After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Class 7's Monday morning English and Math classes had their order swapped again.
The class bell rang. Yang Li entered from the classroom door, walked to the podium, and announced, "Teacher Yu has something to attend to. I'll cover her class later."
Then she reviewed key concepts with the students, had them do in-class exercises, and went over them immediately.
The students were used to it. With the final exams just two days away, all their attention was focused on reviewing, and they paid little mind to other matters, not even having time to discuss gossip.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't tell Xiang Tianyou about the thugs; the adults' matter had already been resolved among the adults.
When Yu Qingtang returned after her class, the morning was almost over.
In the office, with only the two of them present, Yu Qingtang asked Cheng Zhanxi, "Teacher Cheng, what day is your flight back?"
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Saturday."
So soon? Yu Qingtang frowned.
The first-year high school students would start their final exams on Wednesday, lasting for three days, meaning they would end on Friday, and Saturday would be the official start of the winter break. Cheng Zhanxi wasn't going to stay even an extra day?
Cheng Zhanxi sighed and explained, "I have work in the Capital City." Her assistant had scheduled a meeting with an art dealer for Sunday, which was already the latest possible date. During their last video call, her mother had even told her to come home immediately; she had managed to push it to Saturday only by saying she had some matters to attend to.
Yu Qingtang expressed her understanding, "Work is important."
Cheng Zhanxi asked, "Will Teacher Yu be staying here? Or going directly back to your grandmother's place?"
Yu Qingtang paused for a moment before saying, "Back to my grandmother's place."
If Cheng Zhanxi weren't leaving, she had originally planned to stay here for a few days.
Due to the impending separation, the atmosphere between them was a bit heavy. Even the eloquent Cheng Zhanxi was momentarily at a loss for words to ease the tension.
Just then, Yu Qingtang said, "Could you give me a painting?"
Cheng Zhanxi: "A painting of you?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head, "No, a painting of yourself."
Cheng Zhanxi covered her face with her hand, "I'm a little shy."
Yu Qingtang: "..."
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat and said seriously, "Alright, I'll paint it for you when I get back. But I need to get a photo taken first, otherwise I won't have a reference. Are you free now?"
Half an hour later.
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang were sitting together in a photo studio, holding a brochure given to them by a staff member.
The staff member, beaming, introduced their studio's photo packages, which offered a complete range of styles: ancient, Republican era, Korean, modern, and more.
Yu Qingtang's mind was in a daze; she still hadn't figured out how Cheng Zhanxi getting a photo taken had turned into her having to take a group photo with her.
The staff member glanced at them, flipped through the brochure in Cheng Zhanxi's hand, pointed to a specific page, and specially introduced, "We also have wedding photos here. We offer a wide variety of wedding dress styles for you to choose from."
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled twice and said, "We won't be needing that."
How could wedding photos be taken casually at a roadside shop? But the staff member did have a good eye.
She didn't notice the slight dimming in Yu Qingtang's eyes.
Yu Qingtang quietly took a light breath and lowered her eyelids, her expression unchanged.
Cheng Zhanxi turned her head and asked Yu Qingtang, "I think this set looks good, what do you think?"
Yu Qingtang forced herself to rally her spirits and looked where Cheng Zhanxi's finger was pointing. It was a set of photos with a particularly strong narrative feel, similar to a cinematic close-up style.
Yu Qingtang's features were delicate and refined, the beauty mark at the upward tilt of her eye corner could be either gentle or charming; her every move seemed to tell a story from the mortal world.
The staff member seized the opportunity, "Miss, you have excellent taste! This is our most popular package recently. I even got a set done myself."
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, not exposing her.
"What does Teacher Yu think?" She directed her gaze only at Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang bit her lower lip slightly, shook her head, and said, "You go ahead and take them."
She was still a little resistant to taking group photos.
Cheng Zhanxi thought for a moment and said, "Alright then, can you pick a package for me?" She had to proceed step by step.
