After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Cheng Zhanxi's long, well-proportioned legs came into view first, clad in tight black jeans that accentuated their slender, shapely form. Her feet were encased in pristine white sneakers.
The jeans were cuffed, revealing a section of delicate, white ankles, creating a simple yet fashionable look.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She walked around the motorcycle as if she hadn't seen it.
Cheng Zhanxi, riding her flashy white Ducati Diavel, slowly moved forward, blocking her path again.
Yu Qingtang stopped and finally looked up.
Cheng Zhanxi straightened up, removed her helmet with both hands, tossed her long hair back, and looked at her with a playful smile. "Jiejie, it's me," she said.
Her almond-shaped eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled, her long eyelashes framing them, a hint of mischief sparkling within.
Yu Qingtang thought: I know it's you. Who else in this school exudes such blatant flirtatiousness from head to toe, even down to every strand of hair?
Yu Qingtang glanced at her, pausing for two seconds as if she had just recognized her, and said in her usual calm tone, "Good morning, Ms. Cheng."
Cheng Zhanxi replied cheerfully, "Good morning, Jiejie."
Yu Qingtang: "..."
A sparrow perched on a branch fluttered its wings, its small, beady eyes peering curiously at the scene below.
Yu Qingtang's expression remained impassive. "Don't call me that," she said quietly.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "Okay, Ms. Yu," she replied.
Still sitting on her motorcycle, she handed Yu Qingtang her helmet. "Ms. Yu, I need to park. Could you hold this for me? Just for a few steps."
Yu Qingtang looked at the helmet held out to her and, after a moment's hesitation, took it.
The helmet felt cool to the touch, but inside, the rider's warmth lingered.
When Yu Qingtang took it, her hand brushed against the inside, the contrast between the cool exterior and the warmth within starkly apparent.
Cheng Zhanxi rode her motorcycle towards the staff parking area. Yu Qingtang followed, keeping a couple of steps behind, looking down at the glossy black helmet in her hands, her fingers gently stroking its smooth surface. She closed the visor, then opened it again, silently returning it to its original position.
"Okay." Cheng Zhanxi turned around. Yu Qingtang, still silent, handed her the helmet.
Cheng Zhanxi, wearing a white sports band on her left wrist, glanced at the time. "It's almost time for morning reading. I'll accompany you to your classroom, Ms. Yu. Thank you for holding my helmet," she said.
Yu Qingtang mentally analyzed the logic of her statement, concluding there wasn't any.
So, the students of Class 7, Grade 1, were surprised to see two teachers at their classroom door that morning!
One, of course, was their homeroom teacher, Yu Qingtang. The other was Cheng Zhanxi, who, in just a week, had become the most popular teacher in Class 7.
As the Class 7 students approached from the hallway, they saw Yu Qingtang and immediately straightened up, lowering their heads. "Good morning, teacher," they greeted respectfully.
Then, taking a couple more steps, they looked up, their faces breaking into smiles. "Good morning, Ms. Cheng," they greeted cheerfully.
With their homeroom teacher present, they quickly suppressed their smiles, revealing only their teeth.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled and patted a student's shoulder. "Go inside and study hard," she said, then lowered her voice. "Tuck your breakfast further into your pocket. The plastic bag is showing."
The student quickly hid the bag.
They exchanged a knowing look.
Two girls, holding hands, approached. Cheng Zhanxi recognized them as Xing Bailu and He Shuangjiang, whose names sounded like they could be sisters. Last time she saw them, they hadn't seemed so close. Now, they were holding hands. Ah, the joys of youth.
She wondered when she and Yu Qingtang would be able to hold hands like that.
She glanced down at Yu Qingtang's hand hanging by her side, her skin smooth and delicate – she'd touched it that night, her slender fingers and long, delicate bones, the feeling of their fingers intertwined…
Cheng Zhanxi's heart fluttered, her mouth suddenly dry. She quickly looked away.
