Chapter 554: Come and Go—Courtesy Demands Reciprocity

Song Yu said: "The snow is getting heavier. Go get Xiao Feng and Liu Li to Xila Hutong—Liu Li probably has something to discuss with you."

She was seeking his opinion, while also bringing Xiao Feng to the Sihe Academy to get acquainted with the place.

Originally, Xiao Feng and Xiao Han were inseparable best friends, but since Xiao Feng came to Peking University, her bond with Song Yu grew by leaps and bounds—they met regularly every week, and now they had become among each other's closest friends.

Li Heng understood her intentions; how could he refuse? He agreed without hesitation.

After leaving campus, the four arrived at Xila Hutong.

As soon as they entered the Sihe Academy, Xiao Feng was stunned by the rows of winter plum blossoms in the courtyard and exclaimed joyfully to Song Yu: "These flowers are so beautiful! Song Yu, bring out the camera—let's take photos!"

Song Yu smiled and said okay.

Watching Song Yu and Xiao Feng fussing over photos in the courtyard, Li Heng led Liu Li inside, boiled a pot of tea, and said: "Liu Li, we've been old friends for years—speak your mind directly, no need to hesitate."

Liu Li had been wanting to speak up all along but didn't know how—now, he gathered his courage and asked: "Lao Heng, is Chen Lijun secretly in love with you?"

It was indeed about Chen Lijun.

Li Heng showed no strong reaction, poured him a steaming cup of tea, and said: "Do you want the truth, or a lie?"

Liu Li sat across from him: "Truth first."

Li Heng hesitated, then said: "Sun Manning once joked with me about Chen Lijun, saying she'd been secretly in love with me throughout high school."

Hearing this, Liu Li's face paled slightly; he gripped his cup tightly with both hands, staring at the floor in silence for a long while.

Liu Li said nothing, and Li Heng stayed silent too, still recalling Chen Zitong's words a moment ago—his chest felt strangely heavy.

After a while, Liu Li looked up, scratched his head, and said bitterly: "I knew it. Back then, Lijun didn't go home several times during month breaks—she just wanted to spend more time with you."

In high school, Li Heng and the clueless one suffered from motion sickness and skipped the 12-yuan round-trip fare, returning home at most once per semester. During those three-day breaks, Chen Lijun rarely went home either—she mostly stayed with Li Heng and the others.

Liu Li pressed on: "What's the lie?"

Li Heng said: "Honestly, whether you believe it or not, I barely noticed Chen Lijun in high school—I never realized anything."

Liu Li sat there thinking for a long while, then sighed: "I get it. Your mind was entirely on Song Yu and Chen Zitong back then—it's normal you didn't notice her."

Li Heng asked: "So today you came to…?"

Liu Li asked: "Recently, she wrote you a letter—what's going on with that?"

Li Heng nodded: "Yes."

Liu Li asked: "Didn't you open it?"

Li Heng said: "I didn't open it. How did you know?"

Liu Li muttered: "Do you even need to ask? You never opened any of your high school love letters—I could guess, and Chen Lijun could guess too."

Li Heng smiled slightly, waiting for him to continue.

After a moment of silence, Liu Li pulled out a bracelet and handed it to him shakily: "Chen Lijun knew you'd open her letter—but even if you did, you wouldn't reply. She asked me to give you this bracelet."

Li Heng frowned. "This bracelet looks familiar?"

Liu Li said: "Of course it does—Lijun wore it every day throughout high school."

Li Heng was speechless, looked up, and said: "Is there anything else? Say it all at once."

Unexpectedly, Liu Li fell silent, sinking into a long, heavy pause.

Li Heng's patience ran out. "You came all this way just for this bracelet?"

Liu Li, gloomy and listless, replied: "What's wrong with you? Do you dislike it? I've been longing for this bracelet—why don't you give it to me?"

Li Heng snatched the bracelet away and goaded: "Fine, don't tell me. I'll ask her myself next time I see her."

The goad had no effect—Liu Li acted as if he hadn't heard.

Sipping tea, the two men stared at each other, feeling increasingly awkward—finally, Liu Li asked with a forced grin: "Do you still remember Class Monitor Liu Hui?"

Li Heng nodded. "Of course."

Liu Li said: "Liu Hui and Chen Dan are both studying in Changsha now. Chen Dan started dating someone in college. Once, at a riverside dinner on the Xiangjiang, Liu Hui drank half a pound of baijiu and jumped into the river—but Zou Ai and others pulled him out in time."

