Chapter 545: Five Questions, Five Answers: The Longzhong Dialogue Succeeds (Request Subscription!)

Shanghai Medical University, Room 303, Female Dormitory.

At this time, the dormitory was nearly empty; only Xiao Han lay on her bed, staring blankly.

Xiao Qing pushed open the door, looked up at her younger sister, and said, "Hanhann, Mom wants you to come over for dinner."

Xiao Han said nothing.

Xiao Qing tried to persuade her a few more times, but still received no response, so she finally pulled out her ultimate weapon:

"She told me to pass on this message: Mom is kind enough to give you one last chance to speak well of your second-husband. Miss it, and it's gone."

After speaking, Xiao Qing stared meaningfully at her sister on the bed and waited.

As expected, Xiao Han not only reacted, but sat up quickly, wrinkling her pretty nose and asking, "This isn't a Hongmen Banquet, is it?"

Xiao Qing smiled. "Even if it is a Hongmen Banquet, wouldn't you still have to go—for your husband?"

Xiao Han tilted her head, thinking it over—it did make sense. For her honey, even if she had to walk through fire and brimstone, she'd have to go through with it.

She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and the two sisters left campus and returned to the guesthouse.

When mother and daughter met again, Wei Shiman's attitude had improved considerably from earlier in the evening; she sat calmly, arranging bowls and chopsticks, and said:

"Qingbao, Hanhan, I just bought dinner—come eat while it's hot."

Throughout the meal, the three women deliberately avoided mentioning Li Heng.

With Xiao Qing skillfully steering the conversation, the atmosphere in the room gradually warmed and improved.

Midway through the meal, Wei Shiman and Xiao Han finally resumed talking, discussing school life, studies, and recent observations and changes in Shanghai.

After dinner, Xiao Qing cleared the dishes, then found an opportunity to leave the room, rented another room at the guesthouse—not far away, right next door.

Her purpose was to create space; she knew tonight her mother and younger sister needed to talk.

She didn't strictly need to avoid them, but with another person present, her sister might not feel as free to open up.

So Xiao Qing thoughtfully considered every detail.

After washing up, Xiao Han stood by the window for over forty minutes—this was to aid digestion and to buffer the emotional shadows left by the afternoon.

Wei Shiman picked up a newspaper and read, glancing up occasionally to chat about childhood memories.

Recalling happy childhood moments, the final barrier between mother and daughter slowly dissolved, and their usual conversational warmth returned.

Around 10: 0 PM, Xiao Han's feet grew tired; she took off her shoes and got into bed.

Half an hour later, Wei Shiman finished reading all the newspapers, turned off the light, and climbed into bed as well.

The mother and daughter lay side by side; Wei Shiman said, "It's been a long time since we slept in the same bed."

"Mm."

Xiao Han softly murmured, "The last time was when I got my college entrance exam results."

Wei Shiman sighed. "Ah, time flies—already a year and a half has passed."

Then, in the darkness, she added, "I'm getting old. The days I'll have left to spend beside you girls grow fewer with each passing year."

The phrase "getting old" suddenly moved Xiao Han; she felt a pang of sadness.

She turned onto her side, resting her head on her mother's shoulder, and whispered, "Mom, I'm sorry."

She was apologizing for her attitude earlier that afternoon.

After all, blood is thicker than water; even broken bones still share tendons. Mother and daughter don't hold grudges overnight.

Wei Shiman reached out and stroked her daughter's hair, teasing, "So you're not going to fight me anymore?"

Xiao Han's tears turned to laughter. "I won't dare."

Wei Shiman asked, "What about for your husband?"

Xiao Han pouted, thought for a moment, then said, "Then I take back what I just said."

Wei Shiman was both annoyed and amused, a touch jealous: "You've only been in Shanghai for a year and change, and already he's more important to you than your own mother?"

Xiao Han pleaded pitifully, "No, it's been years!"

"Years?"

Wei Shiman frowned, suddenly recalling her daughter's words earlier that afternoon: "It's hard, but better than six years without seeing the light."

She immediately sensed something was off—there was a story behind those words.

