Chapter 366: The Opportunity Has Arrived (Request Subscription!)

This semester, Yu Laoshi occasionally rescheduled or made up classes, and the students were already used to it.

Dressed all in black, tall and slender, exuding an air of scholarly grace. Still as elegant as ever, still radiating powerful presence—when she stepped into the classroom, the previously noisy group fell utterly silent.

Everyone, boys and girls alike, raised their heads to stare at her.

She hadn't returned to Lushan Village in a long time; every time Li Heng saw her in class, he felt a strange unease and couldn't help but glance at her a few extra times.

During class, Yu Yu Yu Shuheng always switched effortlessly between her icy demeanor and her warm, jade-like gentleness. After glancing with the corner of her eye toward the left-back corner of the classroom, she began her lesson.

Liu Yue suddenly passed over a note: Yu Laoshi seems to have changed.

Li Heng asked: What's changed?

Liu Yue wrote with her pen: Though she smiles on the surface, inside she's colder than before.

Li Heng carefully observed the front of the classroom for a moment and asked: Are you sure? I can't sense it at all.

Liu Yue wrote: Woman's intuition.

Li Heng asked: What else does your intuition tell you?

Liu Yue thought for a moment and wrote: It's as if she's lost something precious—something that hit her hard.

Li Heng replied: That's impressive.

Liu Yue wrote: I'm just making it up.

Since in his past life he ran an overseas training agency, English was Li Heng's strong suit—even without studying, he could score high.

After briefly previewing the textbook, bored and idle, Li Heng began opening his letters.

The first one was from Yang Ying.

It was thick, with four sheets of paper covered in writing—but it only mentioned two things.

One was to congratulate him: congratulating him on being with Xiao Han, wishing them lasting happiness.

Seeing this, Li Heng guessed that Old Lao Mabu must have been in close contact with Xiao Han—the sly little wife had told her about dating him.

The other matter was Yang Ying bringing up again the domestic study-abroad craze and her idea of making money from students going abroad.

This was the second time Old Lao Mabu had mentioned it.

Last semester's end, she'd written him a letter specifically about it; he'd planned to discuss it properly with her during winter break, but Yang Ying didn't come home at all, so he never got the chance.

But he knew—she'd written him twice about this because she still wanted him to join her.

Or more plainly, the immense fame from his career as a writer had stirred some envy and admiration in her; though she never said it aloud, his success had quietly won her over.

So she wanted to ask Li Heng—whether this idea was even feasible.

She was anxious, needing validation, needing confidence—and those were exactly what Li Heng could give her.

Recalling his past and present lives, Li Heng thought for a moment, then pulled out paper and pen from his bag and wrote a thoughtful reply.

In the letter, Li Heng lavished praise on her—praising her vision, agreeing her idea was practical, and affirming that one could mine the first gold from the study-abroad boom.

He didn't hold back: not only did he offer moral support, but also drew on his past experience co-founding an overseas training agency to suggest some original ideas.

He even implanted into her the now-famous New Oriental model, writing three full pages without pause.

After finishing, he reviewed it once, then added at the end: Paper has limits—let's meet in person to discuss further.

There was no help for it; though he'd briefly explained the New Oriental model, writing it down was exhausting, and he couldn't convey the specific details and methods this way—otherwise he'd have to write dozens of letters.

After replying to Yang Ying, Li Heng paused, caught his breath, and looked up at the podium.

And then…!

Whoa! Yu Laoshi wasn't at the podium—she'd somehow moved to his right rear and was now standing with arms crossed, watching him.

Li Heng snapped back to reality, turned around, met her gaze for two seconds, and said: "Teacher."

Yu Yu Yu Shuheng gave him a faint nod, then lowered her arms and elegantly walked down the aisle to the podium.

Li Heng watched her back for a moment, then wrote a note to his desk-mate Liu Yue: When did she come up behind me?

Liu Yue replied: She's been there a while.

Li Heng pressed: How long is "a while"?

