Chapter 508: The Eve

Went up to the second floor.

Found clothes to change into, Zhou Shihe picked them up and entered the shower room.

As she passed the mirror on the bathroom wall, she inexplicably stopped, turning her head to gaze at her reflection.

Her eyebrows, faintly furrowed like mist, her eyes, half-smiling, full of emotion; her skin, snow-white, her features, jade-like; her hands, soft as tender silk; her bearing, graceful and light, poised with effortless elegance. Standing before the mirror, she was as radiant as a peach in early spring, her sentiments as delicate as a chrysanthemum in late autumn.

Recalling the way he stole glances at her in the study, recalling how his gaze lingered most often on her chest, Zhou Shihe's eyes drifted downward, settling on her own heart, gazing at the hazy allure within.

She fell into a long silence.

She washed her bath absentmindedly, taking a long time to emerge from the bathroom.

Yet the moment she stepped out and saw her best friend, Zhou Shihe shed her previous demeanor, speaking gently: "Sui Sui, let's go check the market first—we'll wash the clothes later."

Mai Sui handed her an umbrella; the two girls left Building 27, each holding an umbrella, walking along the cobblestone path.

As the rain grew heavier, the narrow alley remained empty; just before reaching its mouth, Mai Sui, on the left, softly asked: "Did you figure it out?"

The words came out of nowhere, nonsensical—but Zhou Shihe understood. She knew her friend was asking about the pregnancy test strip.

Zhou Shihe said nothing at first, stepping through the puddles for about twenty paces before softly saying, "Mm."

I knew it would be like this—I knew you couldn't hide it from perceptive Shihe.

Mai Sui was deeply troubled; after a long pause, she muttered: "I didn't have relations with him."

Zhou Shihe stopped walking, her petite face filled with astonishment, her eyes clearly asking: If you didn't, then why buy a pregnancy test?

After a moment of eye contact, Mai Sui understood her friend's look—but she had no way to explain.

This was precisely why Mai Sui had worried afterward.

If it had been only once, why would she have been so anxious these past days?

Sometimes she wondered: Was it really true, as Man Ning and Ning Ning said? That she was the reincarnation of Su Daji—the one most adept at seducing men?

That night, Li Heng's frenzy and obsession, she had seen it all, experienced it all. Though they hadn't taken the final step, in a certain sense, in terms of spiritual sensation, their pleasure had reached its peak!

In such circumstances, can she still claim purity? Can there still be talk of a "final step"?

The boundary was far too blurred!

Mai Sui knew she was still a virgin—but she had already shared the reality of a married couple with him.

Seeing her friend's turmoil, Zhou Shihe suddenly realized: Li Heng and Sui Sui must have lost control in the heat of passion, reaching the very threshold of the final step.

After walking a little further, Zhou Shihe asked gently: "Are you alright?"

She was asking about the test result.

Was she pregnant?

Mai Sui shook her head: "I don't know."

Zhou Shihe froze. "You don't know?"

Mai Sui avoided her friend's gaze, lowering her voice: "Today's test was negative. But the pharmacist said early tests are usually unreliable—it takes about a week past your missed period to be certain."

Zhou Shihe looked at her friend, bit her lip, looked again, then offered reassurance: "It's probably nothing—after all, after all, you two…"

She couldn't finish the sentence, so she changed tack: "Maybe your period's just late—it might come tonight."

Mai Sui sighed sadly: "I've always been regular—almost always on the 4th, never more than a day off."

Zhou Shihe fell silent.

After a long while, she asked: "Did you get caught in the rain or soak in cold water during summer? How have you been feeling lately?"

Mai Sui recalled: "I'm fine. Back home, I got caught in a few rains helping with the harvest, but that was a long time ago."

Hearing her routine and health were normal, Zhou Shihe had no further advice to offer, unsure how to comfort her, then asked: "If you did get pregnant unexpectedly, what would you do?"

"Unexpectedly pregnant?" Mai Sui's eyes were full of confusion.

Zhou Shihe felt pity: "You've come this far—why won't you fight?"

Mai Sui fell silent, then asked: "Do you think I can win against Professor Yu?"

The two friends looked at each other, both knowing the answer without speaking.

The old saying goes: Speak of Cao Cao, and he appears.

Fate is often so coincidental—just as the two girls mentioned Professor Yu, Yu Shuheng suddenly appeared in their line of sight.

