1987 My Era

Chapter 642, Dragon Boat Festival is here

Back to Building No. 26.

Li Heng first stood in the dark in the attic and gazed at the night sky for a while. He didn't think about anything, just stood there by the railing, listening to the rain and calming his mind.

About half an hour later, he went into his study and began reading and writing.

Zhou Shihe touched him deeply today, especially those two lines of clear tears, which fully expressed the girl's grievances and confusion.

Li Heng knew why she felt wronged.
I also understand why she is hesitant.
Li Heng opened his notebook, unscrewed his pen, and opened the ink bottle. He paused, skipping the prelude of reading and studying documents, and wrote on the white paper with the pen tip: Chapter 59.

The procession of white Han Chinese men departed.

They left in the middle of the night, without even saying goodbye to any of them, and then gathered their group and left.

When I woke up in the morning, all I saw was the man they had left for me, the officer trapped on the execution post, with one of his own men's short swords stuck in his chest.

....
I wonder if it was the slap that made him feel so inspired? After being stuck for several days, he suddenly found himself bursting with ideas and inspiration tonight.

He wrote tirelessly, producing over 7600 words in one go before stopping.

When the last word ended, Li Heng felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

A thousand thoughts converged into a golden road, a road leading to perfection, which made him extremely happy!

Damn it, I just really need to pee.

Before he could fully enjoy himself, a sudden urge to urinate forced him to get up and leave the study.

Quite unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped out of the study, I saw Sun Manning sitting alone on the sofa, eating sunflower seeds.

The TV was on, but there were no programs running; the screen was just filled with static.

Li Heng asked, "It's almost 2 o'clock, why are you here alone?"

Sun Manning asked, "Can't I be here?"

Li Heng gestured: "No, how did you get in? I remember the courtyard gate was locked from the inside, right?"

Sun Manning puffed out her large breasts: "Are you sure you locked it?"

His gaze lingered subtly on her chest, and Li Heng felt a little insecure when asked if she really wasn't wearing a lock.

Filled with suspicion, he rushed towards the washroom.

After rinsing his hands, Li Heng reappeared in the living room and went over to ask, "Did something happen? Why did you come alone? Where are Ye Ning and Comrade Shi He?"

Sun Manning asked with a grin, "So, of the three of us, who are you most interested in? My big breasts? Ye Ning's flat chest? Or Shi He?"

Listen, listen!
Is this something a virgin would say?
If you didn't know better, you might think you'd encountered a female hooligan.

Li Heng rolled his eyes and said, "Stop laughing it off. Your behavior tonight is very unusual."

Upon hearing this, Sun Manning put down the sunflower seeds in her hand, clapped her hands, and said, "Then let's talk about something less unusual. Have you slept with Teacher Yu yet?"

Li Heng: "..."

Staring intently into her eyes, Li Heng asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Sun Manning stretched and deliberately showed him her full breasts, teasingly saying, "Are you curious? My breasts are so big, can't I be curious?"

Li Heng raised an eyebrow: "If you keep seducing me like this, I'll twist them off and use them as filling for tomorrow's steamed buns."

"Hahaha!"

Sun Manning laughed heartily. Under his displeased expression, she finally put her hands down, leaned forward and said, "Don't be ungrateful. I'm here to guard your house. You don't lock the door, and I don't have your key, so I can only sit here idly."

Looking at the crazy girl in front of him, Li Heng's intuition told him that things were not so simple, but no matter how he tried to probe, he got nothing.

This girl was incredibly tight-lipped; she didn't reveal a single word.

Did she realize the nature of her relationship with Miss Zhou?

For a fleeting moment, Li Heng had this doubt.

After asking around without getting any answers, Li Heng stood up listlessly and said as he walked towards the study, "You should rest in Mai Sui's room tonight. Good night."

Sun Manning asked from behind, "Aren't you asleep yet?"

"I feel good now, I'll revise it a little longer," Li Heng said, waving his hand.

That night, Li Heng stayed up all night, not only revising Chapter 59 three times, but also starting Chapter 60, the final chapter.

The next day, around noon.

The wheat ears have returned.

She first went to the master bedroom and found the bed was cold and empty.

She turned and pushed open the study door again. This time, unlike before, she didn't walk cautiously but went straight to him and asked with concern, "Manning told me you were writing all night last night. Aren't you asleep yet?"

"It's okay, I'm perfectly fine," he said.

