1987 My Era

Chapter 558, Good Things Happen One After Another

After coming out of the bathroom, Li Heng hung the washed clothes on the balcony to dry, and clipped them with clothespins to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.

Only after he had done all this did he return to the living room.

He first peeked into the study, and seeing that Miss Zhou was engrossed in reading, he didn't disturb her. Instead, he turned around and went to the sofa, habitually flipping through today's newspaper as usual.

"Li Heng! Li Heng!"

Just as he was reading an economics newspaper, shouts came from the alley outside.

He didn't even need to go up to the attic to see; he had already recognized the person as Li Wang's younger cousin.

Put down the newspaper, go downstairs as quickly as possible, and welcome the other person into the house.

He poured her a cup of hot tea and handed it to her, asking, "Little cousin, why did you come in such heavy rain?"

Li Wang had no interest in drinking tea. He put the cup aside and said, "I'm so happy today that I couldn't wait to tell you the good news."

Li Heng became interested: "What's the good news? Why are you so happy?"

Li Wang told him, "As of noon today, Anta Shoes' revenue has officially exceeded 100 million yuan!"

Li Heng jumped up and asked excitedly, "Really?"

Li Wang took out a stack of documents from his bag and handed them to him: "Of course they're true."

Li Heng took the document and carefully and meticulously reviewed it twice. After checking and confirming that there were no errors, he almost burst out laughing. "Good! Good! Good!"

One hundred million is a qualitative change!

This is likely to make the big news tomorrow.

He excitedly said "good" three times in a row.

After he had time to process the news, Li Wang said, "At your request, I reapplied to the relevant authorities for the expansion of the factory land some time ago, and it has been approved."

Li Heng asked, "What is the area?"

Li Wang said, "We have been approved to use 250 mu of land."

Li Heng pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Adding the original 80 mu, it's enough for now. However, this land in Pudong has good feng shui, so the more land we have, the better. We should take advantage of this opportunity to apply for more land."

Li Wang knew what he was planning, so how could he disagree?

The two then had an in-depth conversation about the company's management, operations, dealer system, directly operated stores, R&D center and employee benefits, and an hour and a half passed in the blink of an eye.

After finishing discussing the last matter, Li Heng asked, "Have you had dinner yet? How about we have some drinks tonight?"

Li Wang put the documents into his bag, glanced at his watch, and bluntly refused: "I have to have dinner with some government friends later, so I don't have time to spend with you. I'll come find you another day."

Li Heng held an umbrella and saw her to the door: "Okay, be careful on your way."

Li Wang came in a whirlwind and left in a whirlwind, walking with boundless energy and exuding a spirited air.

After waiting at the door for a while, Li Heng closed the door, put away his umbrella, and went back upstairs to the second floor.

At this time, Zhou Shihe had finished reading chapters 13 to 16 of "Dust Settles Down" and was reading other books.

Hearing a noise at the study door, she turned around and asked, "Li Wang?"

Li Heng nodded: "It's her."

Zhou Shihe said, "Judging from her tone, she seems very happy. It looks like you've encountered good fortune again."

Li Heng gave a thumbs up and showered him with compliments as if they were free: "As expected of our Fudan University's King, your IQ is truly high, and nothing can be hidden from you."

Zhou Shihe smiled and looked at him.

Li Heng briefly explained Li Wang's purpose for coming.

After listening, Zhou Shihe exclaimed, "You're currently riding high on your success. You don't need to hide in the pavilion today; even the thunder will avoid you."

Shit!

In his past life, he received all of Song Yu's love and thought he would have good fortune and everything would go smoothly. However, their child died young, and in his later years, he was struck by lightning and died next to Song Yu.

He has an instinctive fear of thunder, and this fear will not diminish in the short term due to so-called good luck.

On the contrary, the wealthier they are, the more they cherish their lives and the less they want to die.

After chatting for a while, Li Heng said, "I need to go to your place to make a phone call."

Zhou Shihe didn't ask why and readily agreed: "Okay."

Li Heng asked, "Do you want to come over together? Or are you going to wait here for Mai Sui to come back?"

Zhou Shihe stood up, took her book, and walked out of the study: "One yuan."

Upon arriving at the neighboring building number 27, she immediately went about her own business, such as taking a shower, doing laundry, and tidying up her bedroom.

