1987 My Era

Chapter 652, Another Troublesome One Arrives
Li Heng was caught off guard by Zhou Shihe's words.

With so many people watching, including Zhou family relatives, friends, and classmates, what are you doing, Shihe?
Meeting Zhou Shihe's charming smile, Li Heng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if the girl in front of him was putting him in a difficult position, and also putting herself in a difficult position.

The reason Zhou Shihe put him in a difficult position is easy to understand: just now in building number 26, he chose Song Yu. But some things can only be done once, and Zhou Shihe wanted to see if Li Heng had the guts to ignore her twice in a row.

What would be the consequences if Zhou Shihe was ignored twice?
The answer is almost self-evident.

At the same time, Zhou Shihe also put herself in a difficult position.

Or, to put it another way, it's called "burning one's boats and breaking the cauldrons," or "putting oneself in a do-or-die situation to survive."

At this moment, having been deceived once, she had nothing left to lose and just wanted to measure how much she meant to Li Heng.
If Li Heng still doesn't care about her, she can give up now and never have anything to do with him again.

If Li Heng compromises and adopts a middle ground, then the contest between her and Song Yu has only just begun, and who will win or lose in the future will depend on their own abilities.

In this situation, Zhou Shihe didn't expect Li Heng to completely side with her; that was unrealistic. She only wanted to shatter Song Yu's sense of superiority and puncture the golden body of love that Song Yu was shrouded in.

In short, Zhou Shihe's all-in bet was a calculated move: Li Heng, you either follow or you don't. Having gone this far, she could accept whatever the outcome might be.

The choice was handed over to Li Heng.

The pressure also fell into his hands.

All eyes in the room were on Li Heng.

Song Yu looked at him with a faint smile in her eyes, showing no sign of impatience.

Zhou Shihe remained composed, ignoring the complex gazes of her relatives and friends. Like an enlightened monk, she had reached a profound state of being unmoved by external gains or losses.

The most relaxed person was Yu Shuheng. She was happy to see Song Yu and Zhou Shihe fight, and she was happy to see Zhou Shihe driven to a dead end. As for who won or lost between the two women, it was all a gain for her.

The one with the heaviest heart was Zhou's mother. Her gaze kept shifting between her daughter and Li Heng, finally settling on Li Heng's face. She wanted to know: What will Li Heng do?
What will Li Heng do?
What will he do?
Li Heng stretched out his right hand, grabbed Song Yu's wrist, and said to Zhou Shihe with a smile, "Okay, this is your home turf. You're the boss, and you call the shots."

After saying that, Li Heng led Song Yu to sit down next to Zhou Shihe.

At this moment, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Li Heng sat in the middle, Zhou Shihe sat to his left, and Song Yu sat to his right.

One man and two women sat there, a very pleasing sight to behold, very harmonious, making one unable to help but marvel.

Those in the know understand that there is no harmony here; only bloodshed and violence.

Seeing that Li Heng had indeed adopted a compromise strategy as she had expected, Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly; her goal had been achieved, and her confidence had been restored.

Song Yu gave Li Heng a meaningful look. She wasn't surprised by the result at all. After all, Zhou Shihe's charm was undeniable, and few men in the world could resist her.

Caught between the two women, Li Heng felt extremely uncomfortable, but he still smiled and urged everyone to take their seats and begin the meal.

Zhou's mother sat next to her daughter, and the others sat wherever they pleased, without much regard for etiquette. Soon, the table was filled with people, and the atmosphere was reignited by the antics of Ye Ning and Sun Manning, the two lively characters.

However, Zhou Shihe's next move made everyone present twitch.

Zhou Shihe was the birthday girl, so she took the first bite, but instead of putting the food in her own bowl, she brazenly gave it to Li Heng in front of everyone.

She picked up the crispy eel from Liangxi, which Li Heng loved to eat.

Zhou Shihe said gently, "I made this dish myself, please try it."

