Chapter 558: Dinner at Lantian

After buying chocolate and ink, they circled Wujiaochang for half a lap before returning to the braised stall.

The sky was growing late, and there were fewer customers; the people behind the stall finally had time to chat.

Li Heng glanced at the braised dishes and roasted sweet potatoes, noticing they were nearly sold out. "Old Zhang, on a day this cold, you should rent a small shop nearby and set up a permanent stall—then you won't have to endure wind and rain anymore. You'll build your own brand, and customers will come looking for you."

Zhang Bing scratched his head: "Uh, okay, I'll try to find a suitable shop."

After a few more words about the shop, Li Heng asked: "Have you had dinner yet?"

Wei Sisi said: "Tang Daling and I ate at school before coming over."

Li Heng asked Zhang Bing, Wei Xiaozhu, and Bai Wanying: "What about you three?"

The three exchanged glances and shook their heads.

Li Heng said: "Shihe and I are going to eat—want to come? More people, more fun."

Zhang Bing said: "You two go—Old Tang can't handle roasted sweet potatoes, so I can't leave."

Li Heng said: "Fine, I'll pack you two dishes later."

Then Li Heng, Zhou Shihe, Wei Xiaozhu, and Bai Wanying headed together to Lantian Restaurant.

It was peak dining time; private rooms were full. After circling the dining hall, they finally found a table in the corner.

They sat down, ordered, and Wei Xiaozhu asked Li Heng: "Why isn't Mai Sui here?"

Li Heng teased: "That's a weak question. Where's your constant companion Dai Qing? That's where she is."

Wei Xiaozhu laughed: "Dai Qing's vice-chair of the student union—naturally busy. But Mai Sui's different; she comes and goes as she pleases, and no one dares say a word."

Li Heng rolled his eyes. "Come on, don't hint at me like that. She can't get special treatment just because of me."

Bai Wanying asked: "Have you heard the rumors about you and Mai Sui?"

Li Heng said: "My hearing's sharp—I've heard at least fifteen different versions of gossip over the past year and a half."

The three women exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

They say three women make a drama—and sure enough, their table never stopped buzzing.

Bai Wanying looked at Zhou Shihe and said: "Shihe, you're so beautiful. That dress has such feeling—simple, yet perfectly captures the mood of autumn."

Li Heng agreed.

But he thought it wasn't the dress that looked good—it was her spirit and aura that created this effect.

Like the saying goes: a beautiful person, even wrapped in a rag, still has that vibe.

Dressing can be deeply technical—or it can be nothing but raw personal advantage.

Zhou Shihe was the kind born with everything handed to her. At just 164 cm tall, her face and aura were perfectly balanced—no one could envy her.

But if Zhou Shihe won with soft power, Wei Xiaozhu won with hard hardware: 167 cm tall, with golden proportions, a natural mannequin who could pull off any style.

But what struck Li Heng most about Wei Xiaozhu was the plaid yellow dress she wore now—it had an indescribable quality that amplified her purity.

Put it this way: if Wei Xiaozhu's youthful first-love aura was a perfect 100, the plaid yellow dress made it 120.

Li Heng told Wei Xiaozhu: "That plaid yellow dress of yours—it's been over a year, and it still looks brand new. Great quality."

Wei Xiaozhu looked down at her dress. "It's new."

"Huh?" Li Heng said.

Wei Xiaozhu smiled: "So many people said this dress suits me best, I bought two more exactly the same."

Li Heng: "..."

He had to raise his thumb in admiration.

Bai Wanying asked: "Xiaozhu, I feel like you change outfits every day—how many clothes do you even own?"

Wei Xiaozhu answered: "Li Heng asked me this earlier this year. I don't change every day, but I do have a lot—when I rotate them, it takes months. That's why you think I wear something new daily."

Meeting their three pairs of eyes, she paused, then continued: "I haven't counted, but for each season, I have over sixty complete outfits."

Li Heng was stunned: "So you have at least two hundred forty outfits?"

Wei Xiaozhu smiled shyly: "About that. My aunt has four six-door wardrobes—almost all filled with my clothes."

Li Heng asked: "What about the ones you've retired?"

Wei Xiaozhu said: "Yes—I immediately get rid of outdated or unwanted clothes and give them to my aunt or mom to handle."

Bai Wanying gasped involuntarily: "Good heavens! How much money did you spend on all this?"

Wei Xiaozhu smiled but didn't answer.

Clearly, her family didn't lack money—otherwise they couldn't sustain such consumption.

Bai Wanying turned to Zhou Shihe: "Shihe, how many outfits do you have?"

