Chapter 566: Wheat Ears

Holding the key, he opened the gate to Building 27 and headed straight upstairs.

Li Heng quickly dialed Zhao Ran at Aba Normal College.

He didn't know if his senior brother was even there.

But now he could only try anything, however desperate.

"Ding ling ling…"

The phone rang twice before connecting, and Zhao Ran's voice came through: "Hello, who's this?"

Li Heng said: "Aunt Zhao, it's me, Li Heng. I'm looking for my senior brother—is he with you?"

He spoke without wasting a second, finishing it all in one breath.

Zhao Ran replied: "Wait a moment—he's in the kitchen."

"Oh, okay," he answered.

Half a minute later, the phone was handed to Liao the Chief Editor: "Younger brother, why are you calling me at this hour? Have you had dinner yet?"

Li Heng asked: "I'll eat later. Senior brother, you've been there nearly a week—when are you coming back?"

Liao the Chief Editor paused briefly: "Is something wrong?"

Li Heng hinted: "Teacher Yu has an urgent matter to discuss with you."

Xu Suyun was at Teacher Yu's house; Liao immediately realized something major had happened: "Alright, I'm heading to Shu Capital to catch a flight now."

Li Heng said "Got it," and hung up.

He dialed the second number—to his teacher's home.

Since the person might not be home, the phone rang six times before connecting.

Xiao Lin asked: "Hello, who's this?"

"Xiao Lin, it's me, Li Heng." Li Heng cut straight to the point, skipping formalities and laying out his purpose.

He then waited calmly, letting her absorb the information.

Xiao Lin sounded astonished: "I always knew your senior brother was a heartless rake, but he slept with her in just four days?"

Li Heng stayed silent.

Xiao Lin asked: "Is she really pregnant?"

Li Heng said: "Absolutely. It's probably close to three months already."

Xiao Lin asked: "Then where's Liao Hua? Where did he run off to?"

"He went to Aba—there's some business there," Li Heng replied.

Xiao Lin asked bluntly: "Does he have an old flame there too?"

Li Heng looked up at the ceiling and ignored it.

Xiao Lin asked again: "Have you contacted him yet?"

"Just now. He said he's heading straight to Shu Capital Airport," Li Heng said.

"Ah…"

Xiao Lin suddenly sighed and said: "I'll go discuss this with the old man."

"Alright," Li Heng said. After exchanging a few polite words, he ended the call.

Whether Old Master Ba came or not was beyond his control—he'd delivered the message, and that was enough.

He put the receiver back, then after a moment's thought, picked it up again and rapidly tapped the keypad.

Soon, the third call connected.

"It's me."

"Mm."

"You sound a bit tired?" he asked.

Huang Zhaoyi replied: "Just got back from the factory—we had the year-end summary meeting today."

Li Heng asked: "How did it go?"

Huang Zhaoyi said: "Relatively good. The net profit for Weihao Mei in the second half exceeded 9. million."

Nine point seven million meant nothing compared to Anta Shoes or the New Future Tutoring School.

But their situations were different—Weihao Mei was a durable, high-potential brand; as the economy soared, its market would only grow larger.

Turning a profit in half a year already made Li Heng deeply satisfied: "Good. Don't overwork yourself—rest well, balance work and rest. By the way, when are you coming back to Shanghai?"

Huang Zhaoyi's eyes brightened instantly: "It's year-end now, all major tasks are done—I can return anytime."

Li Heng calculated the days: "Try to come back before my winter break; if you're too busy, I'll come to Changsha after the break to see you."

Huang Zhaoyi realized he was hinting at something—giving her a second chance: pregnancy.

She waited for this every day, longed for it—but she would never push.

Huang Zhaoyi agreed: "Okay."

After finishing that topic, Li Heng brought up another: "Have your assistant buy me a small house near Shanghai Medical University—preferably a villa."

Huang Zhaoyi pictured Xiao Han's face: "What kind? Any specific requirements?"

Li Heng said: "No special requirements—just two conditions. Safety is most important, and I prefer quiet."

Huang Zhaoyi mused: "I'll have Gong Min from Fuchun Xiaoyuan handle it—how's that?"

Gong Min was the general manager of Fuchun Xiaoyuan and had served her for thirteen years—extremely loyal and reliable.

Li Heng said: "Fine. Pay for it first—I'll reimburse you later."

Huang Zhaoyi knew his nature and didn't argue: "Okay."

