Chapter 3

A world that seemed familiar, yet strange.

Silently sitting on the sofa for a long time, Zhao Fusheng finally confirmed the result.

Picking up the mirror on the coffee table, he looked at himself in it.

His skin was not the kind of fair that cream-faced young men have, but rather a dark tone similar to that of Tony Leung Ka-fai. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a straight nose, the very image of himself at twenty.

He remembered that when Tony Leung Ka-fai was at the height of his popularity, his wife had pointed at the TV and said that she had liked him back then because he looked so much like Tony Leung Ka-fai.

However, as time passed, the intense feelings had faded, and what remained between the two of them was only the coldness that followed the passion.

"Guo Guo, you're crying."

Fan Beibei was held in Zhao Fusheng's arms. Seeing her big brother, who had just chased away the bad guys, suddenly shed tears, she raised her small hands with great effort and gently wiped the tears from his eyes.

"It's okay, big brother is just happy," Zhao Fusheng said softly to Beibei.

In his memory, this girl should be either three or four years old, but because it had been so long, he couldn't quite remember.

Time is the most terrifying thing in the world, always able to silently erase the beauty and pain deep in our memories. Years ago, the sun was just right. Waking up from a dream, one forgets all the troubles. Time flies, and the young gradually grow old. In the dim and dark outside the window, who wakes up with you?

The red that occasionally appeared in the darkness, reflecting the hands that opened and closed, all these things, like smoke from the past. We always live in a web of contradictions, unable to escape, day after day, year after year.

This is life. It may not be what you want, but it is certainly what you have brought upon yourself.

Since you are here, make the best of it.

Holding the little girl in his arms, Zhao Fusheng consoled himself.

...

...

Not long after, Mother Zhao came in, took Fan Beibei, and sent her back to the Fan family. Then she turned to look at her son.

"How did you come back?"

It wasn't the weekend today, and her son's sudden return home really surprised Mother Zhao.

Of course, she wouldn't say that when her son beat up the thug who had pushed her, she felt so proud.

They say raising a son is for old age. In Mother Zhao's simple worldview, raising a son was for the sake of having someone to stand up for her when needed. Otherwise, why would she have gone through the trouble of carrying him for ten months?

"Um..." Zhao Fusheng hesitated. He couldn't tell his mother that he thought he was dreaming and ran out of school.

If he really said that, his parents would definitely give him a mixed double.

"Alright, if you're back, just stay at home tonight and go back to school tomorrow morning," Mother Zhao said indifferently.

Since Zhao Fusheng had been admitted to Ninghai Normal University, he had rarely stayed at home except on weekends.

Zhao Fusheng nodded repeatedly. He needed to think about what to do next, so he naturally agreed to his mother's arrangement.

"By the way, do you like Beibei?"

The next moment, Mother Zhao's words almost made Zhao Fusheng jump.

"Mom, what are you talking about? I have no interest in her," Zhao Fusheng shook his head like a rattle drum.

What a joke. Apart from her pretty face, what was there to like about Fan Beibei?

Fan Beibei, the eldest daughter of the Fan family, had been Zhao Fusheng's nightmare since childhood.

In Zhao Fusheng's own words, his childhood with Fan Beibei was a living history of blood and tears.

When he first started elementary school, every time Zhao Fusheng went to school with Fan Beibei, he had to be exploited, helping her with her homework, carrying her backpack, and even doing the cleaning after school.

If he didn't, Fan Beibei would pitifully report to his parents, saying that Zhao Fusheng was bullying her.

As a result, he would either get a beating from his father, his mother, or both.

In junior high school, Zhao Fusheng became Fan Beibei's little follower. Even when someone had a crush on him, they had to hand the love letter to her first, as Fan Beibei put it, for "review."

Finally, after the high school entrance exam, Fan Beibei performed poorly and scored more than thirty points lower than him. Zhao Fusheng thought he could finally escape, but on the day of enrollment, he was shocked to find that Fan Beibei had become an art student.

His miserable life began again.

It wasn't until both of them were admitted to Ninghai Normal University and Ninghai Film Academy, respectively, that Zhao Fusheng's miserable life came to an end.

In his memory, Li Yuan had disappeared with Fan Beibei, and Fan Dad had also vanished. Fan Beibei had struggled in the entertainment industry for many years and eventually achieved success.

Of course, her connection with Zhao Fusheng had been severed. Occasionally, he would see her in entertainment news.

Perhaps, she had already forgotten about her childhood playmate.

"What are you thinking about?"

Mother Zhao's voice startled Zhao Fusheng, and he quickly shook his head. "Mom, don't say that. I won't like that crazy woman, Fan Beibei."

