Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 117

In short, Qiu Shanglin said some things against her will. By the end, she didn't even know what she was saying anymore. Suddenly, she fell silent as something soft pressed against her lips, blocking her from making any sound.

Perhaps it was the scorching sun that made her dizzy, but then she thought, "Oh no, he's assaulted me again..." Her mind went blank, she didn't know where she was, what she was doing, or what she was thinking...

After the kiss, Li Changsheng pulled back slightly, licked his lips, and was satisfied to see Qiu Shanglin looking dazed, her lips slightly parted, red and moist. He smiled and said, "You just ate some pea shoots in soup."

The usually quiet Little Wine Immortal on the rooftop suddenly screamed: "You pervert!"

The goldfish in the fish tank swam around, swishing its tail, watching curiously as a girl in a white dress chased a boy with a big stick. The two circled the fish tank again and again, and the goldfish's little eyes followed them, turning and turning until it got dizzy.

Mother-in-law

The sky over Zifang Town suddenly darkened, with heavy, dark clouds overhead, like tattered cotton wool stained with dirty engine oil and placed under a tractor, hanging heavily above people's heads.

The people of Zifang Town weren't surprised. July weather is unpredictable, changing in an instant. Housewives hurriedly brought in their laundry, while passersby rushed along, either seeking shelter from the rain or hurrying home. Li Changsheng remained calm, walking unhurriedly beside Shanglin. When the first raindrop fell, he opened his large black umbrella, firmly protecting the two of them.

Sun Yihan stood behind them, holding a floral umbrella all by herself.

Her umbrella was very fashionable, a Paradise brand, light green, printed with many small flowers. Usually, when walking in the rain, it would always attract envious glances from girls. However, at this moment, Sun Yihan felt that this floral umbrella was too frivolous.

Sun Yihan frowned, her gaze never leaving the two people in front of her.

The black umbrella was large enough to cover the two of them from getting wet. Li Changsheng held the umbrella by the handle, tilting it slightly towards Qiu Shanglin. To keep him dry, Qiu Shanglin clung tightly to his forearm.

Sun Yihan hadn't felt frustrated or powerless for a long time. At least not since she was sixteen. However, in Zifang Town, she deeply experienced the order in which the words "frustration" and "powerlessness" are written.

After many years, Hung Fook Shopping Mall still stands, but it no longer has the bustling scene of yesteryear. There are no longer any vendors inside, only small food stalls, bathhouses, and barbershops, all scattered and disorganized.

They turned into a ramen shop. Sun Yihan's gaze swept over the greasy tables and chairs and the owner who was idly swatting flies, and she frowned slightly.

Li Changsheng expertly pulled out a stack of cheap napkins, wiped a chair dry, and Qiu Shanglin sat down naturally, inviting her, "Yihan, come sit down."

Sun Yihan forced herself to sit down despite feeling unwell.

She whispered, "Don't let the unpleasant environment fool you, their Lanzhou noodles are absolutely amazing, Changsheng loves them the most! Although you can get them to go, they get soggy at home, they don't taste as good as when you eat them fresh."

"Really? Then I'll have to give it a try!" She said with great interest. "Chang Sheng is a picky eater. He even complains about his aunt's cooking. It's rare to find something that suits his taste."

Qiu Shanglin smiled with pursed lips, and Sun Yihan also maintained a perfect smile, but inwardly she mocked herself: "Saying one thing and meaning another, I really am a natural-born actress." She clearly hated this environment, but had to pretend to like it; she clearly felt like her heart was bleeding when she saw the two of them, but had to remain calm.

Qiu Shanglin sighed inwardly, thinking that in the art of acting, she was probably second to none, if not the best. When it came to reading between the lines and being shrewd, she had more experience than the average person. Sun Yihan was playing games in front of her, truly a case of Qiu Shanglin pretending to be stupid, and Confucius reciting the Analects.

She was carefree and didn't take this little girl's trick of stealing her boyfriend to heart. Subconsciously, she felt that Sun Yihan was not on her level.

"Boss, three bowls of ramen to eat right away. One without cilantro, extra salt and less chili, and one with extra chili. Oh, and I want bird's eye chilies." Li Changsheng instructed the boss with practiced ease, and the boss smiled and left.

Sun Yihan smiled on the surface, but felt very uncomfortable inside.

Two of the three ramen orders had specific requests. What about mine?

Li Changsheng, didn't you ever think about what I like to eat and what I don't like to eat?

Life, in the end, is made up of trivial, everyday things. These things may seem insignificant, but when they happen to you, you can ponder them over and over again.