After ending the call with Da Qingyi, he was about to call Zi Jin when footsteps sounded at the stairwell—he paused and put the receiver down.

He turned and saw Mai Sui peeking out from the hallway.

Their eyes met; Mai Sui froze in place and softly asked: "Are you still making calls?"

The implication: if he was calling Xiao Han or Chen Zijin, she'd retreat.

She didn't speculate about Song Yu—Song Yu was unreachable.

Li Heng shook his head, stood up, and walked over, studying her from all sides before asking: "Did you wear light makeup today?"

"Mm, I haven't taken it off yet—I'll go do it now," she said.

Li Heng held her back: "No, let me look a little longer."

Seeing his gaze shift, Mai Sui smiled softly, weakly, then finally wrapped her arms around him, leaning fully against his chest.

Half a minute later, she said: "I came to call you for dinner—Shihe and Mannings are waiting."

Li Heng nodded, knowing she felt uneasy at Zhou's place—he didn't press her. After embracing for a moment, they walked downstairs together.

He asked: "How was the New Year's Eve rehearsal?"

"Went smoothly," she said.

Li Heng asked: "Did Huang Ziyue try to steal the hosting role from you again?"

"There was competition—but she lost again," Mai Sui said proudly.

Li Heng chuckled, gently stroking her head: "Rare to see you show off like this."

Mai Sui's eyes fluttered shut in pleasure, standing still as he caressed her hair for a while before continuing forward.

He said: "New Year's Day is the day after tomorrow. You've been living out for nearly two months—come back tonight."

Mai Sui refused: "No."

Li Heng frowned: "Then when will you come back to be with me?"

Mai Sui avoided his demanding gaze, looking away: "Depends on my mood."

Li Heng raised his voice: "You dare! Are you defying me?"

"Mm," Mai Sui answered firmly.

Li Heng fell silent, stalling.

Mai Sui took three or four steps, saw his stubborn expression, smiled sweetly, turned back, tiptoed, and kissed his left cheek—then said nothing, pushing him forward with both hands.

Only when they stepped out of Building 27 did she release him, reverting to her composed ladylike demeanor.

Li Heng glanced at her sideways, suddenly realizing she'd become as difficult as Song Yu—because he couldn't bring himself to defy her wishes.

They returned to Building 26.

At that moment, Zhou Shihe, Sun Mannings, and Ye Ning had already placed the dishes on the table.

The rice was served, and each had poured herself a glass of Erguotou, waiting for the two to return before eating.

Li Heng sat down and asked: "Hey, why are you drinking Erguotou instead of beer?"

Ye Ning said: "Beer's boring—let's switch it up."

Saying this, Ye Ning pulled out a bottle of chili sauce from her pocket and excitedly showed it to Li Heng: "Li Heng, look! Look what this is? Chili sauce—a brand-new thing, you've never tried it before, right? Let me tell you—it's from your Xiangnan!"

Li Heng squinted—it was the Weihao Mei brand.

So Ye Ning was showing off her own company's product?

Sun Mannings' eyes gleamed green with envy; she snatched it away: "Whoa! Where did you get this? I didn't even know! You little minx, are you itching for a beating? You hid this from me too?"

Ye Ning shrugged: "If I didn't hide it, how would it be a surprise?"

Sun Mannings hurriedly opened the lid, scooped out a spoonful, tasted it, and immediately cheered: "Delicious! Spicy and fragrant—perfect with rice! Come on, Suisui, Shihe, try some; Li Heng, I'm giving you a spoonful too!"

After tasting, Mai Sui instantly loved it.

But Zhou Shihe showed no strong reaction—she was lost in thought.

Ye Ning asked: "Shihe, isn't it good?"

Zhou Shihe said: "It's not bad—I'm just wondering how it's made."

The item was brought back by Ye Ning, who cares deeply about such things: "So what do you think of it?"

Zhou Shihe took the chili sauce from Sun Man's hands, studied the instructions carefully, then said: "It's quite novel—if marketed well, this bottle of chili sauce has huge market potential."

Li Heng couldn't help but admire Zhou's sharp instincts; just moments ago, Da Qingyi had told him on the phone: several product categories were already mature, and next year they'd ramp up market promotion, placing ads on CCTV and in provinces known for their love of spicy food.

Unexpectedly, before Da Qingyi's words had even settled, Zhou had already caught up.

Seeing Li Heng silent, Ye Ning turned to him: "I went out of my way to find you something this delicious—aren't you going to thank me?"

