After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Cheng Zhanxi's palm was warm, covering her hand, bringing a wave of heat. The warm feeling enveloped her whole body, as if returning from the cold, bleak winter to the spring when flowers bloomed, with ten thousand butterflies dancing simultaneously.
It felt as intimate as childhood, yet with a subtle difference, perhaps because they had both grown up.
Yu Qingtang placed her hand in Cheng Zhanxi's palm, carefully conforming to her temperature, not actively pulling away even after entering the school.
Cheng Zhanxi led her towards the office. Midway, she raised her wrist to check her watch and asked, "Is Teacher Yu going straight to Class 7 or..."
Yu Qingtang's eyes didn't blink, not answering.
Cheng Zhanxi followed her gaze down, realizing she was looking at her watch—a delicate ladies' wristwatch with a silver-white face inlaid with pink diamonds.
Because Cheng Zhanxi wore pink elements in her outfit today, she chose this watch.
Cheng Zhanxi moved her hand forward slightly so she could see more clearly, smiling puzzledly, "Does Teacher Yu like this kind of watch?"
Yu Qingtang looked at the touch of pink on the watch face, finding another detail corresponding to her memory. Her gaze softened, and she nodded honestly, "Mm."
"Shall I give you one another day?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head.
She liked seeing the beautiful watch on Cheng Zhanxi's hand, not wearing it herself.
Besides, it looked very expensive; she couldn't accept it.
"Alright, I'll give you something you like next time." Cheng Zhanxi smiled nonchalantly. "So are you going to Class 7 or back to the office first?"
Under Yu Qingtang's questioning, quiet gaze, she explained, "Time might be a bit tight."
Because there were only four minutes left before morning reading started.
"Let's go to Class 7." Yu Qingtang paused for a few seconds before saying.
Was it Cheng Zhanxi's imagination? She felt Yu Qingtang sounded a bit reluctant, and her gaze swept over their joined hands as she lowered her eyes.
A bold thought arose in Cheng Zhanxi's mind. She tentatively said, "Shall I accompany you to Class 7?"
Almost instantly, Yu Qingtang looked up at her, the corners of her lips lifting in a very faint curve.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her suddenly brightened eyes. Immense joy struck her, making her momentarily dizzy.
Did happiness come so suddenly?
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't control the upward curve of her lips, smiling brightly back at her.
"I'll go with you."
6:58 AM, Class 7 doorway.
Several students, arriving just in time for morning reading, came from the end of the corridor. Seeing the two figures standing at the door, they immediately switched to running or fast walking.
Approaching, their intended greetings stuck in their throats, all revealing astonished expressions.
Even after entering the classroom, they quietly turned back to look, blinking dazedly, some girls' faces still blooming with smiles.
Several students acted this way. Those inside couldn't see the corridor situation and curiously pulled one of the newly arrived students, "What's going on outside? Why are you all so surprised?"
The student said, "Teacher Cheng and Teacher Yu are outside."
The student inside raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that normal?"
The student added, "Holding hands."
The student inside: "!!!"
Nearby students who overheard: "!!!"
Her deskmate looked at Lian Yabing, who had suddenly stood up, asking, "Where are you going? Not doing morning reading?"
"Hasn't the bell rung yet?" Lian Yabing was still in the classroom, but her soul had already flown outside. With a do-or-die determination, she resolutely stepped out of the classroom door.
During morning reading, students only went in, not out. As soon as Lian Yabing emerged, Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang simultaneously turned to look at her.
In that brief moment before their eyes met, Lian Yabing saw their tightly clasped hands.
Lian Yabing couldn't help but smile, reciting her prepared lines, "Teacher Yu, should I come to your office after morning reading to get the papers, or after the first period?"
Yu Qingtang replied coolly, "First period."
Lian Yabing obediently and properly said, "Okay, then I'll go back and continue morning reading."
Returning to her seat, Lian Yabing cupped her face in both hands, her eyes slightly intoxicated as if drunk, starting to giggle foolishly.
Her deskmate shook her head helplessly, raised the volume of her English reading, trying to bring her back to the right path. Unfortunately, the math representative, lost in shipping her CP, paid no heed.
Li Lan sat across the aisle, just an arm's length away.
