After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Yu Qingtang gave a slight nod, confirming.
The agent, perceptive as always, looked at Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang and asked, "Will you two discuss this yourselves, or...?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "We'll talk privately. Thank you for your help."
The agent, gesturing towards the cafe entrance, started to leave. "Then I'll..."
Cheng Zhanxi: "If we reach an agreement, I'll still pay the agency fee, of course. Thank you for your hard work."
The agent's smile became more genuine, his earlier enthusiasm returning.
"I'll leave you two to it, then," he said, and left the cafe, the brass wind chimes at the door tinkling softly.
Cheng Zhanxi waved over a server and ordered a latte. "What would you like, Ms. Yu?" she asked.
Ms. Yu, calmly, "A mocha."
The server, after confirming their order, left.
Cheng Zhanxi rested her arms on the checkered tablecloth, her eyes on Yu Qingtang, a smile playing on her lips. "The only apartment I liked just happened to be yours, Ms. Yu," she said. "What a coincidence!"
Yu Qingtang, her expression unchanged, said, "I didn't expect to be meeting you either."
In fact, when she had received the agent's call yesterday, a thought had crossed Yu Qingtang's mind: Could the prospective tenant be Cheng Zhanxi?
She had listed the apartment on the same floor as hers almost immediately after moving into Mingmen Estate. Being directly across from her own apartment, she had set very specific requirements for the tenant, including a higher-than-market rent, deterring many potential renters. She didn't need the rental income and wasn't particularly concerned about whether the apartment was rented or not.
Anyone who met her requirements and was willing to pay the higher rent was likely not short of money, and such people usually didn't appreciate a landlord's long list of rules and restrictions. If they could afford it, why bother with such constraints? As a result, the apartment had remained vacant for over six months. Someone had been interested in June, but Yu Qingtang had been in the capital and couldn't meet them in person, so the deal fell through.
Cheng Zhanxi happened to be looking for an apartment, and there just happened to be a woman who met Yu Qingtang's requirements, someone who wasn't short of money and was willing to rent her apartment. Except for the "quiet personality" requirement, Cheng Zhanxi seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
But Yu Qingtang had dismissed the thought as too coincidental.
Until their meeting at the cafe today.
…Ms. Cheng clearly had a very different understanding of her own personality.
As her colleagues would say, she lacked self-awareness.
Cheng Zhanxi's fingers, resting on the table, "walked" across the checkered tablecloth, finally reaching Yu Qingtang's wrist. Her warm fingertips lightly traced the inside of Yu Qingtang's wrist. "Jiejie," she said softly, her voice sweet and coaxing.
Yu Qingtang's back stiffened slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi's voice was soft and pleading. "Please rent the apartment to me," she said, her fingertips gently caressing Yu Qingtang's wrist.
Yu Qingtang's senses seemed to focus entirely on the point of contact, the light touch sending shivers down her spine, a tingling sensation spreading through her body, like tiny ants crawling along her nerves.
Yu Qingtang froze, her body tense.
She wanted to pull away, yet, like a thirsty traveler in the desert, she craved more.
The server arrived with their coffee, placing the cups on the table and quickly leaving, sensing the charged atmosphere between them.
"Have some coffee," Yu Qingtang said, pulling her hand away and placing it discreetly under the table, the lingering warmth of Cheng Zhanxi's touch still on her skin.
Cheng Zhanxi took a sip of her latte, leaving a ring of milk foam on her upper lip.
She casually licked it off.
Yu Qingtang, watching her, lowered her eyes, then looked up again, her gaze lingering on Cheng Zhanxi's lips, slightly parted and moist from the coffee. They looked soft and…
Yu Qingtang stirred her coffee with her spoon, the clinking sound breaking her train of thought.
Cheng Zhanxi wanted to try her trick again, but Yu Qingtang's hands were safely tucked away under the table, so she switched tactics. "Ms. Yu," she said.
Yu Qingtang, her eyes downcast, "Hmm?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Will you rent the apartment to me?"
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi's directness caught her off guard, leaving her speechless.
She felt conflicted. With her "Cheng Mo filter," she shouldn't refuse, but since Cheng Zhanxi's arrival, many things had changed. Cheng Zhanxi was slowly but surely becoming a part of her life. It was one thing to see her at school, but becoming neighbors, seeing each other every day, Yu Qingtang wasn't sure she wanted that level of intimacy. What if things escalated beyond her control?
Yu Qingtang hesitated for a moment. "I need to think about it," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi, slightly hurt, but still smiling, said, "Okay. I'll wait for your answer."
