After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 108
Chapter 108
“Teacher Ge, Teacher Ge, what’s wrong?”
Ge Jing snapped out of her engrossed state of shipping and said to her colleague beside her, “Nothing.”
Her colleague said, “Isn’t that Teacher Yu ahead? Should we go over and say hello?”
Ge Jing put on the standard social smile of a corporate drone and said, “Sure.”
Cheng Zhanxi, catching sight of the two teachers approaching from the side, lowered the hand that was ruffling Yu Qingtang’s hair.
Yu Qingtang followed her gaze.
Ge Jing & Colleague: “Teacher Yu, Teacher Cheng.”
Yu Qingtang replied politely, “Teacher Ge, Teacher Fang.”
Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang were a couple. Cheng Zhanxi only nodded to the two after Yu Qingtang spoke, which was considered a complete courtesy.
Ge Jing asked, “Teacher Cheng, are you here to see Teacher Yu off on her business trip?”
Cheng Zhanxi smiled and denied it, “No, I’m accompanying Teacher Yu on her business trip.”
Teacher Fang, who wore glasses, cast an envious glance at Yu Qingtang.
Ge Jing clutched her chest while pretending to adjust the shoulder strap of her bag.
Wouldn’t that mean she could enjoy their sweet moments up close for a whole week? Ge Jing, a quintessential homebody who didn’t want to go on a business trip, suddenly felt invigorated.
It was a workday, and the morning waiting room was relatively empty. Teacher Fang wanted to sit next to Yu Qingtang, but Ge Jing pulled her aside, leaving at least four or five empty seats between them.
Teacher Fang: “?”
Ge Jing said, “They’re a young couple in love. Let’s give them some private space and not be third wheels.”
Teacher Fang laughed, “Aren’t they together every day? Isn’t that enough?”
Ge Jing said, “Can’t people be affectionate?”
Teacher Fang thought so too; otherwise, why would she accompany her on a business trip?
Thinking about her own solitary life for over thirty years, she felt a profound sense of desolation. She turned her gaze to the equally single Teacher Ge in front of her and joked, “Teacher Ge, how about we two get together and live our lives?”
Without a second thought, Ge Jing politely declined, “I think living alone is quite good.”
Although she also fantasized about sweet love, when it came to actually being in a relationship, she refused.
The two of them lowered their heads to play on their phones. Ge Jing occasionally turned her neck to glance at Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang.
An embrace! A hug! A kiss on the forehead! A kiss on the ear!
Ahhhh!
The waiting room broadcast announced that boarding for their high-speed train was about to begin. Cheng Zhanxi held Yu Qingtang’s hand with one hand and pushed a suitcase with the other, heading to the ticket gate to queue. After passing through the gate, they walked a distance to reach the platform.
A problem arose.
Their tickets weren’t bought together. Yu Qingtang was in carriage 2, and Cheng Zhanxi was in carriage 6.
Carriage 6 was closer than carriage 2. Cheng Zhanxi got into the queue, and Yu Qingtang clung to her fingers, looking at her with a wronged expression.
Cheng Zhanxi was also helpless and coaxed her softly, “We’ll be there in a few hours. You board from over there first.”
Yu Qingtang reluctantly let go, looking back every few steps as she went to carriage 2.
Teacher Fang looked back at Teacher Ge, who was still standing in place, and said, “What are you looking at?”
Ge Jing smiled sweetly, “Nothing.”
After the bullet train stopped steadily, passengers disembarked before others boarded in an orderly fashion. Yu Qingtang fidgeted with her knuckles, restless in her seat. As soon as the train started moving, she abruptly stood up, walked through the long aisle from front to back, and strode quickly towards carriage 6.
“Excuse me, please let me pass.”
Hearing a familiar voice, Yu Qingtang looked up and encountered Cheng Zhanxi rushing towards her in the aisle connecting carriages 3 and 4.
Cheng Zhanxi extended her hand.
Yu Qingtang’s face bloomed into a smile as she placed her hand in Cheng Zhanxi’s palm.
