After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
The girl on the left, with a ponytail, looked like the class monitor of Class 7. However, the student representative for arts and culture in her class, and the study representative in Class 9, which Yu Qingtang also taught, looked similar.
The boy on the right, with tanned skin and a tall, athletic build, resembled most of the mischievous boys who sat in the back rows.
It was also possible that Cheng Zhanxi had simply run into these students in the hallway and offered to call their teacher for them.
Yu Qingtang, after a moment of silence, chose the safest option and looked directly at Cheng Zhanxi, the only person she could identify for sure, her gaze questioning. "Ms. Cheng?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Li Lan and Wu Peng have something they want to discuss with you."
Yu Qingtang's expression shifted slightly as she looked at Cheng Zhanxi intently.
Cheng Zhanxi interpreted this look as a sign of unusual intimacy and a silent understanding between them, a smile playing on her lips.
Yu Qingtang thought: Cheng "Medical Report's" talkativeness has finally proven useful.
Having confirmed the two students were from her class, Yu Qingtang closed her teaching materials and looked up at them. "Go ahead. The bell's about to ring," she said.
Wu Peng discreetly took a step back. Li Lan, noticing his movement, gave him a subtle eye roll. Turning back to Yu Qingtang, she resumed her composed, mature demeanor. "The autumn sports meet is at the end of next month…" she began.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly interrupted. "Wait a minute," she said.
All three of them looked at her.
Cheng Zhanxi placed a finger to her lips, making a "shh" sound. "Let's talk quietly," she whispered.
During breaks, the office was bustling with students coming and going, some submitting homework, some collecting assignments, some standing before their teachers receiving criticism. It was a noisy and crowded scene. With Wen Zhihan absent, the two most beautiful teachers in the office were gathered together, their corner seemingly brighter than the rest, attracting glances from the passing students.
Li Lan followed Cheng Zhanxi's gaze, scanning the office, and instantly understood.
This brilliant idea couldn't be revealed prematurely.
They exchanged a knowing look.
Yu Qingtang watched as Cheng Zhanxi and Li Lan, leaving Wu Peng behind, moved behind her desk, stepping into her personal space.
Li Lan, bending down, whispered to her.
Yu Qingtang leaned forward slightly, lowering her head to hear better.
Wu Peng, acting as a lookout, shielded the whispering trio with his broad shoulders.
Li Lan's clean, blue-and-white uniform smelled of sunshine and soap. Her ponytail was neatly tied, revealing the soft downy hairs at the nape of her neck. Her slightly oversized uniform made her appear thin, but there was a youthful vitality about her, a sense of burgeoning growth and strength.
Yu Qingtang also noticed a small mole on the tip of Li Lan's nose, adding to her delicate features.
Yu Qingtang closed her eyes briefly, then said, "You want to perform a dance at the sports meet, is that right?"
Li Lan, terrified during those tense few seconds, immediately stepped back after speaking, almost seeking refuge behind Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi, her hands resting on Li Lan's shoulders, gently squeezed them, preventing her from retreating further. She didn't think Yu Qingtang was that scary. As Yu Qingtang's future partner, she felt obligated to defend her.
Drawing strength from Cheng Zhanxi's silent support, Li Lan swallowed nervously and said, "Yes, but if you don't think it's a good idea, we can choose something else."
Yu Qingtang said calmly, "It's a good idea. You're very resourceful. Class 7 is proud of you."
Despite receiving praise, Li Lan felt no sense of excitement.
Yu Qingtang sounded like she was reciting pre-written lines, devoid of emotion. Li Lan couldn't detect any genuine praise in her eyes.
Some homeroom teachers formed close bonds with their class representatives. Li Lan, having been a class monitor since elementary school, enjoyed serving her class and always strived to make it better. Her middle school homeroom teacher, also a woman, would sometimes pat her head when praising her, and even without the physical gesture, her happiness would be clearly evident.
Li Lan replied calmly, "Thank you, teacher."
Yu Qingtang turned to Cheng Zhanxi. "Would you mind recording the video for them, Ms. Cheng?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi's smile was bright. "Of course not. I should be able to have it ready by Monday," she said.
Li Lan: "That's perfect."
