1987 My Era

Chapter 674, The King Returns

Upon hearing Dai Qing's question and answer, Wei Xiaozhu also looked over.

Wei Xiaozhu thought to herself: Song Yu is about the same as Shi He in terms of looks and temperament, but Shi He's family is very powerful. If a man is pragmatic, he would probably consider marrying Shi He first.

Later she thought: Yu Shuheng is also deeply in love with the man in front of her. Marrying Teacher Yu would be more helpful to his career than marrying Song Yu. Would he really disregard everything and marry Song Yu?

With these thoughts in mind, Wei Xiaozhu looked at Li Heng with a serious expression, eager to know how he would answer Qingqing's question.

However, Li Heng was destined to disappoint the two girls. He merely smiled and offered no consolation: "Graduation is still a long way off, and I've never thought about these things."

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaozhu and Dai Qing exchanged a glance, their female intuition telling them that Li Heng was just giving them the runaround.

But both women were perceptive and wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

The meal was fairly standard; without Li Guoyi, it lacked a bit of liveliness, but several people still got drunk, and the atmosphere was still quite good.

As they helped each other into the school gate, Wei Sisi suddenly asked Li Heng, "Li, the great writer, when are you going home?"

Li Heng said, "We're leaving on the 28th, Comrade Sisi, is something wrong?"

Seeing everyone looking at her, Wei Sisi felt a little embarrassed. She tried several times before finally mustering the courage to say, "I can't buy a train ticket. I've been trying for a long time but haven't been able to. You have a lot of connections, do you know any ways to get one? I'll treat you to dinner later."

Even though it was the late 1980s and fewer people were traveling, there were still relatively few train services. During summer and winter vacations, as well as holidays, train tickets were always hard to come by.

They've been friends for two years, and he readily agreed, saying, "Sure, I'll ask around for you. Wait for my reply."

Wei Sisi seemed excited: "Thank you."

Li Heng waved his hand: "No need to thank me, you're being too polite."

As they were about to part ways, Wei Xiaozhu came over to him and said, "I'm going to Lushan Village with you. I need to talk to Shihe and Maisui about something."

Li Heng chuckled and said, "That's great, at least you'll have someone to keep you company."

He asked Dai Qing, "Would you like to come over and sit for a while?"

Dai Qing shook her head: "No, I need to get to the train station."

Li Heng asked in surprise, "Walking so fast? What time is your train tonight?"

Dai Qing said, "8 p.m.

Li Heng asked, "How many people are traveling together? Is it safe?"

Dai Qing said, "There are four or five fellow villagers, and we always travel together."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng casually offered a blessing: "Have a safe journey."

Dai Qing thanked her, hugged Wei Xiaozhu, and then left.

Hu Ping, who was not far away, glanced at Li Heng, then at Wei Xiaozhu, and then said to Zhao Meng beside him, "Let's go rollerblading and sober up."

Zhao Meng immediately beamed: "Okay!"

On the way back to Lushan Village, Li Heng asked Wei Xiaozhu, "When are you and your aunt going home?"

Wei Xiaozhu said, "My aunt has to proctor the exam and check the papers, so she'll have to go later. For now, I'll just buy a ticket for July 2nd."

Li Heng nodded: "If you're bored these next few days, you can come and play with Mai Sui and Manning."

Wei Xiaozhu laughed and said, "Then I'll ask them later."

Then she asked curiously, "You've already finished your exams, are you waiting for Xiao Han to go home together? Aren't you afraid that Xiao Han and Mai Sui will start fighting?"

Li Heng was very confident: "No, don't you know Sui Sui's personality? She won't get into conflicts with anyone."

Wei Xiaozhu thought about it and realized it was true. She sighed and said, "I really envy your good fortune! To be able to get involved with so many beautiful women at the same time."

Li Heng patted his forehead, didn't answer, and looked up at the sky, thinking: You only see my smile, but you don't see the bitterness in my smile.

None of these women are kind-hearted. They are not only smart, but also quite cunning. Sometimes, he can't openly favor one of them, so he can only pretend to be a fool.

Mai Sui, Sun Manning, and Ye Ning returned. Upon inquiry, it turned out they had indeed attended the student council meeting that afternoon.

Seeing Wei Xiaozhu approach, Zhou Shihe's icy face finally broke into a long-lost smile.

Well, when she noticed someone's gaze directed at her, Miss Zhou slowly composed herself and led Wei Xiaozhu and Mai Sui into Building No. 27.

