After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 101
Chapter 101
The wilderness was vast, the sky low, dotted with countless stars.
All the tents lit up, resembling ever-bright stars scattered across the grassland, indifferent to the changing seasons or the passage of time.
The chirping of insects in the grass suddenly fell silent.
Everyone emerged from their tents. The entire Class Seven formed a semicircle, bathed in moonlight and starlight, slowly enclosing them. The class monitor at the head, holding a birthday cake with lit candles, walked over, the flickering candlelight illuminating youthful, smiling faces.
Under the deep blue canopy of the sky, billions of stars twinkled as everyone softly sang the birthday song in unison.
“Happy birthday to you…”
Yu Qingtang took a small step back, looking on in disbelief.
She subconsciously glanced at Cheng Zhanxi beside her. Cheng Zhanxi watched her with a smile, took a colorful ribbon handed to her by Lian Yabing, and deftly tied a bow at her collar from back to front.
Xiang Tianyou thrust a bouquet of flowers into Yu Qingtang’s arms.
The young man moved like a shadow, appearing and disappearing without a trace. By the time Yu Qingtang turned her head, he was already back in line, tall and handsome, still conspicuous.
Seeing her looking at him with a slight delay, Xiang Tianyou quickly gestured for her to look ahead, not at him.
Yu Qingtang dazedly turned back and looked straight ahead.
Li Lan approached her with the cake, handed it to Cheng Zhanxi, and then voluntarily stepped back into the circle of students, leaving an empty space in the middle.
The candlelight illuminated Cheng Zhanxi’s radiant face and the bow at her collar, representing a gift.
Yu Qingtang looked down at the flowers she was holding.
Roses and baby's breath.
—Representing eternal and passionate love.
It was from Cheng Zhanxi, and also from this group of students.
Warmth welled up in Yu Qingtang’s eyes.
She looked at each of the surrounding students earnestly. The students, some looking reserved, others smiling, returned her gaze seriously, while invariably winking and making faces at her.
Yu Qingtang lowered her eyes for a moment before raising her head, her face slightly flushed, to look at the woman before her.
Cheng Zhanxi held a fruitcake with both hands, two candles on it displaying the numbers 2 and 8.
Yu Qingtang’s face, tinged with a captivating blush in the candlelight, looked at her with anticipation and nervousness.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled gently. “Happy birthday.”
Yu Qingtang resisted the urge to stand on her tiptoes, then lightly settled back down, her ears turning red with demureness. “Thank you.”
“Happy birthday, Teacher Yu—!” A chorus of voices erupted from the surroundings, filled with youthful, exuberant laughter.
Yu Qingtang was a little startled and instinctively wanted to move closer to Cheng Zhanxi, but the birthday cake was between them. Cheng Zhanxi pulled her hand back slightly, preventing Yu Qingtang from bumping into the cake. Yu Qingtang calmed her racing heart and, feigning composure, nodded. “Thank you, students.”
The students, showing no mercy to their teacher, burst out: “Hahahahaha.”
Cheng Zhanxi was also laughing, almost unable to hold the cake steady.
Yu Qingtang glanced at her.
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat and said, “Make a wish.” After a pause, she added, “Any wish you want, as long as you say it out loud.”
Yu Qingtang held the bouquet, her hands clasped tightly with fingers intertwined in front of her, and devoutly closed her eyes.
There was no sound around them; the chirping of insects in the grass grew loud again.
Yu Qingtang’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.
“My third wish is…” With the entire galaxy as her witness, Yu Qingtang looked at the woman opposite her, her voice trembling slightly as she mustered the courage to speak, “Cheng Zhanxi, can I have you?”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her, a gentle smile blooming on her lips.
“Of course. I’ve always belonged to you.”
This time, Yu Qingtang didn’t cry. She just suddenly became flustered. She lifted the flowers in her hands, looking as if she wanted to give them to her. She wanted to give her more, anything she had. And anything she didn’t have, if Cheng Zhanxi wanted it, even the stars and the moon, she would find a way to pluck them for her.