Mai Sui, facing the school gate, spotted the professor first and immediately greeted: "Teacher."

Yu Shuheng smiled and asked: "It's raining so hard—where are you two going?"

As she spoke, Professor Yu nodded to Zhou Shihe.

Zhou Shihe smiled faintly in return.

To Zhou Shihe, she had originally held no ill will toward Professor Yu. But the latter had repeatedly suspected and distrusted her, growing tiresome, triggering her defiance—and their relationship slowly deteriorated.

Even so, both maintained good manners, exchanging polite greetings whenever they met in public.

Mai Sui replied: "We're buying groceries. Professor Yu, join us for dinner later."

Yu Shuheng looked again at Zhou Shihe, their eyes met briefly, and she agreed.

Professor Yu passed by, brushing past them.

After leaving the school gate, Mai Sui asked: "Will you still collaborate in the future?"

Zhou Shihe shook her head: "I don't know."

She truly didn't know.

If Li Heng invited her, emotionally and rationally, she couldn't openly refuse.

And if she didn't refuse, given Yu Shuheng's relationship with him, the three would inevitably still perform and collaborate together.

Mai Sui, Sun Man Ning, and Ye Ning had all sensed the subtle tension between Zhou Shihe and Professor Yu—but they didn't know the root lay with Li Heng; they assumed it stemmed from musical interpretation differences during collaboration.

Of course, those musical differences did deepen the rift between Zhou Shihe and Professor Yu.

But ultimately, it was Li Heng who had unknowingly fallen under Zhou Shihe's emotional spell, compounded by Zhou's beauty, demeanor, and family background posing a serious threat to Professor Yu—making reconciliation impossible.

At the market, the two girls bought tofu and fish specifically requested by Sun Man Ning and Ye Ning, then bought duck and ribs for Li Heng's taste, followed by selecting other vegetables—totaling less than half an hour.

But as they turned back, they found a crowd gathered at the school gate, many familiar faces from the School of Management.

Students passing by all paused involuntarily, their movements synchronized, gazing upward at the banner.

More precisely, teachers and student union members were hanging the banner, its message a standard official greeting: "Welcome to Our Campus, Mr. Jin Yong."

Mai Sui was slightly surprised: "Isn't Jin Yong in Hong Kong? Why suddenly coming to our school?"

Zhou Shihe smiled gently: "You're seeing only what's right before you—he's visiting Li Heng."

Mai Sui spun around instantly.

Zhou Shihe recounted everything Li Heng had said.

Mai Sui listened, puzzled: "If Jin Yong comes out so publicly, won't his identity as a writer be exposed?"

Zhou Shihe had considered this too, and concluded: "I think Li Heng wants it exposed—he likely has another purpose."

Mai Sui asked instinctively: "What purpose?"

Zhou Shihe paused, then speculated: "It might be related to his shoe factory. The Olympics are just days away; there've been many news reports on TV and in newspapers about Anta sponsoring China's team for the Seoul Olympics—I think he's aiming for that."

Mai Sui, a top student who earned her place at Fudan by merit, grasped it immediately: "You mean he wants to use his fame to expand Anta's market and build a premium brand?"

Zhou Shihe said: "Based on the news, the premium brand should be Li-Heng—Anta focuses on the mid-range market."

At this, the two girls exchanged glances, left the crowd, and hurried toward Lushan Village.

Halfway there, Mai Sui suddenly asked: "Shihe, do you think he'll succeed?"

"Yes."

Zhou Shihe's tone was certain; she continued, drawing from daily newspaper readings: "With his current status in the literary world, and the success of his pure music album, he can draw in the entire new generation of China.

Looking at the sales figures of 'To Live' and 'The Travel of Cultural Suffering'—each sold millions; combined with the massive influence of 'White Deer Plain,' his loyal readership numbers in the tens of millions, and a significant portion will inevitably become Anta consumers…"

Without reason, Mai Sui's eyes sparkled, her blood boiling.

If anyone in the world most wished Li Heng well, Mai Sui was surely among them—purely, without any ulterior motive.

PS: This morning, a senior told me many chapters were deleted—almost all of Da Qing Yi's chapters were cut. I went to verify. Indeed, thousands of characters were removed from some chapters; hundreds or even thousands of words deleted are everywhere. Seniors, please keep reading.

Publish first, revise later.

(This chapter is a bit short—I'll make up for it later; there's more today.)

(End of Chapter)