Li Heng had never heard this before, but he still remembered Chen Dan vividly—she'd tried repeatedly in high school to sit next to him, but Sun Manning always chased her away.

He asked, feigning ignorance: "Is he okay?"

He asked because he'd attended Liu Hui's wedding banquet in his past life.

Liu Li said: "He's fine—just drank a belly full of water. I used to think I had it bad, but compared to Liu Hui, I'm actually pretty lucky—at least Lijun wrote me a letter too."

Li Heng didn't know how to respond—he feared saying anything might sound like boasting and provoke Liu Li into chasing him with a stick.

He asked: "In high school, both Zou Ai and you secretly liked Chen Lijun—you both applied to Renmin University, but Zou missed the cutoff by a few points. How's Zou doing now?"

Liu Li said: "Ai Ming and I still write letters regularly—he often asks about you guys. But now that you're so high up, he's too shy to contact you directly. He's living a comfortable little life—dating a city girl, renting an apartment, sneaking off for conjugal visits during free time. Supposedly, she pays the rent."

As he spoke, Liu Li's tone grew noticeably bitter.

The bitterness was too thick—Li Heng laughed. "You should eat more. You're all skin and bones—hard to find a girlfriend like that."

"Bullshit. I eat two full bowls a meal and still don't gain weight. Dammit, my mom even asks if life at Renmin is so hard she should kill a pig and mail me the meat for food." Liu Li rolled up his shirt, revealing his ribs, and bowed his head, whining pathetically.

Timing it just right, Song Yu entered and called them outside for a group photo.

That night, Xiao Feng and Liu Li didn't leave—they played cards together, a game of Shengji.

During the game, Xiao Feng said: "Li Heng, you don't blame us, do you? They say a night of spring is worth a thousand gold—tonight's keeping you from your rest."

Li Heng chuckled: "What kind of talk is that? You're being too formal."

After midnight, Xiao Feng and Liu Li returned to their rooms.

Li Heng stayed in his room for a while; about an hour later, he opened his door and walked to Song Yu's room.

He hesitated, then tried pushing her door—it wouldn't budge; it was locked from inside.

Undeterred, he tried again—same result.

Inside, Song Yu was not asleep. When she heard footsteps outside, she opened her eyes.

When someone pushed at the door, she slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard, staring intently at the door.

After a long while, just as Li Heng was about to leave, the wooden door creaked slowly open—just a crack.

Through the narrow gap, he saw her silhouette.

Across the door, bathed in the dim white glow of snow outside, they gazed silently at each other. Then Song Yu turned back to bed, leaning against the headboard again.

Li Heng paused, sidestepped through the crack, closed the door, and walked to the bedside.

He didn't get on the bed—sat on the edge and asked: "Why aren't you asleep?"

Song Yu watched him quietly, saying nothing.

Li Heng went on: "I couldn't sleep, so I came to check on you."

Song Yu still said nothing. Seeing her indifference, Li Heng stood up. "Then get some rest—I'll go."

Song Yu's gaze followed him as he moved, until he reached for the door handle—then she whispered: "Have you ever slept on Mai Sui's bed?"

Li Heng froze, standing with his back to her—never expected her to ask this.

But he kept his promise: "I slept with her, but nothing happened."

Not counting clothes on, right…?

No clothes, skin-to-skin—still doesn't count, right…?

After all, it was barely a crack—wasn't truly full contact, was it…?

He tried to reassure himself.

Song Yu thought of that night at the Dongting Lake hotel—she and he had shared a bed too, and nothing happened.

She asked: "With Zijin you couldn't hold back. With Xiao Han you couldn't hold back. Why did you hold back with Mai Sui?"

Li Heng said: "I didn't want to force her."

Hearing this, Song Yu understood why nothing happened between them—it was because of her. Mai Sui had a barrier, couldn't let go.

Song Yu asked: "What about Yu Laoshi?"

Li Heng said: "No."

Song Yu asked: "What about Zhou Shihe?"

Li Heng replied: "We're friends."

A friend—that didn't surprise Song Yu at all.

She'd never met Zhou Shihe, but from the Spring Festival Gala stage, she could tell—the woman was proud. She'd never accept a man with other women—unless…

Unless he pursued Zhou Shihe the way he pursued her—slowly, patiently, eroding her heart bit by bit. Otherwise, impossible.

