After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Yu Qingtang stiffened all over, as if struck by electricity, her arm supporting Cheng Zhanxi almost giving way.
But quickly, she noticed the breath against her ear was scorching hot, much higher than a normal temperature.
Yu Qingtang steadied herself. Maintaining her hold on Cheng Zhanxi, she felt along her wrist to her palm—it was also hot.
Cheng Zhanxi was a bit ticklish. As Yu Qingtang's delicate fingertips brushed her palm, she chuckled and flinched slightly against her shoulder, saying, "Tickles..."
Her voice lacked its usual strength, sounding weak, yet it carried a soft, tingling quality that seeped into Yu Qingtang's ears, stirring deep emotions that surged with the blood flowing through her veins.
Yu Qingtang pressed her lips together, helped her back into the chair, and reached out to touch her forehead.
"You have a fever," Yu Qingtang said.
"Maybe I caught a chill this morning." Apart from feeling dizzy and weak, Cheng Zhanxi had no other discomfort and honestly shared her guess. She also tested her forehead with the back of her hand; it was indeed very hot.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No need." Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "It's not that serious."
She had a strong constitution and rarely even got headaches or fevers. Based on past experience, a good sleep would usually break the fever.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "I'll just rest my head on the desk here for a bit. Ms. Yu, you should go eat. If you don't go now, you won't have time to nap."
Yu Qingtang remembered how Cheng Zhanxi had looked completely drained and sore after napping at her desk before. A hint of disapproval flickered in her eyes, along with an indefinable emotion.
Like annoyance.
Yu Qingtang slowly suppressed her nameless irritation and said coolly, "Go home and sleep."
Cheng Zhanxi, already preparing to rest her head, looked up. "Huh?"
Yu Qingtang repeated, "Go home and sleep." Her voice turned colder.
Cheng Zhanxi tilted her face up, looking at her pitifully. "But I'm dizzy."
Yu Qingtang walked expressionlessly behind the desk, extended an arm to her, and said indifferently, "I'll take you back."
...
Ten minutes later, Yu Qingtang stood at the school gate, supporting Cheng Zhanxi's arm, waiting for a taxi.
It was the lunch rush hour, making it difficult to hail a taxi. Cheng Zhanxi looked at Yu Qingtang's profile and softly suggested, "How about we walk back?"
Yu Qingtang looked at her, hesitating for two seconds. "Can you walk?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Yes."
Yu Qingtang supported her arm with a serious expression, watching the path ahead like she was helping an old lady cross the street. After a few steps, Cheng Zhanxi looked embarrassed and said, "Can we discuss changing positions?"
Yu Qingtang looked up and asked, "To what?"
Cheng Zhanxi pulled her hand from Yu Qingtang's arm. Yu Qingtang's shoulder dipped slightly as Cheng Zhanxi's arm came up and wrapped around her shoulder.
Their breathing instantly drew closer.
Cheng Zhanxi looked down at her. "Is this okay?"
Considering their height difference, this was indeed the most convenient and least strenuous way for both of them.
Moreover, Cheng Zhanxi held back, not leaning her full weight on her. Even her arm was wrapped gently, her movements tender.
Yu Qingtang was silent for a moment, then said, "...Okay."
They walked back along the road. Dark leaves from the plane trees lining the street drifted down, landing at their feet.
Cheng Zhanxi's steps were unsteady, her legs weak, each step feeling like treading on clouds. However, thanks to her strong sense of balance, she managed to walk steadily most of the time, her arm just resting lightly. She understood etiquette and propriety. Occasionally, when encountering uneven ground, she would apologize in advance, "Sorry."
Only then would she lean part of her weight on Yu Qingtang.
She always looked straight ahead, occasionally making polite eye contact to express gratitude, never deliberately staring at the other person, avoiding creating pressure at such close proximity.
She was someone who made others feel comfortable around her.
Even someone like Yu Qingtang, who disliked social interaction, had to admit this.