Xiao Han gave another soft "Mm."

Wei Shiman asked sharply, "You and Li Heng have been together for six years?"

Xiao Han didn't answer.

After a pause, with no reply, Wei Shiman pressed: "Hanhann, why aren't you speaking?"

Xiao Han said, "I'm thinking about the past."

Wei Shiman's interest sparked. "Tell me, tell me about your past together."

Knowing her mother had called her here to understand the full picture, Xiao Han didn't refuse: "My connection with him goes back a long time. Where should I start?"

Wei Shiman said, "Start from the beginning—from the first time you met."

Xiao Han's thoughts drifted into memory; after a long silence, she began slowly: "I met him on the first day of school.

I went to register for my class, and he was standing right in front of me. That first meeting left a deep impression on me…"

Wei Shiman interrupted: "September?"

Xiao Han said yes.

Wei Shiman asked, "Were you paying attention to any other boys?"

Xiao Han replied firmly: "No. I only paid attention to him. In class, after class—I'd always sneak glances to see what he was doing, who he was talking to."

Wei Shiman asked with interest, "If he talked to a girl, did you get jealous?"

Xiao Han smiled faintly: "Only if she was pretty."

Wei Shiman sighed. "That's intense. Even if it wasn't love at first sight, it was close enough."

Xiao Han agreed.

Wei Shiman pinched her daughter's arm lightly. "How old were you then? You dared to ignore your mother's rules."

Xiao Han blushed and retorted, "It was just a crush."

Wei Shiman realized something: "At your school, were there girls prettier than you? And you still got jealous?"

In matters of beauty, Xiao Han had absolute confidence: "No one. My mother's daughter is the most beautiful."

Wei Shiman was pleased by the compliment. "Wait—didn't you mention Chen Zijin sometimes when you came home after school?

You and Xiao Feng used to mock Chen Zijin. So your mockery was fake, and your jealousy was real?"

Her secret exposed, Xiao Han stuck out her tongue. "It wasn't all jealousy—they were too obvious, always showing off in front of me. I couldn't stand it."

Wei Shiman asked, "I remember twice. Your homeroom teacher ran into me on the street and told me you got into a fight with a boy at school.

When I asked, you said it was with a boy named Li Heng. But you liked him—why fight him?"

Xiao Han squeezed her left palm with her right hand. "Mom, do you want the truth, or the lie?"

Wei Shiman said, "Both."

Xiao Han paused thoughtfully, then said, "The lie is this: we had a minor conflict during an essay contest—I argued with him over a chair, then teamed up with my childhood friend Yuan Yuan and beat him up."

Wei Shiman asked, "What's the truth?"

Xiao Han spoke with quiet emotion: "Your precious daughter was taking revenge. How dare he spend every day with Chen Zijin, holding hands secretly in the little grove, thinking no one saw? So I beat him."

Wei Shiman laughed and groaned. "You beat him twice—both times for that reason?"

Xiao Han admitted plainly: "Yes."

Wei Shiman frowned. "He's a boy, from the countryside—he must've been strong. How could you two beat him?"

Xiao Han analyzed: "Back then, we were in the classroom—lots of people around. I think he held back."

Wei Shiman lowered her voice: "Was it because your daughter was too beautiful—he didn't dare go all out?"

Xiao Han smiled faintly. "Being beautiful does protect you."

Wei Shiman asked, "Tell me what happened after? You had a falling-out—how did you make up?"

Xiao Han said, "I was close with Zijin—we were inseparable best friends. As we spent more time together, we naturally made up."

Wei Shiman asked, "From what I've seen, Chen Zijin is very sharp. Didn't she suspect anything?"

Xiao Han said, "Of course she did. We argued openly and behind the scenes—always over different reasons, but the core was always him."

Wei Shiman asked, "They were a couple—why did you interfere in their arguments?"

Xiao Han fell silent, long and deep, then whispered: "Mom, I wasn't mature then. But I really loved him."

Wei Shiman fell silent too. After a long while, she asked, "How much did you love him?"

