Chapter 33 Senior, let's go back.

After becoming a special consultant, Gao Wen became even busier. In addition to preparing and teaching lessons, she also had to find time to record videos, build a scientific system, and act as a professional safety auditor.

Fortunately, these tasks are not rushed to be completed all at once; they will be improved little by little as the research and development progresses, allowing her to handle a small amount each day.

But she had another crucial task: her dissertation.

Everything else was a "byproduct" of her passion, except for this thesis.

It's killing me.

Fang Han and Gao Wen have been in contact much more frequently than before.

The two were either talking in the living room or on their way back, because Gao Wen wanted to have as much time to talk as possible without affecting her other things.

Breakfast time, lunch time, and the commute to or from get off work – these are all times that can be utilized.

It must be said that she is a very efficient person.

Fang Han enjoyed it, getting used to going to and from get off work with Gao Wen. Looking through their chat history, they communicated almost every day, reporting their whereabouts.

tonight.

Gao Wen had an extra class added at the last minute. She sent Fang Han a message: 【Sorry, senior, my class doesn't end until nine o'clock. You can go home first.】

Upon seeing the text message, Fang Han quickly replied: 【I'm also working overtime.】

She didn't reply to the message, but instead sent a voice message. Fang Han turned down the volume and listened to it. Her soft voice came through: "Okay, okay, the member is here. I'll start the class now."

Fang Han listened to it several times, when his colleague at the opposite workstation suddenly asked in confusion, "Fang, what are you listening to? You look like you're smitten."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shujie raised an eyebrow and walked over: "You have something going on?"

"No," Fang Han denied, frowning helplessly. "President Gu, could you please stop talking nonsense?"

The address "President Gu" made Gu Shujie laugh. He reached out and patted Fang Han on the shoulder: "Work hard, I'll leave work early today."

"Um."

......

Fang Han was busy for an hour, during which time his colleagues gradually left work.

Gu Shujie had already left work, so they, who rarely get to take a break, naturally wanted to leave early.

Soon, only Fang Han remained in the office. He checked the time, picked up his phone, and was about to message Gao Wen when she sent him a message first: "Senior, I'm out of class."

Fang Han's brows relaxed, and he leaned back, holding his phone: [Going back already?]

Gao Wen didn't answer, but instead asked: "Are you at the company?"

Fang Han: [Hmm.]

Gao Wen: [Shall I come to your company to find you?]

Fang Han was puzzled, but didn't ask why: "Okay, you can come now."

Gao Wen then said, "Let's handle the course classification at the company first. I need to write my thesis when I get back, so I'd like to face it later!"

Fang Han couldn't help but smile faintly when he saw the exclamation mark at the end; he could already imagine her expression at that moment.

She must have been frowning, her expression one of helplessness and struggle.

【good. 】

After sending the message, Fang Han opened a document to print relevant materials, then went to the tea room to make a cup of refreshing green tea.

Just as he brought out the tea, Gao Wen walked in.

"Sigh—" Gao Wen glanced around and, finding only Fang Han, said in a drawn-out voice, "Today was super busy, and it will be even busier later because the center is going to have an event: collect likes on WeChat Moments to give away free master classes. There will be a lot of new members coming to try it out for free. I don't know how effective it will be."

"Thanks for your hard work."

He had barely finished speaking when his phone rang. He opened it and saw: [Like, like, we're just waiting for you!!!]

Fang Han opened Gao Wen's Moments, didn't even look at it, and liked the latest post. He pulled up a chair for Gao Wen to sit down, placed the brewed tea in front of her, and said with a smile, "It should be quite good, and it will attract a lot of people."

He understands this all too well; he's been helping people get likes every day lately, and it's giving him a real headache.

"I hope so," Gao Wen said, picking up her teacup.

Fang Han cautioned, "It's freshly soaked, be careful not to burn yourself."

"Mmm." Gao Wen nodded, slowly approaching the edge of the teacup and gently blowing on it.

Fang Han looked at her cautious manner, a smile appearing in his eyes. He got up and walked towards the printer, saying, "I'll go get the documents."

"good."

Gao Wen took several small sips of her drink. Fang Han took a stack of documents and handed them to her, saying, "Take a break and look at them slowly. We can discuss any questions you may have."