The two exchanged a smile and, hand in hand, went to carriage 6—the suitcase was there.
After the two disappeared from view, someone in the crowd of onlookers sighed, “I thought there was going to be a proposal just now. I was excited for ages.”
Her companion laughed, “It looked more like a wedding. They could have walked down the red carpet any second.”
Walking down the red carpet—no, walking down the aisle—Cheng Zhanxi and Yu Qingtang returned to carriage 6. Cheng Zhanxi chose seat F by the window. The seat next to it happened to be empty, so Yu Qingtang sat down, her hand still held by Cheng Zhanxi.
Yu Qingtang looked down at the armrest between them. She tried it, unwilling to give up, but it was fixed.
Seeing this, Cheng Zhanxi smiled and said, “How about you sit on my lap? I’ll hold you.”
Yu Qingtang’s ears warmed slightly, and she shook her head firmly.
In public, she was never as uninhibited as Cheng Zhanxi. The more restrained she was outside, the more unrestrained she was at home.
Yu Qingtang settled properly in her seat, prim and proper, fantasizing about what Cheng Zhanxi would do to her after they arrived in a few hours.
She had barely slept the previous night. Beside Cheng Zhanxi, she quickly fell asleep, her head pillowed on Cheng Zhanxi’s shoulder. She slept until they reached the station, woken up by Cheng Zhanxi, having had several kisses stolen from her in the meantime.
This exchange program was mutual. The other school sent a representative to pick them up at the station. The teachers from Sicheng No. 1 Middle School who had taken the same high-speed train gathered at the exit. The teacher receiving them was named Liu, a male teacher. Teacher Liu counted the names on his list, then counted again. Huh? Why was there an extra person?
Cheng Zhanxi proactively said, “I’m a family member.”
Teacher Liu pushed up the glasses on his nose and said, “Alright.”
The group boarded the arranged vehicle and went to the hotel to check in first.
Because Cheng Zhanxi was not part of the plan, Ge Jing and Yu Qingtang were assigned a room together, and the family member had to sort out her own accommodation.
After the meal, the teachers from Sicheng No. 1 Middle School went directly to the school for a site visit, wasting no time. Cheng Zhanxi returned to the hotel and methodically organized their luggage.
[Yu Qingtang]: [Depressed]
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Don’t cry. What do you want to eat tonight?
[Yu Qingtang]: I have to eat with everyone tonight.
[Cheng Zhanxi]: I’ll take you out for a late-night snack. Be good.
Yu Qingtang remained gloomy, but these emotions were only expressed inwardly. Her face was calm and unruffled as she listened to Teacher Liu introduce the basic situation of the school.
With Yu Qingtang absent, Cheng Zhanxi went out for a stroll in the afternoon, looking for good food, scouting locations, and occasionally sending a photo to Yu Qingtang.
“Teacher Yu.”
Yu Qingtang put her phone away and looked up.
A teacher asked her, “I heard you have excellent experience in math teaching. Could you share some with us?”
Yu Qingtang said, “Okay.”
At the welcome banquet that evening, Yu Qingtang looked at the exquisite dishes on the lazy Susan. The pad of her finger, tucked inside her windbreaker pocket, stroked the edge of her phone, a hint of warmth appearing in her eyes.
In the education sector, there were more women than men, but the leadership positions were mostly held by men. After several rounds of drinks, a male leader, likely drunk, started making inappropriate jokes without restraint. The female teachers all looked embarrassed. Yu Qingtang, being the most beautiful female teacher at the table, naturally became the center of the topic and was often called upon. When asked about her love life, Teacher Liu, who had received them earlier, smiled and said, “Teacher Yu has a girlfriend, and she even accompanies her on business trips.”
The male leader who asked the question showed an expression that all the women present found offensive and said, seemingly with some regret, “A woman, huh.”
Same-sex marriage had only been legal for three years, and in the current climate where gender equality was still a serious issue, some men still revealed a deep-seated disdain for women. This was true even though most of those present were women.