Cheng Zhanxi gave Lian Yabing a look, and Lian Yabing quickly came over to take the cake, freeing Cheng Zhanxi’s hands.
She pulled both the flowers and the woman into her embrace.
“You haven’t blown out the candles yet,” Cheng Zhanxi reminded her softly, gently encircling her waist.
Yu Qingtang turned her head to blow out the candles, then remembered something she hadn’t said to her. Her lips moved, but the words didn’t come out smoothly.
Cheng Zhanxi: “Hmm?”
Yu Qingtang hugged her again, not daring to look into her eyes, and said gently but firmly in her ear, “I belong to you too.”
Cheng Zhanxi smiled.
Yu Qingtang took Cheng Zhanxi’s hand and blew out the candles.
All the students cheered.
Lian Yabing, hidden in the crowd: “Ahhhhhh!”
She was practically the witness to their marriage vows!
Behind them, with a “whoosh,” a huge bonfire was lit. A whole roasted lamb, freshly brushed with sesame oil, glistening and smooth, was spitted above it.
A chef in hotel uniform pushed out a large, three-tiered cake.
The students’ eyes widened: “Wow—!”
This was a surprise Cheng Zhanxi had prepared for everyone.
The students swarmed towards the cake and the roasted lamb. They had eaten dinner around seven or eight, so it was just the right time for a late-night snack.
After cutting the large cake, Yu Qingtang returned to share a small 6-inch cake with Cheng Zhanxi. Yu Qingtang didn’t like things too sweet, so Cheng Zhanxi had specially ordered a fruitcake for her. It wasn’t cut; Cheng Zhanxi speared a strawberry with a fork and brought it to Yu Qingtang’s lips. Yu Qingtang opened her mouth and took it; it was juicy and delicious.
Cheng Zhanxi said, “I was short on time this year, so I couldn’t make one for you myself. Next year, I’ll bake you a different cake.”
Yu Qingtang ate elegantly. By the time Cheng Zhanxi finished speaking, her cheeks were still puffing out as she chewed in small bites.
Cheng Zhanxi stared at her red lips, stained with strawberry juice.
Yu Qingtang’s eyes met hers, and the air stilled for a second. Unsure what came over her, she extended the tip of her rosy tongue, licked the strawberry juice from her lips, and drew it into her mouth.
This was seduction, and Yu Qingtang had learned it instinctively.
So, it was only natural that Cheng Zhanxi leaned in to kiss her next.
The sweetness of the strawberry instantly spread between their lips and teeth, and a sigh of contentment rose from the bottom of their hearts simultaneously.
Yu Qingtang’s mind was truly feverish, unable to think about anything. She gripped Cheng Zhanxi’s wrist and, before the woman could raise her hand to cup the back of her head, pushed her down onto the grass.
Cheng Zhanxi closed her eyes and chuckled, letting her pin her hands above her head and kiss her with clumsy, innocent initiative.
This scene of the two falling onto the grass happened to be caught by Lian Yabing’s eyes.
Lian Yabing, still holding a piece of cake in one hand, felt waves of dizziness and fell into the arms of a nearby girl.
The fresh, familiar scent of soap brought Lian Yabing’s dazed senses back. She looked up at the girl with a mole on the tip of her nose.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
The two of them had been giving each other the cold shoulder for a day, though Lian Yabing didn’t understand why.
Li Lan didn’t speak, but her expression wasn’t as dark. She looked at the roasted lamb on the bonfire, which was already sizzling and dripping oil, crackling as it fell into the fire. The aroma of various spices filled the air, and the students gathered around were constantly swallowing saliva.
Lian Yabing sheepishly got up.
The full embrace emptied, and Li Lan let out an imperceptible sigh.
The air felt oppressive. Li Lan propped herself up on the grass with one hand, about to get up and leave, when a small fork with a piece of cream cake appeared before her eyes.
The corners of Li Lan’s lips turned up, though she managed to keep her expression stern. She opened her mouth and took a bite of the cake Lian Yabing offered.
Lian Yabing relented first. “I was wrong.” She didn’t know where she’d gone wrong, but apologizing would do the trick.
