After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 37
Chapter 37
If Yu Qingtang had brought her red roses instead of baby's breath, Cheng Zhanxi would have believed they were meant for her.
But Cheng Zhanxi still accepted the bouquet, pulling out a card.
Unfolding it with one hand, she raised an eyebrow. "From your little brats?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi's fingers played with the delicate white flowers. "They gave these to you," she said, her tone playful. "Are you sure you want to give them to me?"
Yu Qingtang, without hesitation, said calmly, "If you want them, they're yours."
Cheng Zhanxi, glancing at Wen Zhihan sitting nearby, leaned closer to Yu Qingtang's ear, her voice low, "Would you give them to Ms. Wen if she asked?"
Yu Qingtang, her expression unchanged, replied instantly, "No."
Cheng Zhanxi burst out laughing.
Her laughter echoed through the office.
Yang Li, resting her chin in her hand, smiled, a touch of longing in her eyes.
Giving flowers during break time, flirting openly… young love was so enviable.
Ge Jing leaned towards the chemistry teacher and whispered, "Are they officially a couple now?"
The chemistry teacher nodded. "Definitely," he said, perhaps even anticipating a wedding invitation soon.
Cheng Zhanxi, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, thanked Yu Qingtang and placed the bouquet of baby's breath on her desk.
Yu Qingtang glanced at the flowers, her eyes flickering, then returned to her own desk without a word.
Cheng Zhanxi left the office and returned about twenty minutes later, carrying a wide-mouthed glass vase.
Sitting at her desk, she carefully dried the vase with a tissue and arranged the baby's breath inside. The plain vase and the delicate white flowers, with their pale green stems, created a beautiful, simple arrangement.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting Yu Qingtang's.
Yu Qingtang's fingers tightened around her pen, and she quickly looked away.
Her heart pounded in her chest. Trying to focus on the textbook in front of her, she saw a pair of feet in her peripheral vision, clad in classic white sneakers.
Yu Qingtang's gaze slowly moved upwards.
High-waisted wide-leg jeans, a loose-fitting, paint-splattered shirt tucked into the waistband, a delicate collarbone, a graceful jawline, rosy lips, a straight nose, and smiling almond-shaped eyes.
Yu Qingtang resisted the urge to lower her gaze, her eyes meeting Cheng Zhanxi's.
Cheng Zhanxi, resting one hand on Yu Qingtang's desk, leaned closer, the scent of her perfume, a mix of agarwood and sandalwood, filling the air.
Her hand was close to Yu Qingtang's lesson plan, and Yu Qingtang's gaze instinctively followed, drawn to her long, slender fingers, her neatly trimmed nails a healthy pink. Yu Qingtang felt a strange flutter in her chest, her heart beating faster.
The scent of Cheng Zhanxi's perfume was almost overwhelming, making it difficult to breathe.
Yu Qingtang's eyes darted around, unsure where to look.
Her mind raced, the sounds around her fading, replaced by the rhythmic thumping of her own heart.
Yu Qingtang's long lashes fluttered, and she finally focused on the paint splatters on Cheng Zhanxi's shirt, trying to calm her racing heart, to dispel the strange sensations.
All of this happened in a matter of seconds.
Cheng Zhanxi, oblivious to Yu Qingtang's inner turmoil, said softly, "Ms. Yu."
Yu Qingtang responded with a quiet "hmm," exhaling softly, then looked up at Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi picked up the vase of baby's breath and placed it on Yu Qingtang's desk.
Yu Qingtang looked at her, puzzled.
Cheng Zhanxi: "I found a vase for you." She took a single flower from the bouquet, a playful smile on her face. "Consider this my thank you gift," she said.
Yu Qingtang remained silent, her eyes fixed on Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi leaned closer, lowering her voice. "A gentleman doesn't take what's precious to another," she whispered. "I know you're attached to these flowers."
Yu Qingtang still didn't reply, her gaze involuntarily lowering slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi's shirt was loose-fitting, and with her casual style, the top two buttons undone, as she leaned over, the delicate lace of her bra was faintly visible.
