Chapter 742 — A Group Photo

Now, her family could probably be counted as the best-off in the entire shantytown. While everyone else was still waiting for the demolition, her family was already living in an apartment!

Liu Xinlan listened with a trace of envy. "Yunyun, you really are lucky. Our side is still waiting on the demolition, and who knows when we'll even get the compensation. There's still no final word on exactly how the developer will compensate us or how much they'll pay. Day after day, everyone's on edge, worried sick!"

"Isn't it all because my dad's leg got smashed, and they gave us compensation?" Tang Zhi sighed, unsure whether it was because her father's leg was broken or because she had met Wei Zhao. Her family had undergone earth-shaking changes; Tang Zhi saw it all and kept it in her heart.

It was all thanks to Wei Zhao. So sometimes Tang Zhi would treat Wei Zhao with a heart full of gratitude.

"If someone would compensate me three million, I'd rather have both my legs smashed!" Liu Xinlan was genuinely a little envious of Tang Zhi. Though her words were a bit extreme, that was in fact the truth! The shantytown residents were basically the lowest, hardest-working laboring class in society; anyone with money, who would still live here?

In here were laid-off workers and the unemployed, everyone supporting their families on meager wages from small businesses and hard labor. Take Liu Xinlan's parents: both worked for others, and their monthly earnings barely covered household expenses. The family had almost no savings at all!

Never mind buying an apartment—even if the house were gone and they had to rent, they'd be stretched to the limit.

"I hope the developer has a bit of conscience and pays everyone a sum of money. Then, when the time comes, I'll ask Wei Zhao to help buy a bargain apartment in a less desirable location—that ought to be doable..." Tang Zhi looked toward Wei Zhao. She couldn't take care of everyone else, but Liu Xinlan and Xiaofen were friends she'd grown up with; how could she stand by and watch their families slide into poverty?

But Tang Zhi didn't want to put Wei Zhao on the spot, either. She had only said she'd ask Wei Zhao to help them buy bargain apartments in a less desirable spot—the leftover units with poor layouts and undesirable floors that developers sold at a discount when closing out a project. With his connections, Wei Zhao ought to be able to manage that, right?

"Hah, of course that's no problem." Wei Zhao was fairly familiar with Liu Xinlan. "Leftover units in less desirable spots should come quite a bit cheaper."

"Thank you both so much..." Hearing Wei Zhao's words, Liu Xinlan was suddenly touched, feeling that Wei Zhao was a man of loyalty and honor, and that Tang Zhi's heart being so set on him was not in vain. If it were Kang Jingming, he absolutely would not have done such a thing.

As for whether the layout and location were good, Liu Xinlan didn't much care anymore. However bad it was, it was still an apartment building—far better than the shantytown, surely?

The three of them returned to school together. Wei Zhao and Tang Zhi parted ways at the door of the Senior Three Class Nine classroom, and Wei Zhao went into his own class.

There weren't many people in the classroom—clearly very few had come to school today, and with it being noon break, there were even fewer.

The young miss and Shen Yushu were both there, reading at their desks. Seeing Wei Zhao come in, the young miss glanced up at him, then lowered her head again and fixed her eyes on her book. Shen Yushu wanted to call out to Wei Zhao but feared Gu Mengyao wouldn't like it; she opened her mouth, then closed it again and went on reading.

Wei Zhao shook his head and returned to his own seat.

Kang Xiaofeng was actually absent. The fellow had probably taken advantage of today to go keep Xiaofen company. Wei Zhao sat at his desk, at loose ends for a while.

"Yao Yao, chewing gum bro is back. Should we ask him to take a group photo with us?" Shen Yushu took the digital camera out of her bag.

Senior year would soon be over, and three years of high school life were about to end. Today, as it happened, there were no classes, so Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu had brought a camera and taken some photos around campus, recording this last stretch of high school life.

"Why would we go looking for him?" Gu Mengyao was rather tempted, though she asked in return.

"After graduation, chewing gum bro will be leaving..." Shen Yushu's voice was somewhat downcast. "Yao Yao, you were right. Chewing gum bro can't stay with us forever; there will always be a day when we part..."

Shen Yushu's words made Gu Mengyao's heart tighten. Wei Zhao was leaving? Yes, in the end he was leaving... High school was over—what reason did he have to stay here anymore?

The people at her father's company who were hostile to her had all been driven away by Wei Zhao, and her troublesome suitors—Zhong Yongliang and An Liwen—had both had their kidneys cut out and were in the hospital. Wei Zhao's mission could be considered successfully completed...

Perhaps once high school graduation came, once she and Xiaoshu had gone off to university and moved into the dorms, Wei Zhao would no longer stay in the villa either.

What would he do? Rent an apartment with Tang Zhi and live together?

At the thought of that possibility, the young lady's feelings turned complicated. She had been living together with Xiaoshu and herself, but now Tang Zhi would be living with them too... Was she supposed to just give away her own share of happiness?

But what good would refusing do? Wei Zhao wasn't hers in any sense—what right did he have to stay by her side? Just because of a thirty-thousand-yuan salary? Gu Mengyao found it somewhat laughable. Wei Zhao didn't even bat an eye at three million, so what was thirty thousand to him?

"Then let's keep a memento..." Gu Mengyao sighed. "You text him."

Shen Yushu pulled out her phone and quickly sent Wei Zhao a short message.

Wei Zhao was bored out of his mind when his phone buzzed. One look told him it was a text from Shen Yushu.

"Come to the sports field and take a commemorative photo of me and Sister Yaoyao?"

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. In the past, the young lady would never have let anyone know about her connection to him at school. What was going on today? Could this have been Xiaoshu's idea?

Wei Zhao didn't reply to the message either. He simply stood up and walked toward the classroom door, trusting that Shen Yushu would understand what he meant.

Sure enough, not long after Wei Zhao stepped out, the young lady and Shen Yushu followed him out together. In the corridor, Shen Yushu called out to him: "Arrow Brand Bro!"

Gu Mengyao hesitated a moment, wanting to say something, but then she thought: plenty of people already knew about her relationship with Wei Zhao, so what was there to be careful about? Besides, she had already declared to Tang Zhi that she would compete with her for Wei Zhao. Hiding things now would only make it look as though she were afraid of her.

At that thought, the young lady cast off her earlier pretense of unfamiliarity with Wei Zhao. She lifted her head and tugged at Shen Yushu: "Xiaoshu, why don't we take a group photo here in the corridor? The class sign will be in the shot too."

"Okay!" Shen Yushu ran over and handed the camera to Wei Zhao. "Take a group photo for us!"