Xiao Han recalled: "Every day, the first thing I did when entering class was look for him. If I couldn't see him, my heart felt hollow, anxious. But when he appeared, I felt calm—I could focus on studying again."

Wei Shiman paused, stunned. "You were prettier than Chen Zijin—why didn't he choose you instead?"

Xiao Han asked plaintively, "Would you have let me date?"

Wei Shiman replied firmly: "No. If I found out, I'd break your legs."

Xiao Han said, "Exactly. And he and Chen Zijin had been close since elementary school—I had no chance to get in."

Wei Shiman asked, "Then how did you get in?"

Her mother's words were too blunt; Xiao Han grew flustered.

But she still answered: "The turning point came in the first semester. He wanted to turn over a new leaf, to study seriously, so he asked Ying Wen how to use 'dicideto.'

But Ying Wen disliked him for always fighting, ignored him, and mocked him in front of everyone."

"I felt bad seeing him humiliated, so I stepped forward and taught him English. That's when we fully made up."

"After that, I slipped him notes. He stopped being cold—he started replying. Sometimes I'd 'accidentally' offer him snacks. He'd freeze for a moment, then politely eat them."

Wei Shiman commented: "You're devious. No wonder Chen Zijin lost him. Having a friend like you? She deserved every bit of bad luck."

Xiao Han's ears turned hot as she clung to her mother's arm, half-pouting: "How can you talk about your own daughter like that?!"

At the mention of high school, Xiao Han's face darkened. "No. If I had any chance in junior high, I had virtually none in high school."

Wei Shiman blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Han asked: "Mom, let me ask you something first—do you think Li Heng is good-looking?"

Wei Shiman paused, then gave an objective assessment: "Setting aside personal bias, he really is quite appealing. He perfectly inherited Tian Rune's looks, and even surpasses her in artistic charm—he's the kind who wins over everyone, young and old."

"If he were a girl, he'd be an unforgettable beauty."

Xiao Han nodded deeply. "Yeah, exactly. In high school, he was wildly popular with girls."

"If I'm not mistaken, most of the prettiest girls at school fell for him—some kept it reserved, some stayed silent like me, and others boldly wrote him love letters."

Wei Shiman frowned. "Are you afraid of them?"

Xiao Han, tired of lying on her side, rolled over to stare at the ceiling, her voice heavy with sorrow: "Mom, my beauty isn't invincible. In high school, I met my lifelong rival."

At these words, Wei Shiman instantly pictured one person: Song Yu.

She had seen countless women in her travels, but only this one left a deep, unforgettable impression.

If it really was Song Yu, then her daughter might not stand a chance.

Wei Shiman steadied herself and asked outright: "Are you talking about Song Yu?"

Xiao Han stayed silent—her silence was confirmation.

Wei Shiman was stunned. "So even Song Yu got involved?"

Xiao Han said: "That's fate for you—it loves to play jokes."

Wei Shiman couldn't believe it: "But Li Heng was dating Chen Zijin all along! Aren't you clueless? Does Song Yu also have no brain? Are you both just blindly ignoring the fact that he already had a girlfriend?"

Xiao Han gave a bitter smile. "Chen Zijin once said: he fell in love with Song Yu at first sight."

Before her mother could reply, she added: "Actually, there were countless girls who liked him—like fish crossing a river, too many to count. But the only one who made his heart skip a beat? Only Song Yu. There's no substitute in this world."

Wei Shiman's eyebrows knotted. "Not even you?"

Xiao Han looked down, defeated. "No."

Wei Shiman's tone grew sharper. "So according to you, in his heart, neither you nor Chen Zijin can compare to Song Yu?"

Xiao Han didn't know how to answer.

Should she reveal the cruel truth?

After weighing it, she chose not to lie—but to lay bare her heart: "No. Not even the two of us together could match her."

Wei Shiman snapped: "If that's true, then why are you still calling him 'husband'?"

Xiao Han spoke pitifully: "Some things can't be judged by appearances alone."

Wei Shiman frowned. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Han continued: "In freshman and sophomore year, Chen Zijin was always by his side. Me, the other girls, even Song Yu—we all had almost no chance."