Mai Sui said with concern, "Your eyes are all red."

Li Heng touched his eyes and looked up: "How is Grandpa's health at home?"

When asked about her grandfather's health, Mai Sui suddenly fell silent.

Li Heng put down his pen, reached out and pulled her over, "Not quite ideal?"

"Yes, she can't get out of bed anymore. She needs to be taken care of in every way, from eating and drinking to using the toilet. The doctor said she probably won't last much longer," Mai Sui said, choking back tears.

Li Heng listened in silence for a while, then asked, "Should we transfer your grandfather to a hospital in Shanghai or Beijing for a checkup?"

Mai Sui shook her head: "My dad took him to Xiangya Hospital, but the doctors there said that treatment was pointless and that he might as well take advantage of this time to go home and eat something good, something he wanted to eat but couldn't before."

In short, he's already terminally ill, so there's no need to restrict his diet anymore. In the final stage of his life, he can eat whatever he wants.

Li Heng held her in his arms to comfort her, and they remained silent for a long time.

A moment later, footsteps came from the stairwell. The two looked at each other and quickly let go of each other.

Mai Sui was the first to walk out of the study.

Li Heng tidied up the manuscript and pen, then followed him out of the study.

The person who came was Yu Shuheng.

Knowing that the other person was looking for Li Heng, Mai Sui called out "Teacher" and left, carrying her books to the teaching building.

"You look exhausted. Didn't you sleep last night?" Yu Shuheng asked, observing carefully.

"Yeah, I was pretty energetic before, but as soon as I put down my pen, I suddenly felt sleepy," Li Heng yawned.

Then he asked, "What are you going to Shaoshi for, teacher?"

Yu Shuheng smiled slightly, "I'll help you find a concubine."

Li Heng: "..."

Nobody would believe that.

Seeing that Teacher Yu had no intention of saying anything, Li Heng wisely stopped asking.

Yu Shuheng pulled out two bank drafts and gave them to him. "The total revenue from the instrumental albums in the last five months is £32 million. Shihe and I each receive £320,000, and you receive £256 million."

Li Heng exclaimed in surprise: "There are so many more?"

Yu Shuheng nodded: "This is probably the last time for such a large amount of money. From now on, it will only be small change."

Li Heng accepted the two drafts, one worth 3072 million yuan and the other worth 384 million yuan.

Li Heng tossed the bank draft around and said happily, "One album has completely stuffed me."

Yu Shuheng said meaningfully, "Little brother, you're speaking too soon. You'll have so many women and children to support in the future, this little money might not be enough."

Li Heng: "..."

He pretended not to hear and didn't respond.

Yu Shuheng brought up another matter: "Yesterday afternoon I spoke with Lao Fu on the phone, and Hengyuan Capital's profits in the Tokyo stock market have exceeded one hundred million US dollars."

Upon hearing about such a large sum of money, Li Heng's eyes lit up: "This is news worth celebrating. I'll cook a nice meal tonight, and we'll have some drinks to celebrate."

Yu Shuheng smiled and said okay, then asked, "Is your new book finished?"

Li Heng said, "It's almost done, just the last half chapter is left."

Yu Shuheng circled around him and even sniffed him. "Not bad, you haven't been with any women lately."

Li Heng: "..."

Yu Shuheng said, "Your Aunt Shen Xin told me to come to my house for dinner during the Dragon Boat Festival. Do you have time?"

Li Heng thought for a moment, then hesitated and shook his head: "I don't dare to give the teacher a definite answer yet."

Being refused such a big request, Yu Shuheng immediately narrowed her eyes, stopped, and asked, "Where are you going?"

Fearing she might misunderstand, Li Heng quickly said, "It's not that I'm going anywhere, it's just that someone might come by."

Yu Shuheng looked into his eyes and didn't ask any more questions.

In the evening, to celebrate Hengyuan Investment's earnings exceeding 100 million US dollars, Li Heng personally cooked a table of delicious dishes to entertain everyone.

After returning from their performance in the Netherlands, this was the first time that Teacher Yu and Zhou Shihe sat at the same table. The two women sat on opposite sides of the table, and neither of them spoke.

This scene left Mai Sui, Sun Manning, and Ye Ning secretly dumbfounded, thinking to themselves: Even if their musical ideas differ, there's no need for such deep-seated hatred, is there? Sure enough, there's no reasoning with beautiful women when they turn sour.