Yu Qingtang gave a quiet "hmm" and looked at Cheng Zhanxi's slightly forced smile, her lips pressing together.
The atmosphere became somewhat subdued.
Cheng Zhanxi, sensing the shift, tried to lighten the mood. Stirring her coffee, she asked casually, "Ms. Yu, I understand the 'female' and 'single' requirements, but why 'no divorced women'?"
Yu Qingtang calmly replied, "Divorced women might have children, which can be noisy. And ex-husbands. There have been a lot of domestic violence cases lately."
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled. "I see," she said.
Not all divorced men were problematic, just as a master's degree didn't guarantee a person's character. It was simply a way to filter out potential risks. The other requirements – "stable job, regular schedule, no bad habits, no pets, quiet personality"—were based on Yu Qingtang's own preferences.
Cheng Zhanxi pointed out a flaw in Yu Qingtang's logic. "There's a loophole in your requirements," she said. "It should be 'female, single, unmarried, and no children.' Some single women are mothers."
"I'll ask them when I meet them." Yu Qingtang paused, then added, "You're the first person to rent this apartment. I'll add that to the requirements in the future. Thank you for pointing it out, Ms. Cheng."
Cheng Zhanxi raised an eyebrow. "I'm the first?" she asked.
Yu Qingtang: "Yes."
If Cheng Zhanxi hadn't been someone Yu Qingtang knew, based on first impressions alone, she would have rented the apartment to her without hesitation. Beautiful, elegant, well-spoken, a perfect tenant.
Cheng Zhanxi, secretly pleased to be the first, suddenly heard Yu Qingtang's cool voice.
"Ms. Cheng."
"Yes!" Cheng Zhanxi, feeling a surge of excitement, quickly composed herself. "What is it?" she asked calmly.
Yu Qingtang, looking at her seriously, asked, "Why do you think you have a quiet personality?"
Did Cheng Zhanxi have a very different definition of "quiet" than most people?
Cheng Zhanxi froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Yu Qingtang almost laughed too, but she quickly picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, her expression returning to normal when she put it down.
Cheng Zhanxi, after laughing for a while, finally calmed down and explained, "I'm quite quiet when I'm alone," she said. "You have to trust that a painter, when she's painting, isn't going to be yelling and screaming. Otherwise, she'd get paint all over herself."
Yu Qingtang raised an eyebrow. "So you've tried it?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi was momentarily speechless.
Yu Qingtang couldn't help but smile, a subtle curve of her lips, her eyes sparkling. Her expression softened, making her appear approachable and even… gentle.
Cheng Zhanxi stared at her, mesmerized.
But the smile was fleeting. Yu Qingtang quickly composed herself, her lips returning to their usual pale pink, an aura of aloofness surrounding her. She picked up her bag, about to leave. "Ms. Cheng, I have something to do…"
Cheng Zhanxi, her voice gentle and understanding, said, "I have something to do as well. We can part ways here."
Yu Qingtang nodded and left the cafe, walking towards Mingmen Estate without looking back.
Cheng Zhanxi watched her go, then hailed a taxi.
Yu Qingtang, lost in thought, swiped her card to enter the building, rode the elevator to the 21st floor, and stepped out into the quiet hallway. The apartment on the left was hers, and the one on the right had been vacant since it was renovated.
Wei Tingyu had given her the entire building as a gift after she turned eighteen. The developer was Wei Tingyu's real estate company. It hadn't been for a special occasion, just an ordinary summer vacation during college. Yu Qingtang had received a call from the general manager of Wei Tingyu's company in Sicheng, then the paperwork had been swiftly processed. It seemed Wei Tingyu had suddenly remembered her, offering her material compensation.
The building hadn't been as valuable then. In recent years, however, with the development of Sicheng and the expansion of the city center, the area around Mingmen Estate had become increasingly desirable, the property value skyrocketing.
Yu Qingtang had gradually renovated over a dozen apartments in the building during college, renting them out. Her main sources of income were the rental payments and low-risk investments.
She had considered pursuing a career in finance. Many math majors transitioned to finance after graduation, and with her intelligence, she would have excelled. But then she had decided it was pointless. Whether she had a lot of money or a little, life would be the same. So, she simply deposited her money in the bank, living off the interest.
Yu Qingtang glanced at the door across from hers, then returned to her apartment, opened the drawer in the TV cabinet, found the key labeled "2102" among the large bunch of keys, detached it, and went back out into the hallway, unlocking the door opposite hers.
She had hired a designer for this apartment, thinking she might use it herself someday, unlike the other apartments, which had been simply renovated for rental purposes.
