Chapter 598: If You Show Kindness, Something Will Follow

Hearing his name mentioned, Wei Xiaozhu.

Li Heng's gaze landed on Zhou Shihe's head; he wanted to curse—damn it! Why are all these women so cunning?

After confirming the spot hit by the basketball showed no swelling, he replied: "Wei Xiaozhu and Dai Qing often jog with me in the morning, but Xiao Zhu insists on running exactly eight laps every day, then sits right here waiting for us."

His answer dodged the core issue—he didn't deny it, yet stated facts—but to Zhou Shihe, something felt missing.

Fortunately, she understood the art of friendship and never pried into others' private affairs.

Zhou Shihe gave him a strange look, then sat down where she was and said softly: "Go on playing. I want to be alone for a while."

"Oh, alright."

Li Heng nodded, picked up the basketball, and returned to the court.

His stamina was excellent—he could play for half an hour without tiring. His peak moment came when he sank six three-pointers in a row.

Even he found it unbelievable; today, his form was off the charts.

As he made his sixth three-pointer, Li Heng called out across the court: "How's that? Not bad, right?"

Zhou Shihe had watched him the whole time; seeing him show off, she smiled faintly but said nothing.

Later, a married couple of teachers arrived—the man a physics professor, the woman a PE instructor—and both were old acquaintances of Li Heng's on the court. The three played together for a while.

As dusk fell, Li Heng, drenched in sweat, walked over holding the basketball and said: "Comrade Shihe, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head home."

Zhou Shihe agreed, stood up, and followed him back.

On the way, she asked: "When did you start playing basketball?"

Li Heng thought long and hard before clearing the hazy memory: "Around third grade, yeah—it must've been third grade."

Zhou Shihe was slightly surprised: "Did your school even have a basketball back then?"

She was surprised because he came from a remote mountain village in a poor region—back then, people barely had enough to eat, let alone spare attention for sports.

Li Heng recalled: "We did. I don't know where our homeroom teacher got the basketball and volleyball, but he hung a makeshift hoop from a big tree in the playground—it became our favorite spot during every break."

Zhou Shihe remarked: "Having a teacher like that was truly lucky."

Li Heng sighed: "Yes. Among all the male teachers I've had since childhood, he left the deepest impression on me. Too bad."

Zhou Shihe looked at him, puzzled.

Seeing she wanted to hear, he didn't hide it: "My teacher's surname was Huang. He died of illness at twenty-eight. His wife was quite beautiful; after his death, to support their two children, she took in a man from outside the village as a son-in-law. He was from Guizhou—a skilled stonemason who worked when called, and sold tofu for extra income during idle times."

Zhou Shihe asked: "Did they have children?"

Li Heng asked: "You mean the Guizhou man?"

Zhou Shihe gave a soft hum.

Li Heng nodded: "Yes, they had a daughter. But he treated my teacher's two children very well—his reputation in the village was excellent."

As they chatted, they reached the end of the alley without noticing.

Both suddenly stopped, exchanged glances, then silently headed toward Building 26.

This time, no second invitation was needed; after a glance, Zhou the Young Lady followed him inside without hesitation.

They changed shoes, closed the door, and climbed straight to the second floor.

Sweating profusely from basketball, his clothes soaked through, Li Heng ignored everything else, grabbed fresh clothes, and stepped into the shower.

Zhou Shihe sat on the sofa, flipped through TV channels, found nothing she wanted to watch, turned off the TV after the weather report, then quietly opened a book.

About twenty minutes later, Li Heng appeared on the balcony, hanging up his clothes to dry.

Her gaze drifted over him briefly; then Zhou Shihe closed her book, found her own clothes, and entered the shower. She'd bathed at noon, but still needed another shower tonight—otherwise, she'd feel uneasy.

At just after seven, Li Heng appeared in the study, began reading and writing, polishing Chapter 26 of "Dust Settles."

Forty minutes later, Zhou Shihe cautiously pushed the study door open a crack, then poked half her head inside—her simple, pure black-and-white gaze fixed on him.

Li Heng sensed it, didn't turn around: "Stop standing there. If you're itching to come in, just come in—I'm already distracted."

Zhou Shihe paused outside, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face, but ultimately couldn't resist the lure of the new book. She pushed the door open further, slipped in sideways.

After she closed the door, Li Heng said: "Help yourself to any book. I haven't finished revising yet."

Then he ignored her completely, gripping his fountain pen, focused entirely on meticulously revising word by word.

Zhou Shihe stood by the door, watching him silently, motionless.

