Ch. 1261..1270
Chapter 1261: 1260 to settle accounts with Wu Hao
“Ah?” the police officer was taken aback, “Are graduate students this young nowadays?”
Tan Rou smiled but did not answer the question and instead asked the officer how the Wu Family members would be dealt with, “Comrade officer, I remember causing a disturbance in a hospital is a serious offense, I wonder how they will be handled?”
The officer said, “Creating a disturbance in a hospital involves a detention of 15 days and a fine of 500 yuan per person. If the victim decides to sue, their detention could be extended.”
Tan Rou did actually want to sue them, but since the person who ended up injured was from the Wu family and each person’s injuries were not minor, even if it went before a judge, it might not result in a sentence, and it’s possible the judge might even ask Tan Rou to withdraw the charges.
“Then is there a way to have them stay in detention for a few more days?” Tan Rou asked.
The officer sternly replied, “Madam, we are the police and can only act according to the rules, we cannot arbitrarily extend someone’s detention.”
Tan Rou had to let it be, “Alright, however many days they can be detained, let it be. If they cause trouble again once they’re out, I can send them back in.”
The officer wanted to say not to start fights or cause disturbances, the people from the Wu family did need a lesson, so he changed his tone, “In life, one must protect their own safety and avoid impulsiveness as much as possible. If you do encounter danger, remember to call the police.”
Tan Rou obediently responded, “Alright, comrade officer.”
The officer handcuffed the Wu family members, but since the Wu family members were unable to speak, this would cause trouble during their interrogation, so he asked, “What’s the matter with their throats?”
Tan Rou replied, “That was also caused by a unique skill of mine. If my colleague officer wants them to speak, I can make them talk right now.”
The officer thought for a moment, “We’ll talk about it at the police station. You need to come with us and give a statement.”
Tan Rou was already very familiar with this process, having to visit the police station several times a year, to the point where she nearly knew all the police officers in Capital.
“Comrade officer, I can go to the police station with you, but before that, I need to see someone else,” Tan Rou requested, “Can you wait for me to finish talking?”
The police officer wasn’t in any rush, so he said, “I’ll give you ten minutes, can you finish in that time?”
Tan Rou asked, “Could I have twenty minutes?”
The officer considered it for a moment and nodded, “Alright, make it quick.”
Once permitted, Tan Rou immediately went to find Wu Hao; she had a good relationship with the hospital’s director, so it was very easy for her to find someone in the hospital.
Wu Hao was staying in a rather ordinary six-person room, the conditions weren’t great, but they weren’t the worst either.
When Tan Rou entered, Wu Hao was eating fruit, fed to him by a young woman.
“Hao Hao, eat one more,” the woman said.
Wu Hao reluctantly ate another, then asked the woman to take the food away, “Sister, stop feeding me; I don’t want to eat this.”
The woman took out another food item, “How about we eat this then?”
Before Wu Hao could respond, Tan Rou interjected, “Excuse me, can the two of you stop feeding him for a while? I have something to discuss with Wu Hao.”
As a student of Capital University, Wu Hao knew who Tan Rou was and asked, “What do you want from me?”
Tan Rou pulled up a chair and sat down, “I want to talk to you about compensation.”
Thinking that his dad and aunt had handled Li Li, Wu Hao happily said, “Speak, how much are you planning to pay?”
Tan Rou could tell Wu Hao had misunderstood, but she chose not to clarify, “500,000 yuan each, totalling 500,000 yuan.”
Wu Hao did some quick math and found something amiss, “What do you mean 500,000 each?”
Tan Rou pointed at Wu Hao, “You injured Li Li, so you owe Li Li 500,000 yuan. Your aunt kicked Lan Ning, so you also need to pay Lan Ning 500,000 yuan. That adds up to exactly 500,000 yuan.”
Wu Hao, only focusing on the money, completely overlooked the part about Lan Ning’s injury, he yelled, “Why should I pay you 500,000 yuan? You should be the ones paying me!”
Tan Rou did not argue with him; she simply smiled and said, “Since you are unwilling to pay, I guess I’ll just have to have your family members stay at the police station a bit longer.”
Chapter 1262: 1261 eats fruit
“Did you call the police?” Wu Hao sat up abruptly from the bed and demanded, “On what grounds did you call the police? I’m the one who got injured the most. The doctor said my leg and foot might take a year to recover. It’s all because of that annoying woman. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been hurt so badly.”
Tan Rou remained calm as ever, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair, quietly listening to Wu Hao’s complaints against Li Li. Once Wu Hao had finished, she then spoke.
“500,000, not a penny less.” Tan Rou said with a gentle smile, “Your relatives have already been taken away by the police. If you want them out earlier, hurry up and pay the compensation. After that, I’ll explain to the police that this was all a misunderstanding so that they’ll release your relatives sooner.”
Wu Hao looked towards the doorway and then called his dad, but nobody answered. So he tried calling his mom. She did answer, but she was crying as soon as she picked up the phone.
