Chapter 28
That night, Yan Qing's sleep was fragmented by a jumble of chaotic dreams, and when she opened her eyes the next day, the fatigue that had accumulated in her body had not completely dissipated.
Gu Feimeng went on a trip at the end of her holiday, and the dormitory was quiet in the early morning.
I opened my phone and saw dozens of unread messages, including messages from Gu Feimeng and messages from the research group (the version without a supervisor).
She first opened Gu Feimeng's chat window.
"Breaking news! Teacher Huang is now famous!"
Next came a PowerPoint presentation. Yan Qing clicked on it, and her eyes, which had been slightly sleepy, instantly widened in shock.
The 60-page PowerPoint presentation accused Huang Qian, an associate professor in the mathematics department at L University, of breaking up a family and having an improper relationship with a married man for a year. It listed Huang Qian's private chat logs with the man, their real-name records of attending plays and shopping together, their travel itinerary during business trips, and even the room number of the hotel room they shared.
Yan Qing recognized the married man's name; he was Wu Chuan, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry. The whistleblower was Wu Chuan's ex-wife, Bai Xiaoying, a staff member in the logistics department of L University.
The research group is in an uproar.
"What's going on? Hasn't Teacher Huang been living a life of abstinence for many years?"
Have you met your true love?
"Long-term suppression results in an uncontrollable surge of passion."
"It's normal for women to have needs at this age."
"I think I've seen that Mr. Wu Chuan before. He's in our teachers' office. I thought he was here on official business, but it turns out he's..."
The tone started to veer off course, and even the usually upright and gentlemanly senior and junior brothers became casual: "The two of them in the office? Wow, that's a bit explosive."
"It's not just exciting, it's downright arrogant, they don't respect us student audience members at all."
"You bunch of ignorant virgins, making a fuss over nothing. For women, especially middle-aged women, love is nourishment; without the nourishment of love, they easily wither away."
"No wonder Ms. Huang looks fuller in the past year."
"Senior Brother Liao has been in the group the longest, so you have the most authority to speak on this matter. I trust you."
The junior student raised a terrifying question: "Could Teacher Huang be contemplating suicide?"
The senior student immediately retorted, "Teacher Huang is a strong woman, not that fragile."
The junior sister retorted, "It concerns reputation. Isn't reputation the most important thing for a woman?"
Wang Yongxing, who was best at stirring up trouble, naturally wouldn't miss such a hot topic. He would occasionally make surprising remarks in the group: "This is going to be interesting. Forget about the evaluation and awards next semester. We've all been hit."
Junior Sister: "What can we do then?"
Wang Yongxing: "Maybe Teacher Huang will be fired, and we'll have to break up and find our own way out!"
Yan Qing was furious. She typed in the message box: "Are you Pigsy? You always want to break up the group and go back to your Gao Village?"
Fortunately, my junior sister stood up for me in time and spoke up: "At this time, we should stand together with Teacher Huang. How can you, senior brother, think of abandoning us when disaster strikes?"
Wang Yongxing argued vehemently, "The original wife has come knocking on our door. Even if I wanted to side with Teacher Huang, there's nothing I can do. We can't let people say we can't distinguish right from wrong, can we?"
Senior and junior students took turns tagging Yan Qing in the group chat, knowing that she wouldn't be going home for summer vacation and wanting to get firsthand information from her.
Yan Qing remained silent and quietly deleted the text she had edited.
The latest message was from my junior: "Sigh, the most pitiful one is Xiangxiang. How will she manage at school after the semester starts?"
This is not an exaggeration. Huang Yanxiang attends the affiliated primary school of L University, which is almost entirely populated by the children of L University faculty and staff. The gossip among the adults will inevitably reach the children, and Huang Yanxiang's situation is easily imaginable.
Yan Qing's first instinct was to message Huang Qian, but her finger hovered over Huang Qian's name for a long time before she backed out. She wasn't sure what Huang Qian's current situation was, and perhaps showing concern at this time would be inappropriate, not only failing to comfort her but also likely becoming a disturbance.
