After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 46
Chapter 46
The intersection wasn't long. At a normal adult pace, it took only about ten seconds to cross.
Cheng Zhanxi held her hand gently, afraid to use too much force, almost holding her breath for those ten-odd seconds.
Only after reaching the other side did Yu Qingtang gently pull her fingers away.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't resist, easily letting her withdraw.
Yu Qingtang seemed a bit quieter than usual, her eyes fixed straight ahead, her head and neck angle unchanging.
Cheng Zhanxi savored the lingering cool temperature of her hand, the delicate, snow-smooth skin of her hand's back. Her lips curled upwards as she casually found a topic, "Ms. Yu, what time is the parent-teacher conference tomorrow?"
"Nine in the morning."
"Then I can't accompany you. I have to go out tomorrow."
Yu Qingtang's thin lips moved, but she didn't ask.
Cheng Zhanxi observed her expression and volunteered, "I'm going to Xiufeng to sketch."
Sicheng had mountains and water. Xiufeng was a mountain in the local suburbs, boasting blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters—a uniquely beautiful landscape.
"I'll probably be back in the evening," Cheng Zhanxi added.
Yu Qingtang said flatly, "I'm going back to the old town after the meeting."
Cheng Zhanxi looked crestfallen. "Then I won't be able to see you?"
Yu Qingtang thought: Why do you have to see me? Isn't seeing me five days a week enough?
On the surface, she gave a flat "mm."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Alright, I'm living alone here. I ordered a hanging chair, and someone's coming to install it on Sunday. When you come back, you can try it. It's very comfortable."
Yu Qingtang continued walking forward for a few steps, then asked casually, "Is it like a swing?"
Cheng Zhanxi shook her head and smiled, "A swing is just for sitting. This one, you can curl up in."
The word "curl up" was used so vividly that Yu Qingtang could almost picture Cheng Zhanxi's usual state in the hanging chair. A smile unknowingly touched her lips.
They parted ways at the 21st-floor elevator entrance, wishing each other goodnight in advance.
They had eaten in the cafeteria. Cheng Zhanxi believed Yu Qingtang's use of the cafeteria to avoid eating at her place was a delaying tactic doomed to fail. She couldn't possibly eat at the cafeteria forever. Even the restaurants near the school offered limited variety; she'd eventually get tired of them.
Cheng Zhanxi watched Yu Qingtang's figure disappear behind the door of 2101 before turning back into her own apartment.
After entering, Yu Qingtang leaned her back against the door, lost in thought. After a long while, she lowered her eyelids, glanced at her fingertips hanging by her side, and commanded her brain to operate. She moved her fingers; a certain hidden warmth seemed to envelop them, as if still lingering, warmly wrapping around her cool fingers. It felt a bit hot, as if other places besides her fingers were also warm.
Yu Qingtang raised her hand to press against her heart, a brief look of confusion crossing her face.
That night, Cheng Zhanxi made a single portion of late-night snack, took a photo, and posted it to her Moments, visible only to a select group. This group included family, close friends, and naturally, Yu Qingtang. But Cheng Zhanxi didn't send the photo privately to Yu Qingtang, lest her intentions become too obvious and backfire.
However, Yu Qingtang still saw it. Since Cheng Zhanxi's identity reveal, Yu Qingtang, who rarely checked Moments, had developed this habit. While not diligent enough to check daily, she would browse every few days to see what Cheng Mo had updated.
Tonight, Yu Qingtang finished her work, lay in bed, and happened to open Cheng Zhanxi's Moments before sleeping. She saw the late-night snack photo—a bowl of soup noodles sprinkled with vibrant green chopped scallions and cilantro. Beneath the surface, small wontons floated like little boats, their thin skins revealing plump fillings. One could imagine the savory shrimp skin in the broth below.
Were these the handmade wontons she mentioned before?
Shepherd's purse, pork, and shrimp filling. A bite would reveal a delicate texture, smooth and chewy.