No matter how slow Yu Qingtang might be, she could hear his dismissiveness.
She wasn’t good at quick retorts, nor did she deign to argue with people. Her expression darkened, and she prepared to leave the table directly.
With a loud “thud,” Ge Jing slammed her cup onto the glass of the lazy Susan and raised her voice, “The Qing Dynasty fell so many years ago, yet some people still think they have a throne to inherit at home. They don’t even look in the mirror before going out to see what kind of trash they are. Teacher Yu, I’ll leave with you.”
The two left without hesitation.
The atmosphere instantly became very stiff.
The other female teachers looked at each other. Teacher Liu and the male leader from Sicheng No. 1 Middle School hurriedly tried to smooth things over, but two female teachers still left one after another, making excuses.
The dinner ended on an unpleasant note.
Ge Jing and Yu Qingtang went downstairs together. Ge Jing advised her, “Teacher Yu, don’t get angry because of such a person. It’s not worth it.”
Perhaps because Ge Jing had just spoken up for her, Yu Qingtang’s expression softened, and she said gently, “I’m not.”
“That’s good.” Ge Jing breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze swept forward, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Teacher Cheng?”
Yu Qingtang looked up.
Cheng Zhanxi was in the hotel lobby on the first floor. She looked over at them in surprise, then stood up and approached, saying, “Finished eating so soon? I thought it would take a while longer.”
Yu Qingtang hummed in acknowledgment and gave a faint smile.
Ge Jing said, “Don’t even mention it. We encountered a creepy and greasy middle-aged man at the dinner.”
Cheng Zhanxi frowned and looked at Yu Qingtang. Yu Qingtang said, “It’s nothing.”
Cheng Zhanxi looked at Ge Jing, and Ge Jing recounted what had happened in detail.
Cheng Zhanxi saw Yu Qingtang’s thin lips pressed slightly together, clearly indicating she didn’t want to talk about irrelevant people. She said, “You two probably didn’t eat enough, right? Shall I take you to eat something else?”
Ge Jing declined, “You two go ahead. I won’t…”
They were a young couple having their private time; why would she intrude?
Yu Qingtang proactively said, “Teacher Ge, please join us.”
Ge Jing felt it would be impolite to refuse further.
Considering there was an outsider present, the two ate this meal politely and properly. Only under the table did Cheng Zhanxi quietly hold one of Yu Qingtang’s hands, playing with her slender fingers.
Returning to the hotel, Ge Jing went to her standard room alone, while Yu Qingtang followed Cheng Zhanxi back to the king-size bed room she had booked.
As soon as they entered the room, Cheng Zhanxi hugged Yu Qingtang, and Yu Qingtang raised her arms to hang them around her neck.
After kissing on the sofa, they talked about serious matters.
“If I had known, I should have gone to dinner with you as a family member.” Cheng Zhanxi held her on her lap, her forehead resting against Yu Qingtang’s shoulder, and said in a low, vexed voice.
“I’m fine. It’s just that hearing him look down on you made me a little angry.” Yu Qingtang’s fingers gently combed through the long hair on her back.
“You got angry, and then what?”
“I just left.”
“Are you still angry?”
“…A little.”
“Next time you encounter someone like that, just pour the wine directly on his head.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, if I’m there.”
Yu Qingtang smiled faintly, “Okay.”
Yu Qingtang shifted in her arms, looking down at Cheng Zhanxi from above, yet her aura was so weak it was as if she were submissively beneath her.
Cheng Zhanxi asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Qingtang looked as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Cheng Zhanxi said, “Didn’t we agree? You can tell me whatever you want. What is there that you can’t say to me?”
Yu Qingtang changed from sitting sideways to sitting astride her, facing her. Her voice was very soft, but she enunciated clearly, “I still want to kiss.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her ears turned completely red.
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled, raised her hand, and cupped the back of her head, pulling it down.
