Chapter 082: Li Lei and Han Meimei

Looking at the six elegant characters on the slip of paper—"The scenery here is uniquely beautiful"—Lin Yu’s lips curled with his signature gentle smile, thinking to himself that the sentiment was indeed true.

"Wait a minute, that’s not Qi Yue’s handwriting! It’s Yang Zhilin’s!" Wang Libo, who had also glanced at the note, immediately turned to Lin Yu with a look of admiration in his eyes.

Impressed, he said, "Lin Yu—no, Brother Yu. You’re eating from your bowl, eyeing the basin, and still thinking about what’s cooking in the pot!"

"Heh, there’s really nothing going on between Yang Zhilin and me," Lin Yu replied. Then, picking up his pen again, he wrote on the slip: "I would trade two lifetimes of mine for a single lifetime of your innocence."

After he finished, Wang Libo’s eyes seemed to see Lin Yu transformed into the last lord of Southern Tang, Li Yu, the one who wrote, "The sun brightens the day, the moon brightens the night."

"Never noticed before—you’re a natural-born romantic!" Wang Libo surrendered in awe.

An entire English reading class slipped quietly by in a flurry of passing notes. At the very end, the foreign teacher, Tom, summed up in English, "The partnership between Jordan and Nike is a perfect win-win."

As was tradition, before the final self-study period, the homeroom teacher, He Jing, appeared once more at the door of Class 7, Senior Year 3.

While some students were stepping out for the restroom, she unexpectedly walked up to Lin Yu and asked, "How’s your speech coming along?"

"Still not written…" Lin Yu stood up, looking a bit embarrassed at the question.

"Get it done, and do it well. You’re not just representing yourself, but also the entire class, and all the senior students," He Jing said softly, tilting her head just enough to look into Lin Yu’s still-clear eyes.

"Teacher, I think I won’t need a script. I’ll improvise when I get up there," Lin Yu replied with a smile. Facing his homeroom teacher always felt a bit like standing in front of his own mother, Wang Chunhua.

"Are you sure?" He Jing asked doubtfully.

"As sure as can be!" Lin Yu replied with a mischievous grin, mimicking the tone of the Martial Sage.

"You imp!" He Jing tapped him lightly on the shoulder, then added playfully, "In that case, you’ll do a rehearsal during the next self-study period, so you don’t freeze up on the real day."

"Well… that might not be necessary. Everyone’s racing against the clock to study—if I take up the time for my own practice, it wouldn’t be fair to the others," Lin Yu objected, shaking his head.

"It’s fine. In this class, everyone listens to me," He Jing said, breaking character with a rare joke. A faint smile lifted the corners of her eyes, where time had etched its lines.

Seeing her aging face, Lin Yu was suddenly reminded of an afternoon beneath the silk tree, where his mother once paced in the sunlight.

He nodded firmly. "Alright, I’ll do it."

After class began, Lin Yu stood at the familiar yet unfamiliar podium, facing classmates he’d known forever and yet, somehow, not at all. He bowed deeply before them.

Raising his head, he began, "First, I want to thank the heavens for giving me the chance to stand before you. Second, I want to thank myself for seizing this opportunity to stand before you. This may sound strange, but it’s truly what I feel in my heart."

There was no laughter from the crowd, as Lin Yu half-expected. Whether boys or girls, all applauded quietly, offering him a wave of warm applause, their eyes glistening as his filled with mist.

When the applause faded, a hush fell over the room—still and serene as dawn broken by scattered time. Gazing at the attentive faces, Lin Yu drew a deep breath and began to speak.

He didn’t try to give a formal speech. Instead, he told the story of Li Lei and Han Meimei.

He wove the imaginary protagonists of their junior high English textbooks, Li Lei and Han Meimei, into a poignant tale of love and longing. In the end, neither Li Lei nor Han Meimei could hold the other’s hand. Just like youth—once it’s gone, it never returns.

The reason he chose this story was because, in a previous life, Lin Yu had heard a song one afternoon called "Li Lei and Han Meimei."

By the end of his tale, tears shimmered in many of the girls’ eyes, though the sorrow was just enough—not quite enough to spill over.

After the story, Lin Yu shifted the topic to the value of time.

He concluded earnestly, "There are four ways to measure a person: wealth, fine wine, women or men, and one’s attitude toward time. These measures share something in common—they each have their allure, but none are worth losing yourself in. I hope you all will have a bright future."

Having finished, Lin Yu bowed deeply once more, then slipped his hands into his pockets and walked slowly back to his seat.

Instantly, applause erupted again.

Seeing the energy in Class 7, He Jing’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She muttered, "Lin Yu, you’re surprisingly good at rousing a crowd. If I’d known earlier, I would have made you class president."

A self-study period that might not have meant much, but would be remembered by a few, ended amid applause.

After school, Lin Yu walked out with Qi Yue and Yang Zhilin as usual. Today, he’d decided to bring them home for dinner, planning to discuss with his mother, Wang Chunhua, the possibility of opening a milk tea shop.

Seventy-eight percent of the world’s wealth is held by twenty-two percent of its people; Lin Yu hoped that he or his family could join that twenty-two percent sooner rather than later.

But as the three of them passed beneath the camphor tree, now stripped to its trunk and covered in notes, they ran into Ye Yijing, waiting there.

This time, as Lin Yu approached, Ye Yijing didn’t shrink back. Instead, she stepped forward boldly and said with urgency, "Third Brother, Dai Peng says it’s urgent—he needs to see you right away."

"Third Brother?" Lin Yu smiled faintly at the nickname, understanding that the girl must have reestablished her ties with Dai Peng.

He paused, then asked, "Is it about the case?"

"Yes! He said it’s a matter of life and death. Please, go see him right away." Ye Yijing’s anxiety was clear—she was deeply worried about Dai Peng’s safety.

"Alright, I’m on my way," Lin Yu answered.

He told Qi Yue and Yang Zhilin to take a cab to his house on their own; during gym class, he’d already called his mother to prepare something delicious.

Through Han Kezhen’s arrangements, Lin Yu met Dai Peng—now noticeably thinner—in an office at the police station.

When the two reunited, they shared a tight embrace.

Once they’d collected themselves, Dai Peng said gravely, "Third Brother, I remembered a crucial detail from that afternoon!"

"What is it? Tell me!" Lin Yu’s heart tightened.