After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Secret Competition

No one present was anything but stunned.

Ming Shu’s drinking didn’t just affect her face; her neck, collarbones, arms all the skin exposed to the air were flushed red.

“Professor Shen is my wife, Ling Han. I really didn’t lie to you.” Ming Shu was all smiles, wrapped up in happy intoxication.

Ling Han didn’t know what to say and nodded stiffly.

Jiang Lingyu, beside her, was also extremely shocked. She had never seen Ming Shu like this. Unlike previous times, this intoxication carried a meaning of happiness. Perhaps, without realizing it, Ming Shu had already begun to develop feelings for Professor Shen, or at least a great deal of affection.

“We’re all friends; please sit and eat,” Ling Han tried hard to maintain composure.

Whether as Ming Shu’s friend and admirer or as the heir to this restaurant, she had to maintain a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

“Thank you, then we won’t be shy.” The speaker was the inwardly sour Yu Le. Seeing that Shen Junlan was already immersed in the joy of being acknowledged and introduced by Ming Shu to others, she had to speak up and accept on behalf of both of them. As a long-time friend, she could tell Shen Junlan was eager to cling to Ming Shu.

Though she felt a little bitter, she knew she should still play the role of an assistant.

The dining table was a square, long table covered with an exquisite and elegant tablecloth. Two black leather chairs were placed facing each other. Each chair could seat three people, or four if they squeezed.

Ming Shu and Lingyu were sitting together, and Ling Han was sitting alone opposite them.

Now that Shen Junlan and Yu Le joined, Shen Junlan naturally sat down next to Ming Shu. Ling Han adjusted her position to allow Yu Le to sit down.

Ling Han, Yu Le, and Shen Junlan exchanged brief introductions.

Then, Yu Le turned her attention to Ming Shu, who was closely nestled against Shen Junlan’s shoulder, and smiled. “Ming Shu, we finally meet officially. I’m Yu Le. Can you see what I look like now?”

Ming Shu opened her eyes wide to look but couldn’t make out Yu Le’s features, especially her eyes. Because they weren’t familiar, she couldn’t piece together Yu Le’s exact appearance either. So, she blinked her eyes, her long lashes opening and closing, making her large, subtly alluring eyes glistening and watery.

Now I know what is meant by “water-cutting autumn pupils.” Too beautiful, Yu Le exclaimed inwardly. Although she had seen Ming Shu before, this was the first time she had stared at Ming Shu’s eyes.

In that instant, she suddenly understood why someone would be moved by another person’s eyes. Look, even Shen Junlan, the epitome of the austere professor, hadn’t escaped.

She felt a little moved herself, but her feeling was different from Shen Junlan’s. She was simply moved by Ming Shu’s eyes, envious that she had such beautiful, captivating eyes.

“Yu Le.” Shen Junlan raised her hand and snapped her fingers crisply in front of her.

“What?” Yu Le was startled out of her admiration.

“You’re staring too much.”

Yu Le was dumbfounded. She wouldn’t even let her look? So possessive.

“I was waiting for Ming Shu to answer my question. It’s polite to look at the person you’re talking to.”

Shen Junlan lowered her gaze with a faint smile. Yu Le looked nonchalant. She had explained herself, but Ling Han, beside her, felt extremely uneasy, feeling a pang of guilt as if she’d been caught target-shooting. She lowered her head, trying her best to stop looking at Ming Shu.

“Ms. Yu, I can’t see… your eyes,” Ming Shu finally answered after a series of attempts.

Yu Le also felt a sting, but she just smiled and looked away. When she did, she suddenly noticed a girl sitting next to Ming Shu.

She froze. How could Jiajia be out eating with Ming Shu?

She looked closely again and realized it wasn’t Jiajia. The hair color, demeanor, and figure were all different, yet their facial features were seventy to eighty percent similar, looking more alike than many twins she had seen.