Her emotions were tangled—should she even enter this study?

Should she even be alone with him?

After all, last night's "crossing the line" was still vivid in her mind—but her two greatest passions, books and music, were precisely what he excelled in. His words were like a slow poison to her—impossible to quit.

Sometimes she sighed inwardly: Is this man a test sent by heaven?

He's my complete opposite—my karmic nemesis, suppressing every one of my desires.

After long, long inner struggle, Zhou Shihe finally moved quietly, sitting down on the long bench.

She didn't pick up a book as he suggested; instead, her gaze drifted through the window, fixed on the vast, starry sky outside.

The study was silent; neither disturbed the other—until around 8: 0, Li Heng let out a long sigh, breaking the quiet.

Zhou Shihe snapped back, pulling her gaze from the window to him.

Having held one posture for hours revising, Li Heng was tired; he stretched and asked: "You didn't even read a book? Just sat there for over an hour?"

Zhou Shihe blinked lightly, her gaze dropping to the manuscript on the desk.

Li Heng sighed: "Take it, take it! Seriously—I'm this handsome, and yet a few sheets of paper are more attractive than me?"

Zhou Shihe smiled faintly, took the manuscript, and began reading carefully.

Perhaps because it was only one chapter, she treasured it, reading slowly, savoring nearly every word.

Maybe it was the enclosed space—or perhaps her outfit today perfectly matched his taste—but under the dim yellow light, she radiated a unique charm.

Watching her so close, an unfamiliar emotion began spreading through Li Heng.

As time passed, the feeling grew stronger, even stirring a primal urge within his blood—a desire to draw near her!

Right now, that urge surged forward, unstoppable, raging through his bones, intensifying.

Except for Song Yu, never in his past or present life had he craved a woman this desperately.

At one moment, holding back, the more he resisted, the more intense it became—he suddenly reached out both arms, intending to embrace her.

But his arms had barely extended ten centimeters when Li Heng snapped back to himself—cold sweat broke on his spine as he forcibly yanked his hands back.

What the hell am I doing?

Li Heng was shaken; sensing the chaotic, corrupting energy surging through his body, he slowly closed his eyes, mentally blocking her from his vision.

How long had passed like this?

Li Heng suddenly opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.

Zhou Shihe was lost in the book, head bowed, reading quietly. Only the way her thumb and index finger were crushing the paper, and the slight tremor in her frail frame as he rose, betrayed her tension.

At this moment, she was terrified.

Her eyes were locked on the white paper, her vision blurring.

Her nerves were taut, afraid he might lose control.

Fortunately…!

Fortunately, the next second, the man who stood up turned and walked out of the study.

Hearing his footsteps fade away, Zhou Shihe exhaled sharply, then slowly released her grip on the paper and lifted her head.

She looked at the empty chair before the desk, her heart blank with confusion.

What should she do?

It felt like the story had returned to its beginning.

She clearly felt Li Heng's feelings for her growing daily—faster than she could imagine, nearing the point of losing restraint.

She'd seen his outstretched hands in her peripheral vision.

But she dared not react—afraid any movement might further provoke him.

Should she confront him?

Or distance herself?

Or, like last night, stay silent and wait until after university?

One anxiety faded, another immediately rose.

Before meeting him, she'd never felt this burdened.

Since meeting him, she'd tasted this sorrow—day after day.

….

Leaving Building 26.

Li Heng first did two hundred push-ups in the alley's center, then ran back and forth on the flagstones, trying to burn off excess energy.

If not for concern over Zhou Shihe's safety, he'd fly out of Lushan Village right now—to Huang Zhaoyi's side, to hold that tall, graceful woman and lavish her with affection all night.

On the fourth day of the New Year, Lushan Village was nearly deserted; only the study window of Building 26 at the alley's end glowed faintly.

As he ran, Li Heng kept glancing at the light, wondering: Had she noticed my reckless move just now?

Perhaps, with Zhou the Young Lady's sharpness and wit, she'd already noticed—but chose to pretend ignorance to avoid awkwardness.

Or perhaps she was so absorbed in the book she didn't notice him at all—he dared to hope.

But regardless—

The study light was still on, meaning things hadn't reached their worst.

About an hour later, the study light suddenly went out, plunging the entire alley into darkness.

Li Heng abruptly stopped running, leaned against the alley wall, and stared at the gate of Building 26 under the faint starlight.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Half an hour… she still hadn't appeared at the door, and Li Heng's anxious heart finally settled halfway.

He waited a little longer, checked his watch: 10: 3.

The time was early, yet also late.

