He Hao was overjoyed, but politely declined, saying, "No need."
Shen Yulan earnestly urged him to stay: "Teacher He, you are not only Anzi's homeroom teacher, but also a friend of mine and Jingya's. Why are you being so polite about having a meal at a friend's house?"
He Hao thought to himself, how wonderful it would be if the "friend" Shen Yulan mentioned became her "boyfriend".
During the meal, Anzi and Mingxiu were unusually quiet because, in their eyes, He Haowen was still the same strict homeroom teacher even after leaving school. The two quickly finished eating and then hid in the house.
The excuse, of course, was still doing homework.
While eating, He Haowen kept praising Shen Yulan's cooking skills.
If he could eat such delicious home-cooked meals every day, he would be happy to sit in front of the stove and tend the fire for the rest of his life.
Perhaps it was God's way of helping He Haowen, because before he had finished his meal, a torrential downpour began.
He Haowen was in a hurry when he left the school gate and did not bring an umbrella.
Shen Yulan didn't think much of it and said, "Teacher He, why don't you rest here for a while and wait for the rain to stop before you leave?"
He Haowen was waiting for these words.
After finishing her meal, Shen Yulan tidied up the table.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a few books and handed them to He Haowen: "Teacher He, I don't have much entertainment at home. I heard you like reading, so pick one to pass the time."
He Haowen picked out a copy of "La Dame aux Camélias," while Shen Yulan picked up a copy of "Jane Eyre," which was translated into both Chinese and English. The two sat facing each other at the small square table on the kang (a heated brick bed).
The overhead light emitted a soft glow, and accompanied by the sound of rain outside the window, a sense of peace and tranquility spread through the room.
He Haowen's attention wasn't on the book. He had read "La Dame aux Camélias" several times already, and he would steal glances at Shen Yulan from time to time.
Shen Yulan's cheeks were bathed in soft light, making her appear even more gentle and graceful up close. Her clear, sparkling eyes followed the pages of the book, and every movement she made was so charming that it captivated He Haowen's heart.
With a beautiful woman sitting opposite him studying diligently, he had no interest in reading at all.
Shen Yulan looked up casually and found He Haowen staring at her intently. Her heart raced and she blushed involuntarily.
He Haowen quickly asked, "You like British literature?"
"This is what our teacher asked us to read, in order to improve our English proficiency."
Shen Yulan said.
After chatting about British literature for a while, Shen Yulan felt less uncomfortable.
The rain outside the window had been drizzling for an hour, and it was already past eight o'clock in the evening, with no sign of stopping.
Regardless, He Haowen had to take his leave.
He stayed at Shen Yulan's house for too long, which was bad for her reputation.
"Teacher He, take this umbrella." Shen Yulan handed him a floral umbrella. "The weather's getting cooler lately, don't get wet in the rain."
He Haowen accepted the umbrella without hesitation.
If you borrow something and then return it, he can use returning the umbrella as an excuse to meet Shen Yulan again next time.
He took the umbrella, thanked them, and as soon as he lifted the curtain, he saw Anzi and Mingxiu run quickly into the house across the street.
He Haowen: "..."
Shen Yulan: "..."
Two little brats, how dare they eavesdrop on their conversation?
He Haowen was a little nervous. He thought back carefully and realized that he hadn't said anything inappropriate.
Shen Yulan blushed deeply: "Teacher He, these two kids are so clever, I'll give them a good talking to later..."
She escorted He Haowen to the entrance of the courtyard.
He Haowen took one foot out, hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage and turned back to say:
"Comrade Shen, do you like watching movies? The school gave us two free tickets to the currently popular movie 'Romance on Lushan Mountain.' How about we go see it together on Sunday?"
Shen Yulan was incredibly intelligent; how could she not understand He Haowen's implication?
In fact, she had already vaguely sensed that He Haowen had developed romantic feelings for her.
"No, Teacher He, I have to go to the farm to help out tomorrow and the day after."
Not knowing how to politely refuse, she simply said it.
He Haowen's eyes dimmed slightly, and he said somewhat dejectedly, "Alright then, maybe next time..."
What Shen Yulan was really thinking was: it would be best if there was never a chance.
After seeing He Haowen off, Shen Yulan suddenly felt sad. When she returned to the house, she felt empty, as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out.
He Haowen invited her to see a movie, and it was a romantic movie, which was his way of sending her a signal.
But she dared not accept it, nor could she accept it.
This man is too outstanding, too dazzling, while she is a woman who has been married to a man and whose husband has died.
She didn't have the courage to accept He Haowen's declaration of love, nor did she have the courage to stand with him and face the judgment of society.
Anzi and Mingxiu finished their homework and brought it to Shen Yulan for inspection.
As soon as Shen Yulan opened the two's workbooks, Anzi said with a grin, "Big sister, you've been with Teacher He for so long, why are you still so serious?"
Shen Yulan was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Anzi smiled mischievously, revealing her shiny teeth: "If Brother-in-law Gu and Sister Jingya had been alone together for this long, they would have been kissing and hugging long ago."
Upon hearing this, Mingxiu covered her mouth and chuckled.
Shen Yulan's face instantly turned bright red, and she rolled up her homework and started hitting Anzi's head.
"What kind of nonsense is going on in your head, you're just a kid!"
These two kids are quite young, but they know a lot. They must have been peeking from outside to see if the two of them were hugging or cuddling!
"I've said it so many times, Teacher He and I aren't in that kind of relationship! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll pinch your mouth!"
When Shen Yulan gets angry, she can be quite intimidating. Anzi and Mingxiu shrank back and slunk away.
Shen Yulan put down her homework and lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a headache.
Why do people all over the world think she and He Haowen are dating?
How did this rumor even start?
He Haowen returned to his dormitory feeling dejected.
He couldn't sleep that night.
He thought he had found the right time to express his feelings, and even extended an invitation to Shen Yulan in a romantic and appropriate way, such as going to the movies together.
But the girl seemed to have no interest in him at all, rejecting him so decisively.
Although he wasn't a narcissistic man, he was still somewhat aware of his own charm.
He has a good image and temperament, a relatively high level of education, a respectable job, and good interpersonal skills. He also gets along well and happily with Shen Yulan. So where is the problem?
At the same time, in a different place, Shen Yulan also suffered from insomnia.
The moment she closes her eyes, the image of He Hao, with his elegant demeanor, appears in her mind, and she can't shake it off.
She tossed and turned in distress, not knowing how to stop herself from thinking about He Haowen.
That afternoon, after class, Shen Yulan was about to go home when she saw He Haowen at the school gate.
He was tall and elegant, standing out conspicuously in the crowd.
And what he was holding was the umbrella she had lent out.
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