After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Cheng Zhanxi hadn't expected to be scared like this.
The aftereffects of the haunted house were too strong. She kept feeling a cold wind behind her head, as if she'd see a ghost the moment she turned around. The wardrobe where she kept her pajamas was pitch black. She opened it and jumped far away, only daring to approach again after the bedroom light shone in. Sleeping with the lights off was even more unthinkable. The curtains in the room were opaque, reflecting indistinct shadows in her pupils.
Closing her eyes, the nursery rhyme "Sazuko" echoed in her mind: "Sachiko always called herself Sazuko, how funny. She loves bananas but only gets to eat half each time, how pitiful. Sazuko went far away, she'll probably forget me, how lonely, Sazuko..."
She clasped her hands together, pressing them tightly in front of her. She didn't even dare to think about the last line, yet the more she tried not to, the more her thoughts uncontrollably drifted there.
Sazuko's legs are gone, tonight she will come to take your legs.
Sazuko's legs are gone, tonight she will come to take your legs!
Cheng Zhanxi abruptly shot up from the bed, her heart pounding wildly. She hugged the blanket and shrank to the head of the bed, feeling her still-existing legs under the covers, wiping the sweat from her forehead with lingering fear.
She swallowed hard with difficulty, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Yu Qingtang for help.
Yu Qingtang looked at the woman before her, her face pale. She held a pillow, her chestnut long curly hair loose, no longer looking bright and elegant, but rather pitiful and childish from the fright.
Yu Qingtang's eyes softened. She took the coat from the vertical rack by the door and draped it over Cheng Zhanxi's shoulders.
Two minutes later, they were together in the opposite apartment, 2102.
"Is there warm water?" Yu Qingtang asked.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "In the kitchen."
Yu Qingtang went to the kitchen to pour water for her. Cheng Zhanxi followed behind like a little tail, sticking close.
So scared? Then why did she agree to go to the haunted house?
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi, whose complexion had initially improved, and poured her a cup of water that was neither too hot nor too cold.
Cheng Zhanxi was still wearing her coat. She held the warm water with both hands and drank slowly, like a child awakened from a nightmare, being comforted.
Yu Qingtang couldn't help but gently stroke her hair.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly looked up and blinked at her.
Yu Qingtang's knuckles paused slightly. An indescribable impulse surged in her heart, layered with a craving.
Her hand separated the hair behind Cheng Zhanxi's head, her fingertips weaving in, slowly supporting the back of her neck. Her fingertips touched the warm skin, slowly moving across it.
She wanted to...
She didn't know what she wanted to do, just instinctively touching her, like a traveler in the desert conserving the only water source, moistening her dry throat drop by drop.
Cheng Zhanxi finished the water, put down the cup, and proactively hugged her.
Yu Qingtang's fingertips were still resting on the back of her neck. Her other hand lifted and wrapped around the woman's slender waist.
This hug didn't seem initiated by Cheng Zhanxi, but rather controlled by Yu Qingtang. She completely enveloped Cheng Zhanxi in her embrace. That burning craving was temporarily relieved. Her five fingers combed through Cheng Zhanxi's long hair behind her back, her movements gentle, making her feel very comfortable.
Not just the physical comfort of the embrace, but also a sense of peace in her soul, so much so that she ignored the faint greed and dissatisfaction in her heart.
She wished this moment could last forever, eternally.
Just her, and Cheng Zhanxi.
She used her cool, smooth chin to rub against Cheng Zhanxi's ear and neck in this posture. Cheng Zhanxi wasn't prepared, laughed and shrank back, saying, "It tickles..." Her voice was soft and delicate, sweet and sticky, like an overturned honey pot, sweetening one's heart.
Yu Qingtang rubbed her again.
Cheng Zhanxi wasn't that ticklish, but in this velvety night, her entire being deeply stirred for the woman in her arms, every cell itching for her. So she laughed and dodged, cooperating with her touch.