Yu Qingtang, who had casually eaten a few bites at the cafeteria earlier and whose stomach had long since digested it, began to swallow. Before her stomach could protest, she quickly locked her phone, placed it back on the bedside table, and urged herself to fall asleep quickly.
The next day, she woke up very early. Unsure if it was because she slept early and woke naturally or because she was woken by hunger, she felt extremely hungry upon waking, unable to stay in bed any longer.
Yu Qingtang searched for nearby breakfast stalls on her phone, specifically choosing one that served wontons. It was a kilometer away, quite far, but since she didn't need to rush for the parent-teacher conference today, she could walk there slowly and walk back slowly.
Just as she reached the elevator entrance, the door opposite also opened.
Cheng Zhanxi was dressed in a deep red stand-collar windbreaker, black pants wrapping her long legs, and waterproof leather boots—clearly dressed for the outdoors. She carried a drawing board on her shoulder and a toolbox in her hand. Her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, revealing a smooth, full forehead and a face with soft, distinct lines.
"Good morning, Ms. Yu." Cheng Zhanxi locked the door with her key with one hand, turned around as if just noticing Yu Qingtang, and greeted her with a surprised smile.
"Good morning." Yu Qingtang looked at the drawing board on her back, her gaze lingering for two seconds before retracting.
Cheng Zhanxi approached, close enough for Yu Qingtang's excellent eyesight to see the fine hairs on her cheeks. She wasn't wearing makeup, perhaps just sunscreen. Her skin was translucent and delicate, glowing. Her thin lips were a natural light pink, giving her an added touch of pure, clean temperament.
Her skin tone was very fair, but unlike Yu Qingtang's almost sickly, fragile pallor, it was like the pinkish-white of March petals, rosy within the white, reminiscent of the equally vibrant spring.
They entered the elevator together.
Yu Qingtang pressed the button for the first floor; Cheng Zhanxi was heading to the underground garage.
Yu Qingtang thought: Has she eaten breakfast?
Just as she thought this, Cheng Zhanxi proactively spoke, "I ate at home, heading straight to Xiufeng. Is Ms. Yu going out for breakfast?"
She noticed Yu Qingtang's attire was no longer the black trench coat and trousers, but a light gray hoodie and matching casual pants, with sneakers on her feet. It softened her cool eyebrows and eyes, giving her a homey gentleness.
If she hadn't already decided to go sketching and didn't want Yu Qingtang to think she was fickle, she would have put down her drawing board right now and accompanied her to breakfast first.
Yu Qingtang gave a low "mm."
The two, mutually stunned by each other's unusual attire, parted ways at the first-floor elevator. Cheng Zhanxi watched Yu Qingtang's figure from inside.
"See you tomorrow." Cheng Zhanxi adjusted the strap on her shoulder, smiling brightly as she waved at her.
"See you tomorrow." Yu Qingtang politely watched the elevator doors slowly close in front of her, stood怔愣 for a moment, then lifted her feet towards the building exit.
The front desk's slacker young lady stifled a yawn, composed her expression, and offered a professional smile, "Good morning, Miss Yu."
Yu Qingtang seemed to hear yet not hear. The slacker young lady watched her almost reach the entrance, then, as if remembering something, like a machine processing too many programs, she slowly turned back and replied, "Good morning."
The front desk young lady: "..."
Miss Yu looked so lost in thought. Was it because Miss Cheng wasn't with her? It's the weekend; young couples should be sticking together.
Turns out even "strong women" like Miss Yu—in the young lady's eyes, someone outrageously wealthy yet still going out to work was undoubtedly a strong woman—had such ordinary troubles. The young lady instantly felt the distance between her and Yu Qingtang had invisibly narrowed significantly.
Thus, she felt at ease and continued slacking off, waiting for her colleague to relieve her shift later.
Class 7's first parent-teacher conference went smoothly overall. Yu Qingtang had prepared a thorough outline, and the attending parents were respectful towards the teacher. Some parents tried to privately offer "gifts," but Yu Qingtang firmly refused, giving them no room to maneuver.