Li Lan accepted it gracefully and didn’t intend to ask where she had erred; the answer likely wouldn’t be what she wanted to hear.
“Mm,” she responded coolly, but there was already a hint of a smile in her eyes.
The two reconciled.
Lian Yabing looped her arm through Li Lan’s and whispered in her ear, “Teacher Cheng and Teacher Yu are kissing over there.”
Li Lan currently wasn’t optimistic about this couple, but since they had just made up, she patiently glanced in that direction and frowned. “Where are they?”
Lian Yabing: “Look carefully. They’re lying down, hidden by the grass.”
“Even hidden, you can still see them,” Li Lan grumbled.
“I’ve been watching them the whole time.”
“…” Li Lan couldn’t be bothered to retort. Following Lian Yabing’s cue, she looked over and her eyes widened abruptly.
She hadn’t misseen, had she? The one on top was Teacher Yu?
She voiced her surprise unconsciously.
Lian Yabing said, “It is Teacher Yu. She pushed Teacher Cheng down onto the grass.”
Li Lan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Lian Yabing asked curiously, “What are you smiling about?”
Li Lan touched her own face and said, “Was I smiling? Hahaha.”
Lian Yabing: “…”
A thought flashed through her mind, and she said, “You weren’t giving me the cold shoulder because…”
Li Lan looked at her expectantly.
Lian Yabing, with an expression of having seen through everything, said, “…You ship the reverse of my pairing, don’t you.” She said mournfully, “You should have said so earlier! I’m fine with Cheng-top or Yu-top. If you like Yu-top, then I’ll support Teacher Yu as top from now on.”
Li Lan: “…”
Lian Yabing, thinking everything was out in the open, relaxed completely. She placed a hand on Li Lan’s shoulder and said, “Class Monitor, do you think kissing is really that pleasurable? They’ve been kissing for so long.”
Li Lan said quietly, “Do you want to try?”
Lian Yabing casually laughed. “I’d like to, but who would try it with me?”
She turned to look at Li Lan. Li Lan’s eyelids were lowered, her thoughts unreadable.
The galaxy was vast, the grass concealed by tents, the moonlight a mix of bright and dim.
Yu Qingtang nibbled on Cheng Zhanxi’s lips, imitating what Cheng Zhanxi had done to her earlier, applying it to her.
Cheng Zhanxi let out a soft moan.
Yu Qingtang immediately stopped, asking nervously, “Did I hurt you?”
Cheng Zhanxi shook her head and smiled. “No, it’s too comfortable.”
Yu Qingtang continued for a while, then lifted her head and asked, “How about this?”
Cheng Zhanxi, eyes closed, hummed in enjoyment.
Yu Qingtang redoubled her efforts.
“How about this?”
“Very good, you’re improving.”
Her kissing skills were truly too inexperienced. Cheng Zhanxi, afraid of discouraging her enthusiasm, hadn’t taken the lead. After being teased for a long time, she finally couldn’t help but raise her hand to cup the back of Yu Qingtang’s head and pull her down.
A kiss like a torrential downpour, yet gentle, like a lingering storm.
Yu Qingtang looked at the stars above, as if they had all fallen into her eyes. She felt as if she were in the vast universe, having lost gravity, her body light, her consciousness drifting further and further away.
At some point, they had switched positions. She tightly embraced the woman on top of her, responding to her with abandon.
Cheng Zhanxi suddenly stopped.
Yu Qingtang’s eyes were hazy, her breath hot. “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Zhanxi pecked her moist, soft lips, her breath coming in short gasps, her voice low and husky. “Nothing.”
Yu Qingtang looked into her eyes, her expression longing; she clearly wanted to kiss more.
But Cheng Zhanxi didn’t satisfy her. Instead, she helped her sit up. Yu Qingtang bit her lower lip slightly.
Cheng Zhanxi found it amusing. She smoothed the stray hairs on Yu Qingtang’s forehead, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, “If we keep kissing, you’re going to cry out.”
Yu Qingtang looked at her, taking a while to understand what she meant.
Her face turned beet red. She tucked her dark hair behind her ear, stood up, and stammered, “I—I’ll go check on the students.”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Wait a moment.”
