Chapter 6

It takes two subway transfers to get from L University to Tanchen Mansion, followed by a 20-minute walk, but Yan Qing is already quite content. After all, compared to the remote Binjiang Jiuli, the commute time to Tanchen Mansion is considerably more lenient.

Upon learning that the class would be held at Tan Chen Mansion, Gu Feimeng was even more excited than Yan Qing.

"You absolutely must help me get some freshly caught seafood from Sister Mao!"

The "Mao Jie Freshly Cooked Food" that Gu Feimeng mentioned is a cooked food shop run by a Sichuan couple. According to Gu Feimeng, their braised large intestines and pig tails are the best in S City.

Not far from where Yan Qing got off the subway, she spotted a small shop with a simple sign that read "Sister Mao's Freshly Cooked Food." However, a notice posted outside stated that the owner was on holiday and the shop would only open on Fridays. Yan Qing had been keeping an eye out for it every day she passed by, and sure enough, the shop was open on Fridays.

When Yan Qing arrived at the shop, there was already a line of about ten people. A small sign on the counter read: "Opening Hours: 11:00-15:00". She wouldn't get back from class until at least 4 PM, so she definitely wouldn't be able to buy Gu Feimeng's much-anticipated braised intestines before closing time. Seeing that she still had some time, Yan Qing joined the queue. She bought two large bags full of duck wings, pig tongue, intestines, lotus root slices, preserved vegetables, and bean curd sheets, asked the owner for several layers of plastic bags to wrap them, put them in her bag, and then continued walking towards Tan Chen Mansion.

During class, Cheng Jiaming would occasionally sniff the air, his thoughtful gaze drifting around. At first, Yan Qing thought he was just daydreaming. After class, Cheng Jiaming finally couldn't help but ask, "What...what smells so good!"

Yan Qing also took a sniff; the smell seemed to be coming from her bag. She suddenly realized it was the braised food she had bought. Even though she had put it in several layers of plastic bags beforehand, the enticing aroma still managed to escape.

She took it out and put it on the table. Cheng Jiaming pounced on her like a puppy: "Can...can I have...one?"

Yan Qing was about to open the package when she hesitated. These braised meats were from a roadside stall, after all. If they weren't clean and Cheng Jiaming got sick, it would be a real mess.

Yan Qing said, "This was bought for a friend. If you really want to eat it, I'll make it for you next time, okay?"

Cheng Jiaming asked, "Wh...when?"

Yan Qing thought for a moment and said, "Teacher is currently living in the school dormitory, which doesn't have a kitchen. Hmm, how about Teacher cooks for you at home for Huang Yanxiang's birthday?"

Cheng Jiaming cheered with joy.

At this moment, the driver came in to pick up Cheng Jiaming to go to his swimming lesson. Cheng Jiaming said, "Drive... to... to take the teacher."

Yan Qing smiled and said, "Thank you, Jiaming. But I have an appointment with your father today to report on your studies this week." Yan Qing glanced at her watch. "He should be here soon. I'll wait here for a while."

In fact, Yan Qing waited for over an hour, but Shen Hanyang still hadn't arrived. She sat alone in the large living room, her tea having gone cold. A maid carefully replaced it with freshly brewed hot tea. When the maid was about to replace the tea a second time, she pressed down on the teacup: "Thank you, but no need to trouble yourself. I think Mr. Shen might have something to attend to and can't come. I'll be going now."

She bumped into Shen Hanyang almost the moment she stepped out the door.

Shen Hanyang seemed different from the previous two times, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was different. He simply said, "I'm sorry, Teacher Yan, something came up and I was held up."

Yan Qing returned to the living room, and the two sat facing each other on the sofa.

At that moment, Yan Qing suddenly realized what made him different—his white shirt, one of the most memorable parts of him. That day on the L University campus, in the scorching afternoon sun, everyone was drenched in sweat, but he seemed to transcend the power of nature, his white shirt crisp and clean. That shirt was just like the impression Shen Hanyang had given her: calm and composed.

Now, his white shirt had more wrinkles than usual, a button was missing near the collar, and a faint red mark remained on his chest.

Shen Hanyang seemed completely unconcerned and made no attempt to hide anything, simply asking, "Teacher Yan, you said you wanted to talk to me about Jiaming's studies. Please tell me whatever you have to say. How is the child performing?"

Yan Qing snapped out of her daze and took out her notebook from her bag: "Mr. Shen, the situation is like this..."

Shen Hanyang's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, said "Sorry," and got up to answer it. The call lasted for more than ten minutes.

"Excuse me, Ms. Yan, I have an urgent work-related phone call. Please continue."