Gu Feimeng sent another message: "Are you up yet?"
Yan Qing sent over screenshots of some of the messages in the research group's group chat.
Gu Feimeng replied cursingly: "That fat pig Wang Yongxing, who deserves to be castrated, never misses a chance to stir up trouble. I can smell his stench even through the screen. Teacher Huang was truly wise all her life, but she made a mistake by bringing in such a treacherous troublemaker. Sigh, I wonder how she is now. Do you want to go and see her?"
Yan Qing thought for a moment, then quickly got up, washed up, and changed her clothes. After leaving the dormitory, she went straight to the laboratory building.
As for why she had to go to the laboratory building, she didn't know; her sixth sense just vaguely pointed to that place.
However, she was turned away; both the lab and Huang Qian's office were locked.
She was restless for most of the next day.
In the afternoon, she went to the Leju residential complex where Huang Qian lived. Since she didn't have access, she could only wait outside. After wandering around for a while, she saw neither Huang Qian nor Huang Yanxiang.
Finally, unable to contain her anxiety, she sent Huang Qian a WeChat message: "Is the teacher home?"
After sending the message, she waited outside the convenience store in the Leju residential area. But the phone went silent for a long time. She wasn't sure if Huang Qian hadn't seen it or didn't want to be disturbed.
As she was struggling with whether or not to leave, the phone finally rang. She hurriedly took out her phone, and the caller ID clearly showed three words: Shen Hanyang.
She felt a wave of disappointment and pressed the hang-up button without hesitation.
The phone rang again, but I hung up again.
Then she received a message from Shen Hanyang: "About Qiao Yi."
Yan Qing replied with a text message: "What is it?"
"Come to FANTLAND for an interview."
Yan Qing was shocked. He had actually found Fantland?
I initially wanted to refuse, but then I thought that if I didn't go, who knew what other tricks he might pull. Besides, he had helped me when Lai Yingde was causing me trouble, so I decided to go and talk to him face to face this time, so we could be even and neither of us would owe the other anything.
FANTLAND had just opened at 6:30 p.m., and most of the seats were still empty.
"How did you find this place?" Despite the warm glow of the LED PAR lights, Yan Qing's face remained as cold as ice.
Shen Hanyang did not answer, but his smiling eyes pointed to the canvas bag in her arms.
Yan Qing glanced down and suddenly realized. The canvas bag was a FANTLAND souvenir, with the bar's name on it. Shen Hanyang had actually tracked her down based on this detail; he really had plenty of free time.
Yan Qing didn't even bother with formalities: "What do you want to talk about? Just say it, I have other things to do."
Shen Hanyang held a wine glass, swirling it leisurely, his casual gaze passing over her and settling on some unknown place.
"If you don't say anything, I'm leaving," Yan Qing said impatiently.
Shen Hanyang then withdrew his gaze and pushed another crystal glass on the table in front of her: "Let's drink and chat."
"I don't drink," Yan Qing said. "Even if I did, I wouldn't."
"A beverage, non-alcoholic. What's it called..." Shen Hanyang nodded his temples, as if trying to remember, "Oh, Golden Tekapo."
Yan Qing glanced at the orange and sky-blue liquid in her glass. The two colors were positioned one above the other, with a clear dividing line between them, much like the fiery clouds over the sea at dusk. She remembered that Zhuge Xiaoxiang had ordered this for her; it was indeed non-alcoholic.
She picked it up and took a sip as usual.
"Now you can tell me."
Shen Hanyang stared at her stern, cold face for a long time before speaking: "I think you can listen to my explanation first. It's not what you think about Zhang Linjing."
"It's not important, it has nothing to do with me." Yan Qing had no interest in settling his romantic entanglements and said bluntly.
"But it's very important to me, it's about how I appear in your eyes."
"When you were indulging in philandering, why didn't you think about your image?"
Yan Qing's sarcasm did not annoy Shen Hanyang at all. On the contrary, he stared at her across from him with a look of inquisitive interest.
As the wind chimes tinkled, the bar door opened. Yan Qing looked over, her expression suddenly tensing.