The two played affectionately in the kitchen. Cheng Zhanxi suddenly felt a soft touch brush past her earlobe. She paused almost imperceptibly, then continued nonchalantly.
After a while, Yu Qingtang seemed tired and released her.
Cheng Zhanxi pretended not to notice anything and looked into her eyes. Yu Qingtang lowered her eyelids slightly, then calmly met her gaze, asking softly, "To the living room?"
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, her voice lilting upwards, "Okay."
The two returned to the living room one after the other. Yu Qingtang turned on the television.
Yu Qingtang held the remote control, unconsciously acting as if she were at home, asking naturally, "What do you want to watch?"
Cheng Zhanxi sat on the sofa. The air conditioner in the living room had warmed up. She took off the coat, draping a thin blanket over her legs, and said, "Anything is fine."
Yu Qingtang turned to look at her, calmly asking, "'The Ring'?"
Cheng Zhanxi stared blankly at her for three seconds, blinked slowly, only then reacting to what she had said.
Cheng Zhanxi opened her mouth. A few seconds later, a whimper squeezed out from her throat.
Then she quickly grabbed two tissues from the coffee table box, covered her eyes, and couldn't stop sobbing, "Wuwuwu..."
Cheng Zhanxi cried, scared to tears.
Yu Qingtang stood frozen in place, momentarily helpless. Remembering she was the culprit who scared her, she felt both annoyed and self-reproachful. Immediately, a wave of heartache washed over everything. She quickly went over, sat beside her, learned from TV dramas how the male lead comforts the female lead, pulled her into her arms, and gently patted her back.
Her voice was unprecedentedly gentle, "I was wrong, please don't cry, okay?"
"Wuwuwuwu..." Cheng Zhanxi sobbed as she accused, "Why did you mention that."
Yu Qingtang choked.
Her lips parted slightly, but she didn't know what to say. Could she say she just wanted to tease her, not expecting the consequences to be so severe?
Yu Qingtang gently rubbed her ear against her cheek and said, "I know I was wrong, I'll never do it again."
Cheng Zhanxi: "No!"
Yu Qingtang: "?"
Cheng Zhanxi, even while crying, remained rational, sobbing, "I like being scared by you, wuwuwu..."
Yu Qingtang: "..."
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, finally curving her lips into a smile, gently patting the woman's trembling back.
Cheng Zhanxi cried in her arms for a while, feeling she had lost too much face. Before she could win her over, she had already shown her this side. She didn't think this side was bad; being afraid of ghosts wasn't a big deal. It was just that she felt embarrassed, always wanting to maintain a good image in front of the person she liked.
Cheng Zhanxi pressed the tissues against her eyes, lifted her head from Yu Qingtang's shoulder, closed her eyes, tried to make her voice sound normal, and said, "You go do your thing, I'll be fine after resting for a bit."
Yu Qingtang had nothing to do. Even if she did, seeing Cheng Zhanxi like this, she would have forgotten everything.
She wasn't a perfect person. She had things she feared, things she was afraid of. Hearing her mention a horror movie title after coming back from the haunted house scared her into tears, cute and pitiful. Yu Qingtang felt a surge of protectiveness, wanting to cherish her, wanting to give her all the softness in her heart without reservation.
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't see, but she could feel the light dim before her. Yu Qingtang approached her. Then her cheeks were held by two hands, the woman's cool fingertips gently wiping away the tears on her face.
Yu Qingtang leaned over, closed her eyes, and placed a light kiss on Cheng Zhanxi's forehead.
Cheng Zhanxi froze.
Yu Qingtang hugged her again, gently patting her back.
Cheng Zhanxi released her hands, the tissues covering her eyes falling away. She wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"Can we watch 'Friends'?" Yu Qingtang held the remote control, standing before the television screen.
Cheng Zhanxi's eyes were slightly red and swollen, but she nodded obediently, wrapped in a blanket.
