Don't Say You're Heartless (Modern Edition)

15 Recognition

The next morning, Shen Qiuhua used the excuse of having lost her original phone to ask Shen's mother for the contact information of her classmates. Shen's mother actually found it. Upon checking, she surprisingly discovered the phone number of Fanren Zhu.

Fanren Zhu is of course a nickname. His real name is Zhu Feifan, though no one knows how he ended up being called Fanren Zhu. Looking at this name, Shen Qiuhua couldn't help but feel both amused and frustrated.

When she called, Fanren Zhu immediately acted like a sycophant hoping for the favor of a goddess. Upon hearing that she was inquiring about Lu Shaojie, he spilled all the information he knew.

Lu Shaojie and Shen Qiuhua had been classmates since elementary school through junior high and high school—essentially childhood sweethearts. He wasn't very talkative but was upright and loyal, earning a lot of respect among his peers. His academic performance had always been good, but he had one major flaw: he loved to fight. He would act impulsively when provoked. There was a story about a time in middle school when he got into a fight and brandished a watermelon knife. No one dared intervene, and it was Shen Qiuhua who stepped in front of him and snatched the knife away. After that, anyone who had any romantic notions about Shen Qiuhua would have to first get through him. As a result, word spread around the school that Shen Qiuhua had a protector, and not many dared to approach her.

During the summer break of their sophomore year, Shen Qiuhua did some tutoring. On her way home one night, she encountered a group of local ruffians. Just as she was about to be bullied, Lu Shaojie came to her rescue. The ruffians, relying on their numbers, refused to let them leave, and during the scuffle, Shen Qiuhua was slapped. This completely enraged Lu Shaojie, who always carried a knife with him. He fought mercilessly, ultimately causing one of the attackers to lose an arm and become disabled. The attackers reported him to the police, and Lu Shaojie was sentenced to two years in prison for excessive self-defense.

Hearing these stories made Shen Qiuhua feel a mixture of emotions. She had learned from Fanren Zhu that Lu Shaojie was the man who had wanted to take her home yesterday. It finally dawned on her why that man's eyes had held such a worldly sorrow.

Having gotten Lu Shaojie's number, Shen Qiuhua hesitated for a while before dialing it.

"If you're unsure, we can talk to him later," Yang Qiong said. Although she understood, she didn't feel comfortable about it in her heart.

Shen Qiuhua shook her head. "This matter shouldn't be delayed any longer. If these things were my experience, I should have made them clear from the start. Whether it's love or indifference, I need to make things clear with him. What I owe Lu Shaojie is a debt of gratitude, not emotional entanglement."

"Qiuhua, do you really have to be this calm?" Yang Qiong remarked, holding her forehead. It was strange how Shen Qiuhua spoke about her own situation like that.

"Maybe because these events didn't happen to me personally. I'm an observer, so I can see more clearly." After a moment of silence, she finally dialed the number. When the call connected, she greeted him and stepped out of the room, clearly not wanting Yang Qiong to overhear her conversation.

Yang Qiong felt annoyed but couldn't follow her outside. So she leaned against the door to listen closely, but she couldn't hear anything. Just when she was considering how to pretend to casually walk past, Shen Qiuhua walked back in. They were both startled as Yang Qiong had been leaning against the door.

"Can't you act a bit more seriously?" If Shen Qiuhua hadn't been raised so well, she might have rolled her eyes.

"I was worried about you," Yang Qiong said nonchalantly as she sat on the bed. "Did you make an appointment with him?"