1987 My Era

Chapter 567, The Art of Emperorship, Sleepless Nights

Upon learning that Li Heng had already bought a house for Xiao Han, and that it was right next door, only a few minutes away, Grandpa Ba and Sister Lin were overjoyed.

At the father and daughter's insistence, Li Heng had no choice but to take Grandpa Ba and Sister Lin back to his own garden villa.

As soon as he entered, Mr. Ba said, "So this is the little villa. It has good taste."

After walking around, Sister Lin even took Xiao Han's hand and said, "What good fortune! This place is even bigger than my senior's place."

Xiao Han smiled sweetly and said in a clear voice, "Senior sister can come here to play often in the future."

"Okay, sure," Sister Lin replied happily.

Back at the teacher's house, Sister Lin took Xiao Han out to buy groceries.

Li Heng then chatted with Grandpa Ba.

Mr. Ba asked the question he was most concerned about: "How's the new book coming along?"

Li Heng replied, "We've already written up to chapter 22."

Mr. Ba asked, "How many words?"

Li Heng replied, "Around 12 words."

Mr. Ba asked, "Approximately how many chapters will it be?"

Li Heng replied, "The outline has 72 chapters."

Mr. Ba nodded repeatedly. The fact that his beloved student could list out the outline and details proved that he had put a lot of thought into it. Suppressing his urge to read it, he asked again, "What is the name of the book?"

Li Heng replied, "Dust Settles Down."

Has the dust settled?

Mr. Ba pondered the title for a moment, then took a sip of tea and said, "A very good name, with a poetic feel."

Then he asked the last question about the new book: "What is the subject matter?"

"The subject matter is about Tusi..." Li Heng didn't hide anything and immediately gave a detailed overview of the story structure of the new book and his ideas for writing it.

After listening, Mr. Ba said with great interest, "It's written. Let me see it."

“Okay. I’ll show it to the teacher first when I’m done writing it.” Li Heng said without hesitation.

Anyway, I've already promised so many firsts, so as long as I turn a blind eye and don't deliberately pursue it, it will always be the first time.

Just like that, even if someone spits on you through your clothes countless times, it won't change the undeniable fact that she's still a virgin.

After chatting about the new book for a while, Mr. Ba changed the subject and talked about his senior, Editor-in-Chief Liao.

Grandpa Ba asked, "Have you contacted your senior brother?"

Li Heng nodded and then shook his head: "We kept in touch for a while, but I've been busy with exams lately and haven't heard from him for several days. How is my senior doing now?"

Grandpa Ba slowly shook his head and sighed, "It's not good, the situation is not optimistic."

The two consecutive "not quite"s revealed the seriousness of the situation to Li Heng, who leaned forward slightly: "Even your presence won't work?"

Old Master Ba grinned, showing his large, toothy teeth, and said, "My respect is all given to me by others. If it doesn't involve personal gain, people will treat me with some respect; but when it comes to family values, they might not take me seriously."

Your senior brother is notorious for his womanizing ways; it's good that he's learned his lesson this time, so he won't cause even bigger trouble in the future.

Li Heng was completely confused. "So what exactly is the situation?"

Grandpa Ba said, "The Xu family wanted their child to take the surname Xu, but your senior brother firmly disagreed, which caused a great dispute. It was only after your teacher Yu's father intervened and mediated that the matter was resolved."

However, to be fair, your senior brother is half a year older than Su Yun's mother, he's been married before, has an illegitimate daughter, and has been involved with several women. It's understandable that she's unwilling. In a couple of days, your senior brother will pick Su Yun up to take her back to Shanghai.

Hearing that Teacher Yu's father had come forward, Li Heng was a little confused. Hadn't he come forward a long time ago?

Or is it that Mr. Yu wasn't really interested at first, and only intervened later to mediate?

That should be it.

After all, given Yu's father's social standing, he wouldn't easily meddle in other people's family affairs. Or rather, this matter was nothing to them, and they didn't take it to heart.

Li Heng said happily, "It's good to be able to return to Shanghai. It proves that all my efforts were worthwhile."

Grandpa Ba nodded, then changed the subject, turning the tables on him: "Buying such a big garden villa for Xiao Han, is it because you're sure you've settled down?"

The old man only told half of what he meant. The other half was: the second time he brought Xiao Han to his home, he even bought a garden villa nearby. Was he asking if he was sure he would marry Xiao Han in the future?
Li Heng was speechless.

He belatedly realized that the teacher had probably mentioned his senior brother earlier as a prelude to this, intending to give him a warning and a wake-up call.

Thinking that his teacher had been extremely busy with his senior brother's affairs lately and was probably still a bit angry, Li Heng wisely chose not to get into trouble and vaguely said, "I would be very willing to marry Xiao Han."

Having lived for so many years, Old Master Ba was a shrewd and experienced man, clearly not so easily fooled. He pressed further, "Also? You mean you're willing to marry other women? Or that your desire is even stronger?"

Li Heng felt ashamed.

Teacher, you're so old, can't you pretend to be a little confused?