Kissing in this position could easily lead to things getting out of hand. As they kissed, their clothes gradually became disheveled. The windbreaker was tossed on the sofa, the shirt buttons were pulled haphazardly, and wrinkles appeared on the smooth fabric.
They had done it too many times last night, so Yu Qingtang didn’t actually want it that much right now. She was just enjoying the feeling of Cheng Zhanxi being infatuated with her, and also enjoying this entanglement of affection and desire, this push and pull, this lingering intimacy, like drinking strong liquor with a powerful afterkick. Cheng Zhanxi felt the same, so when they had kissed enough, the buttons were fastened again, one by one.
Cheng Zhanxi took Yu Qingtang’s limp, soft hand, kissed its back, and asked gently, “Are you tired?”
Yu Qingtang lay bonelessly in her arms, her voice as soft as a cat’s, “Tired…”
The two hadn’t really done anything, yet they had lingered intimately for a long time, a fine layer of sweat forming on their bodies.
Cheng Zhanxi’s fingertips brushed her long hair back, tucking it behind her ear, and said gently, “Shall I help you bathe?”
Yu Qingtang lifted her eyelids, her eyes dark as she looked at her for a moment, then said, “Okay.”
Cheng Zhanxi added unnecessarily, “Just bathing, nothing else.”
Yu Qingtang glanced at her again.
Even if she wanted to do something, she wouldn’t refuse. There was no need for an explanation.
Cheng Zhanxi placed Yu Qingtang on the sofa, first preparing their nightgowns and placing the bath towels on a stool outside the bathroom.
She returned to lead Yu Qingtang into the bathroom. Yu Qingtang appeared very calm, at least on the surface. Cheng Zhanxi, on the other hand, was so nervous she kept taking deep breaths, and her fingers, holding Yu Qingtang’s shirt buttons, were trembling unconsciously.
Yu Qingtang bit her lower lip lightly with her pearly teeth, her gaze shifting to the nearby wall as heat rushed to her face.
Two identical shirts, differing only in size, were placed on the sink. Yu Qingtang stopped Cheng Zhanxi’s hand as it reached for her waist and said, unable to hide her shyness, “I’ll do it myself.”
Cheng Zhanxi hummed in agreement, watching her, her gaze gentlemanly fixed only on her face.
Yu Qingtang bit her lip again and said softly, “Could you turn around?”
Cheng Zhanxi agreed, turned her back to her, and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Yu Qingtang also turned her back. After a rustling sound, she suppressed the heat in her ears and turned back, “Okay.”
Cheng Zhanxi entered the glass shower stall first and turned on the showerhead. Steam filled the air, creating a mist. She extended her hand to Yu Qingtang outside, and Yu Qingtang placed her hand in her palm and stepped inside.
The hotel couldn’t compare to home; the bathroom was small, and it was difficult for two people to move around easily.
Cheng Zhanxi had said she would only bathe her, and she did just that. She rubbed facial cleanser into a rich lather in her palm. Yu Qingtang closed her eyes and tilted her face up, allowing Cheng Zhanxi’s fingertips to gently massage her face.
Then shampoo, then body wash.
Cheng Zhanxi held the showerhead in one hand, rinsing the foam from her body.
Yu Qingtang watched Cheng Zhanxi. Because Cheng Zhanxi’s head was lowered, Yu Qingtang could only see her long, curled eyelashes, not her expression clearly. A droplet of water trickled down from her smooth, full forehead and was caught by her thick eyelashes. Cheng Zhanxi blinked, letting the droplet fall from her lashes.
Her face was covered in water droplets, her cheeks flushed a light pink from the steam.
Yu Qingtang was mesmerized watching her and didn’t notice the bath was almost over. Suddenly, her whole body stiffened uncontrollably, her legs weakened involuntarily, and her hand quickly grasped Cheng Zhanxi’s shoulder for support.
Cheng Zhanxi rinsed her sticky fingers under the shower.
Yu Qingtang’s face was incredibly red, and she was panting slightly.