Li Lan reached out and lightly tapped Lian Yabing's arm.
Lian Yabing turned her head to see the class monitor's stern face, expressionlessly pointing to the vocabulary list behind the English textbook.
Lian Yabing shivered.
Ever since Li Lan became the homeroom teacher's loyal fan, her style started resembling Yu Qingtang's. Although her personality hadn't changed much—still active, cheerful, and helpful—she occasionally put on this stern face, which was quite intimidating.
Li Lan said, "Finished memorizing the vocabulary? Teacher Yang is testing later."
Lian Yabing's book rustled as she flipped through it, "Memorizing now!"
Lian Yabing's clear voice reciting vocabulary filled the classroom.
Li Lan's lips curved upwards slightly. She closed her eyes and continued memorizing the New Concept English text.
"Good morning, Teacher Cheng." Ge Jing, sitting near the office door, immediately spotted Cheng Zhanxi entering her line of sight.
"Good morning, Teacher Ge."
Cheng Zhanxi walked in, still holding the hand of a woman with a clear and beautiful face.
Ge Jing rubbed her eyes.
"Teacher Yu—" She suddenly raised her voice, filled with disbelief.
Startled by her shout, Yu Qingtang instinctively burrowed into Cheng Zhanxi's embrace. Cheng Zhanxi happened to protect her too, so the two ended up hugging in front of Teacher Ge.
Cheng Zhanxi gently patted her back.
Ge Jing: "..."
She hadn't expected dog food to be shoved coldly onto her face like this.
Ge Jing picked up the roujiamo on her desk, unwrapped the plastic bag tie, and nonchalantly greeted Yu Qingtang, "Good morning."
Yu Qingtang didn't release her arms from around Cheng Zhanxi's waist, calmly replying, "Good morning."
Ge Jing took a bite of dog food—no, roujiamo—lowered her head to play with her phone, not disturbing the couple flashing their affection everywhere.
Yu Qingtang was someone focused on her inner world, relatively indifferent to external opinions. Besides, she had just reunited with Cheng Zhanxi after a long separation. Her heart and eyes were full of her; where could she spare attention for whether it was a public place? And Ge Jing alone hardly counted as "public."
Having finally gotten another hug, Cheng Zhanxi wouldn't let go proactively. She would let her cling to her embrace as long as others didn't exist.
...
In the past, the countryside had many snakes, insects, and rats, especially in the mountains and fields. Snakes might be lurking in the low grass. Of course, most were non-venomous grass snakes.
Yu Qingtang was very afraid of snakes. Because no one cared, she pretended not to be afraid, afraid of nothing.
Once, Cheng Zhanxi took her into the mountains to pick wild fruits. It was Cheng Zhanxi's family's orchard. The pears growing on the trees were particularly sweet—brown skin, green flesh, smaller than duck pears, juicy and sweet. Cheng Zhanxi could eat several in one go.
Cheng Zhanxi brought a peeler. The two picked and ate, utterly delighted.
Little Yu Qingtang accepted the peeled fruit from Cheng Zhanxi, held it with both hands, ate in small bites, her eyes bright as she looked at Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi continued peeling her own pear. The peel fell through the peeler's gap onto the weeds below. Little Yu Qingtang's gaze inadvertently swept over it, her whole body stiffening, frozen like a statue.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly noticed something was wrong with her, asking, "What's wrong?"
Remembering she couldn't speak, she came over, waved her hand in front of her face, showing questioning anxiety. Little Yu Qingtang's cold blood flowed through her veins. She stiffly signed: Nothing.
The snake had originally been coiled in the grass under the tree. Startled by Cheng Zhanxi's movements, it lowered its body, slithering along the ground, occasionally flicking its bright red tongue, making hissing sounds.
Yu Qingtang almost fainted.
If Yu Qingtang were like a normal person, she would have screamed long ago. But she wasn't, so she just watched stiffly, expressionlessly motionless.
Her peripheral vision tilted too obviously. Cheng Zhanxi followed her gaze and saw the snake too.