The warning bell rang.
Li Lan and Wu Peng said goodbye and left the office. At the door, Li Lan glanced back at Cheng Zhanxi, who was leaning on Yu Qingtang's desk, chatting and laughing with her.
A thought crossed her mind: If only Ms. Cheng was our homeroom teacher.
Yu Qingtang picked up her headphones and looked at Cheng Zhanxi, who was still lingering by her desk. Her gaze silently questioned: Is something the matter?
Cheng Zhanxi returned to her desk, pulling her chair closer to Yu Qingtang's, placing them side-by-side. Then, still not satisfied, she grabbed the arms of Yu Qingtang's chair and turned her, chair and all, to face her directly.
Yu Qingtang's eyes turned cold.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly played her trump card. "I'm here to talk about student matters," she said.
Yu Qingtang pushed her chair back, creating some distance between them. "Go ahead," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi inwardly rolled her eyes, then said seriously, "First of all, I'm not questioning your abilities as a homeroom teacher. I'm just offering a small suggestion. Could you try smiling at your students a bit more? It would be encouraging for them. I think Li Lan would really appreciate seeing you smile."
Yu Qingtang said coldly, "Who said a homeroom teacher has to smile?"
"I'm not saying you have to, but maybe you could try it occasionally," Cheng Zhanxi said, demonstrating by slowly curving her lips upwards into a smile.
S, M, I, L, E.
Pressing her fingers to the corners of her upturned lips, she said, "See? Like this."
Yu Qingtang's expression became even colder.
If she wasn't worried about maintaining a professional relationship with her colleagues, she would have told Cheng Zhanxi to mind her own business.
Cheng Zhanxi's smile slowly faded. "Just a suggestion," she said sheepishly. "You don't have to smile if you don't want to. You look beautiful either way."
Yu Qingtang thought indifferently: What does this have to do with looking beautiful? Does a homeroom teacher need to be beautiful?
Today, she also contemplated using glue to seal Cheng Zhanxi's lips shut.
Cheng Zhanxi turned Yu Qingtang's chair back to its original position, then returned to her own desk.
Yu Qingtang looked at her impassively, then said, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, "Ms. Cheng, please focus on your own classes. Don't bother with things that don't concern you."
Cheng Zhanxi froze for a few seconds, then murmured, her lips pursed, "Understood."
Yu Qingtang took a pen from her pen holder, opened the cap, and started writing a familiar seven-character quatrain on a piece of scrap paper, trying to clear the recent image from her mind.
For the rest of the day, Cheng Zhanxi didn't speak to Yu Qingtang. She didn't even say goodbye when she left.
She wasn't without her own pride!
If Yu Qingtang didn't apologize tonight, she wouldn't talk to her until tomorrow morning! Hmph!
The residential complex where Cheng Zhanxi lived had a swimming pool, a haven for children during the summer. Now, in early autumn, the summer heat had subsided, but the temperature hadn't dropped too drastically. The setting sun cast a warm, gentle glow.
Cheng Zhanxi, carrying groceries from the supermarket, encountered a mother and her daughter in the complex. The little girl skipped excitedly beside her mother, holding a swimming ring. They were both wearing matching, bright pink swimsuits, clearly having just returned from the pool.
Cheng Zhanxi greeted them. "Xiaxia, Xiaxia's mom," she said.
Xiaxia's mom's face lit up. "Ms. Cheng!" she exclaimed.
The little girl said sweetly, "Hello, Auntie Cheng."
Xiaxia's mom said, "Just back from grocery shopping? That's quite a haul."
Cheng Zhanxi replied, "Yes, I'm planning to cook a nice dinner tonight as a treat for myself."
Xiaxia's mom said, "Why bother cooking? I made duck soup, braised pork, and spare ribs. Come over and eat with us. It's all ready."
Before Cheng Zhanxi could reply, Xiaxia's mom grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards her apartment.
Cheng Zhanxi said, laughing, "Let me put my groceries away first. They'll spoil."
Xiaxia's mom said, "Don't worry, we can put them away after dinner. They won't go bad."
Cheng Zhanxi's first encounter with her neighbor had been purely coincidental.
