Chapter 528

Li Heng, sensing the moment, didn't ask about her birthday, stayed with her a little longer, then continued walking.

At a crossroad, he asked, "Which way?"

Zhou Shihe hesitated a moment, then said, "Let's go to Xiyuan. It's been a while since I last went."

"Alright, it should be cool over there today," Li Heng said, and the two walked side by side.

But as they walked, just as they reached the corner of a small grove, they both stopped abruptly, without speaking.

Because someone was arguing around the corner.

A man and a woman, shouting loudly, their voices unmistakably familiar.

Listening closely, it was none other than Hu Ping and Wei Xiaozhu.

Hu Ping, in a dramatic tone, cried out, "Ha! You claim you don't want romance in college—I know you don't want romance because the person you like already has someone! A girlfriend!"

Apparently, they'd been discussing something earlier; Wei Xiaozhu now sounded distinctly impatient: "Hu Ping, what are you talking about?"

Hu Ping vented his frustration: "What am I talking about? Don't you know better than anyone? I'm not unknown at Fudan University—I'm popular with girls. Every year, love letters pile up higher than a ruler."

"Ask yourself—I've been faithful to you. I've never had dinner alone with another girl, never replied to a letter. But you'd rather fall for a married man than even glance at me. Heaven is so unjust…"

"Slap!"

A sharp slap abruptly cut off Hu Ping's shouting.

Silence fell instantly around the corner.

Wei Xiaozhu's chest heaved, her hand still suspended in the air, her features twisted with fury.

Hu Ping stood stunned, a clear handprint burning red on his left cheek.

He never imagined gentle, water-like Wei Xiaozhu would hit him!

And hit him so hard!

After a long standoff, Hu Ping, now fully aware of his humiliation, raised his right hand, then lowered it again, screaming in rage: "You hit me? You're guilty! You're exposed! Isn't that it? Isn't it? You secretly love Li Heng—but Old Li doesn't give a damn about you! The girls around him— Nagebinicha ？ Nahuigudeshangni …"

"Slap!!"

"Slap!!"

Two more thunderous slaps rang out sharply.

Wei Xiaozhu bit her lower lip, breathing heavily—these two slaps had drained her strength. "Leave. I never want to see you again."

Hu Ping clutched his face, stomped hard, bent low, and growled: "Fine, I'm leaving!"

Compared to his earlier long-winded outburst, after these two slaps, his wounded pride swallowed the rest of his words. He spat out only four words, then turned and strode away.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Li Heng instinctively reached out with his right hand and grabbed Zhou Shihe's hand, pulling her into the left grove.

Her left hand held in his, Zhou Shihe glanced at him, then hurried to hide behind a large tree.

"Tap-tap-tap!"

The footsteps, heavy with resentment, drew closer like a wounded wildebeest limping away. The light was dim, hard to see clearly, but his twisted face was still faintly visible.

The noise came fast and vanished quickly; in an instant, the grove fell silent again, leaving only the chirping of insects and grasshoppers.

Once Hu Ping's figure disappeared, Zhou Shihe gently tugged her left hand, trying to pull it free—but no use. The man was utterly focused on the corner, waiting for Wei Xiaozhu to appear.

Seeing his stillness, Zhou Shihe pouted her delicate lips and tugged harder.

This time, Li Heng moved—he turned to look at her.

Face to face, her plain black-and-white eyes locked onto his, their gaze powerfully unwavering.

Only then did Li Heng realize—he whispered, "Sorry," and hastily released her left hand.

The moment he spoke, a figure appeared at the corner. Both Li Heng and Zhou Shihe turned to look.

To their shock—it wasn't Wei Xiaozhu. It was Dai Qing.

Dai Qing had just stepped out from behind a large tree. She glanced at them, then hurried over with a worried expression, searching for her sister.

Li Heng was stunned. "Did Dai Qing see us?"

"Mm," Zhou Shihe murmured softly. "Probably."

Li Heng sighed. "Damn it."

Zhou Shihe gave him a strange look.

Li Heng asked, "Did you hear what Hu Ping said?"

Zhou Shihe gave him another peculiar glance, then followed his lead: "No."

Li Heng tilted his head, stared at her a moment, then said, "Hey, are you really the Zhou Shihe I know? Did something possess you? You're lying now?"

His forehead seemed covered in question marks—he looked absurd.

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly, but stayed silent.