Cheng Zhanxi followed Yu Qingtang's gaze.
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
Straightening up, she cleared her throat, feeling slightly flustered. "I should… go now," she stammered, then, correcting herself, said, "I'll… be going now."
Yu Qingtang's throat tightened, and she instinctively reached for her thermos, only to realize it wasn't there. Pulling her gaze away from Cheng Zhanxi, she located her thermos, picked it up, and took a long sip of water, the image of white lace still imprinted in her mind.
...So delicate. Much more… than it seemed, she thought, then, realizing what she was thinking, quickly took another two gulps of water.
In the corner of the office, two young female teachers were trying to suppress their coughs and clear their throats.
The chemistry teacher, taking off his glasses, asked with concern, "Ms. Cheng, Ms. Yu, have you caught a cold? I heard the temperature's going to drop again. Be sure to dress warmly."
Cheng Zhanxi: "I will. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wang."
Mr. Wang: "You should remind Ms. Yu as well."
Cheng Zhanxi: "I will."
Ge Jing, the biology teacher, sent Yang Li a private message: [Mr. Wang just asked Xiaocheng to remind Xiaoyu to dress warmly. Xiaocheng's reply was so natural! They're definitely together now! I'm shipping them! I'm shipping them!]
Yang Li: [What does "kdl" mean?]
Ge Jing: [It means "嗑到了" – "I'm hooked!" It means they're definitely a couple!]
Yang Li: [Then I'm "kdl" too.]
...
Yu Qingtang, grading papers, would occasionally glance up at the vase of baby's breath on her desk. The pale green stems, submerged in water, looked vibrant and full of life. The diamond-shaped glass vase reflected the light, creating a dazzling display of tiny sparkles. She instinctively reached out, touching the cool glass, her fingers slowly moving upwards, brushing against the delicate white petals.
The flowers had been placed on the podium in her classroom. When she had entered, the room had been unusually quiet, the students sitting with their heads down, stealing glances at her.
Some were working on their homework, their scratch paper filled with messy calculations, which, with her exceptional eyesight, Yu Qingtang recognized as math problems.
Contrary to Cheng Zhanxi's worries, Yu Qingtang wasn't afraid of facing her students, or feeling embarrassed or hurt. She was more curious about their reactions.
As their homeroom teacher, she had clearly failed in her duties. Their desire for a new homeroom teacher was understandable, and rationally, she agreed with their decision. If the school had decided to remove her as homeroom teacher, allowing her to continue as their math teacher, she wouldn't have objected.
As for her own emotions, they weren't important.
If Cheng Zhanxi hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't even have realized she was sad.
Similarly, she wouldn't have known what the strange feeling she had felt upon seeing the flowers was.
The opposite of sadness was happiness.
She thought: Perhaps it's a mix of joy and relief.
Cheng Zhanxi's phone buzzed.
She picked it up, unlocked the screen, and her expression changed slightly.
[Yu Qingtang]: Ms. Cheng, do you think I should continue as their homeroom teacher?
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Do you want to?
[Yu Qingtang]: I don’t know.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Why did you become a teacher? I heard from Ms. Wen that you could have gone abroad for your PhD.
Yu Qingtang didn't reply. Cheng Zhanxi glanced at her. Yu Qingtang was holding her phone, her eyes unfocused, staring into space.
Just as Cheng Zhanxi was about to give up, her phone lit up.
[Yu Qingtang]: Because there’s no difference.
Whether pursuing a PhD abroad, working in a research institute, returning to her alma mater to teach, becoming a humble gardener, or entering any other profession, it made no difference to her.
She was like a rootless plant, drifting aimlessly through life, with no origin and no destination.
Cheng Zhanxi looked up, surprised. Yu Qingtang had put down her phone after sending the message, picked up her red pen, opened a student's exercise book, and resumed grading. Cheng Zhanxi leaned back in her chair, a sense of helplessness washing over her.
Yu Qingtang had built walls around herself. No amount of light or warmth could penetrate them unless she chose to open them.
They went to the cafeteria together for lunch.