"This child, still holding a grudge against Beibei for bullying you," Mother Zhao said with a smile. "Have you ever thought that if you hadn't pulled down her skirt in kindergarten, Beibei wouldn't have hated you so much?"

Cough, cough...

Zhao Fusheng coughed dryly, his face as red as a big apple.

That's right. The reason Fan Beibei bullied Zhao Fusheng so much was that in kindergarten, he had pulled down her skirt to verify the differences between boys and girls.

That time, Zhao Fusheng had tasted the pain of a mixed double for the first time.

This dark history was something he never wanted to recall, and it was also why Zhao Fusheng had always endured Fan Beibei's bullying.

A real man doesn't fight with women.

Zhao Fusheng often consoled himself with this.

"Son, I know what you're thinking, but this time you were a bit rash. Beibei is a good girl, but her father is a real scoundrel..." Mother Zhao started nagging again, basically thinking that Zhao Fusheng shouldn't have rashly taken on the Fan family's debt.

Although Zhao Fusheng wanted to explain, he didn't know where to start. He couldn't tell his mother that he thought he was dreaming when he made those bold statements.

If he really said that, his mother would probably break his legs.

The problem now was that Zhao Fusheng had made a promise to the debt collectors to pay them in a month. When they couldn't find Fan Jian, Fan Beibei's father, they would definitely come to the Zhao family.

People back then were very simple. Once a promise was made, it had to be kept.

More importantly, Zhao Fusheng knew that Fan Jian would disappear without a trace. If he didn't help, how could Li Yuan, a lonely woman, pay off the debt?

But even for Zhao Fusheng, earning 50,000 yuan in a short time was not easy.

Simply put, the internet that Zhao Fusheng was familiar with had not yet developed in China, so the timing was not right.

Furthermore, with his current student status and the external environment, if he told his parents he wanted to drop out of school to do business, his mother would beat him until he didn't recognize himself.

Most importantly, having finally returned to his youthful days, Zhao Fusheng really didn't want to waste this time. This was the most beautiful period of his life. Perhaps one day he might achieve success, but looking back, would he regret not telling the girl he liked that he loved her, or not trying the things he wanted to try?

Life is about having some pursuits.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Fusheng was about to speak when the door opened, and his father, Zhao Aiguo, walked in.

"Fusheng, why are you back?"

Seeing his son, Zhao Aiguo blurted out.

He worked at a beer factory in the city, and his son usually only came home on weekends. Today was only Wednesday, and he instinctively felt that his son must have caused trouble at school.

Seeing his father's face darken, ready to beat him if he couldn't explain, Zhao Fusheng quickly nudged his mother, hoping she would save him.

Thankfully, Mother Zhao understood her son's intention and explained what had happened today, proudly adding, "When my son saw me being pushed down, he beat that scoundrel until he cried for his father. The neighbors all praised our Fusheng for being righteous."

No matter what, her son had made her proud today, even though taking on the debt was a bit foolish.

Father Zhao nodded and looked at Zhao Fusheng. "Not bad, knowing how to stand up for your mother. You just hit too lightly. Next time, aim for the joints..."

"Uh," Zhao Fusheng hesitated but still nodded obediently.

He was now more aware of his father's brutality.

"But, since you've decided to take on the Fan family's debt, have you thought about whether you can handle it?" Father Zhao looked at his son and slowly spoke.

"Father, I was impulsive at the time. Actually, I..." Zhao Fusheng opened his mouth to explain.

But at that moment, Mother Zhao said something that shocked Zhao Fusheng completely.

"Your father, don't you understand? Fusheng did it for Beibei."

Mother Zhao said to her husband, "Fan Jian, that scoundrel, has gambled away all the family savings and run away, supposedly to the south. Today, those people said they wanted Beibei to pay off the debt by working in a nightclub. What do you think they want?"

Father Zhao was stunned, then looked at his son, who was blushing from "shyness," and nodded after a moment. "If that's the case, we can't just let that girl fall into that trap."

After all, they had known her since she was a child. If they watched Fan Beibei go to a nightclub, they would feel guilty.

More importantly, if their son really liked Fan Beibei, the 50,000 yuan was something the Zhao family could afford.

Zhao Fusheng's face was red not from shyness but from frustration. He didn't know how to explain his rebirth to his parents. Just as he was about to say he had been impulsive, his mother's next words completely stunned him.

Mother Zhao looked at her hesitant husband and said softly, "And Li Yuan told me she wants Beibei to be engaged to Fusheng. The 50,000 yuan will be our dowry."

Thud!

Zhao Fusheng fell off the sofa to the ground.

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