Besides the parents of students from out of town who had reported in advance, two other students' parents didn't attend. One was Xiang Tianyou. Just before the conference started, Yu Qingtang went to the hallway and called Xiang Tianyou's mother, who was in the parent group chat. Xiang's mother was surprised, "Didn't his dad go?"
Yu Qingtang calmly replied, "No."
Xiang's mother immediately said, "Sorry, teacher, maybe his dad got too busy with work and forgot."
Yu Qingtang then asked if she could come. Xiang's mother hesitated, "I can't get away right now."
Yu Qingtang then said, "Alright, shall we talk privately via WeChat later?"
Xiang's mother hesitated again, vaguely saying, "You can talk to his dad." She paused, her voice lowering slightly, "He's with his dad, I... it's not convenient."
Yu Qingtang understood and replied emotionlessly, "Okay."
Xiang's mother gave a stiff laugh, then seemed to remember something and asked, "Teacher, you have his dad's phone number, right?"
Yu Qingtang: "Yes." The student information forms had it.
Yu Qingtang also clearly remembered that Xiang Tianyou's high school enrollment form only listed his father's information under "family situation." But why his mother was the one in the class group chat remained unknown.
Xiang's mother: "Then I... won't keep you?"
Yu Qingtang: "Okay, please carry on."
Before hanging up, Xiang's mother asked casually, "Is Xiang Tianyou behaving well at school?"
Yu Qingtang's lips moved; she didn't quite know how to answer. After a moment of silence, she said, "Mm."
Xiang's mother seemed to chuckle, "That's good. He used to be very obedient. All his previous teachers praised him, saying he was diligent, hardworking, and studious..."
A soft, childish voice urged from the other end, calling "Mommy" in a milky tone. Xiang's mother quickly cut off the topic, picked up her young daughter, and said, "Teacher, I have something to attend to. Let's talk again when we have time."
Then the call ended.
Next time? Have time?
If she hadn't taken the initiative to call her this time, perhaps this mother wouldn't have thought to ask about her son's situation for the entire semester. Yu Qingtang suppressed the sarcastic curve of her lips.
In contemporary society, the divorce rate continues to rise, meaning more and more students come from divorced families. Xiang Tianyou wasn't an isolated case. For teenagers in a critical growth period, parental divorce has a significant impact. If parents still love their child, merely providing that love separately, the harm can be minimized. The worst fear is when parents each form new families, have children, focus solely on their new homes, push responsibility onto each other, making the original child feel redundant, lacking a sense of belonging, leading to drastic changes in personality.
The last time Yu Qingtang called the Xiang residence, the person who answered was a domestic helper or nanny. Yu Qingtang heard her call out "Madam" away from the phone, suggesting Xiang's father had also remarried.
Since the start of school, this father listed on Xiang Tianyou's information form had never appeared.
Yu Qingtang put away her phone and turned back into the classroom.
The parents were gathered together. Xiang Tianyou's parents' empty seats looked particularly conspicuous.
Yu Qingtang subtly retracted her gaze and opened the notebook in front of her.
After the parent-teacher conference, some parents wanted to know more about their child's situation at school and pulled Yu Qingtang aside to ask questions, their concern evident. Some parents had been absent-minded throughout, looking anxious, and immediately turned on their muted phones afterward, taking call after call, too busy to even say goodbye before rushing off. Others treated the conference as a social event, busy exchanging business cards, introducing themselves, and expanding their network.
The myriad forms of human relationships were just like this.
Her maternal grandfather and grandmother, Fang Wenjiao, often said, "There are no bad parents under heaven." In Yu Qingtang's view, this was merely because children couldn't choose their parents. Their birth was predetermined from the start; this world wasn't fair.
After seeing off all the parents, several class representatives restored the seats and cleaned the classroom. Li Lan straightened up, looked at Yu Qingtang sitting above the podium, her expression unusually calm, her eyes vacant, lost in thought. She tilted her head, took a bottle of mineral water from the box in the corner, and walked to the side of the podium.