Li Heng was left alone in the second-floor living room to do whatever he wanted.

He didn't stand on ceremony and ordered for Wang Ye first.

"Jingle Bell…"

"Jingle Bell…"

The phone rang twice before connecting, and Wang Ye seemed to have been waiting on the other end. "Mr. Li?"

"it's me."

Li Heng responded and asked, "Have you been waiting for my call?"

Wang Ye replied, "I called Teacher Yu's house before, but the call didn't go through."

Li Heng nodded: "Sorry to keep you waiting. How did the enrollment go today?"

Wang didn't mince words, flipping through the detailed information on the table with his finger: "Today's enrollment situation in various regions is better than expected. Beijing collected 357.4 million in tuition fees, Tianjin 221.8 million, Guangzhou 298 million, and Shanghai 310.2 million, totaling 1187.4 million."

Based on today's pre-registration fee of 100 yuan, it is estimated that approximately 1300 million yuan may be earned in the coming week.

1187?
1187 million!
Before making the call, Li Heng had already guessed what was going on, but when he heard the truly terrifying amount, his heart still couldn't help but pound!
I was so excited I couldn't contain myself.

They were even more excited than when they learned that Anta Shoes' revenue had exceeded 100 million yuan.

Can you not be excited?
New Future School is different from Anta Shoes; it's practically free to operate, and currently, he's the sole shareholder, so most of the profits go into his pocket.

While patiently listening to Wang Ye's report, he pondered in his heart: After the second phase ends, how many shares should Wang Ye and the management team be awarded?
Having lived two lives, he understands one principle: you have to give up something to gain something. Don't try to hoard all the good things for yourself. Cooperation leads to win-win results, and shared interests allow you to go further.

However, the second phase has only just begun, so there's no rush.

He asked, "Both Guangzhou and Shanghai have around 300 million people, so why is Tianjin so much less? Is it because it's close to Beijing?"

Wang Ye explained, "The proximity is one reason. The main reason is that there are more people pre-registering over there, and the proportion of people who completed the full payment on the spot today is relatively small. The following week is still very promising."

In order to seize the market as soon as possible, Wang Ye reported on the current work situation and then put forward his own ideas: "Boss, for the third phase, I plan to take advantage of this favorable situation to advertise on CCTV, continue to expand the branch schools, seize the opportunity, and make the 'New Future' brand famous."

Li Heng asked, "Which city?"

Wang Ye said, "Jinan, Shenyang, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xiamen and Xi'an are the six places I'm focusing on next."

Goodness, they're all important cities.

At this moment, the woman's wolfish ambitions were revealed without a doubt.

However, Li Heng not only did not stop him, but happily instructed: "Okay, but you need to prepare talent reserves in advance, so as not to take too big a step and cause trouble later."

Having understood, I know that indulging in too much wishful thinking is useless; the most urgent task is to quickly increase New Future's annual profit to 5 million.

Even 10 billion!

Perhaps by then, I will still have a sliver of hope.

Since meeting Song Yu, she only dared to hope for the faintest of hopes, and dared not ask for too much.

The two then discussed the next steps in detail for more than half an hour.

Wang also told him that starting from the third phase, New Future Tutoring School would begin to integrate teaching and research groups in 10 cities, jointly update teaching materials, and distribute teaching materials to the whole society.

She said, "Boss, we've sent people to do in-depth research. Currently, the market for teaching materials is completely blank. As long as we seize the opportunity, the profits will be no less than those from overseas training."

Li Heng asked, "What types of supplementary teaching materials do you plan to create?"

Wang Ye said, "The middle school entrance exam, the college entrance exam, and studying abroad are the main three aspects. I'm still brainstorming. Once the operational mechanism is mature, could we allocate funds to hold nationwide English competitions for teenagers? This would further enhance the influence of our New Future..."

As she described her vision and ideas for the future over the phone, Li Heng nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but exclaim: "Mr. Jin Yong, you've given me a treasure!"

Through more than an hour of in-depth communication, Li Heng gained a deeper understanding and recognition of Wang Ye's abilities.

But he wasn't going to be outdone. Based on his decades of experience in the education and training market, he immediately supplemented and improved Wang Ye's idea.

At first, Wang Ye just listened, but later he started taking notes.

Between calls, voices like, "Boss, speak slower," and "Boss, repeat what you just said..." could be heard coming from the receiver.