As a young lady raised in the city, Cheng Zhanxi had only seen snakes in picture books. She had always been bold and extremely curious, so her first reaction upon seeing a snake wasn't to scream or run, but to observe carefully. Her grandfather had taught her about countryside insects, ants, snakes, and rats. She recognized this as a round-headed, non-venomous king ratsnake—commonly known as a grass snake, the most common type. This one wasn't large, less than a meter long.
She looked around, even wanting to try the method her grandfather taught her, making a simple snake-catching tool to catch this snake and show her grandfather.
She had also learned the method of catching snakes barehanded, but felt the success rate wasn't high and it was relatively dangerous.
Just as she moved, Yu Qingtang beside her suddenly grabbed her hem tightly, her dark pupils revealing a clear trace of fear.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at the snake, then at her, suddenly realizing, "Are you scared?"
Yu Qingtang's eyes misted over.
Cheng Zhanxi immediately abandoned the idea of catching the snake, quickly came over to hug her, patted Yu Qingtang's back gently like her grandmother comforted her, coaxing in a childish voice, "Don't be scared, don't be scared."
Unless actively provoked, most snakes wouldn't attack humans. The king ratsnake circled under the fruit tree for a while, then left.
Afterwards, Cheng Zhanxi took Yu Qingtang out of the orchard.
Reaching a safe place, with the picked fruits piled beside them, Cheng Zhanxi sat on a stone, looking at the still-shaken Yu Qingtang, whose lower lip was bitten white. Thinking for a moment, recalling the contents of the natural history book, she said, "Snakes have poor eyesight, they can only 'see' moving objects. As long as we don't move, they can't 'see' us, no need to be so scared."
When speaking to Yu Qingtang, Cheng Zhanxi habitually used body language, sometimes covering her eyes, sometimes waving her hands. She even jumped down from the stone, performing a human-snake confrontation scene alone. When the person stood still, the snake stood still. When the person ran, she made her arm ripple like flowing water, simulating a snake's crawl, chasing after.
Returning covered in sweat, Cheng Zhanxi propped her hands on her knees, panting as she asked Yu Qingtang, her voice childish, "Understand?"
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Still scared?"
Yu Qingtang hesitated. If she said yes, would she dislike her?
Before she could answer, Cheng Zhanxi said, "It's okay." She patted her chest, "I'll protect you." Accompanied by a big hug—Cheng Zhanxi's defined body language for "protection."
Little Yu Qingtang's eyes lit up with an indescribable brilliance.
Hugging was the most intimate silent language. Little Yu Qingtang loved hugging Cheng Zhanxi. For this reason, the things she "feared" increased significantly. Besides rats and snakes, spiders, caterpillars, frogs, geckos, longhorn beetles were added...
A new day, a new "fear."
Cheng Zhanxi became increasingly skilled at hugging her. Yu Qingtang grew increasingly dependent on the warmth of her embrace. Sometimes, when Cheng Zhanxi fell asleep leaning against a tree, she would secretly squeeze into her arms. Cheng Zhanxi's hand would automatically rest on her back, patting gently twice, holding her as they slept together.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering fragments of gold on the ground.
How many flowers fall in dreams?
...
The twenty-seven-year-old woman was no longer the flat board she was at six. Her figure was graceful, curvaceous, possessing everything she should. Yu Qingtang rested her face on her shoulder, Cheng Zhanxi's exhaled warm breath beside her ear. Their bodies pressed tightly together, tangibly feeling the soft, undulating, similar curves.
Yu Qingtang's memories were interrupted. She lifted her face from Cheng Zhanxi's shoulder, her gaze colliding straight into the other's deep, dark eyes.
Yu Qingtang's throat tightened inexplicably. Another scene flashed through her mind.
They were at the door of 2102, also hugging, then... sparks ignited.
Cheng Zhanxi sat on the sofa, she knelt between her knees. Cheng Zhanxi held her with one hand, letting her rise, while the other hand pressed her down, making her sink.
Lost in passion, she tilted back her slender white neck, enjoying her love and comfort, her consciousness drifting with her, letting her take whatever she wanted.
And that night at the hotel, the ultimate, exhilarating experience she brought her.
Yu Qingtang proactively released her arms from around Cheng Zhanxi, shook her head slightly, dispelling the chaotic flashing images from her mind.