As a teacher, she shouldn't be having such inappropriate thoughts.
As soon as Xing Bailu and He Shuangjiang saw Yu Qingtang at the door, they quickly released each other's hands, their expressions slightly guilty.
"Good morning, teacher," they said in unison, looking down, then glancing at each other before quickly averting their gazes.
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi watched the two girls enter the classroom, one after the other, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She walked over to Yu Qingtang, leaning closer and lowering her voice so only Yu Qingtang could hear. "Ms. Yu, don't you think…?"
Yu Qingtang uncomfortably shifted away from the warm breath brushing against her ear and turned to face Cheng Zhanxi.
At such close proximity, Cheng Zhanxi's eyes were as clear as glass beads, the strands of hair framing her face tinted a light red by the morning sun.
Her warm breath brushed against Yu Qingtang's face, her gaze unwavering, her pupils seemingly swirling, drawing Yu Qingtang in.
"Good morning, teacher," a student greeted.
Yu Qingtang snapped back to reality, taking a step back to maintain a proper distance from Cheng Zhanxi, resisting the urge to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.
"Go inside," she said to the student.
Turning back to Cheng Zhanxi, she asked, "Think what?" picking up where Cheng Zhanxi had left off, her gaze no longer meeting Cheng Zhanxi's.
"We'll talk about it later in private," Cheng Zhanxi said, changing her mind.
The hallway was crowded with students. It wouldn't be appropriate to discuss her suspicions here. What if someone overheard?
"Okay." Yu Qingtang responded.
At 7 a.m., morning reading officially began.
Most students were diligently reading, while a few yawned repeatedly, seemingly exhausted. Others, keeping an eye on their homeroom teacher at the door, stealthily took out their breakfast from under their desks, quickly taking a bite before hiding it again behind their books, their cheeks bulging as they continued reading.
A 183cm tall boy stood before Yu Qingtang, towering over her by almost a head.
His school uniform jacket was unzipped, his t-shirt half-tucked into his pants, his posture slouched.
Under Yu Qingtang's gaze, he zipped up his jacket and slowly straightened up.
"Why are you late?" she asked.
"I was helping an elderly lady cross the street," he replied.
"You've helped three elderly ladies cross the street this week alone," Yu Qingtang pointed out.
The boy chuckled, then covered his mouth and coughed. "There are a lot of elderly people in my neighborhood," he explained.
"So helpful and kind of you," Yu Qingtang said. "I'll commend you for your good deeds during our class meeting on Friday."
The boy grinned. "That's embarrassing," he said.
"Kindness deserves recognition," Yu Qingtang replied seriously.
The boy's smile faltered. He couldn't keep up the pretense any longer. "I… I overslept," he admitted sheepishly.
Yu Qingtang gestured towards the classroom. "Go inside. Wake up earlier tomorrow," she said.
With all students present, Yu Qingtang observed their morning reading for a while, then left.
On the way back to the office, Cheng Zhanxi said, "Xiang Tianyou seemed quite obedient during PE class. I didn't expect him to be like this normally." Xiang Tianyou was the boy's name.
"Indeed." Yu Qingtang responded.
"Is it hard being a homeroom teacher?" Cheng Zhanxi asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"It's manageable." For Yu Qingtang, it was just a job. She would consult the senior homeroom teachers if she encountered any difficulties, and they always provided practical and effective advice. As long as she didn't get emotionally involved, managing students wasn't much different from analyzing data.
Cheng Zhanxi was about to ask her why she had chosen to become a teacher, but Yu Qingtang turned and walked in the opposite direction of the office.
"Ms. Yu, this way," Cheng Zhanxi called out.
Yu Qingtang turned around. "I'm going to buy breakfast," she said.
"I'll come too. I was in a hurry this morning and didn't have time to eat," Cheng Zhanxi lied.
They went to the cafeteria together. With most students at morning reading, it was quiet, with only a few other teachers, mostly young ones.