Pretending to be confused is good for your health!

Facing the teacher's somewhat intimidating gaze, Li Heng could no longer dodge the question and had to be honest: "Teacher, I have a close female friend at Peking University."

Grandpa Ba asked, "What's your name?"

Li Heng said, "Song Yu."

Old Master Ba lifted the teacup lid with his right hand. "You'd rather marry her?"

Li Heng said, "Marrying her or Xiao Han is fine, I'll be happy from the bottom of my heart."

Grandpa Ba asked, "What about your first love? The one from the Chen family?"

Li Heng felt a chill run down his spine: "Huh? Teacher, you knew all along?"

“Your senior brother is a cautionary tale, so I specially arranged for your sister Xiaolin to visit your hometown.”

At this point, Old Master Ba paused for a moment, then continued, "I never imagined that you would be so famous in the area three years ago, having done something so earth-shattering. When it comes to women, your self-proclaimed dashing senior brother wouldn't even be worthy of carrying your shoes."

Hey teacher! Can you please stop praising me all the time?
Don't hit someone in the face; don't reopen old wounds in front of them.

Li Heng defended himself, "I didn't expect you to know all this. Sigh, I didn't mention Zijing just now because I was afraid you would be angry. Actually, I can marry any of the three of them."

"Ah!"

Grandpa Ba was genuinely amused by his shamelessness. "You can marry any of the three of them, but what about Teacher Yu? And what about that girl surnamed Mai you're keeping as a mistress?"

Li Heng blinked: "Teacher, Teacher Yu and I are still completely innocent."

Old Master Ba flipped the teacup lid onto the table and stopped drinking the tea: "Do you think I'm senile?"

Li Heng hurriedly went over, reached out to pat the old man's back, and immediately showered him with compliments: "Look, you're in such a hurry again. You're already the top writer, you should calm down and take care of yourself."

Grandpa Ba rolled his eyes: "I wouldn't dare. In front of you, this old man wouldn't dare to claim to be number one."

Li Heng chuckled: "I'm your apprentice, so what's mine is yours. We're family, why be so particular?"

With a serious expression, Mr. Ba asked, "So, where have you and Teacher Yu reached? What are your true thoughts?"

When the old man asked again, Li Heng didn't hide anything, "Except for the last step, our relationship has basically reached that point."

Grandpa Ba looked at him.

Li Heng thought for a moment and asked, "Does the teacher have any good ideas?"

Grandpa Ba asked, "Is it still possible to get rid of it?"

Li Heng raised an eyebrow: "Don't joke around, old man, I wouldn't dare to shake him."

Grandpa Ba asked, "Is it that you dare not shake it off? Or that you don't want to shake it off?"

Li Heng muttered, "They all earned it through their own abilities. Why would someone spit out the meat they've already eaten? They don't want to get rid of it."

Knowing that the teacher was determined to get to the bottom of things today, he simply stopped pretending and said one word: "I want it all."

Grandpa Ba was so angry he wanted to smash him, but after staring at him for a long time, he calmed down and said, "Tell me about Song Yu."

Li Heng's eyes widened slightly: "Teacher, what have you noticed?"

Grandpa Ba said, "Don't play dumb. I'm just old, not stupid. You've implied that the woman you most want to marry is Song Yu."

Li Heng remained silent for a while before saying, "She is the person I fell in love with at first sight, and also the person I feel most regretful about."

The four simple words, "love at first sight" and "the most unforgettable regret," say it all.

Grandpa Ba seemed to understand everything, and after a while he sighed earnestly, "You should get married later. Wait until I'm old and gray before you bring up marriage again."

Old Master Ba was clearly unable to bear it and did not want to interfere in his apprentice's marriage again.

The old man felt that if Editor-in-Chief Liao's matter was just a minor issue, this young apprentice was even more troublesome, raising the difficulty to a hellish level. The girls he attracted were all more beautiful and outstanding than the last, making him difficult to deal with.

So, he felt that once he was buried, he wouldn't be able to see it anymore, and out of sight, out of mind.

Li Heng thought to himself, "Come on, you still have many decades to live. By then, I might even have a grandson. You won't be able to escape now."

Li Heng chuckled and said, "No, I'd like to ask you to be my witness at my wedding."

Grandpa Ba tapped the table with his finger, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "How are things going between you and that Zhou girl?"

Li Heng knew that the old man was talking about Zhou Shihe.

He asked, "Why did the teacher bring her up?"

Grandpa Ba said, "She was the first girl you brought to our door, and she left a very deep impression on me and your sister Lin."

Li Heng said, half-jokingly, "Of course, he's the only 'King' at Fudan University, so naturally he's quite formidable."

Grandpa Ba shook his head: "None of the girls around you are as fortunate as her."

Li Heng asked in surprise, "Teacher, you also believe in Huang-Lao philosophy?"

"It's not a matter of believing or disbelieving. Some things are preordained, and I had a very good impression of that Zhou girl," said Grandpa Ba.

