Chapter 129: Stealing the Home: A Guide (Subscription Request!)

Passing through the living room, Yang Yingwen walked straight into the bedroom and slapped the blanket covering Xiao Han’s head.

“Stop pretending to sleep—who are you fooling with this act?”

After a long while, Xiao Han pulled the blanket down slightly, peeked out, and glanced nervously toward the door: “He didn’t come looking for me, did he?”

Yang Yingwen found it amusing, slipped the note directly into Xiao Han’s palm, then turned and closed the bedroom door.

Holding the note, she glanced at it for two seconds, then eagerly unfolded it—the message was brief, just one sentence.

But after reading it, Xiao Han froze in place.

The note read: Stop sleeping in. Let’s go on a date.

Seeing her friend stunned like she’d been bewitched, Yang Yingwen waved her hand in front of her face. “Hey, wake up—you’re drooling.”

“That’s exaggerated.” Xiao Han’s eyelids fluttered as she came to, smiling sweetly. She carefully tucked the note away, then sprang out of bed like a breeze, yanked open the wardrobe, and began rummaging for clothes, brushing her hair, and getting dressed.

Watching her friend’s drastic transformation, Yang Yingwen couldn’t help mocking: “What exactly did he do to you?”

“How effective is that?”

“I feel like your heart’s already flown out the window.”

Xiao Han smiled faintly, thinking: I’m going to meet my crush—he’s never asked me out before. Oh! How ambiguous! This is torture—what should I wear?

After carefully selecting and matching her outfit, she turned to Yang Yingwen: “How does it look?”

Her beautiful hair, soft as silk, draped lazily over her shoulders and chest, glowing gently; she wore a light blue casual top and black straight-leg seven-eighths pants—simple yet elegant, like a lotus rising from water, graceful and radiant.

“Is it okay?” Seeing her friend staring blankly, Xiao Han tilted her head, earnest and slightly shy.

Yang Yingwen shook her head.

Xiao Han looked at her, puzzled.

Yang Yingwen sighed inwardly: “Good genes let you do whatever you want. Even when you’re plain and unadorned, you’re stunning—now that you’ve dressed up, I’m afraid he won’t have the willpower to resist. Remember to protect yourself.”

Hearing this, Xiao Han stepped before the mirror, gazing at her reflection—like a peony in full bloom—and feigned a melancholy sigh:

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to look like this—it’s just that my assets are too generous to let me be ordinary.”

Yang Yingwen, already envious, nearly wanted to hit her. “You two are truly made for each other—both love showing off in front of me. Ugh! Go already—he’s been waiting outside for ages.”

Xiao Han, delighted, said nothing more, grabbed her bag, and slipped quietly out of the bedroom, heading straight for the door.

Just as the two girls opened the door to leave, a voice called out behind them: “Hanhuan, Yingwen, where are you going?”

Xiao Han shot Yang Yingwen a covert glance; Yang immediately turned and replied: “Auntie, today’s market day—I’m taking Xiao Han to browse the stalls.”

Wei Shiman glanced at the wall clock. “It’s still early. Eat breakfast first—I’m already cooking, it’ll be ready soon.”

Xiao Han said: “Mom, I made plans with Xiao Feng to meet at eight for wonton.”

Hearing she had plans with a friend, Wei Shiman didn’t press further—Xiao Feng was one of her favorite girls. “Then go. Watch out for pickpockets. Did you bring enough money?”

Xiao Han patted her bag. “Got it,” she said, then hurried out of the house.

Yang Yingwen politely added: “Auntie, we’re off.”

Yang Yingwen politely said, “Auntie, then we’re off.”

Wei Shiman nodded and followed them into the hallway, watching as the two passed through the guard room below.

Outside on the street, Yang Yingwen, who had held her tongue until now, asked: “Li Heng just showed up and you’re skipping breakfast—aren’t you afraid your mom will suspect?”

Xiao Han replied confidently: “No.”

Yang Yingwen asked: “Why?”

Xiao Han smiled shyly: “My mom trusts me more than she trusts herself.”

Xiao Han smiled slightly, embarrassed: “Mom trusts me more than she trusts herself.”

Yang Yingwen still didn’t understand: “You’re usually so cold and reserved, your face always bearing ‘Keep Away’ written on it—yet you fell for Li Heng. What kind of witch’s brew did he feed you?”

Xiao Han tightened her grip on her bag, sighing sweetly yet helplessly: This is just how it is—one thing tames another. It’s fate.

Then she wondered inwardly:

Am I caring too much?

Why do I jump to obey him just because he asked for a date? Even lied to my own mother—will he laugh at me?

Her hands trembled with nervous excitement as she recalled how, right after the college entrance exam, he’d rushed straight to Beijing. She thought her outfit now looked ridiculous.

She’d never cared much about dressing up before, never agonized over what to wear—but today, after carefully choosing, though she wore no makeup, she looked utterly different from her usual self.

Even though she still resented that his heart held Chen Zijin and Song Yu, her careful selection and frantic anxiety had been genuine—no matter how hard she told herself to stay calm, she couldn’t help it. After all, she was just a young girl who had waited years for love.

Leaving the town government compound, walking about 150 meters toward the bus station, the two girls spotted Li Heng beneath a streetlamp at a corner.