Yu Qingtang selected the first season, first episode, pressed play, then paused, followed Cheng Zhanxi's instructions to find snacks and drinks, placed them on the coffee table. Finally, Cheng Zhanxi lifted the blanket and patted the spot beside her.
Yu Qingtang sat down, Cheng Zhanxi lowered the thin blanket, tucking the corners in for her.
Yu Qingtang picked up the remote control and officially started playing.
"Friends," translated into Chinese as "Lao You Ji," was, like "The Ring," a TV show Yu Qingtang had heard of but never watched. She had no interest in it. Her only hobby, or rather, the only thing she focused on, was studying, isolating herself from the world.
During her time at Jinghua University, her roommates, despite being busy, would still watch novels and TV shows, occasionally buying albums to relax from the high-pressure studying. Only Yu Qingtang maintained a three-point routine—library, cafeteria, dormitory—coming and going alone, earphones plugged in, listening to whatever song played, living a life devoid of emotion and desire.
Yu Qingtang watched the American drama before her, deftly tearing open the serrated edge of the beef jerky packaging.
Cheng Zhanxi applauded enthusiastically beside her, "Wow, amazing." The scene was extremely exaggerated.
"..." Yu Qingtang stuffed the beef jerky into her mouth, blocking it. Cheng Zhanxi smiled until her eyes curved.
Yu Qingtang also smiled.
She took the beef jerky out of Cheng Zhanxi's mouth, let her bite off a piece against her hand, then held it for her.
She experienced the joy of feeding Cheng Zhanxi.
The weather was cold, the air conditioner maintained a temperature of 26 degrees. Both wore long pajamas, legs long, curled up under the blanket. Soon, they started feeling hot. Cheng Zhanxi was afraid of the heat and didn't want to miss the opportunity to share a blanket, so her legs kept moving restlessly under the blanket, trying to dissipate the rising heat.
Yu Qingtang, however, was very proper, sitting motionless, watching TV intently.
At some point, Cheng Zhanxi's foot touched something cool, bringing great relief. She moved closer, realizing belatedly it was Yu Qingtang's smooth, cool instep. She subtly glanced over; Yu Qingtang was holding a bag of shrimp crackers, taking one out and putting it in her mouth, showing no abnormality.
Cheng Zhanxi moved closer bit by bit, her forefoot pressing against her instep. The warmth seeped into the coolness, and the coolness also turned warm, like rising water temperature.
Yu Qingtang held the shrimp cracker, not bringing it to her mouth for a long time.
Cheng Zhanxi turned around, using her smooth instep to rub against hers, back and forth. Not only did it fail to cool down, but the warm water grew hotter.
Yu Qingtang slowly lifted her hand, putting the shrimp cracker into her mouth, chewing without tasting.
Moist, hot.
Cheng Zhanxi's instep touched the woman's delicate, slender ankle.
Yu Qingtang shrank back slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi grasped the measure, retreated to her original spot, and continued the entanglement.
The TV played two or three episodes. Trash bags filled with snack wrappers accumulated in the bin. Cheng Zhanxi's upper and lower eyelids fought, her head resting on Yu Qingtang's shoulder, drowsy.
She knew Yu Qingtang couldn't carry her princess-style, so she consciously suggested wanting to go back to her room to sleep.
Yu Qingtang turned off the TV and asked, "Still scared?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Scared." She looked at Yu Qingtang, "Can you sleep with me, or wait until I fall asleep before leaving?"
Yu Qingtang unexpectedly chose the second option.
The first option was currently impossible. Cheng Zhanxi was just mentioning it, gambling on a one-in-ten-thousand chance.
Yu Qingtang entered Cheng Zhanxi's bedroom for the first time. It was almost identical in layout to her own bedroom, with an added orange single sofa, a floor lamp, and a white small coffee table in front of the sofa, likely where she sat looking out the floor-to-ceiling window at the night view.
