Chapter 185

They say the most moving smile is a gentle one.

Her charming eyes, rippling like clear water, were filled with a faint warmth, but as she turned away, the corners of her mouth were as lonely as the moon, making one's heart ache.

Li Heng felt a blockage in his heart and, taking the opportunity of roller skating, quietly held her hand.

Song Yu lowered her eyes to look at their intertwined hands, then raised her head to gaze at him quietly. Her eyes were like a black hole, dark and slowly rotating, her aura fully unleashed, as if she wanted to suck him in and crush him.

Li Heng, feeling guilty, subconsciously looked away, but the next moment, he moved his gaze back calmly, bracing himself to look her in the eye.

For a time, you looked at me and I looked at you; time seemed to have stopped. The two seemed to have arrived in a world beyond the heavens, the surrounding noise disappeared, leaving only boundless darkness and dead silence.

After a long time, Song Yu, feeling his firm determination, sighed lightly, withdrew her gaze, and said calmly, "Zijin is very good to you."

"I know."

Li Heng responded. While teaching her to skate, he said in a deep voice, "I know I'm greedy, but I just can't let you go."

Song Yu was quiet and didn't make a sound.

Seeing that he was determined not to let go, she didn't stubbornly make things difficult for him in a crowded place, but instead focused her attention on learning skating techniques.

"Stand with your feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Yes, relax yourself, lean your upper body slightly forward. Good, look at the movement of my left and right feet, follow along..."

Because it was Song Yu's first time roller skating, Li Heng taught her very patiently. He first taught her basic movements like standing parallel, and after she was slightly familiar with it, he began to teach her to slide in a "figure-eight" shape.

Song Yu seemed to have forgotten the fact that he was holding her hand, and she learned very meticulously and seriously.

However, beginners always tend to fall. In less than 20 minutes, Li Heng had already rescued her no less than 15 times.

But even so, he still couldn't hold her up in the end. Her feet stumbled and tangled together, and then her whole body lost its center of gravity and fell forward.

Fortunately, Li Heng was quick-witted. Even though he was pulled off balance by the momentum of sliding, he still took a step forward to fall to the ground first, and then stretched out his hands to catch Song Yu, who was falling like Mount Tai.

Song Yu gave a light exclamation and fell heavily onto him. But with a human cushion, she didn't fall painfully. It was only when she came to her senses that she discovered their lips were close at hand, less than 3 centimeters apart. The hot waves of their breaths all hit each other's faces, warm and hot, like a thin mist lingering in their hearts.

To cover up her embarrassment, she brushed the hair behind her ear with her right hand, instinctively wanting to climb up, but discovered she was being held tightly and couldn't move at all.

Li Heng whispered in her ear, "Song Yu, it's so good to have you."

"Is that so? Go say that in front of Zijin." Song Yu was calm for a while before teasing him like this.

Li Heng didn't expect Li Heng to nod seriously, "There will be such a day."

Song Yu was quiet for a moment and didn't speak.

The skating rink was crowded with people, and lying on the ground like this wasn't appropriate. Li Heng released her at the right time. After the two stood up, he asked with concern, "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

Song Yu shook her head, "What about you? Did you fall and hurt yourself?"

Li Heng grinned, "You don't know me yet? I'm used to jumping around in the countryside since I was a kid; my skin is sturdy and durable, you don't need to worry."

Although he said so, Song Yu still carefully checked his back, and only after finding no problems did she continue to learn skating with him.

After this incident, the two seemed to have said nothing, yet it was as if they had said everything. The subsequent skating trip became increasingly harmonious and full of tacit understanding.

After more than an hour of practice, Song Yu was a bit tired and said to him, "I'm going to the side to rest for a while, you teach them."

Li Heng asked tentatively, "Ah? Teach them, aren't you jealous?"

Song Yu looked at him with a smile that wasn't a smile, took off her skates, put on her own shoes, and sat on the side to rest. Judging by her appearance, she didn't intend to skate anymore.

Xiao Feng was the worst, so Li Heng went to teach her.

Watching Li Heng and Xiao Feng whispering in the rink, Chen Lijun also changed her shoes, sat beside Song Yu, and asked, "I can feel that Li Heng likes you very much, not just an ordinary liking."

Song Yu was silent.

Chen Lijun asked, "Have you ever thought about snatching him from Chen Zijin..."

Before she finished speaking, seeing Song Yu turn her head to look at her, Chen Lijun stuck out her tongue, "Don't take it seriously, just joking."

Song Yu smiled indifferently and didn't take this to heart.

Chen Lijun complained, "I feel like I have no fate with skating. I fell so many times, my butt hurts to death. I'm not coming anymore, I don't like this sport."

Song Yu said quietly, "Me too."

Chen Lijun teased, "There are mostly boys in this situation, are you afraid he'll be jealous, so you don't plan to come anymore?"

