Chapter 581: Chance Encounter

On a rainy day, over ten li of bumpy rural dirt roads, the two carefully picked their steps and finally reached the small town after more than eighty minutes of walking.

Teacher Yu had never experienced a market day; gazing at the crowded stalls, the bustling scene like a wildebeest migration, and the everywhere-selling firecrackers, couplets, and other New Year goods, she exclaimed with delight:

"The New Year atmosphere is so strong—much more meaningful than in Shanghai."

Li Heng had never seen how a big family celebrated the New Year; without comparison, he had no reply. But he assumed that, compared to villagers struggling daily for three meals, she certainly lived in comfort.

Teacher Yu was full of curiosity about rural markets—even a stall selling rat poison or a mobile vendor hawking Japanese red dye made her stop and take a look.

She asked: "What do you usually buy for the New Year?"

"In past years, we saved up to buy firecrackers, new shoes, and new clothes—during the New Year, everything from head to toe had to be new, and these were essential. But now our Li family has enough to eat and wear; most things are already at home, so if we buy anything, it'll probably be something trendy," Li Heng said.

As they walked and browsed, they ran into Xiao Feng.

Seeing Yu Shuheng, Xiao Feng froze for several seconds before finally reacting and greeting: "Li Heng, you're here for the market too?"

Li Heng nodded with a smile and introduced them:

"This is my university teacher, Yu."

"This is my high school classmate, Xiao Feng."

Yu Shuheng smiled at Xiao Feng and recognized her—she had once secretly watched Song Yu at Peking University and happened to see this girl eating with Song Yu in the cafeteria.

But this was Xiao Feng's first time meeting Yu Shuheng; after a few polite exchanges, she found an opportunity to speak privately to Li Heng:

"Li Heng, you're bold—bringing such a beautiful female teacher home? Aren't you afraid Xiao Han and Chen Zijin will break up with you?"

Li Heng didn't flinch: "What's wrong with that? She's my teacher."

Xiao Feng wasn't easily fooled: "Come on, I've heard the rumors about you and your beautiful university teacher.

Even if those rumors aren't true—maybe just jealous gossip—they still matter. If Song Yu finds out, it could cause trouble."

Knowing she meant well, Li Heng blinked, didn't want to dwell on it, and changed the subject: "Why didn't you go look for Xiao Han?"

Xiao Feng told him: "I went. Her whole family was gone—I asked the neighbors; they said she's visiting relatives."

Then she frowned in confusion: "She's your girlfriend—how come you don't even know where she is?"

Li Heng replied: "I was away on a trip and only got home last night. I haven't had time to go to her place yet."

"Oh, I see. Then go ahead and take care of things—I'm off," Xiao Feng said, glancing at Teacher Yu nearby, who was learning how to haggle over vegetables.

"Wait."

Li Heng stopped her and asked: "Has Wen returned? Still spending the New Year in Beijing?"

"He's spending it at Xin Weilai School with Wang Ye. Before coming back, I worked two days as a part-timer at your tutoring school—the second batch, your enrollment's been great, big boss—you're about to make another fortune," Xiao Feng said, her eyes brimming with envy.

After saying goodbye to Xiao Feng, Li Heng took Teacher Yu through every corner of the small town, and only returned home in the evening, laden with bags.

Upstairs, Teacher Yu, still reluctant to leave, said: "I love this atmosphere—if only I could spend the New Year here someday."

Walking behind her, Li Heng's thoughts stirred; he lingered a moment on her tall silhouette, then wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered in her ear:

"Teacher, there'll be a chance."

Yu Shuheng turned her head, fixing her gaze on his eyes.

They stared at each other, neither speaking for a while.

In this silence, words were unnecessary.

As time passed, an indescribable intimacy filled the space between them; Li Heng couldn't resist and leaned in, kissing her.

For once, swept up by emotion, she didn't pull away—her lips parted slightly, meeting his.

Their lips moved together, tenderly entwined.

But she was still his teacher—this was something she couldn't fully let go of.

After a tentative taste, when his tongue sought to cross the Great Wall and enter the heartland, she felt uncomfortable and gently pulled back, breaking the kiss.

This was the closest they'd ever come—almost a French kiss—but at the critical moment, she withdrew, faltered.

Li Heng looked deeply frustrated: "Teacher, are you teasing me?"

Yu Shuheng laughed softly, a flicker of triumph in her deep eyes: "Yes."

Then she asked gently: "Do you like it?"

Li Heng nodded: "I like it—but you…"

Yu Shuheng placed her fingers over his lips, cutting him off. After a moment of eye contact, she removed her hand and kissed him with her own lips.

Their mouths pressed together, motionless.

After a long while, she released him, turned her head, and murmured softly: "Little man, teacher will be yours someday."