Yang Yingwen asked: “His target is you—should I step aside?”

Xiao Han admitted weakly: “I’m nervous.”

Yang Yingwen frowned: “You love him so much—he’s making the first move after all. Why are you nervous?”

Xiao Han looked pitiful: “I don’t know.”

“I really owe you both. Fine, let’s go!” Yang Yingwen gave in and followed her toward him.

Xiao Han walked calmly up to Li Heng, looked up, and smiled: “Mr. Li, long time no see. You’ve changed a lot.”

“Huh? It’s only been a month—really that much?” Li Heng glanced down at himself.

Xiao Han praised earnestly: “No wonder you’ve been to Beijing—you radiate pure masculinity.”

Hearing this sarcastic tone, Li Heng instantly understood. He turned sharply toward Yang Yingwen with a cold glare: “Old rag, spreading gossip behind my back is a coward’s trick!”

Yang Yingwen lifted her chin defiantly: “I’m not afraid to speak the truth—I just don’t want Xiao Han deceived. What? Are you trying to silence me?”

Li Heng was speechless, rolling his eyes. “I went to Beijing to get medicine for my dad, I went to Gansu, I went to Sichuan and the Liu Hou Shrine in Yongzhou—did you mention any of that?

I spent the whole trip gathering material for my new novel—did you say anything?

I skipped Peking University just so I could go to Shanghai with Xiao Han—did you say anything?”

As he said this last line, Li Heng felt a twinge of guilt.

But only for a moment.

After all, it was half-true. Without Xiao Han, even if he hadn’t gotten into Peking University, he still had every chance to go.

After all, it was half-true. If not for Xiao Han, he would have had an absolute chance to go to Peking University even if he hadn’t passed the entrance exam.

The rest of Yang Yingwen’s retort died on her lips—she knew these were all facts. He’d even invited her just that morning to join him on a trip for his new novel.

Seeing Li Heng glare at her like a hungry tiger, Yang Yingwen, unwilling to lie, turned to Xiao Han: “What he just said is true—I’ll tell you the details later.”

Seeing Li Heng glare at him like a ferocious tiger, Yang Yingwen ultimately didn’t lie—he turned to Xiao Han and said, “What he just said is true. I’ll explain the details to you later.”

Li Heng grunted: “I’ll give you a tip—someone’s clueless at the wonton shop.”

Without regard for the setting, he grabbed Xiao Han’s hand and pulled her away.

“Mr. Li, where are we going?”

“Follow me.”

“Aren’t we meeting them for breakfast at the wonton shop?”

“We don’t need a third wheel on a date!”

Seeing him stare at her with such bold confidence, Xiao Han’s ears burned. She lowered her head, unable to look at him, her voice dry: “As you wish.”

Li Heng studied her for a moment, then frowned: “Not bad. You know you messed up.”

“I didn’t!” she protested defensively.

Li Heng cut in mercilessly: “You just tried to stir up trouble between me and Yang Yingwen—wasn’t that just to make me explain why I went to Beijing this summer? Why I didn’t come back for a month?”

Her secret motives laid bare, Xiao Han fell silent, only said brightly: “Textbooks say you don’t act so arrogant on a date.”

Li Heng paused, then looked her over. “You look beautiful today.”

Xiao Han didn’t modestly deny it. She lifted her head, eyes and lips curved: “I know. If I weren’t beautiful, you wouldn’t have shown up today.”

Hearing this, Li Heng leaned in, staring intently at her—left, right, up, down.

He stared until her face, neck, and body flushed red, until she felt utterly uncomfortable, until her hands and feet fumbled in panic—then he spoke slowly:

“I have a blue shirt at home. If I’d known you’d wear blue, I’d have worn mine too—we could’ve matched as a couple.”

Always attacking my heart, Xiao Han wanted to mutter a sarcastic remark—but the thought made her laugh. She tugged his hand forward. “Let’s go.”

Walking side by side for a while, Li Heng asked cautiously: “Still mad?”

Xiao Han knew what he meant. She brightened: “Do you want me to be mad?

Or are you just feeling guilty?

Coming all this way just to sweet-talk me after ignoring me for so long?”

Li Heng countered: “Between us, nothing needs sweet-talking.”

Xiao Han turned her head away, walking forward, her eyes and lips brimming with honey. She didn’t know why she was so happy—she walked step by step with intense focus, as if each footstep bloomed a bright red azalea beneath her.

When they reached a crowded area, she subtly slipped her hand away and turned down a narrow alley.

Li Heng asked: “Do people here know you?”

Xiao Han gave a soft hum: “My mom often comes here.”

Li Heng asked again: “Am I so shameful you won’t hold my hand? You take me down this dark alley—afraid your mom will hear?”

Xiao Han smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Li Heng half-turned, boldly studying her flushed cheeks and lively eyes, and said, almost against his will:

“Xiao Han, if your mom found out we’re like this, would she come after us with a kitchen knife?”

A breeze brushed past her ear, strands of hair tickling her cheek. Xiao Han bit her lower lip: “What do you mean, ‘like this’?”

Seeing no one at either end of the alley, Li Heng quickly leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Like this.”

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(End of chapter)