If Cheng Zhanxi hadn't noticed something amiss with the adult talking to Xiaxia and intervened, the little girl would have been abducted. It had happened at a playground not far from their complex. Who would have thought human traffickers would be so brazen? Xiaxia's mom had been chatting with someone, and when she turned around, she saw Cheng Zhanxi holding her daughter. At first, she was puzzled, but after Cheng Zhanxi explained what had happened, she was terrified, almost fainting.
The little girl, oblivious to the danger she had been in, looked at her mother, who was crying and hugging her tightly, confused and bewildered.
Since then, Cheng Zhanxi had received constant dinner invitations from Xiaxia's mom, so enthusiastic that Cheng Zhanxi could barely keep up.
Leaving her neighbor's apartment after 8 p.m., Cheng Zhanxi checked her phone. As expected, Yu Qingtang hadn't messaged her.
Fine. She would continue ignoring her too.
Returning to her own apartment, Cheng Zhanxi put her groceries away, showered, and made a phone call.
There was no answer the first time.
Cheng Zhanxi went to her studio. An hour later, she received a call back.
The person on the other end sounded like they had just finished a strenuous workout, their voice slightly breathless. "Hello," they said.
Cheng Zhanxi clicked her tongue. "It's not even that late. Is your life always this exciting?" she teased.
The person on the other end replied curtly, "Get lost. I'm practicing my dance routine."
Cheng Zhanxi laughed, then quickly composed herself. "About the dance I asked you to choreograph earlier, could you create a studio version?" she asked.
The dance Cheng Zhanxi was teaching her students wasn't an existing routine from online. She had commissioned a well-known choreographer to create it – money wasn't an issue.
Her friend said, "Sure. When do you need it by? How many people? Any specific formations?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Probably a large group, so complex formations won't work. Just stationary positions. But I need a version with formations for my own performance. You don't need to arrange the dancers yet. Just have the people and equipment ready. I'll come over this weekend and practice with you."
Her friend said excitedly, "Are you planning to debut? Do you want to form a group with me? I'm about to leave my current group and go solo."
Cheng Zhanxi teased, "The two of us wouldn't be a group. We'd be a duo, at most. And I saw you crying and hugging your bandmates on that show, shedding tears on stage. Weren't you all 'best friends forever'?"
Her friend said, "It's not like that. My emotions were real at the time, but I also really want to go solo. Anyway, let's not talk about this. It's depressing."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Alright, I'll see you this weekend. We can catch up then. I need to get back to painting."
Her friend clicked her tongue. "Alright, famous artist. See you this weekend. Remember to disguise yourself. I don't want to be involved in any scandals with you. You have a fiancée, unlike us," she teased.
Cheng Zhanxi laughed and scolded her. "Go away. You're so annoying," she said.
She didn't bother clarifying the situation. The news of her broken engagement would eventually spread through her mother's social circle.
Cheng Zhanxi turned off her phone and placed it in the living room.
The art exhibition in Italy she was invited to next month was quite prestigious. She planned to bring a few of her recent works. During her six months in Sicheng, she had been incredibly inspired, creating many pieces she was satisfied with. Especially after meeting Yu Qingtang, her creativity had flowed like a spring, and she often painted late into the night.
The sports meet was at the end of the month. She should be able to make it back in time.
Cheng Zhanxi put on her apron, picked up her paintbrush, and as she started painting, the distractions faded from her mind, her focus solely on the canvas gradually coming to life beneath her brushstrokes.
The air quality in Sicheng was excellent. From the large windows of her studio, she could see a dark blue sky dotted with twinkling stars.
The night was quiet, punctuated only by the occasional barking of a dog in the distance and the chirping of unseen insects in the grass.
"Good morning… oh," Cheng Zhanxi said as she entered the office during the second period, as expected, stifling a yawn.
She sighed.
Yang Li, the English teacher, laughed. "Were you out robbing houses last night?" she teased.
"I wish," Cheng Zhanxi said, glancing at Yu Qingtang's empty desk, her teeth gritted slightly. "I'd be a thief of hearts," she muttered, imagining herself stealing Yu Qingtang's heart, making her yearn for her day and night, making every moment apart feel like an eternity.