She handed over the brochure, but Yu Qingtang neither took it nor looked at it.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Hmm?"
Yu Qingtang said, "Just wear your own clothes for the photo."
Cheng Zhanxi blinked.
Yu Qingtang's earlobes grew slightly warm, and her voice softened as she said, "You look best like this."
Cheng Zhanxi smiled.
Yu Qingtang's ears felt like they were burning.
Cheng Zhanxi reached out and touched her hot ear, then looked up at the staff member waiting nearby and said, "Can we just take them like this?"
The staff member, not giving up, forced a smile and said in a warm and sweet voice, "Are you sure you don't want to try one of our packages? They're affordable and a great value, and with the current promotion, it's only..."
Cheng Zhanxi: "No, thank you." She glanced at Yu Qingtang, her fair fingertips lifting a strand of dark hair from in front of her, and said in an ambiguous tone, "My... she doesn't like it." She looked at the staff member and politely declined, "Sorry about that."
The staff member's attitude visibly cooled.
She put away the brochure and said in a flat, emotionless voice, "The photo shoot is this way, please follow me."
After Cheng Zhanxi had her photos taken and developed, she came out and joked with Yu Qingtang, "You're going to get blacklisted by this shop for wasting their emotions."
Yu Qingtang: "I don't even know her, I don't need her emotions." She said it so seriously that Cheng Zhanxi couldn't tell if she was being earnest or joking.
Cheng Zhanxi voiced her question.
Yu Qingtang frowned, still using a serious tone, "I was joking, couldn't you tell?"
Cheng Zhanxi burst out laughing, "Hahahahaha."
Yu Qingtang raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, the corners of her lips curving up.
The two walked back to the residential complex hand in hand. Suddenly, Cheng Zhanxi let go of Yu Qingtang's hand and ran forward.
Yu Qingtang's heart skipped a beat. A huge wave of panic washed over her, making the blood in her veins seem to instantly lose its warmth, her hands and feet turning ice-cold.
Cheng Zhanxi stopped a short distance away, turned around, and raised her phone. But in the camera lens, she saw Yu Qingtang standing rooted to the spot, looking lost and dazed, as if harboring immense sorrow.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Yu Qingtang?"
Yu Qingtang turned her lifeless eyes towards her.
Cheng Zhanxi walked back, concern clouding her eyes, "What's wrong with you?"
Yu Qingtang's eyes remained still. "I'm fine. Why did you..." She paused, struggling to control the tremor in her voice, before calmly asking, "suddenly run off?"
Cheng Zhanxi waved the phone in her hand, "I just wanted to take a picture of you."
A flicker of regret crossed her face.
She knew Yu Qingtang lacked a sense of security and was afraid of her disappearing, but she hadn't expected such a strong reaction to such a small action.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Cheng Zhanxi took her hand again and promised earnestly.
"It's fine." Yu Qingtang knew she was overreacting, that it was her problem, unrelated to Cheng Zhanxi. Cheng Zhanxi didn't need to change anything, didn't need to become overly cautious to accommodate her fragile heart. She was the bright moon hanging high in the ninth heaven, while she herself was merely a prostrate believer, kissing the moonlight she scattered upon the mortal world.
"I'm fine," Yu Qingtang repeated, her expression returning to normal. "Go ahead and take the picture."
Cheng Zhanxi confirmed that her expression was normal before slowly walking back to her previous spot and taking a few pictures of her with her phone.
Cheng Zhanxi beckoned her over and showed her the photos.
"What are you taking these for?"
"I won't see you during the winter break, so looking at photos will be nice." Cheng Zhanxi had completely adapted to the fact that the person in front of her was both her sweetheart and childhood playmate. She said, "All these years, I've really regretted not taking photos with you before. I couldn't even remember what you looked like."
Yu Qingtang also recalled those childhood days, her expression softening. "Mm," she smiled and said, "Actually, me too."
