Chapter 611: The Playful Shen Xin, Maisui

Li Heng asked, “What is it?”

Zhou Shihe said, “Have you read the latest edition of Jin Yong’s wuxia novels? People in Hong Kong have been waiting for your reply.”

Wang Ye had intended to mention it last night, but the woman in his study distracted him, and he forgot.

Li Heng replied, “I haven’t read it yet, but I’ll make time soon and write back to Jin Yong.”

After sending the message, Zhou Shihe lowered her gaze and asked about his left foot, “How’s your foot doing?”

Li Heng said, “Thank you, it’s much better than before.”

Zhou Shihe hummed in acknowledgment.

Li Heng asked, “When will your mother arrive?”

Zhou Shihe hesitated before answering, “They set out this morning; they should be arriving soon…”

Sometimes fate is just that coincidental—speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Before they finished speaking, voices came from the alley outside.

Li Heng, facing the alley outside the door with a clearer view, immediately warned, “It’s your aunt and the others.”

Zhou Shihe turned her head and saw her mother, her eldest cousin, and her aunt.

She said, “I’ll go now. I’ll come over for dinner tonight.”

Li Heng said, “Alright.”

Watching her reunite with her family, Li Heng did not rush over immediately—he was an outsider, and intruding would only invite annoyance.

…

Seeing her niece return, the aunt asked, “Shihe, where have you been? Why wasn’t the courtyard gate locked?”

Zhou Shihe placed her umbrella under the eaves and replied, “I was next door. Someone called looking for Li Heng, so I told him.”

Zhou’s mother asked without expression, “Do people usually call you when they want to reach Li Heng?”

Zhou Shihe answered, “Occasionally. Usually they call Professor Yu’s house, but Professor Yu went to Japan this morning.”

This was the eldest cousin’s first time in Lushan Village; she had never seen Li Heng in person and was very curious about the celebrity from the newspaper. She went outside to the eaves and peered across at the small house numbered 26.

And lo—she actually saw the real Li Heng.

At that moment, Li Heng held an umbrella in his left hand, limping as he fished out his keys and opened the courtyard gate of the house across the way, number 25, then stepped inside.

Just before entering, sensing someone watching him, Li Heng turned his head and gave the eldest cousin a polite, sunlit smile.

Caught spying on a man, the eldest cousin’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment, but she quickly returned the smile with composure.

After Li Heng disappeared from view, the eldest cousin returned inside and remarked, “Li Heng looks even better in person than on TV, but what a pity.”

The aunt asked, “What’s so pitiful?”

The eldest cousin was the daughter of Zhou’s mother’s elder sister; Zhou’s mother was her aunt.

Slightly tired from driving, the eldest cousin stretched and teased, “Aren’t you saying he’s secretly dating his university professor? Now he’s gone to that Yu family’s place again.”

“If it weren’t for that Yu woman standing in the way, with his looks alone, I’d chase him down and start a fresh romance.”

Zhou’s mother: “…”

The aunt: “…”

Zhou Shihe glanced at her cousin and stayed silent.

……

House number 25, second floor.

Worried about Professor Yu and Chen Siqing’s condition, Li Heng called Tokyo.

When the line connected, he asked, “Teacher, how is Sister Chen?”

Yu Shuheng replied, “I just got back from the hospital. Her condition hasn’t changed—she’s still in intensive care.”

“Renowned specialists and leading scholars have consulted three times already, and they’re still studying.”

Hearing this, Li Heng sighed heavily, feeling pity for Sister Chen but powerless to help.

Yu Shuheng said, “I spent two minutes in intensive care at noon. Siqing said one thing to me that moved me deeply.”

Li Heng asked, “What did she say?”

Yu Shuheng told him, “Siqing said: ‘Life and death are fate; wealth and honor are heaven’s will. Those of us still alive shouldn’t grieve too much.’”

Li Heng frowned: “So… she’s already made peace with death?”

Yu Shuheng said, “Not entirely—it’s a dual preparation. Life and death are no longer in her hands; this is all she can do.”

Li Heng had experienced death once before; his heart stirred with emotion.

