After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Cheng Zhanxi: "???"
In the next second, Yu Qingtang opened her drawer, tossed the book inside, and slammed it shut in one swift motion.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Ms. Yu?"
This reaction was so unlike Yu Qingtang's usual calm demeanor that Cheng Zhanxi was taken aback. "What did you see?" she asked, amused.
Yu Qingtang's expression remained neutral. "Nothing," she replied.
Only she knew that her fingers, curled into a fist on top of her lesson plan, were practically sweating.
Her heart was also pounding at an unusual rate.
Yu Qingtang resisted the urge to lick her lips, picked up her thermos, stood up, and walked to the water dispenser in the corner to refill it.
Cheng Zhanxi's gaze followed her until she returned to her desk.
Yu Qingtang took a sip of water, her inner turmoil gradually subsiding.
Cheng Zhanxi looked away, her curiosity unsatisfied.
Yu Qingtang took another sip of cool water, then flipped through the manga from beginning to end, not daring to look too closely, just skimming the pages. Most of the content was purely visual, completely explicit, with only occasional dialogue bubbles filled with dirty talk.
Yu Qingtang frowned almost imperceptibly, returned the book to her drawer, and locked it away.
Having only seen the cover, she had assumed it was just an ordinary niche manga, the kind readily available online and offline. She hadn't expected it to be so explicit. Current regulations, while allowing the publication of such adult material, were very strict. A sixteen-year-old high school student wouldn't be able to purchase it through normal channels.
Or… had she borrowed it from someone?
Yu Qingtang narrowed her eyes.
Class 7, Grade 1.
After the self-study session – especially after a surprise inspection by their homeroom teacher – the students finally relaxed, the classroom buzzing like a marketplace.
Some students continued working on their homework, discussing problems; some went to the restroom together, arm in arm; others played and chatted in the aisles between desks. Teenage energy was boundless.
Shi Keyu rested her head on her desk, her face a mask of despair.
A girl from across the aisle called out to her. "Xiaoyu, going to the restroom? Class starts in six minutes."
Shi Keyu's eyes moved listlessly. "No," she said weakly.
"I'll go next break, then," the girl said. "By the way, what book did Ms. Yu confiscate from you during self-study? It looked colorful. Was it a manga?"
Shi Keyu's listless expression instantly turned to one of utter devastation as she buried her face in her arms.
She was the owner – or rather, the temporary custodian – of the adult yuri manga.
She had borrowed it from a friend in another class during lunch break. Now that it had been confiscated, not only might her parents be called to school, but her friend might be implicated as well. The thought filled her with dread.
She had spent the entire self-study session in fear, expecting her homeroom teacher to return and call her to the office for a lecture.
But it hadn't happened. Now, she was even more anxious, feeling like a sword was hanging over her head, unsure when it would fall.
As Shi Keyu lay on her desk, her forehead resting on her arm, someone tapped her desk twice.
She looked up and saw the English class representative.
The representative had just returned from the teachers' office and had a message for her. "Ms. Yu wants to see you in her office," she said.
The other shoe had finally dropped.
Shi Keyu stood up, her expression resolute, and walked out of the classroom, ready to face her fate.
"Reporting for duty," she said.
Yu Qingtang, sitting at her desk in the back of the office, nodded.
Shi Keyu nervously tugged at the hem of her uniform and walked over, standing stiffly before Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang took the manga from her drawer and placed it on the desk.
"Is this yours?" she asked.
Shi Keyu, her chin almost touching her chest, nodded silently.
"Where did you get it?"
"I bought it," Shi Keyu mumbled, her voice barely audible.
"Where did you buy it?"
"Online."
"Which website? How did you access it? What was the purchase process?"
"I… I don't remember," Shi Keyu said, unable to come up with a convincing lie, her head hanging low.
Cheng Zhanxi, sitting at the desk diagonally in front of Yu Qingtang, couldn't see Yu Qingtang's expression because Shi Keyu's back was blocking her view. She could only hear Yu Qingtang's increasingly stern questioning.
… Ms. Yu in "homeroom teacher mode" was truly terrifying.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly took a sip of water to calm her nerves.
Yu Qingtang's expression was cold, her voice flat and emotionless. "If you don't remember, then take your time and think about it. Stand here and think. You can leave when you remember," she said.
Then, silence.
Yu Qingtang started working on her lesson plan.
Cheng Zhanxi saw the girl discreetly wipe her eyes.