Leaving only a silhouette, leaving someone bewildered in the monsoon.

Ye Ning urged from the side, "Big tycoon, are you stupid? Go inside too, what are you doing standing outside in the wind?"

Li Heng smiled, turned around, and went back to his own home.

Ye Ning was confused and asked Sun Manning, "What's going on here? I bet he's definitely thinking about Shihe, and he's drooling over her, but he's pretending to be high and mighty here?"

Sun Manning reached out and patted Ye Ning on the shoulder: "Little girl, you're still too green. You think you can flirt with Shi He in front of Mai Sui?"

Ye Ning pouted: "What's wrong with that? Don't Shihe and Suisui know perfectly well?"

Sun Manning said, "Knowing it is one thing, but you still have to save face... Damn it! Forget it, what's the point of talking to a virgin like you? If you don't understand, just go find a random man on the street, have sex with him a few times and you'll get it."

Ye Ning stomped her foot angrily! She chased him all the way out of Lushan Village.

After returning home, Li Heng took a shower, drank two cups of herbal tea, and then went to the small building at No. 25 across the street.

Call Teacher Yu.

"Jingle Bell…"

"Jingle Bell…"

The call connected after two rings, and Yu Shuheng's voice came from the other end: "Hello."

"Teacher, it's me." He introduced himself.

Upon hearing it was him, Yu Shuheng pointed to her pen, checking and signing the documents as she asked, "Little brother, what's the matter?"

Li Heng recounted how Wei Sisi bought the train tickets.

Yu Shuheng said, "I'll have Zeng Yun bring it to you later."

Li Heng asked, "Are you going to see Teacher Wang this time you go to Shao City?"

Yu Shuheng thought for a moment and then realized: "Runwen is looking for you?"

Li Heng didn't hide anything: "Teacher Wang wants me to go there during the summer vacation."

"Oh."

Yu Shuheng gave a meaningful "Oh," and asked, "She was looking for you, why did you tell me?"

Li Heng countered, "You really didn't know?"

Yu Shuheng smiled, and after a while said, "I had guessed that Runwen had also invited me."

Li Heng thought to himself, "Sure enough, it was discovered on the first try. Luckily, I didn't rush over alone, otherwise Teacher Yu might have made fun of me afterwards." He asked, "When are you going?"

Yu Shuheng asked him, "What are your plans?"

Li Heng said, "The teacher is going to Shaoshi on July 1st, so we'll just stop by Teacher Wang's house on that day."

Yu Shuheng hesitated for a moment, then agreed: "Okay."

The two tacitly avoided discussing why Wang Runwen had summoned them.
There's no need for that; the truth will come out in a few days when I see Teacher Wang. I imagine Teacher Wang called them both over because he has something to discuss.

After finishing his call with Yu Shuheng, Li Heng dialed the landline number of the Li family in Gulou, Beijing, mainly to remind his mother again that Teacher Yu was coming to their home, so that she wouldn't forget.

Tian Run'e said, "Your father and I remember this big thing. We've already bought the tickets and we're going back to our hometown tomorrow morning."

Then she asked, "Manzai, when are you and Hanhan coming back?"

Li Heng said, "I went there on the evening of the 28th."

Tian Run'e then asked, "Where are the wheat ears?"

Li Heng said, "It was also that day."

Tian Run'e frowned upon hearing this. "That's not good. Can't we separate them?"

Li Heng shamelessly said, "Both are my flesh and blood, and I can't send the other away. Let's just leave it like this. Mai Sui loves your precious son, nothing will happen."

Tian Run'e thought that made sense, and couldn't help but sigh with worry: "Alas! If I had known you would cause so much trouble, I would have burned a few scars on your face with incense when I gave birth to you."

Li Heng's lips twitched. "Then you'll definitely regret it. You won't be able to find a daughter-in-law, and you'll be even more worried then."

Tian Run'e challenged her: "Are you saying that these girls are only interested in you because of your face?"

Li Heng felt dizzy and changed the subject: "Where's Zijing? Is she here?"

Tian Run'e said, "She's at school. Your second sister said she hasn't finished her exams yet and won't be on vacation for another two days."

He had intended to talk to Zijing, but upon hearing this, Li Heng gave up on the idea and planned to find an opportunity to visit Zijing alone and spend ten days or half a month with her.

The mother and son discussed visiting Xiao Han and Teacher Yu's trip to Qianzhen for more than half an hour. By the time they hung up the phone, the sun had already set and it was getting dark.