But as she smiled, the smile faded. She felt his gaze on her had changed—slowly, something inappropriate crept in.

As time passed, they stared at each other, their expressions gradually vanishing, as if an indescribable atmosphere had begun to coil and grow between them.

After a while, Zhou Shihe subtly turned her head, lowering her eyes to a cluster of wildflowers at the tree's roots. Her clear, bright eyes didn't move. Her right index finger curled backward, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Li Heng's gaze remained fixed on her exquisite profile. After a long while, he unconsciously reached out his finger and gently tucked the stray hair behind her ear too.

The moment his finger touched her face, Zhou Shihe's body stiffened instantly. Then, with lightning speed, she stepped back.

Still uneasy, she stepped back again. Then again.

After three steps back, she raised her head, lips tightly pursed. This time, she didn't flee—her frail body radiated an unyielding presence, her eyes locked onto his.

Guilty, Li Heng initially couldn't meet her gaze—he looked away in panic. But when he realized she wouldn't let it go…

He stopped avoiding her. He simply stared back.

Neither spoke. Three steps apart, they gazed into each other's eyes—silent, still…

After a long while, Zhou Shihe pressed her lips tightly, then shifted her gaze, stepped forward, and moved to pass him, heading back toward the shaded path.

At first, Li Heng remained motionless, his eyes following her. But as she reached him, as she was about to brush past…

He suddenly, inexplicably, reached out his right hand—swift as lightning—and blocked her at the waist, cutting off her path.

The instant his hand touched her waist, Zhou Shihe froze. She waited. The hand didn't move. She looked down, her eyes fixed on his large hand—no sorrow, no joy.

In this moment, she didn't shout, didn't cry, didn't show emotion, didn't lift her head.

In this moment, space seemed frozen, time stood still. The entire world, save the two of them, vanished.

In the suffocating stillness, she stood like a stone statue, letting the evening breeze lift the strands beside her ears, letting them dance against her skin, forming a delicate tangle of black silk.

Breathing in her faint feminine scent, gazing at her breathtaking face, feeling the softness of her body—in that instant, Li Heng's heart raced uncontrollably.

Almost in a single breath, his heartbeat seemed to echo in her ears—thump-thump.

She blinked slightly. She knew what his sudden acceleration meant.

But she still didn't move. She stood there, perfectly still.

After a long, tense standoff, Li Heng finally regained his reason and withdrew his hand from her waist.

Immediately, Zhou Shihe resumed her motion—she took small, even steps, passing him onto the outer shaded path.

After a while, Li Heng turned and returned to the path.

The long forest trail now held a strange scene: one walked ahead, unhurried, head lowered, occasionally smoothing her hair behind her ear.

The other trailed behind, not rushing, maintaining a constant distance, walking silently through the cool rustling wind toward Lushan Village.

After an unknown length of time, as the forest path neared its end, as laughter and chatter from the main road outside the grove grew louder, as Zhang Bing and Bai Wanying appeared in sight—Zhou Shihe stopped, standing by the roadside.

During the Beijing Spring Festival Gala rehearsals, they'd lived under the same roof for so long—they'd developed an unspoken understanding. Li Heng knew: she was waiting for him, unwilling to let their awkwardness be noticed by acquaintances.

At the same time, she was silently offering him a way out.

Li Heng immediately quickened his pace to catch up.

He reached her left side, walking beside her.

Zhou Shihe didn't look at him. She kept walking, calm and rhythmic, as if the sky had fallen and it meant nothing to her.

Emerging from the shaded path, Li Heng and Zhou Shihe inevitably met Zhang Bing and the others face to face.

In her wheelchair, Bai Wanying glanced between Zhou Shihe and Li Heng, smiling: "Shihe, Big Writer, out for a stroll?"

Zhou Shihe gave a polite, slight smile, then stood beside him as usual, composed and dignified.

Li Heng said, "Yeah. You're packing up earlier than usual today—did you sell out all the braised dishes?"

Bai Wanying replied, "Still have some left. Tonight, Zhou Min is treating us to dinner."

Zhou Min was leaving for overseas study at Cambridge University. Tonight was her farewell dinner, inviting a few close classmates.

Li Heng checked his watch—it was nearly time. He spoke up: "I'm coming too. Go back and pack quickly. See you there."

"See you later," Bai Wanying waved with a smiling face.

Zhang Bing scratched his head, gave the two a forced smile, then pushed the wheelchair away.

