After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Jade Pendant

The impact Ming Shu felt that night was too great, and after falling asleep, she inevitably dreamt about it, though the dream seemed slightly different from reality.

In the dream, Professor Shen was the active one, and she was the one who lay still the entire time.

Ming Shu, exhausted, had entered a sweet, deep slumber. Shen Junlan wasn’t asleep yet; she was leisurely enjoying her own late-night snack.

Finding the small seashells scattered on the bed, she picked them up for Ming Shu and placed them on the bedside cabinet. What did it matter how much Ming Shu loved them? Before falling asleep, Ming Shu’s consciousness was focused only on her.

She wanted Ming Shu to dream only of her as well.

Shen Junlan succeeded. Ming Shu had her first sweet night dream, and it was about her.

The next morning, Ming Shu went to work at the company, constantly recalling the previous night’s events even during bathroom breaks.

Professor Shen seemed to have cast a spell on her, making her recall things at the slightest trigger. It was truly terrifying. Ming Shu washed her face and felt ready to return to her workstation.

Back in the office, Ming Shu heard her colleagues whispering. She didn’t intentionally listen but couldn’t avoid hearing it.

It turned out that Mia, the Vice President’s special assistant, was back. Ming Shu looked at the neat black suit and white shirt she had prepared to return to Mia. It was half an hour before lunch, so she decided to wait until five minutes before the workday ended to find Mia; she’d focus on work for a while first.

“Yan Mingshu.”

Just as she lowered her head, Ming Shu heard someone call her name. It was the colleague on her right. Ming Shu looked up and saw a circle of people staring at her, including Ling Han.

Ming Shu’s palms began to sweat. She lowered her eyes and asked softly, “Is something the matter?”

“Mia is back, did you know?” the colleague asked tentatively. Ming Shu could sense a hint of excitement in their tone.

Ming Shu didn’t really want to engage, so she shook her head, hoping to dodge the question.

“You were framed last time; you must have been a scapegoat for Mia. Are you really just going to let this go?” the colleague asked, deliberately stirring up trouble.

“Yeah, yeah,” several surrounding colleagues agreed. The office was too dull when nothing was happening; they all wanted to see some dramatic, scandalous scenes.

Though Ming Shu was socially anxious, she wasn’t stupid; she could recognize obvious malice.

She remained silent. A few colleagues started making snide remarks, saying that being so tolerant would only lead to further bullying next time, and that if they had been wrongly accused, they would have resisted and never suffered in silence.

Ming Shu was already used to it. Moreover, the matter hadn’t been completely clarified, so she wouldn’t easily let her emotions be provoked.

Ling Han couldn’t listen anymore. She slammed a document onto her desk and spoke up for Ming Shu. “Have you all said enough? If you have the nerve, say it to Mia’s face next time she comes to the office.”

The colleagues lacked the courage and instantly fell silent.

Ming Shu gave Ling Han a grateful look across the space, which Ling Han acknowledged with a smile.

Five minutes before the end of the workday, Ming Shu took the clothes and went to see Mia. Through the clear glass door, she saw Mia resting her head on the desk, looking somewhat weak.

She raised a hand and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Mia said, sitting up. When she saw Ming Shu enter with a bag, she immediately understood.

“Special Assistant, I’ve come to return your clothes. They’ve been dry-cleaned. Thank you for helping me last time.” Ming Shu hesitated before placing the packaged bag on Mia’s office desk.

Mia raised her face and smiled at her, her complexion a paleness that foundation couldn’t fully hide. “Ming Shu, I’ve heard the rumors circulating in the company. Don’t you suspect me?”

Ming Shu was silent.

Mia looked at her with an amused smile.

“Actually, a little bit.”

“Mhm.”

“But seeing you now, the suspicion is completely gone. I believe you took leave because you weren’t feeling well.”

Mia’s smile deepened, with a hint of white bitterness on her face that looked a bit unnatural.

“I was indeed unwell. I took leave to have a minor operation. But Ming Shu, I can’t say this incident had absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Ming Shu blinked in confusion.