Hearing these deeply moving words, Li Heng's heart stirred—he wisely didn't press further.

After dinner, Li Heng took Teacher Yu to his elder sister's house.

As soon as they entered the main room, they saw wood shavings flying, sawdust swirling—her husband, Wu Shusheng, was carving a pig feed trough. Several neighbors watched with interest, and a half-grown child played with small wooden scraps on the floor.

Seeing Li Heng appear, everyone in the room stood up immediately to greet him—this was the village's literary star, long mythologized by everyone, so much so that even they believed he was a celestial scholar descended from heaven, and dared not treat him lightly.

When they saw Yu Shuheng behind him, the men who had just been telling lewd jokes fell silent, dared not speak loudly, and stole furtive glances at Teacher Yu.

Many villagers had never left the small town, let alone seen the outside world—or a university teacher radiating scholarly grace. They respected her deeply, utterly awed by her stunning beauty and presence.

Take Li Yan and her husband, for example: before, whenever their parents were home, they'd visit their natal home four or five times a day. Now, they dared not come—feeling themselves mere peasants, ignorant, uncultured, speaking awkwardly, dressed poorly, afraid to show their faces before Teacher Yu, unwilling to embarrass their younger brother.

Li Heng pulled out his usual cigarettes and passed them around, to everyone regardless of age or gender.

Then he told Wu Shusheng: "Can you make me a few bookshelves? No iron nails—can you do that?"

Wu Shusheng looked a bit dull-witted but was confident in his craftsmanship: "No problem."

"Good," Li Heng asked. "Will you make them at your place or come to mine?"

Wu Shusheng was wary of his brother-in-law: "I don't want to haul tools. This is more convenient."

Li Heng understood his hesitation, nodded, and immediately pulled out a thousand yuan and gave it to the toddler playing with wood scraps: "Uncle didn't buy anything for you—go buy some candy."

The child was barely over a year old, just learning to walk, still babbling—he didn't understand—but seeing the money, he reached out with his chubby hand and grabbed it.

A thousand yuan—when wages in the countryside were only two yuan per day—was an enormous sum.

Those around them stared with envy and resentment, wishing the money were theirs, longing to have a relative like Li Heng—not just prestigious, but genuinely generous with real cash.

Li Yan hurriedly snatched the money from the child's hand and shoved it back: "Brother, this is too much! Your sister and I have already taken so much from you—take it back. We don't lack food or clothes."

Once given, money couldn't be taken back.

Li Heng pretended to refuse, then grew impatient and glared—Li Yan immediately froze, flustered, and finally, embarrassed, slipped the money into her pocket.

Everyone watched the siblings' tug-of-war; even Wu Shusheng and the in-laws stayed silent, watching intently.

Only after Li Yan finally accepted the money did the atmosphere ease; then the mother-in-law remembered her manners, brought tea and chairs, and ordered Wu's younger sister to catch a chicken to prepare a feast for her daughter-in-law's family.

Li Heng quickly stopped her: "Auntie, no need for all this. Teacher and I already ate—our stomachs are small. No matter how many delicacies you make, we can't eat it all. Don't trouble yourself."

After much persuasion, Li Jianguo and Tian Rune arrived, and the fuss finally ended.

Feeling Teacher Yu's presence made everyone too restrained; after sitting for half an hour, Li Heng took her and left.

Leaving the Wu household, Yu Shuheng gazed at the dim yellow lights in the night and asked: "Do I look like a fearsome demon? Why is everyone so afraid of me?"

Li Heng chuckled: "Teacher, your aura is too strong. Villagers have never seen the world—of course they're afraid."

Yu Shuheng asked: "When we first met, were you afraid of your teacher?"

Li Heng thought back: "Honestly? I was a little spooked. You came to my house to pick up clothes—I remember a pair of underwear stuck to my second-floor window. You had no expression, dressed all in black, so beautiful, so elegant, and tall—how could I not be intimidated?"

Yu Shuheng smiled faintly.

Recalling the underwear incident made her embarrassed—and reflective. She never imagined she'd one day fall hopelessly in love with her student, seven years her junior.

Walking along the village road, the north wind grew stronger, blowing through her like a sieve, chilling her to the bone; Yu Shuheng pulled her collar tighter: "Weather's turning again. Let's go home."

"Alright," Li Heng turned, switched on his flashlight, and walked toward the crossroads.

Back home, they bathed one after the other, then entered the bedroom.

They entered the room naturally.

These days, Li Heng sometimes slept with her—not deliberately, but sometimes he just stayed in her room and ended up sleeping on her bed.

Yu Shuheng never reacted—never hinted he should leave, never reminded him it was time; when sleepy, she simply turned off the light, took off her coat, and got into bed.

Occasionally, his large hand would mischief beneath the covers. Each time, Yu Shuheng held her breath, endured it, and let him be.