"Then, two summers ago, that scandal happened. Chen Zijin was forced to leave Shaodong and go to Jingcheng. Only then did everything fall apart—and only then did I get my chance."

Wei Shiman asked: "What chance? Isn't he still head over heels for Song Yu? If Chen Zijin left, wouldn't Song Yu be the one with the advantage?"

Xiao Han replied: "Song Yu is reserved. She and Chen Zijin were always extremely close."

Wei Shiman understood. "I get it. Song Yu doesn't have your nerve. She couldn't bring herself to steal a boyfriend from her best friend, right?"

Xiao Han bristled. "Are you even my mother? Do you still want me as your precious daughter? If not, I'll find a new one."

Wei Shiman spoke calmly: "I only thought of this one possibility."

Xiao Han speculated: "Actually, I've always thought it was Chen Zijin who kept Song Yu in check—using moral pressure to hold her back."

Wei Shiman asked: "Could it be that Song Yu just doesn't feel anything for him?"

Xiao Han shook her head. "Song Yu is just like your daughter—her heart belongs entirely to him."

Wei Shiman was stunned, then burst out swearing: "Two fools. Heaven gave you both the most beautiful faces—and this is how you waste them? You're both so pathetic."

Xiao Han muttered, saying nothing.

As long as her mother didn't insult Mr. Li, she'd endure it, yield to it—after all, she was her mother, naturally holding the moral high ground.

Wei Shiman asked: "What happened after that?"

Xiao Han said: "You know what happened after—after Chen Zijin left, Song Yu and I never clashed directly, but we were locked in a silent tug-of-war. In the end, your daughter won—he took the Gaokao with me and came to Hushi, not Jingcheng."

Wei Shiman cut in: "What win? I remember Tian Rune telling me—he listed Peking University as his first choice, but missed it by one point."

Xiao Han warned softly: "You should take that back."

Wei Shiman pressed on, tearing open the wound: "His first choice was Peking University—that proves he wanted to follow Song Yu."

Xiao Han shot back: "Dear Mom, please use your brain. By then, he'd already written 'To Live'—if he'd truly wanted to go to Peking University, wouldn't he have found a way?"

Wei Shiman paused. The words made sense. Newspapers had reported that Li Heng had turned down Peking University's offer and stubbornly chose Fudan.

Though that news might have been fabricated—just a stunt to grab attention.

But one undeniable fact remained: if Li Heng had truly wanted to go to Peking University, he could have found a way.

Wei Shiman was baffled. "If so, with Song Yu holding every advantage, how did you beat her?"

Xiao Han sighed. "It's not that I fully beat her—Song Yu still hasn't given up."

She'd wanted to say Li Heng still had feelings for Song Yu—but saying that would only deepen her mother's resentment toward him and push her to break them up.

So she reversed it.

After all, Song Yu clearly still had feelings for him—otherwise she'd have outright refused long ago. Her hesitation now? Only because she's still unsure about his promiscuity. Calling her "still clinging" isn't unfair.

Wei Shiman gasped: "So Song Yu still keeps in touch with him?"

Xiao Han said: "Yes." Wei Shiman grew angry again. "So he's not just stepping on two boats—he's fishing on three lines?!"

"How dare he call me 'Mom'? I should've punched him this afternoon—smashed that pretty, flirtatious face of his!"

Xiao Han murmured to herself: "If he really got smashed up, I'd be heartbroken—but not without some benefit. Then he'd be mine alone, with no one left to compete with me."

Hearing her daughter's sorrowful, troubled words, Wei Shiman's anger vanished instantly. After a long silence, she asked seriously: "Do you really love him this much?"

Xiao Han murmured to herself, "If it really gets smashed, I'll be heartbroken, but it's not without some benefit—then he'll be mine alone, with no one else to compete for him."

With that reply, Wei Shiman forced herself to speak calmly: "Don't you mind that he's promiscuous?"

Xiao Han replied: "To outsiders, he's handsome, brilliant, wealthy—almost flawless. He has nearly every quality that makes a woman's heart flutter. They say no one's perfect—but is such a perfect man's promiscuity really such a grave flaw?"