“Son, something terrible has happened. The police have taken your dad away,” Wu Hao’s mother said between sobs.
Wu Hao’s first reaction wasn’t concern that his dad had been taken away by the police, but whether his dad and the others had taught Li Li a lesson.
Wu Hao’s mother cried even harder. “How could you be so heartless? Your father has been taken away by the police, and all you care about is whether he did what you asked. It breaks my heart.”
Wu Hao said impatiently, “Mom, can you stop crying? Every time you cry, it really annoys me. Besides, what else can you do apart from crying? Can you do something actually helpful?”
Wu Hao’s words enraged his mother. She scolded him, “You heartless child, we regret having you!”
Wu Hao didn’t want to listen anymore and hung up the phone.
Wu Hao’s cousin asked, “Hao Hao, what’s going on? Did something happen to Uncle and the others?”
Wu Hao glared at her without saying a word.
Tan Rou was short on time and couldn’t keep waiting for Wu Hao to lose his temper, so she spoke up to remind him, “How do you plan to pay the money? In installments or all at once?”
Anger surged in Wu Hao’s heart, and he grabbed a piece of fruit from nearby and hurled it at Tan Rou, “I won’t pay anything!”
Tan Rou didn’t dodge. She sat there straight as a piece of cantaloupe hit her squarely.
Wu Hao was somewhat pleased, “Not bad, my aim is quite good, got it in one shot.”
Tan Rou brushed the cantaloupe off of herself and then said, “You were the first one to act again, this time.”
Wu Hao replied, “You could throw the cantaloupe back at me.”
Tan Rou stood up, picked up the cantaloupe from the floor, and walked over to Wu Hao’s bedside, saying, “Thank you for offering me the cantaloupe, but I don’t like it, so I might as well give it back to you.”
Before Wu Hao and his cousin could react, Tan Rou grabbed Wu Hao’s chin with one hand and started stuffing cantaloupe into his mouth with the other. Wu Hao tried to push Tan Rou’s hand away, but she didn’t give him the chance, pressing on several of his pressure points until he couldn’t move.
Seeing her brother being treated like this, Wu Hao’s cousin immediately came over to intervene, “Let go of him!”
Tan Rou’s eyes shifted, pushing away Wu Hao’s cousin, then continued to stuff fruit into Wu Hao’s mouth. Everyone else in the same room was stupefied, wondering what was happening. Wasn’t there anyone to intervene?
The on-duty doctor had already seen the situation through the surveillance but didn’t dare to intervene; after all, Tan Rou was the hospital director’s business partner—who would risk offending her?
As for Wu Hao, one could only say he brought this upon himself. If he hadn’t gone looking for trouble with others, how could they have come to deal with him like this?
“Cough, cough, cough.” The time had come, and the police entered the room. Upon entering, they saw Tan Rou feeding Wu Hao fruit, and he didn’t seem to want to eat it. The officer couldn’t directly stop Tan Rou but instead coughed twice as a reminder.
Tan Rou stopped and said with a smile, “Officer, this student here asked me to feed him fruit. He promised that if I did, he’d never bother my friend again. For my friend’s sake, I had to do this.”
Wu Hao couldn’t speak, but his cousin could, “Don’t listen to her nonsense, she’s the one insisting on stuffing fruit into my brother’s mouth!”
Chapter 1263: 1262 Take a good rest
The police shifted their gaze to Tan Rou and asked, “Why did you stuff fruit into Wu Hao’s mouth?”
Tan Rou pointed to her long-sleeved shirt and replied, “Officer, just now he threw fruit at me, so I thought he wanted me to feed him, that’s why I did it. If he doesn’t want to eat it, then forget it.”
The officer asked casually, “Is that how it was?”
Wu Hao’s sister would definitely not nod in agreement. She hurriedly said, “No, she’s lying. She was the one forcefully stuffing fruit into my brother’s mouth, and my brother did not ask her to feed him any fruit.”
“What about the fruit stains on me?” Tan Rou retorted, “Surely I didn’t place fruit on myself on purpose. You know, this shirt of mine is worth 50,000 yuan, do you think I would dirty it?”
Wu Hao’s cousin originally wanted to make trouble for Tan Rou, but when she heard her mention wearing a shirt worth 50,000 yuan, she stopped in her tracks. “Officer, you must stand up for us! My brother is lying in bed already, how could he threaten her?”
The officer, not wishing to hear them argue, asked a nearby patient, “You tell me, what exactly happened just now? Who started it?”
The patient pointed at Wu Hao and said, “This guy first threw a cantaloupe at that young woman. She didn’t do anything else, just stuffed a few pieces of fruit in his mouth.”
Wu Hao’s cousin felt that the patient was talking nonsense and hurriedly said, “Officer, don’t listen to his rambling. He must have been paid by this woman; otherwise, why would he falsely accuse my brother?”
