MTB - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Sincerity
“Yangyang?”
“Yun Yang! Your phone…”
Before Chen Ningning could finish, Yun Yang’s phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a clatter.
“…is already on the floor,” she added, finishing her sentence.
Yun Yang took a couple of seconds to react, then quickly picked up her phone. Thankfully, it hadn’t landed screen-down, but a small piece of the curved edge had cracked.
“You scared me to death. I just got this phone over the summer. It’s still usable for now.” She patted her chest, feeling a mix of heartache and lingering fear.
“First time I’ve seen someone watch their phone fall to the ground in broad daylight.” Chen Ningning patted her on the back and grinned mischievously. “What were you up to last night to be so out of it today?”
Yun Yang was speechless.
“Nothing much. Just saw some things I shouldn’t have.” How dare she joke about it? A desire for revenge sparked in Yun Yang. She flopped onto the sofa and said pointedly, “Like, for example, accidentally seeing two people kissing, or stumbling upon some secret rendezvous.”
The more Chen Ningning listened, the more she felt something was off. She frowned. “Wait, how could you…”
“Sister Ningning,” Yun Yang changed the subject, asking curiously, “did you already know Teacher Tang and the others before?”
“I did. How did you know?” Chen Ningning was a little surprised. “Did Teacher Tang tell you?”
Yun Yang replied, “I guessed.”
“Speaking of which, I have Teacher Tang to thank for being able to come here,” Chen Ningning said, recalling the past.
Her hometown was a small town in a coastal city. She had a brother eight years younger than her. When she was little, she was oblivious and didn’t feel her parents treated them any differently. But when she was in her last year of high school, her father lost his job. During that time, the house was filled with the smell of smoke and her mother’s sighs. One day, she came home from school, and her mother quietly pulled her into her room. Pleadingly, she asked if Yun Yang could drop out after finishing high school.
Chen Ningning remembered holding her report card from the city-wide unified exam that day. She was in the top one hundred students in the city; barring any surprises, she was guaranteed a spot at a top university. She wanted to tell her parents she planned to study history in college—she remained silent for a long time, but her mother seemed to get angry, calling her a “money-losing good-for-nothing” before begging her again, saying her brother couldn’t go without an education.
That night, she ran away from home, penniless, and hid under a railway bridge in town—that was when she met Tang Yuelou.
Eight years ago, Tang Yuelou was in her final year of university. The first semester was the most relaxed, so she and a few friends had gone to the countryside for a weekend to sketch and take photos. She came into town to get her pictures developed and, getting out of her car, asked Chen Ningning if she needed help. Although she was only a few years older than Chen Ningning, in that moment, she seemed like a goddess who had descended from the heavens.
She left her contact information, taught Chen Ningning how to apply for financial aid, and paid for her to finish university. After starting college, Chen Ningning cut ties with her family. Tang Yuelou let her work at the store and asked if she wanted to join her company.
“How could I trouble Teacher Tang any more? She’s already helped me so much.” Chen Ningning was a little embarrassed. “Even if I want to join the company, I have to earn it myself. I’m preparing for the graduate school entrance exams now. I want to apply and get in on my own after I graduate.”
After hearing this dramatic and winding story, Yun Yang took a moment to digest it, her mind racing.
She finally understood the occasional look of adoration Chen Ningning had when she mentioned Tang Yuelou. But besides feeling moved, she also felt a subtle twinge of jealousy. Was Tang Yuelou addicted to helping people?
Just how many others had she helped?
The more Yun Yang thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t have any other feelings for Teacher Tang. She’s just my goddess,” Chen Ningning quickly added. “Besides, I’m completely straight.”
Yun Yang nodded meaningfully. “No wonder… I’m a little curious, though. Was Ouyang Zhou part of this story too?”
Chen Ningning almost couldn’t maintain her smile.
“He was,” she said, fidgeting. “He came with Teacher Tang back then.”
Yun Yang drew out a long “Ohhh.” “That’s nice, very nice.”
“Huh? You’re not shocked?” Chen Ningning seemed a bit surprised. “Ouyang is fifteen years older than me. I thought you’d be worried I was being scammed or something.”
“I am a little shocked. I hope you don’t get mad, but I always thought Ouyang Zhou was gay,” Yun Yang said jokingly. “I figured a rich young master like him would either be forced into an arranged marriage the second he came of legal age, or, if not, he’d be gay or into some kinky stuff.”
“I thought so too!” Chen Ningning slapped the table excitedly. “Later I found out he’s just a proponent of the single life.”