Cheng Zhanxi put her phone back in her pocket and said as they walked, "When we have time, let's go back to the countryside, revisit old places. Hmm, I wonder if that mountain is still there. If it is, we can play by the stream and soak our feet. We can go in spring or autumn, or even in summer when it's not too hot."
A look of longing appeared in Yu Qingtang's eyes, making her dark pupils seem even brighter.
"Okay."
"Shall I pick a bouquet of wildflowers for you? You've given them to me, but I haven't given any to you. That's not fair to you."
"...Do we really need to be so particular about it?"
"Yes, yes, we do."
The young lady at the front desk on the first floor saw the glass door open and two figures enter together. She put on a sweet smile and said, "Good afternoon, you two."
Cheng Zhanxi was animatedly saying something to Yu Qingtang, who listened with a smile, agreeing to everything.
The front desk lady, who had just finished lunch, let out a burp.
The two, who had been chatting all the way, stopped before entering the elevator. They turned around at the same time, and Cheng Zhanxi said, "Miss, were you just talking to us?"
The front desk lady nodded, "Good afternoon, you two."
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang smiled simultaneously, "Good afternoon."
One was bright and stunning, the other delicate and elegant, like two flowers swaying in the breeze, blooming to their fullest, nestled together. The front desk lady was momentarily dazzled, and by the time she came to her senses, the two had already disappeared into the elevator.
Monday afternoon, Class 7's PE class, also the last PE class of the semester.
The students acted very reluctant to part. A perfectly normal PE class had its atmosphere built up more and more, making it seem like a tragic farewell.
Tong Feifei's eyes were filled with tears.
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't help but interrupt, "That's enough. It's not like I'm not coming back. Once winter break starts, you'll all go wild, and you probably won't even remember my surname."
Tong Feifei hugged Cheng Zhanxi's arm, pressed her face against her shoulder, and said, "No, no, I'll definitely think of you every day."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Thanks, but don't wipe your snot on my clothes."
Tong Feifei burst out laughing, "What snot?"
The other girls also giggled together.
Xing Bailu fell into He Shuangjiang's arms.
Li Lan took the opportunity to also...
Lian Yabing looked at Li Lan, who was resting her head on her lap, and asked strangely, "Class Monitor, are you not feeling well?"
"..."
Li Lan sat up, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Lian Yabing muttered to herself, "Not feeling unwell, huh?"
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat forcefully, suppressing the laughter bubbling up in her throat.
Be a role model, be a role model.
Li Lan took a deep breath and looked at Lian Yabing.
Lian Yabing's eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at her.
The corners of Li Lan's lips turned up.
"Teacher Yu!" Lian Yabing said, "Teacher Cheng, quick, look behind you!"
Cheng Zhanxi and the students turned around together.
A familiar figure approached from a distance; Yu Qingtang, in a black overcoat, gradually came into clear view.
The students consciously moved away from the soft mats. Many of them winked and nudged Cheng Zhanxi, who shooed them away with her eyes before smiling at the newcomer.
Yu Qingtang uncomfortably tucked her hair behind her ear, placed one hand on the soft mat, and sat down beside Cheng Zhanxi. Looking at the students' retreating backs, she asked, trying to make small talk, "Why did they all leave?"
Cheng Zhanxi spouted nonsense, "Teacher Yu is too beautiful, they felt ashamed of their own appearance."
Yu Qingtang couldn't resist pinching her cheek. It felt smooth and delicate, so she lingered for a couple more touches.
Before Yu Qingtang could withdraw her hand, Cheng Zhanxi grasped it, nuzzled her own face into her palm, and closed her eyes.
Under a large tree not far away, the "melon-eating" students whispered to each other.
Li Lan said in a serious, solemn voice, "The one who screamed that day must have been Teacher Cheng. Does Teacher Yu being a 'restrained seme' even need explaining?"