Yan Qing pushed the notebook towards Shen Hanyang and said, "Jiaming's math foundation is rather weak, so I think he needs..."

The phone rang again. Shen Hanyang gave Yan Qing a slightly apologetic look before pressing the answer button.

When Shen Hanyang sat back down opposite her, Yan Qing had already put the notebook away. She thought that Shen Hanyang was very busy and his time was precious, so she should try to be concise and just say the key points.

But her words were once again stuck in her throat as the doorbell rang.

The maid went to open the door and then called out, "Sir, Secretary Gao and Miss Wu."

Shen Hanyang got up to greet him: "You're on holiday?"

The young girl naturally handed her luggage to the maid, then gave Shen Hanyang a joyful hug: "Brother Hanyang!"

Shen Hanyang smiled and patted the girl on the back.

The girl was taken aback when she saw Yan Qing and asked, "Who is this?"

Secretary Gao spoke first: "Home tutoring."

Shen Hanyang said, "This is Jiaming's math teacher, Teacher Yan."

The girl said "Oh" and didn't pay much attention. She turned her head and pulled Shen Hanyang to compare heights: "Brother Hanyang, do you think I've grown up?"

Shen Hanyang smiled and said, "You've grown up, but you're still just a little girl."

"Who said that? I'm not a little girl!" the girl retorted, moving closer to Shen Hanyang and gesturing with her hand: "Look, I'm already up to your shoulder!"

Shen Hanyang laughed and said, "Alright, alright, Xiao Wu has grown up and is a young lady now. Have you met any handsome guys at school?"

The girl snorted, her expression full of arrogance: "Lots of people like me, but I don't like any of them!"

Shen Hanyang nodded: "He's a promising kid. Quickly think about what you want to eat later, and I'll have someone arrange it. It'll be a welcome dinner for you today."

The girl suddenly exclaimed, "Brother Hanyang, what's that on your clothes?"

Shen Hanyang glanced down at the lipstick stain on his shirt and said casually, "I accidentally got it dirty. I'll go change. You guys wait for me."

Shen Hanyang turned and went back to his room. The girl looked at him from behind with a tender gaze, her girlish thoughts written all over her face.

Secretary Gao lowered her voice and said, "When President Shen heard you were coming, he immediately had a guest room prepared. You are truly a distinguished guest in our home. Come on, let's go and get ready first." The two linked arms affectionately and walked together, looking quite familiar with each other.

Yan Qing became invisible, unnoticed by anyone. She figured Shen Hanyang wouldn't have time to listen to her talk about Cheng Jiaming's studies anymore, so she tiptoed out of the Shen family's gate.

When Yan Qing returned, she told Gu Feimeng about the lipstick stain on Shen Hanyang's shirt as an amusing anecdote. Gu Feimeng was unsurprised: "Those rich people, they look respectable, but they live a life of extravagance in private! On the surface, they let their sons take their mother's surname and put on a loving wife persona, but in reality, they might not even wake up in whose bed every morning."

Yan Qing recalled the interview. Secretary Gao was at the forefront, spearheading the proceedings, while Shen Hanyang barely spoke, only listening, his deep, unfathomable eyes occasionally casting a fleeting glance. Even that single glance made Yan Qing inexplicably nervous. Her first impression of Shen Hanyang was that of a person devoid of warmth and emotion. "Appearances can be deceiving," Yan Qing said.

Gu Feimeng ate the spicy braised pork intestines, hissing and panting from the spiciness, her lips and tongue feeling like they were on fire. She quickly drank a few sips of iced cola, let out a satisfied burp, and then said comfortably, "Awesome. That Shen Hanyang, rich, handsome, and single, practically has 'get me' written all over his face. But what I admire most is that he doesn't look it at all on the surface. He's like a womanizer who never gets involved. His face is like the white moonlight male god in Qiao Yi's previous novel, 'cold eyes and thin lips,' yet he's also incredibly sexy. Looking at his face, even I, who's sealed in cement and locked in love, wanted to break my vow of celibacy."

Yan Qing smiled.

Gu Feimeng sucked on the last bit of red oil on her fingers, panting out hot, spicy breath, and said, "Sister, jokes aside, protect yourself, and don't let this kind of playboy have any designs on you."

Yan Qing smiled and said, "Don't worry, he won't even bother to look at me twice."

At this moment, her supervisor, Huang Qian, called to say that part of the intelligent driving algorithm development project they were collaborating on with Tengyue Company needed to be modified. During the summer vacation, all the students except Yan Qing had gone home, making it difficult to even find them.

