Chapter 594: She

Seeing Zhou Shihe wink at him in her rare, playful way, Li Heng felt momentarily dazed.

Women with such poise make even a blink feel so captivating!

Ah, this girl really is stunning—she's exactly the type that strikes at the softest part of his heart…

After locking eyes for several seconds, he immediately stood and walked toward the study: "Come with me."

Zhou Shihe hesitated briefly, then rose and followed him into the study.

Li Heng pulled out the manuscript from his backpack and handed it to her: "The winter break's been busy, so I only had time to write three chapters—take a look."

"Mm."

Zhou Shihe softly murmured, took the manuscript, and sat on the nearby chair, quietly flipping through it.

She was starving for "Dust Settles," had long awaited it, and within moments, she was fully immersed in the world of the book.

So that saying's true—marry a wife and forget your mother? Clearly, Zhou Dàwáng is in that state right now.

His gaze swept over her briefly, then Li Heng got to work, pulling out reference materials to review.

For a time, the study was utterly silent—one reading the manuscript, the other lost in emotion, preparing to write.

This continued for over twenty minutes, ending only when she finished the new manuscript. Zhou Shihe remained lost in the book's world, unaware—until, in one sudden moment, she quietly lifted her head, her simple, pure eyes falling unconsciously upon him.

They say a man absorbed in his work is most charming.

Watching his profile, she couldn't help wondering: He's the same age as me, yet he's already written "To Live," "Journeys in Cultural Suffering," "Bai Luyuan," and "Dust Settles"—how on earth did he do it?

Like the newspapers keep speculating: Is he truly the Celestial Scholar descended from heaven?

When her thoughts drifted to his pure music albums—the ones that shook the entire world—she recalled a line: "The wheat ear is my woman; Zhou Miss is the one I fell for at first sight."

Fell for at first sight…!

That phrase carries immense weight.

So heavy it left her unsettled.

She believed any other girl—or even Teacher Yu—would be overjoyed to hear those four words, but she…

Just as Zhou Shihe's mind wandered, Li Heng slowly lifted his head, as if sensing something—and their gazes collided unexpectedly.

Because they were so close, both froze, staring at each other in silence.

After a long pause, Li Heng broke the quiet, asking gently: "Is something wrong?"

Zhou Shihe shook her head lightly: "No."

As soon as the word left her lips, both realized something—and fell silent, neither speaking again.

A little while later, Zhou Shihe's pale, slender fingers subtly pinched the edge of the manuscript, her gaze shifting from him back to the pages.

Instantly, the already silent study grew even more suffocating, heavy with tension.

Somehow, without words, they had developed an unspoken understanding—just a glance could convey their thoughts.

Li Heng stared steadily at her, at the manuscript in her hands, then, as if moved by some unseen force, extended his right hand toward her ear, gently brushing back the stray strands of hair that had fallen against her temple.

Zhou Shihe stiffened all over.

His movement was so sudden—she'd been focused on the manuscript, and hadn't reacted in time, leaving her like this.

This was the second time he'd openly revealed his intentions toward her.

The first time was at Xi Garden, when Hu Ping and Wei Xiaozhu had completely broken up, and Wei Xiaozhu had slapped Hu Ping twice. They'd been hiding in the small grove, listening—and at that moment, Li Heng had reached out to brush her hair back.

The first time, she'd stopped him.

And now, the second time…

Feeling his unmistakably intimate gesture, Zhou Shihe's lips, fixed on the manuscript, pouted slightly—tight, clenched.

After a two- to three-second delay, her chest rose and fell several times; she held back, held back—but finally couldn't hold it in. Her right hand shot out, slapping his hand away, her eyes snapping up to lock onto his, silent and unyielding.