It was 130 square meters, with three bedrooms and two living rooms, facing south, large floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city, and in the distance, she could see the faint outline of the old town with its gray-tiled roofs, like a dream. When it rained, the scenery, with its small bridges and flowing water, was even more picturesque.
And closer, the apartment overlooked the swan lake in the complex, the elegant white swans gliding gracefully across the water.
Yu Qingtang was certain there wasn't a better apartment in the entire complex. In other words, Cheng Zhanxi wouldn't find a better option.
She wanted Cheng Zhanxi to live in the best place possible.
But…
Yu Qingtang bit her lip, a conflicted look on her face.
Monday morning.
Students in their blue and white uniforms, their weekend over, streamed towards the school gates, the morning air filled with the aroma of breakfast.
Yu Qingtang "coincidentally" ran into Cheng Zhanxi on her motorcycle.
"Good morning, Ms. Yu," Cheng Zhanxi greeted, her long legs easily reaching the ground as she stopped beside Yu Qingtang. She flipped up her visor, revealing her bright, smiling eyes.
"Good morning," Yu Qingtang replied, stopping to acknowledge her.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Cheng Zhanxi asked.
"Yes, I ate on the way," Yu Qingtang replied, starting to walk towards the school gates.
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled and followed her, matching her pace. "I had wontons this morning," she said. "I made them myself last night. Shepherd's purse, pork, and shrimp filling."
Yu Qingtang's mouth watered.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Before, just watching Ms. Cheng eat made her hungry. Now, even hearing her describe food made her crave it.
Cheng Zhanxi continued, "I accidentally made too much. I still have a lot left in the fridge. I can bring some for you tomorrow morning. You can just boil them when you go home for lunch if you don't feel like cooking," she offered.
Yu Qingtang resisted the urge to agree. "No, thank you, Ms. Cheng," she said calmly.
Cheng Zhanxi, not surprised, chuckled again.
Just seeing Yu Qingtang made her happy, like admiring a world-renowned masterpiece, her enthusiasm never waning.
"Could you hold my helmet for me, Ms. Yu? I'm going to park my bike," she said, taking off her helmet and handing it to Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang instinctively took the helmet.
"Thank you, Ms. Yu!" Cheng Zhanxi beamed, her chestnut curls bouncing as she turned and rode her motorcycle to the parking lot.
Yu Qingtang held the helmet, her fingers brushing against the lining, still warm from Cheng Zhanxi's head, the faint scent of flowers lingering in the air.
Yu Qingtang, with her sensitive nose, recognized it as a different scent from yesterday's.
…She changed her perfume again.
Yu Qingtang didn't wear perfume and wasn't particularly interested in fashion or beauty products. Unlike many women who could rattle off the names of designer handbags, lipsticks, and perfumes, she knew nothing about them and had never paid much attention.
This was the first time she had felt a spark of curiosity. What perfume was Ms. Cheng wearing?
The floral scent wafted towards her again as Cheng Zhanxi returned, stopping in front of her, looking down at her with a smile. "What are you thinking about, Ms. Yu?" she asked.
…She smells so good, Yu Qingtang thought, momentarily lost in thought.
"Nothing," she replied, snapping out of her reverie.
Her fingers tightened around the helmet.
Cheng Zhanxi, not commenting on her absentmindedness, gestured towards the office building. "Shall we go back to the office, or to your classroom?" she asked gently.
Yu Qingtang, taking a small step back, creating a bit of distance between them, said, "Let's go to the office first."
"Okay," Cheng Zhanxi replied.
Halfway there, Yu Qingtang, finally remembering, handed Cheng Zhanxi her helmet.
Cheng Zhanxi feigned surprise. "Thank you, Ms. Yu," she said.
Yu Qingtang, distracted, murmured a response.
Cheng Zhanxi stayed in the office while Yu Qingtang went to supervise morning reading in Class 7.
With the mid-term exams approaching, their first major exams since starting high school, and after Yu Qingtang's announcement during the class meeting, the students were unusually focused, no one arriving late, not even Xiang Tianyou.
Li Lan, passing by Yu Qingtang, hesitated, as if wanting to say something.
Yu Qingtang waited patiently, but when Li Lan remained silent, she said, "Focus on your exams. We can talk later."
Li Lan nodded and entered the classroom.
The sound of students reading aloud filled the air.
Yu Qingtang, standing in the hallway, took out her phone, opened her browser, and typed in the search bar: Vanilla, jasmine perfume?
The search results were overwhelming.
