Chapter 614: Zhou Shihe Tells Yu Shuheng: I

After entering the campus, Li Heng wandered half-way around alone, just to help digest his meal.

Honestly, after the Lantern Festival, the campus had visibly come alive—once, walking at night made you shiver with fear, afraid of ghosts.

Now? Look here! Step into any dim corner, and you’ll bump into one, two, even three or four couples—either a boy and girl chatting intimately, or blushing while holding hands. Some were even kissing passionately.

Tsk tsk—he spotted another pair under the trees behind Dormitory No. 9. The moment they saw him, they froze with horror, broke off their kiss, and ducked under their coats, panting as they scrambled away.

Li Heng rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Hey! Am I really that terrifying? Keep kissing! If your posture’s wrong, I could even teach you.

Boring. Li Heng turned back home, heading to Lushan Village.

Mai Sui wasn’t there. Zhou Shihe wasn’t there either. Fine—the alley’s end was pitch black; the girls had vanished for the night.

After a quick wash, he entered the study.

This time, he didn’t linger in emotion—he pulled out stationery, uncapped his fountain pen, and began writing a reply.

He was replying to Jin Yong.

Didn’t he want him to offer a different perspective? Easy—he wrote out Jin Yong’s ultimate version of his wuxia world, plus key forum debates from the future. Ha! That alone would keep this cousin of Xu Zhimo busy digesting for ages.

At just after 8 p.m., Mai Sui returned.

As soon as she walked in, she fed him half an orange.

She literally fed him.

He wrote; she fed him one segment at a time.

Li Heng looked expectant: “If only you could feed me with your mouth.”

Mai Sui smiled softly, wrestled internally for a moment, then drew the curtains, locked the study door from inside, and with shy eyes, took a segment of orange between her lips, bending down to offer it to his mouth.

Such beauty. Such intoxicating allure—even Su Daji reborn couldn’t surpass this. How could he possibly resist?

His body reacted instantly—blood and qi surged violently!

Without hesitation, Li Heng dropped his pen, leaned back in his chair, and kissed her.

He kissed her while eating the orange from her mouth.

He took his time, savoring slowly—until she grew frantic, barely able to breathe.

Seeing this, Li Heng pulled her into a passionate embrace, lifting her onto his lap. Their lips met and parted, entwined in heated, unrestrained passion.

For this man, Mai Sui had given her heart completely—no matter how he kissed her, she’d comply.

Even if he pushed past her psychological boundaries again and again.

Though her whole body trembled, she never refused.

Because she loved this man.

After a long kiss, they finally parted, holding each other silently, eyes full of emotion—the study filled with deep affection.

After a while, Li Heng kissed her delicate, jade-like nose and asked: “Why are you spoiling me so much tonight?”

He meant the orange-feeding—it had completely surprised him.

He hadn’t expected it at all. He never imagined she’d actually do it. It must’ve been hard for her. But the surprise was overwhelming—this embrace was more romantic than any before.

He was satisfied. She was satisfied.

Mai Sui buried her head in his neck, reluctant: “You’re leaving for abroad tomorrow. I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

Li Heng held her palm: “As long as you’re by my side, I’ll never be disappointed.”

Mai Sui murmured a soft “Mm,” tightening her arms around him.

Li Heng looked down at her, feeling a profound, unprecedented fulfillment: “I heard chocolate in Western Europe is excellent. I’ll bring you some back.”

“Okay,” Mai Sui peeked out from his neck, her lips half-visible, seductive and red, gazing at him happily.

Li Heng said: “Your lips are beautiful.”

Mai Sui understood his meaning. Slowly, she closed her eyelashes, surrendering herself to him.

Li Heng didn’t waste the moment—he lowered his lips to hers. As their kiss deepened, at one point, Mai Sui’s heart raced—her hands instinctively clasped his neck, kissing him back with abandon.

…

Inside the study, flowers bloomed in full splendor—but outside the door, two unexpected guests arrived.

Zhou Shihe and Wei Xiaozhu.

Sun Man and Ye Ning had gone out. Zhou Shihe and Wei Xiaozhu had planned to watch TV here, but found the living room empty.

The living room was empty—but then they remembered the curtains in the study on the first floor were drawn shut. What did that mean?

Even a fool would understand.

In the past, Li Heng never drew the study curtains—he said it kept the air flowing, helped him stay mentally sharp, and aided reading and writing.

But now…

Zhou Shihe glided softly to the study door, hand raised to knock—but hesitated, then lowered it, withdrew, and stood still.

She didn’t need to open the door—she could already picture the scene inside. Her lips pouted slightly, then she remembered Wei Xiaozhu was there, and instantly smoothed her expression, turning to meet Wei Xiaozhu’s gaze in the center of the living room.

They stared at each other in silence for a long while. Then Zhou Shihe took quiet, delicate steps toward the stairwell.

Wei Xiaozhu glanced at the study door, then followed softly behind.

The two girls descended the stairs in silence, one behind the other.