Li Heng turned a blind eye to this, pretending not to know. After all, both Teacher Yu and Miss Zhou were proud and aloof people with strong personalities and opinions. Without a good opportunity, his attempt to mediate would only be a waste of breath.

After the meal, Li Heng privately handed Zhou Shihe a bank draft for 384 million RMB. "This is the income from the instrumental album over the past five months. Teacher Yu said that there should be some small change in the future, but it won't be this rounded up."

Zhou Shihe reached out and took the draft, glanced at it, and said, "Thank you, and please thank Teacher Yu for me too."

Li Heng joked, "No need to thank me, you deserve it. If you want to thank Teacher Yu, go and thank her in person."

Zhou Shihe smiled sweetly and left quietly.

In the days that followed, Li Heng shuttled back and forth between the classroom and his study. When he finished writing the last chapter of "Dust Settles Down," he gave himself a three-day break.

Three days later, he took out all the manuscripts again and started to sort them out from the beginning, checking and revising them to strive for perfection.

At 2 p.m. on May 23, Li Heng walked out of his study with a new stack of manuscripts.

Mai Sui, who had been waiting in the living room, got up and came over to greet him, asking, "Is your new book finally finished?"

"Yes, all the revisions are done, it's finalized." Finally, with "Dust Settled" done, a weight lifted off his shoulders.

With a gentle smile, Mai Sui offered her blessings: "Congratulations!"

Li Heng flashed a bright, sunny smile, revealing his clean teeth, and extended his hands towards her.

Mai Sui understood, took two steps forward, walked into his arms, and hugged him.

After embracing for a while, she slightly raised her head and asked, "Are you going to Xuhui?"

"Yes, now that the new book is finished, I need to go and show it to my teacher."

Li Heng patted his backpack and asked, "Would you like to come for a walk with me?"

Mai Sui was somewhat tempted, but considering that Xuhui was Xiao Han's territory, she politely declined, saying, "I'm going to the library with Shihe and Xiaozhu later; we've already made plans."

"Okay." Li Heng nodded, not insisting.

After all, her and Xiao Han's new home was on Wukang Road, next to Grandpa Ba's place. If she brought Mai Sui there, there was still a certain risk that she would look like Xiao Han.

The reason he extended the invitation to Mai Sui was simply because he adored this virtuous and domestic woman so much that he felt an urge to take her everywhere he went.

Li Heng left, taking a bus to Xuhui District.

It was quite a coincidence that I ran into Li Guoyi and Dai Qing. However, it wasn't something they had planned together; they were just waiting for the bus by chance.

The bus arrived, and the three of them sat down next to each other by the window.

Li Guoyi pulled out two cigarettes like a treasure, chuckled, and put one into Heng's mouth, then took out a lighter to light it for him. "Brother Heng, where are you going?"

Li Heng glanced at Dai Qing beside him, then at the dozen or so uncles and grandfathers smoking on the bus, and politely didn't put out his cigarette. "I'm going to Xuhui, to my teacher's house."

Then he asked, "Where are you going, Lao Li? Don't you have class later?"

Li Guoyi put his hands together and said, "This old monk is going to Jing'an Temple to offer incense to Buddha."

Dai Qing interjected, "Is today some special day? Li Guoyi, are you really going to skip class to go offer incense?"

Li Guoyi tilted his head and asked Dai Qing, "Beautiful Qing, do you believe in Buddhism?"

In the past two years, Li Guoyi has occasionally called Dai Qing "Qing Meiren" (Beautiful Qing), and Dai Qing has long been used to it.

Dai Qing shook her head and said, "I don't believe in that. I only believe in myself."

These words reminded Li Heng of his wife, who was also someone who didn't believe in fate.

Li Guoyi clasped his hands together again: "I seek enlightenment and the salvation of all sentient beings. Buddha is a wonderful thing; he can help us transcend the cycle of reincarnation and prevent us from going to hell after death. Amitabha!"

Li Heng and Dai Qing looked at each other, not understanding what this kid was up to.

When asked if he believes in Buddhism, he just laughs and jokes.

If you're saying he doesn't believe in Buddhism, why would he skip class to go to Jing'an Temple?

Isn't this a contradiction?

Dai Qing couldn't help but ask, "So, do you think you'll go to heaven or hell after you die?"

"Shh!"