Yu Qingtang obediently stopped where she was.
Cheng Zhanxi also stood up, brushed off the grass from her clothes and the stray bits of grass from her hair, then buttoned up her windbreaker, tied the belt, took her hand, and said, “Let’s go.”
The teachers, who had disappeared for nearly half an hour, reappeared. The students tacitly pretended not to know what they had been up to, but that didn’t mean they would let this “new couple” off the hook.
Tong Feifei seamlessly picked up the post-confession storyline and led the teasing, “Kiss! Kiss!”
The bonfire crackled.
Voices from all directions immediately chimed in: “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”
Lian Yabing shouted until her face was red and her neck veins bulged, almost jumping up from the ground. Li Lan pulled her back, keeping her firmly seated.
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang exchanged a glance. Yu Qingtang shyly lowered her eyes.
Well then.
A kiss it is.
Cheng Zhanxi tilted her head slightly and gave her girlfriend a light, butterfly kiss on the lips.
A chorus of boos came from the crowd.
Cheng Zhanxi looked at the blushing Yu Qingtang, chuckled, and tutted, “That’s enough, now. Do you want to run 800 meters?”
Inhumane! Outrageous!
Tong Feifei pointed a trembling finger at her. “Teacher Cheng, I never thought you’d abuse your power for personal gain and retaliate publicly!”
Cheng Zhanxi smiled. “Your idioms are pretty good.”
Lian Yabing couldn’t help but shout, “The idiom is real!”
Cheng Zhanxi: “?”
Li Lan covered Lian Yabing’s mouth and dragged her away.
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled, didn’t think much of it, and pulled Yu Qingtang to sit in two empty spots the students had spontaneously made for them.
“Congratulations, Teacher Cheng! Felicitations, Teacher Cheng!”
“Same to you, same to you.”
“Congratulations, Teacher Yu! Felicitations, Teacher Yu!”
Yu Qingtang nodded, her hand tightly gripping the corner of Cheng Zhanxi’s clothes, the tips of her ears bright red.
Around two or three in the morning, the bonfire had dwindled to a pile of ashes. The exhausted students crawled into their tents, sprawled out, and gazed at the starry sky through the unzipped tent flaps, chatting sporadically, a scene of tranquil beauty.
Cheng Zhanxi knelt in the tent, gently patting the double sleeping bag to distribute the down filling more evenly.
Yu Qingtang squatted at the entrance and asked, “Do you need my help?”
Cheng Zhanxi, head down, busied herself. “No need, it’s almost ready.”
As if sensing something, she looked up and saw Yu Qingtang staring at her intently. Yu Qingtang subconsciously wanted to look away, but then, realizing something, she met her gaze steadily.
She already… possessed her.
Cheng Zhanxi’s lips curved up. “Is your girlfriend good-looking?”
Yu Qingtang nodded. “Good-looking.”
Cheng Zhanxi pressed, “What’s good-looking?”
Yu Qingtang’s eyes softened. “Xixi.”
Cheng Zhanxi was determined to make her say the word. She moved her hand from the sleeping bag and asked, “Who is Xixi to you?”
“My little companion.”
Cheng Zhanxi smiled and bit her back teeth. “I’ll give you one more chance.”
“My good neighbor.”
Cheng Zhanxi changed from kneeling to squatting, crawled out of the tent, looking as if she was about to teach her a lesson.
Yu Qingtang blinked. “My girlfriend.”
Caught off guard, Cheng Zhanxi’s legs suddenly went weak, and she almost fell backward.
She usually introduced Yu Qingtang to others, calling her “girlfriend” this and “girlfriend” that, and had long since accepted it in her heart. But hearing Yu Qingtang say it herself still felt like an electric current running through her body, making her heart tingle.
Having an official title really made a difference.
“Say it again.”
Yu Qingtang’s voice was even softer. “Girlfriend.”
Cheng Zhanxi lay on the sleeping bag, closed her eyes, the corners of her lips turned up, feeling a sense of complete fulfillment in life.
