[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-638":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","1987: My Era",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259798,4409,"Chapter 638: One Slap, the Death of the Ginkgo Tree","1987-my-era-chapter-638",638,"\u003Cp>Today he was in high spirits, eager to express himself; his pen danced across the page, never pausing the moment the nib touched the white paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From two in the afternoon, he didn’t notice the time slipping away until evening fell; only when the sky darkened did Li Heng set down his pen and rub his aching wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not bad—he’d written over five thousand six hundred words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on the manuscript pages, he roughly counted the words and was quite satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the study door quietly opened a crack, and half a head peeked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng caught the movement in his peripheral vision, turned his head, met her gaze for two seconds, and smiled: “Are you a worm in my belly? You knew I just finished writing and came to call me for dinner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui smiled sweetly, opened the door fully, and walked in: “Shihe just finished cooking—I came to get you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng didn’t move, his gaze fixed intently on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui felt her cheeks warm under his stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silent standoff, she slipped soundlessly behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and began massaging them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng didn’t stop her; he grabbed her arm with his right hand, pulled her forward with force, then scooped her up into his arms and settled her across his knees, gazing down at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, Mai Sui was flustered; meeting his eyes, her heart raced wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng made no further move, only quietly studying her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Mai Sui’s emotions calmed; she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her head against his chest, and whispered softly: “I don’t blame you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words seemed out of nowhere, but both knew exactly what she meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Heng affectionately kissed her forehead and said: “Let’s go eat. Don’t keep them waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay,” Mai Sui replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They parted, exchanged one last look, then walked out of the study in sequence, descended the stairs, and headed to the neighboring building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his surprise, Wei Xiaozhu hadn’t left yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Li Heng entered, he asked her: “You haven’t been playing cards all this time, have you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Xiaozhu nodded with a smile: “If you’d come earlier, you’d have seen Sun Manning and Ye Ning arguing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng turned to Sun Manning and Ye Ning: “Who won?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning said: “Of course it was me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Ning glared and said at the same time: “I didn’t lose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing these two fools once again glaring and baring their teeth, Li Heng gave up asking, stepped past them, and sat down at the table with a broad, relaxed posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhou Shihe emerged from the kitchen, placed the last dish—a meatball soup—on the table, then sat down herself to watch the two women bicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui and Wei Xiaozhu watched the spectacle while serving rice and grabbing chopsticks; soon, six bowls of rice appeared on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all the dishes ready, Mai Sui said: “Forget them. Let’s eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng, Zhou Shihe, and Wei Xiaozhu exchanged glances; the next second, all three picked up their chopsticks and began eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing his small appetite and less frequent movements with the chopsticks, Mai Sui immediately sensed something was off and asked worriedly: “Are you feeling unwell? Or is your appetite off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe glanced at him, then at the seven dishes on the table, and instantly understood: at least five of them were his favorites—he couldn’t possibly have no appetite; he probably overate lunch with Xiao Han and then again with Professor Yu, and still hadn’t digested it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng said: “No, don’t worry. I’ve eaten four meals today—I’m full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her guess confirmed, Zhou Shihe ate quietly, saying nothing for the rest of the dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning and Ye Ning, however, carried their bickering to the table; when irritated, they snatched dishes—“You want that bowl? Then I want that bowl too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The table became chaotic, lively, and noisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing many dishes fall to the table from their squabbling, Li Heng couldn’t help but tease: “Hey, why are you fighting so much? If you’ve got this much energy, why not just go find a boyfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the two girls immediately turned their ire on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Ning shouted: “Where do I find one? Who? Someone like my cousin who shamelessly falls for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl never missed a chance to attack Ye Zhanyan, whom she’d envied and resented since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Manning growled: “Why bother finding a boyfriend? I might as well sleep with you too—stay sisters with Mai Sui.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mai Sui’s cheeks flushed red; she tapped Sun Manning with her chopsticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Xiaozhu: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng chuckled: “No, no—don’t even think about it. I’m not made of iron. I’ve only got two kidneys.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meal was lively and lasted a full hour before breaking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though everyone laughed, shouted, and acted carefree at the table, in truth, none of them lived easy lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Fudan University—every student here was a prodigy; even if you’d been the top student in your hometown, here you were just ordinary. One moment of carelessness, one second of slackening, and you’d be overtaken by those who pushed themselves relentlessly. To avoid falling behind, the girls routinely spent long hours in the library, listened intently in class, and never dared to slack off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Sun Manning and Ye Ning went to the Student Union for their regular meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng, Mai Sui, Zhou Shihe, and Wei Xiaozhu strolled slowly along the tree-lined path, chatting as they circled half the campus under the pretense of digesting their meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night fell, he returned to Lushan Village, entered his study, and began revising Chapter 34.