24: Chapter 24 Zhong Xiaoai: So there really is a white moonlight.

Spring afternoon, sunny weather.

Zhao Yang's room, curtains drawn tight.

Dim bedside lamp, blurring the intertwined figures on the big bed.

Snowy white wedding dress scattered on the carpet, with a pair of white silk stockings tossed beside it.

...

Sun setting, Chen Yan curled up in Zhao Yang's arms like a cat, eyes hazy.

"This is the wedding dress I am going to wear at my wedding. You are the first man to take it off."

"I am honored."

"I really want to stay with you a bit longer. But I have to go back tonight."

"I know. That is why I did not use too much strength today."

"Beast." Chen Yan bit his solid arm lightly. "It would be great if I could have met you ten years earlier."

Zhao Yang laughed with a puff.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Young Miss Chen Yan, please look into my eyes and answer—what would you want to do to a twelve-year-old boy?"

Chen Yan froze for a moment, then laughed too: "Big sister would give you candy."

"Alright, I want to eat it right now."

Chen Yan's body softened: "I really must go back tonight, save me some energy."

...

Eight in the evening, Chen Yan left after all.

Her body was exhausted, but her face wore a look of satisfaction.

Zhao Yang saw her to the elevator.

Before the elevator doors closed, she kept looking at him.

The next day, Zhao Yang boarded a plane to Handong Province Province.

The next things needed to be planned out.

...

In the afternoon, standing at the gate of Handong University, watching the energetic students coming and going, Zhao Yang smiled slightly and strolled into his alma mater.

At this time, the leader of the Handong Province Provincial Committee was called Zhao Lichun—the very same Zhao Lichun from In the Name of the People.

Ever since he learned this news, Zhao Yang understood that sooner or later, he would step into the whirlpool of Handong Province. Jinghai was just the starting point.

Unlike when he stepped onto the land of the Imperial Capital, as soon as he stepped onto the land of Handong Province, he felt an invisible pressure. It was as if some mysterious force was reminding him—kid, this is not a place you should be right now.

That feeling was like a level 10 character running into a level 30 map while playing an online game; all the monsters around were red-named, and he felt trepidation just walking.

"System, with my skills and Physical Body, self-preservation should be no problem. Why is there this kind of pressure?"

[Ding! Please pay 1000 Emotional Points.]

Zhao Yang took a deep breath and chose to pay.

Emotional Points? I have plenty of those.

[The host's status is not suitable for getting involved in the major events of Handong Province. Rashly getting involved will make life and death unpredictable.]

"It is only the year 2000, what major events could there be?" Zhao Yang muttered, "Director Qi has already knelt to power on the playground, Gao Yuliang is already an official, and Zhao Lichun's position is rock solid... Could it be... his useless son Zhao Ruilong?"

Understood.

It must be Zhao Ruilong.

With his father covering the sky with one hand in Handong Province, he was naturally lawless. If he were to clash with that guy, as an ordinary young criminal policeman, Zhao Yang's life and death would indeed be unpredictable.

No matter how strong his Physical Body was, it could not withstand a 7.62 round, let alone a sniper rifle.

However, the business Zhao Yang came to Handong Province for had nothing to do with the Zhao family. He would certainly not go looking for trouble.

Having figured this out, Zhao Yang's steps became much lighter.

...

"Xiaoai! Hurry up! Senior Hou's lecture is about to start!"

Following a crisp female voice, a girl in a grey trench coat ran past him.

Behind her followed a girl with delicate features and bright eyes—beige trench coat, blue shirt, black pants, hair cut short to her ears, looking pure with a hint of spirit.

Perhaps because she was running too fast, she stumbled and pitched forward, the books in her hands flying out.

Zhao Yang stepped forward and caught her shoulders before she fell.

"Careful there, classmate."

The girl looked up with lingering fear, staring at Zhao Yang's face, slightly stunned.

When did such a handsome junior appear in school? Even if the former campus heartthrob of Handong University, Qi Tongwei, were standing here, he would definitely feel inferior.

"Are you alright, classmate?" Zhao Yang maintained the posture of holding her, "Can you stand up on your own?"

The girl then realized she was still half-kneeling. This posture looked like a proposal.

She quickly stood up: "Thank you, junior. Which department are you from?"

Zhao Yang smiled: "I graduated last year, you should call me senior."

"You are also from the Law Department?"

"Criminal Investigation."

"Oh... nice to meet you, I am Zhong Xiaoai, a senior in the Law Department, graduating soon. What about you?"

"Zhao Yang."

The corners of Zhao Yang's mouth curled slightly; so this was Zhong Xiaoai.

That makes sense.

The Zhong Xiaoai of the year 2000 should just be a naive college student.

When watching In the Name of the People, everyone said that Zhong Xiaoai and Hou Liangping were classmates, a romantic story from school uniforms to wedding dresses.

That is simply a joke.

What was Hou Liangping's family background? What was Zhong Xiaoai's family background? What common language could they have if they were classmates? Why would Zhong Xiaoai fancy Hou Liangping? Because he could whistle well or because he had a big face?

A more reasonable explanation is: Hou Liangping was much older than Zhong Xiaoai. That way, he could use his social experience to hook a junior—for example, by coming to the school to give a report as an outstanding worker from the Provincial Procuratorate, and with a face that was decent enough, wasn't it easy to fool a junior or two?

In the show, in 2015, Gao Yuliang kept saying he had left Handong University for twenty-five years, and that he had taught Hou Liangping for four years. Then Hou Liangping must have graduated by 1990 at the latest, at least ten years older than Zhong Xiaoai.

An old ox eating tender grass.

What is that?

However, Chen Yan was also ten years older than him.

But... can that be the same?

"Xiaoai, what are you doing? Hurry up! Huh?"

The girl who had run past earlier turned back. Seeing Zhao Yang, her feet stopped in place, eyes shining.

"Hello, classmate, my name is Li Yi."

"Hello, classmate Li."

Zhao Yang grumbled inwardly—he hated these names like "Yi" or "Shu", one slip and you are a generation lower.

"Do you know Xiaoai?" Li Yi probed.

Zhao Yang shook his head: "I just saw classmate Zhong almost fall, and gave her a hand."

"We..." Li Yi pursed her lips, a bit embarrassed, "are going to the auditorium to listen to a report, do you want to go together?"

Zhong Xiaoai also looked at him with hopeful eyes.

The two had the same idea: listening to the report was just a pretense; wouldn't it be better to listen for a bit and then run out to chat and walk with a handsome guy? Anyway, as long as they signed in, that was enough.

"I am afraid not. I have other things to do, I have already made an appointment with my mentor." Zhao Yang smiled and shook his head at the two, then turned and left.

The two stared at Zhao Yang's back until he disappeared into the entrance of the administration building.

Li Yi suddenly stomped her foot: "Oh no, I forgot to ask for contact information! Xiaoai, did you ask?"

"I forgot too!" Zhong Xiaoai looked annoyed, but soon smiled again, "It is okay, I know he is from the Criminal Investigation Department, named Zhao Yang, and he has already graduated. We can just check the alumni directory later. Let us go to the report first."

"Alright... I hope we can find it."

"Li Yi, don't you have a boyfriend? Don't tell me you are going to change your affections after just one meeting."

"What changing affections? I never promised anyone anything for sure!" Li Yi looked vigilant, "Xiaoai, don't tell me you want to compete with me?"

Zhong Xiaoai did not answer, turned her head and looked again in the direction where Zhao Yang had disappeared.

White moonlight.