[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-549":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","1987: My Era",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259709,4409,"Chapter 549: Can't Avoid the Norm, Pressure from the Great King","1987-my-era-chapter-549",549,"\u003Cp>Entering the study, surrounded by books and the faint scent of ink, Wei Shiman’s heart grew calm, and she unexpectedly gained new respect for Li Heng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newspaper said Li Heng liked taking notes and writing reflections while reading, having read over a thousand books; Xiao Qing flipped through about twenty, sighing after each one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she reached the twenty-second book, all distractions vanished from Xiao Qing’s mind—only awe remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law enjoy the study’s atmosphere, Li Heng gave Xiao Han a few quiet instructions, stayed no longer, and left the study to go buy groceries downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planned to cook dinner at home himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why not? He’d noticed his mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law loved spicy food; most local dishes didn’t suit their taste, so he might as well cook himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han didn’t accompany him grocery shopping. Her mother and sister were visiting for the first time, unfamiliar with the place, so she stayed behind to keep them company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing Building No. 27, Li Heng didn’t hesitate—he walked straight inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rushed up the stairs and bumped into Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe, both seated on the sofa, eating sunflower seeds, turning to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui stood up, slipped on her cotton slippers, and softly asked, “Why are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said with concern, “I came to check on you—I was a little worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both knew what he meant, and Mai Sui felt deeply comforted: “I’m fine, don’t worry about me—focus on entertaining your guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng fell silent, then said to the two women, “Come have dinner with us later—I’ll buy extra dishes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe glanced at Mai Sui but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui thought for a moment and shook her head: “We have a dorm dinner tonight—I’m going with Shihe and the others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhou Shihe turned her gaze back down and resumed eating sunflower seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no dorm dinner tonight—it was just an excuse Mai Sui made up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few casual words, just as Li Heng was about to leave, Mai Sui suddenly said behind him, “Li Heng, do the clothes and pants on the balcony bother you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng turned back, hugged her gently, and said fondly, “I’ve never hidden you from anyone—don’t overthink it. It’s windy outside; make sure the wind doesn’t blow them away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui blushed and said yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phrase “never hidden you from anyone” struck straight at Mai Sui’s softest spot; though it was freezing winter, her heart felt warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng left, hurrying to buy groceries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his footsteps descend, Zhou Shihe, who had remained silent until now, set down the sunflower seeds in her palm and remarked softly, “He’s very good with sweet words—one sentence from him, and you’ll spend your whole life repaying it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Li Heng had never avoided acknowledging Mai Sui in public—not before his mother Tian Rune, not before his second sister, not before his childhood friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Song Yu confronted him, he remained open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Yu Laoshi, Liao Editor, Ba Lao, Wei Xiaozhu, Shen Xin, Sun Principal, Dai Qing, and others—they all already knew about his close relationship with Mai Sui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui slipped off her slippers and sat back beside her friend, then whispered after a long while, “I’m content.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe turned her head to look at her friend for two seconds, then said, “I’m sitting on a fortune now—anything you want to buy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui asked, “Anything at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe replied, “Even Li Heng might not be able to buy it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the two women exchanged glances and burst into laughter, then put on their shoes together, hopped on their bicycles, and rode out of Lushan Village toward Wujiaochang Department Store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back from the market, Li Heng locked himself in the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was focused on cooking, Wei Shiman slipped in without a word, watching quietly from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was astonished—Li Heng was young, yet his knife skills and control of heat were those of a master with decades of experience, more refined than her own, who had cooked daily for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finished stir-frying Dragon Eel and Sautéed Kidneys, Wei Shiman finally spoke: “Do you cook often at home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng turned and smiled: “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman asked, “Since what age?