Mia said, “Lingyu was right. You are indeed kind and simple.”

“Lingyu?” Ming Shu’s eyes widened. “Do you know Lingyu, Special Assistant?”

“I’m her cousin,” Mia smiled weakly.

“Then I believe you even more,” Ming Shu said without thinking.

Mia was momentarily stunned, then broke into a laugh. “Actually, I didn’t do much. I just gave you an internal referral. The fact that you got into the company is due to your own ability being good enough. I didn’t help you much. I really must apologize to you for the incident last time. I’m sorry, Ming Shu.”

Ming Shu was too surprised to speak.

Were the rumors true? Did Mia break up Vice President Zhang’s family?

“You’re too adorable, Ming Shu,” Mia laughed again, seeing Ming Shu’s look of disbelief. “Don’t worry, I’m not a mistress. Vice President Zhang himself had problems with his wife. He did make advances towards me, and I refused. But Mrs. Zhang still holds a strong grudge against me. Ming Shu, you know how it is. So-called original wives never think about how to solve the problem with their problematic husbands; they always focus on attacking the woman outside.”

Ming Shu deeply understood, nodding. “I know.”

It wasn’t the first time she had been hurt by a misunderstanding. But was it really okay for them to discuss this here?

Mia noticed her concern and smiled again, resting her head back on the desk casually. “Vice President Zhang isn’t that petty. He caused two innocent people to suffer, so he won’t mind if we say a couple of words.”

Ming Shu still didn’t dare to speak, listening as Mia cursed Vice President Zhang a few times.

“Alright, the workday is over. You should go eat. I need to rest here a little longer.”

“I’ll be going then, Special Assistant.” Ming Shu left the Special Assistant’s office, feeling much lighter. When she returned to her desk to get her meal card, Ming Shu noticed Ling Han was still there.

“Ling Han, why are you still here? Want to go eat together?” Ming Shu proactively invited her.

“Sure,” Ling Han stood up. “Ming Shu, you seem very happy.”

“I am very happy. Let me tell you something: Mia isn’t a mistress; it was all a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes.” It was Mia’s private matter, so Ming Shu didn’t go into detail, only mentioning this to clear Mia’s name. But her influence was too small; she could only tell Ling Han.

“Ling Han, do you believe what I said?” Ming Shu asked expectantly.

Ling Han replied, “I believe it.”

The two went to the company cafeteria together. As if by telepathy, just as Ming Shu finished getting her food and sat down with Ling Han, Professor Shen sent a message asking what she was eating for lunch.

Ming Shu took a photo and sent it to Professor Shen. Professor Shen sent a photo back, then said she wouldn’t chat anymore and told her to eat properly.

Ming Shu: Professor Shen, you should also eat well. Professor Shen is very ‘shou’ (受).

Shen Junlan glanced at Ming Shu’s reply and nearly choked.

Shen Junlan: ‘Shou’? (A term used to mean ‘passive’ or ‘bottom’ in some contexts, but literally ‘receive/endure’.)

Ming Shu: I’m sorry, a typo! It should be ‘shou’ (瘦, thin/slim)!

Shen Junlan: Mm, eat your meal.

Ming Shu: Okay.

The two almost simultaneously put down their phones. Ming Shu patted her warm cheeks, then focused on eating.

Ling Han had been observing Ming Shu. Her blushing while chatting with someone suggested she was in love, or perhaps in the ambiguous phase of a relationship.

This question arose in her mind and made her curious. “Ming Shu, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Ming Shu looked up at Ling Han. Ling Han was the first friend she had made at the company, and she cherished her.

“Do you have someone you like?”

“Ah?” Ming Shu hadn’t expected Ling Han to ask this question. To be honest, she hadn’t yet figured out what “liking” meant, but Professor Shen’s gentle face unconsciously appeared in her mind.

Did she like Professor Shen?

Ling Han watched Ming Shu’s flushed face and smiled. She felt she might have overthought things; Ming Shu looked like someone who had just experienced her first crush.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to answer,” Ling Han said.

