1987 My Era

Chapter 555, A Comeback to the Top, A Change, The Tune Inside the Car

I brought two dishes for Zhang Bing.

Li Heng and Zhou Shihe didn't rush back to school, but chatted with a few people in front of the roasted sweet potato stall for a while.

Just then, the police arrived, and the hospital ambulance also arrived.

I saw Hu Ping being taken away by an ambulance, and I saw He Qian getting into a police car.

The group was a little confused.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Li Heng, Tang Dailing, and Zhang Bing immediately headed towards the Blue Sky Hotel. Before they could even ask any questions, they had already learned the truth from the onlookers around them.

Upon seeing the three return, Wei Sisi hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Tang Dailing then recounted what he had heard.

After listening, Wei Sisi said with emotion, "I hope Hu Ping can learn a lesson this time. He played a good hand terribly."

Everyone agreed. Even if Hu Ping didn't win over Wei Xiaozhu, Hu Ping himself was a very good catch. As long as he calmed down, he would have plenty of excellent girls to choose from.

Bai Wanying commented: "Actually, Hu Ping was just acting out of spite, but he didn't expect to run into a tough opponent this time."

Wei Xiaozhu didn't say anything after listening.

Tang Dailing said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Lao Hu."

Li Heng said, "Let's go together."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bing began packing up his stall, putting his goods in a nearby rented house. He then escorted a group of girls back to school, after which the three boys turned and rushed towards the hospital.

When Li Heng and the other two arrived at the hospital, Hu Ping's parents also arrived, and they were all waiting for the results of the injury examination.

Before long, the boys from dormitory 325 all flocked over upon hearing the news.

A few minutes later, the test results came out, and Hu Ping's mother asked anxiously, "Doctor, is it serious?"

The doctor handed over the examination report: "It's not too bad, just a scalp abrasion and a mild concussion."

Hu Ping's parents breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, repeatedly expressing their gratitude. Only then did the elderly couple have the time and the mood to fully entertain their son's roommate.

Because Lao Hu was injured, the group originally planned to stay with him for a while and then go back to the dormitory, but his parents were just too enthusiastic, so they couldn't refuse and ended up having a late-night snack together.

After all that, the group returned to school close to 10 o'clock. As soon as they entered the dormitory, Zhang Bing and the others took their clothes and buckets to the public shower room.

The dormitory was suddenly left with only Li Heng, Li Guoyi, and Hu Ping.

Li Heng asked, "Lao Li, why don't you go take a shower?"

With a sly grin, Li Guoyi pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one for Li Heng himself, and then asked Hu Ping, "Old Hu, you're injured, so I won't give you any."

"What are you afraid of? Give me one, don't be stingy." Hu Ping was in a bad mood, so he reached out and asked for a cigarette.

Li Guoyi bowed and lit a cigarette for Hu Ping as well, and before leaving, he said to Li Heng, "Brother Heng, I took a shower at the hostel this afternoon."

Showering at the hostel?
Why at a hostel?

Hu Ping asked, "Zhao Yan? Or has it been replaced by a new woman?"

Li Guoyi tilted his head back and exhaled two beautiful smoke rings: "Old Li, I'm a devoted person, of course it's Senior Sister Zhao Yan, hehe."

Upon hearing this, Hu Ping, who was already feeling incredibly suppressed, immediately blurted out a curse: "Damn it! My head got cracked open, but Lao Li, you're thriving. God is unfair."

Li Guoyi let out a "heh heh" and jumped up, shouting, "Fair? Old Hu, I think you've really been confused by a woman. You're talking nonsense too? When has this damned God ever been fair?"

Look at my Uncle Heng, he's handsome, talented, rich, and has an amazing artistic temperament. Which girl wouldn't be smitten if she met him?
"Look at you and me, Lao Hu. We're not short of money. Even if we're not going to steal a girl's virginity from a sea of ​​men, plenty of girls will come to us. But look at that small group of boys in school; they eat steamed buns and dumplings for at least 20 out of 21 meals a week. Lao Hu, you need to learn to be content."

Hu Ping was still particularly annoyed. He looked up and asked the two of them, "Why are you two okay? Why am I the only one who's in trouble?"

Li Guoyi gave Li Heng a flirtatious look, "Uncle Heng, this kid has really been beaten senseless by a woman. Should we take him to the hospital again?"