Song Yu didn't make a sound, neither saying yes nor no.

After 6 o'clock in the afternoon, everyone left the skating rink in a sorry state. Except for Liu Li, who was full of zest, the four girls all said they wouldn't come again in the future; they couldn't learn it.

It made Liu Li dumbfounded, and in the end, he said dejectedly, "If none of you are playing anymore, then what's the point of me playing? I'll give up too."

Everyone laughed.

Returning to Peking University, after sitting in a circle on the grass and chatting for half an hour, Yang Yingwen was the first to leave and return to Tsinghua University.

Before leaving, Yang Yingwen pulled him aside and said privately, "Li Heng, you should still hold back a bit. You were holding Zijin at noon, and pursuing Song Yu in the afternoon; aren't you really afraid that the whole thing will be exposed one day?"

Li Heng said, "You don't understand me, I have no way back."

Yang Yingwen was speechless, "I really don't understand you, but you should at least avoid people a bit."

Li Heng nodded, "You are all not outsiders today, and you know almost everything about my affairs, so it doesn't matter to me. Naturally, I will pay attention to propriety in other places."

"Measuring by social status, we can't even catch up to half of you. I know I'm not qualified to advise you on anything. But since we are all acquaintances and friends, I just think you should think it over carefully and choose one you think is the most compatible to continue with. You can't have all three of them as your women, right?" Yang Yingwen said.

Li Heng really wanted to say "I want them all," but in this era of conservative thinking, this statement was too shocking and could scare people to death, so he said, "We are still young now, you will know in the future. Alright, it's getting late, you go back early, I won't see you off."

"Pfft, if I were Xiao Han or Song Yu, you'd have to see me off no matter how late it was," Yang Yingwen complained, waved his hand, and left, clean and neat.

Once Yang Yingwen left, Xiao Feng, Liu Li, and Chen Lijun—everyone—very perceptively said goodbye and left. The grass was suddenly left with only Li Heng and Song Yu.

Facing the evening breeze, they sat looking at each other for a while without talking; everything was understood without words.

After a long time, Li Heng broke the silence and said, "It's dinner time, invite me to the canteen for a meal."

Song Yu said okay.

Getting up and coming to the canteen, the two even ran into some acquaintances from the Law School. Song Yu exchanged a few pleasantries with them, then got two portions of rice, one for him and one she carried herself.

Finding a corner seat, the two didn't say much, just eating silently and unhurriedly. During this time, she picked some meat for him, just like the situation yesterday.

Looking at the meat piling up in his bowl, Li Heng couldn't help but ask, "We're about to part, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Song Yu thought for a while and said softly, "I wish you a safe journey tomorrow."

After saying this awkwardly, the two smiled at each other. Li Heng looked into her eyes and said, "I'll come see you again next time."

Feeling his persistence, Song Yu lowered her eyelids, looking down at the food in her bowl without expressing her stance. It wasn't until a long while later that she moved and picked all the remaining meat in her bowl for him.

At 6:30, after eating, the two walked for a while on campus. When they approached the girls' dormitory, Song Yu said quietly:

"Let's stop here, I'm going back to the dormitory, you go back to the hostel to rest early too. I won't see you off tomorrow."

Li Heng stared at her fixedly, wanting to speak but stopping.

Looking into each other's eyes, amidst his intense reluctance, Song Yu finally softened her heart, took a step back, and said with a composed temperament, "You can come whenever you want next time, I won't stop you."

"Hey, good." Getting the promise, Li Heng immediately turned from sorrow to joy.

Actually, there were conditions to her saying this, but she believed Li Heng could understand, so she didn't say it out loud.

"Then I'm going in, take care of yourself."

"Mm."

Song Yu left.

Li Heng stood in place for a while. When it was almost dark, he also took the bus back to the hostel near Ren University.

First, he washed up simply, then he began to read and write with single-minded devotion.

It was truly single-minded devotion, and he didn't know why either. Perhaps it was because he had seen Song Yu and Zijin in succession, so he felt very steady.

After 9 o'clock in the evening, just as he was immersed in his writing, a knock on the door sounded from outside.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it interrupted Li Heng's train of thought. He turned around and asked, "Who is it?"

"Li Heng, it's me." A pleasant voice like flowing mountain spring water came from outside.

Li Heng put down his pen, opened the door quickly, and the first thing he said was, "Wife, it's so late, I thought you weren't coming? I was already..."

Halfway through his sentence, he froze and shut his mouth.

He didn't expect Chen Xiaomi and Chen Gaoyuan to be following behind Zijin.

"Uncle, Aunt." Li Heng opened the door wide and stepped aside to let the three in.

Chen Gaoyuan nodded with a warm smile.

Chen Xiaomi explained, "Your Uncle Chen heard you were here and specifically came over to see you."

Li Heng only believed half of this.