If Yu Qingtang had known from the beginning that Cheng Zhanxi was the person from her childhood, she absolutely wouldn't have invited her to the hotel, absolutely wouldn't have indulged her desires in front of her.
Why did it have to be her?
Looking back now, the person she randomly picked turned out to be the only one in the world connected to her, the one she least wanted to have relations with.
Yu Qingtang's expression changed rapidly. Cheng Zhanxi's deep dark eyes gradually faded, looking at her with slight astonishment.
"Teacher Yu, what's wrong?"
Yu Qingtang's face turned slightly pale. Shaking her head, she said, "Nothing."
Cheng Zhanxi reached out to touch her face. Yu Qingtang subconsciously dodged. Cheng Zhanxi retracted her hand, then Yu Qingtang proactively grabbed her wrist, explaining, "I was thinking about something." She didn't want Cheng Zhanxi to misunderstand.
Cheng Zhanxi was clearly pleased by her proactive action, smiling, "Then think slowly, speak to me when you're done thinking."
Yu Qingtang: "Okay."
Cheng Zhanxi went to the water dispenser to get water, also getting a cup for Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang: "Thank you."
"You're welcome." The air around Cheng Zhanxi carried a faint floral fragrance, very pleasant.
Yu Qingtang smelled it, thinking distractedly: Hmm, grown up is different after all, uses perfume, very womanly.
She then recalled the morning they returned from Jiangning County, swapping jackets. Cheng Zhanxi's chest was tightly bound by the trench coat buttons.
...So big.
Yu Qingtang's thoughts wandered aimlessly for a while. Snapping back, realizing what she was thinking, she felt so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole, her ears turning red.
Is this how one should treat a good friend?!
Cheng Zhanxi sat diagonally opposite Yu Qingtang, resting her chin on one hand, watching Yu Qingtang's rich expressions with amusement.
What on earth was she thinking? Why did she blush?
Could she be thinking of her?
Cheng Zhanxi silently curved her lips, feeling her own ears grow slightly hot.
Yu Qingtang forced her attention onto the math paper in front of her. Using work to escape the increasingly inappropriate thoughts in her mind. The red pen rustled endlessly on the paper. Cheng Zhanxi also put away her hand, retracted her gaze, and focused on her own tasks.
Teachers gradually entered the office, one after another, the atmosphere not too quiet.
Cheng Zhanxi wasn't painting, instead reading an English original novel. Suddenly feeling something, she looked up towards the desk diagonally in front, just catching the moment Yu Qingtang hastily lowered her head.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled.
Yu Qingtang's heart pounded wildly, her mind blank. The addition of two-digit numbers within 100 on the paper in her hand couldn't be calculated.
She scribbled on the blank paper beside her. The phone screen on the desk lit up.
Yu Qingtang finished calculating the score on the paper, marked it in the top right corner, subtly exhaled, then picked up her phone.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Am I good-looking?
Heat rushed to Yu Qingtang's cheeks, ears, even her fair neck turning red, ripening into a red shrimp on the spot.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Look up.
[Yu Qingtang]: Not looking.
Cheng Zhanxi watched Yu Qingtang move the computer screen in front of her, blocking her entire face, amusedly continuing to type.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: What are you doing?
[Yu Qingtang]: Nothing.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Then why won't you let me see you?
[Yu Qingtang]: I'm not good-looking.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Then why won't you look at me? Dislike me for being ugly?
A few seconds later, Yu Qingtang pushed the monitor back to its original position, calmly lifted her eyelids, and met Cheng Zhanxi's gaze.
Her face showed a hint of helplessness.
[Yu Qingtang]: I really need to work now.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: You haven't answered my question yet.
[Yu Qingtang]: What?
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Am I good-looking?
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She lifted her head, carefully examined Cheng Zhanxi for a while, then seriously typed: [Good-looking.]
[Who ranks first in your heart?]
[First.]
Yu Qingtang typed and sent without thinking. Cheng Zhanxi suddenly looked up from opposite, her gaze burning.
Yu Qingtang dropped her phone, stopped chatting with her, red pen pointing at the unfinished paper, her expression cool.
Cheng Zhanxi: "?"
Teased her and then ignored her?
Yu Qingtang's red ink pen paused on the paper. A finger tucked her dark long hair behind her ear. She thought: Typing alone can be this noisy, indeed it's you.
