Chapter 364: The Lamb to Be Slaughtered

When Li Heng opened his eyes, the pillow beside him was empty.

He blinked, immediately rolled out of bed, and walked out of the bedroom to find his scheming wife arranging breakfast on the sofa, a faint sweet smile on her face.

He had no idea what she was laughing about.

After waking up, she feared that someone might demand morning exercises again and be insatiable, so she got dressed and left the bed to avoid being too passive and unable to refuse.

Hearing the noise at the door, Xiao Han turned her head, smiling faintly: "Why are you staring at me like that? Don't you recognize me?"

Li Heng took a breath and walked over to ask: "Did you buy this breakfast?"

Who else were you expecting? Xiao Han playfully blinked. "Hurry up and put on your clothes. After breakfast, come back to school with me."

"Back to school? To Shanghai Medical University?" Li Heng asked.

"Yes, Professor Wen Yan's birthday is today—I need to rush back to celebrate with her," Xiao Han replied brightly.

"Alright, wait for me a moment."

Professor Wen Yan was like a second parent to his wife; in his past life, her comfortable life was entirely due to Professor Wen's guidance and unwavering support—he had never forgotten this debt.

After breakfast, the two left Building 26 one behind the other.

As they stepped past the courtyard gate, Li Heng looked around as usual and noticed that Buildings 24, 25, and 27 were all tightly shut.

Figures. Either they're not home, or they haven't woken up yet.

While waiting for the bus at the campus gate, he unexpectedly ran into his counselor, Liu Jia, accompanied by a young man.

The young man was short, slightly bald, with an ordinary face—he looked oddly out of place beside the counselor.

After pondering for a long while, he finally found the precise word to describe this odd feeling: incongruous.

Yes, incongruous. Perhaps it was his disproportionate body, his excessive weight and greasiness—his expensive clothes hung on him stiffly, comically.

He wasn't the only one with this impression; the occasional glances cast toward the counselor and the man by those nearby proved it.

"Teacher," Li Heng greeted politely.

The counselor glanced at him, then at the radiant Xiao Han, her surprise fleeting. "Are you two going shopping?"

"No, I'm just seeing my girlfriend back to school." Everyone at Fudan University already knew Xiao Han was his girlfriend—he had no reason to hide it, nor did he intend to.

As they chatted, the bus arrived, and the group boarded one after another.

To his surprise, just three stops later, another familiar face got on. It was Li Li Watching Li Guoyi.

This time, however, Li Li Watching Li Guoyi wasn't accompanied by Yue Yao, but by the senior sister he'd met at the bank before.

Li Heng and Li Li Watching Li Guoyi locked eyes across the crowd, then both deliberately looked away, silently choosing not to greet each other.

Xiao Han had seen the occupants of Room 325 in the campus cafeteria before and recognized Li Li Watching Li Guoyi at once. She whispered: "Did he switch girlfriends?"

Li Heng replied: "No, they're probably just friends."

Xiao Han frowned: "Then why didn't you say hello?"

Li Heng quietly took her hand and leaned close to whisper: "It's because my wife is too beautiful—these boys are shy."

Xiao Han rolled her eyes at him, suppressing a smile.

It took over an hour to reach Shanghai Medical University. First, they bought a cake and some other gifts. He gazed up at the faculty dormitory and feigned ignorance: "Which floor does Professor Wen live on?"

Xiao Han pointed: "Second floor, second room on the right."

They climbed the stairs, turned right, and arrived at the second door at the end of the corridor. Xiao Han knocked.

"Dong dong dong!"

"Dong dong dong!"

"Who is it?"

A frail old man's voice came from inside.

Xiao Han froze for a few seconds, about to announce herself, when the door opened from within, revealing a small, elderly man.

Oh!

Isn't this the president of Shanghai Medical University?

Damn it—he'd caught him and Xiao Han kissing in the little grove before!

To meet him the very first moment he stepped in—what bad luck. He was nearly socially dead.

Li Heng recognized him, and the old man recognized them too.

They stared at each other for several seconds. Xiao Han suppressed her embarrassment and spoke brightly: "President."

Li Heng followed suit.

The old man nodded kindly, took the cake, and turned to walk inside.

After changing shoes and entering, Li Heng found more people inside than expected—not only the old man's family, but also Professor Wen Yan's sister and her family of four, totaling twelve or thirteen people.

Hearing the news, Professor Wen Yan hurried from the kitchen, still wearing her apron:

"Hanhuan, you're here."

"Teacher, happy birthday."