Yu Qingtang picked up a bowl of eight-treasure porridge and a pork bun.
Cheng Zhanxi walked to the counter and said, "One vegetable bun, please." Then, lowering her voice, she added, "The smallest one you have."
The vendor, seeing her beautiful face, was about to pick the largest bun and place it on her tray when she heard her request and looked up, puzzled. "Huh?"
Was this girl crazy?
Cheng Zhanxi composed herself. "I'm on a diet," she explained.
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi's tray, which contained only a single, lonely vegetable bun: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi raised her hand as if swearing an oath. "I really don't eat much," she said.
Yu Qingtang gave a quiet "hmm" and continued drinking her porridge.
Cheng Zhanxi breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she had managed to dispel the "big eater" image Yu Qingtang seemed to have of her.
They walked back to the office together. Halfway there, Yu Qingtang suddenly stopped.
Cheng Zhanxi stopped too. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang looked down. "Nothing. Let's go," she said.
She had just realized that since their "chance" encounter at the school gate, Cheng Zhanxi had been by her side for a whole hour, like a piece of gum stuck to her shoe. Next time, she would avoid such a situation from the start.
Resolving to do so, Yu Qingtang quickened her pace.
They entered the office together. Yu Qingtang, as usual, was quiet, while Cheng Zhanxi greeted the other teachers cheerfully. "Good morning, everyone," she said.
Yang Li, the English teacher, said, "Good morning. Why are you and Ms. Yu together, Ms. Cheng?"
Cheng Zhanxi thought: Because we're destined to be together! But what she actually said, with a smile, was, "We ran into each other on the way. Ms. Yang, did you get a new haircut?"
Yang Li immediately stood up, turning around to show off her new perm. "Do you like it?" she asked excitedly.
Cheng Zhanxi studied it carefully, then nodded with a smile. "It looks great," she said.
While Cheng Zhanxi was chatting with Yang Li, Yu Qingtang had already returned to her desk.
She noticed a small bag on her desk. Opening it, she found a small cake and a card with neat, elegant handwriting:
—Thank you, teacher.
It was signed Yu Zhou.
Cheng Zhanxi also noticed the gift. She picked up the card and saw that it was black with silver patterns, almost matching Yu Qingtang's white card with black patterns. They were practically couple's cards! It was all worth it, even having risked impersonating a parent to defend Yu Zhou. While Cheng Zhanxi wouldn't have regretted her actions even without a thank you, it always felt good to have one's kindness acknowledged.
Cheng Zhanxi took a small bite of the cake using a tiny fork. It was soft and fluffy, quite delicious.
She glanced towards Yu Qingtang, who seemed lost in thought as she looked at the card.
"Ms. Yu?" Cheng Zhanxi called out.
Yu Qingtang tucked the card into her book, looked up, her gaze cool and distant.
Cheng Zhanxi, ignoring the subtle shift in the atmosphere, pointed at Yu Qingtang's cake with her fork, a bit of white cream still clinging to her lips. "Would you like to try some?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang picked up the cake and placed it on Cheng Zhanxi's desk without changing her expression.
Cheng Zhanxi was taken aback. "That's not what I meant," she said.
Yu Qingtang said calmly, "I don't like cake."
What did she like to eat?
Cheng Zhanxi tilted her head. "What do you like to eat, then?"
Yu Qingtang avoided the question. "You have it. You're the one who helped her," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi's expression became increasingly puzzled. "Huh?"
If Yu Qingtang hadn't intervened first, she wouldn't have had time to do anything. Yu Qingtang's arm was still injured.
"Ms. Yu," Cheng Zhanxi called out, looking at the two cakes on her desk.
Yu Qingtang, wearing headphones, was preparing for her lessons and didn't look up. Cheng Zhanxi couldn't tell if she hadn't heard her, or if she was pretending not to hear.
Cheng Zhanxi gave up.