Liu Yue replied: Didn't check the time—probably several minutes.

Li Heng was stunned: She's not teaching?

Liu Yue replied: Obviously you weren't listening—she said her throat hurt, so the second half is self-study.

Li Heng wrote: Why didn't you warn me?

Liu Yue replied coolly: You're not even my little aunt's husband—I have no obligation.

Li Heng's eyelid twitched; he crumpled the note and tossed it into the trash.

Seeing this, Liu Yue hesitated, then bent down and picked the crumpled paper back up.

Li Heng didn't understand—he stared at her, baffled.

Liu Yue gestured with her hand over her body: "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you thinking of a reckless twilight romance now that I'm going abroad?"

Li Heng asked casually: "What's a reckless twilight romance?"

Liu Yue leaned close and whispered: "Honestly, your qualities are still pretty tempting to women.

If you really can't stand my little aunt, how about we sleep together tomorrow night? Afterward, I'll leave—you won't have to take responsibility."

Li Heng's face twitched; he shifted away and warned: "Don't joke around—Teacher's watching you."

Liu Yue turned her head—and locked eyes with Yu Yu Yu Shuheng's gaze.

In the next instant, the girl smiled faintly, then casually slipped her arm through Li Heng's, pretending to be affectionate.

Li Heng jumped, quickly pulling his arm free: "What are you doing in public?"

Liu Yue pouted: "It's fine—we're in the back row, no one can see. I'm just getting under her skin—who else would dare steal your heart from my little aunt? Since I suspect it, I'd rather overreact than miss the chance."

Li Heng glared at her fiercely: "Can you stop talking nonsense? Can you just be a normal person?"

"Pfft!"

Liu Yue stretched lazily and said brazenly: "I'm going abroad—I'm not afraid of her. Why else would she stand behind you so long? Those who know know she's your teacher; those who don't might think she likes you."

Li Heng: "."

Seeing he was silent, Liu Yue suddenly remembered something, tore off another note, and wrote: Could she really like you?

Li Heng replied irritably: Do you think that's possible?

Liu Yue wrote: Why not? Men marry, women wed. You disappeared for a month last time—she vanished for over ten days too. I strongly suspect you two were together.

Li Heng was speechless—this girl's intuition was terrifyingly accurate.

Seeing his expression darken, Liu Yue's eyes darted, then she wisely changed the subject, writing: Last week I went to my little aunt's house and saw her asleep on the sofa, calling your name.

Li Heng replied: Nice story—keep going.

Liu Yue wrote: How do you know I'm lying?

Li Heng replied: People dream of sex in bed.

Liu Yue read the note three times, then grinned brightly and wrote: You have experience?

Li Heng asked: Have you never had a sex dream?

Liu Yue wrote: I have—me, you, and little…

She deliberately left it unfinished, then gave him a knowing look.

That ambiguous look completely flustered Li Heng. Damn it! At this moment, he desperately wanted to know how this shameless girl had turned out like this?

Had heaven been napping when she was born?

The bell rang. Yu Yu Yu Shuheng, who never extended class, closed her book, announced "Class dismissed," and turned to leave immediately.

Her exit was so effortlessly graceful—many girls later imitated it—but Liu Yue said: "How boring."

Li Heng asked: "Do you hate Yu Laoshi?"

"No, just mutual dislike between beautiful women. And if I can annoy her a little, who knows—maybe she really likes you? Then she's my little aunt's rival. Since I suspect it, I'd rather overdo it than miss the chance."

Smiling sweetly, Liu Yue made a slashing motion across her neck—giving him an utterly compelling reason.

Fine, this conversation was over.

Li Heng rolled his eyes, packed his things, and stood to leave.

Just as he stepped out of the classroom and headed toward the accounting class across the hall to find Mai Sui, a plump, cutesy voice called from behind: "Master."

Li Heng sidestepped to avoid Li Xian, who rushed toward him.

He asked: "Princess Xian, what do you want?"