Ming Shu was stunned for a moment, and a great sigh of relief escaped her heart.

At the seaside villa, Shen Junlan stared at her phone screen, questioning reality, and couldn’t help but scroll up.

Was she ‘shou’ (passive)?

Even though it was a typo, she really minded it a little.

Did she act too much like it last night?

“Junlan, are you chatting with your wife?” Aunt Zhang smiled kindly while sipping her soup.

Shen Junlan nodded and told Aunt Shu that Ming Shu was also having lunch now. The two chatted casually. Aunt Zhang asked if the company’s food was good, worried about insufficient nutrition, and asked if she should prepare lunch boxes.

Shen Junlan’s mind was preoccupied with the fact that today was Friday, the weekend was tomorrow, Ming Shu was going to spend Lingyu’s birthday with her, and Ming Shu said she was very ‘shou’ (passive).

She only wanted Ming Shu to experience and take the initiative herself to speed up the adaptation process, but Ming Shu having this kind of misunderstanding was something she hadn’t anticipated at all.

Shen Junlan felt she needed to be more direct to make Ming Shu recognize the facts. The subtle approach was not working and should be abandoned.

Decisive as she was, Shen Junlan, a person of strong execution, personally shopped online for new clothes for Ming Shu that afternoon. When Aunt Zhang curiously leaned over to look, Shen Junlan quickly flipped her phone over.

“Aunt Zhang, you really shouldn’t look at this. I’m afraid it might shock you.”

Aunt Zhang’s wrinkled facial skin tightened and then relaxed.

“Oh, I really don’t understand you young people’s hobbies anymore. You should still take it easy. You yourself said your wife is timid. You’re afraid of shocking me, but aren’t you afraid of shocking your wife?”

Shen Junlan cleared her throat twice, then laughed. “It’s not about being timid; it’s about acceptance. Ming Shu is still young; her openness to new things won’t be too low.”

Aunt Zhang didn’t quite understand but vaguely felt that the “new things” Junlan spoke of were not simple. Sigh, as long as Junlan was happy, she couldn’t worry too much about it.

She was a professor after all; she believed Junlan wouldn’t do anything too outrageous.

After work, Ming Shu got into Old Liu’s car, asking him not to drive straight home but to first take her to a jewelry store. She had money now and didn’t need to give it to her mother to subsidize the family, so her disposable income had suddenly become much more comfortable. She wanted to buy Lingyu a nice birthday gift.

Soon, she chose a lustrous jade pendant for Lingyu—a faint greenish-white color, in the shape of a delicate jade rabbit. The price was 3,999 yuan. It was a bit expensive for Ming Shu, but remembering how kind Lingyu had always been to her, Ming Shu bought it without hesitation.

After paying, before leaving, Ming Shu glanced a few more times at the rings displayed in the store. The clerk asked if she wanted to buy a ring, but Ming Shu shook her head and quickly left the store.

Back at the villa, Shen Junlan saw the gift Ming Shu bought for Lingyu and was a little curious, asking if she could open it and look.

Ming Shu said of course she could, opening the box herself for Professor Shen to see, and asked her what she thought.

Shen Junlan stroked the jade rabbit pendant, smiling as she said, “It’s very beautiful. The recipient will definitely love it.”

“Really?” Ming Shu felt reassured and began to look forward to Lingyu’s reaction when she received the gift tomorrow.

Shen Junlan maintained her smile, everything as usual. It wasn’t until they were back in the room for their “night class” that things became a little different.

She took out the newly purchased, personally washed white silk bodysuit and asked Ming Shu what she thought of it.

Ming Shu reached out to take it, looking at it very seriously. After two minutes of careful examination, Ming Shu understood, and her face flushed. Her hands, which touched the cool white silk, became burning hot.

This outfit is so improper; several parts are sheer, especially the lower section. Wearing it would be like wearing nothing at all.

Professor Shen wouldn’t be planning to wear this tonight, would she?

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