After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
The thin girl accepted the bowl, expressing her gratitude and delight with her eyes, as she couldn't speak.
The other girl, her fair and delicate skin suggesting a privileged upbringing, took out a small, cloth-wrapped spoon and gave it to her.
They sat side-by-side in the shade of a tree on a mountaintop, a blank canvas and easel nearby, sunlight dappling the ground like scattered gold.
The thin girl took a bite, then noticed the other girl staring at her intently, swallowing repeatedly.
She stopped eating and hesitantly offered the bowl back, but the other girl shook her head, opened her mouth, and gestured for her to feed her.
She: "..."
In the end, most of the ginger milk curd ended up in the other girl's belly.
The other girl burped, her face flushing with embarrassment. Patting her chest, she promised in a soft voice to bring more next time.
Every summer afternoon, amidst the buzzing of cicadas, they would meet on the mountaintop, sharing a bowl of ginger milk curd and "chatting" in the shade. The other girl, using her newly learned sign language, would enthusiastically gesture and express herself, her smile brighter than the summer sun.
Yu Qingtang no longer remembered the girl's face, the memory buried deep within the river of time, dormant and undisturbed. But she would never forget the taste of ginger and milk melting on her tongue. As the dust of forgotten years was blown away by the wind, she realized the past remained vivid in her mind.
That was perhaps the only time in her life she had ever truly been happy.
But she didn't want to remember.
It was too fleeting, like a brief burst of fireworks, brilliant but ephemeral, leaving only silence in its wake.
The girl said she had to go home for school, bidding her a reluctant farewell, promising to see her next summer.
Little Yu Qingtang calmly signed goodbye.
The next day, a long black car was parked in front of the girl's grandparents' house. A handsome butler, dressed in a white shirt, black trousers, and a black vest, stood by the open rear door. The girl, wearing a snow-white princess dress and a small white crown, looked like a real princess from a fairy tale.
Little Yu Qingtang was familiar with this scene. Her cousins, the children of her uncles, always traveled like this.
The tall, handsome butler carried the girl's bag and easel. Her grandparents, their faces beaming with love, gave her some parting instructions. The girl, her expression demure and obedient, nodded repeatedly, her eyes occasionally glancing towards the edge of the crowd.
The grand departure had attracted many villagers. Little Yu Qingtang easily blended into the crowd, unnoticed by the girl.
The butler gently urged the girl to get into the car. The girl, her face clouded with disappointment, climbed inside.
The car door closed, the tinted windows obscuring the view. Little Yu Qingtang stepped out of the crowd and followed the car as it slowly drove out of the village.
As the black car reached the main road, it sped up, quickly disappearing from sight. Little Yu Qingtang stood alone by the roadside at the edge of the village, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lip so hard it bled, but she didn't make a sound.
Not long after the girl left, she moved away too.
Like a shooting star illuminating the dark night sky. She had looked up, captivated by its brilliance, its reflection shimmering in her eyes, from its dazzling appearance to its final, silent disappearance.
Leaving not even a flicker of light behind.
The sun that once shone only served to illuminate her desolation, making it even more desolate. [Note: Adapted from Emily Dickinson's "If I hadn't seen the Sun".]
"Ms. Yu."
"Ms. Yu?"
A fair, slender hand waved in front of her face. Yu Qingtang looked up, her expression blank. "What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing." Cheng Zhanxi pointed to her bowl. "It's not as good when it's cold." She had been staring at her bowl, lost in thought for a long time.
Yu Qingtang looked down and hummed in acknowledgement, taking a bite of the cold ginger milk curd.
It really tasted less flavorful when cold. Yu Qingtang touched the rim of the bowl, the emotions evoked by the memory lingering in her heart.
She put down her spoon.
Cheng Zhanxi asked, surprised, "Aren't you going to finish it?"
Yu Qingtang said calmly, "It's not to my liking."
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
Yu Zhou, head down, silently enjoyed the drama – or rather, her coconut sago pudding. Why did the two teachers sometimes seem so in sync, and other times so at odds with each other?
Ginger milk curd was Cheng Zhanxi's favorite dessert. Hearing her recommendation dismissed like that, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She pursed her lips, took Yu Qingtang's bowl, and asked, "Can I have it?"
What else could she do with her beloved? Spoil her, of course.
Yu Qingtang: "No need."
"There's still so much left. It's a waste."
"Let it go to waste, then."
Yu Qingtang showed no mercy, even in front of her student.
Yu Zhou cringed, wishing she could hide her face in her bowl.
Cheng Zhanxi: "You—" She wondered if Yu Qingtang actually disliked her, or if she had some kind of OCD that prevented her from letting others touch her food.
In the end, the leftover ginger milk curd went to waste.
Cheng Zhanxi, not one to hold grudges, took Yu Zhou back to her class and then offered to accompany Yu Qingtang to the infirmary.
Yu Qingtang, intending to back out, said calmly, "I can go by myself."
Cheng Zhanxi simply smiled at her, saying nothing, her knowing gaze seeing through her pretense.