Li Xian spun around in front of him and asked cheerfully: "Master, do you think I've gotten a bit fatter?"

Li Heng looked her up and down and shook his head: "No."

Li Xian pouted: "Then check my chest—has it gotten bigger?"

Li Heng: "."

Realizing she'd said something inappropriate, Li Xian wasn't embarrassed—instead, she indignantly complained: "Recently, a line in a book offended me."

Li Heng asked curiously: "What line?"

Li Xian angrily said: "A valley without an echo isn't worth jumping into."

I thought to myself—Master, you don't like me, is it because you think my chest is too small?"

Li Heng laughed helplessly: "What nonsense. What kind of logic is that?"

"Don't laugh!!!"

Li Xian asked: "At the start of last semester, I chased you relentlessly—why didn't you even look at me?"

Li Heng said: "I had a girlfriend."

"Liar! I analyzed it—you and Xiao Han only got together later." Li Xian giggled, then asked: "Master, I'm entering a speech contest this weekend—can you come watch?"

Li Heng was stunned: "You're entering a speech contest?"

"That's right! You're amazed too, right? But my student's Mandarin has improved so much now—lots of people say I sound really funny. It's all about participation, anyway." Li Xian exaggerated her tone, spouting a stream of particles and a peculiar accent that made him laugh.

"Fine, where's the competition? I'll make time to come." Li Heng was generous with his support.

"Xianghui Hall, Sunday evening at 6:30 sharp. Don't forget, okay?" Li Xian reiterated with extra emphasis.

Li Heng nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

After parting with Li Xian, he headed straight to Finance Class 2.

To his surprise, the classroom was completely empty—no class?

Did I misremember? Are there no classes for Mai Sui this afternoon, seventh and eighth periods?

With doubt in mind, he walked to the front of the room to check the schedule. After searching, he realized he hadn't misremembered—Finance Class 2 must have changed their timetable today.

He stared at the schedule for a while, then left the School of Management building and headed toward the outdoor market.

He hadn't cooked in a while and suddenly felt the urge to make a few dishes to improve his meals.

Familiar with the market, he wandered around and bought potatoes, planning to make spicy sour shredded potatoes; then he bought pork ribs and small fish and shrimp.

Three dishes should be enough for one person.

Since he hadn't found Mai Sui in the classroom, he had no intention of searching for her deliberately.

Because he sensed that recently, both Professor Yu and Mai Sui had been deliberately keeping their distance from him.

At first, he hadn't thought much of it, assuming he was so absorbed in writing that they didn't want to disturb him.

But after a whole month of this, even if he were a fool, he'd have figured it out by now.

After much thought, he realized the problem lay with himself.

Ever since he and Xiao Han became intimate, the old lively atmosphere had gradually vanished. Mai Sui, unwilling to intrude on his private life, had drastically reduced her visits to Building 26—by more than half.

Rain was coming again. Li Heng looked up at the overcast sky, muttered something, and hurried toward Lushan Village.

"Hey, Old Fu, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"

In the alley, Li Heng encountered the fake Daoist running fast, holding a lunchbox.

Old Fu shook the lunchbox. "Going to deliver food to Chen Chen Siya."

Li Heng asked, "Aren't there plenty of restaurants near the piano training center? Why go all the way there?"

"Ah, Chen Chen Siya's pregnant. The food there doesn't suit her taste, so I'm cooking for her myself." As he spoke, joy radiated from his face, impossible to hide.

"So fast? You've finally had your reward after hardship—congratulations!"

Li Heng leaned in. "Open it up—I want to see. With your pitiful cooking, what kind of magic could you possibly have made? That's strange."

Old Fu opened the lunchbox. Inside lay a Hunan dish: spicy sour chicken gizzards.

Smelling the aroma, Li Heng asked, "Looks, smells, tastes great—pretty good. When did you sneak this from me? You never paid tuition."