The officer, annoyed by the loud woman, shouted, “I have my own mouth and ears. I will investigate what actually happened, and I don’t need you to tell me! If you keep making noise, I’ll take you to the police station for obstructing official duties. We’ve caught so many people today; one more won’t make a difference.”
With a smile, Tan Rou added, “Officer, the few people you just caught and these two are from the same family.”
The officer had already investigated, so he didn’t have a high opinion of the Wu family members. “Hmm, I know that.”
At first, Wu Hao’s cousin thought Tan Rou was deliberately deceiving them. How could her uncle, so formidable, be arrested by the police? But now that the officer had confirmed it, it meant her uncle truly had been caught.
“Officer, could there be some misunderstanding inside?” Wu Hao’s cousin softened her tone. “My uncle and the others were going to discuss business with Li Li; how could they have been arrested by you?”
The officer glanced at her and said with a sneer, “You think I don’t know what they did? There were so many witnesses around, and there’s surveillance footage in the corner; the footage of them hitting someone has already been recorded. Even if you don’t admit it, you can’t deny it!”
Wu Hao’s cousin still wanted to argue, but the officer didn’t want to listen anymore. “Shut your mouth. If you dare to say one more word, I’ll arrest you right now!”
Wu Hao’s cousin didn’t speak further, but she was very anxious, so she turned her gaze to Tan Rou, hoping Tan Rou would say something in their favor.
As if she hadn’t seen, Tan Rou pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands and then said to the officer, “Officer, I’ve said everything I wanted to say; can we leave now?”
The officer nodded, “Alright, you may come with us now. If the record-taking goes quickly, you might still make it to your afternoon classes.”
Tan Rou obediently followed behind. As she reached the door, she didn’t forget to bid farewell to Wu Hao. “Senior Wu Hao, even though you hurt my friend and then had your parents and aunt cause trouble for my friend, as your junior, I still hope you recover soon. Rest well, hope you recover quickly, and return to school soon.”
Unable to speak or move, Wu Hao nearly passed out with anger upon hearing Tan Rou’s words.
Laughing, the officer said, “You’re quite caring about a schoolmate, and you have a good personality too, suited for being a police officer. So, are you really not considering changing careers to join the police?”
Tan Rou wasn’t sure of the connection between the two parts of his sentence, but as for the officer’s invitation, she declined politely, “Officer, I’m really sorry, but I like my life as it is now; I don’t want to change my lifestyle.”
The officer nodded, “Alright, I understand. You concentrate on your studies.”
Chapter 1264: 1263 to worship Buddha
A week later, both Li Li and Lan Ning were discharged from the hospital. Li Li’s injuries had almost fully healed, but Lan Ning’s injuries were severe. Her leg bone had cracked, and it would take a long time to recover. But staying in the hospital was useless for her; she could only go home and recover slowly. So, when Li Li was discharged, Lan Ning left with her.
Originally, Lan Ning was supposed to take care of Li Li, but now that Li Li was healed, it was she who had ended up with a limping leg, and it became Li Li’s turn to take care of her.
Liang Lu felt that recently, many unfortunate things had been happening. If it wasn’t herself in bad luck, it was Lan Ning and Li Li suffering. Last time, there was even the incident of Tian Tian being kidnapped. If things continued like this, Tan Rou would probably be the next one to face misfortune. Thus, she wanted to organize a gathering and then they could all go to the temple to worship Buddha and pray for safety.
“Worship Buddha?” Li Li, knowing Liang Lu’s idea, smiled and said, “Liang Lu, aren’t you too superstitious? Do you really think that we won’t face any troubles after praying to Buddha?”
Liang Lu, being in the entertainment industry where most people were superstitious, had been influenced as well. “Well, there are some things you just have to believe. Last time, a celebrity told me that she often dreamed about being chased in her dreams. She went to the temple, donated some money, made a wish, and after she came back, she never had those nightmares again.”
Li Li wasn’t keen on going. “I am a staunch materialist; I absolutely don’t believe in gods or demons. Don’t think about swindling money out of me.”
Liang Lu said, “I’ll handle the donation. You just come and take a walk at the temple. I’ve heard that this temple is also very effective in matchmaking. Single people who visit there tend to find their other half very quickly.”
Li Li now had some aversion to the idea of finding a partner. If she hadn’t liked to look at handsome men, would she have attracted that lunatic Wu Hao? Although he was still lying in the hospital, it did not lessen Li Li’s hatred for him. If possible, Li Li hoped Wu Hao would stay in the hospital forever.
“I’d rather not find a boyfriend.” Li Li adopted a look of simple desires. “After the incident with Wu Hao, I’ve decided not to seek a boyfriend anymore. I want to study hard, then go for a PhD, and dedicate my life to the academy.”
Liang Lu smiled and said, “Then we should also pray there. I heard that this temple is particularly efficacious for educational aspirations too.”