A bottle of water appeared on the podium table in front of Yu Qingtang. She shifted her gaze and saw Li Lan, along with her pretty nose mole.
This parent-teacher conference was attended by Li Lan's father, who wore scholarly glasses and had a refined, gentle demeanor. Li Lan's mid-term exam results were unsatisfactory, so Yu Qingtang didn't mention it in class but spoke to her father privately afterward. Her father was very open-minded, not angry about her declining grades, and even said Li Lan had already talked to her parents, and they understood.
Compared to the unattended Xiang Tianyou, Li Lan, cherished and protected by her parents, was living in a completely different world.
Yet, they were both her students.
Attending the same classes, taking the same exams, participating in the same sports meet, fighting for the class's honor together. Was Xiang Tianyou inherently worse than Li Lan? No, he just didn't have parents like hers. What he lacked from birth, who knew how much time and effort he would need in the future to catch up. Perhaps his societal achievements could rival Li Lan's, but the lost parts of his life would never return.
Yu Qingtang deeply understood Xiang Tianyou's mindset, understood it to the point of empathy. At the same time, she deeply detested this self that could still empathize.
Clearly having despaired countless times, yet her heart still held expectations.
Li Lan: "Teacher, have some water."
Yu Qingtang's voice was cool and clean, "Thank you."
Li Lan glanced at her, her expression hesitant yet nervous. "It's almost lunchtime. We plan to eat together. Ms. Yu, will you join us?" "We" referred to the class representatives who had come to help this morning.
Under Li Lan's leadership, the class committee members were not only united but also had excellent relationships. Li Lan was now Yu Qingtang's loyal fan. When preparing for the parent-teacher conference, Yu Qingtang had only mentioned needing a few students to help, and Li Lan had quickly arranged everything perfectly, bringing more people than expected, all working methodically. With Li Lan as class monitor, Yu Qingtang saved more than just a little bit of trouble.
Yu Qingtang thought for a moment, "Okay."
Li Lan beamed, turning her back to the students below and making a gesture.
Several students exchanged glances, joy evident in their eyes.
Yu Qingtang said, "But..."
Her voice rose slightly. Besides Li Lan, the others heard it too and simultaneously looked over, holding their breath.
Under everyone's anxious and expectant gazes, Yu Qingtang finished her sentence flatly, "I'll treat."
Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Lian Yabing, standing in the last row, holding a broom handle, asked loudly, "Ms. Yu, can I invite you to my graduation banquet in the future?"
Yu Qingtang said, "Yes."
But after the class division, her math representative Lian Yabing was unlikely to be in her class again. Many of the faces she was familiar with now would leave. By the time of the high school graduation banquet, everyone would have forgotten this teacher who only taught them in Grade 1.
However, there was no need to tell the students this.
Lian Yabing asked again, "Can I invite Teacher Cheng with you?"
Yu Qingtang paused, feeling baffled. She swallowed the words "What does Teacher Cheng have to do with me?" and said flatly, "If Teacher Cheng is willing."
Upon hearing this, Lian Yabing immediately covered her mouth, her eyes narrowing into slits from smiling, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
Yu Qingtang: "???"
Students these days were becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
Everyone finished tidying the classroom and prepared to go out for lunch together.
Li Lan was responsible for locking the door and walked last with Yu Qingtang.
The group ahead chatted and laughed, while the pair behind was relatively quiet. Li Lan silently accompanied Yu Qingtang for a while, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "Ms. Yu, can I invite you to my graduation banquet?"
Yu Qingtang replied with the same unchanged tone, "Yes."
Li Lan added, "I'm not just saying it casually, nor is it a spur-of-the-moment thing. I know we'll be divided into different classes in Grade 2, and I might end up in another teacher's class. We'll only be teacher and student for one year. Even so, I still want to invite you, and I definitely will invite you. I hope you can come."
Yu Qingtang's steps paused almost imperceptibly for half a second, ripples spreading through her watery eyes.
