It was just after eight in the evening, and the city was brightly lit.
On the rooftop, Wang Jingluo was casually lying on the one-meter-high protective wall, wearing a school uniform shirt on top and a flowery pleated skirt on the bottom. She was enjoying the view, looking at the distant buildings, the lit windows, the trees in the shadows below, and the car flow weaving through the gaps between the buildings in the distance.
Thud, thud, thud.
As Li Qian came out of the hallway, she happened to turn her head.
Neither of them said anything. Wang Jingluo continued to lie on the protective wall, turning back to look at everything in the distance, while Li Qian walked over and mirrored her, also lying on the wall.
A full minute passed. Just as Li Qian was about to say something, suddenly, there was a loud crash from the fifth floor.
"This life is unbearable!"
"Then don’t live it!"
Bang!
Crash!
Li Qian immediately got excited, his eyes wide, scanning the fifth floor. "Damn, are they about to fight?"
Wang Jingluo kicked him lightly, wearing a helpless expression on her face, "Why are you so gleeful about someone else''s argument?"
Li Qian didn’t care about her, continuing to scan the fifth floor, “I swear, last month, that couple was arguing and then started kissing, even while biting each other and tearing clothes off. I think they were on the fifth floor too? I remember the girl was really pale... Hey, have you seen them anywhere? I can only hear the sounds, but I can’t find them!”
The buildings in Shengshi Garden were all six stories high, and since they were on the rooftop, it was like being on the seventh floor. The fifth floor was about 20 meters away, and unless the couple was standing by the window like last time, it would be hard to spot them.
Wang Jingluo kicked him again, this time with a little more force.
Strangely enough, despite the sound of broken dishes and fighting, it ended after just two crashes.
After waiting for half a minute without hearing any more sounds, Li Qian sighed in disappointment, "I guess they must have started kissing again. Too bad we can’t see their butts this time..."
Wang Jingluo kicked him hard.
Li Qian finally turned to look at her. She, in turn, pursed her lips and looked back at him.
They stared at each other for a while.
Even though it was through thick glasses, her eyes were still so beautiful. They were large and bright, resembling a doe''s eyes—pure, innocent, and undeniably captivating.
Suddenly, the curtains of the fifth-floor window were pulled shut with a swish.
Li Qian turned to glance at it, then turned back to continue staring at Wang Jingluo.
But Wang Jingluo didn’t blink, saying, “You really have so many weird things to say, especially today. You were saying things in class in front of so many people, even in front of Teacher Qi. Now everyone’s been laughing at me all day. I’m so embarrassed!”
Li Qian said, "By the way, I don’t think I heard you play the piano before dinner?"
Wang Jingluo said, “We’re not even in a relationship. Don’t say things about me like that. It’s so embarrassing, do you understand?”
Li Qian said, "Isn''t the song you''ve been practicing called The Blonde Girl?"
Wang Jingluo pouted and glared at him, kicking him again. Then, she said angrily, “It’s The Blonde Maiden!” She emphasized the word maiden.
The conversation then paused, and they both turned back to stare at the distant scenery in unison.
After a long while, Wang Jingluo suddenly spoke. “My sister told me that when I get a break, I should go to Beijing. She will handle the transfer paperwork for me so I can attend high school there, to fully prepare for the Beijing Film Academy entrance exam.”
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She then turned to look at Li Qian, speaking seriously, “It’s almost time for the third year of high school. You need to study hard, you know? If you keep going like this, you won’t even make it into a public university.”
Li Qian responded nonchalantly, “I guarantee I’ll get in! I’m planning to put in a little effort this month during the monthly exams, aiming to make it into the top 30 of the class, so you all won’t keep nagging me. But Russian is really giving me a headache. If you asked me to speak Japanese, it wouldn’t be as hard…”
Wang Jingluo pressed her lips together, slowly relaxing them. Her mood inexplicably dropped, and she said quietly, “Last summer, you told me not to worry, you’d definitely get into Beijing. I know you like to play around, but I’m not asking for much. Just get into a public university in Beijing, that’s all. If you study seriously for just one year, it will be much easier after that, even if you play later. Okay?”
Li Qian smiled and replied casually, “No big deal, I still say the same thing. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get into Shuntian University, and it has to be a prestigious one!”
Wang Jingluo looked at him seriously, but said nothing. She only sighed internally.