"You don't know—women who like him could line up from Shaodong all the way to the town."

"Among them are beauties like Song Yu—dangerous, seductive women; noble ladies and aristocratic daughters; elegant university professors; even women who make Song Yu look dull… Mom, tell me—after all the pain and struggle it took me to finally become his official girlfriend, am I supposed to just walk away?"

Wei Shiman was deeply moved.

Her little daughter had secretly loved him since junior high, through high school, into university—eight long years of waiting. It was heartbreakingly painful.

How many eights years does a person have in a lifetime?

Especially the most beautiful eight years!

Her daughter had endured despair, pain, confusion, and crushing blows—and now, just as a sliver of light appeared, was she really going to snuff it out herself?

Unconsciously, Wei Shiman slowly sat up.

A while later, she got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and paced silently through the dark.

Only after a long time did her inner torment find resolution. Standing in the center of the room, she asked her daughter:

"The university professor—you mean the one who returned to Qianzhen this summer? Yu Guang?"

Now there was no more hiding. Xiao Han said: "Yes."

Wei Shiman asked: "There are rumors that Yu Guang's family is extremely powerful?"

Xiao Han replied: "Yes, Mom."

Wei Shiman asked: "What's Song Yu's current relationship with him?"

Xiao Han speculated: "They're not officially together yet. But if I stepped aside, Song Yu would probably step right in."

Wei Shiman's heart gave a sharp pang. She asked carefully: "The woman you said makes Song Yu look dull—who is she?"

Xiao Han named her: "Zhou Shihe."

Wei Shiman asked: "The one who performed on the Spring Festival Gala? The pianist?"

Xiao Han nodded.

Wei Shiman puzzled: "I've never met Zhou Shihe in person, but how can you say she makes Song Yu look dull?"

Xiao Han said: "Chen Zijin told me—Zhou Shihe's family is no less powerful than Yu Guang's. Chen's family can't compare."

"The grand piano Zhou Shihe uses alone costs more than ten times our entire family savings."

Wei Shiman understood. Between Song Yu and Zhou Shihe, her daughter was emphasizing family background—not personal qualities.

Wei Shiman asked: "Besides these three, are there other women who make you feel pressure?"

Xiao Han said: "Yes. Any woman who can get close to him by her own merit is no ordinary girl—every single one is stunningly beautiful."

"Just pick one at random—she's a goddess every man outside dreams of possessing."

Thinking of Yu Guang, Zhou Shihe, and Song Yu, even Wei Shiman, as a mother, felt suffocated—how much worse must it be for her daughter, trapped at the center?

In that moment, she finally understood why her daughter refused to let go.

She finally understood how hard her daughter's life had been.

She finally understood the inhuman pressure her daughter bore.

No wonder her daughter had teased her that afternoon: "You're not cut out for big things—you just drag me down."

That teasing—wasn't it her daughter's helplessness and sorrow?

Wei Shiman took time to absorb everything, then asked: "Besides Song Yu, Zhou Shihe, and Yu Guang—is Chen Zijin still the most beautiful one by his side?"

This teasing is hardly anything but the daughter's helplessness and heartache.

Wei Shiman took time to process the information just given, then asked, "Besides Song Yu, Zhou Shihe, and Teacher Yu, isn't Chen Zijin the most beautiful one beside him?"

She asked this to gauge and estimate the general number of women around Li Heng, so she could have some mental preparedness.

Unexpectedly, her daughter replied: "Most beautiful? Among the women in his inner circle, none are less beautiful than Chen Zijin."

Here, "inner circle" refers to people like Mai Sui and Wei Xiaozhu—those of Fudan's elite tier.

Wei Shiman stopped walking, turned sideways, and for the first time showed a serious expression: "All of them are that strong?"

Don't blame her for asking—where Wei Shiman comes from, apart from Song Yu and her daughter, Chen Zijin is the most beautiful.

Now her daughter tells her that every single woman around Li Heng is a peerless beauty.

How could this not move her?