Xiao Han hugged Professor Wen Yan warmly and offered her best wishes.

"You silly child, you came—that's enough. Why buy so many things?"

Professor Wen smiled, patted Xiao Han's arm, then turned to Li Heng, quickly sizing him up: "This is your boyfriend?"

"Yes, his name is Li Heng—he's studying at Fudan. You always said you wanted to meet him, so I brought him along," Xiao Han said, her dimple appearing.

"Excellent. Handsome and distinguished—truly a fine young man." Professor Wen nodded with a smile, then poured him a cup of hot tea: "I read your new book. It's very well written."

Li Heng was surprised, then instinctively glanced at the old man who had opened the door.

Seeing his expression, Professor Wen explained: "Your identity is too unusual, your story too legendary, your fame too great—and with that old man at Fudan boasting about you behind closed doors, nearly every university president in Shanghai has heard of you. Don't find it strange."

The "old man at Fudan" she meant was President Sun of Fudan University.

No wonder!

Li Heng suddenly understood—he'd recalled how President Wen had caught him and Xiao Han kissing before, yet hadn't scolded them, only teased them to find a more secluded spot next time.

Hearing Professor Wen praise his beloved, Xiao Han secretly rejoiced, but kept her face calm, as if to say: of course my Xiao Han has chosen a man this dazzling.

Only family members were present for Professor Wen Yan's birthday celebration. Li Heng didn't feel comfortable staying long; after lunch, he made a casual excuse and left.

After leaving the faculty dormitory, the two strolled around campus for a while. Later, Xiao Han murmured vaguely:

"Mr. Li, didn't you say you wanted to visit Old Ba? When are you going?"

Li Heng froze, startled. "Are you kicking me out?"

Their eyes met. A blush of indescribable shyness flickered across Xiao Han's face. She stammered: "I need to buy medicine… are you coming too?"

Li Heng nodded: "Of course I'm coming. You're my wife."

Xiao Han was defeated by his audacity. Without another word, she stepped past him and headed straight out of campus to find a pharmacy.

More than ten minutes later, she stopped in front of a pharmacy, hesitated for a long time, then finally stepped inside.

But halfway in, she turned back, pleading: "Wait outside. Give me some dignity."

Li Heng clicked his tongue. "Remember to check the expiration date. Don't buy the wrong thing."

Xiao Han's face burned. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and hurried inside.

"What would you like?"

The pharmacist noticed Xiao Han's rare beauty. Seeing her glance around nervously, he waited a moment, then finally asked.

Xiao Han quickly pointed in one direction, then immediately pulled her hand back.

The pharmacist glanced where she pointed, then back at the impossibly beautiful girl. He sighed inwardly—never in his life had he seen such a girl. She couldn't escape the fate of love and desire. Quietly, he took down the emergency contraceptive and handed it to her.

Xiao Han hastily stuffed the pill into her pocket. "How much?"

The pharmacist held up a finger.

Xiao Han counted out the money, placed it on the counter, then walked out calmly. Calmly—though her palms were sweating and her legs trembled.

In a secluded corner, she took the pill as instructed, then turned to Li Heng, frowning with grievance:

"If this turns out to be fake, you better remember to prepare a top-quality casket for us—solid wood, the best kind."

Li Heng bit back his laughter, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "It's broad daylight—why say such bad luck?"

Xiao Han instinctively tried to pull away, but then remembered last night's events and gave up. She sighed sadly:

"If my mom knew her precious daughter slept with you like this, she might break my legs."

Li Heng asked: "That serious?"

Xiao Han nodded firmly. "It'll be worse!"

Recalling his past life, Li Heng dared not take any chances—Wei Wei Wei Shiman, his mother-in-law, was no easy woman. In his previous life, they'd married by first acting, then informing—secretly getting the certificate before telling their families.

Even then, Wei Wei Wei Shiman treated them with cold silence—no shouting, no fighting—but refused to let them enter her home, until they had a child, when she slowly softened.

But even that softening had limits—it depended on the person. Wei Wei Wei Shiman treated their child as her own, raising it from infancy, spoiling it endlessly.

But for them? She'd speak to them only when in a good mood; otherwise, she ignored them like air. Whenever Li Heng visited Song Yu and Chen Chen Chen Zijin's homes, she'd mock her daughter.

The most frequent jab she made: "Useless. I gave you such beautiful genes, and you can't even hold onto a man? Get him in bed, drain him dry—then why does he run off?"