...She had grace, and she had charm.
The journey, which usually took only about ten minutes, took almost half as long again.
Yu Qingtang swiped her access card and entered Building 19. The receptionist saw Cheng Zhanxi with her arm around Yu Qingtang's shoulder, entering intimately, and instantly imagined a "Pure Landlord and Pretty Tenant" scenario.
After the two entered the elevator, she typed a message to the "slacker" receptionist who had been on duty that morning: [Miss Yu and the tenant from 2102 are together!!!]
Yu Qingtang watched the ascending numbers in the elevator. Cheng Zhanxi had already removed her arm and was leaning against the elevator wall herself.
The weight lifted from her shoulder, bringing back lightness, yet her heart felt like something was missing.
For the first time, Yu Qingtang felt the walk from school to home was so short.
Ding—
The elevator reached the 21st floor.
With only a few steps left, Cheng Zhanxi didn't want to trouble her further and walked out on her own.
Yu Qingtang's long fingers curled involuntarily as she followed behind her.
"Sorry to trouble you, Ms. Yu." Cheng Zhanxi thanked her again.
"You're welcome."
"I'm sorry you couldn't have lunch. Are you going out to eat now, or will you eat after you wake up?"
"I'll leave early and eat near the school gate." Seeing the unhealthy flush spreading on Cheng Zhanxi's cheeks, Yu Qingtang urged, "You should go sleep quickly."
"Okay." Cheng Zhanxi turned, unlocked the door with her key, and went inside.
Yu Qingtang subconsciously took a step forward. She pressed her lips together and added from behind Cheng Zhanxi, "Don't come to school this afternoon. Rest well at home."
Cheng Zhanxi's classes for the day were already finished.
Cheng Zhanxi turned back, her eyes curving into crescents. "Got it," she said.
Yu Qingtang's thin lips moved, as if wanting to say something more, but she swallowed the words back.
Cheng Zhanxi waited patiently for a moment, then smiled. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon."
Cheng Zhanxi closed the door.
Through the peephole, she saw Yu Qingtang stand at her door for a moment before turning and entering the apartment opposite.
Cheng Zhanxi found the first-aid kit in the living room, located the thermometer, skillfully took her temperature, and saw it was over 38 degrees Celsius. She took a fever reducer, drank a large glass of hot water, changed into her pajamas, lay down on the bed with her hands resting on her waist, closed her eyes, and fell asleep shortly after.
Yu Qingtang left twenty minutes earlier than usual. At 1:10 PM, she came out of 2101. The door opposite was tightly shut, and naturally, there was no sign of Cheng Zhanxi at the elevator entrance.
Including the weekend Yu Qingtang was away, Cheng Zhanxi had actually only moved in five days ago. They had only gone to work together at noon for two days, yet somehow Yu Qingtang had the illusion it had been much longer.
I wonder if Ms. Cheng's fever has broken?
Thinking this, Yu Qingtang stepped into the elevator.
...
"Is Ms. Cheng absent again?" Yang Li asked casually after her first class, noticing Cheng Zhanxi's empty seat, the desk neat and clearly untouched.
Yu Qingtang: "She has a fever."
Yang Li exclaimed, "Ah?" and asked, "Is it serious? What's her temperature?"
Yu Qingtang pressed her lips together slightly and only said, "She's sleeping at home."
No matter how well Yang Li got along with Cheng Zhanxi, they were still colleagues. Besides, in front of her girlfriend, Yang Li appropriately expressed her concern: "If the fever hasn't gone down by tonight, maybe take Ms. Cheng to the hospital. The flu is going around lately; it's always better to be careful."
Yu Qingtang hummed in agreement. "I will."
Within an hour, Yu Qingtang checked her phone no less than six times, but there were no messages from Cheng Zhanxi.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the third afternoon class.
Yu Qingtang began tidying her desk, locking everything in the drawers.
