Super Soldier in the City
Chapter 146 Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand

Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand

Aside from Su Peng, who knew a little about Li Yifei’s involvement with Ye Yunzhu, the rest of the people didn’t have a clue. And among their classmates, Ye Yunzhu was definitely the most successful one, even the usually assertive Cao Yingbo was keen on ingratiating himself with Ye Yunzhu this time.

To others, Ye Yunzhu merely exchanged verbal greetings, but with Li Yifei she got physical, which suddenly made their relationship appear much closer and sparked a hint of envy in the rest of their classmates.

It wasn’t that these classmates wanted to start a romance with Ye Yunzhu or anything, they just believed that Yunzhu’s achievements in the future would be boundless. Therefore, everyone wanted to get in her good graces, with businesspeople hoping for her favor and some benefits, and civil servants naturally seeking her assistance in their careers.

However, when Ye Yunzhu interacted with them in everyday life, even though she was quite casual, she still made them feel like she was mindful of the way she communicated with them. Now, why was she being so casual with Li Yifei?

Ye Yunzhu chuckled lightly and said, "Who told you not to study properly back then? As the class leader, how could I not manage you?"

Li Yifei laughed heartily and replied, "Exactly, back then I thought, ’This little chili pepper is really annoying.’ Who would’ve thought that you, this little chili pepper, would become the Township Chief? Where’s the justice in that?"

Ye Yunzhu gave Li Yifei a sidelong glance and retorted, "So you mean to say my position as Township Chief is somehow unreasonable?"

Their exchange sounded like dialogue from a comedy sketch, and after they finished speaking, both of them burst into laughter, followed by the others joining in.

At this point, Tao Yizhong said with a smile, "Let’s all go inside and talk, if we’re going to chat, let’s make it a good one."

Everyone entered a small courtyard surrounded by greenhouses full of vegetables and fruits. A modest house stood within the yard, its interior decoration not luxurious, simple and unadorned, but with a charming rustic feel that everyone quite liked.

As they all took their seats, Ye Yunzhu naturally sat in the central chair, then Qian Feifei settled to Yunzhu’s left. Su Peng wanted to have Li Yifei sit on Ye Yunzhu’s right, but Cao Yingbo had already claimed that spot, and Su Peng couldn’t just ask Cao Yingbo to move.

Li Yifei, however, had no intention of sitting there. Seeing that Ye Yunzhu was doing well was enough for him to be relieved. As for anything between him and Ye Yunzhu, he had never harbored expectations for a result.

During the meal, conversation revolved around topics brought up by Ye Yunzhu, which made Li Yifei feel a bit uncomfortable. They were all old classmates, but most of them acted with opportunistic motives towards Yunzhu, rendering the gathering tasteless.

Yet Ye Yunzhu’s response didn’t make Li Yifei uncomfortable. She would occasionally remind everyone of their relationship as classmates, urging them not to measure it by the complicated standards of society, and she tried to keep the conversation about the amusing times they had at school.

At the dining table, Li Yifei had no more interaction with Ye Yunzhu, until around nine o’clock, when they had almost finished eating and he finally got the chance for a one-on-one conversation with her.

The two of them stood beside a greenhouse, silent, simply looking through the glass at the various green plants inside.

"What have you been up to these years? Why did you never contact me?" Ye Yunzhu turned her head to look at Li Yifei, her lips pursed, showing a mix of annoyance and hurt.

Li Yifei, still facing forward, lit a cigarette and said, "What would it have mattered if I contacted you? It’s not like we could have had a future together."

"You still hold a grudge against my parents?" Ye Yunzhu asked softly.

"So many years have passed, I can’t possibly be that petty. Besides, they were looking out for your best interest. I didn’t understand that at the time, but now I get it completely. If someone had tried to run off with my daughter in high school, I would have done something even more drastic than your parents did."

"Ah, you have a daughter? Are you married?" Ye Yunzhu glared at Li Yifei, a mix of anger and distress in her eyes.

"No, I was just making a hypothetical point," Li Yifei said, turning to Ye Yunzhu with a grin.

"You jerk, you’re still so unserious, you scared me to death!" exclaimed Ye Yunzhu, pinching Li Yifei hard.

Pretending to be in pain, Li Yifei grimaced and then said with a bitter smile, "Look, Class leader Ye, you’re the Township Chief now, you really should mind your image."

Ye Yunzhu snorted and replied, "In the eyes of others, I may be the Township Chief, but am I also the Township Chief in your eyes?"

Li Yifei nodded and said, "Of course, you have a different status now. I’m currently jobless, the gap between us is just getting wider."

Ye Yunzhu frowned slightly and asked, "You still haven’t told me, what have you been doing these years, and what are you doing now?"

Li Yifei answered succinctly, "I served a few years in the military, but I couldn’t cut it there, so I came back here hoping to find a job to scrape by. Now I’m out of work again, and I’m struggling to support myself."