After a moment's thought, Li Heng stepped inside.

He slowed his steps as he climbed to the second floor—pitch black. The living room had no light, the study had no light, the bathroom had no light, and Mai Sui's room had no light either.

But Mai Sui's door was closed right now.

Li Heng lingered at the hallway entrance for about half a minute, then went to the shower and took his second bath today.

After finishing, he didn't pause—he returned to his room, flopped onto the bed with a pia, trying to fall asleep.

But people, sometimes, like to fight themselves, like to defy themselves—the more they want to sleep, the more awake they become, their spirits growing sharper.

He tossed and turned on the bed for half an hour, as if the bedframe were about to be pierced through, then let out a helpless groan:

Damn it, Deputy Boss Li's thinking about women again!

Should I just go to her room? Go for it while the iron's hot! She hasn't left—maybe she's got feelings for you. You're just a lecher, the prettier the girl, the more you like her, the better her aura, the less resistance you have. No need to play saint—take her, that's victory. Go, go, go!

Suddenly, a devilish thought slithered into his mind, whispering relentlessly, urging him to do something wicked.

No, no! Zhou Shihe isn't leaving because she's giving you face. If you go over and disrespect her like that, what kind of man are you? What kind of hero? Another thought struggled to counsel him toward goodness.

Come on! Dare you say you haven't fallen for Zhou Shihe? If you dare say that, I'll drink the entire Yangtze and Yellow Rivers backward. Go! It's nothing major—lose your head, you get a scar the size of a bowl. Such a breathtaking woman is rare in this world—do you really want to leave her to someone else? That doesn't fit our style… the devil's voice kept goading.

Shut up! Falling for a woman like her isn't shameful! How many men in this world could resist being moved, day after day, in such close proximity? And besides—going over there right now, are you sure it's love? Or just your cock running the show? The good voice clung tightly to him, refusing to let him make a mistake.

…

Two thoughts were battling in his mind, locked in fierce internal warfare.

One favored virtue, the other vice—equally matched, driving him mad.

Finally, Li Heng grew tired of it. He sat up, put on his clothes and shoes, and went to the study. His greatest lifelong pleasure was reading—he hoped to suppress his restless urges through books.

At first, he kept getting distracted, lost in wild thoughts.

But after three hours, surprisingly, heaven didn't abandon the diligent—he gradually forgot about women, forgot everything else, his mind filled entirely with writing inspiration.

Seizing the moment, he didn't waste a second—he spread out his notebook, uncapped his fountain pen, and the nib scribbled swiftly across the white paper: Chapter 27, Zomar.

That night, the steward's eagerness angered me. He sent people out again to find girls. It must have been past midnight—I'd just barely driven the face of the Ronggong girl from my mind and drifted into a light sleep, when I was jolted awake by the thunder of galloping hooves.

Suolang and Xiao Er Yi still stood before my window. I gritted my teeth in fury and told Xiao Er Yi: "Go kill that rider on horseback. Cut off all four of the horse's legs."

…

In good form and with strong expressive drive, Li Heng wrote nonstop from deep night to early morning. He would've kept going if a knock hadn't suddenly sounded at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Knock, knock, knock!"

He acted as if he hadn't heard the first knock.

When the second knock came, he turned his head and called: "The door isn't locked. Come in."

The study door creaked open a crack, revealing half of Zhou Shihe's face. She spoke gently: "Li Heng, hurry and freshen up—we're leaving."

Li Heng was stunned. He immediately lifted his left wrist to check his watch.

Damn. Better not have looked.

One look sent a shock through him: 7: 2.

Weren't we supposed to leave at eight? Only minutes away—no wonder Zhou Young Lady had dared to interrupt his writing.

Li Heng shot up like a gust of wind, walking as he asked: "Has your teacher's person come to pick us up?"

Zhou Shihe whispered: "Yes. Your teacher came too. They're waiting downstairs."

Li Heng had no time to think—he told her directly: "Help me tidy the desk. Take the unfinished manuscript."

Saying that, he dashed off to the bathroom.

Watching his frantic back disappear, Zhou Shihe stood silent for a moment, then entered the study and began organizing his desk.

New chapter?

Did he write all night?

She knew he hadn't slept last night. She guessed why he couldn't sleep.

Zhou Shihe picked up the pages of Chapter 27, read the opening lines carefully, then suppressed her thoughts and packed everything she needed into her backpack.

Then she closed the window, drew the curtains, locked the study door, and waited in the living room.

He's showering—apparently his third bath in just twenty-four hours.