Li Heng understood some of it, and it was precisely because he understood some of it that he was even more astonished: "What do you mean?"

Old Master Ba glanced at him and said, "Do you even know what the art of rulership is?"

Li Heng blinked: "The art of balance."

Grandpa Ba picked up the bottle cap, smacked the rim of his teacup, and slowly said, "In ancient times, those old emperors were most afraid of their ministers becoming too powerful and dominating the court."

"Teacher Yu, if you can't shake her off or control her, find her something to do, change the core contradiction, turn the class contradiction into an internal contradiction, and shift the focus."

Li Heng laughed heartily: "Teacher, you remind me of a saying."

Mr. Ba asked, "What did you say?"

Li Heng grinned and said, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. You old rascal, you're really wicked."

Mr. Ba gave him a sharp rap on the head, which made his scalp tingle.

Then Mr. Ba laughed and said with a sigh, "I haven't met Song Yu yet. She must have something special to make you think about her so much. If you have the chance, secretly bring her over for a meal."

The reason I mentioned the Zhou family girls was to give them something to do, and to encourage you to focus your energy on something meaningful. Writing is your life, and good works are your livelihood. Otherwise, among these girls, only Xiao Han, Song Yu, and the Chen family girl take you seriously.

Teacher, you've forgotten about the wheat ears.

However, he only grumbled to himself, knowing that what the old man said was absolutely correct.

If I hadn't been reborn and hadn't displayed my extraordinary talent in literature and music, it would have been difficult to attract Teacher Yu.

However, this argument is itself a fallacy. If you are not outstanding, why would anyone choose you?

If he were worthless, let alone these stunning beauties with excellent qualities, Li Xian probably wouldn't have been so eager to get close to him as soon as school started.

Of course, when it comes to trust, the people he trusts the most and can't bear to part with are the three women and wheat ears from his previous life.

If a girl can withstand the test of time for one or two years, you could say she's good at pretending.

He was willing to give his life for those who could withstand a lifetime of trials.

Li Heng knew that his teacher genuinely cared about him and was truly worried about him, so he solemnly declared, "Yes, I understand. I will dedicate my life to writing."

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Ba nodded happily.

The master and apprentice were chatting animatedly. Sister Lin also brought Xiao Han back with her after buying groceries and preparing dinner.

Dinner was particularly lavish, half of which consisted of Shanghainese cuisine and the other half of Hunanese dishes with chili peppers. The four of them chatted and laughed, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

At the dinner table, Grandpa Ba kept observing Xiao Han's words and actions, even more attentively than last time.

The final conclusion was that although Xiao Han came from a small-town family, she was quite mature in her dealings with people at such a young age, spoke with humor and wit, and was very intelligent.

For this, Old Master Ba felt somewhat guilty, and in his guilt, he gave Li Heng a terrible idea. If he weren't afraid that Teacher Yu's family would become too powerful and drive away all the girls around him, and that the young man would be passively dragged into it and unable to concentrate on his writing, he, at his age, would absolutely not want to be the villain.

After dinner, it was getting dark.

Left with no other choice, Li Heng exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Han and her father for a while before hastily taking his leave.

She personally escorted the two to the tree-lined path outside the door, and only after Gong Min drove their Santana and they disappeared at the end of the road did Sister Lin ask the old man beside her:
"During dinner today, you kept a close eye on Xiao Han?"

Mr. Ba asked, "You discovered it?"

Sister Xiaolin said, "I am your daughter, and I have been by your side for so many years, so naturally I have noticed something."

Mr. Ba replied irrelevantly, "What do you think of this girl?"

Sister Xiaolin said, "She treats her junior brother with sincerity, is beautiful and sensible, and would be a very good wife."

Mr. Ba nodded: "It's a pity that the family is rather ordinary."

Sister Lin was taken aback. "When did you start judging people by their family background?"

Mr. Ba waved his hand: "It's not that I'm judging people by their family background, but the objective facts are right in front of us. If the family gap is too big, it's hard to resist. Your senior brother Liao is a living example this time."

Sister Lin finally realized, "Are you worried about Teacher Yu?"

With his hands behind his back, Mr. Ba nodded and walked forward, saying, "This little one is more likely to cause trouble than the big one; things won't be peaceful in the future."

Sister Lin caught up with him: "I heard from Brother Liao that the Huang family girl..."

Mr. Ba interrupted his daughter: "It's no use. You mean Consort Huang, right? She can't win, so she probably wouldn't even try. Otherwise, she wouldn't be doing it so secretly."

"That's true, the age difference is too great. There's a natural disadvantage in getting along with her junior brother in the early stages, so it's indeed difficult to compete with him," Sister Lin said to herself.

Then she asked, "What should we do? To be honest, I quite like Xiao Han."

Mr. Ba said, "Today, when that frivolous young man mentioned the Zhou family girl."

Sister Lin exclaimed in surprise: "Zhou Shihe who came last time?"

Mr. Ba said, "Yes."