Once the two were far away, Li Heng muttered with a sigh: "Someone's destructive power is truly immense—even after a year, my roommate Old Zhang still can't act naturally around her."

Zhou Shihe stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye and pressed on, heading for Lushan Village.

After walking a short distance, Li Heng suddenly asked from behind: "Comrade Zhou Shihe, you're so smart and you're a woman—help me think this through. From a woman's perspective, do you think Dai Qing will tell Wei Xiaozhu that we were hiding behind the trees?"

Zhou Shihe ignored him and walked on alone.

Seeing this, Li Heng hesitated, not following right away, left standing there for no reason.

Zhou Shihe kept walking, maintaining a steady pace for over ten meters, then slowed down.

After walking about twenty meters, she stopped beside the road, standing straight, gazing straight ahead without turning back.

Honestly, her slender figure in the twilight looked fragile and poignant, uniquely captivating.

They faced each other across the distance—one staring at the air, the other at her—both lost in complex, divergent thoughts.

Time slipped away second by second; how long this went on, no one knew…

When the wind strengthened, rustling the treetops beside the road, Li Heng finally snapped out of it and walked forward in silence.

Hearing footsteps approach, Zhou Shihe lowered her eyelids and moved forward, walking and walking until she reached the alley entrance of Lushan Village, where she softly asked, "Does Dai Qing like you?"

Li Heng did not speak with absolute certainty: "It's just a guess among our two dorm mates."

Zhou Shihe asked, "Are you sparing her face?"

Li Heng replied slowly and deeply, "Where's the mutual understanding we agreed on? Can't you just leave it unspoken? I'm already transparent to you."

Zhou Shihe pouted her nimble lips, yet a faint smile flickered subtly at the corner of her mouth: "Dai Qing won't say anything."

Li Heng asked, "So sure about that?"

Zhou Shihe gave a light "Mm."

Li Heng said, "Then I'm relieved."

Entering Lushan Village, the surroundings grew suddenly quiet; their footsteps on the blue stone slabs produced a peculiar rhythm. She whispered softly, "I heard Zhang Bing got married?"

Li Heng glanced at her back and asked curiously, "In my memory, you've never been gossipy. Why bring this up now?"

Zhou Shihe said, "I just thought of it after seeing Bai Wanying."

Li Heng said, "Zhang Bing got married before coming to university. Now he has two kids—a boy and a girl."

Zhou Shihe said, "That's too bad."

Li Heng asked, "Do you think their feelings went beyond friendship?"

Zhou Shihe said, "It's hard to say about Bai Wanying, but Zhang Bing probably did. Still, his ability to restrain his inner desires and not cross the line is admirable."

Li Heng listened in silence.

Was it an illusion?

It felt like she was saying it deliberately for him to hear.

Telling him: Zhang Bing, bound by family, kept his seven emotions and six desires in check—even if his thoughts wandered, he remained a good man.

She was using Zhang Bing as a metaphor for herself.

Of course—she was never the gossipy type. Why would she suddenly bring up Bai Wanying and Zhang Bing without reason?

There must be a reason.

The conversation ended here. The two fell silent again, and without a word, they finally reached the end of the alley.

At this moment, buildings 26 and 27 had all windows and doors tightly shut, dark and empty—no one was home.

But on the right side of the alley, buildings 24 and 25 glowed brightly with light, and a baby was crying.

Li Heng stopped. "Are you afraid to be alone?"

Zhou Shihe pulled out her keys to unlock the door: "Teacher Fu and Sister Chen are home. It's fine."

"It's fine" was a euphemism—she was slightly afraid.

But she had no choice.

Li Heng remembered she once told him in Jingcheng that she disliked old buildings—houses that had stood too long had witnessed birth, aging, sickness, and death.

He raised his left wrist to check his watch. "I'll go see Teacher Yu. Check on Mai Sui."

Zhou Shihe said, "Okay."

They parted—one entered the house, the other knocked on the courtyard gate of building 25.

Mai Sui opening the door surprised him, yet not entirely.

Across the threshold, Li Heng sniffed the air: "How much did you drink?"

Mai Sui smiled softly: "I don't know. About two and a half cups of baijiu."

Li Heng asked, "What about Teacher Yu?"

Mai Sui nodded.

Li Heng followed her inside, up to the second floor of building 25.

