Chapter 87

Chapter 81: Whose Voice Is It?

Wen Liang walked alone on the streets of Qingzhou after leaving Tan Xue's house. The last bus had just passed, and this area was quite remote, making it hard to find a taxi. Wen Liang scratched his head, looked around, and found the street eerily quiet. The wind rustled through the treetops, adding a touch of terror to the night.

What should I do? Do I have to walk back?

The Telecommunications Administration under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued China's first set of nationwide IC phone cards, the Yellow River Card, in December 1995. No one knows who came up with such a cool name, but soon after, IC phone booths spread across China like the Yellow River flooding, without tarnishing the name. By 2005, 670 million IC cards had been issued, with total sales reaching 65.2 billion yuan, creating a commercial miracle. The Chinese people lived under this communication system for a full decade, bringing great convenience to daily life.

From then on, China entered the era of smart cards. It was embarrassing to greet someone without a dozen cards in your wallet when you went out.

However, it was October 1995, and Wen Liang couldn't enjoy such convenience. All the stores and shops with public phones had already closed. Reborn in 1995, Uncle Wen had never felt as helpless as he did now. In the end, he could only look up to the sky and sigh: If I had just taken Zuo Yuxi's phone and used it, would that have been better? As a reborn person, he had waved his hand and eliminated a deputy director, yet he was standing on a cold, windy street, racking his brain over how to get home.

Wen Liang walked pitifully, looking back every few steps, hoping to see the distinctive red roof light of a taxi. But things were just that strange; he hadn't seen even a bicycle for a long time. When he finally reached the main road and found a taxi, he was already close to home. Wen Liang decided to run the rest of the way, treating it as exercise, and ran all the way back.

By the time he got home, it was almost 11 PM. Fortunately, since his rebirth, Wen Liang had been practicing his morning exercises at 6 AM every day without interruption; otherwise, he would have collapsed halfway. Ding Mei was still awake, slouching on the sofa and yawning, flipping through channels with the remote control. Many channels had already ended their broadcasts, and the screen was filled with static.

Hearing the door open, Ding Mei straightened up and asked listlessly, "Back so late again? Should I talk to Teacher Si and tell her to stop the tutoring? Studying isn't something that can be done in a day or two; your health is more important."

Wen Liang felt guilty and sat down, holding Ding Mei's hand. "Mom, if I don't do well on this exam, will you be angry?"

Ding Mei rubbed his head and smiled. "How could my son not do well? You'll definitely do it. Don't worry, son, I've calculated it. You'll definitely be in the top ten of the class this time!"

Not bad, at least not as bad as Si Yajing's overambitious predictions.

Wen Liang smiled bitterly. "Alright, if you're right this time, we won't do the job at the agricultural machinery factory. We'll just set up a fortune-telling stall in Fenkou Alley!"

Ding Mei laughed heartily. "When it comes to the agricultural machinery factory, I'm happy. This afternoon, a large group of people from the Organization Department, the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Party Committee, and the Municipal Light Industry Bureau went there. The director of the Light Industry Bureau, Liu, announced the punishment for Wei Gang. You should have seen the scene; the workers' cheers almost tore the roof off the meeting hall..."

"Those who do evil will eventually destroy themselves. For a factory manager to end up like this is truly tragic. What about now? Has Zhang Changqing recovered and been discharged from the hospital?"

Ding Mei's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know? Zhang Changqing will be discharged tomorrow and return to the factory to resume his duties."

Wen Liang pointed to his head and smiled. "Anyone with a brain would have figured it out..."

Ding Mei stood up happily, yawning as she walked to the bedroom. "Come back early tomorrow, don't make me worry at home. Have you eaten? I left some food in the kitchen. If you're hungry, heat it up. I'm going to sleep; I have to work early tomorrow."

Wen Liang suddenly felt a bit hungry. He had forgotten to eat dinner at Zuo Yuxi's place. Truly, when men and women are together, they forget to eat!

That night, he went to bed very late, but the next morning, he still woke up at 6 AM. After practicing the cultivation techniques from his previous life, Wen Liang gradually felt more energetic. No matter how tired he was during the day, six hours of sleep at night left him refreshed and full of energy in the morning.

All great achievers share one common but crucial trait: they must have abundant energy. This is a necessary prerequisite for handling complex situations and overcoming difficulties.

Walking through the campus and past the gym, he saw Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning holding hands not far ahead, laughing from time to time. Curiosity piqued, Wen Liang followed them stealthily. As he approached, he heard Xu Yao criticizing him.

"You want Wen Liang to sing? That silly boy can't sing anything. He looks like a freak, and when he sings, he's completely tone-deaf. He'll scare everyone to death."