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng answered, “Eight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wei Shiman pulled a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo basket, picked up a piece of perfectly cooked Sautéed Kidneys, put it in her mouth, chewed, and asked, “Perfect for my taste—do you have wine at home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said, “Yes—Er Guo Tou, beer, red wine, and baijiu—what would you like, Mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman said, “Er Guo Tou—this dish goes well with it. Have some with me later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright!” His mother-in-law praised his cooking and wanted to drink—he had no reason to refuse, so he agreed gladly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the kitchen, Wei Shiman told the two sisters chatting in the living room, “Turns out there are advantages to being raised in the countryside—everything’s learned. Li Heng’s cooking is even better than mine. You two should learn to cook too—don’t keep your fingers away from the kitchen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Qing looked up: “You never used to teach us that—you didn’t want us near the kitchen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han added, “Exactly! When I was little, I once went into the kitchen with Dad and got oil all over my face—you scolded him and said my precious daughter only needed to be beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman was left speechless—these were all true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, she said, “Times change. A woman who can cook is an asset—it keeps a man’s heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Qing smiled: “This trip wasn’t wasted—looks like Mom’s view of Li Heng has changed a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman sighed inwardly: Li Heng was perfect in every way—except he had too many beautiful women around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dinner was the third time the four sat together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike yesterday’s first meal, where someone left midway, or the lunch that began coldly, dinner started smoothly—each poured a small glass of Er Guo Tou, enjoyed the feast, and drank cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han wasn’t good at drinking, but to please her mother and her man, she cracked jokes and drank heavily—until she got drunk, and Li Heng couldn’t stop her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her youngest daughter passed out in Li Heng’s arms, Wei Shiman understood why: Hanhan wanted her mother’s sincere blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Li Heng carried Xiao Han to the master bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman was fascinated by Lushan Village’s layout and architecture; she walked in the rain with her eldest daughter, holding an umbrella, admiring the scenery and digesting her meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After circling Lushan Village, they planned to visit other parts of Fudan University when they met Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe right at the alley entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe had just returned from the cafeteria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason—perhaps aura, perhaps something else—the four women, each holding an umbrella, seemed to sense each other’s presence and turned to look simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Wei Shiman saw Zhou Shihe in person, the face that flashed in her mind wasn’t her daughter’s, nor any woman she’d seen that noon—it was Song Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, without reason, Song Yu appeared in Wei Shiman’s mind. In forty-five years of meeting countless people, she felt only Song Yu matched Zhou Shihe in aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One glance steals a city, a second steals a nation, beauty eclipsing past and present—this was the true portrait Zhou Shihe painted for the Xiao family mother and daughter. Gazing across the rain, Wei Shiman felt intensely: Zhou Shihe’s elegance, like a light silk fan, utterly stunned her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the downpour, the four women passed each other in pairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman had no way to grade Zhou Shihe—calling her merely a “great beauty” couldn’t capture what she’d felt. The women she’d seen at lunch—Huang Zhao, Wei Xiaozhu, and Mai Sui—were all beautiful, each strikingly distinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Huang Zhao’s grand radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Wei Xiaozhu’s innocent purity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Mai Sui’s subtle allure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhou Shihe gave Wei Shiman not only awe, but a sense of danger—just as Xiao Han had instinctively felt upon first seeing Zhou Shihe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a spiritual impact none of the others could match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Hanhan was already stunning enough—Wei Shiman had long been visually immune to ordinary women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking thirty meters ahead, Xiao Qing broke the silence: “No wonder Mai Sui and Wei Xiaozhu are only called ‘Little Kings,’ while Zhou Shihe alone holds the title ‘Great King’—it makes sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the mother and daughter had heard from Xiao Han about Li Heng’s circle and knew the “Great King and Four Little Kings” nickname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman frowned, worried: “She’s only in her second year, first semester, and your sister isn’t even at Fudan—things could get complicated later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Qing turned her head: “Are you worried Li Heng and Zhou Shihe will grow too close and develop feelings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman stared at the ground: “Your daughter suspects they already have feelings—just unspoken, not yet made public.