Having spent so much time taking notes that filled three pages, Wang Ye felt like he had been hit with a thousand blows.

She thought she was very capable, knowledgeable in every aspect, and had a great talent for business. But compared to Mr. Li's intelligence, she felt that her brain wasn't quite up to par.

Holding a pen in her right hand, she unconsciously wrote "Li Heng" more than ten times in a row on the blank space of the paper. Suddenly, she had an even stronger desire to borrow his seed.

Wang also felt that if he had a child with someone like that, the child's excellence could likely be passed down for three to five generations.

The phone call lasted a long time, more than an hour at the beginning and another half hour at the end, totaling two hours.

The moment the call ended, Li Heng instinctively checked the time: 11:09.
Is it that late?

Li Heng looked up and noticed that the light in the music room was on. Through the half-open door, he could see Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe chatting together inside.

His gaze lingered on the two women a few times, just as he was about to make a second call.

The landline in front of me suddenly rang.

Li Heng instinctively picked up the receiver, thinking that Wang Ye still had questions to ask.

But as soon as he picked it up, he regretted it.

This isn't my own home, and there's no caller ID feature right now. I didn't give Wang Ye my phone number, so how did he call?
Sure enough, a middle-aged woman's voice came from beside me, "Shihe..."

Did Li Heng recognize who it was? But he didn't say anything. He quietly placed the receiver on the coffee table and immediately got up and walked towards the music room.

It wasn't that he was petty, but it was late at night, and it wasn't appropriate for a married man like him to stay in someone else's daughter's room.

Although people may not necessarily misunderstand.

But he needs to be perceptive and avoid giving people the wrong impression.

As for the question of whether it's polite to put the receiver on the coffee table without speaking? He believed that with Miss Zhou's intelligence, she would have a thousand ways to smooth things over.

He quickly approached Zhou Shihe and whispered, "Comrade Shihe, your mother called."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shihe immediately realized that she hadn't yet called home to let them know she was safe.

He whispered, "Because it's so late, I picked up the receiver but didn't say anything. You'll have to use your intelligence."

Zhou Shihe blinked lightly and went out the door.

After Miss Zhou left, Li Heng looked at Mai Sui and asked with concern, "When did you arrive?"

Mai Sui spoke softly, "Around 9:30."

She then added, "I saw that you were engrossed in your phone call with Wang Ye, so I didn't disturb you."

Under the dim lamplight, gazing closely at the alluring Mai Sui before him, Li Heng felt a sudden surge of satisfaction. Unconsciously, his affection for her had seeped into his very bones.

No wonder even Song Yu, the most powerful woman in the world, had to be wary of her in her past life; she changes every day, becoming more and more alluring.

He was completely captivated by it and couldn't put it down.

Their eyes met, and Mai Sui felt a surge of affection in his gaze. Her heart fluttered, and a blush crept onto her face.

As time went on, she could feel more and more the man's affection and doting on her.

If before the college entrance exam she could only have a crush on him secretly, now she can openly and honestly spend time with him in a small circle.

If a year ago she was incredibly anxious and worried, now her heart has finally settled down, because he has developed genuine feelings for her.

Although Song Yu is separated from this relationship, she is already very content.

She was, after all, a newcomer, and only received his caresses when there was an opening.

She imagined that if she, Li Heng, and Song Yu were all admitted to Peking University at the same time, then her unrequited love would forever remain just that—an unrequited love. With Song Yu around, it would be difficult for him to shift his attention to her.

Li Heng took a step closer and abruptly asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Maisui's reaction time didn't come back in time, "I...I wasn't thinking about anything."

Li Heng stared into her eyes and uttered five words, one by one: "You lied to me too?"

Mai Sui smiled charmingly, knowing that he had caught her daydreaming, so she stopped arguing and urged, "It's getting late, you should go home and rest."

Li Heng frowned: "Aren't you coming with me?"

Mai Sui hesitated, looking troubled: "Shi He is home alone tonight. We've already agreed that I'll sleep with her."

Li Heng complained, "Where are those two female hooligans?"

The reason he called Sun Manning and Ye Ning "female hooligans" was because a while ago, he overheard the two women commenting on his shorts, laughing and saying how big they were.

His face darkened. He thought to himself, "This is nothing. If I stand up, I'll scare you so much your legs will cramp."