To lighten the mood, Yu Shuheng changed to a more cheerful topic: “I have good news—the Nikkei index has been rising steadily; Hengyuan’s profits have now surpassed forty-five million U.S. dollars.”

“Little brother, you’re officially a billionaire now.”

Li Heng agreed, “That’s indeed good news.”

He was thinking: by year’s end, Tokyo’s stock market would face a major upheaval. If things turned bad, how would he convince Professor Yu and Old Fu?

As he pondered, Yu Shuheng’s voice came again: “Professor Fu is running back and forth between the company and the hospital, utterly exhausted.”

“I’m currently handling company hiring and a project evaluation—I won’t be back for a while.”

Li Heng said, “Alright.”

Yu Shuheng asked, “Have you missed me?”

Li Heng smiled slightly: “Yes.”

Yu Shuheng asked with a teasing tone, “Missed which one?”

Li Heng rolled his eyes: “Do you think I’d dare say I miss them all?”

Yu Shuheng cooed playfully, “Little man, I’ll buy a ticket right now and tie you to my belt.”

Li Heng: “...”

After a while, Yu Shuheng asked, “When is Maisui arriving?”

Li Heng’s thoughts stirred—he understood the true intent behind her question; she was likely guarding against Zhou Shihe.

He answered, “She arrives tonight; she’s already on the plane.”

Hearing this, Yu Shuheng breathed out in relief—did you think she didn’t want to put a golden circlet on this man? From a selfish standpoint, she did.

But she didn’t, because she knew such tactics could never truly bind him.

Also, she spoiled him a little.

And she didn’t want to be seen as jealous.

Now that Maisui was coming, she could relax a little.

If Li Heng and Zhou Shihe were alone together every day, she’d have to reconsider shortening her stay in Tokyo and returning home early.

After chatting for another ten minutes, the call ended. Li Heng was about to call Song Yu, but suddenly felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from behind.

He instinctively turned his head to glance.

And…!

Whoa! Better not to look—looking terrified him!

He was genuinely startled!

Totally stunned—Shen Xin was right behind him.

When did she get here? How did she make no sound?

Li Heng jumped up hastily and called out, “Aunt Shen, you’re here.”

Shen Xin scanned him from head to toe, circled him once, and grew even more fond of him; she teased with a smile:

“I heard most of your phone call. Still calling me ‘aunt’? Why not change it to ‘Mom’?”

Li Heng’s heart pounded; sweat broke out on his forehead.

He and Professor Yu had just been engaging in playful phone-sex, exchanging several veiled flirtations.

Though their teasing was subtle, Shen Xin, as someone who’d been there, had no trouble understanding.

Li Heng’s spine chilled; he hurriedly boiled water, brewed tea, and poured her a cup.

Shen Xin had been quietly observing him; she didn’t take the tea, but smiled brightly and pressed him: “What? Is saying ‘Mom’ really that hard?”

Li Heng: “...”

Shen Xin urged, “Say it once, and I’ll help you handle Professor Yu.”

“Don’t say it, and tomorrow I’ll go see Run’e and tell her Professor Yu is pregnant—your future in-laws…”

She stopped mid-sentence, giving him a knowing look.

You like teasing me, huh?

Fine. Let’s see who has thicker skin—who cracks first?

After a moment of standoff, Li Heng gritted his teeth and said, “Mom.”

At the word “Mom,” Shen Xin tilted her head toward the ceiling, overjoyed, barely holding back laughter.

Fortunately, her composure held—she didn’t laugh aloud, preserving her dignity.

Shen Xin immediately took the tea, sat on the sofa, and beamed: “This trip was worth it. You’re far better than that Professor Yu. Mom supports you—get her pregnant in your third year, become a father in your fourth. Don’t worry about the burden—I’ll raise the baby for you.”

Li Heng’s eyelid twitched—this aunt was terrifyingly bold!

Even he, who prided himself on being perceptive, was utterly overwhelmed!

He dared not accept her probe—what if his joke became real? He’d be crying his eyes out.

In just a few sentences, Shen Xin had tested his emotional limits. She decided to stop for today, save the brainwashing for next time, and changed the subject:

“Have you eaten lunch? Shuheng said you were here, so I brought you a few dishes—homemade, all by Mom.”