"You said it yourself—it's stolen learning. Why pay tuition? By the way, why haven't you been cooking lately? I was hoping to learn a few dishes from you." Old Fu grinned.

Li Heng opened his bag, revealing the fresh ingredients inside. "I'm planning to cook tonight. If you want to learn anything, tell me then—I'll teach you step by step."

"Alright, I'll come back later." Old Fu closed the lunchbox.

Li Heng said, "No problem."

Watching Old Fu hurry off, Li Heng turned back and continued down the alley. Huh? Is Building 27 open today?

That smell—beef. Is Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe cooking?

His nose was the best—he smelled the food from over ten meters away.

He wasn't sure when it started, but from Monday to Friday, Building 27 was usually locked tight—they rarely came back.

Maybe they returned during free time, but he was busy in his study and didn't notice.

As he passed Building 27, he paused, thought for a moment, then abandoned the idea of going home immediately. Instead, he knocked on the gate.

"Dong dong dong!"

"Dong dong dong!"

After two rounds of knocking, a delicate figure emerged—no one else but Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe.

They gazed at each other through the gate crack for a few seconds, then Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe opened the gate halfway and spoke gently, "Aren't you writing today?"

"Just got back from class."

Li Heng replied, then asked, "Is Mai Sui here?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe shook her head slightly. "No."

Li Heng asked, "Are you alone at home?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe said yes.

Li Heng frowned, looking straight into her eyes. "Hey, since I came back from Bai Bai Bai Luyuan, we've become strangely distant. Even our conversations feel formal."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe smiled understandingly, then opened both gates fully—her action showed he'd overthought it.

Seeing this, Li Heng stepped inside and pressed his earlier question: "Where did she go?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe closed the gate and replied softly, "Suisui and Ye Ning are at the student union meeting. They'll be back later."

So that's how it was. After understanding the situation, he walked straight through the main house into the kitchen.

The small lid on the pressure cooker was spinning rapidly, with white steam spurting continuously from the vent.

Li Heng asked, "Is that beef stewing in there?"

"Mm." Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe hummed.

Li Heng turned to face her. "Do you know why I came to see you today?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe watched him quietly, waiting.

Li Heng asked, "Last weekend, didn't you stew lamb?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe thought back, then nodded.

Li Heng asked again, "And the weekend before that—didn't you stew dog meat?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe nodded again.

Li Heng stepped closer, complaining, "You know I love meat. Such delicious food—why didn't you invite me?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe smiled sweetly and said calmly, "Sun Man said we shouldn't disturb you and Xiao Han's private time, so we didn't dare invite you."

Li Heng asked, "Was that just Sun Man's idea—or did all of you agree?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe stood elegantly by the kitchen door, silent.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Li Heng glanced again at the steaming pressure cooker and grumbled:

"If you cooked this once or twice a month, I could tolerate it. But you do it every weekend—how am I supposed to bear it?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe looked at him, her eyes seeming to say: You cook so well—you could stew your own meat. No one would stop you.

Li Heng understood her meaning and replied immediately: "If I had time to cook, would I even be here asking you?"

He reached into his bag, pulled out two potatoes, and grabbed a large bowl from the cabinet. Then he thrust the bowl and potatoes toward her, bluntly saying:

"Here, take these two potatoes. Peel them and toss them into the beef stew. Cook them together."

"After it's done, just fish out the potatoes for me. Oh, and I don't want any beef—just taste the broth."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe stared at him, then at the potatoes, her lips slightly pursed as she fought back a smile—until she couldn't hold it anymore and lowered her head, giggling softly.

Li Heng urged, "Hey, don't laugh—can you do it or not?"

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe didn't answer. Instead, she extended her slender hands and picked up one potato in each.

Li Heng shook the bowl. "Here, take this bowl too. If you don't finish the beef stew, you can give me some broth—just a little, don't be generous. Half a bowl's enough."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe looked at him again with her clear, bright eyes, thought for a moment, then took the bowl.