It completely stunned her!

Xiao Han sighed: "Mom, he's like a magnet, drawing countless women—but only those who've passed layer after layer of filtering and elimination can cling to him. Those who don't meet the standard were filtered out long ago. What remains is the essence."

Hearing this, Wei Shiman fell silent.

Only now did she truly grasp Li Heng's power; all her previous understanding of him had been just the tip of the iceberg.

It turns out that even her own daughter, whom she had always been proud of, isn't the top candidate among those surrounding Li Heng.

It turns out that Li Heng's "Mom" that afternoon wasn't casual or frivolous—it carried deeper meaning.

No wonder her daughter froze when she heard that "Mom," dropped her bag on the ground, and afterward seemed so happy.

Wei Shiman's hard-won calm shattered again; she felt as if tossed in a storm-tossed sea, her heart a tangle of complexity.

Through her daughter's account, she had already imagined the scene in her mind.

At the center stood a throne, and her daughter now sat upon it.

But all around the throne stretched darkness—dense with rivals, armed, rushing toward the throne, several of them women capable of delivering fatal blows.

In that moment, she felt her daughter's loneliness, anxiety, and fear of loss.

In that moment, she understood why her daughter wouldn't let go.

It wasn't just love—it was because the eight years of effort and cost she'd poured in were simply too high. Too high. Losing Li Heng would mean her daughter would cease to be herself—she'd become a soulless corpse.

In that moment, Wei Shiman suffered again—frustration, ethics, morality, love for her daughter, doubt, his promiscuity, pressure—all crushed together, suffocating her.

Almost choking her.

In that moment, Wei Shiman began to understand, to some degree, Li Heng's unscrupulous behavior.

Imagine being surrounded by such peerless beauties, by such heart-stopping wonders, every step filled with temptation—even if Li Heng's will were as hard as steel, even if he remained vigilant at every moment, there would still be moments of drowsiness, moments of slack, moments when a woman slipped in.

Given Li Heng's excellence and talent, even if he rejected 99. 9% of the women who came to him, there was still a chance one Song Yu might appear—a woman he couldn't resist, one perfectly aligned with him in every way, one whose soul resonated deeply with his.

How could one guard against such a woman?

Li Heng isn't a god—he's a man, flesh and blood. He may resist most women in this world, but he might not withstand this one nemesis.

In other words, ordinary men don't get these opportunities—these temptations never reach them. This indirectly proves how extraordinary Li Heng is.

He's so outstanding that beautiful women naturally gather around him.

He's so outstanding that countless women with top-tier conditions throw themselves at him like moths to flame.

In that moment, Wei Shiman's beliefs wavered. In this society, could such a man truly have only one woman, one wife?

Is it realistic to believe a scholar would love only one woman—only Hanhan?

Her husband was merely a town head, yet over the years, many women had shown interest—female doctors from the town clinic, female teachers from the school, female bank clerks, female leaders from the credit union, even subordinates from his workplace.

Some of these women were unmarried; others were married with children—but what did that matter? When facing their husbands, they cast aside propriety and shame.

Her husband, stuck in a remote little town, constantly faced temptation. How much more so for Li Heng, standing at the center of the national stage?

Especially for Li Heng, whose pure music album had spread across the world?

It was almost unimaginable how many women would converge on him.

Wei Shiman clenched her fists, then quietly released them, breaking the silence in the dark:

"Hanhan, I'll ask you five final questions. Don't lie."

Xiao Han seemed to see hope, replying brightly: "Ask."

Wei Shiman asked: "With so many women watching him, can you really not let him go?"

Xiao Han's voice grew low: "Mom, if I could leave him, I would've left long ago—not waited until high school, not until college, certainly not dragged it this far and made you worry."

After two minutes, Wei Shiman asked her second question: "If that's true, why did you act indifferent toward him in public, making us misunderstand?"

Xiao Han paused a few seconds, then said: "Because I wasn't sure. Some things, I just couldn't tell."

Wei Shiman asked: "What weren't you sure about?"

