Chapter 600: A Slap

Li Heng took the wine glass, raised it to her, and said, "We're far from home, yet as close as family—come, let's drink."

Zhou Shihe smiled, lifted her glass with her right hand and lightly clinked it against his, then sipped slowly.

Li Heng also took a sip, savored it, and murmured, "Strange, but delicious—its aroma is peculiar and captivating, yet I can't describe the exact flavor."

Zhou Shihe savored it again and said, "Notes of strawberry, fig, mushroom, and dried flowers, with a faint hint of meat. Full-bodied yet refined, silky tannins—truly excellent quality."

Li Heng stared blankly: "You got all that from one sip? A professional sommelier?"

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly: "I've read about it, heard it, memorized it."

Li Heng couldn't tell if she was telling the truth.

Was she just sparing his feelings?

But he didn't care—he joked, "This trip abroad taught me one thing: if a man marries a woman from a wealthy, intelligent family, his children's starting point will be far higher—maybe even rise like clouds."

Zhou Shihe lowered her head, gazing silently at the red wine in her glass, saying nothing.

Li Heng realized he'd said something sensitive and fell quiet, then wandered around the room with his wine glass.

He'd stayed in many five-star hotels, but this one—Lifosi—was the first with such historical character.

Moreover, this suite would now bear his name—Li Heng—a privilege, so he examined everything with even greater care.

He glanced over every eave and corner.

Only when he reached the old phonograph again did he pause, studying it closely, then asked without turning, "Mind if I play it?"

He waited long—no reply came from behind.

Finally, unable to resist, he picked a vinyl record from the stack, placed it on the player, operated it, and soon soothing music filled the room:

Night Shanghai, Night Shanghai

You are a city that never sleeps

Lights glow, car horns sound, music and dance rise in splendor

She greets you with a smile

…

…

An ancient voice echoed through time—Li Heng froze, then instinctively turned to look at her.

Zhou Shihe, as if sensing it, looked back at him.

After a moment of silent gaze, Li Heng asked softly, "What do you feel?"

Zhou Shihe thought a moment and said, "Very distant—like stepping back into the Republic era."

"Lights glow, car horns sound, music and dance rise in splendor…" Li Heng murmured the lyrics, walking toward her.

Under her gaze, he gracefully extended his right hand: "Never expected to hear this song in distant Singapore—it stirs my heart. Shall we dance?"

Zhou Shihe tightened her wine glass. "I don't dance well."

Li Heng raised an eyebrow: "You've never danced?"

Zhou Shihe said, "I danced with my cousin before."

Her cousin used to practice for balls and made her rehearse at home.

Well, in this era, balls were common and wildly popular—at schools, at workplaces, people danced every weekend.

The most popular style? Ballroom dancing.

It was the default.

I remember, right after freshman year, Liu An and Li Guoyi's first conflict erupted at a school dance—and then spiraled out of control.

But I never saw Zhou Shihe or Mai Sui at any school dance.

Mai Sui? Everyone knew why she didn't go—she was waiting for whom?

So when the student union held dances, no one invited Mai Sui—they didn't want to embarrass themselves.

As for Zhou Shihe? Hey—she was a peerless beauty; no one dared ask her.

Or rather, deep down, every male student felt it would be sacrilege to approach her—they believed Fu Dan's queen belonged nowhere but the shadows, fitting their fantasies perfectly.

That was their goddess.

After all, dances carried subtle intentions—men and women alike came with hidden desires. If Zhou Shihe appeared, it would only bring disappointment.

Fortunately, Zhou Shihe kept her dignity—she never disappointed them.

Li Heng had loved singing and playing instruments since childhood—how could he miss dancing? He immediately pulled her hand. "Come on, relax—dance with me."

Feeling his genuine desire to unwind, sensing his joy, seeing the heat in his eyes, Zhou Shihe's mood slowly warmed. She glanced at his hand holding hers, hesitated, then finally gave in.

Both set down their wine glasses, exchanged a glance—and Li Heng reached out.

His left hand gently clasped her right, then his right hand, gentlemanly, lightly circled her waist.

That single grip—that half-embrace…

Zhou Shihe's body stiffened instantly; her teeth bit her lip, standing rigid, utterly unnatural.

Li Heng asked softly, "Nervous?"

Zhou Shihe avoided his gaze, nodded almost imperceptibly.

Li Heng reassured her: "Look at me. Breathe deep. Don't think of me as Li Heng—imagine I'm your cousin."

She didn't look at him. Stayed silent.