Yu Qingtang's acting skills were as poor as ever, limited to their bedroom interactions.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
They walked towards the infirmary along the shaded school path.
Classes were in session, and the campus was quiet, punctuated only by the occasional raised voice of a teacher.
Yu Qingtang looked towards an open window in one of the teaching buildings, then, after a moment of silence, said softly, "Ms. Cheng, your actions today were inappropriate."
"Hmm?" Drawn by the soft, calm voice, Cheng Zhanxi tilted her head slightly, moving closer to hear better.
"Impersonating a student's parent and engaging in a verbal altercation... If that parent finds out and files a complaint, you'll be in trouble."
"What kind of trouble? Suspension? Or expulsion?"
Yu Qingtang glanced at her, a subtle look in her eyes.
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled. "I'm not like you tenured teachers. I'm just a temporary employee." She winked, giving Yu Qingtang a knowing look.
"..." Yu Qingtang looked away again.
Why was she worrying about this heiress? She clearly wouldn't let herself be bullied.
Realizing what Yu Qingtang's concern implied, Cheng Zhanxi's heart skipped a beat. "Are you worried about me?" she asked softly.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Yu Qingtang quickened her pace.
Cheng Zhanxi hurried to catch up, a smile on her face. "Wait for me," she said.
This innocent, youthful, campus romance... Just walking side by side with Yu Qingtang made Cheng Zhanxi feel like a teenager again, experiencing her first crush, surrounded by wildflowers blooming on a hillside.
Yu Qingtang stopped at the entrance to the infirmary.
Cheng Zhanxi looked back, puzzled. "Come on in," she said.
Yu Qingtang pursed her lips, her shoulders tense, and slowly walked inside.
Cheng Zhanxi waited for her, her voice gentle and coaxing, like she was talking to a child. "Don't worry. You won't need a shot. Just some ointment."
Yu Qingtang's expression seemed to say, "Are you serious?" but Cheng Zhanxi's words strangely calmed her.
Cheng Zhanxi naturally reached out and took Yu Qingtang's wrist, leading her into the nurse's office.
Yu Qingtang's heart fluttered. She lowered her gaze, obediently following a step behind Cheng Zhanxi.
If Cheng Zhanxi had looked back at that moment, she would have seen Yu Qingtang's unusually docile expression, like a small child trailing behind her parents.
"Nurse, could you please take a look at her arm? A student's parent scratched her with her nails," Cheng Zhanxi said, gesturing for Yu Qingtang to roll up her sleeve.
Yu Qingtang sat down and obediently rolled up her left sleeve.
The scratches had faded slightly, but the bruising had spread, covering almost her entire forearm, tiny droplets of blood still oozing from the wounds.
Cheng Zhanxi winced, looking away. "Is it serious?" she asked the nurse.
The middle-aged nurse carefully examined Yu Qingtang's arm. "It's not serious," she said. "It looks worse than it is. I'll clean and disinfect it, then apply some ointment. It should scab over and heal in three to five days."
"Will it leave a scar?"
"Probably not. Try to keep it dry."
Cheng Zhanxi became anxious. "Don't say 'probably'! She's a new teacher! Scratched by a crazy parent on her first week... and now she might have scars..."
The nurse chuckled at her concern. "I'm not a fortune teller. I can't say for sure whether it'll scar or not." Seeing Cheng Zhanxi's face pale, she added, "Ninety-nine percent sure it won't. If it does, come back and see me."
Cheng Zhanxi slowly exhaled.
Avoiding Yu Qingtang's arm, she looked at her face, her eyes meeting Yu Qingtang's.
Yu Qingtang held her gaze for a couple of seconds, then looked away.
Her right hand, hanging by her side, unconsciously curled into a fist.
The nurse cleaned Yu Qingtang's arm with an iodine swab.
Yu Qingtang didn't flinch.
Cheng Zhanxi hovered nearby. "Please be gentle, nurse. Gently, gently... Ouch, be careful..."
The nurse looked up and offered her the swab. "Why don't you do it, then?"
Cheng Zhanxi quickly declined. "No, no, you do it." She would have liked to, and she did have some first-aid skills, but Yu Qingtang probably wouldn't approve.
Cheng Zhanxi fell silent, watching as the nurse disinfected and applied ointment to Yu Qingtang's arm, ready to alert the nurse if Yu Qingtang showed any sign of discomfort, but she didn't get the chance.
Yu Qingtang was like an emotionless, unfeeling robot.
The cool ointment was applied evenly to her arm. Yu Qingtang, her sleeve rolled up above her elbow, stood up.
She instinctively glanced at Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi, instinctively taking charge, said sincerely, "Thank you, nurse."
The nurse, who had been mildly annoyed by Cheng Zhanxi's constant chatter throughout the procedure, as if a few scratches were equivalent to open-heart surgery, and had almost considered taping her mouth shut, now found herself charmed by her bright smile and beautiful, youthful face. She raised an eyebrow playfully. "Why are you the one thanking me? Shouldn't your girlfriend be the one to thank me?"
Author's note:
School nurse: Another day, another successful matchmaking attempt.
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