After making the second call, Li Heng called Wang Ye again, but no one answered; he was probably busy.

After leaving building number 25, he lingered in the middle of the alley for a while, but ultimately did not go to building number 27. Instead, he went back to his study to read books and newspapers.

Around 9 p.m., Mai Sui quietly opened the study door.

Before he could react, a bright red cherry was shoved into his mouth.

Li Heng opened his mouth to pick up a cherry, then turned to ask, "Did you buy this?"

"Yeah, after the exam this afternoon, I went shopping with Shihe for a while. I thought you like this, so I bought some."

Maisui fed him another one and asked, "How does it taste?"

"It's sweet and delicious." Li Heng reached out to hug her, but Mai Sui easily dodged him.

He stared at her, stunned.

Before Mai Sui could explain, laughter came from outside the door.

Alright, no need to ask, it must be Sun Manning and Ye Ning peeking outside.

Seeing Li Heng looking over, Sun Manning simply pushed open the door and called out, "Hey! Exams are over, and you haven't written a new book yet. Want to play cards? We're one short."

Li Heng asked, "Isn't there Comrade Shihe?"

Ye Ning said, "If we don't invite her, playing cards with her is pointless. Watching her perform every day is completely unenjoyable for us."

Li Heng said, "We can't just leave her alone next door, can we?"

Seeing that Sun Manning was about to play a trick on someone, Mai Sui spoke up in time: "Shihe is here, reading the newspaper on the sofa."

Li Heng was surprised, very surprised.

The girl hadn't come to Building 26 this week since the Dragon Boat Festival, but she actually came today? It's like the sun rising in the west!

Seemingly knowing what he was thinking, Mai Sui whispered in his ear, "I made a bet with her, and Shi He lost, so she came with me."

Li Heng asked, "What kind of bet?"

Mai Sui smiled mysteriously: "I won't tell you, but I won't harm you."

Li Heng stopped asking questions and followed the three women into the living room to play cards.

The girls originally wanted to play an upgrade game, but Li Heng said, "Let's try a different game today."

Sun Manning asked, "What games?"

Li Heng said, "Guandan."

Ye Ning asked, "What is Guandan?"

Li Heng explained: "It's similar to the traditional 'Upgrading' game, but a bit more complex..."

After spending a few minutes explaining the rules, the three women immediately agreed with great enthusiasm.

That night, the four of them played cards happily. In particular, Sun Manning and Ye Ning would often shout and yell, boasting that they had successfully matched a straight flush, that they had drawn four kings and a bomb, and that they had resisted the tribute!

That evening, Zhou Shihe didn't come over to join in the fun. She first read the newspaper on the sofa for a while, then turned on the TV, and later unknowingly fell asleep.

The four-person card game ended a little after 2 a.m.

Sun Manning quietly approached Zhou Shihe, looked her over, then made a hand gesture before running away with Ye Ning, showing no intention of helping her at all.

Mai Sui then said, "I'm going to take a shower."

With just five simple words and no further explanation, Mai Suizhen took her pajamas and went into the shower room.

Li Heng: "..."

He walked up to the sofa, looked down at Miss Zhou for a while, and twice had the urge to carry her to the second bedroom, but he restrained himself and just stood there with his hands behind his back, motionless.

I don't know how much time has passed.

In a fleeting moment, Zhou Shihe's long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes. The moment her clear and bright eyes met Li Heng's gaze, it was as if the world had stopped. For a moment, they stared at each other, neither of them breaking the sudden encounter and tranquility.

After staring at each other for about half a minute, Li Heng said, "It's late, go back to your room and sleep."

Zhou Shihe lowered her eyebrows and remained silent.

After another stalemate, Li Heng turned around, left the living room, and went to his master bedroom.

Hearing the sound of the master bedroom door closing, Zhou Shihe opened her eyes again and looked at the ceiling. Her face was calm, but her eyes were unfocused, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
That night, Li Heng slept soundly until dawn.

That evening, after taking a shower, Mai Sui accompanied Zhou Shihe to the small building next door, number 27.

The next day, 7 am.

When Li Heng got up to go for a run, he suddenly noticed a note on the coffee table.

The message read: "Today, Shihe, Manning, and I are heading back to Shaoyang. Our flight is at 8 a.m. Take good care of yourself here."

Signed: Wheat Ear.

After staring at the note and reading it over and over again, Li Heng almost burst out laughing. Didn't we agree to go home together?

What's wrong?