Tong Feifei: "What can you tell just from a face touch? Don't be too outrageous, you biased fan!"
Lian Yabing: "Hehehe, hehehe."
He Shuangjiang tugged Xing Bailu's hand and whispered, "Lulu, let's stay a bit further away from them."
Xing Bailu nodded.
Yu Qingtang hadn't actually come to find Cheng Zhanxi for anything specific, and Cheng Zhanxi knew she had no particular reason. It was just to seize more time together before the winter break. The two sat shoulder to shoulder, basking in the winter sunlight, chatting idly. When the bell rang, they returned to the office together.
In the evening, Cheng Zhanxi went into her studio. She pasted the printed photo directly opposite her, where a blank canvas sat on the easel. She planned to paint a self-portrait to give to Yu Qingtang.
Cheng Zhanxi didn't often paint herself. Firstly, she preferred using live models, and secondly, because situations like the current one tended to arise.
Cheng Zhanxi stared motionlessly at her own photo: almond-shaped, captivating eyes, a fair and slender neck, sloping shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs. Her face and figure were flawless. The 99 points from God was a score Cheng Zhanxi gave herself; she was afraid of becoming arrogant, so she deducted one point for modesty.
The premise for modesty was that she didn't stare at herself for too long. Under Cheng Zhanxi's objective appreciation, that one point jumped back up, reaching a perfect score.
It took Cheng Zhanxi quite a while to remember to mix paints on her palette. She mixed the colors, and just as she picked up her brush, she zoned out again, an involuntary smile spreading across her face.
Heavens, she was born far too beautiful, wasn't she? Hmm, only Yu Qingtang could compare with her. Yu Qingtang got 101 points.
Thinking of Yu Qingtang, Cheng Zhanxi's wandering spirit returned to her body. She patted her own face, which was sore from smiling, and forced herself to concentrate on observing the photo.
Cheng Zhanxi closed her eyes, then opened them again. Her gaze was clear as she made the first stroke on the blank canvas.
In apartment 2101, just a hallway away, Yu Qingtang sat on her bed, holding a photo in her hands.
It was one from the set of photos Cheng Zhanxi had taken today. She had taken off her overcoat, revealing a dark green sweater underneath. Her long, curly hair cascaded down her back, exposing the clear, elegant lines of her neck, exuding an exceptionally gentle aura.
Yu Qingtang piously closed her eyes, her lips carefully approaching Cheng Zhanxi in the photo. When she was still a few centimeters away from the photo, Yu Qingtang stopped, opened her eyes, took a tissue from the box, and wiped the laminated surface of the photo. She only stopped when she could see no dust on it under the light.
She tucked the photo into a thick professional book on her bedside table. Yu Qingtang then went online and meticulously selected a beautiful, exquisite photo frame, filling in her grandparents' address in the old district as the delivery address.
Through the book, she cherishedly hugged the photo to her chest.
...
The moon hung high in the sky; all was still and silent.
Cheng Zhanxi yawned, rubbed her brow to refresh herself, and continued painting.
Yu Qingtang woke up startled in the middle of the night, her heart pounding. She turned on the table lamp, opened the book on her bedside table, and only after finding the photo inside did she let out a long breath and fall back asleep.
...
Tuesday, the day before the final exams.
After finishing her last class of the semester, Wen Zhihan came in and headed straight for Cheng Zhanxi's desk, rapping her knuckles on the tabletop.
Cheng Zhanxi: "?"
Wen Zhihan lowered her voice, "I need to talk to you."
Cheng Zhanxi didn't waste words. She stuffed her colored pencils and sketchbook into the drawer and got up from behind her desk.
Wen Zhihan added, "Grab your bag."
Cheng Zhanxi followed her instructions one by one.
Yu Qingtang's gaze had been fixed on the two of them ever since Wen Zhihan approached Cheng Zhanxi's desk. Her knuckles tightened around her pen.