She turned her head slightly to look at Li Lan and softly said, "Mm."
Li Lan felt a bit embarrassed. Excusing herself to talk to the others, she lowered her head and ran forward a few steps, joining the group ahead. She pretended to chat naturally with her classmates for a while, then stole a glance back at Yu Qingtang. Her foot didn't land properly, bumping into a classmate's foot, nearly tripping.
Yu Qingtang couldn't help herself, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
The lunch was arranged by the students, naturally catering to their preferences. Yu Qingtang didn't ask throughout, as she wasn't picky and ate anything. She just needed to pay the bill afterward and could then go home.
Half an hour later, sitting in the hot pot restaurant, the person involved, Yu Qingtang, felt regret, immense regret.
The number of times she had entered a hot pot restaurant in her life could be counted on one hand. Since coming to No. 1 High, she had broken her rule twice. First, Cheng Zhanxi treated her to hot pot, leaving her sweating profusely. Now, treating students to hot pot, it was the type she disliked most—a large table of people fishing around in the pot with chopsticks, talking and laughing loudly.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
When choosing the broth base, everyone respectfully deferred the choice to Yu Qingtang.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight pairs of eyes looked at her, each pair wider and brighter than the last.
Having learned her lesson, Yu Qingtang didn't act indifferent this time but honestly said, "I can't handle much spice."
Li Lan decided, "Let's get a split pot then, one mushroom broth, one butter broth. Mild or medium spicy?"
Some said mild, some said medium. Li Lan told the server, "Mild is fine." Then she told her classmates, "If you want it spicier, adjust your dipping sauce. If you don't know which is spiciest, ask me. I guarantee it'll make you speechless."
Everyone: "Hahahaha."
Next was the lively ordering session. Yu Qingtang didn't participate in the discussion, saying she ate everything when asked. Her phone, tucked in her pocket, vibrated.
Yu Qingtang leaned back slightly in her chair, took out her phone, and tapped into the notification bar only after bringing it close.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Ms. Yu, has the parent-teacher conference ended?
[Yu Qingtang]: Ended.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: What are you having for lunch?
Yu Qingtang silently sighed in her heart and lowered her head to type.
[Yu Qingtang]: Hot pot.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: ???
Xiufeng wasn't high. Cheng Zhanxi had climbed to the summit early this morning, not long after sunrise. She found a quiet spot with few people, set up her easel and tools, planning to stay here for the whole day before heading home.
Her backpack contained homemade rice balls for lunch.
Seeing the words "hot pot," the rice ball in her hand suddenly lost its appeal. Immediately, a strong sense of crisis surged in her heart!
[Cheng Zhanxi]: With whom?
Before sending this, she deleted the three exclamation marks that followed.
[Yu Qingtang]: Students.
Cheng Zhanxi laughed out loud, her straightened back relaxing against the tree trunk again. She typed and asked: [What happened?]
Yu Qingtang hesitated with her fingertips on the virtual keyboard. Between elaborating on the cause and effect and skipping the topic, she chose the former. Compared to speaking, the pressure of typing was much less.
Yu Qingtang explained how she had carelessly boarded the "pirate ship" of the hot pot restaurant.
After sending the message, Yu Qingtang stared at the phone screen, but the "typing..." indicator at the top didn't appear for a long time.
Yu Qingtang pursed her lips.
Just as she locked the screen and was about to put her phone back in her pocket, the device vibrated in her palm.
Yu Qingtang quickly tapped it open.
Cheng Zhanxi had sent her a picture.
Yu Qingtang opened it and saw Cheng Zhanxi's fair, slender hand holding a glutinous rice ball. It could have been appetizing, but the surface was covered in mud, instantly evoking regret.
Cheng Zhanxi sent her a [Cheng mode crying.jpg] emoji.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: I was eating a rice ball, laughed so hard my hand shook, and dropped it on the ground, sob sob sob.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: You have to compensate me, compensate me [Cheng mode rolling cry.gif]
Li Lan, sitting closest to Yu Qingtang, suddenly heard a very soft chuckle.