She was someone who lived freely and had a taste for life. Anyone with her would inevitably be influenced, feeling that life and living were so worthy of love.
Yu Qingtang retracted her gaze from the window, turning back to see another tightly closed door opposite the bedroom. A dark wooden sign hung on the door, the back facing outwards, blank.
Cheng Zhanxi followed her gaze, walked over, flipped the wooden sign over. The rectangular sign read: Do Not Disturb.
"This is my studio," Cheng Zhanxi introduced. "Because I like quiet when painting, having someone around affects me, so I hung a sign on the door. This house currently has no one else coming in, but I've kept the previous habit."
Yu Qingtang waited for Cheng Zhanxi's invitation. Logically, the host should show the guest around the studio, especially given their relationship.
But Cheng Zhanxi just smiled and said, "I'll show you next time when I have time."
Yu Qingtang hummed, her mood uncontrollably sinking.
Was there something inside? Something she couldn't see right now?
Thinking again, it was so late, looking another day was normal.
But just opening the door for a glance wouldn't take much time, right? It wasn't like she had to see everything tonight.
Two voices argued back and forth in her mind. She turned back to look at the studio door, pursing her lips.
Cheng Zhanxi lay down in the covers, one hand exposed, held by Yu Qingtang.
The room had a wall lamp on, casting a warm yellow glow, filling the entire room, dyeing Yu Qingtang, sitting by the bed, with a soft halo.
Cheng Zhanxi's fingertips gently pinched the woman's hand back, saying, "I was scared and had my sister sleep with me. Xiang Tianyou was so scared this afternoon, I wonder if he dares sleep alone tonight." His father Xiang Kang and stepmother were lovey-dovey; where would they find time for him?
Yu Qingtang lowered her head to look at her restless fingers, moved her gaze to her face, and said flatly, "Shall I ask him?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Ask him."
Yu Qingtang's phone was in 2101. Cheng Zhanxi said, "Use mine."
Her phone was on the bedside table, a white iPhone with a thin, transparent case.
Yu Qingtang hesitated before picking it up. Cheng Zhanxi said, "Password is 2102."
Yu Qingtang's fingertips paused, looked up at her, her expression indiscernible.
The WeChat icon was in the frequently used bar, green and conspicuous. Yu Qingtang didn't look closely, directly tapping into it.
The pinned chat avatar was white, coldly framed in a square box, remarked: Yu Tangtang.
Yu Qingtang's gaze lingered on the screen for an extra second, a soft emotion spreading, making her look towards Cheng Zhanxi, who was smiling at her, her eyes gentle.
Yu Qingtang's ears warmed slightly. Her fingertips slid down, searching for Xiang Tianyou's chat window.
In the brief scan, she saw many avatars of various styles, the last message in the chat window. It felt like she was closer to Cheng Zhanxi's life, understanding her a little more, even in this way. At the same time, an unavoidable sense of loss arose; her life seemed so vibrant, so distant.
In just a few seconds, several emotions flowed through her heart, more than her fluctuations in the past year.
Yu Qingtang composed herself, tapped into Xiang Tianyou's chat window, and asked Cheng Zhanxi, "What should I send him?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "Ask him if he's asleep. Did he get scared and unable to sleep after the haunted house? Send both sentences together, don't separate them, add a few 'hahaha's at the end."
Yu Qingtang did as instructed.
Xiang Tianyou replied instantly: [Not asleep]
He sent a screenshot of the PS4 game interface.
[I decided to play games all night, survive until dawn and I win! Teacher Cheng, we're both in the same boat, is there any point in laughing at each other?]
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Reply to him: Of course there is, I have Teacher Yu with me."
"..." Yu Qingtang hesitated, saying, "Isn't this a bit..." She thought of a word but didn't want to use it on Cheng Zhanxi.
"Annoying?" Cheng Zhanxi smiled. "It's okay, kids this age, who hasn't teased each other a few times." She and Xiang Tianyou were like friends as much as teacher and student, not putting on airs.