Jiajia had flashy orange short hair, was slender, still childish, willful, and favored a sexy, sweet-and-spicy style. The girl next to Ming Shu was slightly plump, had fairer skin, and sat quietly and peacefully on the edge, looking more like a sweet, non-cloying cream puff, with a hint of melancholy in her sweetness. Yu Le wondered if she had gone through something to acquire such a unique temperament.

Lingyu, who was focused on eating, noticed someone looking at her. She looked back. The person was Professor Shen’s friend. She nodded slightly and then went back to her meal.

Yu Le felt a gentle breeze sweep over her, soothing her restless heart.

“Ms. Yu, why are you… staring at Lingyu?” Ming Shu asked suspiciously, leaning her head against Professor Shen’s shoulder.

Yu Le was momentarily alarmed. She withdrew her gaze and said with a calm expression, “Ming Shu, you can’t see my eyes, yet you can tell I’m staring at your friend.”

Ming Shu said, “Body language. I can tell who your face and body are oriented toward.”

Yu Le didn’t feel embarrassed about being called out. She had indeed been looking at the girl and complimented her generously: “Ming Shu, you have a talent for deduction when you’re drunk.”

Jiang Lingyu swallowed the food in her mouth, looked up, and asked, “Do I look very much like someone Ms. Yu knows?”

Yu Le was stunned again. Girls she had stared at before would usually wonder if she was interested in them.

“Why do you ask that?” Yu Le was very curious.

Jiang Lingyu didn’t answer.

Yu Le was even more curious. Ling Han, beside her, quietly prompted, “Stand-in.”

Shen Junlan across the table said, “Wannabe look-alike.”

“What?” Yu Le was confused.

Shen Junlan shook her head and smiled. “You’re more out of touch than I am now.”

Yu Le immediately searched online, understood the gist of it, and put down her phone. She said to Lingyu, “I do think Ms. Jiang resembles someone else I know, but I’m not seeing someone else through you.”

Jiang Lingyu nodded dismissively. Yu Le’s gaze reminded her of things from the past, making it hard to focus on the present.

The atmosphere was awkward and tense. Ling Han, unable to tolerate this in her family’s restaurant, took the initiative to liven things up.

“I’ll have them bring a few more dishes. Everyone, eat more.”

After that, they just ate. Shen Junlan ate a little, feeding Ming Shu more.

“Does Ms. Ling’s restaurant have hangover soup?” Shen Junlan asked.

“No, but I can make some. I’ll go make a bowl for Ming Shu.”

“No need to trouble yourself. It’ll be the same if she drinks it when we get home.”

Ling Han smiled. “Then I’ll have to ask Professor Shen to take good care of Ming Shu.”

Shen Junlan returned the smile. “Ms. Ling, rest assured. I will take good care of my wife.”

It was late. Outside the glass wall, various lights glowed streetlights, restaurant signs, other storefront signs, car headlights—blinking with different colors, dazzling the eyes.

Shen Junlan put her arm around Ming Shu and stood up. Her hand was wrapped tightly around Ming Shu’s slender body like a vine around the thin branch of a beautiful tree. Lingyu followed behind, watching Ming Shu’s back. Yu Le walked with her, and Ling Han walked last, seeing them off.

Lingyu and Shen Junlan both wanted to pay the bill. Ling Han wouldn’t let the cashier accept payment. The young cashier was caught in the middle until Yu Le took out a handful of red cash and placed it on the table, ending the standoff.

Everyone was surprised. Does anyone still carry this much cash these days?

Jiang Lingyu was a little curious about the reason, but she didn’t ask. She didn’t want to casually deepen her understanding of a person and add unnecessary ties.

After saying goodbye to Ling Han, the group walked together to the parking area. Lingyu proactively said, “Professor Shen, I’m not very capable. I’m not confident I can take good care of a drunk Ming Shu. Please take Ming Shu back with you.”

“Alright.” Shen Junlan was thinking the same thing and immediately agreed. Unsure if Lingyu had been drinking, she asked, “Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I drove here too, and I didn’t drink any alcohol.”