Tan Rou couldn’t help but laugh, “Who exactly is worshipped in that temple you’re talking about? How come it’s so effective for everything?”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Liang Lu said, “I just heard it from others. I heard that anything can be worshipped there; probably it’s because there are many gods enshrined there.”
While Tan Rou did not believe in ghosts or gods, she still wanted Li Li and the others to go and pray, thinking that seeking psychological comfort was good too.
“Let’s all go together this weekend then,” Tan Rou said. “Ning Ning has difficulty walking, so we can have someone carry her up there.”
“Let General Lu and their team carry Ning Ning up,” Liang Lu arranged. “I also invited the class leader and others; they said they could join us.”
Xu Yan was also pursuing a master’s degree and had officially established a romantic relationship with Shang Jin. It was expected that Xu Yan would get married soon after graduating.
“Then let’s all go together. I’ll also invite Zhuang Liu and my elder brother; it’ll be a good team-building outing,” Tan Rou said.
Tian Tian was very supportive. She really wanted to go out with everyone, but there hadn’t been a chance, other than the time she went skiing with Tan Rou and the others, and they hadn’t gone out as a group since then.
“We’re all busy now, some studying, some working, and we rarely get a chance to gather anymore,” Tian Tian said regretfully. “If we don’t take this opportunity now, we might never have the time again in the future.”
Hearing this, everyone felt a bit upset. Back in school, they spent almost every day together, attending classes and eating meals, but since graduating from college, everyone had their own things to attend to, and they couldn’t gather together as before. Just as Tian Tian had said, if they didn’t meet now, they may not have the opportunity to meet in the future.
“Alright, then let’s all go and pray this weekend!” Li Li raised her hand. “Who wants to join me?”
Several young girls laughed and raised their hands, shouting, “I do!”
Chapter 1265: 1264 Magical Machine
The weather was getting hotter, and the people of the Capital had shed their woolen sweaters and put on lighter sportswear. The sunshine felt neither cold nor warm on their skin.
Saturday was cloudy, making it perfect for mountain climbing, and there was even a breeze in the morning which made it cooler.
The temple Liang Lu talked about was on the mountain, which was not very high. If you climbed the steps, it only took ten minutes. But since Lan Ning’s leg was injured and she had to go up in a wheelchair, someone had to carry her.
Liang Lu initially wanted to have Lu Qing and some other guys carry Lan Ning. It was not until that day she realized that Tan Rou had already made arrangements, so there was no need for Lu Qing and others to exert themselves.
“An automatic stair-climbing wheelchair?” Liang Lu squatted down to examine the wheelchair that looked very sophisticated, “Tan Rou, you didn’t make this, did you?”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “I only provided the design. The production was done in a factory. I thought it would not be ready in time for the trip, so I didn’t mention it.”
Lu Qing moved his arms and said, “I wish I had known about this wheelchair earlier; then I wouldn’t have needed to carry those heavy sandbags up the stairs every day. Director Liang had prepared a 50-kilo sandbag for me to carry up ten floors every day, nearly breaking my legs.”
Liang Lu glared at him, then said, “Isn’t it good for you to train your body? You are either sitting in the office or in the classroom every day. When do you have time to exercise?”
Lu Qing retorted, “I also go to the sports field to run. The school has set a running task; I must run 2.5 kilometers every day.”
While the two were bickering, Tan Rou had already fine-tuned the machine. She said to Lan Ning, “I’ve adjusted the program according to your weight. I also tested it last night. The machine’s stair-climbing speed is not very fast, but it’s stable. You don’t have to worry about falling. We will also follow behind you. If the machine malfunctions, we will carry you down.”
Lan Ning trusted Tan Rou’s technology very much and said, “Okay, let’s start climbing the mountain now.”
Since it was their first hiking trip, Tan Rou did not dare to set the machine’s speed too high but adjusted it to a third of an adult’s walking speed. Then, they slowly followed behind the machine as they climbed.
As it was the weekend, there were many people on the mountain. They could not occupy too much of the stairs, so they divided into two rows and two groups—one group clearing the way ahead and the other keeping an eye on Lan Ning and the machine.
These stairs were about four meters wide, and they occupied a third of them, leaving the rest for other visitors to pass through.
Among the visitors were many elderly people, holding walking sticks, resting frequently as they walked. When this miraculous machine passed by them, it captured their attention.
Elderly people often start to suffer from ailments, and many need a wheelchair in their old age. However, if they have to sit in a wheelchair, moving around becomes very inconvenient, especially when they want to go out. Without someone to push them, they cannot leave their homes.
Sometimes they feel like going to the park, but the park is full of steps, and they can’t maneuver a wheelchair over them, so they often choose to give up on going out.
“Young lady, where did you buy this wheelchair?” An old man with a walking stick came over and asked, “It seems quite practical. Can you recommend one for me, too?”
Lan Ning replied, “I’m sorry, Grandpa, but I didn’t buy this wheelchair. It was made by my friend.”