Sister Lin was dumbfounded: "Aren't you just making things worse? Teacher Yu is troublesome enough, and you're encouraging your junior brother to drag the Zhou family's daughter into this? Won't that lead to a fight?"

"Hmph, not chaotic now? How many have you got? Anyway, you're full of troubles. You can't worry about having too many problems. Five or six are troubles, and one more is still trouble. But we might as well kill two birds with one stone and maybe it will have a surprising effect." Old Mr. Ba hummed like a playful old man.

Sister Lin was both amused and exasperated. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'm afraid your plan won't work. I think Zhou Shihe is a girl who is outwardly gentle but inwardly principled. Even if my junior brother is single, she won't be easy to pursue."

Besides, my junior brother has countless romantic entanglements now; he wouldn't be so foolish as to get involved in this mess.

As Mr. Ba recalled Zhou Shihe's image, he had to admit that the girl deserved the praise, "This girl is only found in heaven," and it was indeed not certain that he could catch up with her.

Mr. Ba said, "I was just saying. If I really get involved, I might cause more damage than Teacher Yu."

Sister Lin was speechless: "Then why did you give your junior brother such random advice?"

Mr. Ba weighed the pros and cons and analyzed the situation: "Everything has two sides, advantages and disadvantages, and the risks and benefits are roughly equal. This little guy is a troublemaker to begin with, so it's not necessarily a bad thing if a formidable opponent comes along and gives him a good whack."

Besides…

Xiaolin stopped mid-sentence and pressed for an answer, asking, "What were you saying?"

Mr. Ba flicked his sleeves and raised his head: "If the little guy really messes things up, it's none of my business. I'm an old man who's about to be buried."

Xiao Lin felt dizzy; she never expected that her usually stern father would also act like a rogue.

It's clear that his junior brother's romantic advances really angered the old man.

Back inside, Mr. Ba asked, "Have you seen Song Yu?"

"No."

Xiaolin asked, "Should I go and meet him? I've been thinking of going to the capital for a visit."

"You can go for a walk. But it's fine if you want to meet. If fate allows, you will meet again. There's no need to rush." ​​After saying this, Mr. Ba went into his study.

...

After picking up Zhang Haiyan, the Santana cruised along, leaving Xuhui, passing Jing'an, and going through Hongkou, finally arriving at Lushan Village around 8 p.m.

"Thank you for today, and I wish you a Happy New Year in advance." After unloading his luggage, Li Heng expressed his gratitude to Gong Min.

Gong Min gave her signature smile, greeted Xiao Han, and drove away without any hesitation.

Li Heng picked up his luggage and said to Xiao Han and Zhang Haiyan, "It's windy and a bit cold outside, let's hurry up and go."

"it is good."

Xiao Han responded sweetly.

The two women followed him closely, step by step, until they reached the end of the alley in Lushan Village.

At this time, the lights in Building No. 27 were on, and shouts from Sun Manning and Ye Ning could be heard from inside from time to time.

Meanwhile, the surrounding buildings numbered 24, 25, and 26 were all closed, dark, and deserted.

He took out his keys and opened the gate to the courtyard.

As they walked further in, Xiao Han made a point of looking at the withered ginkgo tree: "Sir, spring will come after the New Year, remember to plant trees."

“Don’t worry, I’ve marked it on the calendar,” Li Heng replied.

"It won't do on the calendar, it has to be in my heart, the person I love," Xiao Han said with a smile.

Li Heng said, "Okay, I'll listen to my wife. I'll tear off the calendar pages later."

At this moment, Zhang Haiyan suddenly interjected jokingly, "Still planting? What if they die too?"

"Crow's Mouth!"

"Crow's Mouth."

Li Heng and Xiao Han spoke up in unison.

Then Xiao Han glanced back at the ginkgo tree and fell into deep thought: Haiyan's words may not be entirely a joke. The probability of the ginkgo tree dying if it is replanted is not low. Maybe someone can't stand to see it alive.
Once inside, Li Heng took a shower and said to Xiao Han, "Honey, the bathroom's warm now, go take a shower. I'll go next door and check on them. I need to tell them we're leaving together tomorrow morning."

Pshaw! What do you mean by talking about leaving together tomorrow morning? Honey just wants to see those vixens, doesn't he?

Xiao Han inwardly grumbled, but outwardly she said very understandingly, "You go ahead, don't worry about me."

"Hmm." Li Heng hummed in response and walked out of the bedroom.

Xiao Han cleared her throat and called out from behind, "Should I go down and close the door?"

What does it mean to follow them down to close the door?
It means, "Are you coming back tonight?"
Li Heng turned around and threatened, "Wife, if you continue to be naughty, I'll punish you with family discipline tonight and make sure you can't get on the plane tomorrow morning."

Xiao Han took two steps back in fear, then pointed at the door panel and said cheerfully, "Then I'll lie on the door panel, and you can take the door panel with you on the plane tomorrow morning!"

You are really rebellious!

Li Heng lunged forward.