Zhou Shihe shook her head gently: "I don't know. I have quite a few, but I don't wear most. For winter coats, I usually rotate about fifteen or so."

The dishes arrived. As they ate and chatted, the conversation turned to director Zhang Yimou.

Bai Wanying asked: "I heard from Zhang Bing that your aunt scolded that big director yesterday?"

Wei Xiaozhu recalled: "He came to see me for the third time yesterday. My aunt got so angry she chased them out with a broom."

Bai Wanying asked: "Do your parents oppose it too?"

Wei Xiaozhu said: "All my elders strongly oppose it. They say that world is too complicated, too dirty—a blank sheet going in might come out as something unrecognizable."

Bai Wanying asked: "What about you?"

Wei Xiaozhu shook her head firmly: "I dislike it even more—I find it downright repulsive."

Bai Wanying clapped her hands: "I support you. After graduation, you'll land a respectable job. With your looks, you can marry into a good family. Entering that cesspool would be a step down."

Then she asked Li Heng: "Big writer, do you agree with me?"

Li Heng nodded: "Given Wei Xiaozhu's family background, it's only natural her aunt and parents were furious when Zhang came calling."

None of them brought Zhou Shihe into the discussion—they all knew: if Wei's family disapproved, Zhou's family would be even more opposed.

The topic shifted again. Wei Xiaozhu suddenly mentioned Huang Ziyue: "Li Heng, isn't Huang Ziyue the granddaughter of Principal Sun?"

Li Heng said: "Yes."

Wei Xiaozhu asked: "Does she like you?"

Li Heng replied: "I'm not sure. When I was in Aba, she wrote me two letters—I never opened them."

Wei Xiaozhu asked: "What's your gut feeling?"

Li Heng hesitated, then said: "Her gaze was direct—like she wanted to eat me alive." He asked: "Why bring her up?"

Wei Xiaozhu told him: "For the freshman sports meet host, Huang Ziyue competed against Mai Sui. Dai Qing told me Huang Ziyue targeted Mai Sui—probably because Mai Sui's too close to you."

Li Heng frowned: "Mai Sui's hosting tomorrow—so she won?"

Wei Xiaozhu said: "Of course. Huang Ziyue had Principal Sun's backing, but Suisui had you. Everyone voted fairly—Mai Sui got nearly unanimous support."

Li Heng asked Zhou Shihe: "Mai Sui never mentioned this to me. Did you know?"

"Mm."

Zhou Shihe gave a soft hum, speaking gently: "Huang Ziyue is outstanding in every way, but she can't match Suisui. She wouldn't dare play dirty."

Zhou Shihe's tone was light and soft, yet to the three, it sounded fiercely authoritative.

At that moment, a new couple took the recently vacated table next door: Hu Ping and a beautiful girl.

But when Hu Ping walked over and saw Li Heng and Wei Xiaozhu, he froze, awkwardly wanting to dig his toes into the floor.

The girl followed Hu Ping's gaze, turned, and her expression flickered uncertainly—she clearly recognized Li Heng and Zhou Shihe, and guessed who Wei Xiaozhu was.

But she didn't greet them. Instead, she pulled Hu Ping, who was ready to retreat, into his seat and called the waiter to order.

The two tables were separated only by a narrow aisle—not far at all.

Bai Wanying whispered to her table: "The girl's a first-year history major—He Qian."

Hearing "He Qian," Li Heng instantly remembered: Li Yiguo had exaggeratedly gestured in the dorm, saying He Qian was huge on top and curvy below, walked with a sway so seductive, he'd dreamed of her that night—yōxī yōxī, doing it hard…!

Li Heng quickly sized up He Qian—she matched the type of his high school English teacher: all about sexiness.

But perhaps due to age, He Qian lacked depth, lacked the mature allure of Teacher Wang Runwen. In figure, He Qian was undeniably seductive—but without Wang's wire-rimmed glasses and intellectual grace, the contrast was immediate.

Hu Ping nervously stole glances at Wei Xiaozhu, then greeted Li Heng: "Hengge, you're eating here too?"

Li Heng smiled back: "The food here's good. Today someone's treating me—I came for a snack."

Hu Ping forced a laugh, exchanged a few words with Bai Wanying, dared not speak to Wei Xiaozhu, and certainly didn't greet Zhou Shihe.

He Qian kept secretly comparing herself to Wei Xiaozhu—and ended up depressed. Hu Ping, in his roommates' eyes, was a nine-out-of-ten handsome guy, a Shanghai native, top-tier conditions—he'd pursued her for nearly two months before she reluctantly agreed to this dinner to evaluate him up close.

I never expected the first date to go so badly.