Li Heng smoked half a cigarette with him, then casually placed the other half on his fingers, not intending to smoke it, letting it burn freely: "Old Hu is in a bad mood right now, you have to understand."

Hu Ping finished half a cigarette in one gulp, then asked for another and put it in his mouth: "Damn it! Understand my ass. He Qian's punches are so fast, I haven't even realized how I fell to the ground yet."

Li Heng said, "Didn't they tell you in advance that they are martial arts practitioners and that you should take it easy?"

Hu Ping rubbed the back of his head, a little scared: "How was I supposed to know it was real? I thought she was just putting up a smokescreen. If I had known it was real, I would never have pursued her, damn it! I wasted two months of my life."

After chatting for a while, Li Heng left the No. 4 boys' dormitory building before the dormitory gate closed.

As soon as he left, Li Guoyi closed the dormitory door and said, "Old Hu, you made a mistake today."

Hu Ping asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Guoyi said, "You shouldn't have asked such a stupid question in front of Heng Ge. What do you mean we're fine? Are you the one in trouble?"

Hu Ping's eyes widened: "Isn't that right? He has a real girlfriend, Xiao Han, an ambiguous relationship, Mai Sui, and even Zhou Shihe, whom I dare not talk to, is often seen with Lao Heng. Aren't they all top-notch women?"

Li Guoyi chuckled lewdly, "Ha, she's definitely a top-tier woman! But you should also look at Heng Ge's current status and the money in his pocket! Status aside, he's too awesome, too glamorous; perhaps we could only look up to him even if we spent our entire lives. But…"

Li Guoyi pointed his thumb and forefinger at Hu Ping and waved them around: "Money! Do you have that much money in your pocket? Is your family's savings enough for even a fraction of Heng Ge's? If not, what's the point of comparing yourself to him? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

Hu Ping looked distressed and sighed, "Then what about you? Pass on some secrets to me."

"Hey! He Qian has completely destroyed your confidence. Secret? My secret is to know your place and not mess with women you can't afford to mess with." Li Guoyi spat into the trash can.

Hu Ping, puffing on his cigarette, said, "So how do you distinguish which women you can't mess with? How was I supposed to know beforehand that He Qian was incredibly strong?"

Li Guoyi glanced at her sideways and said with a crooked mouth, "Wei Xiaozhu, she's Wang from Fudan University. It's not that she doesn't date in college, it's just that she has high standards. How could she possibly look at you or me back in our student days?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Ping's cigarette suddenly lost its flavor. He took it out of his hand, stared at the cigarette butt for a long time, and then said, "What we men can't afford to be with might not be worth much to them."

The word "we" carries a profound meaning.

Li Guoyi pretended not to understand and laughed: "You were so angry at the Blue Sky Hotel today, did He Qian say something that provoked you?"

Hu Ping stubbed out his cigarette with his fingers. "Let's not talk about this. I'm dizzy. I'm going to lie down for a bit."

With that, Hu Ping got into bed.

Li Guoyi looked at him, puffing on a cigarette, and felt relieved: Old Hu didn't have the guts to take his anger out on Heng Ge.

...

Back to Lushan Village.

Li Heng had just reached the middle of the alley when he ran into Yu Shuheng.

The two looked at each other, and he asked, "Teacher, where are you going at this hour?"

Yu Shuheng didn't speak immediately, but walked over and circled him meaningfully, then whispered in his ear, "Not bad, no perfume scent."

Li Heng was speechless: "Do you distrust me that much?"

Yu Shuheng looked into his eyes with a half-smile: "The red flag at home doesn't fall, while colorful flags flutter outside. Little boy, how can you be trusted?"

Li Heng smacked his lips. "Where to?"

Yu Shuheng smiled slightly: "Hold me down, and I'll tell you."

Li Heng rolled his eyes: "Teacher, stop messing around, this is outside."

Yu Shuheng's eyes flashed strangely: "You hugged him inside?"

Li Heng's gaze shifted downwards, landing on her bulging chest.

Yu Shuheng paused for a moment, then said, "I'm going to take Mr. and Mrs. Fu to Tokyo."

Li Heng was taken aback: "Sister Chen is going too?"

Yu Shuheng nodded: "There are plenty of opportunities in the stock market, real estate and industry in Tokyo. Lao Fu won't be back for a while, so Siya will go and keep him company."

He asked her, "You've never been abroad before, would you like to come with me to see it?"

Li Heng shook his head: "I don't have a passport."