A figure slipped into the tent. Yu Qingtang sat cross-legged beside her, her cool fingers gently caressing her face.
Cheng Zhanxi felt extremely comfortable being touched by her and pulled her palm to press against her own face.
A cool breeze blew into the tent.
Cheng Zhanxi opened her eyes and looked at the woman gazing tenderly down at her, as if in a dream.
Yu Qingtang smiled. “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Zhanxi held her hand, her eyes flickering for a moment, a hint of insecurity in her expression. She asked, “Do you really belong to me now?”
This question should have been asked by Yu Qingtang. Suddenly reversed, Yu Qingtang was stunned for a moment, then answered her seriously, “It’s true.”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Don’t leave me.”
Yu Qingtang raised her free hand, stroked her brow bone, and said softly, “I won’t leave you.”
Cheng Zhanxi patted the space beside her. Yu Qingtang understood and lay down, resting her head in the crook of her arm, feeling the strength of Cheng Zhanxi’s embrace as she pulled her close, tight, leaving no gap between them.
Whether one’s heart is strong or fragile, in the face of love, everyone is equal.
They slept too late and missed the sunrise the next day. The sun shone into the tent. Yu Qingtang frowned, and a hand shielded her eyes from the sunlight.
When Yu Qingtang woke up, Cheng Zhanxi was no longer beside her, but there was a note on the pillow, and another one in her hand, both with the same content.
—I went to wash up.
Yu Qingtang smiled.
She was changing clothes in the tent. Just as she had put on one sleeve, the tent zipper moved downwards from the top. Yu Qingtang instinctively called out, “Someone’s inside.”
The zipper was pulled back up from the bottom, and the figure outside stood up.
Yu Qingtang: “Cheng Zhanxi.”
Cheng Zhanxi responded, “It’s me.”
Yu Qingtang pressed her lips together, wanting to ask her in but feeling embarrassed. She quickly finished dressing and unzipped the tent from the inside.
Sunlight flooded the entire campsite.
Cheng Zhanxi’s shadow fell perfectly over Yu Qingtang, shielding her eyes from direct contact with the harsh sunlight.
She bent down and extended her hand to Yu Qingtang. Yu Qingtang placed her hand in her palm and stood up.
Cheng Zhanxi took her to wash up. Most of the students were still lazing in bed. The campsite was so empty it felt as if only the two of them were there, and they walked with light steps.
“Want to eat breakfast?” Cheng Zhanxi asked.
“I’m not hungry yet. How about you?”
“I want to go see the apricot blossom grove the front desk mentioned yesterday.”
“Okay.”
Cheng Zhanxi found Li Lan’s two-person tent and was about to call out to her when a voice came from behind, “Teacher Cheng.”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at Li Lan, whose face was covered in water droplets, and asked in surprise, “You’re up?”
Li Lan hummed in affirmation.
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Here’s the thing, Teacher Yu and I are planning to go to the apricot blossom grove to see the flowers. We’ll be back before ten. I came to let you know. If the students get hungry, the hotel has breakfast, but it stops serving after nine-thirty.”
Li Lan said, “Got it.”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her, a strange feeling flickering in her heart.
Li Lan’s expression was normal as she asked, “Does Teacher Cheng have anything else to instruct?”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “No. Why don’t you sleep a bit more?”
Li Lan gave a noncommittal response and slipped into the tent.
Cheng Zhanxi turned to leave, but her steps suddenly halted. She looked back at Li Lan’s tent; there seemed to be a faint, strange sound coming from inside.
She listened more carefully, but the sound was gone.
Cheng Zhanxi walked on thoughtfully. Yu Qingtang had appeared in front of her at some point.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing. Let’s go early and come back early.” Cheng Zhanxi took one last look at Li Lan’s tent.
Inside the tent, Lian Yabing was curled up in her sleeping bag like a quail, her lips as red as blood. Li Lan sat beside her, looking down at her quietly.
Crossing the clear stream and walking down a small path, they reached a flourishing apricot blossom grove at the end.
The shape of apricot blossoms is similar to that of peach and plum blossoms, and they are very beautiful when they bloom.