Here, Song Yu deduced a basic truth: Xiao Han and Zijin had lured her to Shanghai to prevent him from developing feelings for Zhou Shihe in the future.

Having gleaned this, she asked: "What about Wang Laoshi?"

Li Heng turned to face her: "What Wang Laoshi?"

Song Yu said: "Our high school English teacher."

Li Heng froze: "Why would you suspect her?"

Song Yu said: "She traveled half of China with you. I used to think nothing would happen between you—but Yu Laoshi was a living example, wasn't she?"

Li Heng flushed. "Wang Laoshi still teaches at Shaodong No. High School."

Song Yu thought for a moment, then asked: "So many women—each one enough to make anyone envious. Why are you so fixed on marrying me?"

Li Heng answered from the heart: "No reason. From the first moment, I knew I'd marry you."

They stared at each other across the space. Song Yu gazed at him for a long time, then said: "Come up."

A reason with no reason was the simplest, best, purest, and most powerful reason.

Song Yu was moved.

She knew this man wouldn't lie to her—what he said was true. So she loosened the chain she'd held so tightly, and let him onto the bed.

Li Heng thought he'd misheard—he leaned forward eagerly, delighted: "What did you just say? Say it again."

Seeing how adorable he looked, Song Yu smiled gently: "It's late. Go back to your room and sleep."

"Oh no, that won't do," Li Heng said, shuffling over to the bed and kicking off his shoes before climbing in.

When he lay down, Song Yu took a hair tie from her wrist, placed it dead center on the sheet, then lay down beside him.

Li Heng stared at the hair tie. "Is this our childhood classroom's 'Thirty-Eighth Parallel'—the boundary between Chu and Han?"

Song Yu nodded.

Li Heng asked, "What if we fall asleep and cross the line?"

Song Yu smiled prettily. "Then I'll write a letter to Mai Sui."

Li Heng felt dizzy and immediately stopped trying to cheat.

Lying side by side, he stared at the ceiling for a long while, then suddenly asked, "Why are you softening toward me?"

He asked her why she let him get into bed.

Song Yu stared at the ceiling too. "You went to such lengths to see me—if I don't give you a little sweetness, I'm afraid your new book won't reach its full potential."

Hearing this, Li Heng turned to look at her.

Song Yu remained calm at first, unmoved. But as he kept staring, her ears slowly warmed, and finally she turned onto her side, facing the wall, back to him, eyes closed.

For a moment, Li Heng had a sudden impulse to reach out and pull her close—but his hand had just crossed the hair tie, hesitated, then pulled back.

After that, neither spoke again.

Time passed, second by second, and after who knew how long, when the even rhythm of his breathing reached her from behind, Song Yu's body finally relaxed. She rolled over again, facing him, silently studying his face, all her scattered thoughts slowly fading away.

She had often wondered in quiet moments: what if we'd met in middle school? Would he have always had only me beside him?

…

The night passed.

The next morning, when Li Heng opened his eyes, Song Yu was gone—no longer in the room.

He instinctively reached out to touch the spot where she'd slept; the sheet was still warm, clearly she'd just gotten up.

Surprisingly, the hair tie still lay exactly where it had been, undisturbed.

He picked it up, played with it in his palm for a moment, then got out of bed and put on his shoes.

His clothes were still in the next room—he'd come over in his pajamas last night.

As he stretched and opened the door, he froze: three pairs of eyes in the living room all turned toward him at once.

Li Heng walked out without reacting, said "Good morning," and headed to the next room.

Once the door shut, Xiao Feng snapped back to reality and stared at Song Yu. Had she seen that right? Li Heng had just come out of Song Yu's room—and he was still wearing his pajamas.

Though she knew they were dating, sleeping in the same bed shattered Xiao Feng's entire perception—was this really the same Song Yu, breathtakingly beautiful, someone only worthy of distant admiration?

Liu Li was no less stunned than Xiao Feng, staring blankly at Song Yu, her mind struggling to catch up.

Meeting their shocked gazes, Song Yu remained composed—they were close friends; she had no reason to hide it.

Besides, reciprocity is propriety—she intended to use Xiao Feng's mouth to pass this news along to Xiao Han.

As for the meaning behind it, let Xiao Han imagine it himself.

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