After waiting a while, seeing she still hadn't relaxed, Li Heng apologized: "Forget it, forget it—I was too forward. Let's just keep drinking. This wine's good too…"

But before he finished, Zhou Shihe took a deep breath and placed her free left hand on his right shoulder.

Now, the basic dance posture was complete.

Li Heng stared at her in surprise.

He'd already given up—yet at the last moment, she reached out.

Too close. Still uneasy, Zhou Shihe avoided his eyes, tilting her head slightly.

After another moment, Li Heng asked, "Ready?"

Zhou Shihe nodded again.

At her consent, Li Heng stepped forward.

Though tense, Zhou Shihe didn't stumble—she danced surprisingly well.

Four minutes later, Li Heng, utterly outclassed, stared wide-eyed, sweat on his back, stammering: "Oh my god! You said you 'don't dance well'? If this isn't good, what am I?"

His expression was stunned, exaggerated.

His shock was real.

His wish to ease her burdens was real.

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly, her whole posture relaxing, quietly saying:

"Compared to my cousin, I'm still far behind. At first, she always scolded me."

Li Heng pressed: "And then?"

Zhou Shihe blinked lightly: "Then, I didn't expect you to be so…"

Li Heng frowned: "Terrible? You didn't expect me to be so terrible!! Right?"

That was the meaning—but she wouldn't say it.

Zhou Shihe's smile deepened.

Her smile, against the ancient melody, held an indescribable charm—a breathtaking beauty.

Li Heng's heart throbbed sharply; his gaze grew dull, and an inexplicable aura spread over him.

The aura spread—from slow to fast, faster still, unintentionally curling around her, swirling between them.

Sensing his change, sensing his oddness, sensing her own thoughts being drawn into an unknown web of emotion, Zhou Shihe felt a flicker of panic.

Yet she forced her face to remain calm, refusing to give him any opening.

But…

But they were too close.

No—their bodies nearly pressed together; they could feel each other's warmth, smell each other's breath.

As their dance glided smoothly, as their bodies rubbed gently, at one moment, she clearly sensed his body heating up—burning hot!

His breathing changed too—became erratic.

Unknowingly, Zhou Shihe, who had refused to meet his gaze, now found herself locked in his eyes as the dance deepened.

Unknowingly, Zhou Shihe now feared meeting his gaze.

The phonograph kept looping "music and dance rise in splendor," yet the room grew quieter.

Unnaturally quieter…

They stared at each other, eyes sensitive, cautious—afraid any misstep would shatter control.

When the inexplicable aura thickened nearly to liquid, in one instant, they entered a secluded, profound world—only he and she remained; they no longer heard the music, no longer felt the outside world.

In this enclosed space, Li Heng gazed, entranced, at the woman so near—half-embraced by him.

When had "half-embrace" become "full embrace"? Without a word, he pulled her tighter.

Without a word, their bodies fused together, no gap between them.

In silence, Li Heng's impulses could no longer be restrained. After a long, locked gaze, in Zhou Shihe's shock, he leaned down and kissed her cherry-red lips.

Impulsively, recklessly, driven by heat, he kissed her fiercely.

In pure, clear black-and-white, someone's head surged forward like a rocket.

Zhou Shihe instantly realized what he intended.

Her heart plunged into deeper panic, trembling with dread.

But they had been standing side by side, and his arms were already around her waist and abdomen; caught off guard, Zhou Shihe instinctively tilted her head to the left.

She refused to let him kiss her.

Unfortunately, the distance between them was far too close.

There wasn't enough time for her to react; even though she moved to avoid him at once, her right lip corner still met his lips.

She was firmly kissed!

Sensing the unusual sensation on her lip, Zhou Shihe, for the first time in her life having her defenses breached by the opposite sex, trembled slightly all over.

True, he had kissed her lips last year in the northeast, but the feeling then was entirely different.

Back then, they had fallen during skiing, embraced unconsciously, their lips accidentally brushing together. And afterward, they had separated in an instant, leaving no time for either to savor the moment.

This time, he kissed her openly, deliberately, with full emotion—he meant to do it.

After kissing her, he didn't let go; instead, he greedily sucked. This left Zhou Shihe, already flustered, utterly at a loss.

Her lip corner was delicate, soft, warm, and offered an extraordinary sensation that stirred Li Heng's senses.

In that moment, he tasted celestial nectar, his blood boiling, intoxicating beyond measure.

Zhou Shihe's mind went blank; her body compelled her to evade again, tilting her head to the right.

Too bad, they were pressed tightly together; the space for lateral movement was no more than ten centimeters. In his arms, no matter how she dodged, her room was limited.