Cheng Zhanxi was so lost in thought that Yu Qingtang couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Cheng?"
Cheng Zhanxi, her chopsticks hovering over her untouched rice, chewed on air and asked, "What?"
Yu Qingtang: "What's wrong?"
She gestured to Cheng Zhanxi's uneaten meal.
Cheng Zhanxi, "Oh," she said. "Just thinking about something."
"…" Yu Qingtang, deciding not to pry, changed the subject. "I'm thinking of finishing the semester as their homeroom teacher. What do you think?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi, surprised, asked, "Why?"
Yu Qingtang stirred her soup with her spoon. "Isn't that what the school decided? If I go back to Director Tao, I'll have to explain everything again. Besides, the school's resources are limited. He's not going to replace me easily. I don't want to listen to him lecture me again."
Cheng Zhanxi: "…So you just want to avoid a lecture?"
Yu Qingtang: "Partly."
For Yu Qingtang, teaching Class 7 or any other class made no difference.
Cheng Zhanxi cautiously asked, "Have you considered resigning?"
Yu Qingtang countered, "Why would I resign?"
Cheng Zhanxi paused, then said, "No reason."
Yu Qingtang lowered her eyes.
Once the Wei family set a date for her wedding, she would leave Sicheng. What difference did it make whether she resigned now or later?
They parted ways at the cafeteria entrance. Cheng Zhanxi returned to the office for her afternoon nap, while Yu Qingtang, as usual, went home.
Back at her desk, Cheng Zhanxi's phone lit up with a series of notifications. She opened them and saw photos of apartments from a real estate agent.
Since learning that Yu Qingtang lived in the prestigious Mingmen Estate, Cheng Zhanxi had asked the agent to only look for apartments there. The complex was located in the city center, with convenient transportation and amenities. It was a prime location, both for living and investment.
Apartments in Mingmen Estate were highly sought after, especially rentals, making available listings scarce.
Cheng Zhanxi scrolled through the photos, finding them acceptable. The agent had told her several people were interested in the Mingmen Estate apartments and urged her to view them as soon as possible. First come, first served.
Cheng Zhanxi made an appointment with the agent for the weekend.
I wonder if I'll run into Yu Qingtang, she thought, a smile playing on her lips.
Cheng Zhanxi closed the real estate app, shut the office door, and lay down on her desk for a nap.
She hoped she could finalize the apartment tomorrow and move in quickly. Her current sleeping arrangements were taking a toll on her neck. If she continued sleeping like this, she was sure to get a stiff neck.
Sunlight streamed through the window, the bright spot on her desk slowly shifting with the passage of time.
The sound of students in the hallway gradually grew louder, pulling Cheng Zhanxi from her sleep.
Rubbing her stiff neck, she sat up, yawning, her eyes still blurry with sleep. She glanced at her phone: 1:45 p.m.
Just as she was thinking Yu Qingtang would be back soon, she heard familiar footsteps approaching the office.
Yu Qingtang entered.
Cheng Zhanxi beamed. "Good afternoon, Ms. Yu," she said.
"Good afternoon," Yu Qingtang replied, walking to her desk and opening her lesson plan. Seeing Cheng Zhanxi yawning again, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, she asked casually, "Didn't you sleep, Ms. Cheng?"
"I just woke up. I didn't sleep well," Cheng Zhanxi replied.
"Hmm." Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi again, her uncombed hair soft and fluffy, her appearance rather endearing.
Cheng Zhanxi, resting her chin in her hand, casually asked, "How long do you nap for every afternoon, Ms. Yu? Don't you feel sleepy?"
"Half an hour. I don't feel sleepy," Yu Qingtang replied.
Cheng Zhanxi's nap had been interrupted several times by the noise in the hallway, and the more she slept, the sleepier she felt. Now, with Yu Qingtang back, she couldn't stop yawning.
Yu Qingtang, unable to help herself, opened her mouth slightly in a sympathetic yawn, then quickly closed it, realizing what she had done.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She rubbed her temples, trying to hide the smile playing on her lips.