Yu Shuheng said, "The teacher will help you."

Li Heng didn't question her abilities. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Never mind, starting tomorrow, I'm going into seclusion to write a new book."

Writing a book was her top priority, and one of the main reasons she fell in love with this talented young man. Upon hearing this, Yu Shuheng immediately abandoned her romantic plans to spend time with him in Tokyo.

She reminded him, "Don't forget what you promised in Aba; teachers should be the first readers."

Li Hengxin thought to himself, "Once I finish writing it, I'll put the manuscript on my desk. As long as I don't know who has read it, its first time will always be there."

But he couldn't let his thoughts slip out, so he said, "I haven't forgotten. How long will you be gone this time, teacher?"

"I'll spend two days in Tokyo, then fly to the US and Singapore to handle some business. I'll be back in about seven days," Yu Shuheng told him.

Li Heng asked, "The courses have been adjusted?"

Yu Shuheng said, "These past few days of make-up classes have already covered the entire week's worth of classes ahead of schedule."

Li Heng gave a thumbs up: "The teacher is more dedicated than I imagined."

Yu Shuheng stared into his eyes with her deep black eyes and said softly, "If I hadn't met you, I would have been even more dedicated to my work."

What does "if it weren't for meeting you" mean?
This is practically a different way of expressing your feelings!

Faced with the sudden surge of emotion, Li Heng and Tong looked at each other for a long time before Li Heng took the initiative to say, "I'll take you to your car."

Yu Shuheng nodded and walked past him towards the alley entrance.

Li Heng turned around and followed.

The two of them didn't speak again and arrived at the alley entrance one after the other.

It was late at night, and it was winter. The surroundings were pitch black, and there were hardly any people to be seen on the road.

After opening the car door and getting into the back seat, Yu Shuheng said to Liu Bei in the driver's seat, "I want to talk to him for a bit."

Liu Bei understood, turned off the car lights, closed the driver's door, nodded to Liu Ying, and then one of them went forward while the other went back to keep watch.

Li Heng got into the car, closed the door, and asked, "Huh? Why are the headlights off?"

Yu Shuheng didn't answer, but leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, then lay back and rested her head on his lap.

The interior space of the Mercedes was limited, so she lay in the back seat with her legs arched.

Li Heng touched the corner of her mouth where she had just been kissed, and his right hand involuntarily moved to her lower abdomen, gently stroking it.

Yu Shuheng pressed down on his large hands with both of hers, and a gentle voice came from the darkness: "Let the teacher lie quietly for 5 minutes."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng paused for a moment, his mischievous right hand stopping at her lower abdomen, obediently remaining still.

Five minutes is neither a long nor a short time. The car was silent, and no one could see each other's faces. They could only sense each other's presence through physical contact.

After a while, Yu Shuheng asked, "Do you still remember what you promised me in Bailu Village this March?"

Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "I remember."

Yu Shuheng asked, "What?"

Li Heng said, "During the winter vacation, the teacher came to my house."

Yu Shuheng smiled gracefully and said intellectually, "Let me put it another way."

Li Heng replied, "It's not that you're going to my house, but that I'm inviting you to my hometown to experience rural life."

Yu Shuheng released his hand, stretched, and said with satisfaction, "You're teachable. I'm your university teacher, after all; you should know how to respect me."

But as soon as she finished speaking, she felt a hand on her left chest. She was stunned for a moment, but instead of opening it, she slowly closed her eyes and tried to feel his every movement.

Although Li Heng was born in the south, having lived two lives, he had long since mastered the northern kneading techniques. He was an expert at kneading, rubbing, and pinching, and had a precise grasp of these techniques.

A moment later, Yu Shuheng's red lips moved, then continued to move, trying not to make a sound.

Finally, unable to resist any longer, she rolled over, half-scrambled up, and sat in his lap. At the same time, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned forward, and pecked him on the lips, then gave him another affectionate peck. Their four red lips met lightly, without a deep kiss.

But this feeling was even more moving than a deep kiss. At this moment, both of their souls felt like they were leaving their bodies, trembling.

After pecking at each other eight or nine times, she lay on his chest and said, "Little brother, take a break. If this keeps up, I don't want to go to Tokyo tonight."

Li Heng decisively withdrew his hand from her body. "Is the shareholding of Hengyuan Investment really settled like that?"

Yu Shuheng asked, "What do you think is wrong?"