Xiao Han couldn't dodge in time and was forced to the bed. Her face immediately fell, and she grabbed his mischievous hand with both hands, saying pitifully, "No, please don't do this. I haven't taken a bath yet, I'm filthy."

“My wife is the cleanest woman in the world, how dirty could she be?” Li Heng ignored him, his right hand passing through her clothes and tracing her curves upwards, soon grasping the top of her breasts in his hand.

Xiao Han, who had just been acting like a shrimp, suddenly went limp, softer than a glutinous rice ball, and said pitifully, "Come on, let me see how powerful my husband is. I don't want to live anymore anyway. It'll be good for Haiyan to learn some experience outside the door." Li Heng: "....."

He glanced at the open bedroom door, then had no choice but to give up. He pulled his hand away, stood up, and said, "Remember to wash yourself until you smell nice, and wait for me to come back."

he's gone.

Xiao Han slumped weakly on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling: "I just want to talk about love with you, but you want to make love to me every day. Where is the justice? Madam Song, Madam Chen, and Little Mai, you are all useless. You can't even satisfy one man. I have to do this little thing myself."

Thinking about her destined fate tonight, she suddenly felt that life was so miserable.

She was thinking that she absolutely couldn't stay on the door panel tonight; it was too humiliating and embarrassing.

....
Building No. 27.

Huh?
The gate to the courtyard wasn't closed?
The courtyard gate was only slightly ajar, and the people inside seemed to have guessed that he would be coming tonight.

When he got to the second floor, he found Mai Sui, Wei Xiaozhu, Sun Manning and Ye Ning playing cards.

Zhou Shihe was flipping through the martial arts novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" next to her.

Upon seeing him appear, Sun Manning immediately mocked, "Oh! Xiao Han's husband is back, Sui Sui, aren't you going to pick him up?"

As soon as he said this, the living room fell silent. Everyone meowed at him and then at Maisui, creating a scene of watching a spectacle.

Now, his relationship with Xiao Han and Mai Sui has become complicated and bizarre, and it has gradually become transparent to everyone. Almost everyone who is close to him knows that he has two women, one in the open and one in the dark, one official girlfriend and one confidante.

Of course, a small number of people guessed it was Teacher Yu.

Mai Sui placed the playing cards face down on the table, stood up, walked over, and said softly, "You're back."

"Ah."

Li Heng nodded and then said, "We're leaving for the airport at 4:30 tomorrow morning, so we need to get up early."

"Okay," Maisui replied.

She then said, "Yang Cheng has arrived and is at Zhang Zhiyong's shop."

Li Heng nodded and reached out to touch the hair by her ear: "Go play cards with them. I'll leave after a while. I'm going to the noodle shop later."

Mai Sui smiled sweetly, then turned around and sat back down.

The other four women watched the two interact quietly, and surprisingly, none of them tried to cause trouble.

Li Heng flicked Sun Manning's forehead and threatened, "If you dare to be naughty again, I'll tear up your plane ticket."

"Pah! Who are you threatening? If you want to tear it up, then tear it up. I'm going back to Yuhang with Shihe for the New Year." Sun Manning indicated that she was not threatened.

Li Heng watched the four women play cards for a while, then asked Zhou Shihe, "Why aren't you playing?"

Zhou Shihe didn't even look up, her gaze fixed on the book: "They won't allow it."

Li Heng suddenly realized: "They're too lucky, they can't beat them?"

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly, which was taken as tacit agreement.

This is the case.

After playing for half an hour, she had almost all the good cards, which made the other players have a terrible experience, so they teamed up to kick her out.

Li Heng peeked out and said, "Good progress, we're almost finished reading Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."

Zhou Shihe gave a soft "hmm".

Li Heng asked, "Who is your favorite character in this book?"

Zhou Shihe pondered for a moment, then said, "Qiao Feng."

Li Heng asked, "Oh, what's the reason?"

Zhou Shihe said, "He has a strong personal charm and a deep sense of national responsibility, and he is devoted to one person in relationships."

Li Heng then asked, "Who do you hate the most?"

Zhou Shihe answered quickly this time: "Duan Zhengchun and his son."

Li Heng followed up by asking, "What's the reason?"

Zhou Shihe replied, "She falls in love with every guy she sees; she's a womanizer."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng wisely turned his head to watch Mai Sui playing cards on his left.

Zhou Shihe glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a faint smile flashing across her beautiful lips before she regained her composure and focused on reading the last few dozen pages.

The two spoke in hushed tones, but Ye Ning and Sun Manning were shouting loudly every time they played a card, so much so that the four women at the card table didn't pay attention to his conversation with Zhou Shihe.

After about ten minutes, Li Heng got up and left.

Before leaving, he said to Zhou Shihe, "I'll come over on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and we'll practice together on the fourth day?"

Zhou Shihe closed the book, looked up, and said gently, "Okay."

He had originally planned to ask the girl for her phone number so he could let her know later. But remembering the way she had spoken earlier, he immediately abandoned the idea and left.

Zhou Shihe watched him quietly, as if she had guessed what he was thinking, but she did not offer to give him her home phone number.