Cheng Zhanxi's expression turned troubled.
She couldn't stand seeing young girls upset. While Shi Keyu was in the wrong… was reading a manga really such a big deal? Who hadn't secretly read unauthorized books during their school days? She herself had read an art book her brother had brought back from abroad, which contained some nude figures, and her teacher had accused her of looking at pornography! It had made her so angry!
Her parents had even come to the school to discuss the matter, and in the end, the teacher had apologized. The art book had been confiscated until the end of the semester, but Cheng Zhanxi hadn't complained. After all, she had broken the classroom rules first.
A thought crossed Cheng Zhanxi's mind: Could the problem be the manga itself?
Shi Keyu wiped her eyes again.
Cheng Zhanxi stood up and peered over Shi Keyu's shoulder, catching a glimpse of the manga cover.
Cheng Zhanxi inwardly clicked her tongue. History, it seemed, was repeating itself.
But this cover… there was no defending it. The content was clearly inappropriate for someone Shi Keyu's age.
Cheng Zhanxi narrowed her eyes. Wait a minute. If she remembered correctly, Yu Qingtang had looked at her right after seeing this manga.
Cheng Zhanxi: "!!!"
Seeing two women entangled together had made Yu Qingtang instinctively look at her. Cheng Zhanxi savored this small victory, her heart filled with reassurance.
Every time she doubted whether she had misread Yu Qingtang's signals, Yu Qingtang would prove her right with her actions.
This was clearly a sign of affection! Yu Qingtang must have a huge crush on her!
She was just a little shy, a little playful, a little bit of a tsundere.
Through Cheng Zhanxi's rose-tinted glasses, it was all perfectly understandable. She was willing to play along, to pursue her patiently until Yu Qingtang was ready to admit her feelings.
In the end, Shi Keyu couldn't remember anything.
The fourth period warning bell rang, followed by the start-of-class bell.
Yu Qingtang, pen in hand, looked at the tearful Shi Keyu and said, "Ask your parents to come to school tomorrow. You can go back to class now."
"Thank you, teacher," Shi Keyu said, her voice choked with sobs, wiping her tears with her hand. A slender, fair hand holding a tissue appeared beside her.
She looked up and took the tissue. "Thank you, Ms. Cheng," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi said gently, "Go back to class. Ms. Yu is just looking out for you. People your age shouldn't be exposed to adult material. Because you haven't seen much of the world yet, such things can easily distract you. When you're older, you'll realize it's not a big deal."
Shi Keyu looked at her, her eyes, washed clean by tears, shining with a newfound clarity, a hint of longing for the "older" version of herself Cheng Zhanxi had described.
Cheng Zhanxi, seeing this, couldn't help but continue. "Having been through it myself, I understand your curiosity, your longing for love. But your mind isn't fully developed yet. Everyone's heart is precious and pure. You're still growing. It shouldn't be tainted prematurely."
Shi Keyu, seemingly understanding, but not quite, returned to class.
Cheng Zhanxi turned to Yu Qingtang, her gaze falling on the manga. "Ms. Yu, can I see that manga?" she asked with a smile.
Yu Qingtang's expression remained impassive as she returned the manga to her drawer.
Cheng Zhanxi touched her nose, then, instead of returning to her desk, she took a couple of steps closer to Yu Qingtang and lowered her voice. "Are you really going to call her parents?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang, writing in her lesson plan, said calmly, without looking up, "Her parents are responsible for guiding her, especially since she's become so engrossed in this kind of material."
Yu Qingtang still remembered what she had seen from the back window of the classroom: Shi Keyu's captivated expression as she read the manga. Yu Qingtang had entered the classroom, and the sudden silence hadn't even registered with Shi Keyu. Her deskmate had nudged her with her shoulder, and only then, seeing Yu Qingtang, had she panicked and hidden the manga in her desk.
With the internet so readily available, novels, some containing questionable content, were still popular. Students, inevitably, would come across such material. Yu Qingtang had been a student herself. Just because she didn't read such things didn't mean she was unaware of their existence. But reading casually was one thing. Being obsessed with explicit content and pornography was another.
Education involved family, school, and society. Family was the first and most important link, especially for minors.
Cheng Zhanxi agreed with Yu Qingtang.
When she was young, her parents had carefully chosen her reading material, consciously cultivating her artistic sensibilities. When she first became curious about sex, her parents hadn't avoided the topic, answering all her questions honestly and openly. Throughout every stage of her life, her family had been there for her, providing unwavering support and guidance.