Twice, he rolled onto her; at first she remained calm, but when sensation built, she couldn't help but embrace him tightly, clumsily responding with her body.

Yet despite the intensity, they always stayed within two red lines.

The first red line: they never removed their underwear.

The second red line: they never kissed deeply.

Everything else remained unspoken.

Tonight, Li Heng pulled out reference materials and studied them carefully.

Seeing this, Yu Shuheng asked: "Writing?"

Li Heng nodded: "I've been home a week without touching a pen—I'm afraid if I wait longer, I'll lose the feeling, get rusty."

Yu Shuheng, well-read, knew this was true; she quietly sat beside him, picked up a book, and didn't disturb him.

After about an hour and a half, Li Heng uncapped his fountain pen, laid out his notebook, opened the ink bottle, and sat in silent contemplation, gathering his emotions.

Then he picked up his pen and wrote on the blank page: Chapter 23, The English Lady.

My uncle and sister returned.

Uncle came from Calcutta, India. Sister came from England.

Sister arrived first in Uncle's India, then traveled with him through XZ back to our hometown…

…

Perhaps because he prepared well in the morning, or perhaps because the long break had revived his freshness—tonight his inspiration was exceptional; his pen flowed like a dragon, scribbling line after line across the white paper.

At some point, Yu Shuheng stopped reading; she sat quietly to his left, now watching his elegant script, now studying his profile, feeling deeply at peace, inexplicably fulfilled.

She clearly felt that this little man's imprint on her heart was growing deeper, to the point of being inseparable.

She had fallen in love with him.

Suddenly, she thought of Runwen—Runwen was the first to accompany him, and the journey of writing *A Bitter Journey Through Culture* had utterly conquered her best friend.

Even after a year and a half, she still remembered how Runwen had once boasted and taken pride in her heart.

Whenever she received Runwen's letters, she would merely smile faintly, thinking it absurd for a teacher to fall for her own student. But she had good breeding and never said it aloud—she simply read her best friend's successive brown-tinged registered letters in silence.

Then one day, her best friend said Li Heng hadn't gotten into Peking University and wanted to enroll at Fudan, asking her for help. Only then did she carefully review his file and accept her friend's request.

She never expected that accepting it would trap her as well.

Thinking back on the teasing remarks she'd once made to Runwen, and comparing them to her own state now, how strikingly similar they were. At this thought, Yu Shuheng suddenly leaned forward and pressed her red lips to his left cheek, giving him a tender kiss.

Li Heng stopped writing and turned his head.

Yu Shuheng was now completely lost in the love she had constructed—a woman bewitched by affection, utterly devoid of the boldness befitting a Yu family heiress. She brushed her hair behind her ear, then brushed it again, clearly unnerved by his gaze.

After a moment of locked gazes, Li Heng leaned forward and closed his eyes.

Yu Shuheng smiled gently, pressed her lips to his, kissed him twice, then whispered softly: "Teacher was wrong—not to disturb you. Go on writing."

"Mm." Li Heng suppressed the urge to pull her onto the bed, took a breath to steady himself, and resumed writing.

Seeing his writing flow restored, Yu Shuheng quietly exhaled in relief.

She feared her momentary loss of composure might disrupt him.

After a moment of silence, she rose quietly and slipped out of the room, leaving him alone with the space.

Yu Shuheng understood that she no longer belonged inside—she feared that, lost in passion, she might spontaneously lie in his arms and beg for a kiss, for an embrace.

Outside in the corridor, she looked up at the pitch-black night sky. Tonight, her woman's heart burned fiercely—she longed to truly kiss him.

She stared blankly into the darkness, lost in thought…

In the end, these thoughts dissolved into air—she still bore the title of university teacher, and he had not yet, like Song Yu, thought of marrying her.

She didn't know why she was pouting like this.

Yet she had given all her love to him—she didn't want to become another woman's substitute; she wanted to fight for her own dignity…

Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e returned. Yu Shuheng stood frozen in the corridor for a long while before descending to the first floor.

Tian Run'e was surprised, rising to greet her: "Teacher Yu, is there no hot water?"

Yu Shuheng smiled gracefully and shook her head: "Li Heng is writing. I didn't want to disturb him, so I came down for a walk."

Tian Run'e understood at once—the boy must have claimed Teacher Yu's room, leaving her nowhere to go.

Teacher Yu glanced around and asked: "Where's Grandma?"

Tian Run'e pulled her onto the sofa. "It's nearly eleven—she sleeps early. She's already resting in bed."

Teacher Yu nodded lightly, then chatted idly with the couple.

During the conversation, she inquired: "When will Lanlan be back?"

Tian Run'e said: "According to the original plan, she should've been home yesterday, but this year, it looks like she won't make it."

Teacher Yu was startled. "Has something happened?"