So you're starting to hide it from me? You just slipped away without even saying goodbye?

He put the note down, knowing perfectly well that neither Mai Sui nor Miss Zhou wanted to travel with Xiao Han to avoid an awkward situation.

Thinking about it this way, he felt more at ease. Mai Sui's qualities were the same as Song Yu's: considerate, generous, and understanding.

The wheat ears have gone, gone without a sound.

Li Hengchen suddenly lost all his energy while running, feeling as if half of his soul had been ripped away. On the track, he ran into Wei Xiaozhu again, but the girl was already running her last lap and was almost finished.

He caught up with her and struck up a conversation: "I thought Dai Qing had gone home. You wouldn't have run away by yourself."

Suddenly hearing a sound behind her, Wei Xiaozhu was startled. When she turned around and saw it was him, she smiled and said, "Running in the morning has become a habit. If I don't run, I always feel like something is missing and I have no energy all day."

Li Heng echoed, "That's right, I often feel that way too."

After running about 200 meters forward, he suddenly asked, "Did you know that Mai Sui would leave today?"

Wei Xiaozhu brushed her hair aside with her right hand: "I only found out last night. I thought Mai Sui would tell you."

Li Heng let out a sigh.

Wei Xiaozhu laughed when she heard this. "Why are you sighing? You're not short of female confidantes. If one leaves, you still have two in Shanghai."

Li Heng smiled but didn't reply, accompanying her to finish the last lap.

After one lap, the girl logged off right on time, then sat down on the steps to rest, watching him run.

He was in good physical condition today and ran 16 laps in one go, sweating profusely.

Wei Xiaozhu handed him the water bottle. "What are your plans for today?"

Li Heng said, "Xiao Han is still taking exams, so I have nothing to do for the time being."

Wei Xiaozhu asked in surprise, "You rarely have time, why don't you go visit your teacher?"

Li Heng shook his head: "I went there not long ago. My teacher and Sister Lin are not in Shanghai right now, so we'll have to wait until next semester."

Then he asked, "What about you? What are your plans for today?"

Wei Xiaozhu said, "I plan to go to Wujiaochang to help Wanying and the others sell braised food."

Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you wait for me? I'll go home, take a shower, change my clothes, and then we'll go together."

Wei Xiaozhu agreed.

During winter and summer vacations, Lushan Village becomes deserted and eerily quiet.

Wei Xiaozhu stood inside the box, looked up at Building No. 25 for a while, and asked him, "Teacher Yu hasn't moved out yet?"

Li Heng said, "She will stay here for another two years."

Upon hearing the word "two years," Wei Xiaozhu instantly understood and said meaningfully, "I never expected that Teacher Yu, who has such good conditions, is also such a devoted lover."

Li Heng took out his key, opened the door, and went inside.

Upon reaching the second floor, he pointed to the sofa and said, "Please sit wherever you like. I'll take a quick shower."

Wei Xiaozhu didn't go to the sofa, but went to the attic outside. She sat on the swing and looked at Building No. 25 for a while, and then at Building No. 27 next door. She felt that the emotions in the building were too complicated and that most people couldn't handle them.

Fourteen or fifteen minutes later, Li Heng took out the washed clothes and put them on the balcony to dry.

Wei Xiaozhu asked, "Do you usually wash your own clothes?"

Li Heng had his back to her. "No, I usually hate washing dishes and clothes. Mai Sui did all of that for me."

Wei Xiaozhu watched his retreating figure and suddenly stopped asking questions.

Another half hour passed, and the two rode their bicycles to Wujiaochang.

Whether by coincidence or not, he unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance, Wu Shiyao, at the braised food shop.

At this moment, the young woman surnamed Wu was buying braised food.

Suddenly seeing Li Heng riding up on his bicycle, Wu Shiyao froze, her gaze subtly shifting between him and Wei Xiaozhu before she confidently paid Bai Wanying and then waited…

Li Heng asked, "You also like braised dishes?"

Unexpectedly, Wu Shiyao shook her head: "I haven't tried it before. This is my first time trying it." Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Wu Shiyao said: "I was introduced by a classmate. She said the braised dishes here are delicious and that she often runs into you here."

Zhang Bing, who was chopping braised vegetables, stopped and looked up at Wu Shiyao.

Bai Wanying found half of the change, looked up and carefully examined Wu Shiyao, then smiled and continued to find the change.

Wei Xiaozhu locked the two bicycles side by side and then went into the store, but her attention was also drawn to Wu Shiyao.