An adult woman's laughter was very different from that of a teenage girl. Li Lan thought she had misheard. She turned her head to look, only to find Yu Qingtang's lips still curved in a faint smile, not yet faded.
Yu Qingtang didn't know whether her forced entry into the hot pot restaurant was more tragic, or Cheng Zhanxi laughing so hard she dropped her lunch was more tragic. In any case, her mood was greatly relieved, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Li Lan was exceptionally quiet. The classmates followed her gaze and all looked towards the silently smiling Yu Qingtang, their eyes widening in unison.
Yu Qingtang looked up from her phone and met eight pairs of eyes staring straight at her.
"!!!" Yu Qingtang almost failed to maintain her calm expression.
She cleared her throat, the curve of her lips disappearing.
Yu Qingtang pretended to naturally look around, and the classmates quickly averted their gazes.
By the time she looked down again, Cheng Zhanxi had sent several more [Cheng mode rolling cry.gif] emojis, accompanied by text: [Ms. Yu, I'm about to cry and roll down the mountain, aren't you going to comfort me? [Pitiful]]
Yu Qingtang comforted her with one word: [Mm]
Cheng Zhanxi: [I'm going to be hungry at noon, and I have to paint all afternoon, hungry and tired [Life is hard, Cheng meow sighs.gif]]
Yu Qingtang looked at the cat-eared Cheng Zhanxi figure, her heart suddenly warming, a strange feeling flowing through her.
This emoji... seemed new.
Yu Qingtang's throat moved slightly as she picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip.
[Yu Qingtang]: Can't you come back early?
[Cheng Zhanxi]: I'd be alone even if I came back, might as well not.
Yu Qingtang suppressed the thought "What if I were here?" and the subsequent series of assumptions that naturally popped into her mind, reorganizing her words: [If you're really hungry, come back early. Your health is important.]
Scrolling up, there was a long string of chat messages. Yu Qingtang didn't give her a chance to continue diverging, saying: [I need to eat now.]
Not long after Yu Qingtang put down her phone, the broth base was served.
The red broth had freshly added butter blocks slowly melting, while the white broth floated with several types of mushrooms.
Li Lan brought over dipping sauces made of scallions, minced garlic, sesame oil, etc., along with a dry chili dipping powder, placing them in front of two female classmates. She asked Yu Qingtang, who had remained seated, "Ms. Yu, what kind of dipping sauce do you like? Spicy or not spicy? I can mix it for you?"
Yu Qingtang pushed her chair back and stood up, "I'll do it myself."
She went to the condiment station. Several classmates were already there, recommending their own sauce concoctions to each other, adding spoonfuls here and there, creating a lively scene.
Seeing Yu Qingtang approach, they all composed their expressions.
Yu Qingtang followed the recipe Cheng Zhanxi had given her last time, adding ingredients one by one to her dish. A bold girl saw her pick up the spoon for the beef sauce, held her own dish, and approached, "Ms. Yu, can you add a spoonful to my bowl too?"
Yu Qingtang looked up; it was the Class 7 commissary representative.
She lowered her chin slightly, signaling her to come closer, and scooped a spoonful of beef sauce into her dish.
Commissary representative: "Thank you, Ms. Yu."
She bit her lower lip, her expression indescribable, eyes filled with excitement, yet face trying hard to maintain composure and restraint. She even cleared her throat, her mouth almost splitting into a grin.
Yu Qingtang felt a slight urge to laugh but held it back. After mixing her own sauce, she nodded to the students still standing there and left.
The commissary representative waited until she was far away, then held her dipping dish, gazing affectionately, "This is the beef sauce Ms. Yu personally scooped for me." She sighed dramatically, looking up, "What virtue or ability do I possess?"
The arts representative scoffed, "Give it up, you just rely on being thick-skinned."
Commissary representative: "Ms. Yu likes thick-skinned people. Look at my beef sauce, do you have it? Hehehe."