Li Guoyi raised a finger to his lips, shushed, and then opened his backpack, which was full of paper money and incense, and also, two paper beauties.

These two paper-thin beauties completely stunned Li Heng and Dai Qing.

Dai Qing peered at it for a while, then asked, "Buddhist temples are places of purity; are you going to burn these for them?"

Li Guoyi winked and said, "You're a woman, you don't understand. This is called bribery. No man doesn't love money and beautiful women. If you get something from me, I'll definitely go to heaven after I die."

Dai Qing couldn't listen anymore, "This is an insult."

Li Guoyi clasped his hands together again and said in a glib tone, "Qingmei, you are still too naive. When you graduate and enter society, you will understand the true meaning of money and beauty."

Li Guoyi got off the bus halfway, leaving Li Heng and Dai Qing completely bewildered.

Dai Qing pondered for a moment and asked him, "Li Heng, what do you think of Li Guoyi's initiative today?"

Li Heng shook his head: "According to Li Guang and the soldier, after studying the criminal law and 'Water Margin,' Lao Li has been practicing Buddhism recently. She reads Buddhist books extensively in her dormitory and often goes to Jing'an Temple to burn incense."

Dai Qing pondered and asked, "Could it be that he has changed his mind? Does he intend to let go of his grudges and cultivate Buddhism to understand his own heart?"

This question stumped Li Heng. The people in room 325 had absolutely no idea what Li Guoyi was up to. Although he talked a lot about righteousness, who knew what he was really thinking?

After chatting for a while, Dai Qing asked a professional question: "Are you going to see Xiao Han?"

Li Heng nodded and then shook his head: "I guess so, but I have to go to my teacher's house first." Then he asked, "Where are you going?"

Dai Qing said, "I'll go somewhere with you."

Li Heng asked, "Shanghai Medical University?"

“Yes, a fellow villager from the next village is studying medicine there. She had a falling out with her family, and they wrote to me asking me to go and check on her situation and then write a letter to her family,” Dai Qing said.

Out of boredom, Li Heng casually asked, "Why did you break up?"

Dai Qing hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "She's pregnant, but her family wants her to have an abortion, and she doesn't want to."

Li Heng asked, "How old is she?"

Dai Qing replied, "She's two years older than me, so she's my senior."

Li Heng said, "You're graduating soon, so it's okay to be pregnant."

Dai Qing whispered again, "She's the mistress of a boss in Shanghai. His wife can't get pregnant, so he took a fancy to her, but he doesn't dare to divorce her for the sake of his future."

Oh, I see. Having lived two lives, Li Heng was used to such trivial matters.

He asked, "Is the woman from the village next door very beautiful?"

"She wasn't exactly beautiful, not as pretty as Le Yao, but she was tall and had a very nice personality. I used to borrow books and study notes from her all the time."

As Dai Qing objectively spoke, she sighed, "I don't know how she got so bewitched by that middle-aged man, who was 25 years older than her."

Li Heng asked, "Have you met the man?"

Dai Qing shook her head, joking with lingering fear, "I don't dare to meet him. What if he takes a liking to me? But I've seen his photo at a fellow villager's house, and I occasionally see it in newspapers."

Li Heng knew that she had encountered a similar situation before, but she refused.

Li Heng said earnestly, "If you ever encounter something like this that you can't handle, remember to come find me."

“Okay.” If it were anything else, Dai Qing would never bother Li Heng, but in this matter, she was completely sincere and agreed from the bottom of her heart.

No matter what, the two had a very good relationship. Besides, Dai Qing had always secretly loved Li Heng; he was like a towering mountain in her heart.

Moreover, Dai Qing knew better than anyone else that if Teacher Yu really married Li Heng in the future, then not only in Shanghai, but throughout the entire mainland, as long as he didn't commit any fundamental problems, he could practically do whatever he wanted.

Thinking of this, she felt a little sorry for Xiao Han and Mai Sui.

Just as Dai Qing and Wei Xiaozhu discussed in private: barring any major unforeseen events, Xiao Han will likely be unable to compete with Teacher Yu in the future. As for Mai Sui, she never even considered competing with her.

Originally, Li Heng planned to go to his teacher's house first, but after hearing that Dai Qing was going to Shanghai Medical University, he also went to the medical university.

However, things didn't go smoothly today; Xiao Han wasn't at school, and even Zhang Haiyan wasn't there.