Li Heng smiled, raising his Er Guo Tou: "Thanks, thanks—come on, let's drink."

"Hehe, I was waiting for this." Ye Ning picked up her cup and clinked it against his.

With Sun Man and Ye Ning, two die-hard fangirls, at the table, the atmosphere was lively.

During the meal, Li Heng asked the group: "I heard a new rice noodle shop opened next to Lao Li Restaurant—has anyone tried it?"

"Is it called Chunhua Rice Noodle Shop?" Sun Man asked.

Li Heng asked: "Have you been?"

"Pfft! I've been swamped at Xianghui Hall all day, but someone brought back a bowl of noodles from there for lunch—it smelled amazing, the broth was red, looked delicious." Sun Man said.

Mai Sui realized and asked softly: "Is it run by Zhang Zhiyong and his girlfriend?"

He'd mentioned this to Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe before.

Li Heng nodded, slightly annoyed: "It's him. That guy's not even decent—he didn't even tell me about the opening."

Zhou Shihe recalled and asked: "Isn't Zhang Zhiyong's girlfriend tall and thin, but looks especially sharp and capable?"

Li Heng looked over: "Yes, her name is Liu Chunhua."

Zhou Shihe said gently: "She came by this morning and asked about you. I told her you were reading and writing in the study, and she just left."

Li Heng asked: "Did she leave a message?"

Zhou Shihe shook her head: "She asked if I was Mai Sui. When I said no, she didn't say another word."

Ye Ning mused: "Oh? What's this mean? Do Zhang Zhiyong and his crew think Mai Sui's already Li Heng's official wife?"

For this question, Sun Man, his best friend, unusually didn't play along. She glanced between Li Heng and Mai Sui, then grabbed her chopsticks and started shoveling food—picking the last bits, eating them in big mouthfuls.

Because she knew perfectly well: "Official wife"? Even Xiao Han might not stand a chance against Song Yu—let alone Suisui. Better not rub salt in her friend's wound.

Ye Ning, frustrated, started snatching food too: "You're dead, stealing all the good bits!"

After dinner, Ye Ning and Sun Man chased each other around, laughing and yelling as they ran off—of course, this was just their excuse to avoid washing dishes and sweeping.

Once the dishes were cleared, Li Heng asked the two women: "Are you going to the library to study later?"

Mai Sui understood his intent: "You want to check out the noodle shop?"

Li Heng glanced at the sky: "It's still early—I thought I'd go. But I can't stay long; Xiao Lin might come by soon."

Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe exchanged a look, then followed him out of Lushan Village.

On the way, Mai Sui whispered: "What happened at Yu's house today? So many people, and they were arguing?"

With things as they were, Li Heng had nothing left to hide—he told them the full story.

After listening, Mai Sui fell silent.

Seeing her expression, Li Heng asked: "What's wrong? Do you want to say something?"

Mai Sui shook her head, saying nothing.

In fact, she'd just thought of herself—what if one day something came out, and her parents came looking for her? Would they cause a scene with him too?

Zhou Shihe seemed to sense her friend's thoughts and worries. Rarely taking the initiative, she reached out and gently took Mai Sui's arm, offering silent comfort.

Li Heng, slow to catch on, now understood Mai Sui's thoughts—and suddenly felt the urge to take her hand.

But Mai Sui pulled her left hand behind her back. In this public, crowded campus setting, she would never act affectionately with him—it would confirm the rumors, and that would hurt him.

Mai Sui didn't care what others thought of her—but she cared deeply about Li Heng's reputation. She instinctively protected his image.

Beside them, Zhou Shihe observed every small gesture. Her mind flashed back to noon: after he went to Building 25, Teacher Yu had pulled the curtains shut in his study.

Having lived in Lushan Village for over a year, Zhou Shihe had never seen Teacher Yu close his study curtains before. Even a fool could guess what that meant.

Besides, Li Heng had a history—he'd dared pin Mai Sui down on the living room sofa; he'd tried to tuck stray hairs behind her ears several times.

Thinking of this, Zhou Shihe casually glanced at the man now greeting passing professors.

…

Perhaps it was true: when thunder rumbles in winter, snow follows.

The weather turned. Dark clouds gathered, wind howled, and it grew bitterly cold…

The wind blew into the noodle shop, tilting the wall calendar, tousling Liu Chunhua's hair. Her face was blue with cold, but she paid no attention—she simply bent over, meticulously wrapping dumplings, utterly focused. The shop was her livelihood, the only guarantee her family had to settle in Shanghai.