Yesterday she asked Li Heng: Is there anything you want to eat?

Li Heng replied: Dry pot duck, Liangxi crispy eel, and Wensi tofu.

Seeing her daughter's actions, Zhou's mother took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Her gaze lingered on Li Heng's face for a moment, and then she greeted everyone with a smile and invited them to eat. She was very approachable and greeted everyone at the table, taking care of everyone's feelings.

While Zhou's mother was urging everyone at the table to eat and drink, Li Heng quickly served Song Yu and Zhou Shihe a bite of food each.

Zhou Shihe glanced at Song Yu, and Song Yu also glanced at her. The two women seemed to have a tacit understanding and lowered their heads to eat at the same time.

Seeing that the two aunts didn't make a fuss, Li Heng breathed a sigh of relief for no reason. Then, without making a sound, he also put a piece of food on Teacher Yu's plate and chatted with her for a few words.

Yu Shuheng was quite surprised, and the look in her eyes was full of meaning: "Take good care of these two beside you, I don't need you to worry about me."

Li Heng pretended not to see Teacher Yu's teasing, picked up a piece of crispy eel with his chopsticks, chewed it a few times, and whispered to Zhou Shihe, "Comrade Shihe, thank you, this dish is delicious."

Zhou Shihe gave a lukewarm "hmm".

Li Heng glanced at the dining table, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "It's my birthday today, please have mercy."

What are you asking me to let go of?
We both know the truth.

Hearing his pleading words, Zhou Shihe pouted her nimble little mouth, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but smile and ask, "Do you want me to help make dinner?"

Li Heng thought to himself, "No need. I'm already afraid of you. How could I dare let you go to Building 26? If you and Song Yu start fighting again, won't you tear the kitchen apart?"

Li Heng said, "It's your birthday today. You've been busy all day. Take a good rest this afternoon. I can cook very quickly; they're all simple country dishes, so it won't take long."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shihe glanced at him, knowing better than to say anything, and then started chatting with her aunt and the others beside her.

Li Heng then picked out several dishes that Song Yu liked, and while serving her food, he said, "Come with me to the market later, and we'll eat at home tonight."

Song Yu agreed.

Li Heng asked, "How many days off did you take this time?"

Song Yu said, "You must have been reading the newspaper. If it doesn't affect your work, I can stay here for a few more days."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng was both happy and worried.

I'm happy to be able to spend time with Song Yu.

The worry is, here we have Xiao Han, Mai Sui, Teacher Yu, and that intimidating "King of Fudan University." Life's going to be tough.

He didn't know if Xiao Han would come today, or when.

If this cunning wife comes, then Building No. 26 will never be peaceful again.

Perhaps because she listened to Li Heng's plea for forgiveness, the birthday banquet went smoothly from then on, and Zhou Shihe didn't cause any more trouble, which greatly relieved Li Heng.

After dinner, it's time to eat birthday cake.

When Zhou Shihe made her wish and blew out the candles, everyone present couldn't help but wonder: Who would Shihe give the first piece of cake to? Her mother? Or Li Heng?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhou Shihe picked up the cake knife and fork, quietly cut the first piece, and then turned her head to look at Li Heng.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat: Could it be another time?

Sure enough, the next second Zhou Shihe brought the cake to Li Heng and said gently, "Li Heng, the instrumental album has benefited me a lot. I have never thanked you. This is my 20th birthday cake, which is of great significance to me. I'm giving you the first piece."

Seeing Zhou Shihe repeatedly trying to curry favor with Li Heng today, everyone wasn't stupid; they all sensed something was amiss. Suddenly, everyone turned their heads, their gazes fixed on Li Heng.
Wei Xiaozhu and Bai Wanying exchanged a glance and asked in very low voices, "Will Li Heng answer?"

Bai Wanying worried for him: "Li Heng couldn't refuse; Shihe used an open scheme."