Finally, we learned the situation from Liu Xin in dormitory 303: "Hanhan and Professor Wenyan are at the hospital. There is a major surgery this afternoon, and Hanhan went to study."

Li Heng glanced at his watch; it was a little past 3 p.m. "What time is the surgery?"

Liu Xin said, "It's 3 o'clock, she should already be in the operating room."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng abandoned his plan to go to the hospital, thanked them, and left.

Liu Xin leaned out the window and looked down, watching Li Heng's back as he left. The scene that flashed through her mind was: at the beginning of the year at Jing'an Temple, she saw Li Heng and Zhou Shihe burning incense and praying to Buddha together.

She wondered: Was Li Heng's relationship with Zhou Shihe truly innocent? If she had the chance, she wouldn't mind taking advantage of Li Heng, even if it meant giving him her virginity. He was so handsome and talented; she wouldn't be at a disadvantage, right? She just wondered if the stunningly beautiful Zhou Shihe had the same thoughts. Otherwise, Hanhan would be in big trouble.

Everyone in dormitory 303, including Liu Xin, really hoped that Hanhan and Li Heng would get married. In the words of her roommate Chen Yi: "He's so handsome and good-looking. Even if we can't have him, it's still nice to see. Maybe we can even get some good luck with him."

Of course, the reason they wished Xiao Han could marry Li Heng as she wished was because Xiao Han was very good at interpersonal relationships and had an excellent relationship with them.

This is also why Liu Xin followed Li Heng and Zhou Shihe together at the beginning of the year and immediately informed Xiao Han.

Having come to nothing, Li Heng turned a corner and ended up at his teacher's house.

Grandpa Ba was still the same as ever. Despite his age, he was in very good health. As soon as he heard that he had come to deliver the manuscript, he stopped chatting with him and took the manuscript and began reading it as if no one else was around.

Playing with Li Heng is so boring and tedious.

Fortunately, Sister Lin came back later and kept him company while he ate sunflower seeds, telling him about the current state of the literary world and some gossip.

"By the way, your senior brother is in trouble." In the middle of the conversation, Sister Lin suddenly dropped a bombshell.

Li Heng hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Sister Lin asked, "Do you remember when I told you about your senior brother's past entanglements with three women?"

Li Heng nodded: "Two are from the bank, and one is from customs. Is it related to them?"

Sister Lin said, "That woman from customs was fired for embezzlement and lost her job. Now she's come to your senior with a child, claiming it's his illegitimate child."

Li Heng was completely bewildered: "Wait, didn't Senior Brother say it was handled very cleanly? Where did this illegitimate child come from?"

Sister Xiaolin gave me a look that said, "We're still arguing about it, and it's hard to say exactly what happened. But after the Xu family learned of this news, they immediately brought Xu Suyun back to the capital."

Li Heng frowned. "What was your reaction, senior brother?"

"The baby is about to be born. At this critical juncture, it may not be a bad thing for Xu Suyun to be brought to the capital. Otherwise, she might get upset, which could affect her pregnancy."

As she spoke, Sister Lin hesitated for a moment before adding, "But whether Xu Suyun can return to your senior brother's side after leaving is questionable."

Li Heng sighed inwardly, which made him think of Zijing from his previous life. Zijing was also pregnant, but in the end, the Chen family still couldn't let her marry him.

Grandpa Ba was so engrossed in his book that he barely paid any attention to him all afternoon.

Well, Li Heng was essentially turned away, and he left after dinner.

He knew very well that Mr. Ba was a slow reader, and since he was reading from beginning to end, it would take him at least three days to finish the book. So, he simply went back and waited for news.

After finishing "Dust Settles Down," Li Heng felt like a general returning from the battlefield, his armor removed, and he regained his freedom.

Every morning, he would go for a run and play basketball as usual, and before he knew it, the Dragon Boat Festival had arrived.

However, three things happened the day before the Dragon Boat Festival.

The first thing that happened was that Mai Dong suddenly called to say that the old man had passed away. Mai Sui immediately burst into tears, heartbroken.

Li Heng held her and comforted her for a while before she stopped crying.

Li Heng approached Yu Shuheng, who was preparing her lesson, and said, "Teacher, Mai Sui needs to get back to Shaodong as soon as possible. Could you please help me buy a plane ticket? And...and..."

Yu Shuheng put down her pen and continued his words: "She also sent Zeng Yun to accompany her home."