She had managed to suppress the yawn, but someone else hadn't.
Yang Li, yawning widely, tears streaming down her face, wiped her eyes with a tissue and pleaded, "Ms. Cheng, please stop yawning! I still have a class later! You're making me sleepy!"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Hahaha, I'm sorry."
She stood up. "I'm going to wash my face," she said.
Yang Li: "Go ahead."
Yang Li watched Cheng Zhanxi leave, then turned to find Yu Qingtang looking at her. Yu Qingtang's expression was neutral as she met Yang Li's gaze for a moment before returning to her work.
Yang Li: "???"
A sudden realization struck her, and she quickly took out her phone, typing furiously, and sent a message to Ge Jing.
[Ms. Ge, I'm shipping them even harder now!!!]
Cheng Zhanxi returned from washing her face, bringing someone with her.
Stepping aside to reveal the student behind her, Cheng Zhanxi smiled at Yu Qingtang and said, "She was pacing outside the office like she wanted to come in but couldn't bring herself to do it. I brought her in. I think she's looking for you."
Yu Zhou, her ears red, looked down at the floor.
Yu Zhou hadn't signed the petition. In fact, she had been against it, but she wasn't a class representative and had no say in the matter.
Yu Qingtang looked at her: "Did you need something?"
Yu Zhou took a letter, written on floral stationery, from her pocket, placed it on Yu Qingtang's desk, bowed, and hurried away.
Yu Qingtang picked up the neatly folded letter, recognizing the folding method. Her fingers twitched. She hesitated, unsure how to open it, afraid of tearing the delicate paper.
"Let me do it." Cheng Zhanxi deftly unfolded the letter, avoiding looking at the contents, and handed it to Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang, touched by the unspoken trust, accepted the letter, read it calmly, and then handed it to Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi, happy to receive the letter, took it and read it.
Yu Zhou, whose writing skills were excellent, had written a heartfelt letter, expressing her support for Yu Qingtang and assuring her that, regardless of Yu Qingtang's decision, she would continue to study hard and not disappoint herself or her teachers.
Cheng Zhanxi put down the letter and asked, "What do you think, Ms. Yu?"
Yu Qingtang considered for a moment. "I don't know yet," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't help but smile. "Let me know when you do," she teased.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
They seemed to have stumbled into another awkward conversation.
Yang Li: "!!!"
Why were these young people suddenly accelerating?!
Cheng Zhanxi, deliberately misunderstanding, said, "You're always so slow to react."
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Yang Li: Ms. Ge, help!!! I can't take it anymore!!! Yu Qingtang, ignoring Cheng Zhanxi, went to the water dispenser to refill her thermos.
Cheng Zhanxi turned away, using the back of her hand to cool her burning cheeks.
I'm so shameless! she mentally scolded herself.
Yang Li, taking a sip of her red date and goji berry tea, was halfway on board the ship, slightly unsatisfied.
The bell rang for the first class of the afternoon. Yang Li, reluctantly leaving the office to teach her class, watched longingly as the train pulled away from the station.
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang sat at their respective desks, a semblance of peace returning to the office.
Yu Qingtang carefully refolded Yu Zhou's letter and placed it with the card from before, tucking them away in the back of her drawer.
Cheng Zhanxi, still embarrassed by her earlier comment, didn't dare look up.
Friday afternoon, third period, class meeting.
Yu Qingtang entered Class 7, her arms full of certificates and awards from the sports meet. Lian Yabing had already brought the prizes to the classroom and placed them on the podium, a small mountain of trophies and medals.
The atmosphere was quiet.
The students sat up straight, their eyes on Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang picked up the top certificate, her voice even and emotionless. "Our class performed exceptionally well at this year's sports meet," she announced. "We finished second overall."
Silence.
Normally, she would have continued, her eyes still on the certificate, saying calmly, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."
But Yu Qingtang looked up, her gaze sweeping across her students' faces.
"Thank you for your hard work," she said.
A ripple of surprise went through the class.
Clap—clap—
Two claps echoed from the podium.