Li Heng said earnestly, "It's not that it's inappropriate, but I feel that taking 51% of the shares is too much, and I feel unworthy of it."

Yu Shuheng smiled, got out of his arms, and said while tidying her messy clothes, "If I wasn't afraid you wouldn't accept it, my original plan was to let you hold 67% of the shares, and then give you 16% from me."

67% means having absolute control over the company.

Li Heng remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "Why are you so good to me?"

Yu Shuheng was stunned, then tossed her long hair: "This is a novel question, I hadn't thought of it. But if I'm not good to you, who am I good to?"

Before he could reply, she continued, "Don't worry, your female friends won't scheme against you behind your back. Either I win your love fairly and compete with them fairly, or I lose fairly."

The reason she insisted on being upright and honest was that she had long understood: only what is earned honestly and through one's own abilities will last. He wouldn't blame her afterwards, wouldn't try to neglect her, and she could spend her life with him without feeling guilty.

This was a major shift in her thinking.

From having no experience in love before and being clueless about sending people to investigate Huang Zhaoyi, to being open and honest now, she has become clearer about her romantic path. As time goes by, the deeper her love becomes, the more she cherishes her reputation and doesn't want to be seen as a jealous person in his mind.

Women can be jealous, because jealousy is a woman's nature, just like humans are inherently selfish.

But she needs to learn to control this jealousy. Currently, apart from Song Yu and Zhou Shihe, who make her wary, she can suppress the turmoil in her heart when she can't say she can remain completely calm with other women.

Of course, that woman in blue was xenophobic.

Since Li Heng and Huang Zhaoyi had their relationship, she hasn't seen Huang Zhaoyi up close yet. I wonder how she will feel when the time comes?

She fastened the last button on her shirt, raised her right wrist to check her watch, and said, "Time is running out. I need to get to the airport as soon as possible. You should go home. Don't stay up late anymore. You should rest before 1 a.m.

She could have left earlier, but she kept waiting for him to come back, inexplicably wanting to see him.

Later, seeing that time was running out, we had no choice but to set off.

But unexpectedly, I ran into him in the alley, which was a pleasant surprise.

“Okay.” Since it wasn’t a matter of life and death, Li Heng didn’t act sentimental or feign affection. He opened the car door and got out briskly.

As soon as he got out of the car, Liu Bei, who had been on lookout duty, got in.

Liu Ying got into another car.

Zeng Yun wasn't there. Yu Shuheng had left this bodyguard behind to secretly protect Li Heng and guard buildings 25, 26, and 27, in case anything went wrong while she was away.

....
In fact, Li Heng felt the changes in Teacher Yu the most deeply.

She used to be cold to him, and the controlling nature of her large family seemed very strong, which made him instinctively feel a sense of rejection.

But as they spent more time together, Ms. Yu gradually transferred her heart to him. At the same time, as her feelings deepened, she began to reflect, which led to gradual changes in her behavior.

There's an old saying that goes: Don't always let your impression of someone remain at the initial stage; instead, make it clear how much they've changed for you.
A person who is willing to change themselves for you is a sincere person.

Therefore, his feelings towards Teacher Yu are changing day by day, from initially being somewhat resistant to now somewhat enjoying being with her, which is also his response.

Mr. and Mrs. Fu moved away.

Teacher Yu just left too.

The doors and windows of Building No. 27 were tightly closed, and it was pitch black.

Standing at the end of the alley, Li Heng felt a strange sense of absurdity. The bustling scenes of the past seemed like a dream, while the current desolation felt all the more real.

Are they in the dormitory? With that thought in mind, he took out his key and entered his small building.

As he passed by the door, he glanced at the withered ginkgo tree, thinking to himself that he would have to plant a new one next spring.

That's the culmination of his cunning wife's hard work; he has to take it to heart and not forget it.

Well, not only that, I also need to go back and carefully read the books to learn more about the planting techniques and precautions for ginkgo trees.

Enter the room and go up to the second floor.

Li Heng first took a bath and did his laundry, then sat properly on the swing in the attic, looking up at the dark night sky. There was no moon or stars tonight.

He felt a little uncomfortable.

The house was suddenly empty of wheat ears, and he felt uneasy everywhere, his heart empty, as if he had lost his soul.

When is this girl coming back?

Are you coming back tonight?

When the clock struck 11:30, Li Heng gave up hope, stopped waiting for her, and went into his study.