"I still need to go back and write my thesis." Gao Wen put down her teacup, pushed her chair forward a bit, placed the documents on the table, and began to look through them.

Fang Han quickly sat down and opened a document on his computer.

“The structure of the course difficulty still needs to be optimized; it’s not detailed enough,” Gao Wen said, circling it on the table of contents with a pen. “It also needs to be further subdivided, as each client has different training goals, so it must be targeted and eye-catching enough.”

Fang Han: "For example?"

"Shoulder and neck therapy, postpartum recovery, fat loss and body shaping, aerobic exercise, shoulder and back conditioning, comprehensive training..." Gao Wen rattled off a list, then added, "I'll organize them all for you later."

"Hmm." Fang Han's fingers flew across the keyboard.

Gao Wen flipped through the documents, her red lips slightly parted, speaking softly, while Fang Han kept taking notes. The two occasionally had targeted discussions, offering their insights in their respective fields.

The two men's voices echoed throughout the large office.

During this time, the cup of green tea in front of Gao Wen gradually emptied. She cleared her throat, put the documents on the table, and stood up: "I'm going to the restroom."

"Over there," Fang Han pointed in the direction.

"Um,"

After Gao Wen left, Fang Han looked at the documents she had casually placed aside, which had been marked with her own notes.

His handwriting reflects his personality: elegant, fluent, and delicate.

Fang Han took his teacup and went to the tea room to refill it.

He had just walked to the water dispenser when, with a "snap," everything went dark.

Is there a power outage?

Before Fang Han could think further, a clattering sound came from the office, accompanied by a soft cry. His expression changed drastically, and he quickly ran out.

"Gao Wen?" Fang Han looked at the dark office and called out anxiously.

No one answered.

"Gao Wen? Where are you?" Fang Han searched for her using the dim light outside.

The lack of response left Fang Han feeling completely lost and on the verge of snapping.

Suddenly, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor came from behind.

Fang Han immediately went over there. He saw Gao Wen lying on the ground and quickly squatted down: "Are you alright?"

Gao Wen didn't speak. It was very dark, and he couldn't see her face clearly, so he could only quickly help her up.

As soon as Fang Han reached out, he grabbed Gao Wen tightly. She leaned against him, her hands clasped tightly around him, as if she had found a lifeline.

Looking at the pitch-black surroundings, Gao Wen felt a wave of fear threatening to engulf her. Scenes from her previous life replayed in her mind, and she felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She was like a lump of mud being dragged deeper and deeper into the abyss.

"What's wrong with you?" Fang Han noticed that she was trembling and thought she had fallen badly, so he became even more anxious. "I'll take you to the hospital now."

“No…no…” Gao Wen managed to squeeze out these two words from her stiff throat. She shook her head with all her might to stop Fang Han from helping her up.

As she spoke, she gripped Fang Han's hand even tighter.

"Then we won't go. Don't be afraid, it'll be alright, it'll be alright—" Fang Han noticed the cold sweat constantly appearing on her palms and quickly changed his mind, "We're not going."

"No—" Gao Wen's voice was weak, her body still trembling. She looked around warily, then shrank back, moving closer to Fang Han, choking out in pain, "No—"

She was completely incapable of thinking; she was so terrified that she broke out in a cold sweat.

“We’re not going anywhere, it’s okay.” Fang Han held her hand with his other hand and sat down with her on the ground, repeating this to her ear over and over again.

Gao Wen was still tightly holding Fang Han's hand, her whole body trembling as if she were a thread.

"Snap—"

Gao Wen was like a frightened bird, wanting to hide. Fang Han immediately covered her eyes and said, "Don't be afraid, the call is back on."

As the office regained its brightness, Fang Han noticed Gao Wen's pale face and bloodless lips. He touched her cold forehead with his palm, his eyes filled with worry.

Fang Han slowly moved his hand away, allowing Gao Wen to adjust to the light. She looked around at the bright surroundings slowly, her expression slightly blank and lifeless.

"Where did you fall?" Fang Han asked her gently.

Gao Wen didn't reply, she just stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and struggle.

Her mind was in a state of confusion, and she couldn't even distinguish between dreams and reality.

