Five or six in the evening, the time when families were cooking their dinners, the aroma of food wafted through the stairwell.
Lu Chengming's stomach rumbled, having not eaten a bite since noon.
Suddenly, he thought of Zhao Hong. In the past, she had always been obedient and never like Lin Xiaohui, who was a shrew.
Zhao Hong was cooking at home. Jin Kun hadn't returned for several nights, and she didn't know what he was busy with. She seldom inquired about his affairs.
She simply boiled some noodles. Just as she was about to scoop them out, she heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Jin Kun, she frowned, put down her chopsticks, and went to open it.
"Why did you come over?" Zhao Hong was startled when she saw Lu Chengming standing outside the door.
Her gaze swept behind him. Fearing that neighbors might see, she quickly pulled him into the house.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from me during this period? Why did you still come to my home? Jin Kun is not someone to trifle with. If he finds out we're still in contact..."
Before Zhao Hong could finish, Lu Chengming suddenly hugged her. "Xiao Hong, I miss you so much. I only now realize that you are the only one who truly cares about me."
"Chengming, don't do this. If Jin Kun sees us, we'll be finished." Although she hadn't forgotten Lu Chengming, a trace of reason remained in her heart. The two of them had never crossed the line.
"Xiao Hong, I really can't live without you." Lu Chengming suddenly leaned in and kissed Zhao Hong's lips, then began to undress her without preamble.
Jin Kun's warning seemed to echo in her ears. Zhao Hong hurriedly tried to push him away, but Lu Chengming's strength was immense, as if he intended to crush her. They soon stumbled onto the sofa. Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Hong's resistance grew weaker until it gradually turned into willing participation...
After their passionate encounter, the sky outside had long turned dark. Fortunately, Jin Kun had not returned.
After this incident, Zhao Hong finally made up her mind. She didn't love Jin Kun, and a marriage without love wouldn't bring happiness.
"Chengming, now that we've reached this point, I'll divorce Jin Kun. Can we remarry?" Zhao Hong rested her chin on his chest and said softly.
Lu Chengming's eyes flickered. He frowned and said with a troubled expression, "Xiao Hong, I certainly want to remarry you, but Lin Xiaohui did give birth to a son for me. We can't let the child grow up without a mother, can we?"
"I can treat the child as my own."
"Let me think about it again."
Lu Chengming said as he got up and started to dress, his tone carrying a hint of pity, "I haven't even had dinner yet."
Zhao Hong hesitated for a moment, then got up to make him dinner.
Jin Kun had not returned at this hour, and it was unlikely he would return today. The noodles she had initially boiled had become mushy, so Zhao Hong made some fresh ones.
Lu Chengming, meanwhile, sat on the sofa, taking in the entire room.
He hadn't paid much attention when he first entered. Now, he noticed that the apartment was over forty square meters, making it feel exceptionally spacious for two people.
Jin Kun was never stingy with money. Coupled with his connections, he had redecorated the house when they got married, not wanting to inconvenience Zhao Hong.
The apartment was equipped with a television and a refrigerator. Knowing Zhao Hong liked flowers, he had also found many artificial ones, which were placed on the refrigerator and coffee table in various colors.
Lu Chengming was stunned. Even his factory director's home wasn't this 'luxurious.'
His gaze fell upon the figure busy in the kitchen, and his expression began to change...
Time flew by, and it was the day of school registration. Chen Lishu first sent Rui Rui to school before heading to her own.
This year, the school had admitted even more students. Not only were the dormitories insufficient, but a large number of students faced the prospect of commuting. The teaching buildings were also in high demand. Therefore, the school had been re-planned at the beginning of the year. A dormitory building was added behind the existing one, and after applying to higher authorities, funds were allocated to incorporate the vacant land behind the school into the school grounds. This would allow for the construction of two more teaching buildings and significantly expand the students' extracurricular activity space.
Chen Lishu looked at the construction site, which had already been cordoned off. She knew she had missed out this year. However, there had been a lot of campus construction in recent years. Next year, she could consider finding ways to acquire some equipment and focus on that area.
"What are you looking at?"
Li Zhiwei's voice suddenly came from behind her. "We really shouldn't let you girls do the work. Just holding two books, and you're already daydreaming."
"If you're so capable, why don't you hold both mine and Lishu's books?" Zhang Xue unceremoniously placed a stack of books in Li Zhiwei's hands.
He was already holding a thick pile. With Zhang Xue adding hers, his arm nearly gave out.
"Hey, I was telling you guys, a new movie called 'The Camel Xiangzi' has just been released. I heard it has that scene in it. Want to go see it together?" Li Zhiwei looked at Chen Lishu and Zhang Xue, his eyebrows raised, an eager expression on his face.
That scene referred to an intimate moment. In those days, mindsets were still very conservative. Even a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly touching the water, would cause a sensation.
Upon hearing his question, Zhang Xue couldn't help but glance at him shyly, "I'm not going with you. If I go, it will be with Lishu."
Li Zhiwei: "It's no fun going alone."
Chen Lishu smiled, "You can go with Feng Deshuai."
Li Zhiwei turned his head and saw Feng Deshuai, who was holding a stack of books and sweating profusely. The sunlight glinted off his forehead, and immediately all thoughts of going to the movies vanished.
After distributing the books, everyone cleaned the classroom again. There was nothing else to do in the afternoon, so they were dismissed.
Thinking of the movie Li Zhiwei had mentioned, Chen Lishu called Gu Xingdong that evening.
"Missing me on the first day of school?" Gu Xingdong looked at the suddenly empty house, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, but he teased her verbally.
"Yes," Chen Lishu admitted readily.
Casting a glance at the 'threatening' phone booth attendant opposite her, Chen Lishu turned her back. "I heard from a classmate that there's a really good movie out recently. When you have time off, will you come with me to see it?"
"Okay," Gu Xingdong readily agreed.
On the other end, Shi Nan was also inviting Chen Liyuan.
"A colleague recently told me about a movie that's supposed to be very good. Would you be willing to go see it with me?"
Looking at the anticipation in his eyes, Chen Liyuan's heart fluttered like a startled fawn, darting in every direction with no escape. Finally, she softly "mm-hmm"ed, shyly.
"Liyuan, are you dating Technician Shi?" Little Liu, seeing her come in, curiously leaned over.
Chen Liyuan blushed, and after a moment, said as quiet as a fly, "No, he just wanted to ask me to see a movie."
"Then he must be interested in you!" Little Liu was happy for her. "I heard Shi technician comes from a very good family, and he's also from this city. Not only is he handsome, but he's also a university student. Many young girls in our factory have a crush on him."
"Really?" Chen Liyuan suddenly felt nervous. With Shi Nan's excellent background, perhaps it wasn't what she thought?