He sat down in the chair, held his breath for a long time, and then took out a fountain pen, an ink bottle, and colored stationery.

He wanted to write a letter to Song Yu.

Of his three wives in his previous life, he could talk to Zijing directly by phone and visit Xiao Han on weekends, but he could only maintain contact with Song Yu through letters.

Just as the pen nib was filled with thick ink, he remembered something, so he put the pen aside, got up, and took out a bracelet from his bag.

Chen Lijun asked Liu Li to give him the bracelet.

The bracelet wasn't cheap; it was pure gold, weighing at least 10 grams, maybe even more. Looking down at the bracelet, he wondered: Did Chen Lijun use Liu Li to give it to him to make Liu Li give up completely?
I wonder if this young man has grasped this meaning?
Another question: Where is Chen Lijun now? What is she doing? Is she in any danger?
He was a little afraid of Zijing's dream.

Although I lost contact with this girl after the college entrance examination in my previous life, we still had a deep friendship during our three years of high school, and I had a very good impression of her.

After about two or three minutes, Li Heng rubbed the bracelet with his fingers and finally put it into the bottom drawer of his desk, where two letters, both written by Chen Lijun to him, now lay, conveniently placed together with the bracelet.

He had no intention of opening the letter.

Let's just keep it sealed away like this; it's a beautiful memory that we can reminisce about in our twilight years.

After finishing all this, Li Heng returned to his seat and continued writing letters to Song Yu.

As he wrote, he mentioned Chen Lijun and asked her to help analyze the situation.

Anyway, it's no secret that Miss Chen has a crush on him. Bringing it up for discussion might lead to some unexpected discoveries.

He wrote the letter for more than 20 minutes, blew the ink dry, and set it aside. He didn't move from his chair, but picked up a document he had brought back from Aba and began to read it.

About half an hour later, Li Heng, having sorted out the plot, set off again, picking up his pen to write a new book in his notebook.

I began writing the second chapter: Jurisdiction.

At that moment, the chieftain's wife was calling for me, going up and down the stairs.

If my father were home, he would never stop me from playing these kinds of games. But these past few days, my mother has been in charge of everything at home, so the situation is somewhat different.

...

Perhaps it was because he had rested for a long time, or perhaps it was because he had prepared well, but tonight he was particularly calm, clear-headed, and bursting with inspiration.

The pen nib scratched across the white paper, and in less than 4 hours, it had written 6000 words.

I put down my pen, raised my hand to check the time: 3:18
Oops, I got carried away writing and it's been more than two hours since Teacher Yu told me to fall asleep at 1 a.m.

He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and felt that he was in alright, so instead of resting immediately, he began to look back and check.

I examined the book paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, and word by word, trying to understand the characters' personalities, speech patterns, and psychological descriptions in different situations.

With a meticulous and demanding attitude, he revised the manuscript three times. By then, it was already bright outside. The moment he put down his pen, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and Li Heng, who had just been full of energy, suddenly started yawning.

He stretched his aching wrists, capped the pen, screwed on the ink bottle, and left the study, first going to the washroom, then back to his bedroom. He threw his shoes aside, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell asleep.

As usual, his manuscripts remained on his desk, not locked in a drawer.

He did this because he felt that someone wanted to see it.

Indeed, around noon, Mai Sui hurriedly headed towards Lushan Village with a box of lunch in her hands.

Zhou Shihe was with her.

When Mai Sui realized that someone hadn't gone to the playground to watch her host the opening ceremony of the sports meet in the morning, she guessed that he must have stayed up all night writing. She felt sorry for him, but also wanted to say a few words to him.

But after thinking it over and over, she still didn't know how to bring it up.

From childhood to adulthood, she rarely argued with anyone and didn't even know many of the common swear words found in rural areas.

Thinking of this, Mai Sui suddenly asked, "Shi He, can you argue?"

Zhou Shihe, standing next to her, was surprised and didn't understand what her best friend was up to. She shook her head and said, "I don't know."

Mai Sui asked, "Why don't you know?"

Zhou Shihe said gently, "I've never cursed at anyone. Maybe I will, maybe I won't."

Wheat Ear deeply agreed: "Me too."

Zhou Shihe asked, puzzled, "Why are you asking about this? Aren't you worried about him?"

Mai Sui said, "He told you yesterday that we would go to the playground together, but he stood you up. He must have stayed up all night last night. I want to yell at him."