Yu Qingtang had two math classes in the morning and wasn't in the office for most of that time. Cheng Zhanxi also had a PE class. They only briefly crossed paths during one of the breaks, each busy with their own work.
During the fourth period, Yu Qingtang sat alone in the office. She opened her book, took out Yu Zhou's card, and turned it over. The back was black with silver patterns resembling crabapple blossoms. It was quite thoughtful.
Yu Qingtang held the card between her fingers, her hand hovering above the trash can beside her, her gaze fixed on something else.
Her fingers didn't relax their grip.
Yu Qingtang looked down at her hand, and after a long moment, she bit her lip, slowly withdrew her hand, opened her desk drawer, placed the card face down inside, and closed the drawer.
Afternoon, Class 7 PE lesson.
The summer cicadas had fallen silent with the arrival of autumn. The sky was clear and blue, a comfortable breeze blowing across the field where the Class 7 students stood in formation.
Cheng Zhanxi stood with her hands clasped behind her back.
After the roll call, Wu Peng, the PE representative, reported, "Class 7, present 49 students, 1 student absent with permission. Total 50 students enrolled."
Cheng Zhanxi, her eyes lazily half-closed, said, "Good. Return to your positions."
Wu Peng returned to the last row.
Cheng Zhanxi looked up at the sun, which wasn't too strong today. "Do you want to learn something interesting?" she asked.
"Like what?"
Cheng Zhanxi met their curious gazes, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Like dancing."
The entire class responded collectively: "Huh?"
A few students' jaws dropped.
Tong Feifei, outgoing and cheerful, said, "Teacher, are you planning to turn us into an idol group? When's our debut performance? Do we need to organize a voting system?"
Two talent shows had become incredibly popular in the first half of the year. The shows featured trainees undergoing intensive training, competing in performances, and finally debuting based on their popularity. Terms like "C-position debut" and "pick" had become ubiquitous, especially among young people.
Cheng Zhanxi rested her chin in her hand, thought for a moment, then said, "If you want to, it's not entirely impossible. It's still under discussion. Let's hear your thoughts. Raise your hands if you have any questions."
The students exchanged glances. A girl raised her hand first.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Go ahead."
"What kind of dance?" the girl asked.
"Something everyone can learn. I'll demonstrate it for you later," Cheng Zhanxi replied.
The students excitedly responded, "Wow!"
Cheng Zhanxi gestured for them to be quiet. Another girl raised her hand. "What if we don't have any dance experience?" she asked.
"That's fine. We're mainly dancing for exercise. It doesn't need to be perfect or technically precise," Cheng Zhanxi said, then, with a wink, added the benefit the girls cared about most. "It's a great way to lose weight."
The girls, regardless of their size, all lit up, whispering excitedly among themselves.
They had been secretly discussing Cheng Zhanxi's figure. That day she wore a white t-shirt, and with the wind blowing, the thin fabric had clung to her body, revealing the faint outline of her abs. The muscle definition in her arms was clearly visible. Tall and slender, she was a natural clothes horse. Unlike skinny, stick-thin figures, this was the kind of physique most girls dreamed of.
Even some of the boys were intrigued.
Then a boy hesitantly spoke up. "Teacher, you're not going to teach us something… too seductive, are you?"
Cheng Zhanxi rested her chin in her hand. "Are boys not allowed to dance seductively? Or are you afraid of what others might think?" she asked, her voice turning serious. "There's no rule that says boys can't be seductive and girls can't be cool. Do what you enjoy."
The boy didn't seem convinced, and the other boys also looked hesitant.
Cheng Zhanxi continued, "You can decide whether or not you want to learn after you see me dance. It's not compulsory. If you don't want to dance, you can continue playing basketball or soccer. As I said, the main goal is exercise, not necessarily dancing."
More questions followed, which Cheng Zhanxi patiently answered.
She placed her small Bluetooth speaker on the ground and connected it to her phone.
...