They indeed hadn’t done anything in the bathroom. Cheng Zhanxi had her stand on the absorbent mat at the doorway, dried her body, helped her into her nightgown, and only then tended to herself.
Yu Qingtang grasped her wrist.
Cheng Zhanxi looked up, her gaze somewhat deep and obscure, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Qingtang unconsciously swallowed and said, “I want to wash again.”
…
When they came out again, half an hour had passed.
Yu Qingtang was carried out, wrapped in a bath towel, her skin a dewy, pale pink, suffused with moisture.
Her arms were wrapped around Cheng Zhanxi’s neck, her eyes gently closed, the corners of her eyes flushed red. Her chest rose and fell as she remained immersed in the afterglow of what had just happened.
Cheng Zhanxi placed a towel under her damp hair at the back of her head and pulled off her bath towel.
After the long second time, Yu Qingtang fell directly into a deep sleep.
Cheng Zhanxi touched her long hair; it was surprisingly half dry. She chuckled. Her fingertips traced Yu Qingtang’s delicate eyebrows, then her nose, her mouth. Her features were exquisite; whether viewed individually or together, no flaw could be found. Cheng Zhanxi’s fingertips lingered, almost forgetting the time.
She got out of bed to get the hairdryer to dry Yu Qingtang’s hair. Yu Qingtang was asleep, her hand unconsciously groping beside her, finding nothing. She furrowed her pretty brows, deeper and deeper, as if she would wake up any second.
Cheng Zhanxi quickly finished the task, carried her from the edge of the bed back to the center, and lay down beside her.
And so, the next time, Yu Qingtang finally touched the familiar warmth, expertly snuggled in, her breathing becoming even and deep, and her brow smoothed out.
Cheng Zhanxi turned off the light, leaned down to kiss the woman’s forehead, and they fell asleep together.
The days of the business trip passed quickly with Cheng Zhanxi’s company. During the day, Yu Qingtang visited schools and exchanged experiences with her colleagues. In the evening, she went out for dinner or a late-night snack with Cheng Zhanxi. When they returned, she would summarize her thoughts from the day or chat with Cheng Zhanxi, and at night, they slept in each other’s arms.
They returned on Wednesday at noon. By the time they got back to Sicheng, it was already close to dinnertime, so the two decided to eat out before going home.
“Do you have work tonight?” In the ascending elevator, with only the two of them present, Cheng Zhanxi looked at the numbers on the display and asked suggestively.
Yu Qingtang retorted, “Do you want me to have work or not have work?”
Cheng Zhanxi raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Her gaze shifted to Yu Qingtang. Seeing her red ears, she smiled knowingly.
Cheng Zhanxi’s voice lilted upwards at the end, “Well, I don’t.”
Yu Qingtang stared at the elevator wall without blinking, a faint smile in her voice as she said, “Then I guess I don’t either.”
Staying in the hotel was like staying at Lin Xi’s house; the soundproofing was poor. The next evening, after Yu Qingtang finished writing a document on her laptop, just as the two were about to do something, sounds started from the next room—a man and a woman, going at it boldly and loudly.
Without thinking, Cheng Zhanxi reached out and covered Yu Qingtang’s ears.
Yu Qingtang: “…”
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi’s increasingly embarrassed expression, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, and she also covered Cheng Zhanxi’s ears.
The sounds continued for a long time. The two had no choice but to wear noise-canceling earplugs and chat on their phones under the covers.
[Yu Qingtang]: Last night I…
[Cheng Zhanxi]: Wasn’t as loud as her.
[Yu Qingtang]: Is that supposed to be comforting?
[Cheng Zhanxi]: [Wry_smile.jpg]
[Yu Qingtang]: [Shut_down.jpg]
[Cheng Zhanxi]: It was my carelessness.
After that, the two became more restrained. When it came to this sort of thing, occasional restraint could be stimulating, but constant restraint was just a mood killer. So, they didn’t do anything for the last few days of the business trip. As a couple in the passionate phase of their relationship, sharing a bed every night, having forcibly suppressed themselves for so many days, wouldn’t they indulge wantonly upon returning?