Noticing his resentment, Mai Sui glanced at her best friend who was on the sofa making a phone call and said gently, "They often have club activities these days, so it's inevitable that they can't come. Why don't I go with you for a while?"

After she finished speaking, she felt incredibly warm.

This was no longer a hint, but an explicit statement. In order to appease him, she abandoned her pride and went all out.

Li Heng was deeply moved, but he suppressed the urge within him, took another step forward and hugged her, pressing his forehead against hers, and murmured affectionately, "No need, don't force yourself. I care more about you as a person now, I just want to see you every day."

Mai Sui smiled sweetly, kissed his lips tenderly, then remembered something and looked towards the living room in a fluster.

To make matters worse, Zhou Shihe happened to be watching the scene of her being intimate with Li Heng at that moment.

Facing each other across the distance, Zhou Shihe paused for a moment, glanced at the man who seemed to be enjoying himself, then turned away without changing her expression, her back to the music room, and continued talking to her mother on the phone.

Seeing her best friend's expression, Mai Sui felt so ashamed that she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground.

Li Heng asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Mai Sui stepped out of his arms and said awkwardly, "From now on, you... you should be more discreet."

Li Heng glanced at Miss Zhou in the living room and deliberately muttered, "You were the one who kissed me just now, I'm innocent."

"You're getting a good deal and you're still acting innocent!" Mai Sui rolled her eyes, mimicking his usual manner.

This action was so cute that it made him laugh. He joked, "You can roll your eyes at me anytime you want, I like it."

The wheat ears rejoiced as well.

As for her relationship with Shihe, she gradually came to terms with it.

Shihe had witnessed the scene on the sofa in Building 26, where he had been relentlessly bombarding her with his advances. Could there be a more embarrassing scene than that?

A few minutes later, Zhou Shihe finished her phone call, went to the bathroom, and then went into the master bedroom next door.

Li Heng immediately said goodbye: "I'm going now, you should get some rest."

“Okay.” Mai Sui personally escorted him downstairs and closed all the gates and windows on the first floor.

...

As Li Heng came out of building number 27, he suddenly noticed that the gate of building number 25 was ajar.

He paused for a moment, then looked up.

Ok?
There are no lights on in the house. Could it be that a thief has broken in?
Or did that "sleep paralysis" thing get inside?

Realizing that Teacher Yu wasn't home, he instantly became agitated, quickly pulled out his keys, went into his own house, grabbed a kitchen knife, and headed towards building number 25.

At this moment, you ask him if he's afraid of ghosts?

Fear is definitely an instinctive fear.

But I am a reborn person, even ghosts have to kneel before me.

The courtyard gate was unlocked, as was the main entrance on the first floor.

Li Heng turned on all the lights on the first floor as soon as he entered, but he couldn't find a single thing.

Is it on the second floor?
With that thought, he tightened his grip on the kitchen knife and quietly went up the stairs.

Just as they reached the entrance to the second-floor stairwell, a very intellectual voice came from the darkness: "It's me."

Judging from the sound, it should be coming from the direction of the sofa.

"Teacher Yu?" Li Heng was dumbfounded.

"Mmm," Yu Shuheng replied.

Li Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, tossed the kitchen knife behind his back, and groped to turn on the light.

The moment the light came on, Yu Shuheng, holding a cup of coffee, turned to look at him with a half-smile.

Li Heng was speechless: "It's so late, why didn't you close the courtyard gate? And why didn't you turn on the lights?"

Yu Shuheng took a small sip of her coffee. "The effect is pretty good, isn't it?"

Li Heng's mind raced, and after a few seconds he finally realized: it was Teacher Yu's doing, a smokescreen.

He put the cleaver on the dining table and sat down on the sofa.

Yu Shuheng said softly, "Teacher means no harm, just wants to see you."

Li Heng glanced sideways: "Just come find me, there's no need for this. I was terrified the whole way here."

Yu Shuheng glanced at her apologetically.

He knew, in truth, that it was pointless to say such things. Since he was at Miss Zhou's house, Teacher Yu wouldn't go there rashly unless absolutely necessary.

The two women are currently in a state of outward harmony but inward discord. Under normal circumstances, they will not have major conflicts and will maintain a superficial relationship through restraint; but if things were to escalate one day, they themselves might not be able to control themselves.