From the first day she arrived in Zifang Town until today, even if only three things happened each day, Sun Yihan would ponder them three hundred times. Lying on the bed in the guest room of the Qiu family's house at night, unable to sleep, she would lie awake thinking about it. The ceiling was pale blue, the same color as the sky. As night fell, half a star chart filled the sky, the stars twinkling—don't misunderstand, the Qiu family doesn't hold nudist parties. The star chart that Shang Lin specially bought and pasted on the ceiling, its effect invisible during the day, but glowing at night, as if one were in the open air, peaceful and serene.

Human desires are insatiable; the more one gains, the more dissatisfied one becomes.

Back in the South, Sun Yihan could never get close to Li Changsheng's life. He was always aloof, polite and courteous, but never considered her a friend. In Changsheng's eyes, she was nothing more than his mentor's daughter, an art gallery employee, and the daughter of a family friend his mother favored. No matter how hard Sun Yihan tried, she could never enter Li Changsheng's truly private life.

He showed her how he painted, discussed painting techniques with her, and promised his aunt that they would have occasional meals together. But she never saw Li Changsheng groggily reaching for water in the refrigerator after getting up; she didn't know that he snored and talked in his sleep; she didn't know that he laughed heartily and had a cavity in his innermost tooth; he liked to sleep with soft blankets, and his pillow had to be high and firm, with a silk pillowcase, otherwise he would have nightmares; he had to drink a bowl of hot soup before meals, piping hot; he would get an upset stomach if he ate fruit within half an hour after meals; he always started tying his shoelaces from his right foot first... All these little details, even for a married couple, might remain unknown to each other for a lifetime.

At first, she didn't pay any attention.

She was concerned about Qiu Shanglin, but discovered that Qiu Shanglin knew almost all of Li Changsheng's little habits. She didn't do it intentionally, but she was always attentive and accommodating to his habits.

This is where she falls short of Qiu Shanglin. She lacks over a decade of living and working together. Sun Yihan bit her lip, thinking resentfully, "So what? No matter how careful you are, how well you understand each other, how much tacit understanding you have, you're practically family. But family and wife are different, after all."

Recalling the recent harmonious moments between the two, and then thinking about Qiu Xialin's occasional deliberate provocations and embellishments, Sun Yihan closed her eyes and silently recited: I am number one, I am the one who shines...

The soundproofing in the Qiu family's rooms was excellent, and all was quiet in the darkness. Sun Yihan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, when she suddenly heard Qiu Shanglin turn on the light in the next room and tiptoe into the living room, seemingly making a phone call, though she couldn't tell who he was calling. Then, the door closed, and the room fell silent again.

She got up and found the living room and bedroom empty. Looking down from the balcony, she saw lights still on downstairs and heard laughter.

She bit her lower lip tightly, unwilling, truly unwilling.

In the Li family's living room, the crystal chandelier shone brightly, and a midnight movie on TV was showing a gunfight drama, a lonely yet lively spectacle that never stopped, but unfortunately, no one cared about it.

Shanglin wore linen pajamas, with capri pants revealing a section of her fair calves. Barefoot, she curled up on the sofa, occupying the largest and most comfortable spot by herself, while her younger brother and Changsheng sat on the floor. A purplish-red grape and a bright green imported raisin were served on an agate plate, along with a pot of rose tea and several small snacks, accompanying them through the long night.

The college entrance exam results would be released in a few days. Shanglin couldn't sleep, so he came to bother Xialin and Changsheng. Coincidentally, they were also awake, so the three of them set up a long line and had a great time.

"I estimate my score to be around 700 points. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to get into a top university," Shang Lin said, peeling a sweet and juicy grape and putting it in his mouth.

Xia Lin flat-lipped, disliking to bring up this matter.

Changsheng then asked, "Where do you plan to apply?"

She smiled slyly: "It's not decided yet. Who knows, I might go to Harvard or Cambridge and become a returned overseas student."

"Virtue!" Changsheng scoffed.

"If you dare to go out, I'll immediately take Xia Lin and teach him to be bad, to eat, drink, gamble, and smoke." He had figured it out and was no longer afraid, so he threatened.

Shanglin chuckled and shook his head repeatedly, unable to do anything about it.

Don't assume that one kiss sealed your fate. Qiu Shanglin is never one to be fooled. Qiu Xialin described his sister as having "a heart of stone, as vicious as a snake, and unyielding to either soft or hard approaches." He advised Changsheng to be careful around her and not to be forceful, lest he anger her and cause a complete mess.