The students, their eyes wide with surprise, looked at each other, then started clapping, the sound echoing through the classroom. Genuine smiles appeared on their faces.
The applause continued for a long time.
Yu Qingtang raised her hand, gesturing for silence.
The applause gradually subsided, the atmosphere in the classroom lighter than before, many of the students smiling.
Yu Qingtang: "Before I announce the individual results, I'd like to commend a few students: Li Lan, Wu Peng, Jiang Jiamin… especially Li Lan, who put in a tremendous amount of effort organizing the dance practice, arranging the costumes, and so on. She also achieved excellent results in the competition herself."
Yu Qingtang sorted through the certificates and prizes, then looked at the girl with the ponytail and the small mole on her nose. "Li Lan won first place in the girls' 50m sprint and third place in the 100m. Please come forward to receive your awards. Let's give her a round of applause," she said.
Li Lan, her head down, walked to the podium and accepted her awards.
Yu Qingtang: "Keep up the good work."
Li Lan returned to her seat amidst the applause.
"First place in the girls' standing long jump: Yu Zhou."
Yu Zhou stood up, her slender frame surprisingly straight, and walked to the podium. Yu Qingtang handed her the certificate and prize.
Yu Zhou held them carefully. "Thank you, teacher," she said.
Yu Qingtang: "Keep up the good work."
"I will!" Yu Zhou replied, her eyes shining.
Yu Qingtang suddenly felt the urge to pat her on the shoulder. Her fingers twitched, then she stopped herself, her hand falling back to her side.
"Girls' shot put…"
"Girls' javelin throw…"
…
"Second place in the boys' 4x100m relay: Wu Peng, Guo Fang, Lai Xin, and Xiang Tianyou."
Three boys stood up, Lai Xin, slightly shorter than the other two, creating an uneven line. The students turned to look at them, laughing.
Xiang Tianyou, standing up slowly, disrupted their formation even further.
The relay race was a team event, so there was only one certificate, which would be displayed in the classroom.
Yu Qingtang started clapping, and the class joined in.
Xiang Tianyou, his eyes darting around, looked at his classmates in their neat uniforms, and self-consciously zipped up his jacket, straightening his usually slouched posture.
After the applause subsided, they sat down.
Yu Qingtang: "Second place in the boys' 5000m race: Shen Ming."
As soon as she finished speaking, the class erupted in applause.
5000 meters! Only Shen Ming had signed up for that grueling event. They had expected him to simply participate, but he had finished second, just a hair's breadth away from first place!
Shen Ming was an unremarkable student in Class 7. His grades were average, his seat was in the middle rows, he was thin and small for a boy, with delicate features, and his quiet personality made him somewhat of an outsider, both among the boys and the girls. If it weren't for his impressive performance at the sports meet, many of his classmates wouldn't even know his name.
And Yu Qingtang, who couldn't even remember the names of her class representatives or her top students, certainly wouldn't remember Shen Ming.
But she vaguely recalled Cheng Zhanxi's comment on the track, how the "Shen Ming" she had pointed out wasn't the same person. That "Shen Ming" clearly wasn't as good-looking as the real Shen Ming.
Ms. Cheng was probably teasing her again. How could she…
Yu Qingtang smiled wryly. At this rate, Cheng Mo's "artist filter" would shatter completely.
Yu Qingtang waited for the applause to die down, then said, "Shen Ming, please come forward."
"Thank you, teacher," Shen Ming's voice, soft and gentle, with a unique quality that set him apart from most boys, echoed through the classroom.
"Keep up the good work," Yu Qingtang said.
After distributing all the awards, Yu Qingtang took a piece of chalk from the chalk box, broke it in half, and held it in her hand, not writing anything on the blackboard, just holding it.
Yu Qingtang: "I've seen the petition you submitted to Director Tao."
Half the class looked down, while the other half met Yu Qingtang's gaze.
...
The class meeting ended, and Yu Qingtang told them to use the remaining time for self-study. As she left the classroom, she looked up and saw Cheng Zhanxi leaning against a pillar in the hallway, seemingly having waited there for a while.
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