As expected, Teacher Yu was drunk—fast asleep on the sofa. Li Heng studied her for a moment. "You were keeping watch?"

Mai Sui said, "Since none of you came back, I stayed here."

Li Heng thought for a moment, bent down, and lifted the sleeping woman off the sofa, carrying her to the master bedroom and laying her gently on the bed.

Mai Sui watched silently the whole time, then opened the window slightly to let in air.

Li Heng warned: "It's stifling outside. It might rain hard—rain might blow in."

"I know," Mai Sui replied. "I only opened a crack. If it pours, I'll come back and close it."

After finishing this, the two left building 25.

In the center of the alley, Li Heng briefly explained Zhou Min's farewell dinner: "Stay with Shihe for now. I might be late coming back."

"Okay," Mai Sui agreed.

Li Heng left.

At the campus gate, he remembered he hadn't brought an umbrella. But he was already here—he didn't bother turning back, and quickened his pace toward Lao Li Restaurant.

Just in time—he arrived as everyone had already gathered.

A quick glance revealed thirteen or fourteen people, mostly from Statistics Class 2. Zhou Zhangming and Zhang Bing from Room 325 were also there.

Seeing him, Zhou Zhangming waved loudly: "Old Li, over here!"

Li Heng walked over and sat beside Zhou Zhangming and Zhang Bing, lowering his voice: "Zhou Min and Old Li have always gotten along well in class. Why isn't she here?"

Zhou Zhangming and Zhang Bing exchanged glances. The former leaned close and whispered: "Before she got together with Zhao Yan, Old Li wrote Zhou Min a love letter. Maybe Zhou Min found it embarrassing."

In the School of Management, two classes were famous for their beautiful girls: Finance Class 1 and Statistics Class 2.

Among Statistics Class 2, Zhou Min ranked second in beauty, right after Xiao Wang Liuyue.

Of course, if Bai Wanying hadn't been disabled, she'd have held that second spot.

Li Heng was surprised: "Really? I never heard about this."

Zhou Zhangming gave him a sly look: "You're Master Heng. You spend at most one night a week in the dorm. Who'd tell you about such embarrassing stuff?"

Li Heng chuckled and praised Bai Wanying, who was glancing over: "Worth coming back to the dorm today—you look beautiful."

Bai Wanying smiled: "Thank you. I thought you were joking—I didn't expect you'd actually come."

Li Heng said, "How could I joke about this? My relationship with Zhou Min has always been good."

Bai Wanying said, "Your status is different."

Li Heng shook his head: "If you keep thinking like that, I'll become a lonely man at Fudan University."

Bai Wanying realized he was right and immediately apologized: "Alright, my mistake. When something good happens to me in the future, I'll send you an invitation—boost your face."

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Li Heng said. He'd wanted to add, "When you get married," but swallowed the words.

Li Guang had said in the dorm: If Bai Wanying's condition isn't cured, she'll never be able to have sex or bear children.

Think about it—who'd dare touch a girl who'd lost these two basic functions?

Even if she were the most beautiful, few men would dare marry her! Even if a man, out of true love, didn't mind, what about his family? His parents?

In this era, marriage was never just about two people—it was about two families. Feudal thinking still prevailed: "Among the three unfilial acts, having no heir is the greatest." Once married, the mother-in-law would stare at your belly, waiting for it to swell.

Li Xian bounced over, her face glowing with youthful plumpness as she cooed: "Master, I saw you with Zhou Shihe earlier."

"We were taking a walk," Li Heng said.

"Oh my, so many girls are jealous—including me," Li Xian pointed at her own nose, speaking in an exaggeratedly sweet tone, her adorable smile radiating warmth.

Li Heng said, "Go ahead—eat vinegar. It helps digestion."

Zhou Min came over and asked Li Heng: "Is there any dish you especially want?"

Li Heng asked, "How many dishes have you ordered?"

Zhou Min said, "We pre-ordered nineteen."

Li Heng waved his hand: "Enough. More would just go to waste."

Zhou Min politely insisted a bit more, but when Li Heng refused firmly, she turned to Zhou Zhangming and Zhang Bing: "Where's Hu Ping? He said he'd come this afternoon."

Zhou Zhangming shook his head: "Hu was here for dinner, then vanished. I searched every dorm building—couldn't find him."

Zhang Bing also shook his head.

Li Heng thought: Old Hu probably hid somewhere alone, licking his wounds. His finger marks were still so clear—he wouldn't dare show his face anytime soon.