Yan Qing immediately grabbed her laptop and rushed to the laboratory.

The lab building was deserted during summer vacation, so Huang Qian felt at ease smoking in her office. When Yan Qing arrived, the room was filled with the smell of smoke, and Huang Qian was sitting in the pungent odor, puffing away.

Yan Qing first opened the window, then turned up the air conditioner's fan speed.

"Didn't you say you'd quit? I'm sure I'll get a scolding from Huang Feihong again tonight," Yan Qing said as she turned on her computer.

Huang Qian stubbed out her cigarette and smiled sheepishly, "I'm craving it. I'll take a shower before I go home so Huang Feihong won't find out. Sweetie, don't tell her!" As she spoke, she pulled a Kinder Surprise egg from the drawer, "Here's something delicious for you."

Yan Qing smiled helplessly. Huang Qian was approachable and had no airs of a mentor, treating her students like friends. Although she was over forty, she still had a childlike heart, and Huang Qian had done this childish thing—bribing students with Kinder Surprise eggs—several times before.

The two worked in the office for four hours straight.

The time in the bottom right corner of the computer screen jumped to 11:00 PM. Huang Qian stretched her stiff arms, and a belated feeling of hunger crept up from her stomach. She suggested, "Let's go get some late-night snacks." Yan Qing also felt hungry, and the two agreed immediately. Huang Qian got in the car and drove straight to Su Shan Fang.

At 11:30, Su Shan Fang was just like during the evening rush hour; there wasn't a single empty table to be found.

The waiter said, "The wait will be at least half an hour. If you don't want to wait, you can share a table."

Huang Qian was naturally willing to share a table. The waiter led them to the largest table near the center: "There are still seats available here."

The people who had sat down earlier looked displeased: "We didn't agree to share the table."

The waiter replied expressionlessly, "This is a large table; all seats are shared."

The other party said, "We have privacy needs."

The waiter remained unmoved: "If you want privacy, go to a private room. You can share a seat in the main hall."

Yan Qing looked over and was taken aback. The person talking to the waiter was Secretary Gao, and sitting next to him were Shen Hanyang and the young girl surnamed Wu whom she had met at the Shen family's house earlier that day.

Shen Hanyang saw her immediately as well. He seemed about to speak, but Huang Qian patted the waiter's arm and said, "Never mind, let's wait a little longer."

At this moment, a group of people at a table by the window stood up. The waiter said, "There's an empty table over there; the air is better by the window. I'll lead you to your seats." He then gave Secretary Gao a meaningful look. Secretary Gao retorted, "What's with that look? What kind of attitude is that?"

From beginning to end, Secretary Gao never gave Yan Qing a second glance.

Huang Qian and Yan Qing sat down by the window. Outside the window was a row of weeping willows, their branches swaying gently in the breeze.

The waiter brought hot water, and Huang Qian said while rinsing the bowls and chopsticks, "Everyone says the waiters here are arrogant and conceited, but I quite like them. They're straightforward and have clear likes and dislikes."

Yan Qing couldn't help but look at Shen Hanyang's table again, and her eyes met Shen Hanyang's.

She smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgment, and Shen Hanyang also nodded gently.

Secretary Gao had regained her smile. It was the first time Yan Qing had seen such a hearty smile on her face. Secretary Gao was clearly getting on in years; the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were clearly visible when she laughed. She and Xiao Wu were chatting enthusiastically, while Shen Hanyang, standing to the side, seemed like an outsider, quietly sipping his tea. Xiao Wu would occasionally turn to speak to him, but he would only reply with a few simple words.

For some reason, this scene seemed strangely like a family of three to Yan Qing: a young woman in love, her taciturn boyfriend, and her future mother-in-law who was quite satisfied with her future son-in-law.

A fragrant aroma of crab roe wafted over, and Yan Qing looked away. Huang Qian handed Yan Qing chopsticks: "This crab roe noodle soup is amazing, so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off. Eat it while it's hot."

After a busy night, Yan Qing's stomach was rumbling. She took the chopsticks, stirred the food briefly, and began to eat heartily.

Huang Qian sighed, "Su Shan Fang opens at nine o'clock every night and stays open until seven o'clock the next day. We never see the sun. It's fortunate that there is such a place to take in those homeless wanderers."

Yan Qing knew that Huang Qian and she were, in a sense, both "homeless ghosts," but she was even more thoroughly lonely than Huang Qian.

Yan Qing's phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw a WeChat friend request with only three words: Shen Hanyang.

Yan Qing looked at the table in surprise. Shen Hanyang was talking to Xiao Wu, his phone lying quietly on the table in front of him.