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other girls gathered and headed to the library to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days that followed, Li Heng attended classes during the day; when free, he stayed in his study reading or writing. Every morning without fail, he ran on the track and played basketball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On weekends, he either visited the Xin Weilai branch and Anta’s offices, or went to Shanghai Medical University to have dinner and watch a movie with Xiao Han, or accompanied his sly wife to decorate their new home on Wukang Road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Yu returned from Tokyo with two good pieces of news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first: Chen Siya’s illness had finally been diagnosed—it was a newly identified disease. The surgery had been successful, but she still needed to remain in the hospital for follow-up observation and treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second: Hengyuan Investment’s profits on the Tokyo stock market had surpassed ninety million U.S. dollars; crossing the billion-dollar mark was imminent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To celebrate, Li Heng specially cooked a full feast and invited everyone for a lively dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard work paid off: the school approved the Student Union’s application, and Dai Qing finally became president of the Student Union. Her visibility soared; her status in her dorm, her class, and across campus rose accordingly. Many envied her, saying becoming Student Union president was so prestigious, that honors, graduate school recommendations, campus employment, and overseas study opportunities would now come effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Dai Qing later decided against graduate school or studying abroad, her job options upon graduation would far exceed those of ordinary students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, why did everyone work so hard through all these years of school? Wasn’t it all for a better future? In this regard, Dai Qing had already pulled far ahead of everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guoyi returned to campus. After the “egg incident,” he had changed drastically. He no longer joked around, told lewd stories in the dorm, or talked about pretty girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still attended class, but after class, he no longer went to the library; instead, he secretly slipped over to the Law School. Uninformed observers thought he was drawn by the Law School’s beauties—Wei Xiaozhu or the petite Luo Su.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those in the know understood he was plotting something big.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Room 325 didn’t know about this. Later, Zhao Meng and Cai Yuanyuan noticed how often Li Guoyi appeared near the Law School and mentioned it to their dormmates in Room 107.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaozhu remained tense for a long time, watching Li Guoyi closely, fearing he might trouble Liu An. But after a month passed with no incident, she gradually lowered her guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, Zhang Bing, Li Guang, and Zhou Zhangming earnestly urged Li Guoyi in the dorm to let go, warning him not to do anything foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guoyi rubbed the back of his head, feigning a goofy grin: “What foolishness? I’m the only boy in my generation—I value my life too much. Besides, the police haven’t even found the suspect. How can I retaliate? Don’t worry about me, guys. Go to class, chase girls, strive forward. College is already halfway over—don’t waste those precious little lives. Find them hosts fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time slipped by; March passed, and before anyone noticed, it was April.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That month, Li Heng was busy yet fulfilled; “Dust Settles” was progressing well—he’d reached Chapter 50, and the story was entering its final phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After meticulously revising the newly written six thousand words, he sat too long and felt his right leg go numb; he stomped his foot hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouch, damn it—now it’s even more numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng bent over, rubbed his calves with both hands, then stood up and walked to the window to stretch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he stretched, a thought nagged him: Damn it! This month, he’d cared for that sapling with all his heart—why was this ginkgo tree getting worse by the day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was spring now; the outside world was full of birdsong and fragrance, bursting with life—but the ginkgo tree’s leaves were turning yellow and withering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng frowned, went downstairs to the courtyard, crouched before the ginkgo tree, studied it from every angle, but found no cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the soil here unsuitable for ginkgo trees?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he struggled to find answers, Yu Shuheng returned from class; she stood at the courtyard gate and asked: “What are you doing? Why so gloomy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng pointed to the ginkgo sapling: “Teacher, look—this tree’s losing leaves. How can I not worry? I can’t explain this to anyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuheng’s gaze fell on the sapling; she smiled gracefully, turned, and walked back to Building 25.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng watched her go, thought for a moment, then locked the door and headed straight for the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t go to the self-study room, didn’t look for Mai Sui—he went to the reading room to search for materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Materials about ginkgo trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By chance, he encountered Fudan’s King in the right corner by the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhou Shihe was intently browsing pages while leaning against a bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng had just turned a corner from another row of shelves and spotted her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, she was entirely absorbed in her book and didn’t notice someone watching her. After a long while, she finally sensed it and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes met; Li Heng asked: “Why are you reading here? Not in the self-study room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe replied gently: “The air here is better. I came to get some fresh air.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True enough—because this was a top university, Fudan students in this era were especially studious; the self-study room was always crowded, the air inevitably stale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng asked again: “Is Mai Sui here too, in the reading room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe shook her head slightly: “No, she’s upstairs with Xiaozhu and Manning in the self-study room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng nodded, then bent his head to continue searching for books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Shihe watched him for a while, then suddenly asked: “Have you finished your new book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Heng didn’t look up: “Not yet. I’m on Chapter 50—about ten more chapters to go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the time she refused to tell him about the ginkgo tree’s preferences, Zhou Shihe had not proactively asked to read his new manuscript for over a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she hadn’t asked, and he’d been busy, he’d simply forgotten—and hadn’t thought to give his number-one reader the manuscript.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between Chapters 34 and 50, seventeen chapters had gone unread; the longing she’d suppressed for so long stirred uncontrollably in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",2042,"2026-06-19T15:27:37.732Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e22260c4b0c2f76f6d8631db37db085b26a7c090527a10992ce0268aa1c021b0","1987-my-era-chapter-639","1987-my-era-chapter-637",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]