Volume One, Chapter Three: Can You Date Me?
On the withered street, a striking figure suddenly appeared, inevitably drawing attention.
Before approaching, Wang Tieniu noticed a woman leaning against a tree, clutching her chest and gasping for breath.
When she finally lifted her head, his eyes nearly popped out in surprise.
His immediate reaction was to turn to Song Huaichuan beside him:
“Boss, isn’t this the girl with the enviable figure from the covert training day?”
However, Song Huaichuan’s expression remained indifferent, his resolute face unchanged.
Good, the boss was still as cold and ruthless as ever.
Wang Tieniu withdrew his wandering thoughts.
The two were about to walk past Shen Zhiyi.
But then, unexpectedly—
Shen Zhiyi, who had been looking down, suddenly turned sharply as if twisting her ankle and lunged toward them!
Though her movement seemed natural, Wang Tieniu sensed something deliberate.
Why?
Because this was the second time he had seen this girl stumble toward their boss!
The first time was by the field edge—he’d dodged too quickly, causing her to fall straight into the crops.
Just as he was considering whether to lend a hand to prevent her from getting hurt, he caught a glimpse of Shen Zhiyi bouncing off Song Huaichuan as she stumbled into him!
Wang Tieniu: !!!
Who would have thought?
This time, the boss didn’t dodge, yet the girl bounced herself away!
Shen Zhiyi landed in a squatting fall, dazed and somewhat stunned.
“Well… you’re pretty bouncy, huh.”
Wang Tieniu: !!!
If he remembered correctly, this was the second time she had flirted with their boss!
Song Huaichuan seemed speechless but said nothing.
He stepped back and was about to leave.
---
But sensing his movement, Shen Zhiyi suddenly lunged forward, grabbing his leg tightly!
“Wait, you can’t go!”
It wasn’t that Shen Zhiyi wanted to be unreasonable, but she genuinely had no other choice.
She had finally managed to get close to him; no matter what, she needed to earn some points.
“I have something to tell you, just a few words—it won’t take long!”
Song Huaichuan gave Wang Tieniu a look, and the latter understood, heading off to keep watch.
Shen Zhiyi pretended not to see Song Huaichuan signaling her to let go and continued clinging to his leg.
Though shamelessness was disgraceful, it was undeniably effective.
Watching her points steadily rise, Shen Zhiyi’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment but resolved to persist with her boldness.
“Comrade, let me tell you a story...”
Song Huaichuan: “...”
Shen Zhiyi had decided to speak at length and began softly sobbing while holding onto Song Huaichuan’s leg. Then, she stammered:
“I know this is a bit like forcibly locking a man down... but I’m really stuck between two men right now... Although I feel sorry for them, even if the situation gets worse, I can only face it head-on... after all, I’m already hugging a man now... boohoo...”
“What I’m about to say might seem like a rambling tale, but right now, I truly need a handsome man like you to help me ease my troubles. I’m willing to tell you anything, and you’re free to listen or not. Actually, my difficult journey is a bit complicated to explain...”
Perhaps thinking of her hopeless pursuit, genuine emotion seeped into her sobbing.
She somehow produced a small handkerchief, lightly waved it, and wiped her tears while still clutching his leg, pouring out her woes.
Song Huaichuan: “...”
Wang Tieniu, standing nearby on lookout: “...”
All he heard was one mention of ‘men’ after another.
But what kind of men exactly? Girl, you’ve got to explain.
Although Shen Zhiyi’s words were somewhat incoherent, Song Huaichuan astutely caught the core of her message.
“A broken engagement? Why?”
Shen Zhiyi waved her little handkerchief again: “That brings us to tales of Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian, Cui Yingying and Zhang Sheng, Li Jia and Du Shiniang...”
Song Huaichuan: “...”
It seemed like he wouldn’t be getting away anytime soon.
When Shen Zhigao hurried over, he found his sister clutching the leg of an unfamiliar man, weeping uncontrollably.
---
He had assumed she was being bullied, but before he could approach, Wang Tieniu explained:
“Comrade, you really need to talk some sense into this girl. Our Brother Chuan just passed by and was grabbed by her leg, forced to listen to stories about several unfaithful men...”
She was crying so bitterly.
Anyone unaware would think their boss was the unfaithful man.
Shen Zhigao’s anger instantly turned to embarrassment. Apologetically, he said to Song Huaichuan:
“My sister has been through some bad things recently and is quite upset... I’m really sorry... I’ll take her back now...”
He tried to help Shen Zhiyi up, but she dodged away.
“Second brother, please wait a moment. I want to say a few more words to this comrade.” Shen Zhiyi stubbornly clung to Song Huaichuan’s leg.
Shen Zhigao looked troubled but, seeing no objection from Song Huaichuan, relented.
“Alright, I’ll wait over there. Call me if you need anything.”
He went to join Wang Tieniu on lookout.
---
“Comrade, my name is Shen Zhiyi, I’m eighteen, an English teacher at Apricot Blossom Commune Middle School, from Shen Family Village. I have three older brothers, and my parents are alive.
Including two sisters-in-law and four nephews, there are twelve people in my family. Our background is clean, and no family member has any bad habits.”
Biting her lip, Shen Zhiyi nervously revealed her purpose—
“Um... would you consider dating me?”
A gentle breeze swept away the summer heat but could not cool the flush on Shen Zhiyi’s face.
It was her first time confessing to someone, and she couldn’t deny her nervousness.
But this was the best solution she could think of.
After all, relationships in this era were exceptionally strict, and earning points this way was the only viable method. If she relied on mischief, she’d surely be sent to a real-life ‘QQ Farm’ for reform.
Wuwuwu... life was really hard for her.
Clinging tightly to Song Huaichuan’s leg, her eyes welled with tears again.
For a long moment, there was no response. Just as she feared she wouldn’t hear a reply, a pleasant voice sounded above her head—