Li Heng nodded vigorously.

Yu Shuheng immediately picked up the phone on the coffee table, used her connections to get plane tickets, said a few words into the phone and then put the receiver back, "I'll have Zeng Yun escort Mai Sui home right now."

Having said that, she turned and looked at Li Heng for a long time, "Mai Sui is practically your woman now, do you want to come with her?"

Li Heng had this thought, but he couldn't leave at all. He was still wondering: would Song Yu come tomorrow?

After pondering for a moment, Li Heng said, "I'll go to Shaodong again during the Spring Festival to hang a hairpin for the old man."

Although personally hanging the head at the shrine meant not attending the grand funeral, it was still considered a thoughtful gesture according to the customs of Shaoxing.

Yu Shuheng wondered to herself: Who will come tomorrow? Why is her husband so busy that he can't even take the wheat home? Could it be Song Yu?
Thinking of Song Yu, Yu Shuheng gave him a deep look, then changed the subject: "I remember that it's customary to send wreaths for funerals where you're from. I'll have Zeng Yun send one on your behalf."

"Okay, sure."

Li Heng responded, but a moment later he sat down, picked up the receiver, and dialed the capital, calling his second sister's cake shop.

Seeing him like this, Yu Shuheng quietly pricked up her ears.

"Jingle Bell…"

"Jingle Bell…"

The phone rang twice before connecting, and Li Lan's voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"

"Second sister, it's me," Li Heng introduced himself.

Li Lan said "Oh," and asked, "Brother, why are you calling me at this hour? Is something wrong? I'm very busy right now, so just tell me what's up."

Li Heng said quickly, "Grandpa Maisui has passed away, and I can't leave."

Li Lan paused for a moment, then asked after two seconds, "You want me to go in your place?"

Li Hengdao said, "This represents my family."

"How hypocritical! Alright, I got it. I'm heading to the airport right now and asking your sweetheart, Teacher Yu, to get me a plane ticket. I'll call her sister-in-law affectionately from now on," Li Lan grumbled.

Li Heng felt ashamed and glanced at Teacher Yu, only to meet Yu Shuheng's meaningful gaze.

Yu Shuheng moved her red lips slightly, silently saying, "No problem."

Li Heng then said into the phone, "Okay, then go quickly, and be careful on the road."

After hanging up the phone, Yu Shuheng asked, "Have you forgotten about me going home with you during summer vacation?"

"No, how could I dare? My parents personally extended the invitation, and I've always remembered it," Li Heng hurriedly replied.

Yu Shuheng was very satisfied. "You can choose the date. I'm always available."

"Eh," Li Heng responded.

After making the call, Yu Shuheng instructed Zeng Yun to wait for her at the alley entrance. She then followed Li Heng to the small building at number 26.

At this moment, with Zhou Shihe's help, Mai Sui had already packed her luggage.

Upon seeing Yu Shuheng appear, Zhou Shihe, for the first time ever, called out, "Teacher, I have something I need your help with."

Yu Shuheng asked, "Should Zeng Yun deliver a wreath on your behalf?"

Zhou Shihe said gently, "Yes."

Yu Shuheng readily agreed, saying, "It's a small matter."

Mai Dong's call was unexpected; Sun Manning and Ye Ning weren't in Lushan Village, and no one knew where they'd gone off to.

Li Heng, Yu Shuheng, and Zhou Shihe personally delivered the wheat ears to the alley entrance.

Just before getting into the car, Li Heng whispered in Mai Sui's ear, "When we arrive at Changsha Huanghua Airport, wait a moment, my second sister will come to meet you."

Mai Sui instantly understood the meaning behind his arrangement. She gazed at him tenderly for two seconds before bending down and getting into the Mercedes.

After watching the car leave, Yu Shuheng took the lead, saying she needed to go back to the Yu family home.

Once Teacher Yu had disappeared from sight, Li Heng and Zhou Shihe began to walk back into the alley towards home.

Halfway there, Zhou Shihe suddenly asked, "Is tomorrow your 20th birthday?"

"Yes, thank you for remembering my birthday."

After he finished speaking, Li Heng realized what he meant and said, "Tomorrow is also your 20th birthday."

Zhou Shihe gave a soft "hmm," then took about ten steps forward before calmly saying, "Come to my place for lunch tomorrow."

This was the first time in the two years since they met that Zhou Shihe had taken the initiative to formally invite him to her home for dinner.

