Chapter 73.1

When Lu Nong woke up, she found herself standing in front of a modern university, a crowd of people pointing and whispering about her.

Wait, hadn’t she just given birth?

She looked down at her fingers and the clothes she was wearing. It wasn’t the style from the sixties. Stunned, she realized she was back in modern times.

“Lu Nong, stop causing trouble,” a handsome boy with a stylish demeanor said impatiently, addressing her. “I already explained over the phone that I had an urgent matter last night. I didn’t mean to stand you up.”

Lu Nong carefully looked the boy over and remembered he was her boyfriend of only three days before she traveled back in time. What was his name again? Huo Baike or Huo Baixue?

“He is your ninety-eighth boyfriend,” a delicate voice, slightly reproachful, remarked to Lu Nong. She turned around to see a spirit behind her that looked just like her, but with a completely different aura.

“Are you Lu Nong?” she asked the spirit.

[Lu Nong] bit her lip and nodded.

“What is going on? How did I end up back here?” Lu Nong was completely confused.

[Lu Nong] shook her head.

“Who are you talking to?” Huo Baike frowned. “You’ve changed so much in the last few months. You’re nothing like the girl I used to like. Have you been possessed by a ghost?”

Lu Nong turned to look at Huo Baike and noticed that behind him were two girls. One was a pure-looking girl, while the other looked fairly ordinary. The pure-looking girl was Su Tao, the beauty from the neighboring department.

Seeing Lu Nong look her way, Su Tao stepped forward from behind Huo Baike. “Lu Nong, there’s really nothing going on between me and Brother Ke. We’ve known each other since childhood and often hang out together. You’ve misunderstood.”

“Right, look at how petty you are. Su Tao already said that her relationship with Huo Baike is pure. Why are you throwing dirt on your boyfriend’s name? What kind of person are you?”

The girl standing next to Su Tao spoke sarcastically. After mocking Lu Nong, she turned to Huo Baike and said, “Young Master Huo, aren’t you going to comfort your girlfriend? If you don’t hurry, she’ll get upset again. With all this drama, why not go act in a play instead?”

With that, the woman rolled her eyes.

At that moment, the spirit [Lu Nong] floated next to Lu Nong and whispered, “When I came back, I wanted to break up with Huo Baike, but he insisted we stay together. Everyone in school knows we’re dating. I had no choice but to avoid him.”

“But he wouldn’t give up. He waited for me on my usual route for months. I told him I’m not the old Lu Nong anymore, but he wouldn’t believe me. I had to agree to give it a try.”

[Lu Nong]’s voice got quieter, and by the end, she sounded a bit forlorn. “In the end… he has a childhood sweetheart. Yesterday, he stood me up for her. I waited in the cinema for three hours, until the cinema closed and it started pouring. I… I wanted to break up, but he said I was being unreasonable.”

Lu Nong: “…” Could it be that she came to the modern era because she was summoned by [Lu Nong]?

Besides, what kind of pure scumbag is Huo Baike? How did she not realize that while they were dating?

Oh, right, she was only focused on his looks.

Lu Nong realized that [Lu Nong] would not refuse anyone. She did not like Huo Baike, but Huo Baike could make her compromise after pestering her for several months. She had to wait for him to make a mistake before she could break up. It was a mess, especially with the scumbag and his accomplice attacking her during the breakup.

She felt a little guilty for leaving [Lu Nong] with a scumbag.

Huo Baike’s expression darkened. He took a deep breath and said, “Lu Nong, you weren’t like this before. You…”

Huo Baike reached out to take Lu Nong’s hand.

With a loud slap, Lu Nong pushed his hand away.

“Stop touching me. Let’s talk business. How was I before?” Lu Nong unleashed her aura. “I was blind to have liked you. Didn’t you hear that woman behind you mocking me for being dramatic?”

“Are you deaf?”

“Or are your eyes just as blind as mine?”

Huo Baike stood there, stunned and speechless. “I…”

“You what?”

Lu Nong said impatiently, “You claim there’s nothing between you two, but do you know that Su Tao likes you?”

Lu Nong began to recount the flirtatious history between Huo Baike and Su Tao, hammering away at the scumbag with each word.

“I…” Huo Baike stammered, unable to respond.

“Oh, so you know. Knowing this yet not avoiding suspicion, you spend the night gaming with your childhood sweetheart, and the game IDs were a couple’s names. You stood up your girlfriend, made her wait three hours in the cinema and went home in the rain by herself, but you accompanied your childhood sweetheart to meet her parents… and you call that being innocent?”

“Don’t be so quick to deny it. I have evidence, and it’s from your so-called innocent childhood sweetheart’s circle of friends. If you want to see it, I can whip up a PowerPoint presentation or flyers for the whole school, because, darling, I have plenty of money.”

“Huh? Who’s more dramatic?” Lu Nong mocked with a smile.

Su Tao no longer had a calm expression and looked at Huo Baike with a dark face, but Huo Baike was staring straight at Lu Nong.