On the other side of the field, other PE classes were running laps, playing basketball, buying snacks, or simply resting. They suddenly heard a burst of excited chatter from nearby.
A group of older students sitting on the steps near the flagpole squinted towards the commotion.
"What's going on over there?"
"I don't know," replied a boy, taking a sip of water and looking towards the sound. "Probably just PE class."
"No shit!" exclaimed the first boy, slapping the other boy on the head. "What else would it be during PE class?"
"Wait a minute!" said another student, listening intently. "I think I hear music."
The first boy gestured to the boy with the water bottle. "Go check it out," he said lazily. "See what's going on."
The boy tossed his water bottle to his friend and walked towards the crowd.
The Class 7 students had initially lined up neatly, but the commotion had attracted students from other classes, who had formed a circle around them, taking the best viewing spots.
The boy who had gone to investigate returned a few minutes later, his face flushed with excitement. "Someone's dancing!" he exclaimed.
"Poor kid, must have never seen dancing before," someone said, ruffling his hair sympathetically.
"No, no!" the boy quickly corrected. "It's a teacher! A teacher's dancing!"
"Male or female?"
"Female!"
"Is it like this?" One of the boys stood up and struck a seductive pose, swaying his hips and taking a few exaggerated steps, making the other boys laugh.
"No, no!" the boy protested even more excitedly. "It's like the kind of dance Wen Ge does." He racked his brain, finally coming up with a suitable description. "The 'kwang kwang kwang' kind!"
He seemed still awestruck, his eyes unfocused. "This dude—I mean, this teacher is so cool, it made my legs weak," he said.
...
The Class 7 students, having witnessed the entire performance, were speechless.
Cheng Zhanxi, having just finished a vigorous dance routine, her cheeks flushed from the exertion, took a few deep breaths, then walked over to her phone and turned off the music.
Turning back to her class, she asked, puzzled, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Tong Feifei's face was even redder than Cheng Zhanxi's, her eyes shining with adoration. A true fan girl, she suddenly clutched her face and let out an ear-piercing shriek. "Ahhh!"
This seemed to be contagious, spreading rapidly among the girls. In this internet age, fan girls might not have many skills, but screaming was definitely one of them. The air filled with their excited shrieks, drowning out Cheng Zhanxi's voice.
The boys, comparatively, were more reserved, clenching their fists and exchanging knowing glances.
The entire field had turned into a scene of utter chaos, attracting curious stares from the other students.
Cheng Zhanxi shouted, "Stop!"
"You won't learn anything just by screaming. Do you want to learn this dance?"
The entire class yelled in unison, "Yes!"
High school students, still at the peak of their memorization abilities, learned quickly, their bodies relatively flexible. Cheng Zhanxi turned on the music and led them through the dance once, giving them a general idea. She then selected the students with some dance experience and had them stand in front of the others, taking her own place at the very front.
"Now, let's break down the movements," she said.
Learning an entire dance routine in a single PE lesson, or even in a few lessons, was unrealistic, especially with a dance of this difficulty. But as Cheng Zhanxi had said, the main goal was exercise. Perfect execution wasn't necessary, as they weren't planning to debut as a dance troupe. The students, however, were enthusiastic, eager to learn the moves as accurately as possible, wanting to emulate Cheng Zhanxi's powerful, cool style.
Initial enthusiasm was always the strongest.
"Teacher, is this right?"
"Teacher…"
"Teacher…"
Cheng Zhanxi moved among the students, correcting their postures and demonstrating the moves. Students from other classes gathered around, watching the spectacle and chatting excitedly.
"Who is that teacher? I've never seen her before."
"There are so many teachers in our school. It's not surprising you haven't seen them all."
"But she's a woman. How many female PE teachers do we have?"
"Ahhh, could she be… the one… who rides a motorcycle?"
"Yes! That's her!"
"What's she doing?"
"Looks like she's teaching them to dance."
"Damn! Why didn't I get a PE teacher like that?"