The farewell dinner started off lively, with everyone toasting and laughing.

Tomorrow, not only Zhou Min would leave Statistics Class 2—two others, a girl named Chen Su and a boy named Liu Chang, were also leaving for overseas study.

Originally 46 students, Statistics Class 2 would shrink to just 40 after tomorrow's departures.

Everyone felt this wasn't the end—but how many would remain at graduation? No one could guess.

In the latter half of the dinner, the mood turned somber. Chen Su, unable to hold back, burst into tears, hugging a close friend. Others followed, and soon the private room echoed with sobs.

Zhou Min's eyes were red, tears welling. After hugging each friend goodbye, she found Li Heng and said: "Great writer, I want a photo with you—one I can brag about for the rest of my life."

Li Heng readily agreed and took the photo with her.

After standing shoulder to shoulder, he asked: "What time's your flight tomorrow?"

Zhou Min said: "Seven in the morning."

"That's early. No one can make it to the airport to see you off," Li Heng said.

Zhou Min said: "No need. I'd just cry again."

Then she added: "If you ever get the chance, bring Xiao Han to England. I'll be your guide."

Li Heng smiled: "Sure thing. I'll definitely come find you."

All good things must end. As they parted, everyone finally noticed who had come to pick up Zhou Min—and froze in shock.

Holy hell—isn't that the big shot from TV?

After the car took Zhou Min away, Zhou Zhangming asked: "Is that her grandfather? Or her father?"

Bai Wanying said: "It's probably her maternal grandfather."

Usually quiet, Zhang Bing remarked, "Hidden deep indeed."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Zhou Min had always been low-key, eating and living like most of the class, but no one expected her grandfather's family to be so powerful.

Soon after, they all relaxed—these days, anyone who could study abroad early came from a very wealthy family; otherwise, it was just a dream.

Zhou Zhangming sighed, "Poor old Hu."

Li Heng, Zhang Bing, and Bai Wanying all turned to look, puzzled.

Zhou Zhangming explained, "At the start of last semester, Old Hu and Zhou Min got along really well—he even thought about pursuing her. Then he met Wei Xiaozhu, and all his attention shifted to her; he grew distant from all the other girls."

I was just thinking—if Old Hu had focused only on Zhou Min from the start, maybe he could've won her over."

Bai Wanying held a different view: "I doubt it. Zhou Min, like Liu Yue, set her sights on studying abroad early—she probably wouldn't waste time on romance."

Everyone thought about it and agreed.

After entering school, the group sat on the grass chatting for over half an hour before parting.

They'd wanted to keep talking, but the heavens weren't kind—the heavy rain that had been brewing all night finally poured down in torrents, striking suddenly and forcing everyone to scatter like birds and beasts.

Li Heng hadn't brought an umbrella; he sprinted through the rain toward Lushan Village, only to meet two women at the alley entrance—Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe.

Each woman held an umbrella, and Mai Sui carried a third—clearly, she'd come to bring him one.

Seeing him soaked, Mai Sui hurried over, tilting her umbrella toward him to shield him from the rain.

"Forget it—I'm already drenched. Don't worry about me; take care of yourself, don't get wet too," Li Heng said.

Mai Sui ignored him, shoved the umbrella into his hands, then opened another one.

She asked, "Why'd you stay out so late?"

Li Heng replied, "I was sitting with classmates on the grass a while ago."

He nodded toward Zhou Shihe, who stood ahead: "Comrade Zhou Shihe, thank you for coming to meet me."

Zhou Shihe's gaze flickered between them, then she smiled lightly and turned back the way they'd come.

Back at the end of the alley, before even climbing the stairs, he heard Sun Man and Ye Ning shouting loudly.

Li Heng asked, "Watching the Olympics?"

Mai Sui said yes.

Hearing "Olympics," Li Heng immediately thought of Anta's advertisements and sponsorships—he longed to rush upstairs and see the results—but before he could even take off his shoes, Teacher Yu's voice came from the gate of No. 25.

"Li Heng, your phone."

Li Heng turned. "Whose?"

The rain was too heavy; fearing he wouldn't hear, Yu Shuheng crossed the alley under a black umbrella: "Li Ran is calling for you."

"Li Ran? She's calling this late?" Li Heng frowned, a bad feeling stirring in his chest.

Yu Shuheng said, "She called twice tonight."