Zhou Shihe chuckled, "This is your precious darling, more valuable to you than your own life. Are you sure you can bear to part with him?"

Mai Sui said worriedly, "I'm afraid he'll ruin his health by staying up too late."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Shihe said casually, "It's not that serious."

The wheat ears looked over.

Zhou Shihe explained, "Once you get used to staying up late, it's the same. He always catches up on sleep afterward, which forms his own unique biological clock. Just like great people, my grandfather said he liked to do things at night and still lived to be over 80."

Upon hearing this, Mai Sui felt that it made some sense.

Then Zhou Shihe said, "However, try not to stay up late if you can avoid it. Getting enough rest is definitely better for your health."

Walking along the bluestone slabs to the end of the alley, the two women looked up at someone's bedroom window, which was tightly closed. They exchanged a glance and spontaneously slowed their pace, moving as quietly as cats from the moment they entered the house to the second floor.

I was afraid of waking someone up from their sleep.

She placed the food she had brought back on the coffee table, with a newspaper underneath. A moment later, Mai Sui quietly came to the door of the master bedroom and listened intently to what was happening inside.

It was very quiet inside.

After thinking for a moment, Mai Sui decided not to open the door to check the situation and instead went into the shower room.

She knew he was a clean person, especially after staying up all night, he would take a shower before going to sleep, saying that this would wash away the grease accumulated from staying up all night and allow him to sleep clean and refreshed.

Upon entering the washroom, the clothes were indeed piled up unwashed. Mai Sui took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, skillfully filled a basin with water, and squatted down to wash the clothes.

Zhou Shihe had been observing her best friend. She followed her into the washroom and watched her busy herself. At one point, she asked, "Do your aunt and uncle know about your situation?"

The "uncle" and "aunt" she mentioned were Mai Dong and his wife.

Mai Sui paused, stopped rubbing her hands, then continued to grab some laundry detergent and put it on her pants, saying as she rubbed them, "I don't know."

Zhou Shihe asked, "Do you intend to keep this a secret forever?"

“Yes,” Mai Sui admitted.

Zhou Shihe said, "What if one day you can't hide it anymore and the truth comes out? What will you do then?"

According to her, Sui Sui is, after all, an only child, beautiful and educated. It's not a good way out for her to just be Li Heng's confidante. Not to mention others, it would be difficult to explain to Mai Dong and his wife.

Maisui lowered her head and said softly, "I hadn't thought about it."

Zhou Shihe's gaze lingered on her friend's forehead for a moment, and she knew that this was the truth. Her best friend had never thought of making things difficult for him.

However, she didn't try to persuade her otherwise.

I had already advised them twice before that things should not be done more than three times.

I won't try to persuade you a third time.

Similarly, she knew she couldn't persuade him otherwise. Leaving aside whether Li Heng would let go, Sui Sui herself was hopelessly immersed in this relationship.

After a year and a half of getting along, she realized one thing: Li Heng was Sui Sui's everything, more important than Sui Sui's life. If she really left Li Heng, Sui Sui would probably only be a walking corpse, so why bother?
What's the point of advising your best friend to leave then?
Just as her thoughts were wandering, Mai Sui finished washing her coat and began washing her underwear separately.

Zhou Shihe paused for a moment, her gaze unconsciously falling on the front of the underwear. Just as Manning had said, the indentation was both deep and large.

For a moment, Zhou Shihe belatedly realized that her face was slightly flushed, and then she quietly left the washroom.

After standing in the living room for a while, she went straight to the study, grasped the doorknob with her right hand, turned it gently, opened the door, and peered inside.

Sure enough, I saw the manuscript I had been dreaming of.

Is this Chapter Two?
With that thought in mind, she prepared to step through the door.

But as soon as she lifted her right foot, she realized something, stared at the open manuscript on the desk, struggled with her thoughts, and finally, reason prevailed over her thirst for knowledge, causing her to pull her right foot back.

After closing the door again, Zhou Shihe paused at the door for a few seconds, then turned around and went to the sofa. She picked up a newspaper that Mai Sui had just bought that morning from the coffee table and started reading.

Huh?
She had just opened the Xinmin Evening News when she saw the front page (A side) reporting on him.

To be precise, it's news about instrumental albums.

The news headline read: "Legendary musician Li Heng, a source of pride for the Chinese people!"

The news subheading read: "Record Broken! Mr. Li's Instrumental Album Tops the US Billboard Chart!"