Standing in the room and finally looking around, Chen Gaoyuan's gaze finally gathered on the handwritten manuscript, "Are you creating?"

"Mm, I'm writing the 28th chapter of 'Cultural Travel'," Li Heng said.

Lingering on the manuscript for a while, Chen Gaoyuan wanted to lean in to take a look but held back, saying to him:

"I heard from Xiaomi that Jianguo's health has improved, which proves the plaster is effective. You should urge him to come to the capital to see a doctor quickly, try not to drag it out."

Li Heng agreed fully.

Chen Xiaomi chimed in, "If you need anything, just ask me. I know quite a few people, maybe I can help."

Hearing this, Li Heng didn't stand on ceremony, "Uncle, Aunt, if my dad really comes over for treatment, he needs a place to stay. My thought is, can I buy a courtyard house?"

Chen Xiaomi said, "A courtyard house? That shouldn't be hard to find. Now that there's a craze for going abroad in the country, there are many people in the capital selling their property to go abroad. I'll help you inquire. What kind do you want?"

Li Heng pondered, "The area can be larger, one with complete procedures, and try not to have property rights disputes; I'm afraid of trouble."

Chen Xiaomi readily said okay.

Whether it was Chen Xiaomi or Chen Gaoyuan, neither had any issues with money, because they both knew the young man in front of them was no longer the same as he was back then and had a considerable fortune.

Chen Gaoyuan and Chen Xiaomi sat for a while and then left. Before leaving, Chen Xiaomi signaled him to come to the corridor outside.

Li Heng looked puzzled and followed her out.

Coming to the end of the corridor, Chen Xiaomi said to him, "Zijin's grandmother's family, including her two uncles and two aunts, all came to our house today."

Some things are understood as soon as you hear them. She was subtly telling him: The Chen family probably didn't allow Zijin to come over, but Zijin was acting willfully.

And Chen Gaoyuan was worried, so he specifically came over to check.

Li Heng understood why the other party told him this; what she wanted was an attitude, "I will treat Zijin well."

Chen Xiaomi was very satisfied with his answer and asked again, "When will 'Cultural Travel' be finished?"

Li Heng said, "It will take some time."

Hearing this, Chen Xiaomi extinguished the thought of asking him about his next work, wanting to wait until he finished writing 'Cultural Travel' before talking.

After Chen Gaoyuan and Chen Xiaomi left, Li Heng returned to the room and hugged Zijin, cheek to cheek, "Wife, I've wronged you."

"What did you call me?" Chen Zijin asked with a smile.

Li Heng blinked, "Wife."

"I just like hearing the word 'wife'." Saying this, Chen Zijin wrapped her arms around his neck and happily leaned in to kiss him.

And then another, and another...

This was it; the two were directly intertwined like glue and lacquer, the walls and chairs were all patterns, and the final destination was still the bed...

"Husband, you are truly gifted." After two hours of three struggles, Chen Zijin was a bit exhausted, her fingers tracing back and forth on his mouth.

"Hehe, I haven't had enough yet."

"Don't, I'm tired."

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning, the next time we meet will be New Year's Day. Are you still tired?"

"Leaving tomorrow morning, so fast?"

"Mm."

Li Heng talked about the matter of his high school English teacher.

After listening, Chen Zijin burrowed into his arms and said dejectedly, "I thought we could be together forever after the college entrance exam, but I didn't expect you to go to Fudan; before coming, I thought you could spend a complete day with me, but you're leaving again tomorrow morning. Sigh, when can you return to my side?"

Li Heng rubbed her back with his right hand, "They say distance creates beauty. Believe in our feelings, four years will pass quickly."

Chen Zijin closed her eyes, "I believe in you, but I don't believe in others."

Li Heng lowered his head to kiss her eyes, "Who are the others?"

Chen Zijin's eyelashes trembled, "Beautiful little vixens."

Hearing this pointed remark, Li Heng instinctively thought of Song Yu and Xiao Han, but didn't dare to make a sound.

After a long, romantic kiss, Chen Zijin pulled away from his mouth and suddenly asked, "Are Mai Sui and Manning also at Fudan?"

"Yes."

"I haven't seen them for a long time. Is Mai Sui even more charming and moving?"

Li Heng asked, "Why call her charming and moving?"

Chen Zijin said with a smile, "Aunt once saw Mai Sui, and she evaluated that Mai Sui would be a stunner in the mortal world in the future."

Li Heng was between laughter and tears, "Is that a compliment? Or an insult?"

Chen Zijin said, "If she doesn't seduce my man, then it's a compliment."

Li Heng reached out and pinched her, "I don't have that much charm, don't let people hear it and make a joke."

Chen Zijin hummed, "I'm just using a metaphor, don't punish your wife like this..."

"This is called punishment? It's only just begun..."

"Mm-hmm..."

(End of chapter)