Xiao Han, emotionally open, analyzed herself: "Mom, though I seem strong, I've always been afraid—afraid one day he'll abandon me, afraid I'll become a homeless dog, covered in dirt and disgrace."

So I never told you about loving him—I feared you'd worry. I feared you'd oppose it."

Wei Shiman's heart tightened; she felt dazed.

Long moments passed before she returned to the bed, climbed in, and pulled her daughter close, holding her tightly with regret:

"Mom was wrong today. I misunderstood you. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"Mom…" Xiao Han choked out, then turned over, burying her head in her mother's arms, just like when she was a child seeking warmth.

She knew—standing from her mother's perspective, from a parent's standpoint—reproach was justified, not wrong.

The fault lay in herself—for falling for a man who never stayed home.

But even if it was wrong, Xiao Han had no regrets.

This path she chose herself. This man she picked herself. Even if he one day fell into ruin, even if he turned evil and became a pariah, she'd stay with him till death.

This was Xiao Han as Li Heng understood her: before giving herself to him, she was indecisive, unpredictable, full of uncertainty.

But once she willingly gave her body, she'd follow him faithfully for life.

This was also why Li Heng, after careful consideration, delayed Song Yu and first won over Xiao Han.

After embracing for a while, Wei Shiman gently patted her daughter's back, just as she had done to soothe her to sleep as a child, then spoke slowly: "You say you're his official girlfriend—has it been made public?"

Xiao Han still felt a small pride in this: "Mm-hmm."

Wei Shiman asked: "Tell me exactly—how public is it?"

Xiao Han explained: "At my medical university and his Fudan University—from professors down to classmates—everyone knows we're a couple."

In public, he's held my hand, hugged me, even kissed me."

Unconsciously, Wei Shiman nodded for the first time. That bastard may be promiscuous, but overall, he's responsible.

She'd feared Li Heng would secretly meet her daughter, hiding their relationship like a shameful affair, treating her like a toy or a plaything.

Wei Shiman asked: "Anything else?"

Xiao Han continued: "In mid-September, when he revealed his identity as a writer, he publicly doted on me in front of tens of thousands, never avoiding me in public."

He introduced me to his classmates and friends, took me to his teacher's home, and even to the Li family in Jingcheng…"

Hearing this, half of Wei Shiman's tension eased.

Though Li Heng's character in love was poor, at least he was sincere with her daughter—not just pretending.

Only a fool would introduce a casual fling to his elders.

Especially someone as respected as Master Bai—he clearly had long-term intentions.

Wei Shiman was fairly satisfied with this.

She asked: "How are his parents toward you? Are his family easy to get along with?"

Xiao Han reached out and squeezed the jade bracelet on her wrist: "I already told you this afternoon—the bracelet was given to me by Tian Run'e. Li Heng said it's his mother's family heirloom, something she treasures deeply—even during the Li family's hardest times, she never considered selling it."

Wei Shiman reached out, touched the bracelet—it was icy cold, with a smooth, pleasant feel—and asked: "How many such bracelets does her family have? Does Song Yu have one?"

Xiao Han said: "Tian Run'e said there was a pair. I've seen one on Chen Zijin's wrist. I have one. Song Yu doesn't."

Wei Shiman wasn't surprised that Chen Zijin had one.

After tonight's conversation, she no longer saw Chen Zijin as the greatest threat.

Instead, Song Yu, Zhou Shihe, and that Ms. Yu were the three strongest rivals—serious threats to her daughter.

The logic was clear.

Wei Shiman judged that the Li and Chen families weren't as harmonious as they appeared—likely, as rumors suggested, their two matriarchs were at odds.

If

If the Li and Chen families were truly close, Tian Run'e would never have casually gifted the bracelet to your daughter. Even if Li Heng adored Hanhan, as a mother, Tian Run'e would think long-term, never impulsively give away both bracelets.

Yet this exact thing happened.

There was only one explanation.

The Li and Chen families are estranged. Tian Run'e favors Chen Zijin but dislikes the Chen family. She may have sensed her son intends to marry someone else, so she acted this way.