Yu Qingtang went into the bathroom, while Cheng Zhanxi patiently and meticulously trimmed her nails outside.
She got distracted several times in the process. She didn’t even notice when Yu Qingtang came out of the shower until Yu Qingtang squatted in front of her, looking at her well-defined fingers with apparent curiosity.
“Why did you cut them so short?”
Cheng Zhanxi didn’t answer. She scraped the back of Yu Qingtang’s hand with her smoothly filed, rounded nails and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Yu Qingtang shook her head, “No.”
“That’s good.” Cheng Zhanxi pinched her cheek, put down the nail clippers, and smiled, “I’m going to take a shower.”
The sound of water running in the bathroom went on for a while. Suddenly, Yu Qingtang’s face turned beet red, and she covered her face with her hands.
She had just understood what Cheng Zhanxi’s nails were all about!
Was she finally going to make a move on her?!
Yu Qingtang had no systematic knowledge in this area. Her only source of information was her first practical experience with Cheng Zhanxi. So she knew hands were involved, but as the receiving party, Cheng Zhanxi hadn’t used her hands on her yet, and she was too embarrassed to ask why. It was already very comfortable as it was.
Yu Qingtang sat in the single armchair, looking at the nail clippers resting quietly on it. Images and sounds materialized in her mind. Blushing, she put the nail clippers into a drawer, sat properly with her legs together, and closed her eyes to wait.
In the bathroom.
Warm water streamed down her well-proportioned, smooth back. Cheng Zhanxi tilted her head up, swept her damp long hair behind her, raised her arm, and washed her front. Steam filled the bathroom, outlining the woman’s graceful and well-endowed figure on the glass.
Cheng Zhanxi stepped out of the bathroom. After drying off, she put on a thin, dark gold silk robe, a matching sash loosely tied around her waist. Her straight collarbones gleamed with a cool luster, the skin on her chest and neck was as white as jade, and her long hair stained the fabric on her back a darker shade. With her prominent curves, she exuded a mature and alluring charm.
She looked at herself in the mirror, a smile playing on her lips, and stepped out of the bathroom.
She had been looking forward to this night for a long time. Although it came a bit late, the more beautiful something is, the more it’s worth waiting for.
She was someone who valued a sense of ritual. Specific things required specific preparations and had to be done in specific places. For example, this nightgown, which she had chosen after much deliberation, was one part of it.
Evidently, Yu Qingtang was not.
She was still in the single armchair Cheng Zhanxi had been sitting in. When she turned to look at Cheng Zhanxi, her eyes were filled with… bewilderment.
Bewilderment?
Cheng Zhanxi looked closely; it was indeed bewilderment.
A bewilderment of someone who had no idea what was happening.
Cheng Zhanxi looked down at herself, doubting her own charm for the first time. As a normal woman, shouldn’t Yu Qingtang have come over and pushed her down, or let Cheng Zhanxi push her down? It was one thing to sit there motionless, but she didn’t even swallow her saliva. She might as well have worn Spongebob pajamas.
After more than ten seconds, the “statue” on the sofa spoke, her voice filled with disbelief, “Cheng Zhanxi?”
It seemed she had just recognized the woman in front of her as her lover.
Cheng Zhanxi: “…”
Yu “Oblivious-to-Romance” Qingtang got up, walked around the sofa, her dark pupils clearly reflecting Cheng Zhanxi’s figure. She came before her and looked her up and down, “Why are you dressed like this?”
Cheng Zhanxi said through gritted teeth, “What do you think?”
Yu Qingtang: “?”
Cheng Zhanxi tried to guide her patiently, “Don’t you want to do something to me?”
The familiar bewilderment appeared in Yu Qingtang’s eyes.
After a long moment, under Cheng Zhanxi’s resentful gaze, she slowly extended her hands and grasped the sash of the woman’s nightgown.
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