Chapter 48: Unorthodox Approach

nd glanced at Su Cen, "Li Kun, also known as Li Galaxy, is willing to provide some critical evidence and intelligence. He requested to meet with your little brother here, but I naturally refused him....Chapter 48: Unorthodox Approach

Note added. Often, the best dramatic situations occur when one steps out of their ordinary life. Su Cen, who originally just came to this municipal party committee residential compound to borrow a computer and some materials, never would have thought that such an unexpected scene would unfold.

In Su Cen's eyes, Miss Lin has an unknown background and identity. Of course, he had guessed about her identity before, but with the vast territory of the country, there are many people whose backgrounds he doesn't know, which is quite normal. He hadn't deliberately inquired either; Wang Weiwei and Lin Luoran probably didn't want him to know their family backgrounds anyway, so being too eager to find out might even create some estrangement between them.

However, no matter how one looks at it, a girl like Lin Luoran is someone who commands admiration for the time being. Her pride differs from Tang Wu's; while Tang Wu appears cold on the outside but warm inside, she is much more approachable, and her naturally sweet appearance makes her very likable. Yet, only through interactions with her can one see her inner loneliness and arrogance. She stays in this small city like winter sunlight, warm and gentle, yet that warmth never reaches deep into her heart; she always stands on tiptoe, looking far away from this inland area.

On the surface, it seems as if she could laugh and play carefree with Wang Weiwei and Lin Zouwu. But only when seeing how quickly she finishes her work and assignments without competing for top rankings, or reading Capital by Karl Marx in her thick collection of books, can one sense the depth of her thoughts.

Currently, such a girl is clinging to him with her whole body, her soft chest bringing an overwhelming warmth that penetrates his heart.

The most unnatural thing is probably his hand, which has nowhere else to go but rest on her legs. The pale and smooth skin of her thighs, softer than tofu, invites kneading; when he does so, her long black hair falls gently over him, some strands even tickling his nostrils with a clear fragrance. As she rises, her dark hair twists around as the sunlight filters through.

Despite the pain in her back, Lin Luoran's pride prevents her from showing weakness, and just as Su Cen sees her raising a palm to slap him, he instinctively grabs her delicate hand tightly, without any strength or speed behind his action.

In this room of the two-story municipal party committee residential compound in early spring 1999, such an unusual scene unfolds with the male on top and female below.

"You pervert!" Tears well up from her eyes, sliding down to land on Su Cen's face, scalding hot like the sunlight, sharp and piercing.

Su Cen suddenly regrets his desecration of her. Lin Luoran must have never before experienced such treatment that left marks on her fair legs; at some point he had squeezed quite hard, causing pain. Su Cen turns over to let the light-footed Lin Luoran stand up, then places a coffee cup on the table and tidies up the scattered books back into place. As he puts the last one in the bookcase, he says, "Sorry; I've made my mistake already. Relations with Wang Weiwei were never great, and now this has happened with you as well. I really am a failure."

"Stop! Don't go!" Lin Luoran stands up gracefully from the ground, her earrings swinging slightly. Her emotions are no longer as turbulent as before, but her eyes remain red-rimmed like raindrops on peach blossoms, looking as if she's been harshly bullied; anyone seeing her would feel their heartstrings tugged. Su Cen thinks that if he stays any longer, he might not be able to resist invading her again.

After saying this, Lin Luoran adds another question, "Where are you going"

"Home," replies Su Cen with a smile, still facing away from her. Given Lin Luoran's strong personality, he probably can't come back to this place again.

Seeing Su Cen's smile, Ling Ge Ran felt inexplicably tense and bit her lips. "You made such a big mistake; do you just want to run away"

"What else can I do What kind of compensation should I offer" Turning around, Su Cen faced Ling Luo Ran. He knew that this girl came from an extremely influential family and was usually calm and peaceful in her current position, but if she were to ascend to a level befitting her status, a mere flick of her fingers might crush him. There were many things separating them that he did not possess, yet he believed there would come a day when he would have all of them; it just needed time.

Su Cen's aloof attitude was truly the cause of pain for others. Ling Luo Ran’s eyes reddened again, feeling as though his gaze contained many things that she could not articulate. It seemed like the boy who had casually crossed paths with her and the clumsy man struggling to walk on the basketball court, and the one standing against them at midnight with profound radiance in his eyes, were about to turn around and leave.

Speechless, Ling Ge Ran’s vision inexplicably blurred.

Su Cen's heart softened. He walked over, wrapped an arm around her back, gently patting it—feeling the contours of her muscles made him feel the reality of the woman in his arms. "I'm truly sorry. Next time, I will definitely ask for your permission before doing anything. Of course, please also consult with me before tackling me to the ground."

Ling Luo Ran wiped away tears and smiled again, hitting him hard on the chest with a clenched fist; this girl’s punches were not light at all.

Wiping off her tears, Ling Luo Ran looked like Lady Ling as she declared, "Tomorrow you come over and drink coffee ten times bitterer than this one as punishment!"

"Wait," Su Cen paused. It might be hard for him to show up tomorrow.

"Then whenever you're free, you must come and drink two cups—no, three cups!"