Cheng Zhanxi's heart raced like a runaway deer, bumping around chaotically. It took several minutes to calm down.
She rubbed her face, used reason to analyze, feeling Yu Qingtang's behavior since returning last night was somewhat abnormal, even more so this morning until now.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't believe pies fell from the sky. Before leaving on Friday, Yu Qingtang was still cool towards her; now she was like a different person. What kind of great happy event could cause such a huge change in her?
Knowing too little information, Cheng Zhanxi racked her brains but couldn't figure it out. But she felt she couldn't indulge in blind joy, instead needing to observe quietly, follow the clues, and seek opportunities for further relationship development during this period.
Having determined the basic strategy for the next step, Cheng Zhanxi drove the several little deer in her heart back into the deep forest and continued observing carefully.
Yu Qingtang went to Class 7 for class.
Entering the door, she found the class atmosphere somewhat different from usual. The students all looked at her with smiles.
Yu Qingtang walked onto the podium, first surveying the students below—this was a habit she developed later, appropriately increasing interaction between teacher and students. Yu Qingtang focused her gaze on Xiang Tianyou in the back row, head bowed. One second, two seconds, five seconds. Xiang Tianyou lifted his head, met Yu Qingtang's eyes briefly, looked away, his gaze fixed on the outermost edge of the blackboard.
Yu Qingtang: "Everyone, focus. Today we're learning new knowledge..."
Ding ling ling ling—
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Yu Qingtang packed her textbook. Several girls rushed up to the podium with prepared questions, surrounding Yu Qingtang.
There was a stool on the podium, but teachers were generally forbidden from sitting while teaching unless under special circumstances. Now that class was over, several girls pressed Yu Qingtang onto the stool, then took out their difficult problems one by one to ask.
Yu Qingtang took the exercise book to review the problem. Her mind worked exceptionally fast in mathematics, often able to multitask. Especially with Grade 1 problems, a glance at the question revealed the solution path, requiring no thought. The students were used to it. Taking advantage of this moment, Tong Feifei gossiped, "Teacher Yu, are you expecting a happy event soon?"
Tong Feifei was referring to her and Cheng Zhanxi.
Yu Qingtang was slightly surprised, "How did you know?"
Several girls laughed.
Yu Qingtang was startled: How do you all know?
Then she thought, this group of children must be having some strange brainstorming session again. Anyway, it definitely wasn't the same thing she was thinking of; no need to bother with them.
Just then, a girl blushed slightly and whispered, "Is it with Teacher Cheng?"
Yu Qingtang's eyes widened: "!!!"
Yu Qingtang rarely showed emotion. Even recently, having adjusted her attitude towards the students, she seldom displayed extra expressions. Her reaction undoubtedly confirmed it.
The girl who spoke said, "Congratulations, Teacher Yu."
Other girls, including Tong Feifei, pursed their lips and smiled.
Yu Qingtang: "..."
This group of children.
Yu Qingtang shook her head inwardly, amused and helpless. Ignoring them, she turned to point at the problem in her hand with her pen, explaining to the questioning girl, "The key to this problem lies in..."
The preparatory bell for the next class rang. The questioning girls reluctantly let Yu Qingtang go.
Between the preparatory bell and the class bell, Tong Feifei closed the classroom door, signaled the student by the window to close it, pulled the curtains halfway shut, isolating the classroom from outside sounds.
This was a tradition formed in Class 7, everyone cooperating tacitly, indicating important news to be shared—usually gossip, recently focusing on Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang, greatly mobilizing the students' enthusiasm. Even Xiang Tianyou in the back row, who usually slept through breaks with red marks on his face, listlessly lifted his head, rested his chin on his arm, and listened lazily with narrowed eyes.
Tong Feifei stood up from her seat, turned around, facing everyone.
"Classmates, announcing a major piece of news."
"What news?"
Tong Feifei smiled slightly, "Teacher Yu is going to marry Teacher Cheng."
Author's note:
Yu Qingtang: I'm not, I didn't... Mmph!
Cheng Chengzi (pulling her into an embrace, kissing her senseless): That's right, it's true! That's how it is! Have you all prepared my wedding gifts?
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