Hearing this, Li Heng told Zhou Shihe and Mai Sui, "Go upstairs first—I'll lock the gate from outside."

Zhou Shihe went straight up.

Mai Sui exchanged a few pleasantries with Teacher Yu before leaving.

Li Heng locked the courtyard gate and followed her to No. 25.

Inside, he asked, "Teacher, you drank so much baijiu—do you have a headache?"

Yu Shuheng replied, "No headache. Was it you who carried me to bed?"

Li Heng climbed the stairs slowly: "Who else would dare?"

Watching his smug expression, Yu Shuheng smiled faintly. After climbing up, she brewed him a cup of coffee and sat beside him with her own.

Li Heng picked up the red receiver: "Li Ran, it's me."

"Oh my god, thank heaven and earth, Li Heng finally answered."

Li Ran exclaimed, then said, "Short version—two things."

Li Heng said, "Go ahead."

Li Ran said, "First, New Future Tutoring School hired ten more teachers—all from top universities, all English instructors. Meanwhile, the first enrollment period ended today, totaling 3, 19 students."

Of them, 1, 02 in the intensive class, 624 in the overseas advanced class, and 1, 93 in the future class. Besides the previous 1, 64, 16 yuan collected, the company account received another 1, 08, 88 yuan."

After deducting expenses and reserved funds of 48, 88 yuan, 1. 6 million yuan was deposited into the company account."

Li Heng was surprised—New Future was growing even stronger than expected; after the last enrollment, it still brought in 1. million yuan.

He was satisfied: "Good work. Thank you. What's the second thing?"

Li Ran said, "Arrange for someone to take over, or pick one of these teachers to temporarily handle things—I need to leave Beijing for a while."

Li Heng was stunned—he'd known his bad feeling was right—and asked, "Did the Zhao family come after you?"

Li Ran didn't hide it: "Yes."

Li Heng raised an eyebrow: "Romance is natural. The Zhao family isn't some minor clan—why are they holding a grudge against you?"

Li Ran silenced him with one sentence: "Mom told me the Zhao heir is now impotent—just like Liu Xu, completely limp, no medicine helps. And he's the Zhao family's only male heir in the third generation. Would you panic?"

Li Heng felt dizzy.

Beside him, Yu Shuheng couldn't help smiling.

Li Heng whispered, "That serious?"

Li Ran admitted guiltily, "Honestly, I didn't know. I've slept with four or five men before—this is the first time I've ever seen bleeding."

Li Heng: "..."

Then she remembered something and sighed: "My dad bled too. You saw how it ended—his grave's grass has been replaced once already."

Li Heng: "..."

Li Ran said, "I know this puts you in a tough spot—walking out mid-task isn't honorable, but I have no choice. The Zhao family's second son's wife threatened to break my legs and cut my tendons. I'm scared."

Li Heng was speechless: "You used to be fearless—I thought nothing scared you. How about this—I'll find connections..."

Li Ran cut him off: "Don't find connections, okay? I don't want to owe anyone—I can't pay it back. You won't touch me anyway, so you can't settle the debt with your body."

"Besides, now I'm afraid to let you touch me—if one day you start bleeding too, I'd be too guilty to even kill myself. So let's just do this: I'll go to Yangcheng or Shanghai, open a branch."

Li Heng asked, "Will that help? They'll still trace New Future to you."

Li Ran said, "I'll step back behind the scenes, change the legal owner, and prepare to flee at any moment."

Li Heng turned to Yu Shuheng, who nodded.

He said into the receiver: "Alright—I'll send someone tomorrow to take over. You come to Shanghai first."

Li Ran said, "Fine. Have your person come find me tomorrow."

She gave a brand-new address—not New Future School, not the Gu Lou Li family home—but near the Polytechnic University.

Li Heng wrote it down, confirmed it was correct, then asked, "Really no connections?"

Li Ran firmly refused: "No. That's it—I'm hanging up. Staying here too long, I need to move."

"Beep-beep-beep!" She hung up instantly—the line buzzed with a busy tone.

Li Heng put the receiver down: "She hung up."

Yu Shuheng picked up the receiver, dialed, spoke a few words, then ended the call: "Liu Bei will take over temporarily tomorrow. Once Wang Ye joins, she'll hand over the duties."

Li Heng sighed: "There's no other way."

PS: Posted first, edited later.

(End of Chapter)