Chapter 637

Time slipped away swiftly.

By the time they finished planting the ginkgo trees and bok choy, the clock had already struck twelve.

Li Heng washed his hands and asked, “Wife, shall we eat out for lunch or cook at home?”

Xiao Han smiled sweetly and said, “Whatever.”

Whatever?

“Whatever” is the hardest option to please, you know.

Li Heng stretched and said, “Then let’s go eat grass on the lawn downstairs—eat more vegetables, good for losing weight.”

Xiao Han’s face dropped instantly. She sighed mournfully, “Mr. Li, I’ve come all this way, and you’re making me eat grass? Fine, you can face the door alone tonight—I’ll even stick a sponge on it for you.”

Look at this wife of mine—she’s truly a handful.

Li Heng walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Let the princess decide—I’m your humble servant.”

Xiao Han’s eyes curled into crescents. “Then let’s eat in the cafeteria at noon, and cook at home tonight.”

Li Heng said, “Alright, let’s go then.”

They left right away.

The two exited the courtyard and left Lushan Village.

Though it was the weekend, entertainment was scarce in this era, and most students had little money—so they usually ate at the cafeteria to save cash.

As soon as they stepped into the cafeteria, it felt like walking into a market—crowded, noisy, bustling with people.

Xiao Han asked, “Haven’t you been to the cafeteria in a long time?”

Li Heng countered, “Why do you say that?”

Xiao Han whispered, “So many people are sneaking glances at you. If you came often, they’d be used to you by now—they wouldn’t stare like curious children.”

Li Heng praised, “No wonder you’re my wife—you’ve got insight.”

He then asked, “What do you want to eat?”

This time, Xiao Han didn’t say “whatever.” She pulled him from window to window, scanning every option, then picked her favorite dishes.

Once the food was served, finding a seat became a challenge. As they scanned the room for an empty spot, a pale, slender hand raised in the air, signaling them over.

Li Heng looked closely—it was Wei Xiaozhu.

Xiao Han saw her too. They exchanged a glance, said nothing, and pushed through the crowd to join her.

Wei Xiaozhu wasn’t alone—she was with Dai Qing and Liu Yanling.

Li Heng gestured for Xiao Han to sit, then sat beside her. “All the other tables are full—why is yours half-empty?”

Liu Yanling, her 36D chest prominent, glanced back and forth between Xiao Han and said, “Oh my, what a silly question—you must hardly ever come to the cafeteria, Mr. Li.”

“With Xiaozhu and Qingqing here, who dares sit with us? For the past two years, we’ve claimed this table by force.”

Li Heng thought that made sense. He turned to Dai Qing: “I heard the student union president resigned?”

Dai Qing replied, “Yes, Senior He Xiao went abroad to study.”

Li Heng asked curiously, “Where to?”

Dai Qing said, “Yale University in the U.S.”

Li Heng was surprised, yet not entirely. He followed up: “So the president’s position is open. As vice president, do you have a chance to take over?”

Dai Qing paused, choosing her words carefully: “I’m working hard to secure it—I don’t know the outcome yet.”

Wei Xiaozhu added, “Through internal student union voting, Qingqing received the most votes. The results have been submitted to the university—we’re just waiting for official approval.”

Li Heng understood. He offered his congratulations: “Congratulations—it’s practically sealed.”

Learning that Dai Qing was now the de facto president of Fudan’s student union, Xiao Han was slightly startled. She hadn’t expected the girl who once secretly adored her husband to rise so fast—already in her second semester of sophomore year, she might become Fudan’s student union president.

Xiao Han had learned of Dai Qing’s crush on Li Heng through Liu Haiyan, their fellow villager. After all, Li Heng was a celebrity, and Dai Qing was a campus star—any rumor about them spread quickly through the student union grapevine.

Wei Xiaozhu asked Xiao Han, “You study medicine—you have to dissect corpses. Aren’t you afraid?”

Xiao Han said, “At first, it was unsettling, but I got used to it.”

Because Xiao Han was Li Heng’s official girlfriend, Wei Xiaozhu found her fascinating—and medicine equally intriguing. Throughout the meal, she kept chatting with Xiao Han about medical topics.

Dai Qing chimed in: “I had a high school classmate who studied medicine too. I heard she’s swamped—busy with research, busy with experiments, can’t even find time to eat, let alone go out on weekends. But you’re different.”

Xiao Han smiled faintly. “I’m busy too—but my husband gives orders: I must set aside time to be with him. Otherwise, he threatens to go find a mistress.”

Wei Xiaozhu, Dai Qing, and Liu Yanling exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

Liu Yanling asked Li Heng, “Big writer, do you really give orders like that?”

Li Heng didn’t deny it. He just chuckled, “My wife’s too beautiful—I’ve got to keep a tight leash.”

The three women scoffed, thinking: With a girlfriend like Xiao Han, he’s still chasing after that wheat ear on campus.