Every time she heard her mother say that, Xiao Han had no reply. Who drained whom? He had too many tricks—she was no match for him in bed.

After spending a full day and night at Shanghai Medical University, by the time dawn barely broke the next day, Xiao Han insisted he leave.

Li Heng was deeply annoyed: "Am I really that unwelcome? Or have you already forgotten my good deeds after eating and drinking?"

Xiao Han couldn't bear to hear that. She turned her back to him, pitifully whispering: "If you don't leave now, my legs will be ruined."

Li Heng glanced down at his subordinate—indeed, it was absurdly powerful. "Then go back to your dorm and rest. I'll visit Professor Wen."

"Mm."

Hearing that, Xiao Han turned over, got dressed, and got out of bed.

As he boarded the bus, Li Heng hugged her and whispered: "I'll come see you again next weekend."

Xiao Han's heart pounded as he quickly tilted his head back, forcing a smile worse than a sob while frantically waving his hands: "No, no need—I'll be assisting my professor with an experiment next week. Take two days off, rest well."

Li Heng asked with a faint, unreadable smile: "What are you afraid of?"

Inside, Xiao Han muttered to herself: What am I afraid of? Don't you know exactly what it is?

Seven-tenths full is delicious; can eating until you vomit still be called delicious?

Who could possibly endure such abuse, a girl as beautiful as a flower?

Li Heng left.

Back in the dormitory, Xiao Han, having survived a major event, wrote her diary as usual.

Diary entry:

April 2, sunny.

After a month apart, I couldn't wait to visit Honey at Fudan—far away, my first glance filled me with joy.

The second glance—the big bed descended from the sky, and I became a lamb awaiting slaughter.

As I wrote this, my pen halted on the final stroke of the character " Yang." By the time I realized it, the tip had smudged into a small blue dot.

I continued writing: The night before last, I gave him my most precious first time. The process was difficult, but I have no regrets—I truly love him.

As for the process, I wanted to run away at first. While enjoying his affection, I kept daydreaming about escaping—would he want to beat me to a pulp if he knew?

My body burned hotter than red-hot steel. His casual flick of the finger left me unable to calm the intoxicating, feverish longing, no matter how much I muttered to myself.

At this point, Xiao Han paused, thinking silently: Could Chen Chen Chen Zijin have felt the same?

Thinking of Chen Chen Chen Zijin, she wrote: The Xiao Han of today is no longer the Xiao Han of middle school, is she?

So shouldn't some stories now reach a turning point?

After all, I'm no longer at an age where merely pining in secret can satisfy me.

In Xu Hui, Li Heng took two bus transfers to reach No. 113 Wukang Road.

He looked up at the three-story Western-style house, gazed at the white magnolias in the courtyard, tidied himself slightly, then rang the doorbell.

"Ding ling, ding ling."

"Hey, little brother, when did you get back to Shanghai?" Li Sister Xiao Lin rushed out the moment the bell rang, asking with evident delight.

Li Heng replied: "I came back on Friday. Had some school matters to handle, only got time today."

He then asked: "Sister Sister Xiao Lin, how is the teacher's health?"

"Doing fine—he's in the living room drinking tea and chatting. Today's lucky—Sister Sister Liao Da is here too," Li Sister Xiao Lin answered.

Sister Sister Liao Da was Editor Sister Sister Liao.

Li Heng instinctively glanced at his watch on his left wrist: 9:34.

Time was still early.

But remembering it was the weekend, he relaxed—Editor Sister Sister Liao probably didn't need to clock in on time.

Following his sister through the courtyard, Li Heng finally met Old Master Ba and Editor Sister Sister Liao.

"Teacher," Li Heng walked over and bowed respectfully.

Old Master Ba scanned him up and down, then pointed to a chair beside him: "Sit. Tell me about the scenery of Bai Bai Bai Luyuan."

"Ah, okay!"

As an elder requested, Li Heng naturally didn't refuse—he proceeded to recount everything he had seen and experienced in Bai Bai Bai Luyuan.

Old Master Ba, Editor Sister Sister Liao, and Li Sister Xiao Lin listened intently, not interrupting once.

Only when he mentioned having completed twenty-four chapters did Editor Sister Sister Liao finally interject: "Over half a million words? You've written half already?"

Li Heng said yes.

Editor Sister Sister Liao pressed eagerly: "Did you bring the manuscript?"

Li Heng nodded.

He had planned to visit his teacher anyway—how could he forget such an important thing? He opened his backpack and pulled out a thick stack of manuscript pages.

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