Back To The 80s-Chapter 68 - 67: Breaking Ground_1

Lu Zhanguo wore a stern face, this little girl was really running her mouth. Xiaobei looked at Lu Zhanguo, his face dark as a pot bottom, and giggled.

Liao Qing had already resolved to never leave T City. For the sake of Xiaodong, she had become pregnant before marriage, which caused her parents to kick her out of the house. She still hadn’t forgiven herself for that, and now Xiaodong was asking her and their child to leave their hometown for a strange city. If Xiaodong was unkind, he couldn’t blame her for being unjust.

Before she had a chance to bring the child back to the Gu family, Liu Mei came knocking on her door.

Looking at Liu Mei surprised, Liao Qing remembered having seen this ordinary-looking but well-off woman from afar before, and had been incredibly envious.

Liu Mei was very calm, watching the child playing on the couch, she said, "Let’s talk."

Liao Qing felt guilty and kept her silence, uncertain of what to say.

Liu Mei didn’t pay her any mind and continued, "I know this child is Xiaodong’s. If you do as I say, I will help you, let you and the child return to the Gu Family. And don’t worry, no one will find out about my visit today. Especially not Xiaodong."

Liao Qing stuttered, "Why...why are you helping me?"

"I’m not helping you, I’m seeking redemption," Liu Mei said softly.

"What do you want me to do?" Liao Qing asked, regaining her composure.

Liu Mei glanced around, "Just stay in T City."

Liao Qing frowned and fell silent. Liu Mei continued, "If you stay, after a while, everything that’s mine will be yours." Without waiting for Liao Qing to respond, she turned around and left. As she turned, a tear slid from her eyes, but she tossed her head high, striding away with her back straight.

Xiaobei received the remittance order and took leave to collect the money from the post office. Due to the unpleasant experience of being kidnapped, she disliked the place and decided to seek out Qin Li instead.

Qin Li was at office bored, seeing Xiaobei visit, she nagged at her supervisor until she successfully got some time off, and they both gleefully headed to the post office to collect the money.

Seeing Xiaobei withdraw over five hundred yuan, Qin Li exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Xiaobei, where did you get so much money?"

Xiaobei didn’t hide it and replied, "I translated a book for the publishing house and got paid a fee for it."

"That’s so much, you’re amazing!" Qin Li exclaimed in admiration.

Xiaobei patted the bag containing the money, "Let’s go, I’ll treat you to something good."

"Let’s go to the E Restaurant! I’ve never been there." Qin Li wanted to try it out as well.

"Sure." Xiaobei agreed happily. Both of them headed towards the E Restaurant joyfully.

Just as Xiaobei squinted her eyes at the E Restaurant across the street, she suddenly stopped and said to Qin Li, "Let’s not go there today."

Confused, Qin Li asked, "Why though? We’re already at the door."

Xiaobei pulled on Qin Li’s arm and started to walk back, saying as they moved, "Let’s go to the department store instead. I’ll buy you a dress, okay?"

Seeing that Xiaobei looked unwell, Qin Li could only follow. Xiaobei was livid, she had just glimpsed inside the restaurant’s window and saw Lu Zhanguo seated with a woman. Though she only caught a brief glimpse, she could tell the woman was young, with big, curly hair and wearing a sleeveless red dress - she seemed quite attractive. A dress like that was probably hard to find in the provincial capital.

In her heart, Xiaobei swore at Lu Zhanguo all over again. He dared to bring a woman to such a romantic place for dinner.

At that moment, Lu Zhanguo was frowning at the woman seated across from him, Yuan Tan, not saying anything.

Yuan Tan smiled, "Brother Zhanguo, we haven’t met for three years, do you have nothing to say to me?"

Confused, Lu Zhanguo asked, "Aren’t you supposed to be studying abroad? Why did you come back all of a sudden?"