"The ground is cold, let's get up first," Fang Han said, helping her up.

Gao Wen held onto Fang Han's hand tightly, looking around again and using the last of her strength to keep gripping him.

Fang Han let her hold on, pulled her up, reached for a chair, and made her sit down.

Gao Wen sat while Fang Han stood. She looked at him for a while before slowly letting go, placing her hands on her lap, clasping them together, and lowering her head.

Fang Han squatted down, his gaze gentle and concerned, and asked softly, "Where did you fall? Where does it hurt?"

Gao Wen didn't say anything.

"May I see your leg?" Fang Han was still worried and unsure of himself.

Gao Wen remained expressionless, maintaining her seated position.

"Silence means consent," Fang Han said, reaching out to touch her.

Gao Wen's hands, resting on her lap, trembled slightly.

Fang Han looked up at her.

She didn't say anything.

Fang Han: "Let me check you over, make sure you're not hurt."

He was very worried because she had cut her foot and bled the last time.

Gao Wen was wearing casual pants today, which were easy to roll up. Fang Han noticed the bruises on her knees and his expression turned serious.

Fortunately, the other knee was fine.

Fang Han looked up at her. Gao Wen looked like a helpless and anxious child. She opened her mouth slightly, but in the end, she didn't say anything.

"Did you hit your head?" Fang Han asked cautiously.

Gao Wen shook her head slightly.

"That's good, it's alright, I'll put some medicine on it for you in a bit."

Fang Han stood up, and Gao Wen thought he was leaving. Her face turned pale again, and her eyes filled with fear and unease.

"I'm not leaving. We'll go back together in a bit." Fang Han said, pulling out two tissues from the table next to him. He bent down slightly, "Let me wipe your sweat so you don't catch a cold."

Gao Wen's forehead and face were covered in fine sweat, and her hair was slightly damp.

Fang Han's movements were very gentle and measured. Gao Wen remained motionless, letting him wipe her.

After wiping his face, he threw the tissues in the trash can, then pulled out two more, took her hand, and quickly wiped the fine sweat from her palms.

"Okay, I'll go get some oil over there and rub it on for you. It'll be fine tomorrow." Fang Han pointed to his workstation.

As soon as he turned around, Gao Wen grabbed his hand. Her hand was trembling, and she was very flustered.

"Can we go together?" Fang Han asked.

Gao Wen nodded slightly twice.

But she didn't move; she just sat there.

"I'll hold your hand, and after we've finished applying the oil, we'll go back." Fang Han turned around, took her hand tightly, and pulled her up.

Gao Wen stood beside him, holding his other hand as well.

Fang Han could feel her complete dependence, but the feeling was different. She saw him as a lifeline, like a glimmer of hope in the midst of drowning.

It took them several minutes to walk a distance of just a few meters.

Gao Wen was practically unable to move an inch. She had no control over her body or mind, as if she had lost many memories. She became mechanical, numb, and stiff all over.

"Sit down." Fang Han pulled over his chair and let Gao Wen sit down. He himself breathed a sigh of relief when he did.

Gao Wen is very obedient.

Fang Han started looking for medicated oil at his workstation. Gao Wen kept her eyes on him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her thoughts as chaotic as if shrouded in a thick fog.

She didn't even know where she was or what she was doing here.

All I know is that I'm terrified.

It's only now that I'm slowly remembering that he is Fang Han. Because it's him, I feel inexplicably more at ease.

Fang Han found the medicinal wine, squatted down beside Gao Wen's feet, raised his head and said in a gentle voice, "I'll apply some medicine for you. This medicine is very effective, and you'll be fine when you wake up tomorrow."

"Mmm," Gao Wen replied softly.

Fang Han felt a little relieved after hearing her reply, and asked again to confirm, "Did you only bump your knee?"

"Um."

"Sorry, it might be a sudden power outage." Fang Han said apologetically. He poured the medicinal wine into his palm, rubbed it several times, and then gently applied it to her knee, rubbing it lightly. He said, "I'll buy a desk lamp later. It'll stay on even if the power goes out, otherwise it's too dangerous."

"It's okay," Gao Wen said softly.

She said it was okay, but Fang Han still felt a little guilty looking at her knees, which were covered in bruises.

Fang Han rubbed for a while before getting up.