Yu Qingtang did as instructed again.
Xiang Tianyou: [So what if you have a girlfriend? Believe it or not, I'll find one too]
Yu Qingtang didn't repeat it, directly showing the phone to Cheng Zhanxi.
Cheng Zhanxi let out a soft "ah," saying righteously to Yu Qingtang, "They still think this way, it's all rumors, Teacher Yu, don't mind it."
Yu Qingtang hummed softly, almost inaudibly, lowering her eyes.
Although Cheng Zhanxi spoke the truth, hearing it at this moment, she didn't want to agree.
Yu Qingtang silently took a breath, focused her thoughts on Xiang Tianyou, and asked, "Won't this lead to him dating early? What if he really finds a girlfriend?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "If he really wanted a girlfriend because of one sentence, he would have done it long ago, wouldn't wait until now. Xiang Tianyou's family situation, he's either extremely cautious about relationships or extremely indulgent. He's so handsome, if he really wanted a girlfriend, he'd have gone through several by now, but he hasn't, meaning he has no intention."
Yu Qingtang was convinced.
Cheng Zhanxi's thoughts stirred, a playful smile appearing as she asked, "Teacher Yu, do you know how many couples are dating in your class?"
Yu Qingtang's eyes widened.
That expression clearly said: There are couples dating in our class?
Cheng Zhanxi wasn't surprised at all. Yu Qingtang was incredibly slow in emotional matters. Let alone paying attention to others, even if a couple held hands in front of her, she'd probably think it was pure classmate affection.
Student dating was a test every homeroom teacher faced. Yu Qingtang asked humbly, "Who are they?"
It wasn't necessarily about breaking them up, but basic understanding was necessary.
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat and said, "Xing Bailu and He Shuangjiang."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Zhanxi saw Yu Qingtang's astonished expression, making her want to laugh.
Yu Qingtang fell silent for a moment, then said, "After the mid-term exam seat adjustment, Xing Bailu said she wanted to sit with He Shuangjiang, so I arranged them together."
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't help laughing, "Hahahaha."
Yu Qingtang wondered, "I haven't seen them act particularly intimate."
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't stop laughing, "Wake up, you're the homeroom teacher. If they let you see, wouldn't they be finished?"
Yu Qingtang asked strangely, "Did you see them?"
Cheng Zhanxi thought: Do I need to see? At first, they held hands shyly, afraid the teacher would see. Their gazes towards each other were filled with affection. They stuck together like glue. The whole class knew, only you didn't notice.
Cheng Zhanxi said mysteriously, "I have my sources."
Yu Qingtang reached out and pinched her ear as a slight punishment.
Yu Qingtang noted it down inwardly and asked, "Anyone else?"
Cheng Zhanxi mentioned two more pairs, one dating within the class, another girl dating a boy from another class. Don't ask, asking meant Cheng Zhanxi had sharp eyes and ears, exceptionally observant.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "There's one more pair, I'm not sure."
Yu Qingtang listened attentively.
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Li Lan and Lian Yabing."
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi held her hand before her eyes and waved it, "Teacher Yu, Teacher Yu? What's wrong?"
Yu Qingtang took her hand down, held it naturally, and after a long while, asked somewhat uncertainly, "I've failed as a homeroom teacher. I thought everyone in our class was focused on studying, not dating, but unexpectedly..." She sighed softly and asked, "What about Li Lan and Lian Yabing?"
One was the class monitor, the other the math representative, truly under her nose every day. How could it be?
Yu Qingtang felt even more lost than when she received the joint petition.
"I'm just guessing. They seem a bit ambiguous lately, maybe about to get together."
"What is ambiguity?" Yu Qingtang asked sincerely, her eyes clear and innocent.
Cheng Zhanxi thought: You and I are ambiguous right now.