Her laughter was truly annoying, yet irrefutable. The arts representative turned her face to Lian Yabing, "Math representative, you're so close to Ms. Yu, why didn't you ask her to add some for you too?"
Lian Yabing immediately shook her head, "I'm not worthy."
Commissary representative: "???"
The publicity representative, privy to the inside scoop, said, "Don't mind her, she's crazy about shipping, crying over beautiful love every day."
Others: "???"
Lian Yabing blinked at everyone sincerely, "Don't you think Ms. Yu and Ms. Cheng are a perfect match? One sunny and cheerful, the other cool and reserved."
Others: What the heck???
A moment later: Eh? It actually seems kind of shippable?
With this conversation, Lian Yabing successfully introduced the Cheng-Yu CP to her classmates.
The dining atmosphere was somewhat different from what Yu Qingtang had anticipated.
While waiting for the pot to boil, Li Lan softly asked Yu Qingtang, "Ms. Yu, are you completely unable to eat spicy food, or just a little bit?"
"A little bit."
Li Lan placed the communal chopsticks in front of herself. At this point, the classmates didn't yet understand her "scheme."
The pot boiled. Mindful of the teacher's presence, everyone held back, except Li Lan. She used the communal chopsticks to put a whole plate of beef into the spicy broth. As the meat slices tumbled, she used another clean pair of communal chopsticks to pick one up, swished it in the red broth twice to remove the surface chili residue, and placed it in Yu Qingtang's dish.
Yu Qingtang: "...Thank you."
Li Lan consecutively picked up two more slices. Yu Qingtang stopped her with a look, glanced at the other seated classmates, pursed her lips, and awkwardly urged, "Everyone eat, it'll get old if you cook it too long."
Seven or eight pairs of chopsticks dipped into the pot and came out clean.
Li Lan added another plate. Others also added beef and mutton slices, but there was only one pair of clean communal chopsticks, firmly held by Li Lan. Thus, only she had the privilege of serving meat to Yu Qingtang. Everyone else, facing the aloof and unapproachable beauty, felt too embarrassed to use their own chopsticks.
The class committee members, led by the commissary representative, cast envious and jealous glances at Li Lan.
A server passed by. The commissary representative raised her hand and called out, "Excuse me, could you bring us two more pairs of communal chopsticks?"
The server glanced at their table, "Okay, please wait a moment."
With two more pairs of communal chopsticks, the situation instantly became complicated.
Except for Lian Yabing, everyone else took turns using the communal chopsticks to serve meat and vegetables to Yu Qingtang. If Yu Qingtang accepted with her bowl, they were overjoyed. If she politely declined, they would droop their eyebrows and eyes, looking pitifully at her.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Her temples throbbed faintly. Yu Qingtang felt as if she were simultaneously facing seven difficult Cheng teachers.
No, even more difficult than Cheng Zhanxi. Cheng Zhanxi was an adult; if she refused, she refused. If she was unhappy, she could show a cold face. Cheng Zhanxi also understood adult boundaries, acting appropriately, never truly angering her. But this group of students before her was different. They would feel down because Yu Qingtang ate her food but not mine, they would even get jealous of each other. Yu Qingtang had to treat everyone equally, and she couldn't get angry at them.
Because all their "vying for favor" behaviors today stemmed from liking her, from admiration.
Direct, undisguised liking.
Because it lacked restraint, this liking seemed particularly intense, so intense that she couldn't convince herself to ignore it.
Since childhood, she had faced cold shoulders and indifference with composure, remaining unmoved by worldly matters. Only the pure, fervent affection of these young people left her feeling almost helpless in this small space.
Her tightly sealed inner shell seemed to crack slightly under this persistent light.
Author's note:
Short skit:
Yu Qingtang: My students and I have a purely teacher-student relationship, don't get any funny ideas.
Cheng Zhanxi: What about me? What kind of relationship do we have?
Yu Qingtang: The kind where we drink eight glasses of water together every night and don't get out of bed for three days and three nights (//▽//)
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