Li Heng added, "Oh, and don't give me any beef—I only want broth. When it's done, please bring it over to me."

Zhou Zhou Zhou Shihe sighed, took the potatoes and bowl, stepped aside, and watched quietly as he left Building 27.

Once he vanished from sight, she looked at the potatoes, then the bowl, placed the bowl on the stove, picked up a knife, and squatted down to peel the potatoes.

After the interruption, Li Heng returned home with no appetite to cook. He pulled out the half-bottle of Erguotou left over from last time and five bottles of beer, then sat on the second-floor sofa and drank straight from the bottles.

As he drank, he opened five more letters.

First, he opened Chen Chen Chen Lijun's. He didn't know why this girl was writing to him.

After the college entrance exam in his past life, they lost contact. He heard her name again years later—by then, everything had changed, and he'd long given up on reconnecting.

But in this life, she'd unexpectedly written him a letter. He was genuinely surprised.

The envelope wasn't thick—just one sheet of paper inside.

And a photo—this exceeded his expectations.

It was a solo photo of her—in military uniform.

Li Heng stared at the photo for a moment, puzzled. Why was she in uniform? Had she joined the army?

A top student like her—why become a soldier?

He set the photo aside and began reading the letter.

The letter was short—only two paragraphs. The first answered his question: she really had joined the military.

But why? And which unit?

The letter didn't say.

The second paragraph asked: Li Heng, does Mai Sui like you?

She then explained: she'd suspected it for three years in high school but never dared ask.

Well, of course—nothing new under the sun. After all, they were all students who got into top universities. None of them were fools.

He'd always liked Chen Chen Chen Lijun. He wanted to reply—but at the very end, he read a line: Don't reply. You won't receive it.

He stared at that final line for a long while. Fine, if he couldn't receive it, he wouldn't reply. Later, he'd ask Mai Sui and Sun Man—maybe they knew more.

He neatly put the photo and letter away, took a small sip of Erguotou, then opened the next letter—from Li Xi and Li Wang.

I wonder if the two sisters had coordinated? They both wrote to me at once—what a coincidence.

His younger sister Li Wang wrote to him merely out of routine courtesy, as they had gotten along well during the Spring Festival back home, which led to this letter.

Li Wang said she was about to graduate from the National University of Singapore and planned to start a company targeting the mainland market, hoping to ride the wave of reform and opening-up to make her mark—but her family disagreed, preferring she first gain experience at a large corporation.

So she intended to visit the mainland for an initial survey, with Shencheng as her first stop and Hushi as her second.

Is she planning to develop in the mainland?

Li Heng's eyes lit up, and he immediately recalled Li Wang's life story from his previous existence.

Though she had faced many setbacks—her first three ventures all failed—her fourth one ultimately succeeded; she became a true winner. In terms of wealth alone, Yang Ying and he combined couldn't match her—she was unquestionably a billionaire.

A thought flashed through his mind, and without hesitation, Li Heng immediately replied with a letter, warmly welcoming her to visit Hushi and promising to treat her to the best food and drink.

After finishing the second reply, Li Heng immediately opened the third letter.

It was from his cousin Li Xi.

The letter was brief: Li Xi asked him again whether he had made any progress on the Wu Xia novel.

Wu Xia novel? Wu Xia novel? To be honest, he didn't believe in the Wu Xia genre at all; his earlier remark had merely been a casual attempt to cultivate a good relationship with this powerful woman.

In his previous life, he had met many impressive people, but the most formidable one he'd actually interacted with was Li Xi—how formidable? Her law firm had established partnerships with many prominent families in Hong Kong, and she was frequently featured in the news as the Queen of Law.

Li Heng pondered whether he should truly write a Wu Xia novel to test the waters—and if so, what should he write?

That didn't trouble him at all.

A Wu Xia television drama instantly surfaced in his mind: its title was "Feng Yun."

Then he wondered: why not write fantasy or sci-fi directly and go after the overseas market?

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(End of chapter)