Chapter One: Life (02)

At that moment, with her gaze burning intensely, Zhao Dailin watched him walk towards her, saying that her eyes could be described as glistening with desire, filled with longing.

He is not particularly stunning in appearance, yet he is quite pleasing to the eye. He has thick eyebrows, well-defined brow ridges, deep-set eyes, and a clear gaze. With the courage of a leopard, he dares to make jokes at anyone's expense

Despite the commotion, when they truly lost the match, they graciously used their fists to tap each other's chests as a gesture of congratulations, and then a group of boys, in a lively and boisterous manner, linked arms and left the school to indulge in a feast.

Song Xiaotao said with a hint of blush, "He is very handsome, not cold-faced, particularly fond of joking, very witty, and you never have to worry about running out of topics to discuss with him"

While saying this, Yu Hao was chewing on a greasy duck tongue, and Weng Sheng spoke.

Well, did he greet you

A group of boys, seemingly just playing around, shared a strong bond. When it came to the crucial moment, none of them held back; they exerted all their efforts and used every means at their disposal to try to win. However, they were still no match for the three members of the school team from Class 8. Lu Huaizheng remained the captain, and the trio coordinated seamlessly, with their tactics responding to every situation, leaving Class 5 utterly defeated and in disarray

On the ninth floor, he is playing with his son in the children's playground of the shopping mall

After serving the dishes, the waiter casually withdrew his hand and placed it back in his pocket, completely unconcerned.

Zhao Dailin looked at her with suspicion, then turned to glance at the handsome man who, amidst the variously dressed guests at the wedding banquet, remained smiling throughout.

In conclusion, a man's charisma is ultimately derived from his experiences and the passage of time

She remembers that day when a girl was chatting and kept asking Song Xiaotao: "Is he handsome? Are soldiers all the cold-faced type?"

Lu Huaizheng stared intently at his phone, wearing an expression of indifference. Do not seek validation from me; otherwise, your several boyfriends will come back to settle scores with me.

At this moment, Lu Huaizheng stood behind a good chair, feeling her ears filled with the buzzing and crackling sound of electric currents, yet his cold voice still managed to accurately penetrate her ears.

In fact, Lu Huaizheng, aside from being somewhat cheeky in his daily interactions, is also a rare student who, despite his poor academic performance, is favored by the school leadership. Although he can be mischievous, he is particularly polite when meeting elders. This is mainly because the basketball team he leads has brought numerous honors to the school, and every teacher greets him warmly, patting his shoulder as a gesture of encouragement

At that time, the most beautiful girls from their class formed a group, no, a troupe, and often performed dances imitating Girls' Generation at the school's cultural performances. His deskmate was one of that group, no, troupe, named Hu Siqi

The eyes of the little girls at the table exchanged glances with one another, so much so that even the waiter couldn't help but take a look at Lu Huaizheng as he left, concluding that this guy's reaction speed was on par with theirs

To be honest, I am not a particularly good student, but my personality is quite likable

This alone made her hesitant to act recklessly

Zhao Dailin felt a surge of anger, especially towards the person next to her who had been in a daze since earlier. She slammed her phone down on the table and, with a fierce expression, went to grab the coconut juice in front of those girls: "Give me the coconut juice!"

Just as the result was about to hit the waiter who was coming over to serve the dishes, the waiter swiftly lifted the plate with a quick motion, stabilizing it firmly in hand, spilling only a few drops of soup, and appeared quite pleased with himself

I never expected to see him here, and even less did I expect that he was Lin Chang, the childhood friend frequently mentioned by Song Xiaotao—an Air Force captain at the age of twenty-eight. Among Lin Chang's three childhood friends, Song Xiaotao spoke the most about Lu Huaizheng, but she never mentioned his name; perhaps she did, but it was overlooked due to her disdain.

Then I found that my line of sight was blocked by a long, clean hand, which happened to be right in front of Yu Hao.

Every time Lu Huaizheng scores a goal, the girls from Class 8 outside the field cheer for him as if they have been injected with adrenaline, shouting at the top of their lungs. He has a good personality and responds; when he is in a good mood, he smiles, and when he is being dismissive, he lazily raises his hand. Unlike Fu Donghui from Class 5, the girls from Class 5 shout until their voices are hoarse, yet he doesn't even turn his head.