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Gao Wen. He didn't stop working either, organizing the documents: "You'll have to wait for me a little while before we can go back."

Actually, he wanted Gao Wen to take a break.

She's not in a good mood right now.

Gao Wen sat silently, her eyes lowered, very quiet.

Even she herself didn't know what she was thinking. She wasn't thinking about anything, yet it seemed like a lot of thoughts were rushing through her mind. Her heart was beating fast, and her thoughts were a jumble.

After an unknown amount of time, Gao Wen reached out and tugged at Fang Han's sleeve: "Senior, let's go back."

Fang Han, pretending to be busy, smiled and said, "Okay."

The two remained silent throughout the journey.

Fang Han and Gao Wen walked side by side. He walked very slowly, occasionally stopping to match her as she was lost in thought, then pretending not to care.

It took the two of them at least three times as long as usual to travel this stretch of road.

When they arrived at the convenience store downstairs in the apartment complex, Fang Han went in, bought two bottles of milk that Gao Wen usually liked to drink, heated them up, took them out, unscrewed the caps, and handed them to her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

......

When Gao Wen returned home, her complexion had improved considerably. However, when she went back to her room, she forgot to say goodnight to Fang Han as usual.

His movements slowed down, causing Fang Han to have a sleepless night, tossing and turning.

Gao Wen, lying in bed, wasn't much better off. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy, and she kept taking deep breaths to calm herself down. It was like the aftereffects of a major shock, requiring a long time to recover.

"It's okay, it's okay," she kept telling herself.

The next day, Fang Han got up early, intending to cook her some breakfast.

Gao Wen, however, had already left for class before dawn.

What happened last night was like a minor incident; Fang Han felt that Gao Wen would forget about it after a good night's sleep.

Fang Han didn't mention it again, acting as if nothing had happened.

Gao Wen herself thought so too; she didn't want to mention it or recall it.

Fang Han has been messaging Gao Wen frequently these past two days, but it's all been reasonable, and they mostly talk about work-related issues.

He would wait for her to go home together every day after get off work.

Only when Gao Wen was changing clothes and saw the fading bruises on her knees would she be plunged into that painful and struggling memory, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

"Sister Wenwen?" Lin Siyue's voice came from outside.

"I'm here," Gao Wen replied, and after getting dressed, she came out of the changing room.

Lin Siyue smiled and said, "You don't have class next period, so let's take some photos? We can also shoot a couple of videos and upload them to the library's video account and your personal video account. It's been two days since you last updated."

She and Zhang Ni are in charge of online promotion. Now that traffic is booming, they need to post content more frequently.

Gao Wen doesn't have much free time, so she has to make the most of every opportunity to shoot.

"Okay, wait a moment," Gao Wen replied.

She was too busy, so Zhang Ni and Lin Siyue had been handling these matters. The two of them were very dedicated and always made proper arrangements.

Promoting the museum is also part of Gao Wen's job. As for her personal video account, she doesn't have any plans for the time being, but with her large number of followers, it's a wide-ranging avenue for her to explore.

All of this is so much better than my previous life.

Gao Wen did not believe it, nor would she give in, and she did not feel that she deserved any so-called "ending".

She is someone who doesn't believe in fate and refuses to give up.

Gao Wen saw from inside that the receptionist was pacing anxiously, making a phone call saying, "Teacher Qingqing, you should have told us in advance if you couldn't come. The members are all waiting, and class is about to start. The other teachers all have other commitments and can't substitute for us."

"Can you come over as soon as possible?"

Gao Wen noticed the young woman at the front desk looked worried, so she went over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Teacher Qingqing can't make it to the next large class, and all the members are here." The receptionist frantically scrolled through her phone's contacts. "Why didn't they tell us beforehand?!"

“No need to call, I’ll do it,” Gao Wen said.

The receptionist stopped what she was doing, deeply moved: "Teacher Wenwen, can you do this?"

Gao Wen is a popular teacher at the center. She only teaches one large live class a day, and spends the rest of her time teaching small classes to long-term members.

This kind of class is not her responsibility.

"Why not? I don't have class next period." Gao Wen asked after speaking, "What class are you taking?"

