Li Ruolan did not want to think this way, but it was their first meeting, and Guo Xiaoya’s hostility toward Qin Wan was far too obvious. It inevitably made Li Ruolan overthink things.
If that were really the case, then things would be quite interesting.
The female lead had transmigrated from the post-apocalyptic world. She and Deng Minghao had entered the novel. And now they had run into Guo Xiaoya, who might have been reborn.
Transmigration, entering a novel, rebirth. All three had actually gathered together.
In the original book, she and Deng Minghao were nothing more than background characters, minor side roles mentioned only once or twice throughout the entire story.
As a couple, they existed outside the main plot. That was why Li Ruolan did not deliberately avoid the male and female leads. Life was the same wherever you went. Staying close to the leads even meant getting a front-row seat to the drama.
Right now, the male and female leads had not yet begun their romance, and a reborn Guo Xiaoya was already mixed in. The days ahead were unlikely to be boring.
Watching the entanglements between the male lead, female lead, and supporting character up close sounded rather thrilling just to think about.
Qin Wan truly could not understand where Guo Xiaoya’s hostility toward her was coming from. She did not want to get involved with Guo Xiaoya at all, so she came over to ask to switch seats with them.
Zhou Shengnan and Zheng Fanghua clearly knew each other, and neither wanted to be separated, so they refused Qin Wan.
In the end, Qin Wan turned her gaze to Li Yingying and asked whether she was willing to switch seats.
Li Yingying glanced over there and immediately noticed that there were more male educated youths in those seats, all wearing watches. She hesitated briefly, then agreed.
Qin Wan let out a breath of relief, swapped seats with Li Yingying, and sat down across from Li Ruolan.
Li Ruolan smiled at the female lead. “You’re also going to Shengli Brigade, right? My name is Li Ruolan.”
“Yes. My name is Qin Wan. I’m very happy to meet you all,” Qin Wan said with a generous smile.
When she had read the novel, Li Ruolan had liked this female lead very much. Qin Wan had solid values, and even without the male lead, she would still have been formidable in her own right.
Knowing she would enter the novel, Li Ruolan had thought about becoming good friends with Qin Wan. Of course, if it did not work out, she would not force it. Living her own life well was the most important thing.
After that, no one spoke for a while. Li Ruolan leaned over the small folding table, her awareness sinking into the space to check on the chickens, ducks, and geese. Without realizing it, she fell asleep.
Three to four hours later, people on the train began taking out food to fill their stomachs. Smelling the various foods, Li Ruolan also felt a bit hungry.
She stretched and had just sat up when Deng Minghao asked, “Do you want to eat something?”
“In a bit. I need to step out first,” Li Ruolan said. She needed to use the restroom. Deng Minghao nodded, kept the seat for her, and let her go.
After Li Ruolan had only walked two or three steps, she heard an elderly woman behind her groaning loudly.
Turning her head, she saw Deng Minghao grabbing the elderly woman by the arm and flinging her aside, then occupying two seats by himself and staring coldly at her.
“Oh my goodness! Young man, aren’t you an educated youth going down to the countryside? How can you be so disrespectful to elders? There’s an empty seat here. What’s wrong with me sitting down for a moment?” The elderly woman put her hands on her hips and glared angrily at Deng Minghao.
“Because I have no morals,” Deng Minghao said coldly. “Let me tell you, not only do I dare lay hands on you, I dare throw you out too. If you don’t believe it, try me.”
The reckless fear the desperate. Seeing Deng Minghao clench his fist as if he was about to raise it, and remembering the strength with which he had just grabbed her, the elderly woman immediately retreated to the side, no longer daring to make a move.
Seeing that Deng Minghao had resolved the situation, Li Ruolan smiled and continued on to the restroom.
The only person who could take advantage of Deng Minghao was her. No one else stood a chance.
After Li Ruolan walked away, Li Yingying looked at Deng Minghao. “Comrade Educated Youth, that elderly woman just wanted to sit for a bit. Why did you treat her like that?”
Deng Minghao glanced at Li Yingying and said nothing.
Li Yingying seemed to feel that his temper was not that bad after all, and she continued earnestly. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. It’s just that we’re going down to the countryside to help build the nation. We should respect elders and care for the young.
“If things get blown up, everyone will lose face. You really shouldn’t be so impulsive next time.”
After speaking, Li Yingying smiled at Deng Minghao.
From the moment she boarded the train, she had been observing the male comrades around her. Between the two rows of seats, there were six men in total. Deng Minghao and Xu Tao were dressed the best, both wearing brand-new white shirts, black trousers, and new Liberation shoes. More importantly, Deng Minghao was also wearing a watch.
Watches were rare items these days. Not only were they expensive, they also required coupons. Ordinary families could not afford them.
Li Yingying’s family circumstances were poor. For this trip to the countryside, her parents had not only taken her resettlement allowance but also failed to prepare many supplies for her. Winters in the Northeast were extremely cold. She had to find someone to rely on if she wanted to survive.
Xu Tao had Guo Xiaoya watching him like a hawk. Li Yingying had also already hit a wall with the other male educated youths on this side. In the end, she set her sights on Deng Minghao.
As for Li Ruolan, she was completely ignored. So what if he had a partner? As long as they were not married, there was still hope.
What Li Yingying had said just now was meant to make Deng Minghao think she was sensible and well-mannered. She believed that once Deng Minghao saw her good qualities, he would definitely fall for her.
By then, Li Ruolan would surely be abandoned and forgotten.
Thinking of this, the smile on Li Yingying’s slightly dark face grew even brighter. When she looked at Deng Minghao, her gaze was practically sticky.
Deng Minghao felt disgusted by that cloying expression.
“Then why don’t you get up and give the seat to the elderly woman?” he sneered. “If you want to give up your seat, go ahead. Why are you telling me?”
The elderly woman, who had not gone far, suddenly lit up and looked at Li Yingying.
Li Yingying’s expression stiffened. She looked at Deng Minghao with a wounded expression.
“Looking at me won’t help,” Deng Minghao said mockingly. “There are still two or three days left. I’ll be watching to see whether you go get water or use the restroom. You’ve got plenty of time to show respect for elders and care for the young.”
Deng Minghao had a sharp tongue. His words went straight for the jugular. Li Yingying’s eyes immediately reddened.
Liu Kunming, who was sitting in their row, as well as Zheng Fanghua and Zhou Shengnan across from them, all curled their lips. They had no interest in watching Li Yingying make a spectacle of herself. Qin Wan even laughed outright.
When Li Ruolan returned, feeling completely refreshed, she saw Li Yingying lying face-down on the table, her body trembling slightly. It looked like she was crying.
Li Ruolan glanced at her a couple of times, not knowing what had happened, and simply asked Deng Minghao, “Do you want to go get some water or use the restroom?”
Deng Minghao gave a grunt of acknowledgement and stood up. At once, many people nearby began to stir. He swept his gaze over them, and their expressions stiffened immediately. Deng Minghao strode off openly, and no one dared to take his seat.