Cheng Zhanxi leaned on the edge of Yu Qingtang's desk and smiled. "I see," she said. "So you're not asking her parents to come and criticize Shi Keyu, but rather to discuss the root of the problem?"
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Her lips moved slightly. "You're very distracting," she said coldly. "I need to prepare for my lessons."
Cheng Zhanxi mimed zipping her lips shut.
Just as Yu Qingtang refocused on her work, she heard a rhythmic "thump thump thump" sound from nearby.
A wave of irritation washed over her. She took a deep breath, her eyes turning cold as she looked up.
Didn't Cheng Zhanxi understand what she had just said?!
Cheng Zhanxi, sitting at her desk, facing Yu Qingtang, raised both arms above her head and formed a heart shape with her hands.
Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she smiled.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Yu Qingtang's lips twitched slightly, a hint of a smile appearing, then quickly disappearing as she returned to her work, her expression neutral.
Her phone buzzed on the desk beside her.
Yu Qingtang unlocked the screen.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Ms. Yu, you're doing great! [Animated heart]
The "animated heart" was an emoji of a small person, resembling Cheng Zhanxi, tilting her head with crescent moon eyes, making a large heart shape above her head, surrounded by smaller, pink hearts.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She calmly locked her phone, looked down, and continued writing. After a few lines, she stopped, her gaze lowering further.
She pursed her lips, the corners of her eyes curving upwards involuntarily.
...
While Yu Qingtang was talking to Shi Keyu's mother, Cheng Zhanxi observed from a nearby desk, her expression troubled.
The conversation wasn't going well. Shi Keyu probably hadn't told her mother the real reason she was being called to school. Upon arriving and learning it was because of an explicit manga, Shi Keyu's mother had exploded, demanding to see Shi Keyu and scold her in front of the teachers.
Fortunately, Yu Qingtang had anticipated this and hadn't allowed Shi Keyu and her mother to be in the same office initially.
She tried to calm Shi Keyu's mother down, but Shi Keyu's mother wouldn't listen, talking over her. "Don't worry, teacher. I'm not angry. Don't you worry. I'm going to make her apologize to you today! She has no respect for classroom rules, and she's reading such… such filthy things! She clearly doesn't respect you!"
Yu Qingtang said, "I'm not angry."
Shi Keyu's mother said urgently, "Please don't say that, teacher. You're too kind. But we shouldn't let people take advantage of your kindness, should we? Otherwise, who would want to be a teacher?"
Cheng Zhanxi, eating an apple, thought: You're quite self-righteous, aren't you?
She sighed inwardly: What a waste of Ms. Yu's carefully crafted speech. It's like talking to a brick wall.
Yu Qingtang, who rarely spoke, now had to deal with all sorts of students and parents as a homeroom teacher. Cheng Zhanxi felt sorry for her.
Shi Keyu's mother was about to storm into Class 7 to confront Shi Keyu, but Yu Qingtang quickly stopped her. Seeing the situation escalating into a physical altercation, Cheng Zhanxi quickly put down her apple and stepped between them, gently but firmly pulling Yu Qingtang away and placing herself protectively in front of her.
With the parent present, Cheng Zhanxi resisted the urge to check Yu Qingtang's arm. Yu Qingtang had delicate skin, easily bruised. Even a light touch could leave a mark.
That night, before turning off the lights, Cheng Zhanxi had been very careful with her touch, barely using any pressure, almost leaving a mark anyway. Later, as their passion intensified, it had been quite a challenge to control herself.
Cheng Zhanxi introduced herself. "My last name is Cheng. I'm also Shi Keyu's teacher," she said.
Shi Keyu's mother reached out and shook Cheng Zhanxi's hand respectfully. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Cheng. You're so beautiful," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi, acting as Yu Qingtang's spokesperson, said calmly and gently, "It's normal for someone Shi Keyu's age to be curious about these things. As parents and teachers, we should guide them, not scold them. Scolding them will only make them rebellious."
Shi Keyu's mother: "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."
Cheng Zhanxi continued, "She's just started high school, a crucial time for building a solid foundation. If this incident causes her to resent her teachers and parents, making her lose interest in her studies, wouldn't that be a huge loss? We need to be patient and help her resolve this issue so she can focus on getting into a good university."
Shi Keyu's mother: "You're so right, teacher!"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Shall we sit down and talk?"
