Those things that happened in those years

Chapter 19 Unbelievable

Just as Jie was filled with doubt and couldn't believe what was happening, Zhang Qiaoyun gracefully walked up to him. Her figure was elegant, and her eyes held a delicate charm. She gave Jie a thumbs-up, a smile of admiration playing on her lips: "Wu Jie, you're really something else, ruthless! I admire you!"

After Zhang Qiaoyun finished speaking, she extended her delicate, slender hand to Jie: "Wu Jie, I've decided to be your friend."

Jie was a little flattered—although he had secretly liked Zhang Qiaoyun for a long time, he never thought that one day he would be able to shake hands with Zhang Qiaoyun, and it was she who took the initiative. Wu Jie knew that whether from the perspective of family or from his own personality, he and Zhang Qiaoyun were worlds apart.

Jay was both surprised and flustered, at a loss for what to do. He wanted to reach out but hesitated. Sweat was already forming on his forehead and palms, and his face was as red as the evening glow.

Sun Changlin laughed again, pointing at Wu Jie and saying, "The fearless hero Wu Jie isn't afraid of me, Sun Changlin, but he's afraid of this girl, Qiaoyun. I just said you had guts and weren't a coward, but now you've proven me wrong and become such a coward."

Yi Jianping and Liu Lianbo also burst into laughter.

Their laughter made Jie feel even more ashamed, wishing he could disappear into the ground. He rarely spoke to girls, and he didn't dare to get close to girls like Zhang Qiaoyun, especially one who was so voluptuous and had a fragrant face, for fear of annoying her.

Zhang Qiaoyun chuckled, and instead of withdrawing her hand, she took Jie's hand and said, "We'll be good friends from now on."

Jay's heart suddenly raced, and a deeper blush spread across his face. In truth, from the very first moment he saw Zhang Qiaoyun, a seed of affection had been quietly planted in his heart. However, for various reasons, he had always kept this feeling buried deep within, never daring to have much contact with her, let alone talk to her at such close range as he was now.

Now, Zhang Qiaoyun not only walked up to him on her own initiative, but also praised him so highly, and even took his hand. This made him feel incredibly happy. Zhang Qiaoyun's hand was delicate, warm, white, and soft, which made Jie cherish it and hold it dear. He longed to hold her hand for a lifetime.

Sun Changlin checked the time and said, "It's almost time. Let's hurry back to class! Otherwise, the teacher will start nagging again."

Everyone quickly climbed over the earthen wall. Sun Changlin, holding Jie's hand, strode forward, chatting and laughing as they walked. Just then, five people rushed towards them from the opposite direction: Hong Liguo, Jun Ge, Fa Zi, Yan Bin, and Hong Bo.

Just before class, Hong Liguo noticed that Sun Changlin and his three friends were nowhere to be seen, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. He quickly called Fa Zi, and they rushed to Jie's classroom, only to find Jie absent as well. Panicked, the two immediately gathered the rest of their brothers to discuss what to do. Just then, they spotted the suspicious-looking Wang Laoba and stopped him, anxiously asking if he had seen Sun Changlin and the others. At first, Wang Laoba hesitated and refused to tell the truth. Seeing this, Jun Ge became enraged and made a move to attack him. Realizing the situation was turning against him, and considering the principle of not fighting a losing battle, Wang Laoba had no choice but to confess that Sun Changlin and the others had gone outside the walls to look for Wu Jie.

Upon hearing this, Hong Liguo and the others were immediately alarmed. They thought that with Sun Changlin and his four companions all out in force, Jie was likely in grave danger. Without hesitation, they rushed towards the outside of the wall. When they arrived, they saw Sun Changlin and his group returning from outside the wall—Sun Changlin and Jie were walking side-by-side, chatting and laughing, with Zhang Qiaoyun also walking beside Jie, her face beaming with a cheerful smile.

This scene left Hong Liguo and his companions stunned, as if they had been frozen in place. The scene before them was completely different from what they had expected, leaving their minds blank and utterly unable to comprehend what was happening.

At this moment, Sun Changlin had already walked up to Hong Liguo and the others. He reached out and gently patted Hong Liguo's shoulder, smiling as he said, "It's alright, don't be nervous, Wu Jie is unharmed."

Hong Liguo and the others stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief. Was this really the Sun Changlin they remembered? When did that ruthless, vindictive "villain" become so tolerant and magnanimous, not only refraining from revenge after suffering a loss but also able to chat and laugh so easily?

Hong Liguo and the others bypassed Sun Changlin and walked up to Jie. Jie's face was beaming with a smile, a smile as bright and radiant as peach blossoms in spring, showing no sign of being bullied.

What surprised Hong Liguo and his friends even more was that Zhang Qiaoyun, who was always arrogant and looked down on her poor classmates, actually turned around and waved to Jie after walking a dozen steps. This would never have happened before—Zhang Qiaoyun was always snobbish, and she would usually look down on classmates from ordinary families like Jie, let alone Hong Liguo and Jun Ge.

Fa Zi was the first to come to his senses. He stepped forward and asked with concern, "Jay, are you alright?"

Jay smiled and shook his head: "Do I look like something's wrong?"

Yanbin hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Jie, you didn't kneel down and beg for mercy from Sun Changlin, did you? If so, you'll have completely disgraced the Six Swordsmen."

Jay frowned upon hearing this, and lightly punched Yanbin: "What did you say? Do I look like that kind of spineless person?"

To be honest, Yanbin wasn't the only one with this thought; Hong Liguo and the others had all considered it. After all, given Sun Changlin's temper and the strength of the four of them, Hong Liguo and the others found it hard to imagine how Jie could have escaped unscathed. In their view, Jie had no chance of winning against Sun Changlin and his three companions alone; the only possible outcome was a severe beating. They even thought that Zhang Qiaoyun alone could easily handle Jie.

After hearing Jie's story, Hong Liguo and the others were all deeply impressed by his courage in the face of adversity. Perhaps this is what is meant by turning adversity into opportunity! Among the five of them, if they were to face the "Four Evils" alone, it would be difficult for any of them to hide their fear—after all, the ruthlessness and strength of Sun Changlin's gang were well-known.

Jun looked around and said, "It's good that everything's alright. Let's go! The teachers have already gone into the classroom."

So, with mixed feelings, Hong Liguo and the others quickly ran back to their respective classes.