Chapter 639: The Ginkgo Tree and the Silent Gate

He stepped out of the reading room.

Li Heng stood at the corridor entrance for a moment, wondering whether to go upstairs to find Mai Sui.

Or should he go back downstairs?

Then he remembered the scene he had just shared with Miss Zhou, and ultimately abandoned the idea of going upstairs, walking down the stairs instead.

Just as he reached the first floor, he ran into Zhao Menglong.

Seeing the man walking straight toward him, Li Heng had a feeling this senior might have come specifically to find him.

Sure enough, Chen Menglong stopped right before him. “It’s hard to find you—I went to so many places before I learned you were in the library.”

Li Heng smiled and asked, “Senior, are you looking for me?”

Chen Menglong warmly invited, “It’s almost mealtime—let’s have dinner together?”

Li Heng thought for a moment and didn’t refuse, following him to Lao Li Restaurant outside campus.

After ordering the dishes, Chen Menglong ordered a dozen beers and a bottle of baijiu.

His eyes flicked between the beer and the baijiu, and he joked to himself, “Mixing baijiu and beer—I’m probably going to get drunk.”

Chen Menglong said, “Then just drink the beer. I’m craving something tonight, and I’ve got nothing else to do—I just want a glass of baijiu.”

As he poured, Li Heng placed his cup in front of him. “Pour me half a glass of baijiu too—I can’t let you drink alone, that wouldn’t be right. But that’s my limit—I won’t take more, so don’t complain.”

“Straightforward!” Chen Menglong gave a thumbs-up.

The owner brought out a plate of peanuts.

Without waiting for the rest of the food, they ate the peanuts and chatted as they drank.

Li Heng asked, “You’re graduating soon, right? Have you gotten your job assignment yet?”

Chen Menglong hesitated, then said, “Probably the Office of the Secretary-General.”

Li Heng asked, “In Shanghai?”

Chen Menglong nodded.

Li Heng raised his cup. “Impressive! I toast you—may your future be bright and everything go smoothly.”

“What’s impressive? I just got lucky—I became president of the student union and got close to the president, who recommended me. But it hasn’t been officially announced yet—keep it quiet.” Chen Menglong spoke modestly.

Li Heng nodded, understanding.

The two then began chatting about various campus matters and graduation assignments.

After three rounds of drinks, having finished one bottle of baijiu and four beers, Chen Menglong leaned forward, suddenly sounding nervous. “Has Zhan Yan been in touch with you lately?”

Li Heng knew this was why he’d been sought out—he shook his head. “It’s been a long time since we last contacted each other.”

Chen Menglong couldn’t believe it. “She loved you so much—didn’t she write you letters?”

Li Heng said, “She wrote me one letter last year, then nothing since. But I heard from her cousin Ye Ning that she’s now working at a top investment bank in the U.S.—her situation is quite good.”

Hearing this, Chen Menglong felt disappointed yet happy for Ye Zhanyan—he picked up a newly opened beer, tilted his head back, and drained it in one gulp.

Li Heng watched him finish the bottle, then couldn’t help praising, “Senior, you’ve got an incredible drinker’s constitution—this skill alone will make you thrive once you enter the system.”

Chen Menglong swirled the empty bottle. “I wasn’t born with this talent—I developed it by numbing myself with alcohol.”

Li Heng remembered something and asked again, “I recall Dai Qing mentioned you planned to study abroad in the U.S.—what happened?”

At this question, Chen Menglong fell silent. After a long pause, he said, “When I stepped down as president of the student union, I did intend to go to the U.S. to study—you know why. I wanted to be with Zhanyan. I took advantage of winter break and went to America—but then I gave up.”

Li Heng was surprised. “Everyone’s fighting tooth and nail to get out—even selling their homes to leave. But you—you had the chance and just walked away?”

Chen Menglong said, “It’s truly prosperous there, but it’s not for me. And Zhanyan’s steps are too fast—I can’t keep up.”

That last sentence was his true heart.

Ye Zhanyan had soared too high now—the distance between them had grown too wide. Chen Menglong knew there was no future for him and Ye Zhanyan, so he abandoned the idea of studying abroad and returned to work in China.

Li Heng felt a pang of sorrow—he picked up the last two beers, handed one to his senior, and drank them both with him.

In the second half, Chen Menglong poured out his inner anguish. After finishing the dozen beers, he ordered six more—only stopping when every last drop was gone.

Leaving the restaurant, half-drunk, Chen Menglong told Li Heng, “I have a feeling Zhanyan will come looking for you again. If there’s any chance, please cherish her—she’s a good woman.”

Li Heng stayed silent.

He didn’t know Ye Zhanyan well enough to judge whether she was a good woman—he made no evaluation.

As for good women—ah! How many women who dare get close to me aren’t outstanding? How many aren’t good women?

They crossed the street and entered the campus.

Li Heng ran into Mai Sui, Wei Xiaozhu, Sun Man, and Ye Ning.

Seeing the four women, Chen Menglong greeted Li Heng and wisely left.

Mai Sui walked over and asked, “You drank a lot?”

“Yeah, not too much—the senior treated me to dinner, so I drank a bit.”