This news article is much longer than usual in this section, and the content is very detailed. It not only introduces the glory of the instrumental album on overseas and UK music charts, but also records every ranking and achievement on Billboard.

The article mentions that the simple yet profound name Li Heng was featured in New York Weekly on November 25th.

Zhou Shihe read this news article four times, each time more slowly than the last. When she finished reading it for the fourth time, she felt genuinely happy for someone.

For a purely instrumental album to reach the top of the US Billboard charts is a significant achievement in this day and age. It's not a matter of luck, but rather a testament to genuine and exceptional musical talent and ability.

The news report was full of praise, and the editor who wrote the press release made no secret of his admiration for Li Heng!

No, it's no longer just worship, but reverence and adoration!
This is the editor's original wording.

Zhou Shihe looked up and glanced towards the master bedroom. The person there was still fast asleep, unaware that the world outside had turned upside down for him.

She then quickly flipped through more than ten other very important newspapers, and unsurprisingly, his name dominated the headlines today.

Li Guyi, Zhu Fengbo, and other well-known domestic singers and performers publicly expressed their appreciation and respect for Li Heng in newspapers.

Besides the buzz from big names in mainland China, there's also news about Alan Tam from Hong Kong.

When interviewed by the media about this matter, Alan Tam said without hesitation: "If Mr. Li comes to Hong Kong, I will treat him to a big meal out of my own pocket, and I will personally serve him tea and water. That would be amazing!"

Mai Sui came over, hung the clothes out to dry on the balcony, and then sat down on the sofa.

Mai asked, "What news is so captivating?"

Zhou Shihe remained silent, simply handing the newspaper to the other person. Clearly, she was still completely absorbed in the news, not yet fully recovered.

After browsing through the newspapers in her hands for a few minutes, Mai Sui started the same path Zhou Shihe had taken, and then read through more than ten newspapers in one go.

Half an hour later, Mai Sui raised her head and looked at her best friend.

The two women gazed at each other across the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

Half a day later, Zhou Shihe broke the silence and asked, "When you bought the newspaper this morning, didn't you pay attention to the news?"

Mai Sui shook her head: "I've been busy reviewing the script, I haven't had time to look at it."

Zhou Shihe said gently, "He was featured in New York Weekly, and New York Weekly also gave him the title of 'legendary musician'."

Excitedly, Mai Sui found the news report and pointed to it, saying, "Several newspapers mentioned it; I saw it."

Zhou Shihe spoke calmly: "He is very well-known abroad now. I estimate that he will be even more popular overseas than he is in China."

Mai Sui only partially understood what he was hearing.

Zhou Shihe patiently said, "I have a cousin and his wife in France, and they told me this."

Mai Sui was overjoyed, "I really hope he can be on the cover of New York Weekly."

Zhou Shihe pondered for a moment: "He no longer represents himself personally, so perhaps there is an opportunity."

Next, because they were so shocked, the two women huddled together and turned the dozen or so newspapers over and over again.

Before they knew it, it was 2 p.m., and Zhou Shihe reminded her, "Sui Sui, it's time for you to go to the playground."

Mai Sui raised her right wrist, looked at her watch, and said worriedly, "Sigh, he hasn't eaten yet, and the food is cold."

Zhou Shihe, ever understanding, said, "You go ahead and do your work. I'm going to the market. I'll call Manning back for dinner later."

It was called a meal, but it was actually a disguised way of rewarding someone.

Because she was still thinking about the manuscript in the study.

At the same time, she benefited greatly from his success; the huge response to the instrumental album overseas indirectly boosted her and Teacher Yu's fame.

Therefore, Zhou Shihe wanted to thank him and do something for him.

He had no shortage of money, fame, or anything else, except for his culinary skills, which he always maintained an interest in. So she would cook him a big meal to repay him for his taste.

Mai Sui asked, "Do you want me to go to the market with you to get the groceries?"

Zhou Shihe smiled and shook her head, "No need, I'll go by bicycle."

The two women got up and went downstairs.

On the way out of Lushan Village, Mai Sui said, "He likes to eat duck, winter bamboo shoots, eels, and fish."

Zhou Shihe chuckled and teased, "I'll remember that. We'll buy them all later, and then we'll watch your man eat alone for dinner."

Mai Sui looked embarrassed, reached out and took her best friend's arm, looked at the bluestone slab and said, "Shi He, I am really proud of him and happy for him."