The onlookers gasped in shock, “This girl is so cool! Huo Baike is indeed a scumbag. It’s 2022 and he’s still using his childhood sweetheart as a shield. Su Tao is really something.”

“If only she had acted like this earlier.”

“What do you know? Lu Nong was always a queen. It was only because Huo Baike, this fox, bewitched her that she became so soft. Now that Huo Baike dared to cheat on Lu Nong, the queen is back.”

Upon hearing the crowd’s comments, [Lu Nong] lowered her head.

Seeing Huo Baike’s silence, Su Tao turned pale as she explained, “Lu Nong, the gaming ID is because I used to be on a team with Brother Ke, and everyone in the team has a similar prefix. And about yesterday, my mom came to Beijing to see me and called Brother Ke. I didn’t know Brother Ke was there until I went there. You misunderstood us.”

Lu Nong couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. She had seen plenty of green tea bitches before. Sometimes, she would play the part of a tea girl herself, easily sniffing out that distinct scent from afar. So she struck a fatal blow and asked, “Then let me ask you, do you like Huo Baike?”

Su Tao was left speechless.

Lu Nong chuckled, “Why don’t you swear an oath? Swear that you don’t like Huo Baike now. If you like him, you and Huo Baike will be hit by a car and die. Swear that you will never be with Huo Baike in the future. If you are together, your child will have no anus. How about that? Do you dare?”

Second kill.

Su Tao: “……”

The female classmates who had helped Su Tao mock Lu Nong before were dumbfounded. Is this still the weak and vulnerable Lu Nong?

Huo Baike took a deep breath, “Lu Nong…”

“Let’s break up.” Lu Nong interrupted him decisively before he could finish his sentence.

“Don’t bother me anymore. If you don’t want your PPT and essays to spread all over the school, and you piss me off, I’ll buy you a hot search and help you debut.”

“Do you understand?” Lu Nong patted Huo Baike’s face and lifted his chin, saying, “Answer me.”

After living with Pei Ji’an for a long time, Lu Nong’s face darkened, exuding an aura similar to Pei Ji’an’s coldness. When she said this, the surroundings fell silent.

“I understand.” Huo Baike lowered his eyes, aware that Lu Nong was serious.

He had liked Lu Nong for a long time. He knew that her current expression signified extreme impatience. She truly wouldn’t give him any more chances.

After he had won Lu Nong over, it seemed like she had transformed overnight. He thought she was this kind of person—putting on a brave front while being weak inside. It was a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed, but he liked her too much to let go.

Seeing the old Lu Nong again… was this some sort of split personality?

Huo Baike finally saw the girl he liked again, but unfortunately, he also lost the chance to be with her. He glanced at Lu Nong one last time before turning to leave.

[Lu Nong] drifted to Lu Nong’s side, looked at Huo Baike, who was walking away, and said, “We have never looked at each other. Look, there is light in his eyes when he looks at you. He must like you.”

Lu Nong scoffed at this, “Even if I were in your place, he’d still have a childhood sweetheart. His gaming ID and childhood sweethearts’s names are couple names… ugh, scumbag. I only agreed to date him because I heard he had never had a girlfriend. No wonder he doesn’t date. With a little childhood sweetheart around, what’s the point?”

“I really envy you. Compared to me, you seem like a person of this era. Do you want to come back?” [Lu Nong] said softly, “If you want, I can let you take over. After all… it seems I can’t thrive anywhere.”

Lu Nong wanted to pat her shoulder, but in her ghostly state, she missed and awkwardly pulled back her hand. “Why give up so easily? You’re actually very smart. Look, you’ve gathered all the evidence. You’re just one step away. With a little more courage, boldly say no to others and express what’s in your heart.”

“I am setting an example for you today. You have to stand up on your own in the future.”

“Can I, can I be like you?” [Lu Nong] asked hesitantly.

Lu Nong smiled and said, “Of course you can! You even have the courage to face death, so why not have the courage to live?”

“Isn’t it satisfying to tear a scumbag apart? Want to try it for yourself? You’ve never tried, so don’t you think it’s a shame to end your life so easily? Learn from me and stand up to anyone who tries to bully you, just like I did today. What are you afraid of? How much worse can it get? Don’t you think?”

Lu Nong gazed at the clouds in the sky. This feeling was truly mystical. She had a premonition that this would be the last time. She didn’t mention Gu Huai, Gu Weiguo, or the events of the 1960s. [Lu Nong] never asked, and they maintained their mutual understanding.

Yesterday is gone and cannot be retained; people must look forward.

“And I don’t belong here. I have my own life. The time is up. Goodbye, [Lu Nong].”

Facing the sunlight, Lu Nong’s figure gradually faded. She smiled and winked at [Lu Nong], saying, “I met someone interesting. He said he would give me happiness, but I feel that people should create their own happiness. Don’t you agree?”

[Lu Nong] was taken aback, then nodded earnestly. Once she regained control over her body, she shouted into the air, “I understand now. I can’t always rely on others. I will be strong!”