She felt that if Li Heng really wanted to contact her, he could ask Sui Sui.

Back at Building 26, Xiao Han had just finished showering when Zhang Haiyan entered the bathroom.

Upon seeing his cunning wife in her pajamas, Li Heng's eyes blazed with excitement. He pulled her into the bedroom, closed the door, pressed her against it, and fiercely kissed her red lips.

Caught off guard, Xiao Han was momentarily stunned. By the time she came to her senses, the two red threads were already intertwined. She felt a surge of despair and cried out inwardly, "Why is it on the door again? Can't you come up with something different? Tomorrow, this beauty is going to tear down all the doors!"
She was on the verge of a breakdown, feeling as if the door panel was some kind of destiny, making even someone who didn't believe in fate before start to believe in it.

Amidst the interplay of blue and red, after ten suffocating minutes, their lips finally parted.

They say a little goodbye is better than a wedding.

At this moment, Xiao Han was already swayed by the kiss and moved by the feeling. She grabbed his waist and the hem of his clothes with both hands and said with an admiring look, "It's good to have a few wives. It's been a while since I last saw you. My Mr. Li has absorbed some more essence elsewhere. His kissing skills are getting more and more refined. He deserves a chicken leg as a reward."

Li Heng's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything. He lowered his head and continued kissing her, kissing her red lips, kissing her beautiful chin, and then moving down to bite her collarbone hard.

He loves a woman's collarbone the most, followed by long legs and breasts.

Xiao Han was overwhelmed and disoriented by the kisses, barely able to keep up. She silently prayed, "Please let me go! Haiyan is outside! Don't let me get to the door! The noise will cause trouble. Please carry me to the bed..."

This time it seemed like fate had smiled upon him; after taking what he wanted, Li Heng actually stopped on his own.

Xiao Han got a chance to catch her breath, immediately slipped out of his arms, took off her shoes and got into bed. Since she couldn't escape tonight anyway, she might as well choose the location herself.

Li Heng watched all this with amusement, and finally asked, "Wife, what are you planning to do?"

Xiao Han bit her lower lip, forcing a fierce glint in her intelligent eyes as she said threateningly, "Mr. Li, I'll give you three minutes. You're out of time."

Li Heng's eyes narrowed, and he almost jumped up in anger: "3 minutes? You mean you can do 3 minutes? But if you want me to challenge my limits, I can indeed satisfy you in 3 minutes."

This is no joke; Mr. Kato Taka can satisfy a woman in 5 minutes.

With his skills, 3 minutes isn't out of the question.

It can definitely be adjusted.

Xiao Han raised her head, trying her best to suppress her laughter.

Sure enough, my honey cares a lot about this, but every time we make love, it lasts for one or two hours, with too little rest in between. This little beauty can't handle it. I have to go through so much pain and pleasure every time.

Just as the two were staring at each other with crossed eyes, the sound of the bathroom door opening came from outside.

Immediately, Li Heng said irritably, "Change your clothes, and I'll take you somewhere."

Xiao Han asked, "Where to?"

Li Heng recounted his foolish act of opening a noodle shop, and said, "Let's go take a look."

Xiao Han readily agreed, but after being glared at by a beautiful woman, he got up and changed his clothes.

Five minutes later, the three left Lushan Village and headed out of the school.

Perhaps because it's a holiday, even though it's past 9 pm and the weather is cold, the school gate is still bustling with people.

Zhang Haiyan said, "They're all carrying big bags and small packages. Are they really going to catch the train now?"

Li Heng said, "That's possible, after all, tickets are hard to buy, and some people have to wait until the middle of the night."

Zhang Haiyan linked arms with Xiao Han and said thankfully, "Hey, it's good to have a powerful backer. I don't even need to buy a ticket, and I can take a plane. When I get home, I can brag about it all winter break."

You can definitely brag about it.

These days, not everyone can fly. Being able to fly is enough to make people in the countryside envious for an entire winter.

Chunhua Noodle Shop has closed down.

When the three arrived, the store was already half closed. Through the crack in the door, they could see Zhang Zhiyong, Liu Chunhua, and Yang Cheng sitting together doing accounts.

Li Heng stepped inside and called out, "Lao Yong, Lao Cheng, long time no see!"

"Hahaha! Look who's here, it's my brother!"

Yang Cheng, as always, greeted people with a smile, then ran over, picked him up, and shook him. Finally, he said with disdain, "Uncle Heng, you're so rich now, how come you haven't gained weight? If I were you, I'd serve you the best food and drink every day, buy you whatever's expensive and delicious, and never let you go hungry."

Li Heng landed on his feet. "Alright, alright. I'm the type of person who can't gain weight no matter how much I eat. Two big bowls of rice per meal is all I can manage. Besides, not everyone likes your chubby figure."

"What's wrong with my fat body? Do I feel insecure because of my fat body? How many fat people like me can you find on the street? My senior classmate loves to rest her head on my fat belly and says it's so comfortable. Sister-in-law, you be the judge, is being fat a blessing?"