A single apricot blossom lasts only 7 days, while a tree can maintain its bloom for about 20 days. From bud to full bloom to wilting, it gradually fades from pure red to light pink, and finally to pure white. As far as the eye could see, the petals, thin and tinged with light red, clustered on the green branches, undried dewdrops glistening in the sunlight.
Wandering through the apricot grove, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted over them, as if they were in a fairyland, making one forget all worries.
Yu Qingtang took many photos of the apricot blossoms, selected one, and enthusiastically said to Cheng Zhanxi, “I want to use this as my WeChat profile picture, is that okay?”
Cheng Zhanxi had a strange expression.
Yu Qingtang: “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Zhanxi cleared her throat and said, “Nothing.”
Yu Qingtang gave her a suspicious glance. “Then I’ll change it?”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at her fingertips and said, “Go ahead and change it. It’s quite pretty. As long as you like it.”
Yu Qingtang glanced at her again and changed her profile picture to the apricot blossoms on the branch.
Cheng Zhanxi pursed her lips and pointed to her nickname. “Why don’t you change this too? To a Chinese one?”
Yu Qingtang’s WeChat nickname was the pinyin abbreviation YQT. She was used to it, but since Cheng Zhanxi suggested it, she asked, “Change it to what?”
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Think of something yourself.”
Yu Qingtang thought for a moment and typed into the name change box: Past Events Gone With the Wind.
Cheng Zhanxi abruptly turned her face away, biting her lower lip hard, trying to suppress her laughter.
Yu Qingtang finished changing her name. Cheng Zhanxi turned back, her expression serious as she commented, “Not bad.”
Yu Qingtang tilted her head slightly, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
The two kissed many times in the apricot blossom grove. Before leaving, they used lipstick to touch up each other’s makeup.
At noon, they had a buffet lunch at the hotel. The group then took a cable car down the mountain and boarded the bus waiting where they had arrived.
The afternoon sun shone wantonly into the bus carriage, tiny dust motes floating in the air.
An earphone was placed in Cheng Zhanxi’s ear. Yu Qingtang wore the other white earphone. Her phone played a song Yu Qingtang had been listening to frequently recently:
I once thought of ending it all
Because on my birthday, the apricot blossoms bloomed
Peppermint candies, the lighthouse at the fishing port
A rusty arched bridge, an abandoned bicycle
Standing before the stove in a wooden station
Yet in my heart, there was nowhere I wanted to go
This was a very famous Japanese song. Cheng Zhanxi had heard it many times in many places. She had read the translated lyrics at the time and also had a slight understanding of Japanese, so she could grasp the general meaning.
Her long eyelashes were slightly moist. She turned her head to look at Yu Qingtang, who happened to be looking back at her, her gaze warm and gentle.
I once thought of ending it all
Because I hadn’t met you yet
Because someone like you was born into this world
I’ve started to like this world a little
…
The bus stopped at the entrance of No. 1 Middle School. The students, sleeping haphazardly, were woken up by the two teachers and dismissed after getting off the bus.
“Goodbye, students. Be safe.”
“Goodbye, teachers.”
Yu Qingtang saw off the last student. When she turned around, she saw Cheng Zhanxi standing beside her.
Cheng Zhanxi extended her hand to her. Yu Qingtang naturally placed her hand in hers, and they walked home hand in hand.
They passed by a supermarket and went in to buy groceries for dinner. They cooked together, ate together, and snuggled together on the sofa watching TV, sharing the same thin blanket.
Around ten o’clock at night, Yu Qingtang glanced at her phone and put her feet down.
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Are you going back?”
Yu Qingtang hummed softly in affirmation.
What Cheng Zhanxi thought was, Sleep here, but what came out of her mouth was, “I’ll walk you.”
Yu Qingtang gave her an unreadable glance and slipped her feet into the slippers beside the sofa.
Cheng Zhanxi walked her back to 2101. After saying goodnight at the door, she unexpectedly grabbed Yu Qingtang’s wrist.
Lian Yabing: I have no one to kiss
ReplyDeleteLi Lan: Bet