"Handstand practice," the receptionist said, then added, "Oh, by the way, we have a new member, an auntie, here for a trial lesson."

"Why is the trial class scheduled for this session?" Gao Wen frowned. "It's very unsafe for her because she has no foundation."

The center is currently running a promotion: collect likes on your WeChat Moments to win a free seven-day intensive course trial.

These classes are taught by other teachers, and the courses are relatively basic and simple. Handstands require a foundation, and they are all taught by experienced members.

“She said she has some basic yoga experience and has practiced at several yoga studios,” the receptionist said, pointing to the lounge sofa. “That lady, she just arrived and said she wanted to try it right away. This was the only class left, so I booked it for her; otherwise, all the trial classes for the next few days would be full.”

Trial classes are designed to attract members. Members who have practiced at other yoga studios are their target audience, and of course, they need to be courted because they are very likely to sign up for classes.

Gao Wen looked over and quickly spotted the new member. The aunt was wearing a floral short-sleeved shirt and loose flared pants, and had French-style voluminous curly hair.

She was dressed simply, without makeup or grooming, and carrying a shopping bag as a handbag. She sat properly on the sofa, looking around the museum with curiosity and bewilderment.

When Gao Wen looked over, Hu Hong met her gaze, immediately straightened her back, and pretended to be very confident.

"Are you sure she's trained?" Gao Wen asked the receptionist softly, her tone hesitant.

"She said it herself. I think she's definitely practiced yoga there. She's been to places like Jingxin Yoga Studio, Mingjing Yoga Studio, and Fanhui Yoga Studio... she's a member of all of them." The receptionist spoke with certainty, then added, "I guess she'll probably get a yearly membership for a large class?"

Although this woman is simply dressed, she probably has a pension; an annual membership costs several thousand yuan a year, which is also part of her sales performance.

We cannot let any potential customer slip by.

"Okay." Gao Wen nodded and strode towards Hu Hong.

Seeing Gao Wen approach, Hu Hong gripped the shopping bag tightly in her hand and looked at her with feigned composure.

Gao Wen approached Hu Hong, bent down slightly, and said, "Auntie, our big class today is about handstands, which requires some basic skills. Are you able to do it?"

Hu Hong was questioned. She widened her eyes slightly, gripped her shopping bag tightly again, and emphasized in a strong voice: "I've worked at several yoga studios, and I also practice dance. I have a foundation!"

How can this pretty young girl question her?

Are you looking down on her just because she's a free customer you got by collecting likes on her WeChat Moments? That's rude.

“Having a basic understanding is fine. Since it’s a large class with only one teacher, it’s inevitable that they won’t be able to take care of everyone. So for your safety, I have to ask clearly. I hope you don’t mind.” Gao Wen finished speaking and then added seriously, “Exercise is secondary; ensuring your safety is my top priority.”

Hearing this, Hu Hong felt relieved, and she smiled, revealing fine lines at the corners of her eyes: "Are you the one giving me lessons?"

"Yes, I'll be teaching this class. There are only three minutes left before class starts, so we can go to the classroom now." Gao Wen's voice was soft, clear, and sweet.

"Okay." Hu Hong smiled and stood up to follow Gao Wen.

Gao Wen: "Let me take you to put your clothes away first, and then we'll go to the classroom."

"Okay, okay." Hu Hong looked at the slender and pretty girl and smiled broadly, following behind her eagerly. "Your attitude is so good, so thoughtful."

Gao Wen helped her put her clothes and shopping bags in the closet and handed the key to Hu Hong, saying, "The classroom is this way, please come with me."

As they passed through the lobby, Hu Hong looked at the person on the promotional board, then at Gao Wen: "Is this you?"

“Yes, Auntie, we have class now,” Gao Wen reminded her.

"It's you! You're very pretty." Hu Hong quickly followed behind her, glancing back several times as she stayed close to the pretty girl. Before entering the classroom, she said to Gao Wen, "I've taken classes at several yoga studios, and I'm very good at it. They all praise me."

The event promotion board in the lobby features Gao Wen's top-recommended private coaching sessions.

One lesson costs 1588, minimum order of ten lessons.

-----------------------

Author's note: I'm a little late, sorry.

I'll send out 200 red envelopes for this update, muah!

See you tomorrow!