Yuan Tan gave a bitter smile, "Brother Zhanguo, don’t you know why I came back?" Yuan Tan was quite pretty, with big alluring eyes that seemed to carry all sorts of hidden feelings. Her lips looked temptingly pouty. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Lu Zhanguo stayed silent, thinking about the first time he and Xiaobei came here. Xiaobei had cuddled up in his arms like a little rabbit while chatting, and it warmed his heart.

Seeing Lu Zhanguo lost in thought, Yuan Tan said sourly, "I came to see if you’re doing well."

"I’m doing just fine," Lu Zhanguo simply said.

"Can I meet my sister-in-law? After all, we’re all from the same compound." Yuan Tan felt that she should change her approach. She’d been attracted to the man in front of her for ten years, thinking about him for ten years, only to suddenly lose him to someone else. She couldn’t help feeling a little downcast and resentful.

"Some other time," Lu Zhanguo responded.

"I’ll take that as a yes. I’m staying in T City for a while." Yuan Tan smiled, looking very sweet.

"Fine, next time come over with Shen Heng. If there’s nothing else, I should be going," Lu Zhanguo said, feeling ill at ease sitting across from Yuan Tan.

"Okay," Yuan Tan elegantly sipped her coffee, her mind filled with various thoughts.

Returning home, Lu Zhanguo was surprised to find Xiaobei at home, her face stormy as she sat on the couch.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Zhanguo asked worriedly, taking a seat next to her.

"Hmph!" Xiaobei suddenly stood up, hands on her hips, and fiercely asked, "Where’ve you been today?"

Watching Xiaobei, who was standing there like an angry tigress, Lu Zhanguo couldn’t help but both laugh and cry, "Shen Heng came over at noon to say that a friend from the compound came over from the Capital City. So, I went down to meet her."

"I didn’t see Shen Heng, but I did see you on a date with some beauty." Xiaobei said, her tone sour.

Hearing that, Lu Zhanguo gently pulled Xiaobei to sit next to him, saying, "Why didn’t you come in if you saw me?"

Xiaobei pouted, "It’s called being considerate. I wanted to give you guys some privacy."

"That’s Yuan Tan, she’s from the same compound. She just returned from studying abroad in F Country," Lu Zhanguo explained.

"Was Yuan Tan pretty?" Xiaobei asked, her tone slightly sour. She’d only caught a glimpse of that large wave of red clothing.

"I don’t know, I didn’t pay attention," Lu Zhanguo honestly answered. If Yuan Tan heard that, she’d probably sob in a corner. She tried so hard, but he didn’t even notice what she looked like.

"You need to be careful of enemies’ sugar-coated bullets. Don’t easily succumb to the temptation of beauty even though you can bear the baptism of fire! " Xiaobei said, poking Lu Zhanguo’s chest with her delicate finger.

Lu Zhanguo was speechless. This girl’s peculiar train of thought never failed to catch him off-guard.

"Yuan Tan says she wants to come and meet you," Lu Zhanguo said.

"Why would she want to see me?" Xiaobei was a little confused.

"I don’t know, but why don’t we have her and Shen Heng over for dinner sometime," Lu Zhanguo, who had always been a dummy when it came to relationships, suggested.

"Alright." Curiosity piqued, Xiaobei’s radar was back online for potential threats.

Yuan Tan was staying in the hotel where Shen Heng usually stayed. After visiting Lu Zhanguo, she returned to Shen Heng’s place looking upset. Shen Heng furrowed his brows and asked, "You’re not happy to see Lu Zhanguo?"

"Do you think he never saw the letter I left for him?" Yuan Tan asked.

Shen Heng nodded, "What did you write in it?"

Yuan Tan said with some resentment, "I told him that I liked him and if he was willing to wait for me, he didn’t need to reply. If he wasn’t willing, he just had to put the letter back in my family’s mailbox. My sister told me that there was no reply, so I thought he liked me too and was willing to wait for me."

Speechless, Shen Heng asked, "Then why didn’t you write to him again?"

"I did, but the domestic inspection was too strict, especially for letters sent to the military, so mine were all returned." Yuan Tan was a little frustrated.