She sat until the bell for the fourth class rang, picked up her bag, and left the office.
Once she was far enough away, Ge Jing whispered to the other colleagues in the office, "Ms. Yu left early again?"
Yang Li twirled a red pen, looked up from her papers, and said to her, "Isn't Ms. Cheng sick?"
Ge Jing suddenly understood.
Ge Jing smiled. "Ms. Yu seems so cold usually, I didn't expect her to care so much about Ms. Cheng."
Yang Li said, "Tell me about it. At first, I thought Ms. Cheng was the only one interested, always trying to get close to Ms. Yu, while Ms. Yu didn't seem very responsive."
Ge Jing said, "I heard that people who seem cold on the outside are often passionate on the inside. Hey, what do you think Ms. Yu is like with Ms. Cheng in private? Could she be the clingy type, always asking for hugs and acting cute..." Ge Jing was dying from the sweetness of her own imagination.
Besides Cheng Zhanxi, Yu Qingtang, and Wen Zhihan, she was the youngest teacher in the office, in her early thirties, unmarried, active and lively, and loved surfing the internet. She could be single, but the couple she shipped had to get married!
Yang Li saw her broad, knowing smile, her mouth almost reaching her ears, and reminded her, "Ms. Ge, remember your role as a teacher?"
Ge Jing rested her chin on her hand. "We're not in class now, can't I act like a young girl for a bit? Last time you bought that jumpsuit and posted it on Moments, I even gave you a like."
Yang Li: "..."
The few male teachers listened, completely bewildered.
They might gossip a bit about the initial stages of a relationship, but once it was established, they wouldn't discuss it further. After all, their own sons and daughters had no chance anyway. Why were Ms. Ge and Ms. Yang getting more and more excited?
Yu Qingtang went to the supermarket and bought some ingredients for porridge. As she exited the elevator, she glanced again at 2102 on the right, gently biting her lower lip, a worried expression on her face.
In the dim bedroom with tightly drawn curtains, the phone screen on the bedside table lit up.
[Yu Qingtang]: Ms. Cheng, are you awake?
Cheng Zhanxi's breathing was even and long, her chest rising and falling gently.
Yu Qingtang placed her phone on the kitchen counter, keeping an eye on the screen out of the corner of her eye while preparing the ingredients.
After finishing, Yu Qingtang took out the clay pot she had bought but rarely used, washed it twice, rinsed the rice, added water, placed it on the stove, and a blue flame leaped up from beneath.
...
Yu Qingtang used a cloth to lift the lid. The porridge was thick and fragrant. She stirred it with a long-handled spoon and added a little rock sugar for flavor.
Cheng Zhanxi had really enjoyed the sweet black rice last time; she seemed to have a bit of a sweet tooth.
She turned the heat to the lowest setting, letting it simmer on the stove to keep warm.
Yu Qingtang tried her best to maintain extreme calm and called Cheng Zhanxi.
It rang for about ten seconds before the other end picked up.
"Hello." A thick nasal voice came through the receiver, like a cat basking lazily in the winter sun on a balcony. The woman's voice carried the languor of just waking up.
Yu Qingtang's heart stirred slightly. Slowly, she asked, "Did I disturb your sleep?"
"No." Cheng Zhanxi chuckled, propping herself up against the headboard, smoothing her long hair. "Have I been sleeping long? What time is it now?"
"...Past six."
Cheng Zhanxi opened the automatic curtains; the sky was already completely dark.
"Sorry." Cheng Zhanxi rubbed her brow. "I slept too deeply."
"Has the fever gone down?"
Cheng Zhanxi raised her hand to touch her forehead and said, unsurprised, "It has."
"I bought porridge." Yu Qingtang spoke slightly faster, not giving Cheng Zhanxi time to react, then quickly added, "Is it convenient for you to open the door?"
Cheng Zhanxi was taken aback.
"Convenient." She didn't have time to think too much, scrambled out of bed, didn't even straighten her clothes, rushed to the living room, and pulled open the door.