Shi Keyu's mother: "Yes, yes, please have a seat."
Yu Qingtang glanced at Cheng Zhanxi.
It was essentially the same message, yet the parent had immediately listened to Cheng Zhanxi. When Yu Qingtang had said it, the parent had assumed she was angry and had insisted on bringing Shi Keyu to apologize.
Did she really look that angry?
Yu Qingtang unconsciously touched her face.
She admitted she rarely expressed her emotions, but she didn't think she looked mean.
Cheng Zhanxi, having observed her every move, smiled, the corners of her lips curving upwards.
Yu Qingtang, noticing the amusement in Cheng Zhanxi's eyes, quickly lowered her hand, her fingers brushing against Cheng Zhanxi's palm as she withdrew it. Cheng Zhanxi instinctively tightened her grip, gently enclosing Yu Qingtang's delicate fingertips in her hand.
A warmth spread through Yu Qingtang's hand, like invisible threads weaving her into Cheng Zhanxi's embrace.
Yu Qingtang forgot to pull away.
Shi Keyu's mother sat down, placing her handbag on her lap, and looked at Cheng Zhanxi expectantly. "So, what do you suggest we do, teacher? I'll listen to you," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi's hand suddenly felt empty as Yu Qingtang withdrew hers.
Cheng Zhanxi glanced at Yu Qingtang, who had returned to her desk, then smiled and turned to Shi Keyu's mother. "As Ms. Yu just said, we need to show Shi Keyu more care and attention. We need to understand what she's been doing lately, whether she's facing any difficulties. If it's academic, we, as teachers, will do our best to help her. If it's personal, then you, as her parent, need to be more involved. By the way, is Xiaoyu a little introverted at home?"
Shi Keyu's mother said, "Yes, she is," sighing and launching into a litany of complaints.
Cheng Zhanxi listened patiently, nodding and sighing occasionally, offering tissues when Shi Keyu's mother's eyes started to water.
She was the model high school parent's friend.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Was she really not cut out to be a homeroom teacher?
Yu Qingtang, who had always been confident in her ability to handle the job, started to doubt herself.
After Shi Keyu's mother left, Cheng Zhanxi, under Yu Qingtang's watchful gaze, walked over to her and placed a hand on the armrest of her chair, smoothly turning her, chair and all, to face her. "Ms. Yu," she said with a smile, "I helped you out again today. Don't you think you should treat me to dinner? And I'm talking about a proper dinner, not the cafeteria."
Yu Qingtang, after a moment of silence, said, "How about lunch this weekend? My treat, at Xiangjiang Restaurant?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "While I'm eager to have lunch with you, I'm busy this weekend. I'm going to Haishi." She deliberately left out the details, hoping Yu Qingtang would ask.
Yu Qingtang looked at her.
Logic dictated she should look away, but she didn't.
Cheng Zhanxi, receiving the silent question, smiled, the corners of her lips curving upwards. "I'm going to record a video. Would you like to come with me?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang thought for a moment. "The one for the sports meet performance?" she asked.
"Yes!" Cheng Zhanxi's face lit up. "Shall we go together?"
"No," Yu Qingtang said flatly, her voice devoid of emotion. She gently removed Cheng Zhanxi's hand from her chair's armrest, turned back to face her desk, picked up a red pen, opened the cap, and started grading the stack of homework waiting for her.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled and didn't press the issue.
She had been joking anyway. If Yu Qingtang had agreed, her friend, the choreographer, would never let it go. And then there was her fiancée, who, for all she knew, might still be under the impression they were engaged. If her friend let it slip, Cheng Zhanxi would never be able to clear her name, even if she jumped into the Huangpu River.
Why create trouble for herself?
Cheng Zhanxi returned to her own desk. Halfway there, she turned around. "Ms. Yu, is your arm alright?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang looked up, her expression puzzled.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Didn't Shi Keyu's mother shove you earlier? You should check it."
"..." Yu Qingtang paused for a few seconds, then said calmly, "I'm fine. I'm not made of paper."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Even paper can cut you."
Yu Qingtang ignored her and continued grading her homework.
Her feelings towards Cheng Zhanxi fluctuated between positive and negative depending on how much Cheng Zhanxi was talking.
Shi Keyu had spent the entire day at school in dread. That morning, after her mother went to the teachers' office, she had braced herself for a scolding, but it hadn't come. Either her mother had given up, or she was saving the lecture for when they got home, where her father could join in. Shi Keyu steeled herself, mentally choosing a cheerful song to hum while being scolded, to make the ordeal less painful.