And honorable labor defined one's worth—she didn't feel tired even with her swollen belly doing this work.

There were two tables inside: one with men, one with women. Probably because Chen Ru from the Foreign Languages Academy was among the women, the men's table was unusually quiet.

As Li Heng, Mai Sui, and Zhou Shihe entered, every pair of eyes in the shop turned to them—they looked at Li Heng, then Mai Sui, then Zhou Shihe.

The reactions split sharply: the women stole glances at Li Heng; the men stole glances at Zhou Shihe and Mai Sui.

Passing eight tables, Li Heng walked straight to Liu Chunhua: "Boss, one bowl of dumpling soup—extra spicy."

Liu Chunhua looked up and greeted warmly: "Li Heng, you're here!"

Li Heng feigned complaint: "Such a big occasion, and Zhiyong didn't even tell me—he doesn't consider me a brother."

Liu Chunhua apologized: "Zhiyong hasn't been around these past two days. I didn't want to disturb your writing, so I didn't call."

Li Heng asked sharply: "He hasn't been here? What happened?"

Liu Chunhua said: "He's been running around nonstop, ruined his stomach—got acute enteritis, has had a high fever, been getting IVs at the hospital."

Worried he'd panic, she quickly added: "But after two days of IVs, his condition improved this morning—the fever's gone down."

In memory, Zhiyong often relapsed with enteritis, yet he'd lived longer than me—on the day I was struck by lightning, this idiot was at home slaughtering a pig, calling to invite me and Song Yu over for pork feast.

Li Heng exhaled in relief: "How is he today?"

Liu Chunhua beamed: "Great! Sold over 150 bowls—better than I expected."

Li Heng looked around: "It must be exhausting doing this alone—are you strong enough?"

Liu Chunhua said: "It's fine—I prepared ahead, didn't get flustered. Plus, Yang Cheng helped out earlier—he left at 4 p. ."

Wow—he hadn't expected that. That loudmouth Yang Cheng actually had some loyalty.

Liu Chunhua, seeing Mai Sui for the first time, studied her for a long while before tentatively asking: "Are you Mai Sui?"

Mai Sui smiled: "I've heard a lot about you and Zhang Zhiyong from Li Heng."

Liu Chunhua smiled back and hurriedly asked: "Have you had dinner yet? What would you like? Rice noodles, wheat noodles, or dumplings?"

Zhou Shihe and Mai Sui looked at him, saying nothing.

Li Heng didn't pretend: "We just ate. Didn't know your shop opened today—heard about it and came over to check it out."

As he spoke, he pulled out a red envelope and handed it to Liu Chunhua: "Sister Chunhua, a small token—wishing you thriving business and prosperity."

Liu Chunhua initially refused, but after meeting Li Heng's gaze, she hesitated, then accepted: "Thank you."

She felt it—thick. At least a thousand yuan inside.

In this era, that was a huge sum.

Seeing this, the diners at both tables buzzed with gossip, speculating about Li Heng's relationship with the shop owner.

Mai Sui pulled out a red envelope.

Zhou Shihe did the same.

Both women had full pockets; a tiny 42-yuan envelope meant nothing to them.

Having accepted Li Heng's, she couldn't refuse the two women's—Liu Chunhua sincerely thanked them twice.

At that moment, two more groups entered—men and women alike.

Seeing this, Li Heng sprang into action, asking each group what they wanted, then helping carry bowls and chopsticks.

His actions left the newcomers stunned. They stared at him, shock plain on their faces—completely baffled, unable to grasp what was happening.

Aren't you the top literary star of today?

Newspapers say your pure music album swept the Billboard charts and topped music rankings in over twenty countries and regions—and you even opened a new Future Training School.

Are you short on money?

One boy thought: I'm even wearing a pair of "Li-Heng" premium sneakers—I saved up an entire semester's allowance to buy them.

A junior couldn't help asking: "Senior, is this… this noodle shop yours?"

Li Heng smiled and waved: "No, it's opened by a friend from my hometown. I just happened to drop by and lend a hand. If you like it, come back often."

He ran around like this just to say that—to help these two clueless folks get some publicity.

He believed that within a month, students from nearby universities would all know Liu Chunhua was connected to him—and some curious ones might even come to try it.

After serving everyone's noodles, Liu Chunhua prepared three small bowls of dumplings for them: "Today's opening day—try them, on the house."

Hearing this, the three couldn't refuse.