Yu Qingtang had just come out from the opposite apartment, carrying a thermal container.
"Thank you, Ms. Yu." Cheng Zhanxi took it.
"Mm," Yu Qingtang said. "Rest well."
"Has Ms. Yu eaten?"
"I have."
Yu Qingtang nodded to her and turned to go back.
Cheng Zhanxi placed the thermal container on the dining table, got a bowl and spoon from the kitchen, sat down at the table, opened the lid, and the steam rising from inside almost scalded the back of her hand.
It was like it had just been ladled from the pot.
A thought flashed through Cheng Zhanxi's mind. She scooped a little with the spoon, deliberately didn't blow on it, and tested the porridge's temperature with the tip of her tongue.
The corners of Cheng Zhanxi's lips curved slightly into a smile.
Yu Qingtang also planned to have porridge. After entering her apartment, she went to the kitchen to ladle a bowl for herself. Just as she placed it on the dining table, the doorbell rang.
Yu Qingtang saw Cheng Zhanxi's face on the video intercom and opened the door.
The rich aroma of eight-treasure porridge filled the entire living room. As the door opened, it swept over Cheng Zhanxi's senses without her needing to actively sniff.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled naturally. "I realized there's quite a bit of porridge, I can't finish it all tonight. Can I return the thermal container to Ms. Yu tomorrow?"
"You can," Yu Qingtang said. "Is there anything else?"
"No."
As Yu Qingtang closed the door from the inside, Cheng Zhanxi caught a glimpse of the bowl on the dining table. Although she couldn't see what was inside, she saw the spoon resting on the rim.
Cheng Zhanxi managed not to reveal an overly bright smile in the hallway, waiting until she was back home to fully let her expression loose.
Yu Qingtang made porridge for her!
Someone who was too lazy to cook and wished she could eat out for every meal actually made porridge for her! And it was eight-treasure porridge with several ingredients!
Even if it were hard to swallow, she would eat every last bite!
Cheng Zhanxi ladled a bowl of porridge from the thermal container. With her "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" filter turned up to maximum, fully prepared mentally, she brought the spoon to her mouth...
Cheng Zhanxi froze.
The fragrance of glutinous rice, the sweetness of red dates, peanuts cooked to just the right tenderness, complemented by lily bulbs, goji berries, lotus seeds, longan, green beans, red beans, pearl barley, and more—the colors were vibrant, the texture smooth but not greasy, leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth.
She had thought someone like Yu Qingtang, who disliked cooking and had even joked with her about being a bad cook, wouldn't be very skilled, even if not quite at the level of disastrous cooking. She hadn't expected her culinary skills to be no worse than her own.
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
A deep sense of crisis washed over her.
At this rate, would she capture Yu Qingtang's stomach first, or would Yu Qingtang capture hers?
In 2101, Yu Qingtang slowly ate the porridge she had made, her expression no different from when she ate frozen dumplings.
Her phone vibrated.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Ms. Yu, where did you buy this porridge? It's delicious! [Cheng mode tiger tears.gif]
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi watched the intermittent "typing..." indicator at the top of the screen, the corners of her lips curling. Let's see what kind of answer you can give me.
After a long while.
[Yu Qingtang]: Mm
Cheng Zhanxi laughed silently.
It was indeed a typical Yu Qingtang reply. When she couldn't or didn't want to answer, she ended the topic with a single word.
Adults know where the boundaries of conversation lie.
Cheng Zhanxi considerately let her off the hook.
Yu Qingtang rubbed her burning ears and sighed almost inaudibly.
Her spoon unconsciously stirred the porridge bowl in front of her, her gaze following it.
...Ms. Cheng praised her porridge as delicious.
Yu Qingtang realized belatedly.
A suspicious blush slowly crept onto her cheeks.
Cheng Zhanxi strictly divided the porridge into two equal parts, ate half, and put the remaining half in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow.