Li Changsheng was initially very uneasy. After learning of her intention to go abroad, he was eager to seize the opportunity and get married right now, making it a fait accompli before he felt at ease. However, Qiu Xialin and Gu Zhiyuan patiently analyzed the situation, dissecting Qiu Shanglin's family background and personality traits meticulously, leaving no room for error. He eventually realized that their advice made sense.

The situation was obvious. The older generation, from Qiu Shanglin's grandparents to Qiu Qin and the younger generation in Qiujia Village, all believed that their relationship was a done deal, an undeniable fact. Shanglin's maternal grandmother was even more straightforward, holding his hand and saying that she only recognized him as her grandson-in-law in this lifetime.

Qiu Xialin, needless to say, had been convinced of his brother-in-law since childhood.

Zhang Hongwei and Qiu Jianguo outwardly remained indifferent, but inwardly they were quite pleased. Zhang Hongwei secretly told Changsheng, "No matter how much trouble Shanglin is causing, if you're really worried, just chase after her abroad. If you're still worried, just leave her here—as long as my daughter is healthy and happy by my side, I'll pretend I didn't see any of the methods you use."

Changsheng was deeply moved. This mother-in-law was so righteous, so open-minded, and so understanding!

We've already breached the enemy's defenses, so why worry about not being able to take them down? The eggs are already in the basket; the remaining question is how to get her to willingly submit, not to fight to the death.

Having figured this out, he was no longer in a hurry. There wasn't much to do back home, so he simply put aside everything in the south and focused on staying in Zifang Town to pursue his wife. He adopted a close-monitoring tactic, keeping a 24-hour close watch on her, absolutely not letting her cause any trouble under his nose.

You want to go abroad? I won't stop you.

But going abroad requires procedures, right? Zhang Hongwei couldn't get the household registration book out, Xia Lin hid the ID card, and he secretly changed the lock on the drawer where the bankbook was kept. He coldly watched her running around anxiously, pretending to be innocent.

Actually, Shanglin wasn't oblivious. She wasn't a wooden person, insensitive to temperature changes. Who doesn't like to be valued and cared for? Li Changsheng's feelings hadn't changed over the years; even a stone would have warmed up by now.

I was moved by his tireless efforts and quite tempted. The reason I refused to agree was partly because I was too proud to admit it, and partly because I felt frustrated.

This isn't child's play. She so resolutely rejected him back then, chased him away, and said so many decisive things. To suddenly reconcile and go back to him is just too much to ask. Besides, she's also a little indifferent to the existence of this beautiful woman, Sun Yihan. She was living a perfectly good life, and then suddenly this "lovestruck fool" appears—anyone would grumble in that situation.

What's going on here?!

You said you liked me, but you brought back someone who likes you, and they're always watching you closely. What kind of relationship involves three people?

A loves B, B loves C, and C is a mutated daffodil. They are stuck in a stalemate, pretending nothing is wrong, and the stalemate cannot be resolved.

They couldn't stay in the north forever. Soon the college entrance exam results were released. Shanglin and Changsheng both exceeded the first-tier university cutoff and were fully capable of getting into good universities. Xialin, however, was in a bit of trouble, hovering around the second-tier university cutoff. The teacher said that if things didn't go well, they might have to go to a vocational college.

Shang Lin was furious. What do you mean he might end up in a vocational college if things go wrong? I've worked so hard to raise him for so many years, not just to send my brother to a vocational college!

When she got home, she neither said a word nor scolded anyone. She locked herself in her bedroom for two hours, and when she came out, she looked completely nonchalant to Xia Lin and her parents who were worried about her.

“It’s okay, I’ve thought it through. I’ll apply to schools in Beijing, and the same goes for Xialin—I won’t apply to second-tier universities, I’ll apply directly to third-tier universities. There’s a third-tier university with a cooperative program with an international partner, three years in China and one year abroad, you can go there.”

She refused to believe that she couldn't fulfill her dream of studying abroad!

Qiu Xia Lin was dejected, worried that his sister would make him go back to repeat his studies. Upon hearing this, he was overjoyed, jumped up, hugged his sister, spun her around three times, and shouted excitedly, "Long live sister! Long live Qiu Shang Lin!"

Shanglin broke out in a cold sweat, slapping his shoulder repeatedly: "Put me down, put me down!" Still shaken, he rolled his eyes and said, "You scared me to death! You're not young anymore, why are you acting like a child!"

Zhang Hongwei laughed at them: "Don't talk about him. Even if you grow up to be eighty, you'll still be a child in front of me and your dad!"

Shanglin refused: "Mom...!"