Who is it

The boys from Class Five began to threaten and entice Lu Huaizheng in various ways, while also shouting at Yu Hao outside the venue, adopting a tone of an elder: From now on, you are not allowed to associate with this kid!

The score gap has already widened before the end of the first half

Song Xiaotao did not hide it at all and openly admitted: "He is indeed very charming, but his work is too mysterious. Our Lin Chang is better; I can see him every day, his salary is stable and submitted, and he can occasionally go on a business trip, which allows me to have a little freedom as well—" At this point, she paused and raised her eyebrows: "That day, weren't you asking me how I came to the courtyard in someone else's car? It was him who brought me here."

He has had a good memory since childhood

Hu Siqi shot him a glance and muttered, "What do you mean by a few? You person!" Then she ignored him and continued chatting with the girl in front.

The young man on the court was full of vigor, displaying astonishing jumping ability. He leaped into the air to grab the rebound with a hook shot, then landed steadily back on the ground, bending his back and turning sideways to protect the ball in his hands. With a mischievous smile, he brazenly declared to the person behind him: "In any case, you won't make it to the finals. You lost to me, you lost to Class 10, so choose for yourself."

Others also noticed and followed along that arm in unison

The other party's voice was excited: "Guess who I just ran into downstairs?"

Knowing that Yu Hao was a cold person in terms of emotions, Zhao Dailin couldn't help but ask, "So, is it really cool to have a crush on a guy like that?" The two were standing in front of the bookshelf at the time, with Yu Hao's hand moving back and forth over the neatly arranged books. Upon hearing this, he paused slightly, pulled one out, casually flipped through a few pages, then put it back without raising his eyes, and suddenly said without any context, "His name is Lu Huaizheng."

Yu Hao felt that he had changed quite a bit, yet also not particularly so. The shadow of the past could still be seen between his brows. If it weren't for that black suit which made him appear slim, sharp, and ascetic, she would almost have the illusion of seeing the handsome young man from the past who used to lean against the back door of her classroom, joking and teasing with others.

The result was that Lu Huaizheng hit him on the back of the head with a ball, "Who are you threatening?"

It is said that Lu Huaizheng comes from a well-off family, with a wealthy aunt. He is always dressed in expensive clothing, and he is easygoing and unpretentious. He often enjoys late-night snacks with his group of friends at the barbecue stall near the school, chatting and laughing. Occasionally, some girls would join them, but Lu Huaizheng has never invited Yu Hao.

Zhao Dailin immediately noticed the slender, strikingly handsome boy in the middle. Upon closer inspection, the girl next to him, who was smiling brightly and being embraced by the boy around her neck, was none other than Yu Hao

The boys in Class Five were stirred up with fighting spirit, their emotions running high, and they all rose up to attack—let's take him down!

Zhao Dailin is two years older than Yu Hao, and she is thirty this year, being Yu Hao's senior during graduate studies. The reason she remembers Lu Huaizheng is that she once found a photo of Yu Hao from high school at Yu Hao's home.

It is Lu Huaizheng

No, he holds grudges

A person

Seeing her like this, the girl teased with a smile: "Aren't you regretting choosing Lin Chang too early?"

Zhao Dailin curiously asked: "Is this your first love?"

It seems he chuckled lightly and said, "Where are the others?"

Since Yu Hao did not respond, Zhao Dailin took it as a tacit agreement, surely it must be a first love. Who else could take such intimate photos? Moreover, upon closer inspection of the photo, the boy is not looking at the camera at all; instead, he is smiling gently, gazing down at the girl he is holding in his arms.

The wedding banquet is set on the top floor, surrounded by glass architecture, where one can gaze up and see the vast sea of stars outside

In the past, his walking posture was quite awkward, as he was not very tall, around 1.8 meters. Being a member of the basketball team, he liked to walk on tiptoes, not wanting others to perceive his true height. From this perspective, he seemed much taller. His hair was also cut short, with a thin layer of black stubble close to his scalp, and his hair color was jet black. Previously, it was a light chestnut color, and when he lay on the desk to sleep, it looked like a fluffy ball, resembling a golden retriever.

Is it that friend of yours from Tsinghua, Zhou Suyue?

