Chapter 676

Mai Sui listened patiently, then raised doubts: “You say Song Yu and Teacher Yu are teaming up against you—but that’s only your guess.”

Zhou Shihe picked up the full glass of beer on the coffee table, sipped slowly, and said: “Song Yu and Teacher Yu met, and they talked quite happily.”

With those words, she gently asked: “Suisui, when two incompatible rivals meet for the first time and laugh and chat like old friends—do you think that’s normal?”

Mai Sui was stunned: “You saw it with your own eyes?”

Zhou Shihe remained silent.

After filtering through her close friends, Mai Sui realized: “Manning and Song Yu are also close confidantes—you’re neutral in this. It was Ningning who told you, right?”

Zhou Shihe didn’t deny it.

Mai Sui still couldn’t believe it: “Could Song Yu really team up with Teacher Yu? They’re both so proud.”

Zhou Shihe smiled lightly: “Before you fell for Li Heng, weren’t you just as proud? Among all the women around him, who isn’t proud?”

If temporarily lowering your pride might win you lifelong happiness—would you refuse?”

Mai Sui muttered: “I never thought about fighting for him.”

Zhou Shihe didn’t argue, didn’t press the wound—but she knew her friend had accepted her analysis.

She didn’t press the wound because Suisui’s refusal to fight was only possible because Song Yu stood in the way; otherwise, she might never have willingly accepted being the lesser from the start.

That’s human nature—neither condemnation nor praise.

After all, Suisui’s advantages are obvious—she can’t stand out alone beside Li Heng, but outside his circle, she’s one in a million, a goddess no man could ever hope to reach.

Her gaze drifted between the two slips, then she asked: “If I drew ‘Leave Forever,’ how would you end his pursuit?”

Zhou Shihe looked down at her wine: “I’ll have my own way.”

Mai Sui stared at her: “I want your real answer.”

Zhou Shihe hesitated, then said: “I’ll never marry.”

Hearing this, Mai Sui suddenly felt a pang of sorrow and heartache, murmuring: “Ah, when you said ‘one glance seals a lifetime’—how romantic, how pure—it was then I knew you’d choose this path.”

Li Heng’s personality seems tolerant of us, as if he indulges us—but he’s stubborn to the core.

I have a feeling: if you choose to leave him, he’ll chase you for life.”

Zhou Shihe silently accepted her friend’s words—precisely because she’d foreseen this, she’d made Suisui draw the slip.

After waiting a while without a reply, Mai Sui asked a question that pierced straight to the soul: “Is this worth it?”

Zhou Shihe fell silent for a long while, then spoke slowly: “It’s not about worth or not—a single piece, ‘Rain’s Mark,’ is the best gift he’s ever given me in this life.”

Mai Sui sighed: “I’m not good at music—I can’t truly understand the secret between you two—but every time I watched you perform together on stage, I always felt an unspoken bond between you and him.”

Mai Sui hadn’t realized how deeply Zhou Shihe had fallen for Li Heng.

But then she understood: Shihe was born with everything—her family had prepared every material thing for her—but never love. In the long road ahead, the only thing Shihe would ever chase was love.

Moreover, a woman as extraordinary as Shihe rarely lets herself feel emotion—but once she does, she carves that love into her soul, and becomes extreme.

Then Mai Sui thought of herself: Would she leave Li Heng?

The answer was no.

She had already secretly pledged her life to him—she would follow him, never leaving, never abandoning him.

At this thought, Mai Sui suddenly felt a spiritual resonance with Shihe.

Mai Sui softly said: “I haven’t drawn yet—would you consider another way?”

Zhou Shihe gently shook her head: “Our issue won’t wait—let’s settle it today. Success or failure? Let fate decide.”

The two women looked at each other for a moment, then Mai Sui finally agreed, closed her eyes, and reached out her right hand, grabbing a random paper ball.

After grabbing it, she said: “Done.”

Zhou Shihe’s gaze fixed on her palm, silent.

Mai Sui asked: “Will you open it—or shall I?”

Zhou Shihe said: “You drew it—you open it.”

Hearing that, Mai Sui asked no more, took a deep breath, and nervously began unfolding the paper ball, peeling it back slowly.

At this moment, the living room fell into an eerie silence.

Both women held their breath.

The difference was: as the paper ball neared full opening, Zhou Shihe closed her eyes, sitting upright on the sofa like a stone Buddha statue.

Mai Sui glanced at her friend, then continued.

3!

2!

1!

When she silently counted to one, Mai Sui struck like thunder, decisively unfolding the paper completely.

Then she froze.

Then she lifted the paper toward Shihe: “Alright—you can look now.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shihe opened her eyes and took the slip.

On it, in bold pen strokes, were four characters: Lifelong Sisters.

Seeing her friend stare silently at the paper for a full minute, Mai Sui softly asked: “Would you regret breaking your own rules—for me?”