Wei Xiaozhu glanced at Song Yu, "That Song Yu...?"

Bai Wanying sighed, "This is a trap. Shihe probably set it up specifically for Song Yu. I knew it. The struggle between Shihe and Song Yu has only just begun."

Wei Xiaozhu said, "I never thought that Shihe would abandon all her concerns for Li Heng. It takes a lot of courage."

Bai Wanying agreed with this statement. However, she also felt that Song Yu was a rare and formidable opponent. If she were Shi He and in Shi He's situation, she might have done the same thing.

Compared to the man she loves, what do temporary restraint and pride matter?
Furthermore, Shihe's excuse was justified; that instrumental album had indeed been very profitable. In terms of fame, money, and reputation, Shihe had made a fortune riding on Li Heng's coattails.

Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable to give the first piece of cake to Li Heng, and outsiders can't say anything about it.

Bai Wanying stared intently at Li Heng, wanting to see how he would handle the situation—whether he would accept the cake or not.
If I accept, I will be letting Song Yu down.

If I don't accept, I'll lose face for Shihe.

Both were stunning beauties, and Bai Wanying felt that marrying either of them would make her a winner in life, and that marrying either of them would make her life worthwhile.

Sun Manning's mouth gaped open, almost big enough to fit a goose egg, her mind screaming: Holy crap! Holy crap! What the hell is this? Shihe, when did you start having feelings for that womanizer Li Heng? All those women I was criticizing Li Heng for this morning in building number 26, didn't they all end up being directed at you?! Ah! Heaven and earth bear witness! I wasn't just insulting you! If I had known you and Li Heng were having an affair, I would never have dared to keep nagging you like that!

After venting her frustrations, Sun Manning thought angrily: "Damn it! Li Heng, you bitch! You slut! You've ruined all my best friends. Song Yu, Chen Zijin, Mai Sui, Chen Lijun, Shi He—they're all beauties, and they've all fallen under your spell! You're going to be the best! You're deliberately targeting me, always going after the women around me! Why didn't you take that idiot Ye Ning too? Why did you leave me with that flat-chested Ye Ning? Ye Ning's height is a perfect match for yours; you could practically shove a mudfish into tofu while standing up! Uh, not mudfish, what was it again? A sea eel, yes, the kind that's electrified. That slut Ye Ning would be in heaven!"

Looking at her eldest niece, the aunt felt humiliated. At noon, she was still nagging her sister-in-law: "Be careful of Li Heng, and be wary of him making a move against Shihe."

Seeing the current situation, the aunt was completely confused. Shihe's behavior today was completely different from usual, shattering her understanding. Could it be...?

The younger sister looked at Song Yu and wondered to herself: Could it be that she was provoked by Song Yu and was competing with her for attention, trying to outdo her?
The younger sister-in-law came to Zhou's mother's side and whispered in her ear, "Sister-in-law, has Shihe been bewitched by Li Heng?"

Zhou's mother's heart was churning like boiling water, but she didn't show it on her face. "Don't worry, we'll have the answer soon."

The aunt asked, "What answer?"

Zhou's mother shifted her gaze to Song Yu.

The aunt then turned her gaze to Song Yu.

At this moment, the room was deathly silent. Everyone unconsciously held their breath, wanting to see what Li Heng would do, and how this famous scene involving two stunning beauties would end.

Before Li Heng could do anything, Song Yu made her move.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Song Yu reached out and pulled Li Heng from her left side to her right side. Yes, she pulled Li Heng away from Shi He and onto Song Yu's right side.

Originally, Li Heng was supposed to stand in the middle, Zhou Shihe on his left, and Song Yu on his right.

With that pull, Song Yu was instantly in the middle, and Song Yu and Shi He were facing each other.

This action was tantamount to tearing off all pretenses; Song Yu stepped in to defend her love and nip her rival's wolfish ambitions in the bud.