Xiao Han squinted and said with a sweet smile, "Yes, yes. Yang Cheng, you're so popular with women, which proves that your figure is very popular. You should keep it up and try to get to 200 pounds as soon as possible."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Yang Cheng kicked his leg, displeased. "Sister-in-law, you're insulting me. If I weigh 200 jin, I'll turn into a pig!"

Zhang Zhiyong said with a smirk, "Damn! Pigs aren't good? Pork is so expensive, 200 jin can sell for a lot of money, you should be secretly happy."

Yang Cheng glared at her, his beard bristling: "Then why aren't you fat?"

Zhang Zhiyong cursed, "Old Master and Uncle Heng have the same physique, they can't get fat no matter how much they eat. Do you think I don't want to get fat?"

They're all veteran actors; they start by bickering as soon as they meet, otherwise they won't feel comfortable, and only then do they sit down for a proper chat.

Li Heng asked Yang Cheng, "Did you win over the senior?"

Yang Cheng was very proud of himself. "I can play the guitar, so getting those senior girls is a piece of cake for me."

Li Heng asked, "I heard you've been pursuing Xiao Feng? Is that true?"

Yang Cheng jumped up onto the low stool with a whoosh and asked angrily, "Which bastard said that?"

Li Heng uttered two words: "Xiao Feng".

"Huh?" Yang Cheng was stunned, then slumped down on the table dejectedly. Yan'er asked in a low voice, "How could she tell you something so secret?"

Everyone looked at Li Heng with curiosity.

Li Heng revealed everything, "Last time I went to New Future Tutoring School, I met Xiao Feng and we talked about you. She asked me: How is Yang Cheng doing in Shanghai?"

Yang Cheng suddenly looked up: "Brother! My dear brother, what did you say?"

Li Heng said, "To be honest, I would say that you can conquer the world with your guitar skills, and you have a string of female students following you around."

"Damn it! I'm cutting ties with you! I'm not getting on the plane tomorrow, I'm going to lie under the wheels." Yang Cheng's face was contorted with rage.

Li Heng chuckled and teased him, then turned to Liu Chunhua: "Sister Chunhua, how's business lately?"

Liu Chunhua listened with great interest to the group's boasting and banter, and replied, "It's pretty good. Business has basically stabilized, and we're making more than 70 yuan in net profit every day."

"So much?" This profit stunned Xiao Han and Zhang Haiyan.

Do you know how much a day's wage is these days?

Back home, it only costs 1.5 yuan a day.

A teacher's monthly salary is only a few hundred yuan, so a daily profit of more than 70 yuan is simply a bit frightening.

Liu Chunhua said, "The main products that sell well are steamed buns, tofu pudding, and noodles. However, most of the people who eat noodles are students from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and our southern Hunan and Jiangxi provinces."

The group chatted for a long time about the noodle shop business, and everyone exclaimed that they had struck gold with their good business sense and a wife who was so good at running a business.

Around 10 p.m., Li Heng and his two companions prepared to go home.

The simpleton stopped him and took out 400 yuan from his pocket: "Old Heng, please pass this money on to Sister Chunhua's mother. We won't be going back for the New Year. Consider it a token of our respect for the two of them."

Li Heng asked, "With so much money coming out at once, do you have enough money on hand?"

The simpleton nodded vigorously like a chick: "It's enough! It's enough! Chunhua and I don't eat much. As for your money, Uncle Heng, I can't pay you back for now, but you don't need it anyway, so give me a few more months."

Li Heng took the money, patted him on the shoulder and said, "We're brothers, why bother with all this formalities? We're leaving now, you two take care of yourselves here."

Liu Chunhua and Zhang Zhiyong personally escorted them to the roadside.

As they were about to cross the street, Li Heng turned around and asked, "Lao Cheng, how about staying at my place for the night?"

Yang Cheng was most afraid of beautiful women. He was terrified at the sight of Xiao Han, but he still said arrogantly, "Yo shi! Too lazy to move your things, I'll just stay here for the night. Remember to pick me up tomorrow, or some girls from Fudan University will be in trouble. Don't blame me for not warning you."

Li Heng rolled his eyes and left.

Back home, Zhang Haiyan winked at the two of them, said "A moment of passion is worth a thousand pieces of gold, sweet dreams," and then slipped away into the bedroom.

Seemingly sensing that something big was about to happen tonight, Xiao Han blushed and lowered her head, looking at her toes as she entered the bedroom.

But as soon as she entered the bedroom, someone hugged her from behind.

Xiao Han tried to change her fate, "Mr. Li, shall we go somewhere else...?"

However, her words trailed off halfway through, becoming hesitant and incoherent. Finally, she was lifted into the air and forced to press herself against the door.

Winter hymns soon filled the room.

So this is what it feels like, Zhang Haiyan thought to herself. She felt like she had done something really bad. She rubbed her cheeks with both hands, feeling a burning regret: How could I be so bad? How could I eavesdrop!