She had heard about Wu Shiyao's pursuit of Li Heng and even admired her a little. Knowing that Li Heng's female companions were all beautiful, Wu Shiyao still persisted in pursuing him for two years. Such perseverance was truly rare.

What Wei Xiaozhu couldn't understand was: what had gotten into Wu Shiyao, who usually seemed so quiet and reserved, today? Why was she indirectly expressing her feelings for Li Heng?

Li Heng was also somewhat taken aback, but he controlled his expression well and didn't show it. "Actually, I didn't come very often either."

Wu Shiyao nodded, then urged Zhang Bing, "Could you please cut this for me quickly? I need to catch my train."

Catching a train?

Li Heng was puzzled. Wasn't this girl a local from Shanghai? Why was she taking a train?

But he didn't say anything more.

"Oh, please wait a moment, it'll be ready soon." Zhang Bing snapped out of his daze and quickly swung the kitchen knife in his hand.

Wu Shiyao left. Although she walked extremely fast against the wind, she gave off a sense of being disheveled and fleeing.

After the person left, Bai Wanying asked, "Did you have a close relationship with this person?"

Li Heng asked, "Why do you have this misconception?"

Bai Wanying analyzed, "Perhaps Wu Shiyao's words just now were not a whim, but a release of overflowing emotions."

Li Heng rolled his eyes.

After spending half a day in Wujiaochang, he bought some gifts and went to Principal Sun's house after lunch.

Thankfully, Huang Ziyue wasn't home, which saved him a lot of trouble.

On the 27th, Yu Shuheng returned to Lushan Village.

Seeing Li Heng watering the cabbages alone in the yard, she came over and asked, "You're going back soon, how will you take care of these cabbages?"

Li Heng asked, "Is the teacher afraid he doesn't have time?"

Yu Shuheng shook her head: "My schedule is completely full."

Li Heng shrugged: "Then there's nothing we can do. It's all up to fate. It's summer now, so there should be plenty of rain. Maybe we won't die from the drought."

A little later he asked, "Teacher, what brings you here today?"

Yu Shuheng gave an irrelevant answer: "Did Mai Sui go home?"

Li Heng glanced at her: "You're born in the Year of the Dog, and you're quite well-informed."

Yu Shuheng smiled slightly, "I bought groceries and I'm back. You can cook dinner tonight."

"Okay, sure." Li Heng readily agreed, showing a strong willingness to do hard labor.

After watering the cabbage, he read a book in his study for a while. Around 5 p.m., he arrived at the small building across the street on time.

I thought Ms. Yu would be very free, but I didn't expect her to be so busy at home. Liu Bei also arrived at some point, and the two women were talking quietly about business in the United States.

Li Heng was very perceptive; he didn't go over to disturb them, but went into the kitchen on his own and started washing rice and cooking.

Half an hour later, Liu Bei left.

Yu Shuheng quietly entered the kitchen. She first watched him cook for a while, but then she was so enticed by the aroma that she took out a pair of chopsticks, reached into the pot, and picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork to try.

Li Heng asked, "How's the saltiness?"

Yu Shuheng praised, "The craftsmanship is still there, just right."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng took the twice-cooked pork out of the pot and plated it.

Seeing him wash the pot and add oil again, Yu Shuheng asked, "Is there any more food?"

Li Heng said, "Give me another vegetable dish."

Yu Shuheng put down her chopsticks, walked out of the kitchen, closed the courtyard gate and the house door, and locked all of them with the bolts.

Then she found two red candles, lit them with a match, and placed them on either side of the table. She then took out a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses.

After doing all that, she started helping to serve the dishes and rice.

When Li Heng came out of the kitchen, he was a little confused and said with a smile, "When did the teacher learn to be romantic?"

Yu Shuheng smiled without saying a word, pulled out a chair, helped him sit down, and then sat opposite him, saying softly, "Little boy, I have something to tell you today."

Li Heng straightened up. "What is it?"

Yu Shuheng poured two glasses of red wine and handed him one: "Drink this glass first."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng stopped asking questions and accepted the red wine. He chatted with her while eating and drinking.

About ten minutes later, the glass of red wine was emptied by the two of them in a calm manner. Yu Shuheng swirled the stemmed glass, drank the last drop of red wine, and said, "Dad wants to see you."

Li Heng stopped drinking the wine glass at his lips and looked at her.