Yu Qingtang's expression was complex. She had recognized the two main notes in Cheng Zhanxi's perfume as common fragrance notes. Not only that, there were top notes, middle notes, and base notes. She didn't know which one she was smelling on Cheng Zhanxi.
She returned to the office. Cheng Zhanxi, holding a cup of water, walked over from the water dispenser. Her white ruffled shirt, paired with a brown vest, accentuated her figure. Her pants were tailored and stylish, her long boots lengthening her already long legs. She looked chic and sophisticated.
The morning light in the office was dim, yet Cheng Zhanxi seemed to radiate her own light, illuminating the space around her.
Yu Qingtang, standing at the doorway, forgot to move, her eyes fixed on Cheng Zhanxi.
"Ms. Yu?" Yang Li's puzzled voice echoed from behind her.
Yu Qingtang, as if waking from a dream, stepped inside.
It had only been a few seconds, but Cheng Zhanxi had already placed her cup on the desk, leaned back casually, one foot resting on the other, a smile spreading across her face. "Good morning, Ms. Yu. Good morning, Ms. Yang," she greeted them cheerfully.
Yu Qingtang nodded, walking past Cheng Zhanxi to her own desk.
Yang Li, who had been blocked by Yu Qingtang earlier, now stared openly at Cheng Zhanxi.
"Ms. Cheng!" she exclaimed.
"Yes?" Cheng Zhanxi replied, smiling, her eyes sparkling.
"You look so stunning today, I almost don't want to go to class!" Yang Li looked Cheng Zhanxi up and down, her eyes full of admiration. "I've only seen celebrities dress like this on TV. You look even better than them! Your figure is amazing! Those legs, that waist…"
Appreciation of beauty transcended gender. Yang Li, a married woman in her forties, with children, wasn't afraid to express her admiration.
She walked towards Cheng Zhanxi, her curiosity piqued. "What's your waist size, Ms. Cheng?" she asked, as if wanting to measure it herself.
A sudden sound broke the quiet atmosphere of the office. Cheng Zhanxi and Yang Li turned to see Yu Qingtang bending down to pick up a pen she had dropped, her voice casual, "Ms. Yang, when is the English exam again?"
Yang Li: "The third day."
Yu Qingtang: "How has my class been behaving lately? Have they been talking during class, disrupting your lessons? Especially Xiang Tianyou and his friends in the back rows."
Yang Li smiled and shook her head. "No, they've been very well-behaved recently. Very focused," she said.
Yu Qingtang's interruption effectively distracted Yang Li from her earlier intention of measuring Cheng Zhanxi's waist.
Cheng Zhanxi's waist had escaped a potential invasion.
Yu Qingtang's eyes flickered over Cheng Zhanxi's smiling face, then she looked away, her expression unreadable.
She opened a student's exercise book, her pen pressing down hard on the paper, the ink bleeding through to the other side. After a few books, her writing returned to its usual neatness.
Cheng Zhanxi, resting her chin in her hand, watched her, a smile playing on her lips.
Yu Qingtang was always focused when she was working, rarely noticing anything else. Cheng Zhanxi, perceptive as ever, looked down at her book just as Yu Qingtang glanced up.
Yang Li sent Ge Jing another message: [Is there a word stronger than "kdl"? "Kdl" isn't enough to describe how much I'm enjoying this!]
Ge Jing: [KSWL - "嗑死我了" - I'm dying from all the sweetness!]
Yang Li: [I see! KSWL KSWL]
Ge Jing didn't reply for a few minutes.
Yang Li, her smile widening, continued typing: [Ms. Cheng's smile is so sweet! It's making me want to fall in love! It's almost winter, yet our office is filled with warmth and passion! I can't take it anymore!]
Ge Jing: [My bicycle chain just fell off.]
Yang Li: [Hahahaha]
Yu Qingtang had gone to a meeting that morning. When she returned to the office, Cheng Zhanxi was the only one there. She was sitting at her desk with a box of colored pencils, her expression focused as she drew in her sketchbook.
As Yu Qingtang approached, Cheng Zhanxi stopped drawing and looked up, a frown on her face.
Yu Qingtang's voice was soft. "Am I disturbing you?" she asked.
Cheng Zhanxi's expression softened, and she closed her sketchbook. "No, you're not," she said gently.
She didn't like being watched while she was working, so she had only taken out her pencils because she had been alone in the office.
Yu Qingtang still apologized, her voice sincere. "I'm sorry," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi felt a pang of… something. Ever since Yu Qingtang had learned she was Cheng Mo, she had treated Cheng Zhanxi with a strange mix of respect and deference, as if she were some kind of revered figure.