The old man was a bit disappointed. If it was a custom modification, it probably would not be mass-produced, but he still wanted to try his luck because the wheelchair seemed very practical.
“Then can you give me your friend’s contact information?” the old man asked, “I want to buy one for my older brother, who has been paralyzed for many years. Normally, he can only go outside with someone pushing him. With this wheelchair, he could go anywhere he wants.”
Lan Ning looked back at Tan Rou. Tan Rou nodded and then said, “If you need it, you can leave your contact information. Once our company launches this product, we will notify you.”
The old man was very happy, “Good, I’ll leave you my contact information.”
When he started, the old men and women nearby came over too, each of them wanting to leave their contact information with Tan Rou.
Chapter 1266: In 1265, young people rush forward
Tan Rou was there to have fun, not to discuss work, yet after a few individuals had left their contact details with her, an entire group wanted to do the same, which somewhat annoyed her. Therefore, she took a piece of paper from the bag she was carrying and planned to write something down for these senior citizens.
“This is our company’s official website. If you’re interested, you can take a look,” Tan Rou also considered that these elderly might not know how to access websites, “If you can’t check it, you can pass this website to your children and have them help you look at it.”
The leader, an old grandfather, said, “Young lady, our children aren’t around, and even if you give this to us, we wouldn’t know how to use it. Why don’t you send us something simple like brochures, or perhaps some advertisements?”
The old man’s words reminded Tan Rou that she had always targeted young people as consumers but had forgotten that many senior citizens also need high-tech products, like the robots before, and now the wheelchairs, which were needed by the elderly.
If the children of the elderly aren’t around, and the elderly themselves are relatively wealthy, they could buy these items themselves.
“You are right,” Tan Rou changed her approach to communicate with them, “Well, whenever our company launches a new product, we will advertise it in the daily Capital Morning News. You can look out for it.”
All these people were residents of the Capital, and they indeed had the habit of reading the morning paper, but there were also elderly not from the Capital who might not have the habit of reading the morning paper. So, what should Tan Rou do about them? She didn’t want to think about these issues at the moment.
The old grandfather brought up another issue, “Young lady, could you advertise on short video platforms? Although we are quite old, we still watch videos regularly. If you advertise there, we would definitely see it.”
Tan Rou asked these elderly which video apps they usually used and noted them down, “Alright, I’ve got it. Once the new products are launched, we will advertise on these platforms. But you must remember our company’s name. I’ll write it down for you so that whenever you see an advertisement from our company, you can check it out.”
“Alright, alright,” the old grandfather nodded repeatedly and praised, “Your generation of young people is really impressive! The future development of the country will rely on you all.”
Tan Rou slightly smiled, “We only have the possibility of development because predecessors like you laid the foundation. If our country were still in turmoil, how could we develop?”
The old grandfather waved his hands and said, “No, we are nothing compared to you. When we were young, I didn’t even know what a mobile phone was. Now, there are so many fun things on mobile phones, all invented by you young people. You young people are really the future masters of the country.”
Tan Rou continued, “Grandfather, it’s your generation that’s more important. Without you, there would be no us, and no future.”
The old grandfather wanted to say more praises, but an old grandmother next to him stopped him, “You old man, once you start talking, you never stop. Don’t talk anymore, the kids still have a mountain to climb. It’s okay if you climb slowly by yourself, just don’t hold others back.”
The old grandfather smiled and stored the website Tan Rou had given him, then said, “Go on then, head towards the mountain peak. When you’re young, you should be charging ahead because when you’re old, you won’t be able to move much.”
Looking at these elderly people, Tan Rou suddenly felt a bit melancholic. She wondered what she would be like when she was old. Would she also be like Zhuang Liu, using a walking stick to climb mountains?
Zhuang Liu silently stood behind Tan Rou, his hand resting on her shoulder, and said, “Let’s go.”
Tan Rou gently nodded, “Okay, let’s go up the mountain first.”
They had already reduced their pace considerably, but it was still faster than that of the elderly. The old grandfather was right; young people should push forward, for if they don’t, they would regret it when they become unable to do so in old age.
Chapter 1267: Act independently at 1266
Half an hour later, Tan Rou and her group finally reached the peak of the mountain. Upon arriving at the summit, they saw a very large temple sitting right in the center, with a huge incense burner placed at the entrance, filled with three large incense sticks and countless smaller ones.
Liang Lu introduced, “That’s where they collect the incense ashes. It’s said that the ashes here are particularly effective at warding off evil. When we head back, we could buy some to take with us.”
Li Li said with a speechless tone, “Director, could you not be so superstitious? If we take the ashes and the bag tears open on the road, we’re going to have to pay to have our car cleaned. That’s not warding off evil; that’s just attracting expenses.”
Liang Lu said, “Do you think they’ll just give you a bag of incense ash? No, they turn the ashes into a product and sell it. Have you seen the colorful boxes on the stall over there? They contain the incense ashes.”