Su Cen smiled. "Alright. If this is the punishment, I wouldn't mind committing a crime again."

"Hey!" Seeing Su Cen's gaze drop to her legs marked with red bruises, Ling Luo Ran couldn’t help but stomp and rush back into her room, slamming the door shut.

This Sunday,

Su Cen stood there until he saw a bus appear on the slope level before disappearing behind crisscrossing aerials. Tang Wu, dressed in jeans and a light pink jacket with hair tied up, approached him. Her casual attire belied her status as the second top student of the entire grade at City No. 1 High School, an outstanding student cadre of the city, a model Communist Youth League member, and a three-good-student at the city level, destined for prestigious universities like Tsinghua or Peking University.

The two met this way and then boarded a bus together to leisurely tour around the city.

Many people in their youth have dreamed of spending a leisurely afternoon sitting with the girl they fancy in the second-to-last or third row of a bus, with just two seats for them to share. They would ride through familiar streets and alleys until the bus stops at an unknown intersection where they could face new sights together. However, such dreams are often unrealistic.

A bus isn't necessarily a private space for two; it can also be crowded to the point of standing room only. The scenery outside may not always be sunny with light clouds floating by but rather rainy and shrouded in fog.

Yet today was one of those rare, warm Sunday afternoons where Su Can sat on a bus with Tang Wu, riding through the streets and alleys before stopping at the slope entrance to City No. 1 High School. He handed her an egg roll ice cream cone and watched her extend her little red tongue to taste it—such a charming sight. Then they strolled over to a food stall to enjoy these snacks together, savoring flavors that hadn't been tasted in years—isn’t the richness of this experience deeper than any cup of coffee

Seeing Su Can’s slightly dubious gaze, Tang Wu laughed as she ate an ice cream bite and said, "What's wrong Am I eating like this surprising you"

"Not at all. You look great," replied Su Can with a smile.

Tang Wu blushed; to be honest, she had never before shared such experiences with others by the school’s food stalls, so sometimes her behavior became unrestrained.

A few young men on mountain bikes whizzed past at an intersection ahead. The traffic light turned green, and vehicles started moving. A couple of bike riders were left stranded in the other direction. In that instant, Su Can recognized one of them—the young man on a mountain bike was Chen Cong!

When Chen Cong got into trouble, his parents rushed to use their connections for him. Since he had not yet turned eighteen, the priority was education rather than criminal responsibility. However, this still meant the end of his student life.

Both Su Can and Chen Cong noticed each other: Chen Cong saw Su Can and Tang Wu, and recalling his current predicament, a shadow fell over him. In the next moment, a knife quietly slipped from his sleeve into his hand.

If they were to meet now, what would happen Would he take that girl and run away or beg for mercy Each outcome was heart-stirring.

Tang Wu clearly hadn’t anticipated the looming danger; she simply observed her surroundings with interest. The sun was warm, but the situation remained perilous.

Should I run, or not

Su Can’s gaze met Chen Cong’s across a distance without flinching. If Chen Cong's eyes hadn’t revealed some easily overlooked hesitation, Su Can would have already pulled Tang Wu away at top speed. As it was, he felt another kind of confidence.

After all, one can't run forever.

Chen Cong was puzzled by Su Cen's lack of fear or evasion, instead standing calmly with an all-seeing gaze that made him think Su Cen had seen every move he made. Yet, Su Cen remained so composed that it didn't stir any resentment in Chen Cong.

Subsequently, Su Cen slowly took Tang Wu's hand beside him, enclosing and gripping her slender fingers as he naturally smiled at Chen Cong during the moment of her slight surprise.

Chen Cong paused momentarily with his gaze. He had originally harbored hatred towards Su Cen due to jealousy and revenge from his youthful days, which shifted into a kind of distorted hate. At the moment when the knife pierced Su Cen's abdomen, he was already desolate inside, knowing that this was the end for him.

Now, he was about to leave this city, accepted by an out-of-town third-tier high school due to his mother’s connections. On the eve of leaving, he would occasionally ride around in this small town, reminiscing over a place where he had loved, hated, and gone mad.

His heart felt deadened; everything around him was monochromatic. Yet, because of Su Cen and Tang Wu's hand-holding moment, it briefly shone brilliantly.

Yue Zijiang’s beloved Tang Wu is actually with him

A shock went through Chen Cong’s heart. Would he destroy this dazzling scene with the knife in his hand

Tang Wu's cheeks blushed intensely as she lightly pinched the back of his palm, but outwardly it seemed nothing had happened.

The traffic light turned from green to red, and the main road vehicles came to a halt.

Chen Cong’s mountain bike moved forward, passing by them, then turning at the next street corner and disappearing.

In that fleeting moment of their paths crossing, Tang Wu clearly saw his face and couldn't help but cover her mouth. Passersby around were obviously baffled why this girl who had been in everyone’s spotlight suddenly reacted so strongly.

This moment was devoid of conflict.

Tang Wu looked at Su Cen in surprise, only then understanding how unconventional and sharp his previous calmness had been.t one mustn't be too soft. Who doesn’t offend someone in a lifetime However, we need to know who we’re dealing with. This karaoke bar’s owner has connections with many police stations; the real boss i...