There it was—she was already hooked on “Mom,” and seemed determined to cement the title while the iron was hot.

Li Heng had no way to explain his suffering, but the situation had already passed, and he couldn’t take it back.

Damn it!

I’ve been fooled today.

He was deeply worried: what if, in the future, Shen Xin suddenly called out “Mom” in front of Xiao Han and Mai Sui? Just imagining the scene made him feel utterly awkward.

This is truly self-inflicted suffering, no escape.

He had calculated everything, but never imagined this aunt’s cheek was thicker than his own.

Li Heng pretended to reply: “Thank you, Auntie, I’ve already eaten lunch. Save it for dinner—I won’t cook tonight.”

Since she had come all the way to deliver it, he couldn’t possibly refuse; keeping it for dinner gave him a face-saving excuse.

Shen Xin smiled and reminded him: “You called me Auntie again. You must call me Mom.”

Li Heng conceded defeat, utterly outmatched.

They chatted half-heartedly for about forty minutes, after which Shen Xin left, as she had other matters to attend to. Her main purpose in coming was to deliver the food and help tidy up her foolish daughter’s mess.

In her eyes, the “mess” meant this: at the end of the alley, only Li Heng and Zhou Shihe were present—a very bad sign—so she had come specifically to check.

After seeing Shen Xin off, just as Li Heng turned to go upstairs and call Song Yu, Zhou Shihe and her eldest cousin stepped out of Building 27.

Seeing them, Li Heng asked: “Are you going to the airport to pick up Mai Sui and Man Ning?”

Zhou Shihe nodded lightly, as if sensing his thoughts, and said calmly: “Your foot isn’t healed yet—you shouldn’t go out. Stay home.”

Li Heng had wanted to argue, but Zhou Shihe gave him no chance—she simply walked away, her slender figure fading into the alley.

The eldest cousin glanced between her cousin and Li Heng, then followed after them.

Li Heng felt frustrated. Later, he looked up toward the second floor and met Zhou’s mother’s gaze directly.

He greeted her across the distance: “Auntie, good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon,” Zhou’s mother smiled, having observed everything her daughter had just done.

She now firmly believed: there was no inappropriate emotional connection between her daughter and Li Heng—their relationship remained within normal bounds.

She couldn’t help thinking how lucky it was that she had refused Master Wu Yili’s suggestion to arrange a match; judging by her daughter’s behavior, she clearly had no romantic feelings for Li Heng.

Zhou’s mother asked: “What happened to your foot?”

Li Heng smiled sheepishly: “I slipped and twisted my ankle.”

Zhou’s mother asked: “Did you see a doctor?”

Li Heng replied: “Thank you for your concern, Auntie—I’ve seen a doctor.”

Hearing this, Zhou’s mother nodded and watched him enter Building 25.

At that moment, his aunt appeared beside her. “Sister-in-law, did you see Shen Xin earlier?”

Zhou’s mother shook her head.

The aunt said with a gleeful grin: “Shen Xin was carrying a thermos box—she must’ve come to deliver food.”

Zhou’s mother was stunned. After a long pause, she spoke: “She’s so busy—did she come all the way just to deliver food to Li Heng?”

The aunt’s tone was heavy with implication: “Exactly. It seems she’s already decided Li Heng is her future son-in-law.”

Zhou’s mother gazed across at Building 25’s second floor, where she could clearly see Li Heng sitting again on the sofa, making a phone call.

The aunt followed her gaze to Li Heng and finally asked: “Sister-in-law, what are you thinking?”

Zhou’s mother leaned on the railing, her tone slightly relaxed: “With Shen Xin keeping an eye on him, I feel more at ease about Li Heng.”

The aunt instantly understood.

They both trusted Zhou Shihe completely, but they were far less certain about Li Heng, who had a tendency to be fickle.

They feared Li Heng might suddenly get a crush on Shihe and start pursuing her.

This wasn’t baseless speculation—after all, Shihe’s beauty was undeniable, and since childhood, she’d never lacked admirers.

But now, with Shen Xin’s appearance, their last lingering worry vanished, swept away like dust in the wind.