Li Qian, on the other hand, turned to her with a playful smile.
Wang Jingluo also turned to him, blinking innocently, as if she didn’t understand anything.
Li Qian reached over and took her glasses off, studying her face.
It should be said that while Wang Jingluo was definitely a beauty even with glasses, once she took them off, she was on a completely different level! Especially because her nearsightedness made her squint slightly when she looked at things, which gave her a unique charm. When she wasn’t squinting, her clear eyes would momentarily lose focus, giving her a vulnerable, captivating look… That moment made her even more beautiful, as if she could immediately level up by three to five points!
At that moment, without her glasses, Wang Jingluo instinctively squinted her eyes, feeling a little flustered.
Especially since Li Qian, although smiling, was staring at her with an intense, piercing gaze.
“I say, do you like me? Want to marry me?” he asked.
Wang Jingluo quickly turned her gaze away, pressed her lips together, and then put a few stray strands of hair behind her ear before turning back to glare at him, saying disdainfully, "So full of yourself!"
She turned to walk away but then suddenly shot back, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll call my sister and tell her!”
Li Qian immediately raised his hands in surrender.
Once she mentioned her sister, it was clear the conversation was over.
After a moment, Wang Jingluo suddenly said, “Do you know why my sister came back the other day?”
Li Qian shook his head. “No, why?”
Wang Jingluo lowered her head. “My dad… asked her to lend him money.”
Li Qian was puzzled. “Your dad borrowed money from your sister?”
Wang Jingluo nodded. “That woman… didn’t she move out last week? When my sister came back, she and my mom locked themselves in the bedroom talking. I overheard my mom crying. Later, when my sister was leaving, she told me that the woman was pregnant. She demanded that my dad buy her a house if she was going to have the baby, or she’d get an abortion. My dad agreed, but his business hasn’t been doing well lately, so he didn’t have enough money and had to ask my sister for a loan…”
Li Qian was stunned. “You mean… your stepmother is pregnant?”
Wang Jingluo nodded. “My dad wanted a son, so he was planning to take a concubine. My mom even agreed, fearing the woman would cause trouble. She had to be nice to her at home and made sure my sister and I always called her ''Stepmother'' and never showed her any attitude. But in the end…”
“In the end, she still complained in front of your dad?”
Wang Jingluo nodded. “Yeah.”
Li Qian helplessly rubbed his forehead.
They say it''s hard for a fair official to settle family matters. As an outsider, Li Qian didn’t feel qualified to offer advice.
But, honestly, this society’s system was pretty strange.
The constitution guaranteed equality for everyone, including gender equality, and even freedom of love and marriage, yet it simultaneously granted men the right to take concubines.
According to what Li Qian knew, men who wanted a concubine could apply to the local government, provided they got consent from their parents, wife, the concubine-to-be, and her parents. Once all parties signed the application, and a year passed with no objections, the man could pay a “concubine fee,” which was ten times his personal income tax from the previous year. With this payment, the concubine would be legally recognized and have rights to financial independence and priority in divorce.
Li Qian had learned that only a few countries still allowed such laws, mainly in East Asia and the Arab world, though the practice was rare due to the high cost.
……
Perhaps seeing that Li Qian had been silent for a while, Wang Jingluo suddenly asked, “So, do you plan to take a concubine in the future?”
Li Qian’s eyes immediately lit up. “Of course! Think about it, three wives and four concubines—that’s the dream of a hero! Since it’s legal, why not? Just like my dad, my mom says she knows he has that mindset, but she’s wondering if he has the money. Listen to this—what does it mean? Whether you can take a concubine depends on whether you’re willing to pay that fee. It’s like a measure of how successful you are!”
Wang Jingluo burst into laughter and playfully hit him on the shoulder, scolding, “You never have a serious moment, always talking nonsense!”
Li Qian smiled as he carefully put her glasses back on, saying sweetly, “How about you sign for me in advance?”
Wang Jingluo rolled her eyes at him with a mix of laughter and embarrassment. She turned to go downstairs. “You should have your future wife sign for you!”
But before she even got to the hallway, Li Qian called out, “Just having my future wife’s signature isn’t enough. You need to sign too!”
Wang Jingluo nearly tripped. “What? You want me to be your concubine?”
She stopped at the hallway, glaring at him. Seeing his innocent face, she stomped her foot and rushed into the hallway, “Li Qian, I never want to talk to you again!”