Shen Hanyang's gaze casually swept between Yan Qing and the newcomer, and he immediately understood: "Boyfriend?"
Yan Qing didn't speak, but Zhuge Xiaoxiang had already seen her and waved with a smile. Approaching and seeing the person sitting at the same table as Yan Qing, Zhuge Xiaoxiang showed surprise.
"President Shen?"
Shen Hanyang nodded: "Hello."
"What a coincidence, I didn't expect to meet you here." He extended his hand. "Zhuge Xiaoxiang."
They shook hands in a very formal manner.
Zhuge Xiaoxiang naturally pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "I didn't know you were coming. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience." Then she said to the passing waiter, "Put this table on the restaurant's tab."
Shen Hanyang watched as the waiter bowed obediently to Zhuge Xiaoxiang and asked, "Is this your shop?"
"Yes, just for fun. Mr. Shen, what would you like to drink? I have some nice vintage collectibles here."
Shen Hanyang responded indifferently: "I'm just sitting here, no need to be polite. Besides, I've known Teacher Yan for a long time, and we've never been strangers." After saying that, he gave Yan Qing a meaningful look.
Yan Qing lowered her eyelids, not seeing his gaze, but her ears were perked up warily, afraid that he would say something he shouldn't.
Zhuge, oblivious to the unusual atmosphere between the two, chuckled, "I know, I also applied for a teaching position at your house, but Qingqing beat me." He turned to look at Yan Qing, his eyes filled with undisguised doting affection.
"It's a waste of talent for someone like you to be a tutor," Shen Hanyang said, not hesitating to offer polite compliments.
Zhuge Xiaoxiang, who had received praise, gave a humble smile: "To be honest, I have always wanted to get to know President Shen. Applying for the tutoring job was also a roundabout way to achieve my goal."
Shen Hanyang's lips curled slightly: "You're quite frank. What do you want from me?"
Zhuge Xiaoxiang then briefly explained her idea of establishing an educational charity foundation.
Shen Hanyang listened without comment, then picked up the two dice on the table and played with them in his palm.
The bar gradually filled up, the resident singer took to the stage, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.
"This doesn't seem like a good place to discuss business. How about tomorrow morning? Bring your materials and come to my home to talk."
Shen Hanyang's suggestion delighted Zhuge Xiaoxiang.
Shen Hanyang added, "Teacher Yan, let's go together. Jiaming hasn't seen you in a long time and keeps talking about you."
Hearing him mention his name again, Yan Qing felt a sudden surge of tension. However, he had only offered a perfectly reasonable suggestion. The unsuspecting Zhuge Xiaoxiang also looked at Yan Qing with a questioning gaze.
Yan Qing was extremely unwilling, but couldn't think of an excuse to refuse, so she could only smile and nod to show her agreement.
Zhuge Xiaoxiang went out to answer a phone call, leaving only Yan Qing and Shen Hanyang at the table.
Shen Hanyang looked at the singer on stage, who was singing with great passion, and took a sip of wine.
"His taste in wine is far worse than his taste in people."
Yan Qing felt her ears burning and turned to watch the performance, seemingly ignoring his words.
Today's resident singer was a male vocalist with a thick beard. Although his appearance was rugged, his voice was ethereal, and the small space of Fantland was quickly filled with his singing. Under the cover of the music, all irrelevant sounds became indistinct background noise.
Only Shen Hanyang's voice, deep yet clear, penetrated Yan Qing's ears:
“I’ve always been curious about what kind of man you would be attracted to. I saw one today, and I have to say, he does have some merits, at least he’s good-looking.”
"Appearances are just superficial; I value character more."
Does establishing a charitable foundation mean someone has good character?
"People with ideals are unlikely to be bad people."
Shen Hanyang listened quietly, flipping the two dice back and forth in his palm.
"Do you like him?" he suddenly asked.
Yan Qing's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
She unconsciously gripped the Chinese knot pendant on the canvas bag and said, "He's a good person; at least he wouldn't take advantage of someone in distress."
