Chapter 20: Caught Red-Handed
After Zhou Haiming’s outburst, Lu Li finally realized that he couldn’t abandon An Baili. He held her tightly, feeling the girl’s warmth, his mind filled with memories of his past life. He thought of the sea, the sky, and An Baili strolling across the grasslands wearing a straw hat.
The passionate kiss eventually came to an end. An Baili parted her lips slightly, panting with glazed eyes. She licked her red lips and asked uncertainly, “Are we back together now?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry… I, I’ll be obedient from now on…” She started crying again, her mouth pouting. She was truly a crybaby. Lu Li pinched An Baili’s soft cheek. It felt good, like kneading a teary-eyed ragdoll cat. “Baili, you have to be yourself from now on. Wen Hupo is Wen Hupo, An Baili is An Baili. I like the real you.”
“Oh.” She snuggled in his arms and obediently replied with an “oh,” not sure if she understood. In the past, Lu Li would have given An Baili a serious lecture, explaining the pros and cons, but now he understood. An Baili was An Baili, a timid, impulsive, and lonely girl. Although communication was a good strategy in relationships, not all girls liked to communicate. Learning to tolerate their timidity was the first lesson Lu Li learned after his rebirth.
“We’re late.” Lu Li casually took out his phone and glanced at the time. It was past eight-ten in the morning, and they were already late.
“I don’t want to go to school.” An Baili clung to him, refusing to let go. “But, but if you have to go, I’ll accompany you…”
He put his phone away and took An Baili’s hand: “Let’s skip school today.”
“Is that okay?”
“Baili, is there anywhere you want to go?”
***
The Jinjiang River had always been the largest river in Shenzhou, flowing through Jiangnan Province and dividing Chuanhai City in two, hence the name Chuanhai. The Chuanhai Cross-River Bridge was the largest cross-river bridge in the south, with a main span of 1,100 meters. Standing at the bridgehead and looking down at the river, one couldn’t help but be awestruck by the vastness of the river.
This place held a different meaning for An Baili.
“I flew out of the car like this. I regretted it while I was still in the air. My head was buzzing, and all I could do was shout ‘What should I do, what should I do.’” An Baili stood by the bridge, pointing to the sparkling river. There were a few fishing boats on the water. From afar, they looked like tiny black shadows.
“Would you dare to do it again?”
“No…” An Baili hung her head. “Li, why did you leave yesterday? How could you leave me alone at home?”
“My sister would worry if I didn’t go home. Silly girl.” After thinking for a moment, he realized that it was indeed unsafe for An Baili to live alone. Should he let her live at his house? Lu Li glanced at An Baili and saw the girl looking at him slyly, probably waiting for him to speak. He chuckled: “If you don’t mind the low-rent district, you can move next door to my house. There are several empty rooms.”
“Can’t, can’t I live with you?”
Of course she could, but Lu Li’s intuition told him that Sister Yameng might not agree. Thinking of Sister Yameng, Lu Li suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering a more troublesome person: Chu Jingyi. He had vowed that he had nothing to do with An Baili, so how could he explain the current situation to Silly Goose?
“You’re thinking about other girls.”
“What?”
“Every time you space out, you’re thinking about other girls.” An Baili snorted. She hesitated for a moment before saying aggrievedly, “If you’re still thinking about Wen Hupo… as long as you don’t abandon me again, it’s okay.” Lu Li’s spirits lifted. He was shocked by An Baili. In the past, An Baili would have acted coquettishly and told him not to think about other girls. Why was she so well-behaved today? No, it wasn’t just today. He remembered that when Secretary Long asked them the other day, An Baili quickly answered: “Just classmates.” She must have said that so as not to cause him any trouble…
“Baili, do you think I’m greedy?” Lu Li sighed, facing the river wind, his unbuttoned coat flapping.
Since the development of human civilization, monogamy had become the cornerstone of a stable society. Having a harem in modern society was actually a suppression of women’s self-awareness, an unequal treaty. Lu Li had asked himself more than once last night whether he was worthy, whether he had the right to accept their affection.
“Very greedy, very greedy.” An Baili suddenly burrowed into his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest. “But the thought that it’s better to have you bound by female charms than to lose you forever, so you won’t fly away like a bird one day, to a direction unknown to everyone.”
Am I that kind of person?
Lu Li was slightly taken aback.
“Those were Wen Hupo’s exact words.” An Baili suddenly smiled sadly. “That’s what she said to me back then. It’s a pity I didn’t understand what she meant at the time.”
Wen Hupo, or rather, Shirley Amber. The image of a blonde woman appeared in Lu Li’s mind. She always sat by the window alone, gazing into the distance with an unfocused gaze. Lu Li had always admired her secretly, and even his later personality was influenced by Wen Hupo.
“Li, let’s go back to school.” An Baili let go of his hand. “I’m a new person now!” She stood with her hands on her hips, revealing a bright smile, so radiant that Lu Li was dazzled. How long had it been since he had seen An Baili smile so freely? Marriage was truly the tomb of love. The more carefree and sweet it was before marriage, the more troubled it became by the trivialities of life after marriage. Ultimately, it was because he wasn’t strong enough – strong in a social sense. Lu Li secretly resolved to speed up the game development process so that the tragedy of love wouldn’t repeat itself.
Holding hands, the two boarded the bus back to Chuanhai No. 1 High School. An Baili was like a cub clinging to its mother, staying close to Lu Li, her hand never letting go. It wasn’t until they reached a corner of the school playground that An Baili reluctantly let go, looking around furtively before pleading, “One more kiss, just a quick one.”
Since he had reconciled with An Baili, there was no need to refuse. Lu Li pinched her cheek with one hand and slowly leaned in for a kiss under the girl’s coquettish gaze. The best way to tell if a man was a virgin was to kiss him and see if he got excited enough to get a boner. If he did, then he was a true magician. Lu Li’s mind wasn’t, but his body reacted honestly.
An Baili’s eyes were watery, her hot body pressed against Lu Li, the joystick pressing firmly against him. This was her usual flirting technique, and it always worked.
“You’re back?” Just as the two were getting lost in the moment, a familiar voice came from the corner that should have been deserted. Their movements froze.
Chu Jingyi stood there calmly, her hands clasped behind her back, watching them. She stood against the sunlight, like a Greek goddess descending to earth. Under the glare of the light, it was difficult to discern the Class Monitor’s expression.
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