She stood up: "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Li Heng shook his head: "It's too late, I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep if you drink." Hearing this, she didn't force him, but walked over and sat next to him, with her back to him.

After lingering his gaze on her back for a moment, Li Heng reached out and pressed himself against her intimately, embracing her tightly from behind as he always had.

The moment his hands slipped under her waist, Yu Shuheng slowly closed her eyes, leaning against him without saying a word, yet everything was expressed.

She missed him, so she had to see him tonight.

Surprisingly, the faint scent of a woman calmed Li Heng's mind, and he refrained from doing anything malicious.

Yu Shuheng didn't speak either, her scholarly face lazily pressed against his, her silence speaking volumes.

About sixteen or seventeen minutes later, Teacher Yu slowly opened her eyes, turned to the side with a satisfied look on her face, and lightly pecked his lips.

She then broke free from his embrace and sat back down on the sofa opposite him.

After she took a couple of sips of coffee, Li Heng asked, "Teacher, why were you gone for so long this time?"

Yu Shuheng smiled and asked, "Are you concerned about me? Or do you miss me?"

Li Heng stared intently at her.

Yu Shuheng twirled the coffee cup in her hand and explained simply, "A very good friend of mine passed away in an accident in Singapore, and I went to the funeral."

At the same time, some business issues arose, and it took me time to resolve them before I returned.

These were all extremely private matters, so Li Heng didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he worried for her: "Have you fallen behind on your schoolwork?"

Yu Shuheng said, "We have communicated with the school and will work quickly to make up for the missed lessons."

Then, with a piercing gaze, she said, "Young man, congratulations! Your instrumental album has finally topped the Billboard charts in the US. You're very famous abroad now. A lot of people have been asking about you since I left."

Li Heng was also pleased to hear this: "Thank you, teacher. This is all thanks to the three of us."

Yu Shuheng said, "A sum of money will be settled around New Year's Day."

Li Heng asked, "A pure instrumental album?"

Yu Shuheng nodded: "Settle the accounts for these three months."

Li Heng leaned forward slightly: "Last time it was 85 pounds, how much is it this time?"

Yu Shuheng pondered for a moment and said, "The final result will not be available for another week. But based on the current financial statements, it is estimated to be around £310 million."

Li Heng exclaimed in astonishment: "So many? That much more than last time?"

Yu Shuheng said, "It has been on the Billboard charts for three and a half consecutive weeks. Don't underestimate the power of this number one music chart in the world. Its influence is enormous."

Because of its Billboard chart-topping success, many songs simultaneously experienced rapid rises in the rankings of music charts in over 30 countries and regions, including Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea. Almost every ranking increase meant an extra payment.

Li Heng understood immediately, and asked excitedly, "Is the exchange rate still 14 for the pound?"

Seeing his greedy look, Yu Shuheng smiled: "Pretty much. There will be fluctuations, but not much."

310 multiplied by 14 equals 4340 million RMB.

After he finished calculating, he was stunned.

This!
That's almost 50 million.

This is an incredible fortune!
Damn it, in his previous life he only had a little over 4000 million in bank savings, and now he's almost caught up. Who could stand that!
Who wouldn't be confused by this?

Li Hengjing sat there, taking a long time to calm down her conflicted and excited feelings.

But then he felt that this was the kind of style the album should have.

After all, an album that has captured classic tracks from half a century is unique to Scorpion Papa, and there is no possibility of it being replicated in the world. Its popularity is unparalleled.

After discussing the album, Yu Shuheng asked her about something she always cared about: "Have you started writing your new book yet?"

Li Heng nodded: "I've started writing, and I've already written Chapter 16."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuheng put down her coffee cup, stood up, and, unable to contain her excitement, said, "Let's go to your place."

Li Heng stood up as well.

As he was going down the stairs, he remembered something and asked, "Teacher, are you free tomorrow?"

Yu Shuheng glanced back and asked, "What is it?"

Li Heng recounted the letter Zhao Ran had entrusted to him in detail, saying, "Tomorrow marks exactly three months, and I need to go to my senior's house."

Yu Shuheng agreed: "Okay. It's been a while since I've seen Suyun, so I'll go meet her and have a meal with her."

Li Heng was surprised: "Sister Xu is still in Shanghai?"

