"Comrade Liu Cuizhi, were you looking for me?"

He Tiantian wrung out the towel and wiped the water off her face and arms.

She casually flung the water from the enamel washbasin into the yard, hung the towel over the rim, set the basin on the ground, and walked slowly toward Liu Cuizhi.

"He, Educated Youth Heh, I already said last time, don’t call me comrade, it feels too distant. We’re all from the same production brigade, just call me by my name."

Enduring her shyness, Liu Cuizhi still voiced her thoughts.

She absolutely didn’t want to be so distant from Brother Heh. First they’d call each other by name, and then, and then—

"Alright, Comrade Cuizhi!"

He Tiantian good‑naturedly went along with Liu Cuizhi’s words, dropping the surname but still calling her comrade.

However, her tone was relaxed, even carrying a hint of joking.

Hearing the words "Comrade Cuizhi," Liu Cuizhi not only didn’t feel that "Heh Yuntian" was being uncooperative, she instead felt a strange sense of intimacy and sweetness.

As if this form of address belonged to her alone!

He Tiantian: ...Girl, you’re overthinking it. I’m treating you like a little comrade, a little sister.

But He Tiantian didn’t make things too explicit, because she knew that a simple-minded girl like Liu Cuizhi, who was already deeply stuck in love,

wasn’t someone you could wake up with just a few sentences.

Besides, if you weren’t careful, the more you said, the more it could backfire.

If she pushed Liu Cuizhi into rebellion so that she insisted on chasing "Heh Yuntian" to the bitter end, that would be the real headache.

"Then I’ll call you Yuntian, Comrade Yuntian, okay?"

When she spat out the two syllables "Yuntian," a blazing light burst in Liu Cuizhi’s eyes.

Only heaven knew how many times this name had rolled around on the tip of her tongue.

And how many times she’d wanted to say it to Heh Yuntian’s face.

But she didn’t dare, and she wasn’t qualified to call him that.

Now, borrowing the east wind of "Comrade Cuizhi," Liu Cuizhi carefully called out this name that had lingered in her heart for nearly two years.

"Sure!"

He Tiantian answered pleasantly, as gentle and refined as ever.

Such a nice voice!

Liu Cuizhi was like a little fangirl possessed; she didn’t know any internet memes like "pregnant ears."

But hearing that slightly deep, resonant male voice made her feel a numbness shoot straight from her tailbone to the top of her skull.

Worthy of being Comrade Heh—he didn’t just look good, could write essays, and play the harmonica; even a casual sentence, it, it could make people so happy!

Liu Cuizhi was bubbling pink all over, her whole face flushing scarlet.

Maybe she was too excited, because she actually forgot any preamble and directly fished that handkerchief out of her trouser pocket.

"Comrade Yuntian, this is for you!"

Without saying much, Liu Cuizhi tried to stuff the thing into He Tiantian’s hands.

He Tiantian hurriedly dodged, not letting herself touch Liu Cuizhi’s hand.

Liu Cuizhi’s movement froze, the blush on her pretty face vanished in an instant. She bit her lower lip. "I know, m‑my money isn’t much, but I really want to help you!"

He Tiantian had known there was money wrapped in that handkerchief!

"Comrade Cuizhi, I can’t take it!"

He Tiantian looked straight into Liu Cuizhi’s eyes and said seriously.

"No, I don’t mean anything else by it, I’m just worried about you!"

Liu Cuizhi’s heart was in a panic, and she rushed to explain.

Before she could finish, He Tiantian’s lips curved, revealing a gentle smile. "I know you mean well! But this money, I really can’t accept it!"

"Comrade Cuizhi, listen to me first. My situation with Comrade Han Dongmei has already been blown up all over the place!"

"As for what really happened between us, I don’t want to explain too much. But right now, I do owe Han Dongmei money!"

"...If I figure out my own way to earn money and pay my debt, that’s one thing. But if I take your money to pay back Han Dongmei, what kind of person would that make me?"

"Everyone outside is saying I’m a gigolo who specializes in conning women out of their money—"

Hearing He Tiantian say that, Liu Cuizhi shook her head anxiously.

"No, you’re not! I’m giving you this money of my own free will, you didn’t trick me!"

"Comrade Yuntian, I, I—"

Liu Cuizhi tried desperately to explain, but the more flustered she got, the less smoothly the words came out.

In the end, she was so anxious that her eyes turned red.

He Tiantian stepped back two paces. Instead of taking the chance to act like some playboy trying to reel in girls, she remained distant yet polite. "I know you don’t mean anything else by it, you’re being kind!"

"Yes! Yes, yes!"

Liu Cuizhi nodded in a hurry.

He Tiantian was still wearing a faint smile, but her words were firmly rejecting her. "But I don’t need it! Also, Comrade Cuizhi, don’t bring me eggs anymore either, I don’t need those too!"

He Tiantian didn’t follow the original host’s example by deliberately saying something slightly ambiguous like, "Save them for yourself."