She placed the books she had brought on her desk and slumped over them.
"Ms. Yang, I'm going to take a nap," she said.
"Go ahead," Yang Li replied.
Cheng Zhanxi slept until the bell rang. She sat up, picked up a book, and started reading, occasionally glancing towards the door.
Yu Qingtang entered the office, carrying her books.
Slender and elegant, she wore a black knee-length trench coat and matching trousers. Her beautiful face, framed by her long black hair tucked behind her ears, was pale, her thin lips the only touch of color. The tear mole at the corner of her left eye, aligned perfectly with her upward-curving eyeliner, softened her features, giving her an air of untouchable aloofness and restraint.
Cheng Zhanxi stared at her, mesmerized, her heart blossoming with pink flowers.
Resting her chin in her hand, she watched as Yu Qingtang approached, her heart skipping a beat with every step.
"Good morning, Ms. Yu," she said softly.
Yu Qingtang glanced at the sun outside, then nodded slightly. "Good morning," she replied.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Cheng Zhanxi asked.
Yu Qingtang frowned almost imperceptibly, paused for two seconds, and then politely replied, "Yes, I did."
"I didn't," Cheng Zhanxi said, looking at her intently.
Yu Qingtang looked slightly bewildered.
Cheng Zhanxi realized Yu Qingtang, like the straight male boyfriends her friends complained about, was completely oblivious to the hidden meaning in her words.
Be magnanimous, she told herself.
Cheng Zhanxi forgave Yu Qingtang and decided to be the bigger person.
Smiling, she said, "It's nothing. You worked hard teaching your class."
Yu Qingtang: "...Okay."
She sat down at her desk, took out her earphones, and started listening to music.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly remembered something. "Ms. Yu, did you listen to the jazz music I recommended?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang thought for a moment. "Yes, I did," she replied.
"Did you like it?"
"Not really my type," Yu Qingtang said indifferently.
Most people would have given up at this point, or even blacklisted Yu Qingtang from future music recommendations. But Cheng Zhanxi wasn't most people. "What do you like, then?" she asked. "Classical? Folk? Hip-hop? Rock?"
"..." Yu Qingtang said, "I don't like any of those."
"Then what do you listen to every day?" Cheng Zhanxi asked.
Yu Qingtang paused for a few seconds, then calmly opened her book. "Just background noise," she said.
She would usually just open a random music station online and listen to whatever was playing, not paying attention to the specific songs.
Cheng Zhanxi muttered, "You really aren't interested in anything, are you?"
She rested her chin in her hand, looking at Yu Qingtang thoughtfully.
Yu Qingtang didn't ask what she was thinking, simply put in her earphones. Coincidentally, the random station started playing a jazz song.
Yu Qingtang maintained her posture, turning the page of her book, but her eyes didn't register the words.
Class 7's second PE lesson of the week.
Cheng Zhanxi had brought a large speaker. When the loud, dynamic music started playing, all the other PE classes on the field turned their heads towards the sound.
Cheng Zhanxi and her students stood in the shade of a tree. As before, she led them through the entire routine, then broke down the movements. The students with dance experience were already starting to look quite impressive. One boy, a popper, even performed a short solo as a bonus performance, which the class enthusiastically cheered and screamed for.
The boy, slightly embarrassed after his performance, returned to his place in the back row. Tong Feifei clapped enthusiastically. "That was amazing!" she shouted.
The other students echoed her praise.
As the boy returned to his place in line, the other boys playfully punched him on the shoulder, teasing him for hiding such a talent.
Class 7, having only been formed a little over a month ago, including their military training period, was still a new collective. The lively and engaging PE lessons had significantly strengthened their bond and sense of unity.
The sound of laughter filled the air during Class 7's PE lessons.
The other classes watched with envy.
The school's online forum was buzzing with threads discussing the new PE teacher.
Lian Yabing, the math representative for Class 7, came to collect the test papers and whispered to Cheng Zhanxi at her desk.
"Ms. Cheng, the other classes are so jealous that we have such a great PE teacher," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi feigned surprise. "Really?" she said, then, with a serious expression, added, "Then I'll have to work even harder to make them even more envious of you!"