Worried Zhou Shihe couldn't handle spice, Liu Chunhua asked: "Should I add chili?"

Zhou Shihe said: "A little."

One bowl extra spicy, one medium, one mild—three bowls of dumplings were placed before them.

Li Heng eagerly scooped up a dumpling and tasted it.

Hmm? The flavor was perfect—authentic Shaoshan style, far better than he'd imagined. No wonder that idiot had sworn it was delicious—damn good.

No wonder Liu Chunhua dared open a shop.

She really had skills.

After a few bites, Li Heng said: "This tastes like home. Sister Chunhua, if you keep the hygiene clean, your business won't fail."

Liu Chunhua beamed: "Don't worry—I've always been very careful about cleanliness."

Li Heng finished his bowl of wonton in one go.

Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe exchanged glances, then ate every last bite.

In the two girls' minds, it was the shop's opening day—they had to show face, even if they had to eat until they were full.

It was past seven in the evening.

The three of them left the shop after spending an hour inside and hurried back to Lushan Village.

Seeing the wind grow stronger, Li Heng teased Zhou Shihe: "Comrade Shihe, why are you walking so slow? Are you going to hug a utility pole again?"

Zhou Shihe gave a delicate, charming smile, brushed her wind-tousled hair back with her right hand, and cleanly extended her left hand toward Mai Sui.

Mai Sui shot a silent, affectionate scowl at him and took her best friend's hand.

Li Heng understood, grabbed Mai Sui's hand, and the three walked in a line toward Lushan Village.

Just as they reached the middle of the alley, they saw the Xu family forcibly taking Xu Suyun away; Shen Xin and her husband stood nearby, pleading on their behalf.

Seeing Li Heng, Shen Xin took a moment to call out to him: "Come by the house sometime—I'll cook you something delicious."

Li Heng politely replied: "Ah, sure, thank you, Auntie."

As they passed, Shen Xin's gaze settled on Zhou Shihe; she thought how the Zhou girl's aura had grown richer, more beautiful—and a strange tightness welled in her chest, filling her with anxiety for her daughter.

As sharp as Zhou Shihe was, she instantly guessed Shen Xin's hidden thoughts the moment their eyes met—but pretended ignorance, stepping forward calmly with small, even steps.

Yu Shuheng hadn't come out; she was still at home.

At the end of the alley, Li Heng told the two girls: "I'm going to visit my teacher."

The two girls knew exactly where he was going; after watching him leave, they entered the study of Building 26, one after the other.

After so many times, Zhou Shihe didn't perform tonight—she walked straight to the desk, picked up the latest chapter of *Dust Settles* with her slender, ivory fingers, and began reading with quiet delight.

Mai Sui, knowing how deeply her best friend loved this book, didn't argue; she waited beside her, wiping the bookshelf with a cloth as she waited.

But as she read, Zhou Shihe suddenly lifted her head, glancing at the study of Building 25—she saw the curtains there were open, the living room curtains left undone—and in the next instant, she sat upright again, composed, and continued reading.

Minutes later, she finished reading the latest chapter and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Mai Sui sat beside her and asked: "Did the story take a turn?"

Zhou Shihe said: "Zhuoma is pregnant with the silversmith's child. Wengbo Yixi had his tongue cut out."

Hearing this, Mai Sui couldn't help but snatch the manuscript from her hand and devoured it eagerly.

Zhou Shihe rested quietly, savoring the story, until her best friend finished reading—then she softly spoke: "Suisui, I have a question for you."

Mai Sui's mind was still in the world of the book; without thinking, she replied: "Go ahead."

Zhou Shihe asked calmly: "Besides you and Xiao Han, besides Teacher Yu, has Li Heng involved himself with any other women?"

Mai Sui froze for a moment, but her eyes never left the manuscript; she dared not meet Shihe's gaze, afraid her expression would betray her.

After a long silence, once her inner turmoil had settled, Mai Sui turned her head and smiled gently: "There are so many girls who like him—since high school, it's never stopped. Why are you asking this now?"

Zhou Shihe paused, then recounted what she'd seen at noon, ending with a warning: "Teacher Yu is becoming more and more forward."

Her implication: Teacher Yu is growing bolder—if you don't fight for him now, you'll never get another chance, and you'll regret it later.

Another layer: If Li Heng has involved himself with other women, things might turn out differently.

Mai Sui wasn't foolish—she understood the subtext. After a moment, she spoke as if nothing had happened: "Either Xiao Han or Teacher Yu would make a fine wife for him."