Shen Hanyang smiled.
The lights flickered, and the sweetened alcohol released a subtly sweet aroma. A bearded male singer sang with his eyes closed: "I'll never break your heart..." The lyrics were mesmerizing.
"I'm going to find him." Shen Hanyang stood up.
Yan Qing immediately realized that the "he" he was referring to was Zhuge Xiaoxiang. She exclaimed in surprise, "What do you want with him?"
Shen Hanyang turned around and smiled frankly at her: "Tell him I want to compete with him."
Yan Qing panicked: "Don't do anything reckless!"
But Chen Hanyang seemed not to hear him and walked straight towards the back door.
On the side of the bar, the dim streetlights shrouded the quiet alley, but there was no sign of Zhuge Xiaoxiang.
Shen Hanyang continued walking deeper into the alley, with Yan Qing nervously following behind him: "What exactly are you going to do?"
Shen Hanyang kept walking: "Make it clear to him. I don't want to do things secretly."
"Can you stop being so self-righteous? Have you ever considered how other people feel?"
Shen Hanyang turned a deaf ear.
The further you walk, the darker the view becomes. The scattered lights shining from the windows of the old residential buildings on both sides melt into the deep night before they even reach the ground.
Yan Qing could no longer see Shen Hanyang's back. The surroundings were as black as ink, and the silence made her uneasy. She stopped and prepared to turn back.
Suddenly, he lost his balance, felt dizzy in the darkness, and was grabbed by the wrist and pressed against the wall at the corner of the alley.
She couldn't see the person's face clearly, only vaguely smelling the cool, crisp scent of cedar. This aroma left her momentarily bewildered.
"I was just kidding. It's more exciting to do things secretly. You're so easy to fool."
Yan Qing was like a fish caught in a net; Shen Hanyang's words jolted her awake. She wanted to escape, but his net had already been cast wide and all-encompassing, impenetrably sealing her within his domain.
Yan Qing was annoyed: "There are so many women in the world, why are you targeting me?"
Shen Hanyang's tone shifted from playful to gentle and serious: "You're likable."
Yan Qing shook her head: "Don't make fun of me. You don't know my situation. I'm already having a hard time making ends meet..."
"Follow me, and you'll never have to work hard for money again."
Shen Hanyang spoke earnestly, but Yan Qing's tone suddenly turned cold: "Does President Shen mean that I should sell my body?"
"Of course not. Because I want more than just a body..." He released her right hand as if to show mercy, and brought it to her chest, gently placing it on her heart.
"I want this place too."
In the dead of August night, the thick, sweltering heat clung to the ground, refusing to dissipate. Sticky sweat beaded on Yan Qing's body, her clothes clinging to her skin. The expanding, hot air choked her throat, making her chest feel tight. And from just inches away, an even more oppressive heat pressed down on her, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
She gritted her teeth and said, "You'll only be satisfied if you make me become another Zhang Linjing, and go mad for you?"
Shen Hanyang gently stroked her chin with the back of his hand: "No, I can't bear to."
Yan Qing wanted to say something, but felt him lower his face.
At the end of an unnoticed alley, all was silent. Yan Qing felt as if she were in a vacuum, gradually losing even the awareness of her own existence. Only the heavy breathing around her ears was her sole connection to this world.
After a long kiss, his deep voice came: "Is this alright?"
The thick night enveloped everything, concealing everything, yet she inexplicably felt two gazes pierce through the darkness, through her desperately held defenses, reaching the deepest, most hidden corner of her heart, slowly shattering her weakening spirit. Exhausted, her voice softened: "Let me go, please?"
"You're begging me? But the more you do that, the more I..."
Yan Qing's expression changed drastically: "Shen Hanyang, are you out of your mind? How desperate are you for women? I don't have the time or energy to play house with you!" She tried her best to sound fierce.
Silence returned. She pressed herself against the wall, awaiting his retaliation.
Suddenly, his wrist loosened, and he let go of her.
"I need to see you at 10 a.m. tomorrow, or I can't guarantee what I'll say to your dear boyfriend."
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