Chapter 122: I’m 1.85 meters tall

Leaning against the doorframe, Shen Subai had already straightened up. He created some distance between them and spoke calmly, “People’s words can be scary. If others see us in a bad light, it’s just because we have a professional relationship.”

Xie Yunshu’s face flushed. She felt like she had just acted like she was deliberately taking advantage of him. “Captain Shen, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

“You’ve said that three times already.”

“Huh?”

Xie Yunshu looked confused. “What three times?”

Shen Subai sighed. “In the past ten minutes, you’ve said ‘sorry’ three times. What exactly are you apologizing to me for?”

Xie Yunshu felt deeply guilty. “It’s Lu Zhixing’s fault you got injured…”

Shen Subai lowered his eyes to look at her, his tone growing even calmer. “So this ‘sorry,’ you’re actually saying it on behalf of your ex-husband?”

The word “ex-husband” sounded strangely weird coming from Captain Shen’s mouth. But Xie Yunshu didn’t think much about it and shook her head to deny it. “I’m not saying it for him. It’s because your injury has something to do with me, so I’m apologizing on my own behalf.”

Shen Subai rested his right shoulder against the doorframe, a slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, but his tone remained serious. “It’s alright.”

Xie Yunshu widened her eyes. She said sorry, and he said it was alright?

Without looking at her, Shen Subai pulled his chin in. “It’s too late, it wouldn’t be convenient for me to go in now. Remember to find a useless piece of cloth later to cover the vehicle. Go get some rest.”

After he finished speaking, he already started walking toward the stairwell. His steps were not big, but definitely steady and strong. Xie Yunshu called out, “Your foot?”

Shen Subai didn’t turn his head, only his cold voice came from upstairs: “It’s already fine.”

Xie Yunshu was stunned. Really that fast? He was just too weak to stand up a moment ago, wasn’t he?

Inside the house, Li Fenlan heard the noise and opened the door. She glanced toward the stairwell but saw nothing. “Why does it sound like Xiao Bai’s voice? What about Xiao Wei? Did he go on his own?”

Xie Yunshu didn’t answer the first question, but pointed to the doorway. “Lu Zhixing is outside. He’s the father of the child now. If he doesn’t take care of it, who else will?”

Though Li Fenlan had a soft heart, she knew there was only so much she could do. Usually, when the child came, she would prepare something to eat for him. What else could she do?

Xie Mingcheng was sitting at a small table in the inner room reading a book. Hearing this, he put down his pen. “Sister, the exam results from the school opening are out. The teacher said this exam was similar in difficulty to the college entrance exam. If I can maintain this score, we’ll basically know when it’s time to apply to which schools.”

Suddenly, all the thoughts about Captain Shen and Lu Zhixing vanished from Xie Yunshu’s mind. She hurried inside and anxiously asked, “How much did you score? Which schools can you apply to? Is there hope for Haicheng University? No, no, the best university is Jingbei. If possible, you should go to Jingbei… But we can’t aim too high. If you get into Shanghai University, I’ll be ecstatic too.”

The college entrance exam was tough, especially for those top universities and majors—a real battlefield. It was also the only truly fair path, a shortcut for kids from lower classes to jump social ranks. Although getting into college didn’t guarantee a brilliant future, at least university graduates didn’t worry about jobs, and those jobs were good ones!

Xie Mingcheng’s clear, young face showed a smile. “Sister, our teacher said there’s hope for Jingbei University.”

“Really?” Xie Yunshu’s eyes lit up with joy, her smile curving her eyes. “I knew my brother was awesome!”

Xie Mingcheng lowered his head and smiled softly, focusing back on his book, quietly saying, “Sister, you’re the awesome one.”

This family, the sister carried it on her shoulders…

Xie Yunshu took out the college application guide she had flipped through countless times from the bedside and began studying the page for Jingbei University, reviewing each major one by one.

In her previous life, when she found out Mingcheng had entered the police station, the college entrance exam was already days past. She was mentally exhausted from pressure by the Lu family and Zhou Xinyue, and her brother’s failure on the exam became the last straw breaking her.

Those last few days, she was almost living in a daze, holding her breath so they wouldn’t feel at ease. She was really foolish back then!

Li Fenlan didn’t bring up Xiao Wei again. She watched the siblings reading, smiled, filled the thermos with hot water, and tucked it into both their blankets. Then she took out some yarn and started knitting under the dim light.