Ye Yunzhu stared at Li Yifei and said, "Whatever job you want to do, I can help you find it. Even if you want to be a civil servant or something, I can make it happen for you."

Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "Let’s forget about it. Being a civil servant really isn’t for me. And getting such a job can cost hundreds of thousands; where would I get that kind of money?"

"You don’t need to worry about the money. All I’m asking is whether you want to go or not. My township happens to have a vacancy now, and I can get you a position there."

Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "Back when we were students, you were the class leader, in charge of me. Now that we’re grown up, you want to drag me under your wing again. I can’t handle you overseeing me all over."

"You..." Ye Yunzhu pinched Li Yifei again and asked, "Then what exactly do you want to do?"

"Nothing much. I just want to find a simple job that can support me."

Ye Yunzhu moved in front of Li Yifei, glaring at him furiously, and exclaimed, "How can you be so lacking in ambition?"

"Not everyone wants to make it big, earn a lot of money, or hold a high office to qualify as ambitious. My current idea of living comfortably doesn’t involve working myself to exhaustion every day, striving for promotion or worrying about making a fortune."

Seeing that Ye Yunzhu didn’t look pleased, Li Yifei sighed and said, "Yunzhu, our ways of life have diverged. What you pursue is different from what I pursue. I admit you’re someone I can’t let go of, but it’s just not possible between us now."

Ye Yunzhu bit her lip, her tone softening, as she said, "Yifei, can’t you change for me?"

Li Yifei shook his head gently and replied, "Yunzhu, I know I have wronged you. Over these years, I’ve always thought about coming back to find you and to make amends. But seeing you doing so well now, I’m not so inclined anymore. You’re so capable and suited for politics. If I were with you, I’d only hold you back. Moreover, due to our different beliefs, we’d probably end up fighting a lot. It might be better to keep those sweet youthful memories in our past."

Ye Yunzhu snorted and said, "You make it sound so easy. I was only seventeen when you turned cooked rice into a done deal, and now you want to act like it never happened?"

Li Yifei felt slightly awkward. Back then, both he and Ye Yunzhu were young. Ye Yunzhu was feisty and enthusiastic, going to great lengths for Li Yifei’s education—one unwilling to learn and the other eager to teach. From their constant battling, they ended up falling for each other.

One time, Li Yifei went to Ye Yunzhu’s house to study. After studying, they played on the computer for a while but accidentally opened an adult movie. That day, they tasted the forbidden fruit.

After learning its delights, they began to sneak around to be together whenever they could. Back then, they didn’t know about contraception, and eventually, Ye Yunzhu became pregnant. Things turned bad fast. Scared, they didn’t dare tell their parents and ran to a small clinic for a medication-induced abortion. They bought some pills, and Ye Yunzhu went home to take them secretly. Afterwards, she bled a lot, which scared them both. By chance, Ye Yunzhu’s parents returned home and discovered what had happened. They immediately rushed her to the hospital, where she was saved from danger.

Ye Yunzhu’s parents were outraged to learn their daughter had been involved with a boy in such a way. After investigating Li Yifei, they found his family situation to be too common, which angered them even more. They beat up Li Yifei and ensured he was expelled from school.

At that time, Li Yifei resented Ye Yunzhu’s parents. Angered, he joined the army instead of attending college. He had intended to get in touch with Ye Yunzhu later, but was never able to reach her. Ye Yunzhu had transferred schools, and he thought she didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore, so he held some grudges against her too.

As time passed, especially after years oscillating between life and death, Li Yifei only remembered the good aspects of Ye Yunzhu. He had completely let go of the past grievances.

But now, Ye Yunzhu brought up the past, and in such an overbearing tone, Li Yifei couldn’t help but laugh and say, "It’s not that I don’t want to take responsibility, it’s that if I cook the rice, of course I’d want to eat it myself."

"Then why are you still hesitating?"

"Yunzhu, after so many years, you’ve changed a lot, and so have I. Over these years, I’m no longer that innocent youth. Apart from you, I don’t even know how many pots of rice I’ve cooked."

Ye Yunzhu’s face changed, and she said resentfully, "Well, look at you, getting all capable."

Li Yifei sighed and said, "That’s why I’m saying, I’ve changed."

"Hmph, you men are all the same, just creatures that think with the lower half of your bodies. Having had a taste with me, it’d be a wonder if you could restrain yourself all these years."

Before Li Yifei could speak, Ye Yunzhu huffed again, "All these years, after you, this bastard, I haven’t let another man touch me. You say you won’t take responsibility for me, then who will?"

"But now, I really don’t have the confidence to be with you. My visit this time was just to see if you were doing well. If you’re doing well, I could rest easy. Can’t we just not talk about this?"

Ye Yunzhu glared, her tone fierce as she said, "Li Yifei, are you even a man? Just give me a straight answer—are you up to it or not? If not, I’ll just marry the next man that comes along this very instant."

Li Yifei looked at Ye Yunzhu’s domineering manner and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He knew all too well that if he didn’t agree, she really might do exactly that.