When did those two become so in sync?
Cheng Zhanxi turned her head and said to Yu Qingtang, "Teacher Yu, I'm stepping out for a bit."
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi: "Wen Zhihan, let's go."
Wen Zhihan also nodded.
The two left the office one after the other, each carrying their bag. It looked like they wouldn't be back anytime soon.
Yu Qingtang watched their figures leave side by side past the window. Cheng Zhanxi's face happened to be turned in Yu Qingtang's direction, and through the windowpane, she saw Cheng Zhanxi smiling.
She calls her Teacher Yu, but calls Wen Zhihan by her full name, Wen Zhihan. Does she think Wen Zhihan's name sounds better than hers?
Why was she smiling at Wen Zhihan? What were they talking about? What were they about to say?
Yu Qingtang put down her pen, her hand resting on the edge of the desk. By the time she realized it, she had already half-risen from her seat, her feet pointing towards the exit, as if she wanted to chase after them.
After a long moment, Yu Qingtang slowly sat back down, a self-deprecating curve forming on her lips.
...
A coffee shop near the school.
Wen Zhihan put down her bag and asked Cheng Zhanxi, who was sitting opposite her, "What would you like to drink?"
"Plain water," Cheng Zhanxi said. "There's no need for pleasantries between us, right?"
Wen Zhihan smiled.
Others dispense with pleasantries because of deep friendship; these two did so purely out of mutual dislike.
Wen Zhihan called over a waiter, "One latte, and one lemonade." She smiled at Cheng Zhanxi, "You don't mind, do you?"
Cheng Zhanxi shrugged.
It wasn't peak hour, so the coffee shop was not crowded. The coffee and water arrived quickly. Cheng Zhanxi grasped the handle of the latte cup, pulled it in front of herself, leaving the lemonade for Wen Zhihan, and said with an innocent smile, "You don't mind, do you?"
Wen Zhihan: "...Another mocha, please."
Cheng Zhanxi scoffed inwardly.
Childish.
Wen Zhihan had started elementary school at the normal age and was twenty-five this year, two years younger than Cheng Zhanxi, who was only half a year different in age from Yu Qingtang.
Wen Zhihan stirred the mocha in her porcelain cup with a small spoon and got straight to the point, "You two aren't together yet, are you?"
Cheng Zhanxi sighed and said, "Why are you so interested in other people's private affairs? Do you know why Xiao Ming's grandfather lived to be ninety-nine?"
Wen Zhihan: "I won't be at the school next semester. I'm going abroad to study."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Which country?"
Wen Zhihan: "The United States."
Cheng Zhanxi broke into her first genuinely radiant smile since seeing her, "Congratulations."
Wen Zhihan took a sip of coffee and remarked with a hint of incomprehension, "To think she actually likes someone like you." Someone who loves to show off her sharp tongue, childishly unlike a twenty-seven-year-old woman.
Cheng Zhanxi wasn't annoyed or angry; instead, she smiled and said, "Yeah, she just likes my type. Aren't you mad?"
Wen Zhihan glanced at the lemonade and said, "Honestly, a little. But there's nothing I can do about it."
Cheng Zhanxi said, "Having self-awareness is also a virtue. Don't be too self-deprecating."
Wen Zhihan smiled.
"Let me tell you a story."
"Who's the protagonist?"
"Me and Yu Qingtang."
"Not interested."
"Only me." Everything she had done was just a one-woman show to Yu Qingtang.
"Tell me then. If it's not good, I'm not paying."
Wen Zhihan couldn't help but smile again.
"If you keep smiling, I'll suspect you like me. Give up on that idea." Cheng Zhanxi bent her fair knuckles and tapped the table, urging, "Hurry up and tell it. After you're done, I need to go back and see Yu Qingtang. If she doesn't see me soon, she'll cry."