Song Yu smiled faintly, reached out and took the cake, saying, "Li Heng is allergic to milk and can't eat cake, so I'll eat it for him. Thank you, Shihe."

Is Li Heng allergic to milk?
Everyone present, except for the aunt and uncle, knew that this was a lie, an excuse.

Everyone, including Zhou's mother and aunt, knew that Li Heng could drink milk. They had all seen him drink milk before. Not only milk, but also milk candy.

However, whether Li Heng can refuse to drink milk is no longer important. Given the current situation, no one would be foolish enough to expose this excuse.

Zhou Shihe smiled faintly, remained silent and did not refute, and continued to cut the cake, serving it to everyone present one by one.

As a result, everyone got a cake except Li Heng.

Yu Shuheng thought today's cake was quite delicious, better than any she had ever eaten before. She used to be very wary of Zhou Shihe, but today she seemed to see a glimmer of hope in dealing with this rival.

One thing that really surprised her was that Song Yu's arrival directly provoked Zhou Shihe into quitting. This was a very tricky situation, and also very disadvantageous for her.

Actually, Yu Shuheng hadn't thought about resigning so soon, but she had a dream last night that prompted her to make up her mind to resign from her university teaching position.

What dream could have caused such a strong reaction from her?

In the dream: Li Heng got married, but the bride wasn't her.

Yu Shuheng was startled awake, breaking out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, she had been in Li Heng's arms the night before, which helped her gradually catch her breath.

Just then, she heard Li Heng talking in his sleep, calling out the names of two women: Song Yu and Shi He.

Last night she listened very attentively and clearly; the little man kept calling out Song Yu and Shi He's names.

She wondered if Li Heng had dreamt of Song Yu and Zhou Shihe, which was why he shouted like that.
Or is the young man worried that Song Yu and Zhou Shihe will have a fight during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Or is it that the little man loves Song Yu and Zhou Shihe the most?
Considering that Song Yu might come to Lushan Village today, Yu Shuheng finally made a decision: to resign, to give up her position as a university teacher.

So when dawn broke, Yu Shuheng didn't hesitate any longer and immediately went to Principal Sun to explain her purpose. Principal Sun seemed to have guessed her reason for resigning, and after a sigh, he readily approved her resignation.

Just as everyone inside was eating cake and chatting, a person came out of the alley outside—Shen Xin.

At this moment, Shen Xin was carrying a birthday cake, followed by 6 people.

The group of six included both men and women, and they were clearly working for Shen Xin. They were all carrying things in both hands.

Shen Xin looked at Building No. 26, then at Building No. 25. Both buildings had their doors and windows tightly closed.

Shen Xin then retreated to the entrance of Building 27, her gaze piercing through the open gate to see the crowd inside.

Just then, Zhou's mother, who was facing the door, also saw Shen Xin outside.

Although one woman lived in Yuhang and the other in Shanghai, they had only met briefly a few times because of their daughter.

They faced each other across the distance, and Zhou's mother was the first to come out and greet them, "Are you looking for Teacher Yu? She's with us, eating cake right now. You..."

Before Zhou's mother could finish speaking, Shen Xin smiled and shook her head: "I'm not looking for her, I'm looking for my son-in-law. Li Heng is here with you too?"

Mother Zhou: "..."

It was summer, and a monsoon was blowing, leaving Zhou's mother disheveled in the air.

Shen Xin didn't deliberately speak in a low voice; on the contrary, her voice was quite loud, and almost everyone in the room heard the word "son-in-law."

Sure enough, in an instant, most of the people in the room turned to look at them.

P.S.: I went to the hospital for a check-up today in March and picked up my medication.

I had originally asked for leave this morning, but then I felt it wouldn't be fair to end the story here, so I deleted the leave request. I've been typing on my phone the whole way, and I'm currently on the high-speed train, rushing home. This chapter was typed on my phone. I hope you won't mind.

(End of this chapter)