The two looked at each other and were quiet for a moment before bursting into laughter at the same time.
Sometimes “friendship” was a strange thing. One comment from the other person could hit just the right spot, and the distance between you would instantly shrink. The two of them gossiped about Tang Yuelou’s entire circle. Yun Yang even learned about the embarrassing way Zhao Lin had proposed to Ye Ziqiu. Chen Ningning opened a mint candy meant for customers and said, “I was actually worried that Ouyang was only with me for the novelty of it all. But then I thought, it’s not like I’m losing out. As long as I’m happy, that’s what matters. Whether it’s sincere or not is another story.”
Yun Yang hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “Right.”
She actually agreed with this “as long as you’re happy” philosophy. Anyone could imagine the pleasure of passing through a field of flowers without a single petal clinging to you… but sitting across from Tang Yuelou at lunch, her mind suddenly drifted.
Can’t you have both happiness and sincerity? They weren’t mutually exclusive.
The fish soup at this restaurant was fragrant enough to make one drool, but it was full of cilantro and ginger. She had taken a sip earlier and almost gagged. Tang Yuelou had picked out everything she didn’t eat from the soup, piling it neatly on a plate, then pushed the bowl back in front of her. “There, you can eat it now.”
“Yangyang?”
Yun Yang jolted, dazedly picking up her spoon.
Tang Yuelou was meticulous and patient, even picking out the finely diced ginger. Yun Yang stirred the milky-white broth, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “Teacher.”
“What is it?” Tang Yuelou asked, picking up a wet wipe to clean her hands. “You don’t like it? I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I forgot to tell them to hold the ginger and cilantro when we ordered.”
“Oh, um, it’s fine,” Yun Yang answered vaguely.
“How did your phone get cracked?” Tang Yuelou asked.
“It’s nothing, I just dropped it,” Yun Yang said, placing her phone face down on the table and focusing on her soup. “I’ll make do with it for now. I’ll get the screen replaced after I get paid.”
Tang Yuelou nodded thoughtfully.
“Wait,” Yun Yang suddenly had a premonition. “I don’t mean anything by that. I hope I don’t come home tonight to a new phone.”
“Why? Does it need some sort of ceremony?”
Yun Yang was speechless.
She asked so seriously that Yun Yang couldn’t even tell if she was teasing or asking a genuine question.
“I’m living in your house, eating your food, using your things, and I’ve accepted so many gifts from you. Oh, right, you also pay me a salary.” Yun Yang put down her spoon and said jokingly, “Why do I feel like I’m being kept? But don’t you usually have to give a kept lover some living expenses? You’re not very professional, Teacher Tang.”
Tang Yuelou thought for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly. “Is that how you see it?”
“It’s just an association based on our current relationship,” Yun Yang said, then asked, “Are you a proponent of the single life, too?”
Tang Yuelou paused, catching the key word. “‘Too’?”
“That’s not important.”
She didn’t speak, slowly wiping her fingers clean. “What if I say I am?”
Another counter-question. Yun Yang felt a wave of irritation. She set her spoon down with a clatter, leaned back in her chair, and said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “Then I’d say, ‘what a coincidence.’”
“And what if I say I’m not?”
“Then,” Yun Yang raised an eyebrow, “it would depend on what kind of ‘not’ you mean.”
“Why are you suddenly asking this?” Tang Yuelou rested her chin on her fingers, thinking for a moment. “Have I done something recently that made you unhappy?”
“What do you think?” Yun Yang retorted.
Tang Yuelou’s gaze shifted downward, and she smiled.
After a moment of processing, certain rather lewd scenes floated into her mind. Yun Yang subconsciously covered her rear, her face flushing crimson. “That’s not what I meant!”
“Did I say anything?” Tang Yuelou spread her hands innocently.
Yun Yang said, “Get out of here right now.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.” Tang Yuelou reined in her smile, stood up, and moved to the chair beside her, reaching for her hand. “You don’t need to have any reservations with me.”
Yun Yang’s fingers twitched.
“You can take my kindness for granted, because I like you.”
Her fingers were kissed. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she looked up to meet Tang Yuelou’s eyes.
“I know, Teacher,” Yun Yang said softly, turning her head slightly. “I just want to know if this ‘like’ is serious, or if it falls into the category of casual flirtation?”
She wasn’t wearing contacts or makeup. The slightly lighter color of her irises shimmered under the restaurant lights, and the corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, creating a unique beauty that was somewhere between obedient and sharp. Tang Yuelou raised a hand to caress the corner of her lips.
“Yangyang, I have always been serious about you.”
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