She had a brief relationship with a boyfriend, but they broke up as soon as they started holding hands. Now she's very famous at the medical school, and guys avoid her when they see her. Sigh, she feels her life is so hard.

That night, Mai Sui tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

A faint voice came from Zhou Shihe, who was in the same bed, in the darkness: "Something on your mind?"

Mai Sui stopped turning over and remained frozen for more than ten seconds before turning over to face her best friend. "Shi He, you're not asleep either?"

Zhou Shihe joked, "How am I supposed to sleep like this?"

Mai Sui stretched her arms behind her back, sat up halfway, and said, "Then how about I change rooms and sleep in the next room?"

Zhou Shihe asked, "You can fall asleep if you go next door?"

The wheat ears remained silent.

After a while, Zhou Shihe asked gently, "Are you thinking about what happened in the building next door?"

What's in the building next door? Of course, it's Li Heng and Xiao Han, and the timing is self-evident.

Maisui shook her head, not admitting it: "No."

Zhou Shihe seemed to be able to see her best friend's facial expression in the darkness, so she didn't press the matter further. Instead, she comforted her, "It's come to this, so don't overthink it. If you stay with him, these kinds of things will keep happening. You need to learn to calm down."

Helpless, Mai Sui lay back down. "It's really not this."

Mai Sui did have some wild thoughts about what Li Heng and Xiao Han were doing, but she didn't want to compete and wasn't particularly jealous. What worried her was her meeting with Song Yu the day after tomorrow.

With her return to Shaoshi tomorrow and the day of their reunion drawing ever closer, she felt incredibly anxious and uncertain.

She had considered postponing the meeting until Li Heng arrived.

However, the thought had barely formed when she ruthlessly extinguished it the next second.

Mai Sui thought to herself: I was the one who went to him of my own accord, I can't drag him down with me.

Zhou Shihe said, "When Xiao Han comes over, let's go back to the dormitory."

"Okay." Mai Sui knew her best friend was thinking of her, so she agreed.

The two sisters didn't sleep all night, and later they simply got up and went to a restaurant outside, where they ate braised dishes and drank red wine.

Later, Wei Xiaozhu, who had stayed here all night, came out from the next bedroom and asked as soon as she saw her, "What day is it today? Why are you drinking tonight?"

Mai Sui asked, "Xiaozhu, want to have a drink together?"

Wei Xiaozhu didn't refuse: "Shihe's cooking is too good. I ate too much tonight. I was thirsty and got up to get some water, so let's have some together."

After sitting down and having a drink together, Wei Xiaozhu asked, "I got up to get some water. What's keeping you two up this time?"

Zhou Shihe smiled and said, "I'm just a guest."

"Oh, then I don't need to ask." Wei Xiaozhu deliberately dragged out the "oh" sound and chuckled.

The three women continued drinking and chatting all night long, finishing off the two pounds of braised dishes Li Heng had brought back at noon and the leftovers from dinner. Not a drop of red wine was left either.

Around 4am.

Zhou Shihe raised her right wrist to check her watch and reminded her, "Sui Sui, it's time to wake Manning up."

Mai Sui glanced at her watch, immediately put down her chopsticks, and walked towards the bedroom opposite.

After Mai Sui left, Wei Xiaozhu and Zhou Shihe exchanged a glance and whispered, "I still don't understand."

She never understood why Sui Sui, with such good qualities, didn't fight for it.
Why make yourself unable to sleep and drink alone?
Zhou Shihe understood immediately and said softly, "Never mind, everyone has their own thoughts. If she really fought for it, Li Heng might not still dote on her like this."

Wei Xiaozhu seemed to be thinking for a while before speaking up: "That's true. If you look at it another way, not competing is also a form of competing."

Zhou Shihe picked up her cup.

Wei Xiaozhu also picked up her glass, and with a "Duang," the two women finished their drinks.

She asked, "When are you leaving?"

Zhou Shihe replied, "Mom will arrive around 11 o'clock."

Wei Xiaozhu then asked, "When are you coming next year?"

Zhou Shihe said, "It's not certain yet."

Wei Xiaozhu nodded, then stood up. "I'm going to wash my face and take a nap. Wake me up when it's light."

Zhou Shihe agreed.

Li Heng is gone.

Xiao Han, Mai Sui, Zhang Haiyan, and Sun Manning left together.

Zhou Shihe escorted him to the center of the alley alone.

As for Wei Xiaozhu, she went to catch up on her sleep.

As for Ye Ning, he was sleeping like a log, completely still, and hadn't woken up at all.

After closing the door, Zhou Shihe walked lightly back upstairs. She glanced at the bedroom door where Xiaozhu was sleeping and fell into deep thought.

With two and a half hours until dawn, Zhou Shihe wasn't sleepy, so she turned on the light, unlocked the bedside table, stared at the books inside for a while, and finally took out "To Live" to read it again.

This is someone's first book.

Why did I write this book in the first place?

With these questions in mind, Zhou Shihe became so engrossed in the world of the book that she forgot about God.

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(End of this chapter)