Yu Shuheng shook her head: "I've been quite busy and haven't been in contact with her. But based on her personality, I don't think the chances of her returning to Jingcheng are high."

Li Heng asked, "Didn't you say her family didn't agree and that you weren't going to take her back?"

Yu Shuheng stopped and said strangely, "The Chen family doesn't approve of you and Chen Zijin either, but Chen Zijin still sleeps with you, doesn't she?"

Li Heng's eyelids twitched, and he blurted out, "You investigated me?"

Yu Shuheng remained silent, gazing at him with deep, thoughtful eyes.

Li Heng felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at.

After a long while, she turned around and continued walking forward. A soft voice drifted over: "Your teacher has changed a lot for you. You shouldn't doubt me."

Li Heng opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Upon entering Building 26, Yu Shuheng explained, "Actually, it's quite easy to guess what's going on between you and Chen Zijin."

If there hadn't been a problem between your two companies, you probably wouldn't have submitted "To Live" to "Harvest" magazine, but rather to "People's Literature," where Chen Xiaomi worked.

Chen Zijin wouldn't suddenly transfer to the capital in his second year of high school, allowing other women to take advantage of the situation.

Of course, Runwen also mentioned your relationship with Chen Zijin to me. All of this makes the relationship between your Chen and Li families almost completely public knowledge.

Before he could reply, she sighed and lamented, "The Chen family squandered a golden opportunity. If Chen Zijing's mother had been as magnanimous as Xiao Han's mother, perhaps there would have been no story involving Song Yu, Xiao Han, and Mai Sui. You and I might never have crossed paths in this life, and you would have gone to study in the capital."

If things were like that in his past life, he couldn't guarantee that he and Zijing would truly be together for life.

But in this lifetime, that's impossible.

Even if the Chen family quickly changes their stance, he will not give up on Song Yu and Xiao Han. The reason is simple: they are the women he will spend his life with.

Upon reaching the second floor, Li Heng busied himself with his own tasks: washing up, doing laundry, and writing a letter to Song Yu.

He and Song Yu exchanged letters every two weeks, and each time he received a letter from her, he would be overjoyed for a long time.

Yu Shuheng went straight into the study to read a new book.

She stared at the four words "Dust Settles" on the title page for a long time before finally opening the first chapter and starting to read attentively.

In the first chapter, she felt the same way as Zhou Shihe, thoroughly enjoying the story and greatly appreciating his writing style.

In the second chapter, she was completely immersed in the world of the book.

...

By the time they reached Chapter Five, Yu Shuheng suddenly squinted and picked up a broken half of her long hair from the middle of the page; it was about the length of two middle fingers.

Under the electric light, she carefully examined the color and brightness of the hair, and finally ruled out Mai Sui, Sun Manning, and Ye Ning.

This is Zhou Shihe's hair.

Mai Sui and Xiao Han's hair isn't this dark.

Sun Manning's hair is a bit yellowish.

Ye Ning's hair is more distinctive, slightly curly, and it is said that she once had her hair done in imitation of her cousin Ye Zhanyan.

After locking onto her target, Yu Shuheng remembered the promise the young man had made to her: she would be his first reader.

Therefore, she was mentally prepared: being in a good position, she might be the first reader.

But to my surprise, Zhou Shihe was also ahead of me in line.

However, considering his hidden affection for Zhou Shihe later on, it seems there's nothing surprising about it.

The question is, she's wondering: Did Zhou Shihe leave this hair unintentionally, or was it intentional?

If it's unintentional, there's nothing to say; it's normal for women to lose hair occasionally, it happens all the time.

If it was intentional, then it was undoubtedly targeting oneself.

Based on her analysis of Zhou Shihe's personality: If one day Li Heng becomes interested in Zhou Shihe and pursues her intensely, and eventually wins her over, then he might intervene to stop other women; if he doesn't win her over, Zhou Shihe will not interfere with his private relationships.

Yu Shuheng tucked her long hair back into the pages and continued reading.

But two minutes later, she went back, found the long hair, and threw it into the trash can.

She knew very well that she wouldn't be the last reader of this manuscript; Xiao Han would read it, and others would too, so there was no need to upset him.

She now has a clear vision for her romantic relationships: she wants to compete fairly and squarely, without resorting to underhanded tactics.

Even if she lost to Zhou Shihe or Song Yu in the end, she would accept it willingly, only blaming herself for being inferior to them.

