I was just reciting poetry, you know that!"

Seeing this, Qin Luanyu sighed with feigned disappointment: "I thought you were confessing your feelings to me... I was just wondering how you had the nerve to do this..."

“Yes, I’m more timid than a mouse!” Li Zhuangsheng nodded vigorously.

Qin Luanyu chuckled, reached out and grabbed Li Zhuangsheng's head, giving it a good rub.

"Do you like cherry blossoms now?" Qin Luanyu teased with a smile. "You probably really want to go to Japan under the cherry blossom trees and meet a two-dimensional girl who is just like a cherry blossom, right?"

Li Zhuangsheng puffed out his chest: "Who said that? Now I only like peach blossoms!"

"Oh?" Qin Luanyu looked at Li Zhuangsheng in surprise. "You're a hardcore anime and manga otaku now, shouldn't you like Sakura the most?"

“Okay…actually, I used to like cherry blossoms.” Li Zhuangsheng hesitated for a moment before confessing, “but after reading the novel I wrote before, I don’t like cherry blossoms anymore.”

"Hahaha, now you've turned into a ruthless Han chauvinist again?"

"Maybe so, I don't think there's anything wrong with that... Actually, when I think about it, I don't really like admiring any flowers, maybe I just find it boring. I think people's liking for flowers now is more of a cultural carrier. I've reflected on this seriously, and I used to like cherry blossoms just because they were portrayed as beautiful in anime, as if cherry blossoms were beautiful and symbolized pure love. But in reality, cherry blossoms themselves have no meaning, and there's nothing to see."

"Then, what about peach blossoms?" Qin Luanyu asked again.

Li Zhuangsheng paused for a moment, seemingly a little hesitant: "Actually, I also find it boring to just stare at the peach blossoms, but I still like them, perhaps because they are a carrier of Chinese culture. When I look at peach blossoms, I think of many poems and stories. And... you're right, simply looking at flowers may not be joyful, but looking at flowers and laughing with you makes me very happy!"

Qin Luanyu looked at Li Zhuangsheng and smiled: "Really? Are you really happy now? Or is it just something you're doing for show?"

"Of course it's not forced. I feel really comfortable chatting with you. I don't know why, oh my... it's really strange." Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head and chuckled. "It's like when I chat with my sister... haha, but there's still a slight difference. And even though I'm older than you now, I always feel like you're the older sister."

Qin Luanyu shook her head and chuckled: "Of course, we're best friends, soulmates!"

Li Zhuangsheng's smile held a hint of embarrassment; he felt that the term "soulmate" was too grand and ambiguous, making it difficult for others to bear.

The real reason is probably that I know too little about the other person.

Perhaps the two of them could be described as having that kind of relationship before, but do I really deserve it now?

The two sat under the peach blossoms and chatted idly, talking about peach blossom poems, Tang Dynasty legends, Tang Bohu and the fall of the Ming Dynasty... Before they knew it, the sun was setting.

"Ouch, it's getting a little chilly." A gust of wind blew across Qin Luanyu's legs, and Qin Luanyu stretched.

"Who told you to wear so little?" Li Zhuangsheng chuckled. "You only care about style, not warmth. Let's go back."

The two returned to the parking lot to find their car. Li Zhuangsheng was somewhat silent. Although he had been happy during their afternoon chat, he still felt a strange emotion.

He was interested in many topics, but couldn't keep up. Perhaps his pre-amnesia self could have easily done so, after all, he had ten more years of experience. But now he just couldn't keep up, often only able to listen to Qin Luanyu talk, and sometimes wanting to say something but finding his mind blank.

"Ah, happy times are always fleeting!" Qin Luanyu slowly turned her head to look at the Peach Garden, reciting the lines Li Bai wrote when he visited the Peach Garden: "Heaven and earth are the inn of all things. Time is the passing guest of a hundred generations. And life is like a dream, how much joy can it hold?"

Parting and reunion are fleeting and painful, this sorrow is endless. This year's flowers are more beautiful than last year's, but alas, next year's flowers will be even better, but with whom will I share them?
Li Zhuangsheng suddenly remembered Ouyang Xiu's poem.

Happy times are indeed fleeting; who knows where the two will be next year?

Qin Luanyu can't stay here forever; she'll probably go back after a while. She's not young anymore, and once she has a boyfriend and gets married... we definitely won't have many opportunities to hang out together anymore. Besides, she'll have her own husband and children.

"What's that expression on your face?" Qin Luanyu suddenly noticed Li Zhuangsheng's slightly melancholy expression.

“Oh, perhaps it’s just a passing fancy.” Li Zhuangsheng turned his face away. “Of those who once admired the flowers with me, not even half are left.”

Actually, what he was thinking of wasn't that line, but rather, "Last year on this day, in this very doorway, faces and peach blossoms reflected each other's redness; but now, the faces are nowhere to be seen, while the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze."

"Oh, you're reluctant to part with me, the flower admirer?" Qin Luanyu said with a smile. (End of Chapter)