She was in a good mood all night, and her body felt fully recovered. This state continued into the next day.
"Good morning!" Cheng Zhanxi didn't go for a run this morning. After doing a few sets of exercises indoors and tidying everything up, she watched the hallway through the peephole. As soon as she saw Yu Qingtang come out, she pretended it was a coincidence and opened her door too.
Yu Qingtang seemed startled by her resonant voice echoing in the hallway, her body trembling slightly but noticeably.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Cheng Zhanxi's face. She lowered her voice and said, "What a coincidence."
Yu Qingtang lowered her eyes to hide a fleeting smile and replied coolly, "Good morning."
The two took the elevator downstairs together.
Passing the front desk on the first floor, the receptionist greeted them as usual, watching their departing figures with complex emotions.
Indeed, Cinderella and the princess stories only exist in fairy tales. In reality, it's always princess and princess together—beautiful, talented, well-matched, a divine love, a perfect pair!
She wasn't worthy; she was only fit for slacking off.
She and the slacker life were real!
"Is Ms. Cheng feeling better?" Ge Jing asked with concern in the office.
Cheng Zhanxi pulled her gaze away from Yu Qingtang, who was focused on lesson planning, and smiled. "Much better, thank you for asking, Ms. Ge."
Ge Jing said, "My concern is nothing. Ms. Yu is the one who really cares about you. She left work early yesterday after the third class to rush back and take care of you."
Yu Qingtang's pen nib paused heavily, the ink bleeding into the paper.
Cheng Zhanxi blinked.
Ge Jing said, "I won't chat anymore, I still have papers to grade."
Cheng Zhanxi's smile deepened suddenly. "Thank you, Ms. Ge," she said.
Ms. Ge was a bit puzzled but still returned her smile.
Cheng Zhanxi tilted her head to look at Yu Qingtang. Yu Qingtang maintained her previous posture, her pen moving continuously, but her head seemed to be bowed slightly lower than before.
Cheng Zhanxi crossed one arm, her knuckles tapping lightly on her elbow, a faint smile on her face.
She opened her sketchbook and began drawing with a pencil.
After a long while, Yu Qingtang slowly lifted her head slightly, looking towards Cheng Zhanxi's desk diagonally in front. Cheng Zhanxi had one arm bent on the desk, fingers pressing the paper, the other hand holding a pencil, her expression focused and serious.
Yu Qingtang silently breathed a sigh of relief.
If Yu Qingtang had moved closer, she would have discovered that the lines on the paper in front of Cheng Zhanxi were gradually forming an outline—of her current appearance.
Thursday afternoon, Class 7's PE lesson.
Cheng Zhanxi led them through a set of boxing routines. They practiced, sweating profusely, for half the class, and the latter half was free activity.
Cheng Zhanxi sat on the mat Wu Peng had brought, her long legs stretched out. Several chattering girls, led by Tong Feifei, sat beside her. After the homeroom teacher change incident subsided, the relationship between Class 7 students and Cheng Zhanxi returned to its previous state. They liked chatting with her, and even if they had nothing to say, they would sit next to her.
Tong Feifei suddenly turned to her and started complaining, "Ms. Cheng, we're having such a hard time."
Ms. Cheng asked, "How so?"
Tong Feifei said, "Ms. Wen has gone crazy."
Cheng Zhanxi: "?"
Besides Wen Zhihan, were there any other teachers surnamed Wen in Class 7?
Tong Feifei said, "Ms. Wen has been giving us a physics worksheet every day recently, hellishly difficult, plus in-class exercises. Even though it's material she's taught, we just can't solve the problems. I'm starting to suspect I'm mentally challenged."
Cheng Zhanxi gently chided her with a warm expression, "Don't talk about yourself like that."
Tong Feifei lightly slapped her own mouth.