Yu Shuheng said, "He finished reading your new book 'Dust Settles' these past two days and gave it a very high rating. So when we were having dinner, he told me that he wanted me to come over to his house for a meal sometime."

The two men knew perfectly well that since Father Yu had spoken up, it wasn't just about having a meal; it must have a deeper meaning.

Li Heng knew he couldn't refuse, nor had he considered doing so. After a moment's thought, he asked, "When?"

Yu Shuheng said, "You decide the time."

After weighing the options for a moment, Li Heng tentatively asked, "How about the period after summer vacation ends and school starts?"

Yu Shuheng smiled gracefully: "I'll tell Dad later."

With this matter settled, the weight on Yu Shuheng's heart suddenly lifted, and her overall energy and spirits improved significantly.

They say plans can't keep up with changes. She never thought her family would get involved so early, nor did she expect her father to make this request himself.

If it were her mother who suggested it, Yu Shuheng would have a thousand reasons to delay, and whether she went or not would depend entirely on Li Heng's mood; but her father always kept his word, so she couldn't refuse.

After dinner, Yu Shuheng left unexpectedly, having been called away by Shen Xin who said there was a problem at home.

Well, Li Heng was worried. He thought to himself that the young lady was not as good as Comrade Mai Sui in this respect. Mai Sui was the most unpretentious.

It rained that night, so he didn't go anywhere. He read until late into the night, and when he got sleepy, he just lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Early morning of the 28th.

The genius Mao Maoliang was waiting for Zeng Yun in his Mercedes.

Li Heng was still asleep when he opened the car door, sat in the back seat, and continued to sleep until he reached Shanghai Medical University.

"Mr. Li, we're here."

"Oh, okay, thank you."

Li Heng thanked her and, carrying the gifts he had prepared, headed straight for Professor Wen Yan's home.

When I rang the doorbell, Zhang Haiyan opened the door.

Li Heng asked, "Where is Xiao Han?"

Zhang Haiyan said, "I'm washing up now, I'll be done soon."

Li Heng entered the room but did not find Professor Wen Yan.

Zhang Haiyan whispered, "The teacher stayed up late last night and just went to sleep. Don't wake her up."

Li Heng nodded knowingly and immediately waited obediently at the door of the washroom.

Xiao Han was brushing her teeth when she saw him appear. She immediately walked over with a smile on her face, stood on tiptoe and said mischievously in his ear, "Mr. Li, would you like to kiss me now?"

Li Heng reached out and hugged her affectionately, whispering in her ear, "When we get home, you'll be in for a world of trouble."

Xiao Han's eyes were half-closed, and she smiled sweetly, "When you hold me like this, I suddenly feel something."

Li Heng: "..."

This is what a cunning wife is like! Her personality is unpredictable. One second she's a reserved and ladylike lady, and the next second she might cause some kind of trouble.

Sure enough, his wife's words were enough to arouse his physical reaction.

Fortunately, Zhang Haiyan didn't follow. Fortunately, this was the bathroom doorway, and he was facing away from the living room; otherwise, he would have been utterly embarrassed.

Sensing his unusual behavior, Xiao Han straightened her legs and rubbed them together silently, then walked away with a smile, returning to the washbasin to continue brushing her teeth and washing her face.

Don't think she's deliberately teasing you; she's actually testing you. She's personally experienced this man's skills in bed, which she both loves and hates. Many times, she's lying exhausted under him, thinking: "If only my honey would be gentle and considerate, and only half as good as him."

The fact that her husband reacted so quickly today can only mean that he hasn't been with a woman for a while, which is in line with her expectations.

Since Professor Wenyan was catching up on sleep, Li Heng didn't stay at the medical university for long, and the three of them soon arrived at the airport.

As Xiao Han entered the waiting room, she looked around to make sure that Mai Sui and the others were not there. She then thought to herself: It seems that Mai Sui really didn't intend to compete for it.

Mai Sui's early departure completely dispelled Xiao Han's concerns about her, and she accepted Mai Sui as her confidante in her heart.

The flight was at 9 o'clock, and we arrived in Changshi a little over two hours later.

As soon as I followed the crowd out of the gate, I bumped into Huang Zhaoyi. She was wearing a pair of large sunglasses, which made her stand out in the crowd of people waiting to pick up passengers.

Li Heng raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the actress to come in person. Hadn't they agreed on the phone that she would send her assistant to pick him up at the airport?
What is going on now?

Given the large number of people here, and the presence of Zhang Haiyan, an outsider, Li Heng exchanged a glance with Da Qingyi for two seconds without saying anything more.