She had occasionally invited him to dinner before, but those were always impromptu and coincidental. She had never been so formal, and she had never informed him in advance like this.

Clearly, she wasn't just saying that casually; she had already prepared her words in advance.

In the past, Li Heng would have been overjoyed to agree, and might even have been a little excited, because this was Zhou Shihe.

Anyone familiar with Zhou Shihe will automatically be reminded of eight labels:
"Exquisite beauty" + "Unparalleled elegance" + "Rationality" + "The apple of the Zhou family's eye" + "Master-level piano skills" + "Culinary talent" + "Queen of Fudan University" + "Gentle yet aloof"

Because of her looks and temperament, Zhou Shihe was immediately named the only "King" of Fudan University by a group of busybodies on the school's bulletin board as soon as she entered the university.

Handsome men like Hu Ping have been repeatedly rejected by his love letters; intellectual women like Teacher Yu automatically regard Zhou Shihe as their biggest rival in love; confident women like Xiao Han felt a sense of crisis as soon as they met Zhou Shihe, listing her as a woman as dangerous as Song Yu.

Even the well-informed Principal Sun and Shen Xin admitted that Zhou Shihe's beauty surpassed that of Shanghai residents.

Wu Siyao and Huang Ziyue, both considered true beauties, fell in love with Li Heng at first sight. However, after meeting Zhou Shihe, they both became somewhat dispirited and lost their fighting spirit.

Countless boys at school secretly admired her and wrote her countless love letters anonymously, but none of them received a response. Even the royal prince of Southeast Asia was captivated the moment he saw Zhou Shihe.

Because of her rationality, Zhou Shihe did not indulge in the vanity of having countless suitors. She was always able to refuse others well and maintain an appropriate distance from all men, not giving anyone a chance.

For a woman to possess any one of these labels is already a blessing; possessing two makes her a treasure in a man's eyes; and possessing three makes her a true "goddess."

Zhou Shihe has eight, and even goddesses are only fit to carry her shoes.

To put it in an old Chinese saying: "She can grace the hall and cook in the kitchen."

But this one-in-a-million woman suddenly extended an invitation to him today, asking him to celebrate his 20th birthday together tomorrow.

Even a simple meal together is something many men dream of, let alone celebrating a birthday together.

Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping, my heart pounding, and my vanity bursting. It makes me feel like I'm flying.

But at this moment, Li Heng felt a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself: Is it really that coincidental?

If Song Yu doesn't come tomorrow, then it will definitely be okay.

If Song Yu comes tomorrow, then…
Before Li Heng could continue his train of thought, he saw Zhou Shihe, who was walking ahead, stop and look at him.

Because she hadn't received a reply from him, Zhou Shihe stood still, turned around, and quietly looked at him.

Their eyes met, and she asked softly, "Do you have something planned for tomorrow?"

Li Heng originally intended to lie in accordance with this idea.

But he knew that the woman in front of him was far smarter than he had imagined. He remembered her telling him a long time ago that she could see through his lies instantly.

Li Heng even pressed her on how she had figured it out.
But Zhou Shihe smiled but didn't say anything at the time, and didn't tell him.

Of course, even if he lies, it's useless. If Song Yu comes, she will definitely come to Lushan Village, and then everything will fall apart on its own.

Taking a deep breath, Li Heng replied, "It's nothing."

In fact, although there seemed to be many choices, there was only one answer in front of him: It's okay.

Hearing the affirmative answer, Zhou Shihe stared at his eyes quietly for a while before turning around and asking as she walked lightly forward, "Is there any dish you particularly want to eat?"

Faced with Miss Zhou's first sincere offer, Li Heng suppressed all distracting thoughts and said from the bottom of his heart: "Dry pot duck, Wensi tofu, and squirrel-shaped mandarin fish."

Zhou Shihe asked, "Is there anything else?"

Li Heng replied, "That's all. These three dishes are already quite complicated. Ordering any more will exhaust you."

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly and remained silent.

As they approached the end of the alley, Li Heng remembered something and asked, "Your family will be coming on such an important day as your 20th birthday, right?"

Zhou Shihe said, "Dad can't come because of something, but Mom, my aunt, my other aunt, and my uncle will come."

If she said she had something to do, it must be something important, otherwise Zhou's father would definitely have come.

Upon hearing this string of names, he felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.

(End of this chapter)