Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets
Chapter 220: The Grove (Fifth Update)

Chapter 220: Chapter 220: The Grove (Fifth Update)

"Dad, no matter how well the breakfast business is doing, it’s not as easy to expand as opening a restaurant," Tang Yue added. "Moreover, mom and dad, you have to get up at four in the morning to prepare breakfast, which is really tough. But it’s different with a restaurant, you wouldn’t have to work so hard in the mornings."

Tang Zhengde and Zhang Hualian looked at each other, and Tang Zhengde said, "Xiao Yue, that makes sense, but we’ve decided to stick it out a bit longer. We have so many regular customers, we’ll continue for some more time, save up a bit more money, then consider opening a restaurant."

"That’s fine." Tang Yue didn’t say anything more. She thought her dad’s cooking skills were great, but her dad was very cautious. Before, they were planning on having people live at the back, but now with the consent of Zhang Tingyu’s family, they have renovated the back room, essentially adding private rooms, and the large tree in the courtyard looked lush and green.

March arrived quietly. Since Tang Yue had sent a photo to Mo Siyu, she had not received a reply from him. She guessed he must be busy, and she could only wait in her busy moments, hoping for Mo Siyu to return safely.

"Xiao Yue, today is my grandma’s birthday, so we won’t be coming back." Zhang Tingyu and Zhang Minmin both took leave to go back home, leaving Tang Yue alone in the room.

After finishing the evening self-study, on her way back from the classroom to the dormitory, Tang Yue was stopped shortly after she started walking.

"Tang Yue."

She paused, and under the dim streetlight, she saw Zhang Lei standing in front of her with an uneasy expression.

"Is there something you need?"

Since the incident in their first year of senior high school, she had had very little contact with classmates other than during class time; she spent most of her time either with Zhang Tingyu in the dormitory or on the sports field.

"Tang Yue, I have something I want to tell you." Zhang Lei was a bit nervous. He clasped his hands behind his back and had been waiting for a long time for a chance to speak to Tang Yue alone.

"Uh-huh?" Tang Yue motioned him to continue. It was past eleven at night, and the cool breeze of spring was chilling as she pulled her coat closer around her. The long alley was dimly lit, and the mottled light through the leaves cast shadows on his figure.

Suddenly, Tang Yue had an epiphany, seeing Zhang Lei’s awkward demeanor, she kind of understood what he wanted to say.

Tang Yue cleared her throat and said, "Zhang Lei, I need to get back to the dormitory. If there’s nothing urgent, I’ll go back first."

Let alone the fact that Tang Yue already had Mo Siyu in her heart, even if there was no Mo Siyu, Tang Yue, having been hurt by Wu Xinming before, could not possibly accept anyone else.

Mo Siyu was her biggest unexpected occurrence.

Tang Yue stepped to one side, preparing to bypass him.

Zhang Lei suddenly became anxious, summoning a surge of courage, he hurried in front of her, blocking her path. Exposing his hands from behind his back, he held out a pink envelope in front of her and blurted out, "Tang Yue, I like you."

She was caught off guard by his confession.

Tang Yue didn’t know what to say for a moment.

After blurting out his first sentence, Zhang Lei found it easier to speak, adding, "I’ve liked you since our first year in senior high school. I know my academic grades aren’t as good as yours, but I will put in the effort. There are many couples in our school, and I thought maybe we could try dating too."

"Um..." Tang Yue really hadn’t had the experience of being confessed to before. When she got together with Wu Xinming, it was she who had taken the first step.

Back then, Wu Xinming was like the last straw for a drowning person to her.

"Tang Yue, you don’t need to rush to answer, maybe you can read my letter first," Zhang Lei said with a flushed face, expectantly handing the letter over. The moonlight softened the features of Tang Yue’s face, adding a misty beauty.

Perhaps recalling that despicable person, Tang Yue’s mind cooled a bit, and she politely declined, "Sorry, I’m not planning on dating anyone in high school."

As the conversation ended, Tang Yue took a small path back to her dormitory, bypassing Zhang Lei.

Zhang Lei stood like a stump, blocking Tang Yue’s way, and Tang Yue thought about returning to the dorm quickly, so she chose a shortcut.

Rejected, Zhang Lei watched Tang Yue’s departing silhouette, his spirit heavy with sorrow. He lowered his head and looked at a piece of pink letter paper—it was the best one he had chosen after writing countless letters.

Tang Yue, I will not give up.

Zhang Lei looked at the letter and muttered to himself that he needed to improve his studies, so that Tang Yue would not reject him again.

Tang Yue might have refused him because she thought their academic performance was too different.

Tang Yue, taking the shortcut back to the dorm, paid no attention to Zhang Lei’s thoughts. If she knew, she would surely respond, no matter how good or bad your grades are, I won’t date you.

Tang Yue had walked this small path many times before, usually accompanied by Zhang Tingyu and Zhang Minmin in the evenings. Trees lined both sides of the path, making the nights quite serene. Having walked it so frequently, Tang Yue was not scared at all.

Vaguely, Tang Yue seemed to hear other sounds.

It can’t be this unlucky.

Tang Yue was annoyed, thinking she just wanted to quickly return to the dorm to shower and sleep. How could she encounter... venturing into the woods!

In the woods, those different sounds, including the sound of bodies colliding, were particularly distinct in the tranquil night.

Tang Yue stood on the path, unsure whether to move forward or retreat. If she retreated, who knew if Zhang Lei was still there.

If she moved forward, what if someone heard her? How embarrassing that would be!

As she hesitated, Tang Yue gritted her teeth and decided to quietly move forward.

However, it seemed that Lady Luck was not favoring Tang Yue.

"Xinming."

The gentle voice of a woman made Tang Yue instantly recognize it as Xu Zhenzhen.

Tang Yue was almost back outside when she suddenly heard the familiar voice and name. Her heart skipped a beat, and she inadvertently stepped on a dry branch.

’Crack.’

"There’s someone," a frantic female voice called out.

At that moment, Tang Yue could no longer care less and hurriedly walked away, but perhaps due to bad luck, she bumped right into that woman.

"You..." Xu Zhenzhen’s face turned pale, and she looked at Tang Yue in panic. She preemptively said, "Tang Yue, why are you here?"

"Why wouldn’t I be here? I’m going back to my dorm," Tang Yue looked at the nervous and flustered Xu Zhenzhen. She, on the other hand, calmed down, her expression turning cold as she focused on Xu Zhenzhen’s pretty face. Her lips were somewhat swollen, the shirt she wore was not buttoned correctly, and even one of the three buttons was misaligned.

"I’d like to ask, shouldn’t the girls’ dormitory be on that side? Why would you be here in the dead of night?" Tang Yue asked knowingly.