The corners of Wen Zhihan's lips turned up. After a moment, she calmed the sense of absurdity and ridiculousness in her heart and said, "I've liked her for seven years, and pursued her for seven years."
Wen Zhihan had thought that recounting this unrequited love would be filled with bitterness, but it wasn't. Seven years had passed like flowing water. Apart from her studies, the only significant, vivid part of her life was Yu Qingtang. Even though Yu Qingtang had never liked her back, she didn't regret it.
Wen Zhihan began to talk about their first meeting, how Yu Qingtang was a loner with a withdrawn personality, how she managed to get her class schedule, engineered "accidental" encounters on the road, in class, and at the library, and how she gradually became someone who could stand by her side, arranging to study together at the library.
Cheng Zhanxi listened while sipping her lemonade, feeling sour both from the drink and the story.
She didn't think Wen Zhihan would be so bored and peculiar as to invite her out just to recount her years of unrequited love. If that were really the case, she would splash the remaining half-glass of lemonade in her face.
Cheng Zhanxi listened quietly and attentively, gradually piecing together an image of Yu Qingtang from her narrative—a part of Yu Qingtang's life that she had missed.
Wen Zhihan said, "I bought her flowers, gave her chocolates, and insisted on being by her side on all important occasions like Qixi Festival, Valentine's Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, her birthday, and so on."
Cheng Zhanxi's jealousy flared. She couldn't help but say tartly, "Even if she didn't need you?"
Wen Zhihan's expression was calm, "Yes."
Yu Qingtang didn't even remember those days. She didn't go shopping, didn't watch movies, didn't celebrate birthdays or eat cake; she would only go to the library to study.
Cheng Zhanxi bit her straw, her feelings complicated. Even though the person opposite her was her love rival, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh.
Wen Zhihan: "But what I want to say isn't about how good I was to her, but that even after I treated her like that, she didn't realize I liked her, that I was pursuing her. It wasn't until the year I graduated with my master's degree, when I told her directly, 'I like you, the romantic kind of like, not the friendly kind,' that she told me, 'I'm sorry, I don't like you.'"
So, nearly seven years of companionship were, in her eyes, just friendship.
Cheng Zhanxi released the straw from her mouth, unconcealed shock in her eyes.
Wen Zhihan took a deep breath, "I don't know what stage you two are at, but since you're not together, you probably haven't confessed your feelings to each other yet. You might think she understands your feelings, but she might not actually be clear about them. Don't... make the same mistake I did." Cheng Zhanxi fell silent.
Wen Zhihan unclenched her fists, which had been resting on her lap. Her heavy tone lightened somewhat as she looked at the woman before her and said, "Are you Cheng Mo?"
Cheng Zhanxi's eye twitched, "How did you know?"
Wen Zhihan said, "I was bluffing."
She had occasionally seen Cheng Zhanxi sketching in a notebook in the office. Her technique looked very professional. Connecting the surname Cheng with someone related to Yu Qingtang, only Cheng Mo came to mind. It was a bit incredible, but...
Wen Zhihan smiled innocently, "So you really are."
Cheng Zhanxi: "..."
She had run along the riverbank for so many years, yet today she finally got her shoes wet.
Wen Zhihan picked up her coffee and took a sip, "Then, her liking you... seems somewhat justifiable?"
Cheng Zhanxi gritted her teeth, "If you don't know how to use idioms, you don't have to."
Wen Zhihan smiled faintly, "I'm uncultured, please forgive me."
Cheng Zhanxi calmed her mind for a moment and asked her, "Why did you say 'somewhat justifiable'?"
Wen Zhihan, believing in helping someone all the way, put down her coffee cup, clasped her hands on the table in front of her, and said, "She has always liked Cheng Mo. Don't you, as the person involved, know that?"
Cheng Zhanxi didn't reply, clearly tacitly admitting it.
Wen Zhihan's slight joy from having scored a point dissipated. She said, "It seems there are still many secrets between you two."