When it was time to get in the car, Ming Shu suddenly didn’t want to part with Lingyu, as if she subconsciously remembered her promise to stay with Lingyu for a full two days. But Lingyu simply pushed Ming Shu into the front passenger seat of Professor Shen’s car.

Shen Junlan turned her head, gave Yu Le a meaningful look, and got into the car. Ignoring Yu Le, she drove away.

Lingyu and Yu Le were left standing on the roadside. Lingyu asked, “How will Ms. Yu get back?”

“Taxi.”

Jiang Lingyu opened her phone and said, “Let’s split the bill for the dinner we just had.”

Yu Le smiled. “We can exchange WeChat, but there’s no need to split the bill. I don’t even know how much money I put down.”

Jiang Lingyu looked at Yu Le suspiciously. She felt that although Yu Le was Professor Shen’s friend, she seemed very different from Professor Shen, giving the impression of being unreliable, exaggerative, and just playing through life.

“How about this: as a compromise, you can just drive me home.”

Jiang Lingyu considered for a few seconds and agreed. Along the way, Yu Le didn’t speak again, resting her head against the seat with her eyes closed.

“Ms. Yu.”

“Ms. Yu, we’re at your house.”

“Ms. Yu?” It took calling Yu Le a third time, accompanied by a poke on her arm, for Lingyu to finally wake her up successfully.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep.”

“It’s fine.” Jiang Lingyu smiled as she watched her get out of the car. Yu Le got out and was about to close the car door when she suddenly remembered something. She held the door open with one hand, leaned back into the car, and asked, “Can we add each other as friends, Ms. Jiang?”

Shen Junlan drove Ming Shu home and asked if she wanted hangover soup. She had already messaged Aunt Zhang to prepare it in advance while they were still at the restaurant.

Ming Shu shook her head to refuse.

“Just a little, Madam. Only a little,” Aunt Zhang brought a bowl of hangover soup from the kitchen, coaxing her like a child. “If you don’t drink it, you’ll have a headache tomorrow.”

Ming Shu turned and buried her face in Professor Shen’s embrace.

“Why are you so resistant to hangover soup today?” Shen Junlan gently stroked Ming Shu’s long, black, curly hair and smiled, signaling Aunt Zhang to hand the bowl to her. “I’ll make sure Ming Shu drinks it. Aunt Zhang, please rest early.”

After taking the hangover soup, she put one arm around Ming Shu’s waist and carried the soup in the other. The two went upstairs.

Aunt Zhang stood there, watching Ming Shu, who could barely walk and seemed to be hanging onto Junlan. She was worried the soup might spill, but seeing how steadily Junlan held the bowl, she relaxed. She just couldn’t figure out why Junlan was taking the hangover soup to the bedroom to drink.

Shen Junlan had her own plan. After entering the room, she asked Ming Shu again if she wanted to drink the hangover soup. Ming Shu still refused, pouting slightly in protest. Shen Junlan took the opportunity to capture Ming Shu’s lips, kissing her softly. She kissed until Ming Shu’s vermilion lips parted slightly, and then she slowly and gently invaded, her tongue exploring. After kissing a few times, she already knew how to kiss Ming Shu until she became soft, letting Ming Shu lie gently in her arms.

Just as Ming Shu was lost in passion, Shen Junlan suddenly pulled away. Ming Shu frowned, her pure yet alluring fox eyes shining brightly. Shen Junlan captured the desire in them.

Shen Junlan took a sip of the hangover soup and kissed Ming Shu again. This time, Ming Shu naturally drank the hangover soup while they were kissing.

After repeating this several times, the small bowl of hangover soup was empty. Shen Junlan continued to kiss Ming Shu. She thought that if Ming Shu wasn’t fully sober in half an hour, it would be necessary to take a bath with her to help her.