Li Li stroked her chin, pondering, “Then, could I burn some incense ashes at home and sell them here?”
Tan Rou laughed, “The stalls here require payment, if you were to sell goods here, the stall fee alone would cost you over a hundred thousand a year.”
Li Li gave up the idea, “Let them sell their own incense ashes then. The money I’d make selling incense ash in a year probably wouldn’t even cover the stall fee.”
After climbing the mountain, there were still steps to ascend. However, the steps at the temple were quite low, allowing Lan Ning to climb with her cane, but she still needed someone to support her.
Li Li looked around and realized that, apart from the two of them being single, everyone else had their partners.
“Sigh, looks like it’s just us two teaming up!” Li Li sighed, “Afraid of love yet yearning for it, humans really are a contradictory species.”
Lan Ning replied, “Li Li, you don’t have to be torn. Just boldly pursue someone you like. There are more good people in this world than bad. Look at Brother Zhuang Liu and Brother Tao Zhi, aren’t they great?”
Li Li said with a sad face, “Good men always come in batches, like Tao Zhi and Brother Zhuang Liu, who were classmates. And like the monitor and Lu Qing, who were also classmates.”
Lan Ning thought about it carefully and it did seem that way, “Why not ask them if they could introduce one of their male classmates to be your boyfriend?”
Li Li said, “Let’s wait. Love is something you can’t force. Who knows, maybe my love will fall from the sky one day.”
Lan Ning nodded, “Right. Let’s go and pay our respects at the main hall first; the others have walked quite a distance ahead.”
Li Li supported Lan Ning and whispered, “We shouldn’t join them. They’re all in pairs; it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to tag along.”
Lan Ning also felt it was better for them to go on their own, and since the steps here weren’t that high, she could manage with her crutch. Plus, if there was a spot she couldn’t reach, there was always the high-tech wheelchair.
Therefore, Li Li and Lan Ning deliberately lagged behind. Once Tan Rou and others had moved far ahead, she sent them a message, suggesting they go ahead for the visit while the two of them would rest a bit before catching up, emphasizing that they shouldn’t wait.
Tan Rou understood Li Li and Lan Ning’s intentions and respected their choice, reminding them to be careful and that if they encountered any problems, they could press the emergency button on the wheelchair, which would send a signal to Tan Rou’s phone.
Li Li read the message from Tan Rou and thought the wheelchair was truly amazing, not only for helping with stairs but also for sending out distress signals. It was incredibly useful.
Lan Ning sat in the wheelchair while Li Li pushed from behind. The pair chatted and meandered along, taking in the scenery outside the temple first.
Li Li said to Lan Ning, “The scenery here is nice. If your leg gets better, we could come visit again.”
Lan Ning breathed in the fresh air, then said, “Once my leg heals, I’ll be joining a new project. My mentor said the next small project will be in the desert, probably for half a year. I doubt I’ll have the time to come here for fun again.”
Li Li felt it was a pity, “Our time to gather is getting less and less. Tan Rou is busy with work and studies, Liang Lu often has to join a drama crew, and once she’s in, she stays for months, Tian Tian spends more time traveling with her husband, and they all have their own things. It’s just the two of us free spirits with nothing to do, hanging out together all the time.”
Lan Ning laughed a little, “We’ve all grown up; it’s time for us to go our separate ways.”
Chapter 1268: 1267 seeking love
Li Li didn’t want to part ways with them, but she knew it was impossible, as she too would have a new family in the future, a lover and children, and would move from one group to another.
“Let’s not talk about these sad things; let’s go find something fun to do,” Li Li suggested.
Lan Ning still remembered that Li Li wanted to be in a relationship. Although Li Li claimed she wanted to devote all her heart and mind to studying, Lan Ning could tell that Li Li was still longing for love. Others were either getting married or already hitched, while she remained alone, which must be somewhat upsetting.
“Li Li, let’s go and pray for love,” Lan Ning said. “I’ve heard that hanging red plaques on a tree can help you find your own love. Let’s give it a try.”
Li Li muttered, “It’s no use praying to anyone; I just can’t find love.” But she still went along with Lan Ning.
It was a very large tree, adorned with many red plaques and ribbons. There was a crowd of young people below it, each holding a red plaque, apparently wishing to throw theirs onto the tree.
With the wind blowing, the red plaques produced a rustling sound, making the whole tree lively.
As Li Li pushed Lan Ning closer, they spotted Tan Rou and the others, who also held red plaques and seemed intending to hang them on the tree.
“Tan Rou and the others are here too, should we join them?” Lan Ning asked.
Li Li glanced at them, then looked at herself and Lan Ning, and finally decided not to join Tan Rou and the others.
“Let’s not bother them,” Li Li, pushing Lan Ning away, said. “Come on, let’s go buy a couple of plaques to write our wishes on.”
On the other side, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu had finished writing their plaques. They chose an appropriate spot, intending to throw the red plaques onto it.