This corner of the coffee shop fell silent for a long time.
Wen Zhihan said, "Although I'm not in a position to say this, I still want to say, I hope you can treat her well and bring her happiness. And," she picked up her bag, stood up, paused as she passed by Cheng Zhanxi, and said in a low voice, "I wish you both the best."
Her flight back to the Capital City was tonight; she wouldn't appear again in the future.
—You might think she understands your feelings, but she might not actually be clear about them.
On the way back to school, Wen Zhihan's words echoed constantly in Cheng Zhanxi's mind.
So Yu Qingtang still didn't know she liked her? How could that be?!
She had thought Yu Qingtang was just slow to realize things before, not knowing there was love beyond friendship. Now that Yu Qingtang understood that what she felt for her wasn't just friendship, she should also understand that Cheng Zhanxi had liked her for a long time.
So, that wasn't the case?
Then what was her current situation?
Cheng Zhanxi's pace quickened. She jogged up the stairs and rushed into the office.
Yu Qingtang was getting water from the dispenser in the corner, her expression absentminded. Hot water overflowed from the rim of the cup, scalding her fingers. Her knuckles recoiled reflexively.
Clang—
The stainless steel thermos cup clattered to the floor.
Yu Qingtang frowned slightly, shook the hot water from her hand, and nonchalantly bent down to pick up the cup.
Just as her fingertips touched the outer shell of the cup, her hand was lifted by a pair of hands—fair and delicate, with clearly defined knuckles, slender and flawless, the hands of an artist.
A flicker of joy naturally appeared in Yu Qingtang's eyes. She looked up at the woman's face and said with pleasant surprise, "You're ba—"
Cheng Zhanxi's face was stern.
Yu Qingtang pressed her lips together.
Cheng Zhanxi held her scalded hand in one of hers, while her other hand pressed Yu Qingtang's shoulder, guiding her to sit down in her office chair. Yu Qingtang's gaze fell on the thermos on the floor, "That..."
Cheng Zhanxi said expressionlessly, "I'll throw it away later."
She was clearly angry. Yu Qingtang didn't dare to speak.
Cheng Zhanxi blew on her reddened knuckles and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Looking at Cheng Zhanxi's anxious and pained expression, Yu Qingtang changed her words as they reached her lips, "It hurts."
"It hurts, and you still went to pick up the thermos?" Cheng Zhanxi couldn't describe how her nerves had frayed at witnessing that scene. She had clearly frowned from the hot water burn, yet she carelessly shook her hand and went to pick up the cup. Was the cup more important or her hand?
Cheng Zhanxi snapped, "Is the cup gold-plated?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head obediently, "No."
Cheng Zhanxi said angrily, "Did someone give it to you? You treasure it so much?"
Yu Qingtang shook her head, "The school issued it."
Cheng Zhanxi looked down at the cup on the floor and vented her anger on it, "It's hideous!"
Yu Qingtang agreed, "Yes, it's hideous."
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't think of anything else to say, but she was still angry, puffing out her cheeks.
Yu Qingtang's unburned hand tugged at the corner of Cheng Zhanxi's clothes.
Cheng Zhanxi looked down at her, her face taut, "What?"
Yu Qingtang tilted her head up to look at her, tugged her sleeve again, her eyes and voice equally soft, "Don't be angry with me, okay?"
Little Theater:
Later, Yu Qingtang got her fingers all wet.
Yu Qingtang wanted to wipe her hands first, but Cheng Zhanxi, panting, held her back, not letting her go, the corners of her eyes flushed, "What time do you think it is? Hurry up!"
Lately, I've been quite busy and haven't been able to proofread chapters ahead of time, causing delays in the daily schedule. To manage this, I'm considering releasing chapters in batches when I get the chance. Let me know what you prefer!
Help me decide what to translate next by voting for the novels you're most interested in reading or suggesting ones you'd like to see translated.
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