Only after leaving Building No. 26 did Wei Xiaozhu glance back once more at the second-floor study window—the curtains drawn tight, the light dim, the perfect hideaway for secret love.

She looked a third time, then said: “Shihe, it’s still early. Let’s take a walk over to Yan Garden.”

Zhou Shihe gently agreed: “Alright.”

The two girls walked along the cobblestone path toward the alley’s exit.

Once outside Lushan Village, Wei Xiaozhu suddenly asked: “Can you understand Mai Sui?”

She meant: Can you understand why Mai Sui willingly became Li Heng’s mistress? Why she chose to be his romantic confidante?

In her eyes: Mai Sui was stunningly beautiful, with a flawless figure and eyes radiating irresistible allure—just one glance could haunt a man for life, knock him senseless, and summon memories of ancient beauties like Su Daji and Bao Si.

So she understood why Mai Sui had fallen in love with Li Heng—but she didn’t understand why Mai Sui didn’t fight for him.

With every ideal trait to attract a man, why not struggle? Why settle quietly as his hidden woman?

This puzzled her deeply—she’d thought about it for a long time and still couldn’t make sense of it.

But she couldn’t say this outright—she had to phrase it delicately.

Wise Zhou Shihe understood her meaning instantly, without much thought. After a pause, she said: “I asked her this before.”

Wei Xiaozhu was curious: “How did Mai Sui answer?”

Zhou Shihe said: “She said she didn’t want to make Li Heng uncomfortable.”

Wei Xiaozhu asked: “Is that the only reason?”

Zhou Shihe said: “Her love for Li Heng is deep and unforgettable.”

Hearing this, Wei Xiaozhu fell silent in thought.

After a while, she raised her head, looked at her friend, and asked again: “What do you think of Li Heng being entangled with Xiao Han, Mai Sui, and Teacher Yu all at once?”

Zhou Shihe slowly shook her head.

Wei Xiaozhu was surprised: “No opinion?”

Zhou Shihe gazed ahead, then spoke calmly: “If a man becomes a legend, his life will never be lit by only one color of flower.”

Wei Xiaozhu chewed on these words, recalling famous figures from history and across cultures—she felt they held truth.

…

Just after 10 p.m.

Li Heng finished his letter and stepped out of the study with Mai Sui.

They searched half the house but couldn’t find anyone—finally, they went to Yan Garden to fetch Zhou Shihe.

Neither asked why Zhou Shihe had gone to Yan Garden. Some things were better left unspoken—it gave everyone breathing room.

The three watched TV in the living room of Building No. 26. When dorm curfew passed and neither Sun Man nor Ye Ning appeared, Mai Sui said to Zhou Shihe: “Maning and Ningning must be in the dorm. Shihe, stay here tonight and sleep with me.”

Zhou Shihe instinctively wanted to refuse—she knew this guest bed might have held both Li Heng and Mai Sui at the same time.

A man and woman sharing a bed, both young and full of blood and vigor—what might happen at night? No need to say.

But when she met Li Heng’s gaze, Zhou Shihe lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said: “Alright.”

After agreeing, she subtly pouted, unconsciously brushed her hair behind her ear, then stood and walked ahead toward the guest room.

For some reason, she didn’t want to meet Li Heng’s eyes, nor did she want him quietly watching her for too long.

The door opened. The door closed.

The living room and guest room instantly became two separate worlds.

Zhou Shihe leaned against the door, her fragile frame, once tightly coiled like a spring, finally relaxed.

After a few quiet breaths, she walked to the window, opened the glass, rested her hands on the sill, and leaned out, breathing the fresh night air freely.

Then, Zhou Shihe stared blankly into the darkness outside.

…

Outside, in the living room.

Mai Sui whispered softly to Li Heng: “I’ll bathe first, so I can join Shihe sooner. I’ve laid out your pajamas on your bed—you can get them later.”

Li Heng nodded and replied.

That night, he didn’t sleep early—he worked in the study until around 2 a.m.

Unexpectedly, at this hour, Teacher Yu was still on the rooftop terrace, breathing the night air, a glass of red wine in hand.

He grew concerned and went up to the terrace, gestured with his hand: “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Teacher Yu smiled, raised her wine glass across the alley in a toast, then took a small sip.

Afraid of disturbing others’ sleep, they exchanged glances but remained silent.

Finally, Li Heng got a sudden impulse, ran back to the living room, wrote a note, crumpled it, and tossed it over.

Yu Shuheng looked at him for a moment, then bent her graceful figure to pick up the note, unfolding it under the dim yellow light.

The note read: You’re not sleeping despite needing to wake early for your flight tomorrow—have you run into something troubling?

After reading it, Yu Shuheng returned to her room and wrote a note of her own with quiet meaning: Being alone, watching someone’s figure busy in the study, brings peace to the heart.

She also crumpled the note and threw it to him.

Li Heng picked up the note, read it, and sighed—his anxious heart finally eased.

They gazed at each other across the space again; suddenly, sleepiness washed over Li Heng. He yawned and waved his hand, signaling he was going to bed.

Yu Shuheng also waved her hand generously, bidding him goodnight.