This was a place to seek love, but since they were already together, there was no need for another plaque. Yet, they had still come, not to pray for love but for fun.
With a red plaque in her hand, Tan Rou teasingly said to Zhuang Liu, “I hope that after we hang this plaque, we can stay together forever.”
Zhuang Liu, however, responded very seriously, “Even without this red plaque, we will be together for life.”
Tan Rou, looping her finger through the red plaque, chuckled and said, “But what if one day we separate…”
Zhuang Liu covered her mouth, stopping her from continuing, “Impossible, we will never part ways!”
Seeing the determination in Zhuang Liu’s eyes, Tan Rou said no more. She pushed his hand away and said, “Come on, let’s hang up the red plaque that witnesses our love. I’ve heard that the higher it hangs, the longer the love will last. But I think it’s all superstition. Hanging a red plaque is just for fun, to make love last forever, a couple must truly love each other.”
Zhuang Liu agreed wholeheartedly, “Yes, that’s true.”
Although they didn’t believe the red plaques could grant them everlasting love, when it came time to hang theirs, they both threw with all their might, afraid to hang it too low.
They both threw very high and with great accuracy, the red plaque with their names flew into the air and landed steadily in the treetop.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh.
Tan Rou asked, “Didn’t you say you didn’t believe in this stuff? Why did you put so much effort into it?”
Zhuang Liu shyly replied, “If we’ve decided to throw it, we might as well aim for the best spot. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a waste of our effort?”
Tan Rou responded, “Zhuang Liu has a point.”
They stood under the tree, watching the red plaque sway in the wind at the treetop, feeling a sense of wonder, as if they were destined to stay happy together for life.
“Look how high they threw theirs!” a shrill female voice interrupted their reverie; they both looked to the right and saw a young couple arguing.
The girl complained, “You threw it too low; we’re definitely going to break up.”
The boy apologized, “Sorry, my hand slipped.”
The girl was very dissatisfied, “Go take it down, and let’s throw it again.”
The boy disagreed, “The plaque is already up there; we can’t take it down.”
“I don’t care, if you don’t get that plaque down and rehang it today, I’m breaking up with you!” the girl clamored.
Chapter 1269: Love Under the 1268 Love Tree
The boy continued to console the girl, “Dear, could we not argue here? There are so many people around, and they’re all laughing at us. Can we go somewhere else to talk?”
The girl didn’t want to change locations; she felt that whatever happened here should be resolved right here. Thus, she said, “No, if you don’t take down that sign today, there’s no need for us to see each other again. If you can’t even handle this small matter, what use are you to me?”
The spectating crowd made the boy somewhat embarrassed, and he whispered, “Dear, it’s all my fault, will you forgive me? I really can’t take down that sign, let’s choose another one to write on.”
Although the place where they hung the sign wasn’t very high, it was still over two meters, and there were guardrails around, making it impossible for the boy to retrieve the sign.
But the girl was fixated on that sign and emphasized, “We only have this one love, if you can’t retrieve the sign, then that’s the end of our love.”
The boy tried to console her for a while, but the girl still wouldn’t budge. She made a scene under the tree, causing dissatisfaction among the bystanders.
A passing tourist tried to mediate, “Young lady, what can’t be solved by speaking calmly? It’s just a sign, there’s no need to argue. Two people who really love each other don’t need to hang a sign to prove their love.”
The girl was unappreciative, she glared at the other person and said in an unfriendly tone, “I’m talking to my boyfriend, it’s none of your business, don’t butt in!”
Her boyfriend immediately apologized to the tourist, “I’m sorry, my girlfriend has a bad temper, please don’t take it to heart.”
The girl, gripping the boy’s ear, said angrily, “It’s her who’s being nosy, why are you apologizing to her?”
The boy frowned and then said very seriously, “Could you please stop making a scene?”
The girl erupted, “You dare to speak to me like that? Do you really want to break up or what?”
The boy got angry as well, “Let’s break up then, you’re always talking about breaking up, isn’t it annoying? Since you want to break up, let’s do it!” With that, the boy left without looking back.
The girl was stunned. Then she squatted down on the ground and started crying, cursing the boy for being heartless, saying she had fought with her family because of him, and now he was abandoning her—it was just too cruel.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were standing by, watching. When the love tragedy ended, they exchanged glances and then both burst into laughter.
Tan Rou chuckled, “Liang Lu said this tree is magical, and it truly is. That couple’s sign wasn’t hung high and they ended up fighting and breaking up immediately. Maybe if they had hung it higher, they wouldn’t have broken up.”
Zhuang Liu smiled too, playing along, he said, “I kind of regret hanging the sign there, should have used a drone to hang it.”
Tan Rou replied, “Would a sign hung up by a drone be effective? Our love can’t rely on external forces, so you’d better just hang the sign yourself securely!”
Zhuang Liu was only speaking hypothetically and wouldn’t actually do that. However, the young couple’s incident raised a question in his mind, “Tan Rou, do you think that boy will come back for the girl?”