"Mmm," Zhou Shihe hummed softly.

Mai Sui asked, "What do you think his reaction would be if he woke up and saw those newspapers praising him so much?"

Zhou Shihe thought for a moment and said, "They'll definitely show off in front of us."

After saying that, the two women looked at each other and then chuckled softly in unison.

As we walked out of Lushan Village and were about to part ways at a fork in the road, Mai Sui asked, "Where are you going to cook today?"

Zhou Shihe said almost without thinking, "Let's go to your house. My range hood hasn't been used for a while."

"Okay, I was just about to ask you to cook at building number 26, so he won't have to eat cold food when he gets up later." Mai Sui said this after a moment of shyness when her best friend mentioned "your family".

After they parted, the wheat ears hurried towards the playground.

Zhou Shihe left the school gate, crossed the road, and went to the vegetable market.

Somewhat coincidentally, I ran into Wei Quan and Wei Xiaozhu as soon as I arrived at the market.

Wei Xiaozhu waved to her: "Shihe, did you come alone?"

Zhou Shihe parked her bicycle at a familiar stall: "They're all busy, but I'm free."

She walked over and greeted Wei Quan: "Teacher Wei, you're here to buy groceries too."

Wei Quan nodded, looked Zhou Shihe up and down, and couldn't help but praise, "Shihe's temperament is getting better and better. Even I, at my age, am envious."

Zhou Shihe smiled slightly, "Thank you for the compliment, teacher."

Wei Quan asked, "Have you read today's newspaper?"

Zhou Shihe said, "I saw it."

Wei Quan asked curiously, "How did Li Heng react to building such a great business?"

Zhou Shihe said, "He's sleeping."

Wei Quan was taken aback, and it took him a while to react: "It seems he was working hard on his new book last night."

Zhou Shihe said, "The teacher knows too?"

Wei Quan directly betrayed his niece, saying, "Xiaozhu often mentions you, including your lifestyle habits."

Zhou Shihe glanced at Wei Xiaozhu.

Wei Xiaozhu retorted with a smile: "Don't listen to my aunt. She loves to gossip. She always asks what Li Heng is doing or how his relationship with Sui Sui is going."

Wei Quan didn't deny it. He glanced around and asked in a low voice, "Shihe, has Teacher Yu Shuheng fallen in love with Li Heng?"

Zhou Shihe looked at Wei Xiaozhu, unsure how to answer.

She instinctively wanted to deny it.

But the fact that someone asked this question suggests they might have already discovered some clues.

So she won't rush into a conversation until she understands the situation.

Wei Xiaozhu said, "My aunt was just guessing. She said that every time Li Heng went out to collect folk songs, Teacher Yu would disappear with him, so she guessed that the two of them must be together."

Wei Quan interjected, "It's not all just hearsay. Many teachers at Fudan University are talking about it behind their backs. In March, Li Heng didn't come to the school for more than a month, and Teacher Yu also missed the faculty and staff meeting for a whole month. In October, when Li Heng went to Aba, some people also noticed this."

Then Wei Quan added, "Li Heng is too famous, and Teacher Yu has a special background. No matter how low-key they are, there are still countless eyes watching them in the dark."

Zhou Shihe knew this was true, but she still didn't want to say anything about it. She just said, "Teacher Yu and Li Heng's high school English teacher are best friends. Since the beginning of the semester, his high school teacher has asked her to take care of him."

Sure enough, seeing Zhou Shihe say that, Wei Quan wisely stopped bringing up the topic.

Like all the teachers, Wei Quan was skeptical but didn't dare to actually believe it. It was just too outrageous; male teachers and female students were a different story altogether.

Female teacher and male student?

Hmm, that's too fantastical, too far-fetched.

Of course, this is not the most important thing.

The most crucial issue is that Li Heng has a girlfriend, Xiao Han, and is also having an ambiguous relationship with Mai Sui. If Teacher Yu really falls for someone, given her excellent qualities and family background, can she tolerate Li Heng being intimate with other women right under her nose every day?
Because no teacher could solve this deadlock, they only discussed it behind the scenes and didn't dare to take it too seriously.

Now, hearing Zhou Shihe's reasoning, it seems to make sense.

P.S.: Please vote for me! Please subscribe! I need your support in March, thank you so much!

Update first, then revise.

10400 words have been updated.

(End of this chapter)