In the early hours of the morning, after finishing everything, Li Heng went to the study. He didn't read or write. Seeing that his teacher was engrossed in the world of books and had no time to pay attention to him, he simply went back to his bedroom.

Lying in bed to sleep.

...

The next day.

As soon as it was light, he jumped up and went to the playground to run.

He thought he had arrived early, but Dai Qing and Wei Xiaozhu were even earlier than him.

Li Heng caught up with them in one breath and asked, "How many laps have you run?"

Wei Xiaozhu said, "This is the fourth lap."

Li Heng asked, "How many laps do you plan to run today?"

Wei Xiaozhu replied, "After this lap, there are still 4 more laps to run."

Li Heng said, "You still run eight laps every day without fail."

Wei Xiaozhu smiled and nodded: "That's quite a lot, 3200 meters."

There were quite a few, indeed. Li Heng chatted with the girl casually, and time passed quickly.

When they finished the 8th lap, Wei Xiaozhu decisively dropped out of the running group and went to rest on the steps, leaving only Dai Qing and Li Heng behind.

Li Heng was in a good mood today, so he tried to make conversation: "Hey, Dai Qing, why aren't you saying anything? Did I forget to look in the mirror before I went out today, and look a little scary?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Qing smiled broadly and said, "No. Isn't it said that you like beautiful women the most? Xiaozhu is prettier than me, I can't spoil your fun."

Li Heng was embarrassed: "Which heartless bastard spread this rumor?"

Dai Qing said, "Many girls are spreading it."

Li Heng was speechless. "I'm innocent! You see, I don't usually see Comrade Xiaozhu often."

Dai Qing showed no mercy: "That's because you have several beautiful women around you, and you can't take care of them all."

Li Heng looked up and shamelessly asked, "Do you think I'm that much of a womanizer?"

Dai Qing pondered the definition of the word "womanizer," and considering his status and position, it seemed that he was only entangled with Xiao Han and Mai Sui, "which is alright."

Li Heng chuckled and said, "Your three words are quite pleasant to hear. We can still be friends."

Dai Qing forced a smile, then after a moment's internal struggle, said, "I have something I want to ask you, and I'd like to get your opinion on it."

Li Heng asked, "What's the problem?"

Dai Qing said, "A few days ago, I gave a speech on behalf of Fudan University. Afterwards, someone in the audience contacted me through a teacher, wanting to invite me to their home to tutor their child. Do you think I should refuse?"

Hearing this, Li Heng stopped joking and asked seriously, "Is that person a boss who's putting you in such a difficult position?"

Dai Qing was stunned for a moment, then realized: "He's a boss, neither too big nor too small."

Li Heng asked, "So, do you want to refuse?"

Dai Qing said, "I think about it. But I'm also afraid that I'm overthinking things and being too suspicious."

As a seasoned veteran, Li Heng immediately understood: "They're contacting your teacher, someone who's always been very kind to you?"

Dai Qing sighed, "That's how it is, so I didn't have the heart to show my displeasure to his face."

Li Heng said, "Tell me about your speech that day, and describe the demeanor of the person in the audience."

Dai Qing immediately recounted the entire process of her speech that day, and then said with annoyance, "When I was giving my speech on stage, that person kept staring at me, which made me very uncomfortable."

Li Heng suggested, "Reject it."

Upon hearing the words "refuse," Dai Qing's hesitation vanished instantly. "Okay."

Then Li Heng thought of something: "Won't this affect your position as vice president of the student council?"

Dai Qingxin's knot had been untied, and she laughed, "If I can do it, I will; if I can't, then let whoever wants to do it take the place. If they piss me off, I'll just throw a bucket of cold water on them."

Li Heng gave a thumbs up: "Not bad! We're top students after all, so we should have this kind of courage."

After running 13 laps, he was about to give up, so he asked Dai Qing for the name of "the person in the audience" and then withdrew from the race.

He asked, "How many more laps do you want to run?"

Dai Qing said, "I'll run one more lap."

Li Heng turned and walked towards Wei Xiaozhu on the steps.

Seeing him covered in sweat, Wei Xiaozhu picked up a thermos cup. "Would you like some?"

Li Heng didn't stand on ceremony; he opened the lid and took several sips from a distance.