It was a skillful reply.

It neither lied to her best friend nor betrayed Li Heng's promise—she didn't reveal Song Yu or Chen Zijin.

At the same time, it reaffirmed her own stance: she only wanted to stay by Li Heng's side—she wouldn't fight.

Zhou Shihe turned her head to look at her best friend, lost in thought.

One subtle probe, one clever reply—as if nothing had been said, everything returned to its original state.

…

Building 25.

As soon as Li Heng reached the second floor, he saw Teacher Yu sitting on the sofa watching TV.

He walked over and called: "Teacher."

"You're here. Come sit."

Yu Shuheng patted the spot beside her, signaling him to sit close.

Li Heng instinctively glanced toward Building 26, then sat down—but kept a distance from his teacher.

Yu Shuheng smiled knowingly, didn't call him out on his caution, and asked the real question: "Will Old Ba come?"

Li Heng understood: "You didn't leave—you're waiting for Xiao Lin and the others?"

Yu Shuheng said: "Under these circumstances, we can only try anything, even if it's desperate."

Li Heng frowned: "Is it that bad?"

Yu Shuheng said: "Su Yun's mother is furious—she wants to take her to the hospital for an abortion."

Then she asked: "When will your senior arrive?"

Li Heng said: "He's on his way back."

Yu Shuheng checked her watch: "I'll wait another twenty minutes. If Old Ba hasn't come by then, I have to leave—I can't let Su Yun abort her child."

Li Heng sighed, worried for Liao the editor-in-chief.

Fate often works this way—speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Just as the two were discussing whether Old Ba would come, Mai Sui arrived, running up and peering from the stairwell: "Li Heng, Old Ba's here—and Xiao Lin too."

Hearing this, Yu Shuheng and Li Heng instantly stood and rushed downstairs.

Due to the urgency, Yu Shuheng didn't bother with pleasantries—she drove off immediately with Old Ba and Xiao Lin, not even stopping for a cup of tea.

Before leaving, Teacher Yu told him: "Don't get involved in this. Stay home and read, write."

Li Heng agreed, watching them depart.

When they were far away, Mai Sui asked: "Will the baby be saved?"

Li Heng shook his head: "I don't know. We can only wait for news."

Mai Sui asked: "Why has Editor Liao stayed in Aba so long? It's been a whole week."

Li Heng thought for a moment, then whispered: "Your senior has a child there too."

"What?" Mai Sui was utterly stunned.

Inside the house, he asked: "Where's Comrade Shihe?"

Mai Sui watched his back: "She went back to Building 27—said she needed to call home."

As he walked up the stairs, halfway up, he suddenly stopped and turned to face her.

Their eyes met; Mai Sui asked nervously: "What happened? Why do you look like that?"

Li Heng asked: "What look?"

Mai Sui said softly: "It's kind of frightening."

Li Heng had wanted to tell her that Song Yu would come next Dragon Boat Festival—but feared she'd overthink it. After weighing his options, he chose silence.

Next year is going to be a year of turmoil—maybe Song Yu won't come after all.

If Song Yu is delayed next year, then telling her now would only cause her needless worry.

Upstairs, he asked: "Have you read the latest chapter?"

"Yes," she said.

Li Heng asked: "What did you think?"

Mai Sui said: "Shihe said it was written beautifully—it moved her deeply."

Li Heng blinked: "I didn't ask her—I asked you."

Mai Sui smiled sweetly, saying nothing.

They sat on the sofa. Li Heng, unlike his usual self, didn't clamor to write—he lazily rested his head on her lap.

At first, Mai Sui felt uneasy; her eyes fixed on the uncurtained window, her ears straining, afraid Shihe might suddenly appear from the stairwell again.

Because of what happened last time, she now felt inferior before Shihe—every critical moment became a target for teasing.

But this state didn't last long—the rain outside grew heavy, and Li Heng fell asleep.

Mai Sui looked down at him, her body slowly relaxing, her heart melting.

She was a woman; she loved him deeply. If not for Song Yu, if he had no other women, she would naturally want to marry him.

Her right hand gently rested on his face; then she thought: if she could spend her whole life like this, beside him, it would be enough. Compared to Chen Zijin, far away in Jingcheng, she was already happy—what more could she ask for?

Now she only worried about two things: how to face Song Yu—and her parents at home?

…

PS: Posted first, edited later.

(More to come)

(End of Chapter)