On the contrary, his cunning wife's next move made him tremble with fear.

Xiao Han walked up to Huang Zhaoyi and said with a dimple, "Sister Zhaoyi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Li Heng glanced at the woman in blue with a probing look. Could it be that the two women had already made contact in private? Did Xiao Han send her over?

Huang Zhaoyi smiled and helped Xiao Han with her luggage. "The car is outside. Come with me."

“Okay.” Xiao Han and she chatted and laughed as they walked side by side ahead.

Li Heng's gaze swept back and forth between the two tall figures, and he tentatively asked Zhang Haiyan, "When did Hanhan meet this Peking Opera master?"

To his surprise, Zhang Haiyan was even more confused than him: "I don't know. Is this woman named Huang Zhaoyi? I think I've seen her on TV before. My mother and grandmother like her very much. They say she has the most standard of Eastern beauty."

Li Heng asked, "What does your mother do?"

Zhang Haiyan asked, "You don't know?"

Li Heng said, "You didn't tell me that."

Zhang Haiyan scoffed, "Yeah, I'm not pretty, you probably wouldn't even bother to ask. My grandma was in the military arts troupe when she was young, and my mom is a traffic policewoman."

Huanghua Airport is some distance from the city center, and Xiao Han and Huang Zhaoyi talked the whole way.

Li Heng and Zhang Haiyan stood in the back row, acting as mute.

Around 1 p.m., the four of them ate at a roadside restaurant. They were all quite hungry and planned to fill their stomachs before continuing their journey.

While Xiao Han and Zhang Haiyan were in the washroom, Li Heng asked Da Qingyi, "Why did you come here?"

Although his question was very calm, Huang Zhaoyi was still a little nervous. "Xiao Han invited me to her home."

"Visiting as a guest?" Li Heng's voice involuntarily rose a few decibels.

Huang Zhaoyi said, "Yes, I can't refuse."

Li Heng asked, "When did you first come into contact?"

Huang Zhaoyi recalled: "After your birthday, around June 10th, we bumped into each other on the street and started chatting."

Li Heng asked, "Is it the day after I took Song Yu to Wukang Road?"

Huang Zhaoyi acquiesced.

Li Heng asked, "Our relationship...?"

Huang Zhaoyi said, "Xiao Han knows everything."

Li Heng took half a minute to process all of this, then asked, "What's the current state of things between you two? Which of you brought it up first?"

Huang Zhaoyi said, "I answered whatever she asked, without hiding anything."

Li Heng was speechless: "You are certainly sincere towards her."

Huang Zhaoyi didn't reply. After waiting a while and not seeing him scold her, she mustered up her courage and asked, "Aren't you angry with me?"

Li Heng asked, "Do you want me to be angry?"

Huang Zhaoyi glanced around and whispered, "I'll stay in Qianzhen for one night and then leave. It won't bother you."

Li Heng remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke: "Since you're already here, stay a little longer. You don't need to make special arrangements for me."

Before she could reply, he continued, "My parents and I will be going to the Xiao family tomorrow. We can find an opportunity to let you get to know each other again afterwards."

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhaoyi became extremely nervous, but at the same time, a surge of unexpected joy welled up inside her.

At that moment, she was so overwhelmed that she couldn't even speak, and just stared at him longingly.

Their eyes met, and Li Heng seemed to guess what she was thinking: "Are you scared?"

Huang Zhaoyi nodded: "A little."

Li Heng asked, "What are you afraid of?"

Huang Zhaoyi looked embarrassed, "I don't know how to face Aunt Tian."

Li Heng said, "You don't need to worry about these things, leave them to me. You just need to be flexible when the time comes, uh, or rather, don't be flexible, just be honest. My parents like honest people."

Huang Zhaoyi obediently replied, "I'll do whatever you say."

Xiao Han and Zhang Haiyan returned, and the two immediately stopped talking.

Watching Xiao Han gracefully walk towards him, Li Heng felt a sense of temporal and spatial dislocation: it felt as if the battlefield of Lushan Village during the Dragon Boat Festival had shifted to Shaoshi.

Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe were in Shaoyang, as were Teacher Yu, Xiao Han, and Huang Zhaoyi, plus Teacher Wang, whose situation was unclear. He really wanted to curse, "Damn it!"

After the meal, the group continued their journey.

Li Heng had been secretly observing his cunning wife, but the result greatly disappointed him, as he gained absolutely nothing.