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat and said seriously, "Ambiguity is something that can only be felt, not explained. Pay more attention to them usually, and you'll know. If you still don't understand, ask me again."
"Okay, thank you for the reminder, Teacher Cheng," Yu Qingtang said sincerely, completely unaware she was stepping onto a pirate ship.
Her phone vibrated nearby.
It was Xiang Tianyou, who hadn't received a reply for several minutes: [Teacher Cheng, where are you?]
Cheng Zhanxi picked up the phone and replied personally: [Reading a book]
Xiang Tianyou: [Liar]
Cheng Zhanxi: [Lying makes me a puppy]
She was reading Yu Qingtang, this wordless heavenly book. Others saw only blankness, only Cheng Zhanxi could interpret the true content beneath the surface.
Cheng Zhanxi: [Finished your homework?]
Xiang Tianyou replied defiantly: [Won't do it]
Cheng Zhanxi: [Liar, won't Xiao Yuan search?]
Xiang Tianyou was startled.
[Aren't you a PE teacher?]
[What's wrong with PE teachers? Do you look down on PE teachers? Without a healthy body, how can China be strong! Without a healthy body, how can you have the energy to play games!] Cheng Zhanxi typed rapidly. [Finished your homework or not? If not, hurry up and do it. If you don't know, take a picture. If you still don't know, send it directly to me and Teacher Yu. Do your math paper first. What's the point of playing games all day? Aren't you tired? The game is tired of you. Have you considered the game's feelings? No! You only care about yourself!]
The two went back and forth. Cheng Zhanxi finally looked at her phone, locked the screen, let out a long breath, turned her head towards the astonished Yu Qingtang, and smiled, "Alright, he went to do his math paper."
Yu Qingtang hadn't recovered yet.
Cheng Zhanxi reached out her palm, helped her close her jaw, her fingertips brushing against the soft flesh of her chin.
Yu Qingtang swallowed.
"Teacher Cheng..."
Cheng Zhanxi knew what she wanted to say and humbly smiled, "You flatter me."
Yu Qingtang looked at her sparkling eyes.
Even though Cheng Zhanxi was narcissistic, being looked at like this by the person she liked made her feel a bit shy.
Yu Qingtang suddenly reached out, cupped her lowered face, her fingertips stroking it, hot.
Why?
Cheng Zhanxi cooperated with her hand movements, lifted her eyelids, her gaze burning as it landed on her heart, making her face heat up too.
Yu Qingtang's fingertips moved, from her cheek to her chin, gently pinching it, forcing her to lift her head, looking into her dark eyes.
Cheng Zhanxi's breathing grew heavy, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She thought Yu Qingtang was going to kiss her, almost instinctively closing her eyes. But Yu Qingtang, learning from her example, just used her fingertips to tease her chin, then withdrew her slender fingers.
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
She had already closed her eyes, and you show me this?
Cheng Zhanxi's eyes darkened.
Cheng Zhanxi fantasized in her mind about pressing Yu Qingtang onto the pillow and kissing her a thousand, ten thousand times, kissing her until she couldn't breathe, only letting out soft, weak moans. In reality, she just closed her eyes, slowly dispelled the excessive thoughts, propped herself up on the bed with her elbow, and slid into the covers.
"I'm going to sleep," Cheng Zhanxi said extremely calmly. If she didn't sleep now, she'd be completely driven crazy by the teasing.
"Okay." Yu Qingtang pulled the blanket up, covering her shoulders, gently tucking in the corners.
"Goodnight, Teacher Yu."
"Goodnight, Cheng Zhanxi."
Cheng Zhanxi, half-asleep, opened her eyes slightly. She felt a bit sleepy, her voice carrying a slight lazy nasal tone as she asked, "Why do you always like calling my full name lately?"
"Don't you like it?" Yu Qingtang asked back.
"No, just feels a bit strange." Cheng Zhanxi smiled, yawned, and closed her eyes again.
"Then... Xixi?"
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