Lian Yabing, channeling Tong Feifei's inner fan girl, exclaimed, "Ms. Cheng, you're so adorable!"
Cheng Zhanxi glanced at Yu Qingtang, who was preparing her lessons with her head down, and called out to her. "Ms. Yu," she said.
Yu Qingtang looked up.
"Your class representative said I'm adorable. Are you jealous?" Cheng Zhanxi asked.
Yu Qingtang: "???"
Lian Yabing: "!!!"
It seemed she had stumbled upon some shocking secret.
Lian Yabing hurried back to her classroom with the test papers and distributed them. The bell rang, signaling the start of self-study.
Lian Yabing, after working on her test for a while, leaned over to her deskmate and whispered, "Guess what earth-shattering gossip I just overheard in the office!"
"What?"
Lian Yabing, her cheeks flushed with excitement, recounted the conversation.
Her deskmate said, "I think Ms. Cheng meant that her class representative complimented you, and that's why Ms. Yu was jealous."
Lian Yabing immediately protested. "No! I'm not worthy!"
Her deskmate said, "You don't need to put yourself down like that."
"No, really," Lian Yabing insisted, lowering her voice. "Let me tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone. Ms. Yu doesn't even remember my face."
Her deskmate's eyes widened in shock. "Seriously?"
Lian Yabing nodded. "It's true," she said. As the math representative, one of the students who interacted with Yu Qingtang the most, Lian Yabing had, over the past month, confirmed this harsh reality.
Her deskmate patted her shoulder sympathetically.
Lian Yabing said, "I'm not sad. My ship is sailing!"
Her deskmate asked, "What about Ms. Wen?"
Before Cheng Zhanxi became the most popular teacher in Class 7, that title had belonged to Wen Zhihan.
Wen Zhihan was beautiful, unlike the aloof Yu Qingtang. Gentle and kind, always smiling, she had helped Class 7 achieve top marks in physics.
Lian Yabing, torn between the two, finally said, "Maybe Ms. Wen should be with me."
Her deskmate laughed and pushed her playfully. "In your dreams," she said. Resting her chin in her hand, she said dreamily, "I'd rather Ms. Yu and Ms. Wen be together. They graduated from the same university and came here to teach together. There must be a story there."
Lian Yabing was about to reply when she suddenly saw her homeroom teacher's face at the back window of the classroom.
Lian Yabing: "!!!"
Not daring to look directly, she slapped her deskmate's hand away from her chin and started working on her test, frantically signaling to her deskmate with her eyes.
Her deskmate immediately sat up straight, grabbing her pen and writing furiously, wishing she had four hands.
Yu Qingtang walked from the back of the classroom to the front, then appeared at the doorway.
The quiet buzz of the self-study session instantly ceased.
Yu Qingtang entered the classroom, collected two comic books, a novel, and a Kindle – electronic devices were forbidden at school – and calmly said, "Continue your self-study."
The class remained silent, only daring to breathe again after Yu Qingtang left, the room buzzing with chatter once more.
As soon as Yu Qingtang entered the office, the biology teacher, whose desk was near the door, casually asked, "What did you confiscate this time, Ms. Yu?"
Yu Qingtang held up a few books. "Just some reading material," she said.
Yu Qingtang sat down and casually flipped through the confiscated comic books and novels.
She paused when she reached the last comic book.
She hadn't paid attention to the cover when she confiscated it, but now she saw it depicted two women. It was a yuri manga – with same-sex marriage legalized a couple of years prior, such publications were legal and readily available in bookstores and online.
Yu Qingtang casually opened the first page, her pupils constricting slightly.
It was the same two women from the cover, but this time, they were naked.
The image was explicit and graphic, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Yu Qingtang's eyelids twitched. She instinctively glanced towards Cheng Zhanxi, who was quietly reading at her desk.
Cheng Zhanxi, sensing her gaze, looked up and blinked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Yu Qingtang slammed the book shut.
Unknown student: I have done my good deed for the day and shall now retreat, leaving no trace of my heroic actions behind.
Rather explicit yuri manga: Thanks for the shout-out! I'll be back for more scenes later.
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