We passed Shaoyang and Huixian, and finally arrived at Qianzhen a little after 7 p.m. Although it wasn't dark yet, it was quite late.

Xiao Han cleared her throat and asked, "Honey, let's have dinner at my place before you leave."

Li Heng looked up at the sky and said, "It usually gets dark around 8 o'clock now. After dinner, I don't dare to walk back at night."

Xiao Han said crisply, "Zhaoyi and I will take you there."

Perhaps feeling guilty, for some reason, he always felt that the phrase "me and Sister Zhaoyi" had a hidden meaning and was full of sarcasm.

Having said all that, Li Heng finally agreed.

Considering the Chen family and Chen Zijin, Wei Shiman and Xiao Hai did not greet them outside. In the eyes of the neighbors, Li Heng was like a transparent person, following Xiao Han and Huang Zhaoyi into the Xiao family's gate.

Stepping through the gate, Li Heng immediately greeted with a smile, "Dad, Mom."

Xiao Hailu smiled and poured him tea.

Wei Shiman became even more enthusiastic, pulling him aside and showering him with concern.

Huang Zhaoyi watched all this silently, her heart unmoved. However, she was somewhat impressed with Xiao Han. She hadn't expected that Xiao Han, whom she had only considered fourth in line, had quietly achieved this level of success. To this extent, even Song Yu was probably far behind.

Wei Shiman was very savvy and didn't neglect Huang Zhaoyi. After chatting with Li Heng for a while, she broadened the topic and included Huang Zhaoyi as well.

Dinner was quite lavish, and Xiao Hai cooked it himself.

The father-in-law had a premonition that his youngest daughter would bring Li Heng over for dinner, so he prepared several of Li Heng's favorite dishes.

After dinner, Wei Shiman quietly asked her daughter in the bedroom, "How did you meet this Consort Huang?"

Xiao Han dropped a bombshell: "He's my husband's lover."

Wei Shiman's mouth gaped open in astonishment, wide enough to fit a goose egg.

After a long while, Wei Shiman finally came to her senses: "I've seen news reports about her. I think she was born in 56? She must be 34 this year?"

Xiao Han said, "Don't say 'seems like,' remove 'seems like.'"

Wei Shiman asked in bewilderment, "What's wrong with Li Heng? This woman is a full twelve years older than him, how could he even bring himself to go for her? He's never short of women, so when did he become so indiscriminate?"

To be honest, Wei Shiman is a little angry with Li Heng right now. She has already been very tolerant of Li Heng, tacitly allowing him to have other women outside, which is already the greatest kindness the Xiao family can show. Li Heng's actions are making her very irritated.

Xiao Han asked, "Mother, are you angry?"

Wei Shiman glared at him, her beard bristling: "You brought your love rival back, how can I not be angry?"

Xiao Han rolled up her sleeves and offered her suggestions, saying, "It's simple. If you're angry, just consider it as me bringing back two dishes. Tonight, we'll kill her and that womanizer together, and tomorrow we can use them to entertain Aunt Tian and Uncle Li. Stir-fry, steam, hot pot—serve them all! Let's make a Manchu Han Imperial Feast!"

Wei Shiman laughed in exasperation, "Tell me, what exactly happened to you? Don't tell your mother that you're being kind-hearted and helping the enemy."

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently calmed, Xiao Han immediately said, "Huang Zhaoyi is an ally I brought in..."

She then recounted in detail how Li Heng and Huang Zhaoyi got together, and what Huang Zhaoyi's mindset was towards Li Heng.

These were facts she learned from Huang Zhaoyi; she told her mother the truth without embellishment or exaggeration.

After listening patiently, Wei Shiman's anger subsided by half: "So, it's not entirely Li Heng's fault?"

Xiao Han said with a sigh, "How could he not be right? He's so talented! So handsome! He's very attractive to women. Mom, let's kill him tonight."

Wei Shiman slapped her daughter irritably: "With such a good family background, can they really help you?"

Xiao Han, with her hands behind her back, looked slightly smug: "That's the charm of a daughter."

Wei Shiman sat on the edge of the bed, spent about ten minutes thinking it over, and finally said, "You can't force things. You have to know your limits. If it really doesn't work out, just give that villa back to him and get out of there as soon as possible."

Xiao Han pouted, "Comrade Wei Shiman, let me remind you, he's already slept with your daughter, so don't say anything discouraging."

P.S.: As the title suggests

(End of this chapter)