...
The Class 7 students, having watched the entire lesson, were still in a daze.
When the bell rang, they were startled.
"Is it over already?"
"I still haven't learned all the moves."
"Huh? You only have a few left to learn? I've only learned a few!"
"Hahaha!"
Cheng Zhanxi didn't bother having them line up again. "Class dismissed!" she announced.
"Goodbye, Teacher."
"Goodbye, cool students," Cheng Zhanxi replied.
"Will we continue practicing next class, Teacher?"
"Yes, until you don't want to anymore," Cheng Zhanxi said.
"Haha, as long as you're teaching, we'll never stop wanting to learn," a student said.
"Do you like dancing, or do you like me?" Cheng Zhanxi teased.
"Both! You're the best, Ms. Cheng!"
"You're also great." Cheng Zhanxi smiled, bending down and high-fiving the student.
The students continued chatting and joking as they left, one by one. Only Li Lan, the class monitor, and Wu Peng, the PE representative, remained.
Li Lan, the class monitor, wore her hair in a ponytail, her uniform neat and clean. She was the picture of diligence and excellence, a stark contrast to Yu Zhou, who, from a single-parent family after her father's death, was quiet and reserved, easily intimidated, as evidenced by her earlier encounter with the boy's mother.
Li Lan, on the other hand, was outgoing, responsible, and protective of her class, clearly from a loving and supportive family.
Cheng Zhanxi tightened the cap on her water bottle, then smiled gently at the two students. "Do you have something to tell me?" she asked.
Li Lan nodded. "Yes," she said, getting straight to the point. "Next month, the school is holding its autumn sports meet. Traditionally, each class performs a short talent show during the opening ceremony march."
Cheng Zhanxi raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued. She gestured for Li Lan to continue.
Li Lan continued, "Since you're teaching us to dance, we were wondering if we could perform that dance this year."
Cheng Zhanxi could sense the excitement hidden beneath Li Lan's calm demeanor. She agreed that a dance performance would be impressive, but she also offered a realistic assessment. "A month is too short. We might not be able to achieve perfect synchronization," she said.
Li Lan explained, "It only needs to be a 30-second to 1-minute performance, not the entire dance. You can send us the video, and we can organize practice sessions outside of class. We can also use our class time. We should be able to manage it."
Cheng Zhanxi rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I see," she said. "How about we discuss it with Ms. Yu? She's the homeroom teacher. If she agrees, I'll record the video for you."
Li Lan and Wu Peng exchanged glances, a hint of resignation in their eyes. "Alright," Li Lan said.
Cheng Zhanxi, puzzled, asked, "Are you afraid of Ms. Yu? Even the class monitor is like this. What did she do to you?"
Li Lan hesitated.
Cheng Zhanxi pretended to cry. "You just said you liked me, and now you don't even trust me. Boo hoo," she whined.
"..." Li Lan said, "It's not that I'm afraid of Ms. Yu. It's just that she's so cold. Her gaze is completely devoid of warmth. I feel like she doesn't even see us as human."
Not human? What kind of analogy was that?
Wu Peng added, "I'm not a very good student. I can't sit still in class and often daydream. Usually, teachers get angry at students like me, with poor learning attitudes. But she doesn't. She always speaks in the same tone. I'd rather she just yelled at me. It would feel better."
Cheng Zhanxi looked thoughtful.
"Let's go talk to Ms. Yu," she said.
First-year teachers' office.
Yu Qingtang, wearing headphones, was preparing for her lessons when someone knocked on her desk.
She looked up, removing her headphones.
Cheng Zhanxi stood before her, accompanied by two students Yu Qingtang vaguely recognized.
Yu Qingtang: "Ms. Cheng?" she said.
Ms. Yu: I can't remember my students' names, so I'll just address the only person whose name I remember: Cheng "Medical Report."
Ms. Cheng: That practically means we're married and consummated our relationship!
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