He Qian had heard from a sophomore that Hu Ping had remained celibate for over a year for Wei Xiaozhu, only to get nothing—Wei Xiaozhu didn't even look at him.

She'd never taken seriously the idea of Fudan's Little Wang—she was beautiful too; how much prettier could this girl be?

Even Huang Ziyue from their year, she didn't respect.

But after comparing herself to Wei Xiaozhu, He Qian lost all confidence—and instantly lost interest in Hu Ping, wondering how to get rid of this nuisance.

After all, she'd been beautiful since childhood; she wasn't a recycling bin for other people's rejects. Why should she take him?

She didn't want to be laughed at.

She'd once harbored this pride and hesitation internally, but now, seeing Wei Xiaozhu in person, it exploded.

On the next table, He Qian and Hu Ping were lost in their own thoughts.

Just across the aisle, Wei Xiaozhu remained unmoved, her expression calm. Whether Hu Ping chased some mediocre girl like He Qian—or even won over Tongji's campus queen Wu Siyao—she wouldn't spare him a second glance.

As Wei Sisi of Room 107 said: Hu Ping was like a childish kid who, unable to get the candy he wanted, went outside to frantically chase toys to show off and prove his charm.

Seeing they'd eaten enough, Zhou Shihe, who'd spoken little today, said gently: "Xiaozhu, Wanying, are you full?"

Wei Xiaozhu smiled: "Full. Let's go."

Bai Wanying agreed.

Then all three women turned to look at Li Heng.

Li Heng said, "Minority yields to majority—I'm full to bursting. Let's go."

The four of them settled the bill and left Blue Sky Restaurant.

Once they were gone, He Qian feigned ignorance: "That woman in the plaid shirt who didn't even look at you—was that Wei Xiaozhu?"

Hu Ping clenched his fist under the table. "What are you getting at?"

He Qian said, "I'm not saying anything. Your idol, the one you can't stop thinking about, turned into a demure lady in front of Li Heng. Haven't you noticed? One casual word from Li Heng makes Wei Xiaozhu light up."

He Qian deliberately stressed the words "light up."

Hu Ping clenched his fist again. "Are you trying to stir up trouble? Undermine the bond between our dorm brothers?"

"Stir up trouble?"

He Qian chuckled. "If Li Heng touched Wei Xiaozhu somewhere private, do you think your goddess would flinch?"

Hu Ping exploded, slamming his fist hard on the table and snarling a threat: "If you say the name 'Wei Xiaozhu' one more time, I'll beat you to death!"

He Qian glanced at him. "I saw Chen Guifen today. She went into a hotel with a guy from another school."

She named the hotel and added mockingly, "It's not far from here. If you rush over now and block the door, you might catch a live show."

Hearing this, Hu Ping lost control and swung a palm straight at her.

But He Qian dodged with lightning speed, spun around, and landed a hook punch—before anyone could react, the nearly 180-centimeter Hu Ping crashed to the floor.

A loud "thud" shook the restaurant floor as if it trembled three times.

Hu Ping's skull cracked against the hard floor, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.

In an instant, the restaurant fell into eerie silence.

Then chaos erupted—diners panicked, leaping up and scrambling away from the corner.

A few bold ones rushed over to check Hu Ping's breath, feel his pulse, and pinch his philtrum.

The restaurant manager and security arrived, surveyed the scene, saw blood seeping from the back of Hu Ping's head, and immediately called the police and an ambulance.

He Qian didn't flee. She remained seated.

The manager first questioned nearby diners. Learning the man on the ground had struck first, he treated He Qian with surprising calm: "Miss, you can't leave yet. We've called the police. Please cooperate."

He Qian said, "I'm not leaving."

Just then, a cheer rose from the crowd. The manager turned to see the young man on the floor—having been pinched at the philtrum—sitting up abruptly, one hand clutching the back of his head.

Staring at He Qian, Hu Ping was dazed: Why was he so unlucky? He'd been after her body, but ended up getting knocked out instead.

When he first pursued He Qian, she'd told him: "My dad's a martial arts stunt coordinator. I know kung fu. Think twice before chasing me—if you piss me off, I'll beat you so bad your own parents won't recognize you."

Back then, Hu Ping was consumed by lust—he never believed her. He dismissed her warning as empty noise.

Damn it! I didn't even last one round!

One round—and this big man got taken down.

PS: Uh, today a kidney stone got stuck in my ureter and won't pass. I'm bleeding when I pee—it's excruciating. I'm not in shape. I don't even know what I wrote in this chapter. It feels flat. Sorry. That's all for today. I'll make up the remaining 6, 00 words later when I'm feeling better.

I'm truly sorry.

Posted first, revised later.

(End of Chapter)