Cheng Zhanxi put away her pencils, then said hesitantly, "You…"
"…You," Yu Qingtang corrected herself.
Cheng Zhanxi was certain she hadn't misheard. Yu Qingtang had used the formal "you." Cheng Zhanxi, feeling a mix of amusement and something else, something more complex, said dryly, "Do I have three heads and six arms or something?"
Yu Qingtang, her expression blank, "I don't understand," she said.
Cheng Zhanxi, amused by her Siri-like response, gestured towards her. "Come here," she said gently.
Yu Qingtang obediently walked over and stood before her desk.
Cheng Zhanxi pointed to the space beside her.
Now, she was Cheng Mo, the artist, not the talkative and playful Ms. Cheng, the PE teacher. Yu Qingtang, following her instructions, walked around the desk and stood before Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi turned her chair to face Yu Qingtang.
"Look down," she said, her voice low and gentle.
Yu Qingtang obediently lowered her head, her long, dark hair falling forward, framing her pale face.
Cheng Zhanxi's fingers gently brushed against Yu Qingtang's hair, tucking it behind her ear, her hand cupping Yu Qingtang's cheek.
"Yu Qingtang," she said.
Yu Qingtang's fingers tightened around the hem of her shirt.
"Look at me," Cheng Zhanxi said.
Yu Qingtang slowly raised her eyes, her gaze meeting Cheng Zhanxi's.
"What's my name?" Cheng Zhanxi asked.
"Ms. Cheng," Yu Qingtang replied.
"My name," Cheng Zhanxi insisted.
"Cheng Mo," Yu Qingtang said.
"..."
Yu Qingtang took a shallow breath, realizing she had…
Cheng Zhanxi gently pinched Yu Qingtang's cheek, then immediately softened her touch, seeing Yu Qingtang's reaction. "Did I hurt you?" she asked gently.
Yu Qingtang instinctively replied, "No."
Cheng Zhanxi's finger moved to Yu Qingtang's chin, gently stroking it. "What's my name?" she asked. "My real name."
"Cheng…" Yu Qingtang's eyes flickered downwards.
"Cheng Zhanxi," Cheng Zhanxi said, exasperated. "Is my name that hard to remember?"
"I'm sorry," Yu Qingtang whispered.
Cheng Zhanxi, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement, said, "I'm going to make you write my name a hundred times!"
Yu Qingtang stared at her, her eyes wide and innocent.
Cheng Zhanxi, momentarily flustered, backtracked. "I'm… just kidding," she said.
But Yu Qingtang, before she could finish, said, "Okay."
Cheng Zhanxi, her mouth open slightly, said, "Fifty times, then. A hundred is too much."
Yu Qingtang simply replied, "Okay." Then, after a moment, "Can you let go of my face now, Ms. Cheng?" she asked quietly.
Yu Qingtang could have easily pulled away, but she waited for Cheng Zhanxi to remove her hand before straightening up.
Ge Jing, who had been watching from outside the window, entered the office.
Before lunch break ended, Cheng Zhanxi received a piece of paper from Yu Qingtang, fifty neatly written lines of "Cheng Zhanxi," not one more, not one less, in Yu Qingtang's elegant handwriting.
Cheng Zhanxi stared at the paper, puzzled.
If she had unexpectedly found Yu Qingtang writing her name, she would have been overjoyed, but now, she couldn't understand Yu Qingtang's intentions.
What did it mean?
Unable to figure it out, she gave up, placing the paper carefully in her book, then putting the book in her drawer, locking it. She would take it home tonight and frame it, placing it in her bedroom.
As usual, she lay down on her desk for her afternoon nap, but having slept late that morning, it was 1:30 p.m. before she finally started to drift off.
Yu Qingtang entered the office at 1:50 p.m. As she passed by Cheng Zhanxi's desk, she saw Cheng Zhanxi sleeping, her head resting on her arm, a thick book beneath it, her hair covering half her face, her brow furrowed slightly as she shifted in her sleep, searching for a comfortable position.
Yu Qingtang stood there for a moment, watching her, before returning to her own desk.
Cheng Zhanxi was woken by the bell. Rubbing her neck, she sat up, wincing in pain.
Yu Qingtang, her fingers hovering over her keyboard, looked up at Cheng Zhanxi, her lips pursed slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi, catching Yu Qingtang's gaze, massaged her temples, as if the nap had taken a toll on her, leaving her on the verge of collapse.
Monday evening, Cheng Zhanxi received a message from the real estate agent.
[Ms. Yu has agreed to rent you the apartment.]
Cheng Zhanxi: A painter who can't act isn't a good PE teacher.
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