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Qing was stunned, then grew worried too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, after Xiao Han woke from her drunken sleep, Wei Shiman kept probing her for details about Zhou Shihe and Song Yu—only falling asleep deep into the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, after breakfast, Xiao Qing left—she had an academic conference to attend and couldn’t stay longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman left too, returning with Xiao Han to Shanghai Medical University; they planned to buy gifts and personally thank Professor Wen Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trip wasn’t fully successful—they hadn’t met Yu Laoshi—but it didn’t matter. After seeing Zhou Shihe, Wei Shiman now felt anxious for her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Zhou Shihe was already pressure; add Song Yu, and Wei Shiman felt even she, caught in this whirlpool, might not come out on top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, she regretted it—regretted entrusting her youngest daughter to Li Heng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Li Heng and Hanhan holding hands, laughing happily, she quickly buried that regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While buying gifts, Li Heng asked, “Mom, how many days will you and Big Sister stay in Shanghai?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman said, “Qingbao needs to study here for a while—I’m flying out tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng thought for a moment and discussed with Xiao Han: “Wife, how about I buy a small house near the medical university? That way, when family visits, they can stay, and I’ll have an easier time coming over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman agreed—she’d wanted to help her daughter financially, but remembering the Xiao family’s modest means and Li Heng’s vast wealth, she wisely stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han was delighted—this meant Li Heng could spend more time with her and wouldn’t have to rush every visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had lunch at Professor Wen Yan’s home; in the afternoon, Li Heng drove Wen Yan’s car to personally take Wei Shiman to the airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, it was Professor Wen Yan who bought her ticket—he hadn’t helped at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the airport, Wei Shiman pulled out a gift from her bag and handed it to Li Heng, speaking solemnly: “Shanghai is so far—your mother and I can’t look after Hanhan here. I’m leaving her in your hands. Come visit us for winter break.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, Mom, rest easy—while I’m here, I won’t let Hanhan suffer a single hardship,” Li Heng vowed seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman smiled and nodded, pinched her daughter’s cheek, then turned away—afraid of lingering, she didn’t look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her mother vanish from sight, Xiao Han smiled faintly with a dimple: “Mr. Li, you’re so clever—can you guess what Mom gave you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng replied instantly: “Jade pendant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han gasped, bright and clear: “How did you know? Are you a fortune-teller?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng laughed but didn’t answer—because in his past life, after their relationship improved, Wei Shiman had given him the jade pendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his mother-in-law, the pendant was a pair—one worn by her daughter, one by her. Now she gave him one—it was, in a way, “returning what was rightfully his.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hadn’t she given one to Xiao Qing? Because Xiao Qing’s parents had left her similar heirlooms—she didn’t need it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han pulled a jade pendant from around her neck and showed it to him, then cleared her throat: “Please kneel down—I’ll put it on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, don’t you dare take it off without my permission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it, I’ll listen to my wife.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning from the airport, since it was already late, Li Heng didn’t stay long at the Medical University and rushed home before the last bus left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By coincidence, just as he arrived at Fudan’s gate, Li Heng ran into Zhang Bing and immediately greeted him: “Old Zhang, how’s business today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Bing said, “Not bad. Are you dropping off your mother-in-law?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng replied yes, then asked, “Why are you alone today? Where’s Bai Wanying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of Bai Wanying, a flicker of sorrow passed through Zhang Bing’s eyes as he scratched the back of his head and said, “Lao Zhou and Yanling came to help; they’re off watching a movie now. Wanying had something to do this afternoon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng stepped closer and lowered his voice: “Has she made a decision?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Bing shook his head: “Not yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he added, “Old Li, are you in a hurry to get home? Want to grab a drink with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng glanced at his watch—just past eight—and agreed readily: “Sure, where to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lao Li Restaurant—it’s the most familiar,” Zhang Bing said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked side by side to Lao Li Restaurant, and as expected, it was crowded—with students and nearby residents—nearly every table had a hot pot, the aroma rich and tempting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng didn’t resist the trend; he signaled for a lamb hot pot and eight beers—four each—and they agreed to split up after finishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first they said little, watching the drinking games at the neighboring tables, until the hot pot arrived. Zhang Bing picked up a bottle, clinked it with Li Heng’s, then tossed it back in one gulp and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Li, can I ask you something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Posted first, edited later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already updated ten thousand characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2354,"2026-06-19T15:27:37.100Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ad5517ac4016f7ba9376f0b4958a40612ef3f83796926a2d2551f4166c7eda19","1987-my-era-chapter-550","1987-my-era-chapter-548",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]