Two people over there were chatting idly, while the several young ladies at this table couldn't take their eyes off him, their faces betraying their excitement. On that single night, he was the last to arrive, and he hadn't been seated long before someone called him away, leaving them with no chance to exchange more than a few words. They were contemplating whether to approach him for his phone number after the wedding ceremony.

Your friend is incredibly impressive. I think I only met him once, the night before you went to the army, but I didn't expect him to remember my name

Zhao Dailin was left speechless, "Have you practiced, buddy? Quite professional."

Unfortunately, the other party did not glance at her.

Lu Huaizheng appeared completely unfazed, turning around and leaving right after the conversation ended

Nonsense, it is clearly very graceful

... ...

The person sighed, "You have a good memory. Alas, everyone has their own aspirations. No more to say."

He did not know when he started to pay attention to this side, while that side was still chatting with someone, discussing topics that were exhausting for them to listen to. Here, he casually reached out his hand to protect her head, and this action was so natural and effortless that it almost created an illusion among those present of an old married couple.

A beautiful woman was sitting next to him; I wonder if she is his wife

What happened later is unknown; she transferred schools after finishing her first year of high school. I do not know if they were ever together, but given his personality, even without Hu Siqi, there would be other girls. It is very easy to develop feelings for someone who is witty, humorous, and sunny.

After he walked away, Zhao Dailin nudged Yu Hao with her elbow and said, "I ask you, how long are you two going to pretend? Just go up and greet each other openly. Why are you both acting so stiff and pretending not to see each other? What does that mean?"

That year, I was in Class 5, while Lu Huaizheng was in Class 8. Yet, he preferred to run to Class 5. The boys in Class 5 loved to tease, claiming that Lu Huaizheng belonged to Class 5 in life and would be a ghost of Class 5 in death. It was no wonder others felt this way; even during the girls' volleyball matches, Lu Huaizheng would cheer for Class 5, infuriating the girls from Class 8 to the point where they wished they could devour him alive. However, during the basketball games, he showed no mercy, making the boys from Class 5 scream in agony, threatening him with flushed faces on the court.

It is evident that he is not very eager to acknowledge her either

The banquet hall is filled with a cacophony of sounds, guests are frolicking, and the host is testing the microphone with a "hello, hello"

The young man leaned slightly, one hand still holding onto Yu Hao's face, his smile exceptionally pure. His handsome face, illuminated by the bright sunlight, stood out strikingly, rendering his teammates beside him mere background figures.

Frenzied, truly frenzied

Hu Siqi was relentless, so you begged me

It was a large group photo, in which all the boys were wearing matching blue sports uniforms, standing in a row with their arms around each other's shoulders

She carefully examined the features of the boy in the photo, a standard handsome young man, with perfect bone structure, clear facial contours, and smooth, clean lines. His smile could even make her, an older lady, feel a flutter. Moreover, he is a member of the school basketball team, likely a magnet for attention during his time at school.

When Yu Hao passed by the teacher's office and their classroom, he often saw him casually leaning back in his chair with a mobile phone in hand, surrounded by a group of boys, all craning their necks to watch the NBA live broadcast on his phone. Hu Siqi sometimes teased him, trying to snatch his phone away, but was impatiently pushed away by Lu Huaizheng, who said, "Stop messing around, I'm watching the game."

He enlisted in the military during his sophomore year, attended a military academy while in the army, and after graduation, joined the Air Force Special Forces. Recently, he went to Venezuela for further studies, where he was the only one competing against the world's most elite special forces in a contest.

Lu Huaizheng, you wait, next time you come to our class, we will not let you in to find Yu Hao!

Hu Siqi's boyfriend does indeed change frequently, and the boys in the class are all betting that the next one will definitely be Lu Huaizheng. However, a year has passed and there has been no news about the two of them.

He is taller than before, and the contours of his face appear clearer and smoother. The neatly arranged white collar accentuates the sharpness of his jawline, giving him a particularly clean and crisp look, while his silhouette is upright.

Although his grades are average, he excels in history, consistently scoring full marks. He can also draw the world map from memory and recognizes all the currencies of the world. He is the best at basketball and has a very sunny smile. However, when provoked, he can have quite a temper. He shows little interest in studying, yet he possesses a wealth of knowledge, most of which is not tested in exams.