Ming Shu was hazy, her consciousness blurred, and she hadn’t fully sobered up. Yet, she could keenly perceive her body’s instincts. She tried hard to open her eyes, looking at Professor Shen’s blurred face, which was inches away.

Clearly, she had been passionately kissing Professor Shen since before she was sober. This thought made Ming Shu’s blood rush. She didn’t know what to do now—continue to be lost in Professor Shen’s kiss, or push Professor Shen away.

When Ming Shu became sluggish, Shen Junlan knew that Ming Shu was slowly regaining sobriety and that reason was suppressing her physiological instincts. But she didn’t react, continuing to kiss Ming Shu passionately. She wanted to see if Ming Shu would push her away.

Ming Shu didn’t.

Shen Junlan was overjoyed. Fearing she would go too far, she pulled back herself. The moment she lifted her eyes was the moment Ming Shu lowered hers.

“Professor Shen…” Ming Shu’s voice was also softened by the kiss, slightly trembling.

Shen Junlan stared at Ming Shu’s lips, which were slightly swollen from her kiss, and smiled. “Do you remember what happened earlier?”

Ming Shu’s mind was a mess. Many fragments came together. She vaguely remembered meeting Professor Shen and Ms. Yu at the restaurant, and she remembered refusing to drink the hangover soup.

Strange. Was her memory confused? There was clearly the taste of hangover soup in her mouth.

Shen Junlan summarized it for her: “You told your colleague, Ling Han, that I am your wife. Also, you didn’t want to drink the hangover soup, so I fed it to you.”

Ming Shu was shocked by the first part. She actually told Ling Han! Will it be awkward going to work tomorrow? If word gets out at the company, what will happen when everyone knows? She completely ignored the second part, not wanting to think about how Professor Shen had actually fed her.

Shen Junlan leaned sideways, placed the empty bowl on the nightstand, stood up, and pulled over. She squeezed Ming Shu’s slightly distressed face and gently asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Professor Shen. I don’t know why I said it out loud. I won’t drink outside next time. I really didn’t mean to show off.”

Ming Shu said a long string of apologetic words uneasily. Shen Junlan was momentarily confused, then quickly became a little angry.

“Why are you apologizing again?” Shen Junlan took a deep breath, asking with restraint.

“Many of my former H University classmates work at our company. They all admire you very much, but my reputation isn’t good. I’m afraid…”

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid of affecting you, of tarnishing your reputation.”

Ming Shu was remorseful and sad. She wasn’t an irrational or attention-seeking person, yet she had done something like this today. Although she had been drinking, she couldn’t blame it all on the alcohol.

Shen Junlan couldn’t hold back her frustration. She opened the small drawer of the desk, took out two white silk scarves embroidered with orchids, folded and rolled them up, and tied one around Ming Shu’s beautiful swan neck.

Ming Shu was nervous. She didn’t know what Professor Shen was going to do. The unknown frightened her. Professor Shen seemed angry, which also scared her. She remembered that whenever Professor Shen was angry, she became different from her usual self.

“Look, what is this?” Shen Junlan tugged on the scarf around Ming Shu’s neck.

Ming Shu looked down blankly, feeling a sense of déjà vu. It looked a bit like a white Red Scarf. She suddenly realized. This was Professor Shen’s “retaliation” with a sensual (or erotic) edge.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “Has the night class begun?”

Shen Junlan’s mood softened a little. She gave Ming Shu a smile. Ming Shu swallowed nervously. She didn’t know why, but every time they returned to the room at night, all of Professor Shen’s smiles, actions, and expressions seemed to carry a deeper meaning than they did during the day or outside the room.

“So clever,” Shen Junlan praised with her mouth, but her hands were still unforgiving. She used the other white silk scarf to blindfold Ming Shu’s eyes, whispering in Ming Shu’s ear.

Ming Shu tried to pull away, but the places where Shen Junlan’s breath brushed her skin instantly bloomed like spring peach blossoms, turning pink.

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