Regardless of Tian Run'e's exact reasoning, the bracelet itself is a strong signal—currently, it favors Hanhan greatly.

With the third question passed, Wei Shiman exhaled deeply.

She immediately asked the fourth: "Tell me honestly—have you slept with him? Have you had sex?"

Facing such a blunt question, Xiao Han involuntarily clenched her shirt hem, her cheeks flushed red, her lowered eyes shimmering with tears.

Wei Shiman's voice came through the dark: "Hanhan, why aren't you answering?"

Xiao Han whispered like a mosquito: "Slept with him?"

Wei Shiman asked: "What did you say?"

Xiao Han said: "I'm his woman."

Wei Shiman pressed: "Have you had a sexual relationship? Have you fully given yourself to him?"

This time, Xiao Han's voice was normal: "Yes."

After confirming twice, any lingering hope vanished.

Even though Wei Shiman had prepared herself mentally, her blood still surged, and she still felt lost.

Since the day this daughter of mine was born, she's been unusually beautiful; I've always had high hopes for her, taught her face-to-face how to navigate life, how to guard against bad people, how to guard against men who speak sweet words with treacherous intent.

But what was the result…?

Despite all my precautions, I never anticipated my own daughter would fall first—she developed real feelings for a boy in middle school, and that boy already had a girlfriend.

This made me begin to question myself—was my teaching insufficient?

But then I thought: even women as stunning as Song Yu, Zhou Shihe, and Teacher Yu have fallen one after another—could this really be due to my poor teaching?

Is this truly my daughter's fault?

Isn't it because Li Heng is simply too outstanding, too charming?

As she thought this, Wei Shiman's mood calmed again, and she felt much better.

She asked: "When did you start sleeping together? High school? After the college entrance exam? Or after entering university?"

Xiao Han pursed her lips: "After university."

Hearing it was after university, Wei Shiman felt somewhat relieved and could accept it more easily.

If it had happened during high school, what difference would there be between my daughter and Chen Zijin? She'd be nothing but a second Chen Zijin.

Wei Shiman asked: "Did you initiate it, or did he?"

Xiao Han frowned: "Mom~ How can you ask such a question?"

Wei Shiman dismissed it: "Since we're talking about it now, we'll see it through to the end. I only have one biological daughter—let me die with clarity, don't leave me with unanswerable questions."

Xiao Han, deeply moved, replied: "He initiated it. I didn't refuse."

Wei Shiman asked: "Why didn't you refuse?"

Xiao Han had her own reasoning: "My heart belongs entirely to him. I'll be Mr. Li's woman eventually—whether I give myself to him early or late, it's the same. If the timing comes, giving myself early gives me the better position."

Wei Shiman sighed inwardly, gathered her thoughts, then said: "I'm asking you one final question, seriously."

"Okay," Xiao Han replied in a muffled voice.

Wei Shiman asked: "If one day he abandons you and chooses another woman, will you regret your decision today?"

Xiao Han answered seriously: "Mom, I've thought about all this—I don't regret it."

Hearing this, Wei Shiman fell silent for a long time.

Only when a cat's meow came from outside did she snap back to reality, moved her right hand from her daughter's back to her head, and gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"If you're ever mistreated, if he grows tired of you and seeks new love, come back—come home. Your father and I will always be here waiting for you."

Xiao Han, half-sad, half-excited, suddenly lifted her head: "You're agreeing? You approve of me being with him?"

Wei Shiman didn't answer directly: "You love him so much—does he love you?"

Xiao Han answered without hesitation: "He does! You have to believe in your daughter's charm."

Wei Shiman spoke softly: "That's good. In this life, finding someone you love is already great fortune; if he loves you too, that's a blessing earned over three lifetimes.

You've loved him for eight years, and he loves you—so why not give it a try? Why should I force you so hard?"

PS: Posted first, revised later.

Already updated eleven thousand words.

I've never asked for subscriptions—dear readers, if you can, please subscribe fully. The stats aren't great, thank you. (Hehe, dog head for protection—don't mock me, I'm just a poor soul in March too.)

(I'm wondering—should I write one more chapter?)

(End of chapter)