"That's not true. I think his voice is quite good, deep and powerful yet clear and melodious. He should be good at singing songs by Jacky Cheung," Ning Xiaoning, the fair one, said. "Also, I notice you talk about Wen Liang all the time. Is this how you see him?"

"Hehe, no, I'll think of something else. I definitely won't let that silly boy sing..."

Wen Liang suddenly stuck his head between their shoulders and said in a trembling, ghostly voice from "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio": "Who... is... saying... bad things... about me..."

For most girls, the first reaction would be to jump back and scold the culprit. Unfortunately, Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning were not ordinary girls.

They stepped to the side, each grabbing an arm, and with their feet hooked between Wen Liang's legs, they simultaneously threw him to the ground. Poor Uncle Wen, caught off guard, landed with a thud.

Traversing two timelines and over a decade of love and hate, the night Wen Liang rejected her, Xu Yao stood alone under the sycamore tree in front of the taekwondo gym, crying out all the tears of her first half of life. But Xu Yao was different. She dried her tears and gathered her strength, determined to beat Wen Liang up in the competition and then tell him, "I like you, but it has nothing to do with you!"

Unfortunately, after three failed attempts, the fourth challenge sent Wen Liang back to 1995, and her wish was never fulfilled. (See Chapter 1)

But unexpectedly, at this moment, she finally managed to throw Wen Liang to the ground.

As Wen Liang hit the ground, memories of the past flooded his mind. For a moment, he felt both sweet and bitter, closed his eyes, and a strange smile appeared on his lips. Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning, recognizing him, both gasped in shock. Seeing him lying motionless, they panicked, their faces turning pale.

This was not the sand or the mat from their usual training; this was solid concrete!

"Wen Liang, Wen Liang, are you okay?"

"What happened? Did you hit your head? Where does it hurt?"

Four small hands felt around his head and chest, the soft, boneless touch mixed with a faint fragrance, making him feel incredibly comfortable. The little scoundrel Wen Liang moaned softly, his voice full of emotion, almost as if he had learned from the four great love action movie goddesses. The two innocent girls, though they didn't understand, felt that his moans were somehow inappropriate, making them blush and feel weak.

Xu Yao, on the verge of tears, said, "Ning Ning, is he... is he hurt? Why is he moaning like that... like that..."

Ning Xiaoning was also uncertain. "You stay here and watch him. Don't move him. I'll go to the infirmary."

Wen Liang chuckled, and the two girls were relieved, grabbing his arms and asking urgently, "Are you okay?"

Wen Liang opened his eyes, his face full of regret. "What a pity, what a pity!"

Xu Yao was puzzled. "What a pity?"

"What a pity it's not summer. Why aren't the girls wearing skirts?"

The two girls looked at each other, realizing they had been played. They stood up simultaneously. Ning Xiaoning huffed, and Xu Yao looked down coldly. "Wearing skirts is not impossible, but first, let me kick you." She raised her right foot to kick, but Wen Liang quickly stood up, brushing off the dust and laughing. "Alright, just a joke. You threw me so hard, I need to get some compensation."

"Phew!"

The two girls raised their heads and then lowered them, spitting out the word "phew" at the most forceful moment. Equally beautiful and cute, their "phew" was equally delightful and charming.

Passersby occasionally glanced over, and Xu Yao, not wanting to be gawked at like a monkey, pulled Ning Xiaoning's hand and walked forward. Uncle Wen, with his thick skin, followed as if nothing had happened. After all, his relationship with the two girls was already well-known, so there was no need to keep a distance at school.

"Um, Xu Yao, someone just called me a freak, tone-deaf, and stupid. Did you hear that?"

Xu Yao let out a light "ah" and twisted uncomfortably. "I didn't hear anything. Did you, Ning Ning?"

Ning Xiaoning tried hard not to laugh. "No, I didn't hear a word!"

"That's right, we didn't hear anything. It must have been your imagination. Wen Liang, you're not normal. You need to see a doctor."

Wen Liang was so angry, but he was no ordinary person. From the few words he heard, he could guess the general idea. He sang softly, "Willing to stay by your side, willing to never forget, I open the window of love, but see a long, dark, and desolate night,

Ask you if you would let my heart be hurt..."

Ning Xiaoning's eyes lit up, clearly moved by Wen Liang's singing. She seemed to understand something, looked at Xu Yao, and suddenly asked, "You've heard him sing, right?"

Xu Yao bit her lower lip, her eyes misty, remembering the love song he had sung by the reservoir and in the alley. She sighed softly and said, "No, I'm hearing it for the first time. It's really bad, really bad!"