Of course, they kept those thoughts to themselves—no point in offending anyone.

The lunch went pleasantly enough—until the inevitable happened. Just as Xiao Han dropped her chopsticks, Professor Wen Yan arrived to take her away, saying she’d be going to Xiamen for a rare, high-profile surgery—to gain experience.

Another graduate student joined them. Both were Wen Yan’s direct disciples, treated like daughters.

Xiao Han was puzzled—the ginkgo trees had just been planted, and now she had to leave. She hugged Li Heng tightly. “Mr. Li, wait for me.”

Li Heng whispered in her ear, “Alright—I’ll install a few new door panels while you’re gone.”

Xiao Han laughed and sighed, patted his back, and walked away.

Li Heng stood at the campus gate for a long time, watching the car disappear.

Beside him, Wei Xiaozhu asked, “Does Xiao Han often travel with her advisor across the country?”

Li Heng replied, “Not often—only when there’s a particularly valuable surgery.”

Wei Xiaozhu nodded. “True. Medicine is different from other fields—solid theory matters, but hands-on experience is paramount. If Xiao Han is ambitious, this will become routine.”

In his past life, this sly wife of his had been fairly unambitious—more of a homebody. She raised one son and one daughter to be outstanding. Li Heng was mostly a hands-off husband, just lending a hand when needed.

Seeing him silent, Wei Xiaozhu misinterpreted. She joked, “I spoke out of turn—you probably hope Xiao Han becomes ambitious, so she’ll have more time for that wheat ear.”

Li Heng rolled his eyes. “Ambition is a minus point for me.”

Wei Xiaozhu was surprised. “You love making money—but you prefer a homemaker?”

Li Heng nodded. “Of course. I earn money so my wife doesn’t have to go out and struggle for it.”

Wei Xiaozhu stared at his profile, fell silent, thinking: Is Yu Laoshi an ambitious woman? And what about Shihe—the one he secretly likes—will she become ambitious too?

She didn’t speculate about Maisui. She figured Maisui was the kind of woman who centered her life around him—truly devoted to following his lead.

Dai Qing said nothing beside them, only listened quietly. For someone from a poor background like her, advancement meant only one thing: building a career, fighting hard, to settle in the big city and climb the social ladder.

Back on campus, Wei Xiaozhu asked, “Are you going back to Lushan Village?”

Li Heng said, “I have some things to take care of.”

Wei Xiaozhu said, “I need to see Maisui and Shihe—come with me.”

Li Heng agreed.

Wei Xiaozhu turned to Dai Qing: “Come with us?”

Dai Qing glanced between them quickly, then declined: “I have to go to the student union.”

With that, Dai Qing walked off first.

Once Dai Qing vanished from sight, Wei Xiaozhu let out a quiet sigh.

Li Heng asked casually, “Why sigh?”

Wei Xiaozhu teased half-seriously: “Qingqing has always dreamed of building her own career. You say you dislike ambitious women—you’ve just handed her a death sentence.”

Li Heng stared at her.

Wei Xiaozhu said, “Don’t look at me like that. You’re outstanding, always around her—of course she hasn’t given up yet. Unless she graduates, unless she never sees you again—maybe then, over time, her feelings will fade.”

Li Heng said nothing. Her words made him think of Chen Lijun—how long since they’d last met? How was she doing in the military? Had she finally forgotten him?

Back in Lushan Village, Li Heng accompanied them to Building 27.

Inside, it was chaotic—the four women were playing cards. Maisui and Zhou Shihe were on one side; Ye Ning and Sun Man were on the other.

Ye Ning, losing constantly, was yelling at Sun Man: “It’s your bad play!” “It’s your rotten luck!”—spittle flying, voices rising.

Good heavens—they were about to flip the table.

Maisui and Zhou Shihe didn’t try to calm them—they watched like spectators at a show.

When Wei Xiaozhu appeared, Ye Ning and Sun Man both turned at once, shouting in unison.

Ye Ning cried, “Xiaozhu, you’re just in time—come judge this!”

Sun Man yelled, “Xiaozhu, come here! This pig is stupid! Join me!”

Then both turned back to each other.

Ye Ning snapped, “You called me a pig?”

Sun Man shouted, “You’re a pig! Dumber than a pig!”

Ye Ning shot up, fists clenched—her 178cm frame loomed intimidatingly.

Sun Man stood too, looked up, then sat back down. “Damn it! Can’t win an argument, so you wanna fight? I’m cutting ties with you!”

The onlookers burst into laughter.

Maisui walked over to him. “Did Xiao Han leave?”

Li Heng nodded. “She had to go—her advisor took her to Xiamen.”

Maisui asked, “Are you busy this afternoon? If not, come sit here—relax a bit.”

Her meaning was clear: if he was writing, she’d return to keep him company; if not, stay here—there’s company, there’s noise, there’s life.