Li Heng replied, then added casually, “Why are you four alone? Where’s Zhou Shihe?”

Mai Sui said, “Shihe said she wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed back. We’re bringing her food later.”

Li Heng asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

Mai Sui told him, “She won’t say, but she’s been low-energy—she’s resting at home now.”

Hearing this, Li Heng instinctively felt it had something to do with him, so he didn’t press further.

He asked, “Are you eating? Want me to join you?”

Mai Sui shook her head. “No need—you’ve had so much to drink, just go home. I’ll come back and keep you company later.”

“Alright, fine.” Li Heng didn’t argue.

After parting with the girls, he went straight back to Lushan Village.

Before they parted, Wei Xiaozhu suddenly turned back and quickly glanced at Li Heng’s back.

The gate to Building 25 was locked—Professor Yu wasn’t home.

Li Heng stood in the middle of the alley, glancing between his own house and Building 27.

After hesitating, he knocked on the door of Building 27.

“Dong dong dong…”

“Dong dong dong…”

After two knocks, Zhou Shihe appeared on the second-floor loft.

The southeast wind blew her long black hair across her face; she brushed the strands aside, leaned out, and saw him at once.

Li Heng looked up, meeting her gaze.

He asked gently, “Mai Sui said you weren’t feeling well—are you alright? Should you see a doctor?”

Zhou Shihe’s dark, luminous eyes fixed on him—she remained silent.

Not getting a reply, Li Heng asked again, “Can I come in?”

Zhou Shihe paused, withdrew her gaze, and turned away silently.

Less than three minutes later, she reappeared—the first-floor door opened, then the courtyard gate.

Standing across the threshold, Li Heng asked softly, “Are you really alright?”

Zhou Shihe stepped aside, expressionless. “I’m fine.”

He studied her face for a long while but found no useful clues. He considered making up an excuse to borrow her phone to ease the tension.

But seeing her gaze drift toward the distant horizon, never returning to him, he abandoned the thought.

Li Heng opened his mouth, then closed it. In the end, he said only, “Rest well—I’m going home.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shihe—who had been staring blankly at the evening glow—suddenly moved. She shut the courtyard gate, turned her back to him, and stepped lightly into the house.

Moments later, as the inner door closed, she vanished completely from his world.

Is this girl really that quick?

I’m not a tiger—I won’t eat you.

Li Heng muttered to himself as he walked toward his own house.

Unlocking the gate, entering the courtyard, he paused as he passed the half-dead ginkgo tree.

Ginkgo tree, ginkgo tree—can’t you muster some willpower and just live?

At least hold on until the end of this semester—then I’ll have an excuse to give when summer comes.

The wind rustled the ginkgo leaves as if whispering: Don’t beg me—I’m cursed. Being with you is my misfortune. Let me die already. Buddha says: die early, be reborn. I can’t endure another day here—either you pour boiling water on me, or saltwater, or water me seven or eight times a day. If you keep torturing me like this, ten lives would be gone by now!

Li Heng felt the tree’s suffering—he gently patted the sapling and sighed. “No wonder ancient imperial palaces had tales of swapping babies for lynx cats.”

In this world, only money and human hearts cannot be stared at directly—ancient sages were right.

This scene was watched entirely by Zhou Shihe from the adjacent loft. Her previously troubled heart now betrayed a faint, peculiar expression on her face.

She knew better than anyone: the moment the window paper was torn on his three-way entanglement, this tree was doomed to die.

Back home, Li Heng first closed his eyes and rested in his study, then began writing a letter—to Song Yu.

He had written her a letter just last week; by their usual correspondence rhythm, he should wait another half-month.

But suddenly, he felt the urge to write.

He filled two pages with flowing script, but the core message was simple: for the past six months, she must stay quietly at school and avoid all unnecessary distractions.

Of course, with Song Yu’s nature, she wouldn’t need his urging—she had her own judgment. But as her husband, he couldn’t help worrying.

At the end of the letter, he subtly hinted: she need not come to Lushan Village for the Dragon Boat Festival—she could wait until her third year.

He was acting out of selfishness, trying to change an immediate death sentence into a suspended one. He didn’t know if she’d see through it.

He had even less confidence she’d obey him.

After finishing the last character, Li Heng read the letter twice, found no flaws, locked his door, and hurried to the post office.

To his surprise, he encountered Liu Yanling near the post office—a boy with glossy, oiled hair was passionately confessing to her.

Seeing Li Heng appear suddenly, Liu Yanling’s eyes flickered with unease.

The oily-haired boy recognized Li Heng and reluctantly retracted the love letter in his hand, lowering his head and hurrying off in another direction.

Li Heng had intended to pretend he hadn’t seen anything and walk past.

But Liu Yanling spoke up: “Li Da Cai Zhu, it’s not what you think—I’m not fickle.”

Li Heng smiled and said: “A graceful lady, a worthy suitor—I understand. Is this boy from our school?”

Liu Yanling shook her head: “No, he’s from Ji Tong University next door. He’s a fellow townsman—I’ve known him for two years, and he’s been constantly sending me love letters and gifts. Every time I refuse, it does no good—I’m sick of it.”

Li Heng asked: “Does this boy know Old Zhou?”