She had already written her apology letter during evening self-study and planned to submit it in the morning.
Unlocking the door to her apartment, she was greeted by the aroma of food.
Shi Keyu looked at her mother, who was busy in the kitchen, and a chill ran down her spine. Oh my god! This isn't my last meal, is it?! she thought.
She was her mother's daughter, after all. Murder was illegal.
Shi Keyu tiptoed into the apartment, clutching her schoolbag, and slipped into her room.
A short while later, her mother knocked on her door.
Shi Keyu braced herself again and walked out.
Her mother put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the dining table, placing a pair of chopsticks in her hand. "You must be hungry after a long day at school. I made you something delicious," she said gently.
Shi Keyu looked at the chopsticks in her hand.
What was going on?
Was this really her last meal?
Her mother sat down opposite her, picked up her own chopsticks, and urged her to eat. "Come on, dig in," she said.
Shi Keyu asked, "Mom, haven't you eaten yet?"
Her mother looked at her, as if she hadn't truly seen her daughter in a long time. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She quickly looked down, sniffed, and said, "Let's eat first. We'll talk later."
...
The next day, at the door of Class 7.
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang were standing together again – this time, it wasn't a coincidence. Cheng Zhanxi had come intentionally. There was no rule that only the homeroom teacher and subject teachers could be present during morning reading.
A figure appeared at the end of the hallway.
Cheng Zhanxi asked uncertainly, "Is that Shi Keyu?"
Yu Qingtang glanced at the figure and replied without hesitation, "Yes, it is."
Cheng Zhanxi waited until the figure was closer, then, after confirming, said with a smile, "You have such sharp eyes, Ms. Yu."
Yu Qingtang simply hummed in agreement, not elaborating.
Having barely used her hearing as a child, her vision and sense of smell were more acute than most.
Shi Keyu approached. A little over 160cm tall, with an average build, like most high school girls, she wore the standard blue and white uniform. Her features were also unremarkable, her slightly pale skin doing little to distinguish her from the crowd.
"Good morning, teachers," she greeted, stopping before Yu Qingtang, her expression slightly awkward.
Yu Qingtang gave a quiet "hmm" in response, her expression neutral. "Go inside," she said.
Shi Keyu, mustering her courage, tried to speak, but facing Yu Qingtang's cold, impassive face, she lost her nerve and dejectedly entered the classroom.
Class 7 started their morning reading. On their way back to the office, Cheng Zhanxi leaned closer to Yu Qingtang, whispering, "Do you know what her mother said to her last night?"
Yu Qingtang glanced at her. "Do you?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi nodded. "I do," she replied, taking out her phone and opening her chat history with Shi Keyu's mother. The timestamps showed the messages had been sent past midnight. "See?" she said.
Yu Qingtang's expression turned complex.
Cheng Zhanxi, noticing her look, scrolled to the top of the chat log and, without being asked, explained, "She added me on WeChat from the class group chat yesterday afternoon. We didn't talk at all. Only after she had a long talk with Shi Keyu last night did she message me, asking if I thought her approach was appropriate."
Yu Qingtang thought: Why are you explaining this to me?
"I thought it was quite appropriate. Do you want to take a look?" Cheng Zhanxi offered her phone.
Yu Qingtang glanced at the messages, feeling increasingly inadequate as a homeroom teacher. The parent hadn't contacted her, but instead had sought advice from a PE teacher.
"If you think it's fine, then it's fine," she said, handing the phone back, and quickly walked towards the office building.
Cheng Zhanxi watched her retreating figure and blinked.
Was she even jealous of a parent?
Cheng Zhanxi smiled knowingly and hurried to catch up.
"Ms. Yu!" she called out.
The sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air, their golden and white clusters lining the path, brushing against their noses as they walked. High in the Chinese parasol trees, two sparrows, startled by their approach, took flight, their wings beating rapidly as they soared into the distance.
The weekend arrived.
As usual, Yu Qingtang returned to her grandparents' house in the old town after school on Friday, and took the bus back to the new town on Sunday. Summer faded into autumn, the days passing in a predictable rhythm.
The setting sun painted the sky in hues of red and orange.
On the bus back, Yu Qingtang received a message from Cheng Zhanxi.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Ding dong! Your dance video has arrived.
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