Chapter 677

Retreat to advance, stillness to control movement.

These eight brief characters were the core wisdom of this love chase.

Mai Sui looked at her pitifully lovely friend and knew better than anyone: Li Heng could not resist Shihe’s charm.

She understood: when Shihe deployed this strategy, she had already won half the battle.

The two women gazed at each other in silence.

After a long while, Zhou Shihe slowly turned her wine cup and asked, “Of all his romantic interests, who do you hope ends up with him?”

Mai Sui spoke softly: “That’s a question that could kill me.”

Zhou Shihe smiled gently but said nothing.

After a long pause, Mai Sui spoke from her heart: “If there were a ranking, Song Yu first, you second, Zijin third, Teacher Yu fourth, the rest don’t matter.”

Zhou Shihe asked: “Are you not afraid of breaking my heart with this ranking?”

Mai Sui was remarkably candid: “If you were my high school classmate, my high school best friend, I’d rank you first.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shihe did not blame her; instead, she raised her glass in respect and clinked it with Suisui.

After drinking, the two women looked at each other again—everything understood without words.

After a while, Mai Sui asked: “He has several women—who do you think is the hardest to handle?”

Zhou Shihe seemed to have already considered this, answering without hesitation: “Song Yu and Xiao Han.”

Mai Sui was surprised: “Not Teacher Yu? Not Huang Zhaoyi? I heard the Huang family is powerful.”

Zhou Shihe said: “You already understand why Song Yu is unshakable; Xiao Han has a keen mind, a fickle temperament, is hard to read, and enjoys his favor.”

As for Teacher Yu, she follows an open, straightforward path and cannot achieve much in the short term; Huang Zhaoyi rarely appears in public with him—I suspect it’s because her position was initially illegitimate, and with her age, she’s likely lost the will to compete. But…”

Hearing this, Mai Sui couldn’t help pressing: “But what?”

Zhou Shihe thought for a moment and said: “Precisely because Huang Zhaoyi is older, she’s about to become an advanced-age mother—her greatest desire is probably not marrying Li Heng, but becoming pregnant and giving birth.”

Mai Sui fell silent, then finally replied: “It’s only natural. If I were Huang Zhaoyi, my greatest wish would be to have his child as soon as possible.”

Zhou Shihe continued: “If Huang Zhaoyi truly conceives early, the danger level will rise sharply.”

Mai Sui stared at her, ears straining to listen.

Zhou Shihe lowered her eyes: “In our families, sometimes you’re powerless. Not everyone has a mother like mine or Shen Xin who are so open-minded. Most prioritize family reputation and interests above all else.”

Mai Sui understood: “Then what do you think Teacher Yu will do?”

Zhou Shihe said: “The others don’t matter. Unless Song Yu and Xiao Han openly intervene, the core issue still lies with him—what does he think?”

Mai Sui said: “I understand Song Yu, but Xiao Han? Xiao Han probably doesn’t even know about Huang Zhaoyi.”

Zhou Shihe’s red lips parted slightly: “Never underestimate your opponent—especially someone who succeeded in stealing from Song Yu.”

“Stealing from Song Yu” referred to the fact that after the college entrance exam, Li Heng abandoned his plan to go to Jingcheng and instead came to Hushi to pursue Xiao Han.

The two sisters chatted for hours, replacing lunch with beer, until footsteps at the door below interrupted them.

“Knock knock knock!”

“Knock knock knock!”

“Mai Sui, Shihe…”

Below, in the alley, was Li Heng’s voice.

Zhou Shihe looked at Mai Sui.

Mai Sui looked at Zhou Shihe.

The two women, in perfect unison, made no move, said nothing, showed no intention to open the door.

After several failed knocks, the noise below ceased, and silence fell.

Just as the two women assumed Li Heng had given up, footsteps suddenly sounded on the stairs.

Without turning, Zhou Shihe knew who it was—her perfect pitch made Li Heng’s footsteps unmistakably familiar.

Mai Sui asked: “Is it him?”

“Mm.” Zhou Shihe gave a soft hum.

Saying nothing, Zhou Shihe rose and walked straight to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Soon after, Li Heng appeared at the second-floor hallway, glanced around, then walked to the sofa and said: “Man, you guys drank without calling me? Bought all these good dishes? I was starving at home.”

Mai Sui looked at him but said nothing.

Li Heng’s eyebrow twitched, then sat beside her: “Still mad at me?”

Mai Sui asked: “Didn’t I tell you to stay home and behave? Why did you come out?”

Li Heng was speechless: “I already gave you the answer—I was starving.”

He uncapped a fresh beer without hesitation, drank and ate, ignoring them completely as he devoured the food.

Mai Sui made no move to stop him, simply watched.

Halfway through eating, feeling more comfortable, Li Heng asked: “Is Shihe in the bedroom?”

Mai Sui said: “She’s drunk and asleep.”

Li Heng whispered: “Really drunk?”

Mai Sui laughed: “Shall I leave so you can smash down the bedroom door?”

Saying this, Mai Sui stood up and walked away.

Li Heng quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back: “You still have so much food left—let me eat a bit more.”

Seeing him wolf down the food, Mai Sui glanced toward the master bedroom and said: “Take the food with you—I’ll go home and cook you a bowl of noodles.”

Li Heng’s eyes lit up; he immediately agreed, gathered the dishes, and left with Mai Sui.

Downstairs, as they passed through the courtyard gate, Mai Sui studied the lock for a long while, then couldn’t help asking: “The lock’s intact, the bolt undamaged—how did you get in?”

Li Heng grinned: “Each to his own craft—it’s just a minor trick.”

Mai Sui asked: “Did you learn this specifically to sneak into women’s beds?”

Li Heng: “...”

He realized this girl still harbored some resentment toward him, so wisely chose to pretend deafness and ignorance, avoiding any provocation.

Back at No. 26, Mai Sui went straight to the kitchen and cooked noodles.

Well, that was her only culinary skill—boiling noodles was her specialty, because she only bought one kind of noodle, learned the timing and heat from Shihe, and stuck to it.

When the time came, she simply fished the noodles out on schedule.

When the bowl of noodles was placed on the table, Li Heng asked: “You didn’t eat either, right? Have some with me?”

Mai Sui said: “I’m not hungry.”

Li Heng ignored her, picked up the first chopsticks of noodles, and held them to her lips.

Mai Sui glanced at the noodles, then at him, half-serious, half-teasing: “You never did this before—now you’re trying to flatter me?”

Li Heng blinked, moved the noodles closer: “What are you saying? You’re my Mai Sui wife—I’m not allowed to flatter you whenever I want?”

For the first time, he called her that—Mai Sui thought she’d misheard: “What did you just call me?”

Li Heng leaned in, kissed her cheek in a flash, his tone even more intimate: “Wife.”