Tan Rou thought seriously for a moment, “I think he won’t.”
Zhuang Liu, however, said, “From my perspective, I think he’ll come back. Anyway, we have nothing better to do, let’s wait here for a bit.”
Tan Rou raised an eyebrow, “Are you trying to bet with me again?”
Zhuang Liu laughed, “I don’t want to bet, I just want to wait here a little longer.”
Tan Rou agreed, “Okay, then let’s wait here a little longer.”
The girl stood there crying for a long time. After she cried herself out, she stood up, but felt dizzy from squatting for so long. A kind stranger helped her, she thought it was her boyfriend returning, and she was happy for a moment.
However, when she saw that it was just a middle-aged auntie, the smile disappeared from her face. She thanked her, saying, “Thank you,” and then she left the tree of love.
“What a pity, he didn’t come back,” Tan Rou said with a hint of regret, “You guessed wrong.”
Zhuang Liu said, “I wouldn’t do that. No matter what happens, I would never leave you alone.”
Chapter 1270: 1269 hit someone.
Tan Rou’s heart softened, and then she grasped Zhuang Liu’s hand, “Me too.”
Just as they were preparing to leave, that boy suddenly ran back. He didn’t see his girlfriend under the tree, so he searched for her in the crowd. While looking, he also described what his girlfriend looked like.
Zhuang Liu was a bit excited. He held on to Tan Rou’s hand tightly and said, “Look, he came back!”
Tan Rou was also somewhat surprised. In her mind, once the boy had left, he wouldn’t come back, but in the end, he chose to return for his girlfriend, which showed that in his heart, his loved one was very important. Even if his loved one would get angry over trivial matters, and they would quarrel, they still loved each other.
This was perhaps what should happen between normal boyfriends and girlfriends. And she and Zhuang Liu, since getting to know each other, had never had a quarrel.
“It seems we have never had a quarrel, have we?” Tan Rou asked. “What do you think quarreling feels like?”
Zhuang Liu couldn’t bear to quarrel with Tan Rou. As long as it was something Tan Rou requested, he would definitely agree to it a hundred percent.
“No, I won’t quarrel with you. Whatever you request, I will do my best to fulfill it,” Zhuang Liu said very firmly. “If what happened to that couple happened to us, I would find every means to take down that card and then hang it up high. Whether the symbolism is good or not doesn’t matter anymore, as long as the person I love is satisfied, that’s enough.”
Tan Rou was somewhat moved. She leaned her head on Zhuang Liu’s shoulder and then said, “I won’t make such unreasonable demands.”
Mr. Zhuang said, “Of course, my Tan Rou is the most understanding person in the world.”
Tan Rou said with a smile, “So, the most understanding person in the world wants to go to pray now. Mr. Zhuang, would you like to go with me?”
Zhuang Liu cleared his throat and answered, “I would be very pleased to accompany you, my queen.”
Tan Rou laughed, “Let’s go, Knight Zhuang Liu.”
As they left, Li Li and Lan Ning finally picked out their own red cards and had written the words on them.
“Huh? Have Tan Rou and the others already left?” Li Li looked around but didn’t see Tan Rou and the others under the tree, “Luckily they already left, otherwise if they saw me secretly hanging this, they would definitely laugh at me.”
Lan Ning asked, puzzled, “Why would they laugh at you?”
Li Li explained, “Didn’t I say a few days ago that I would study hard and not pursue love anymore? Just a few days later, here I am, hanging up a love wish card. If they saw me, they would definitely mock me.”
Lan Ning shook her head, “I don’t think everyone would laugh at you because everyone knows what kind of person you are and are already used to your behavior.”
Li Li gave Lan Ning a glance, “Dear Ning Ning, if you can’t speak nicely, you can choose to shut up, don’t always say things that hurt me.”
Lan Ning continued with the hurtful comments, “I hope this red card is of some use, so you can find a boyfriend sooner and also raise your standards, not to find those messy people anymore.”
Li Li was almost driven mad by Lan Ning. She covered Lan Ning’s mouth and said, “Ning Ning, don’t talk nonsense anymore. If the love tree hears what you said, it won’t help me fulfill my wish.”
Lan Ning nodded to indicate she wouldn’t say any more.
Li Li and Lan Ning came to the tree. Lan Ning stood up with her crutch, threw her red card into the tree, and because she didn’t really care much for these things, she just casually threw it and only managed to hang the card quite low.
Li Li was different; she was very serious about finding a boyfriend, so before throwing the card, she made a wish with the card in her hand, “Great love tree, please grant me a boyfriend! My demands aren’t high, just handsome, good character, and smart is enough!”
After making her wish, she closed her eyes and threw the card with force, “Go, my love!”
Lan Ning watched as the red card flew askew, finally landing squarely on the forehead of a boy not far away. The boy winced in pain and started looking for who had thrown the object.