Chapter 126

Dinner was eaten in a silence, without candlelight or bright, blazing lamps.

On the table were only three dishes: shredded potatoes, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, and river shrimp with chives—simple, yet revealing a sense of abundance.

After setting the dishes on the table, Wang Runwen asked, "Do you want to write tonight?"

Li Heng shook his head: "No need. I've been busy for so long; I need to relax, read some books, and clear my head."

Hearing this, Wang Runwen stood up and brought over a bottle of Erguotou: "I'm not used to drinking beer; this liquor has more flavor."

As she spoke, she poured half a glass for Li Heng and filled her own glass to the brim:

"Drink as much as you can handle; don't force yourself."

Li Heng asked curiously: "Teacher, how much can you usually drink?"

Wang Runwen picked up her glass and swirled it: "This glass holds about two taels. I usually don't drink, but if I do, it's generally one glass. In special circumstances, I might drink a bit more."

After a long, relative silence, the two finally managed to chat again. Li Heng didn't want the conversation to go cold, so he pressed on: "What's the most you've ever drunk?"

Wang Runwen recalled, saying in a low voice: "A jin, I suppose. That afternoon, the two of them were arguing and making a scene about their divorce. I cooked a meal for myself, drank a bottle of liquor, and got so drunk I was completely unconscious, not waking up until the next evening."

She then added: "That was the first time I ever drank."

Li Heng felt a tightness in his chest upon hearing this. He took the initiative to clink glasses with her and said: "The past is like smoke; let it go. Come, thank you for your care over these past three years, Teacher. I toast you with this glass."

Wang Runwen, already feeling a bit down, felt even more dejected upon hearing this. She understood that all good things must come to an end; after this drink, they would each go their separate ways.

She would remain in Shao City, at the First High School.

He was young, full of vigor, and brimming with knowledge; the vast sky outside was his true stage.

Suddenly, what was bound to come arrived. Facing the separation, the two fell into silence once again.

After downing four mouthfuls of liquor, Wang Runwen finally adjusted her mood and said: "I've told Shuheng that if you run into trouble in Shanghai, you can look for her.

Although she is rather aloof, for my sake, if you really encounter a problem, you can still ask for her help."

Li Heng said okay and thanked her.

Wang Runwen asked: "How many days will you stay home this time?"

Li Heng calculated: "It's hard to say, probably about a week. My schedule afterward is quite tight.

Of course, if there's something going on at home, I might stay a bit longer."

He then asked: "What about you, Teacher? There's still nearly a month left of summer vacation; do you have any plans?"

Wang Runwen said: "I'm going back to my hometown. My grandparents are getting old, so I'm going to keep them company."

Although she didn't like her own parents, she was still quite grateful to her grandparents; this was a trip she had planned long ago.

Hearing this, he didn't ask again and picked up his glass once more to drink with his English teacher, until the half-glass of liquor was finished.

After finishing, he stared straight at the bottle on her right: "Don't be stingy, give me some more."

"No, this liquor goes to your head. Since it's your first time drinking, you'll easily get a headache later." After explaining, the English teacher refused to give him any more, guarding the bottle tightly.

Li Heng couldn't help but laugh or cry; it was hard to even get a drink. The mood he had finally built up had just withered away like this.

After drinking and eating, Li Heng washed up briefly and curled up on the sofa to read. He was reading Aunt Zhao's research materials; he had a preliminary plan to finish these 140-plus books within four months.

Don't ask why.

Because he had a high volume of reading and had developed the habit of reading quickly.

Of course, if he encountered a good book, he would automatically slow his pace, savoring it slowly, and make marks so that when he had time later, he would go back and read it a second, third, or even more times.

Seeing him enter a state of obsession as soon as he touched a book, the English teacher felt a bit of relief, thinking to herself that this must be talent. She didn't stay in the living room, but after cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, she went straight back to her bedroom.

Curled up on the desk for a while, Wang Runwen came to the writing desk, turned on the lamp, found a pen and letter paper, and began writing to her best friend again:

Shuheng, happy to see your letter!

This is the seventh letter of this summer vacation; it feels like more than the whole of last year. Meeting him always brings something new and strange, so I want to share it with you.

Last night, he wrote "Liu Hou Shrine," and the prose was exceptionally beautiful. I was fortunate enough to have my friend Li Ran record the creative process with a camera. I will send you a copy together with this; heh, consider it a way to shut you up, so you won't be suspicious next time.

That night, Li Heng read in the living room until two in the morning before returning to his room to sleep.

That night, the English teacher stayed in her bedroom early on and didn't come out again.

That night, Li Heng had another dream.

In the dream, he still couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but the skin on her back was as smooth and fair as milk, and that beauty mark on her lower abdomen remained eye-catching and distinct.

However, the woman in the dream was much more formidable than last time, seeming even more uninhibited. Her techniques had reached perfection, and the fragrance between her lips and teeth was full of charm, making Li Heng unable to distinguish whether it was a dream or reality in his drunken stupor.

Waking up to find nothing there left him with a sense of loss.

Damn it, who exactly are you?

Are you educated? Do you understand the law? Even in a dream, you're violating me!

Damn it all, Li Heng muttered to the snow-white ceiling before reluctantly getting out of bed and heading into the shower room.