"I was just kidding. It's really too hard. It's not just me; everyone says it's hard. Tian Tian—our physics class representative—even told her to lower the difficulty, but Ms. Wen wouldn't listen and continued with the advanced training. Advanced training is fine, but she needs to consider our foundation. You can't get fat in one bite, and you can't reach the sky in one step, right?"
Cheng Zhanxi nodded.
Tong Feifei lowered her voice. "I suspect Ms. Wen is targeting us."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Evidence?"
Tong Feifei said, "In this mid-term exam, our class ranked fourth, and Class 12 ranked third. Logically, their class is more suited for advanced training. But I asked students from Class 12, and they don't have this kind of treatment. Their in-class exercises are ridiculously simple."
Cheng Zhanxi clicked her tongue.
Tong Feifei slapped her mouth again, correcting herself, "Much simpler, much simpler." After a pause, she continued in a whisper, "We suspect she's retaliating against us because of the incident with Ms. Yu."
Cheng Zhanxi's expression gradually grew serious.
Tong Feifei scooted a little closer to her, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Isn't Ms. Wen very close to Ms. Yu? Since we treated Ms. Yu like that before, she's getting revenge for her."
Cheng Zhanxi's thoughts stirred slightly. "So what do you all think?" she asked.
Tong Feifei said, "I can understand it. Who doesn't stand up for their friends sometimes? Go through fire and water, never hesitate!"
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, her tone unreadable. "You certainly have an open mind."
Tong Feifei chuckled.
After laughing, she changed the subject. "But just because I understand doesn't mean the other students do. They think even if Ms. Wen is angry, she shouldn't joke around with everyone's studies. Giving such difficult problems not only doesn't help consolidate classroom knowledge but also crushes our confidence. Now, just thinking about physics class makes me despair. I'll have to do worksheets again later, sob sob sob."
Cheng Zhanxi patted her head, interrupting her fake crying. "Alright, have your class representative and monitor reported this to Ms. Yu?"
"Not yet, but the monitor has been asking us one by one. She probably plans to talk to Ms. Yu."
"Then wait for news from the monitor."
"We are."
Tong Feifei rested her chin on one hand, her eyes shining as she looked at Cheng Zhanxi. "Ms. Cheng, you're really such a good teacher."
Cheng Zhanxi deliberately clicked her tongue. "Stop flattering me."
Tong Feifei said, "It's true. Look, you and Ms. Yu are so close, yet you haven't secretly made things difficult for us."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "I have."
Tong Feifei asked blankly, "When?"
Cheng Zhanxi said seriously, "Don't you think practicing martial arts is harder than practicing dance?"
Tong Feifei and the other girls burst out laughing. "Hahahahahaha, not at all." The students all thought martial arts looked cooler, shouting with earth-shattering momentum every time.
This time it was Cheng Zhanxi's turn to rub her eyes and sob fakely. "I don't even know how to make small shoes, how could I make someone wear them?" [Note: "Wearing small shoes" (穿小鞋) is an idiom meaning to make things difficult for someone secretly.]
The students continued: "Hahahahahaha!"
The shade under the tree was filled with cheerful air.
The happy PE class ended. The Class 7 students dispersed on the field. Cheng Zhanxi took the stairs two at a time, striding upstairs, smiling at students who greeted her along the way, and returned to the office.
Tonight, Yu Qingtang still didn't have evening study duty.
After school.
Cheng Zhanxi called out, "Ms. Yu, going out to eat? There's a restaurant I saw with good reviews."
Yu Qingtang still remembered the lesson from the night before last, when Cheng Zhanxi took her out to eat, then for a walk around Swan Lake, only getting home after nine. So, she politely declined, "I want to eat at home today."
This should be fine, right? she thought.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Zhanxi broke into a huge smile.
Yu Qingtang suddenly had an ominous premonition.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "That's perfect then. Come eat at my place. I'll cook myself. But there aren't many groceries left in the fridge. Shall we go to the supermarket first?"
Yu Qingtang: "..."
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