After he stopped drinking, Wei Xiaozhu asked, "Did Dai Qing talk to you about her troubles just now?"

Li Heng said, "Yes."

Wei Xiaozhu asked, "What advice did you give her?"

Li Heng turned his head to the side. "Were you waiting for me today?"

Wei Xiaozhu said with a bright smile, "Yes. You know, she has a crush on you, and she cares most about your attitude. Your words have the most influence. So I asked her to ask you."

Li Heng handed the thermos back to her: "If you ask me, the reason Dai Qing hesitated is because she was afraid of offending the wrong person and affecting her job assignment after graduation?"

Wei Xiaozhu took the thermos cup: "Yes. We've studied so hard for so many years, overcoming all obstacles, and finally got into a good school. Job placement after graduation is related to our future. Anyone would be worried about that."

Before he could reply, Wei Xiaozhu continued, "By the way, Li Heng, let's run together with you every day from now on."

Li Heng immediately understood: "That teacher also likes running?"

Wei Xiaozhu glanced around the playground. "They were just doing their morning exercises, they've left now."

Li Heng asked, "What time does that person usually come to the playground?"

Wei Xiaozhu said, "Around 6:30, it will be earlier in summer."

Li Heng said, "Then let's meet at the playground at this time every time."

Wei Xiaozhu agreed: "I thank you on Qingqing's behalf."

Li Heng waved his hand casually: "No, we're friends, there's no need to thank me for something so small. If you really run into trouble and Dai Qing can't bring herself to ask, you can come to me privately."

Wei Xiaozhu took out two pieces of dark chocolate from her pocket and handed one to him: "This chocolate was given to me by Sui Sui. I don't know how to thank you, so I'll just give you one. Please don't mind it."

Li Heng was both amused and exasperated. The things his woman had given away would somehow end up in his mouth again.

Is this what they call "word charm"?
...

After returning from the playground, Li Heng took a shower, changed into the new clothes that Mai Sui had bought for him, and then started eating breakfast.

Mai Sui placed the tofu pudding in front of him, her eyes shining as she praised, "It looks good."

Li Heng asked, "Is the person prettier, or the clothes?"

"The clothes are nice," said Mai Sui.

Li Heng immediately frowned, "You bought these clothes for me, aren't you praising yourself for having good taste?"

Mai Sui smiled sweetly and sat down next to him. "You really do look good. Can't I praise myself?"

Li Heng nodded repeatedly: "Sure, you're like wheat, you can do anything."

"Pah! How disgusting! I can't even have my breakfast without being bombarded with displays of affection." Sun Manning, who was standing next to her, couldn't stand it anymore and started ranting.

Ye Ning chimed in with exaggerated gestures: "That's right, that's right. You two are always showing off your love. Can't you consider the feelings of the three of us single guys?"
Is this even going to work? If not, let's just call it a day. Don't you think so, Shihe?

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly and remained silent. This was nothing; she had seen far more heated scenes and was already used to it.

Sun Manning suddenly asked, "Li Heng, did Teacher Yu stay at your place last night?"

Upon hearing this, all four women turned to look at him.

Li Heng retorted, "No? What kind of looks are those? Teacher Yu has been staying here overnight for more than a day or two. Last night, Teacher Yu was reading her new book, 'Dust Settles,' in the study. I didn't even know when she went to bed. I fell asleep a long time ago."

Sun Manning shook the chopsticks in her hand and said, "This morning, the four of us went to buy breakfast and accidentally overheard two neighbors gossiping behind your back, saying that you and Teacher Yu are having a teacher-student relationship, and that Teacher Yu came out of your house this morning."

Li Heng frowned: "The newest one who moved in?"

It could only be this person. The other professors and teachers in Lushan Village already knew that the two had an extremely close relationship, and they also knew about Professor Yu's family background, so they wouldn't be foolish enough to talk about it outside.

Ye Ning spoke frankly: "That's right, only Building 24 can keep track of your every move."

That female teacher looked quite presentable, but I never expected her to be such a gossip. I chimed in earlier.

Li Heng asked, "What mouth?"

Ye Ning said angrily, "I said to the old lady next door: 'Oh my, she's a professor, but she has no brains. Why don't you go and find out? No one else speaks ill of Professor Yu, but you dare to say it?'"

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Ten thousand words have been updated.

(End of this chapter)