When Shen Subai left the stairwell, Lu Zhixing had not come out yet.

“You also feel it’s damp and dark inside and uncomfortable to stay, right?”

Lu Zhixing stood in the corner, his tone sarcastic but certain. “Shen Subai, Xie Yunshu has nothing. You’re not short of pretty girls. Please keep your distance from her! Consider this me begging you. She’s not someone you should get involved with. She’s strong-willed and proud. If she knew your family background, she’d only stay further away.”

When Shen Subai passed by him, he didn’t even stop. He just left one more sarcastic remark: “The one who has nothing is you.”

Because of that remark, Lu Zhixing clenched his fists but had no words to retort. Since losing Yunshu, he really seemed to have nothing left.

Someone tugged at his sleeve, and he remembered Xiao Wei standing silently beside him. Thinking of Xie Yunshu’s concern for Xiao Wei, hope sparked in his heart. He crouched down to look eye-to-eye with Xiao Wei. “You like Yunshu too, right? She’s a kind and good girl. Though sometimes she speaks harshly, she will definitely be good to you.”

Xiao Wei stared blankly at him, seemingly not understanding.

Though Lu Zhixing had neglected Xie Yunshu because of Zhou Xinyue and her son, he didn’t know this child well. Thinking the boy was too young to understand, he softened his tone. “Do you want Yunshu to be your mom?”

Xiao Wei understood the word “mom,” but shook his head and softly said two words: “No.”

He wanted to call Lu Zhixing “dad,” so he could not call Xie Yunshu “mom.” Though small, he knew Xie Yunshu didn’t like Lu Zhixing because she looked angry or unhappy when she saw him.

Lu Zhixing was a little disappointed but didn’t blame the boy. He thought Zhou Xinyue abused Xiao Wei, but the child still had a fledgling attachment like a baby bird. However, he didn’t realize that Xiao Wei sat behind the bicycle clutching a candy, staring blankly at the pitch-black road ahead.

His mom was asleep in the soil, never to grow again.

The next morning, after breakfast, Xie Yunshu went out to check on her three-wheeled motorcycle. The wheels were locked with two big locks. Lin Cuiping was bent over studying it there.

“Xie Yunshu, you’re so skinny riding such a big vehicle? Aren’t you afraid you’ll bruise your butt?” She snorted and then eagerly climbed on, ready to try. “Someday I’ll buy a lady’s motorcycle, then ride it to the packaging factory, tsk tsk…”

Xie Yunshu crossed her arms, squinting at her. “Want to ride?”

Lin Cuiping immediately bounced about two meters away like a spring, then lifted her round chin proudly. “I don’t like it. After I get married, I’ll buy a bright red motorcycle and have my boyfriend drive me around to make you jealous!”

Xie Yunshu looked at her suspiciously. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

At that, Lin Cuiping shyly pointed her toes together but spoke confidently. “You don’t know? I recently went on a blind date with a section chief at a cotton mill. He was immediately interested in me. Haha… Anyway, he just kept praising me…”

She covered her face and stomped her foot again. “He’s a section chief, very handsome, square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and best of all, he’s 1.8 meters tall.”

Nowadays, men over 1.75 meters were considered tall, and women’s requirements for men included job, character, and height. Being tall was a big bonus. When she knew Xie Yunshu married Lu Zhixing, Lin Cuiping was jealous not only of his doctor identity but also his height of 1.8 meters. Where else could she find such a tall man?

Just thinking about meeting Xie Yunshu later, and her man being half a head taller, made her heart ache!

This was the first time Lin Cuiping looked so shy. Even wearing a down jacket, she had goosebumps. “Lin Cuiping, can you speak properly? It’s not spring yet, who are you trying to freeze to death?”

Lin Cuiping rolled her eyes, then smiled proudly. “A 1.8 meter tall guy, you can’t find someone that tall, right?”

Xie Yunshu was speechless and grabbed her collar to toss her aside. “Move, don’t distract me from practicing.”

Jealousy! This is jealousy! Even Xie Yunshu had a day when she was jealous of Lin Cuiping!

Lin Cuiping shamelessly came closer, laughing mischievously. “Xie Yunshu, my 1.8 meter man won’t be some half-naked, dirty-pants guy!”

Xie Yunshu’s forehead veins twitched as she thought about pulling Lin Cuiping’s hair and stuffing it in her mouth, when she heard Shen Subai’s voice from behind: “I’m 1.85 meters tall, measured without shoes in the military…”