053 Friend's Wife Should Not Be Ridden Upon Zhou Quan clapped his hands vigorously, using the ceramic bowl in his hand like a cymbal to create a thunderous rhythm. He walked slowly toward the dining hall, his mind buzzing with doubts: given his deep understanding of Lu Yun, he simply wouldn’t believe that Lu Yun would steal anything—especially not something so trivial. After all, though Lu Yun was financially tight, how could such a simple-minded person make a mistake like this? Since joining the school, aside from yesterday’s two fierce fights, he hadn’t gotten into any serious conflicts with anyone. Zhou Quan had even agreed to settle another fight with him at a set time—so it couldn’t be him setting up an ambush for Lu Yun. That leaves only the group of students who were beaten near Mrs. Liu's convenience store—the ones who seem most suspicious now. Oh well, I’ll just have to find out who’s really behind this. By now, Zhou Quan has firmly established those small-time students from outside Mrs. Liu’s shop as his primary suspects. When he reached the dining hall door, he paused, peering inside. Seeing only a few students there, he turned and walked toward Mrs. Liu’s store instead. Zhang Yi—you black bear! I won’t let you off this easy! “Hey, Zhou Quan! It’s already past noon—how come you haven’t had your lunch yet?” Mrs. Liu waved at him from afar as he approached. As soon as Zhou Quan got closer, he glanced at the woman whose reputation was buzzing with rumors—the graceful, elegant widow—and smiled. “I came back home yesterday,” he explained, “and only just now noticed that there were no dishes available at the dining hall. So I came here to buy two packs of instant noodles.” “Oh.” Mrs. Liu nodded and added, “Come in—I’ve just boiled two pots of hot water.” Zhou Quan nodded and followed her into the store. Mrs. Liu handed him two packs of noodles. Zhou Quan gave a little wave to his bowl, saying, “Mrs. Liu, could you get me another two packs? There’s one more mouth that needs to eat.” Mrs. Liu was momentarily surprised, then recalled that Zhou Quan and Lu Yun had always been inseparable—so when she saw him holding two bowls, she assumed he was going to bring one for Lu Yun. With a sigh, she said, “You haven’t heard about the incident where Lu Yun was taken to the police station, have you?” “I’ve already heard from some classmates,” Zhou Quan replied, his face now looking a bit pale. “How do you think it’s going?” Mrs. Liu expressed genuine concern—being arrested at such a young age is no small matter. Zhou Quan placed his bowl on the counter, opened one pack of noodles in each bowl, and sprinkled seasonings into them before saying, “Everything will only be clear once Lu Yun comes out. Right now, everything we’re saying is just speculation. Mrs. Liu—where’s your hot water heater?” “It’s so hot outside,” she said, “you’ll hardly manage with instant noodles. I’ve got two bowls of cold noodles in my kitchen—I’d like to serve you a bowl.” Mrs. Liu walked out from behind the counter and entered her inner room. “Don’t trouble yourself, Mrs. Liu,” Zhou Quan reassured her. “I can manage.” “It’s not a bother at all—you’re a close friend of Xiao Yun and one of the best friends I know. Serving you noodles is just something natural.” Mrs. Liu’s voice came from inside, full of warmth and affection. She was strikingly beautiful, well-built, caring—only her fate had been tragic: she’d lost her husband young and became a widow early in life. As Zhou Quan listened to her words, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the unpredictability of life. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Liu,” he said gratefully. “Oh, don’t be so formal,” came the laughter from inside, followed by a deep sigh. “I can see that both you and Lu Yun treat each other like true brothers. Little Lu Yun’s story is actually quite sad—he was only two months old when his parents sold him to the Liu family—his adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lu Feng. Later on, Mr. and Mrs. Lu Feng abandoned him too, and both passed away. What a life! If Lu Yun makes any mistake, please do your best to support him and show understanding.” Now Zhou Quan fully understood that Mrs. Liu was afraid of causing conflict between himself and Lu Yun because of this incident. Yet her words also revealed the depth of Lu Yun’s hardship—something Zhou Quan had never known before. Oh well—he’d always held back on sharing his own family history, fearing that Lu Yun might be overwhelmed and even fall into shock. But now he realized: Lu Yun didn’t have a home at all. “Don’t worry,” Zhou Quan said firmly. “I simply don’t believe Lu Yun would do something so foolish. I certainly won’t let this incident strain our friendship. I think there’s someone behind the scenes trying to set him up—someone who’s playing politics.” “Lu Yun has you as a friend—what a blessing from heaven!” Mrs. Liu, while folding noodles in her kitchen, heard Zhou Quan’s words and breathed out a quiet sigh of relief, her tone full of joy and even a touch of shared sorrow. Not long after, she finished the noodles, poured two full bowls into each container, then brought over several pickles and some ham sausages to present to Zhou Quan. “We’re running out of time,” she said. “Otherwise, I’d make you a proper dish—just for today, have something to eat while you wait. Come back tonight—I’ll cook up a real meal for you. It will surely be better than what Zhang Yi served.” Zhou Quan chuckled and replied, “Let’s both come by once Lu Yun comes out of the police station. Mrs. Liu, here’s my money—please take it.” “What money? Just come whenever you want to eat—I’ll have everything ready for you.” Zhou Quan glanced at the two full, round breasts on Mrs. Liu’s chest and thought—Wouldn’t I just love a drink of milk from her? “Mrs. Liu,” he said with a smile, “then I’ll be off now. I’ve got others waiting for me to return home for dinner.” “All right—be careful on your way back, don’t spill anything!” “I will.” With two full bowls of cold noodles in hand, Zhou Quan stepped out of the convenience store and returned to his classroom. There, he found Liang Hongzhu, the bright-eyed young girl, again hunched over her desk, quietly crying. My goodness! This girl truly has a strong affection for Lu Yun—how long will it take before my own good fortune arrives? “Class President,” Zhou Quan said gently, “you’ve been crying again. Didn’t I tell you I had a plan to bring Lu Yun out of the situation? If you keep doing this, I’ll have to start spreading rumors that you’re secretly in love with him.” Zhou Quan’s words truly made an impact—Li Hongzhu sat up instantly like someone struck by lightning, her face red as she wiped tears from her eyes and looked fiercely at Zhou Quan. “What are you talking about? Who has a secret affection for Lu Yun? I just have sand in my eyes!” Zhou Quan rolled his eyes—really? You’re saying sand in your eyes? I think it’s your heart that’s full of sand now, aren’t you? A most inconsistent girl. He placed the cold noodles before her and handed over the pickles and ham. Then he stood confidently across from her, saying, “Class President, I can’t find my chopsticks—how about you?” “I seem to have a pair still,” she replied, bending down to search under her desk. As he casually watched, his eyes followed the line of Liang Hongzhu’s collar, where two small white rabbits were hidden beneath. And then, as he gently lifted his foot on tip-toe, he caught sight of faint pink spots at the ends—softly glowing like morning blushes. Oh! His body warmed up instantly, and a warm rush surged through him. “Found them!” Liang Hongzhu exclaimed. Startled by her voice, Zhou Quan nearly stumbled. He quickly closed his eyes, silently murmuring “Buddha, Buddha”—what an offense! The very saying goes: *When friends’ wives are involved, one must not ride upon them.* Liang Hongzhu clearly has a deep affection for Lu Yun—how could I possibly step out of line with this divine command? Ah, Buddha! … Rural Beauty 053 — Updated. 053 Friend's Wife Should Not Be Ridden Upon — Complete.