As soon as he opened the door, the English teacher next door woke up, turned over, and stared toward her bedroom door. Before long, footsteps passed by, and soon after, the sound of water falling came from the bathroom.

Is he taking a shower?

Didn't he shower before going to bed? Why is he showering in the middle of the night?

The English teacher immediately thought of a possibility and couldn't help but smile, but as she smiled, she gradually fell silent.

A night passed.

The next day, when Li Heng woke up, the English teacher was already gone, leaving a note on the table.

The note read: Knowing you love rice noodles, I didn't make breakfast. I had something to attend to, so I went back to my hometown first. The key is on the coffee table; take it with you and give it to me next time you come back.

Next time, that wouldn't be until winter break.

Winter break it is, then.

How stingy, not even a goodbye.

Thinking this, Li Heng turned, picked up the key, looked around the living room, and finally put on his bag and walked out of the room.

He didn't go straight home, nor did he immediately go to find Li Ran, Zhao Jing, or the dim-witted one.

Instead, he took a bus to the Shao City Teachers' College.

It was a pity, however, that the Song family gate was still tightly shut. After lingering for a while, he turned and came to the First High School.

From far away, he saw four banners hanging at the school gate, congratulating Yang Yingwen, Song Yu, Xiao Feng, and Zhao Gang for getting into Tsinghua and Peking University.

Yang Yingwen's banner was the most flashy, with the words "Provincial Science Top Scorer" stealing the spotlight.

After stopping to watch for a short while, just as he was about to pass through the reception room to enter the school gate, a flurry of footsteps came from behind, followed by someone patting his right shoulder.

Then his left shoulder was patted.

Li Heng didn't need to turn around to know who it was: "Comrade Sun Manning, long time no see."

"Hee hee, how did you guess it was me?" Sun Manning poked her head out to ask.

Li Heng smiled and said: "That's not hard to guess. Among the people I know, only you dare to be so unscrupulous with me."

Sun Manning asked: "What are you here for? Looking for Song Yu?"

Li Heng pressed: "Where did she go? Didn't she come back after the results were out?"

Sun Manning said: "She came back once, but left after staying for two days. She went back to her father's hometown, Dongtinghu."

Li Heng felt depressed.

Sun Manning asked: "Have you had breakfast?"

Li Heng shook his head.

Sun Manning said happily: "Let's go, I'll treat you."

Crossing the road to a beef noodle shop, Sun Manning raised her hand and shouted: "Boss, two bowls of beef noodles, add fried eggs, make it spicy!"

The boss asked: "Manning, didn't you just have breakfast?"

Sun Manning blinked and said: "I wasn't full, having another bowl."

A fool wouldn't take money when it's offered; the old boss's face blossomed with joy.

While waiting for the meal, Sun Manning asked: "Why aren't you in high spirits? Is it because of the college entrance exam? Or because you didn't see Song Yu?"

Li Heng said: "I'm thinking about taking a trip to Dongtinghu."

"Ah? Chasing love for a thousand miles?" Sun Manning was shocked, then covered her mouth and laughed.

Li Heng glanced at her: "How come I feel like you're gloating because I didn't do well on the exam? Are you happy because you have company?"

"No way!" Sun Manning covered her mouth tightly, holding back her laughter.

Li Heng asked: "Have you seen Mai Sui?"

Sun Manning replied: "Yes, I went to play with her yesterday."

Li Heng asked: "How is she?"

Sun Manning said: "At first, she wasn't in a very good mood, cooped up at home and not going out, and even thought about repeating a year, but now she's slowly adjusting."

Li Heng smiled and said: "If she can't get over it one day, use my example to comfort her. She missed it by two points, I missed it by one; we're both in the same boat."

Sun Manning said embarrassedly: "I already used you to comfort her, don't mind it. But the effect was pretty good. How great it would be if the three of us were in the same school in the future; I can call you two to eat whenever I have nothing to do."

Li Heng teased her: "Aren't you afraid I won't be admitted to Fudan?"

Sun Manning put her hands on her hips: "I talked to the English teacher on the phone; you and Mai Sui are both fine."

At this moment, the beef noodles arrived. Sun Manning asked: "I can't finish it; while I haven't touched my chopsticks yet, do you want half?"

Li Heng didn't stand on ceremony; it was only half a bowl of noodles, a few mouthfuls, no effort at all.

After eating the beef noodles, Sun Manning rushed to pay the bill and then asked him: "With all these bags, did you just come back from outside? Are you going home?"

"Yeah."

"When are you leaving?"

"Going to catch the 11 o'clock bus."

"Whoa, so fast? I wanted to call you and Mai Sui so the three of us could go hiking." Having had no one to play with all summer vacation, Sun Manning, who had been lonely for a long time, was desperate to find companions.

"No, you go find Mai Sui. I have medicine in my bag, I need to rush back."

"For your father?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't keep you. The bus is here, hurry up and get on. See you when school starts."

"See you when school starts."

Leaving the First High School, Li Heng didn't go straight to the bus station. First, he met up with the dim-witted one, then went to Zhao Jing's house across from the Education Bureau.

Upon meeting, Li Ran secretly said to Li Heng: "See that? To see your dad, my mom has been dressing up all morning."

Li Heng glanced at Zhao Jing, who was fixing her hair in the mirror, feeling a bit like laughing or crying.

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(End of chapter)