After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: The Eunuch is Urgent

The sudden clamor from the students startled not just Ming Shu, but Shen Junlan herself.

She had always been on the sidelines, watching other colleagues or friends get teased, and she never expected to become a target herself one day.

Although the students’ behavior was abrupt and slightly intrusive, Shen Junlan wasn’t angry. Instead, she felt a subtle joy. Finally, when someone learned she was married, their reaction wasn’t shock and doubt, but impulsive and reckless congratulations.

Shen Junlan’s only concern was that Ming Shu would be scared by the students’ enthusiasm. Ming Shu was indeed startled; she didn’t dare to make a sound.

Exposed, the students didn’t retreat. Instead, they were all in high spirits, pressing forward, craning their necks to listen closely.

“Professor Shen, why isn’t Teacher’s Wife speaking?”

“Did we scare her off?”

“Or is she shy?”

In a foreign country, everything seemed so new, let alone the added sensational news of Professor Shen’s secret marriage. The students were ecstatic, practically wanting to sit on the ground around Professor Shen and listen to her talk about her romance with her wife.

Shen Junlan cleared her throat. “Aren’t any of you going back to rest?”

The students all shook their heads, their eyes wide, hinting at her. The leader stepped forward and said, “Professor Shen, we just wanted to say hello to Teacher’s Wife.”

“Just that?” Shen Junlan looked suspicious.

“And we want to hear the story of your love with Teacher’s Wife,” another girl added.

Shen Junlan maintained her smile. “That’s private.”

“Aww…” The students groaned in disappointment, but they understood. Not every professor was like one of their others who constantly either boasted about how good his relationship was with his wife or bragged about how excellent his son was—they were tired of hearing it.

But they were still extremely curious about Professor Shen’s wife.

No one wouldn’t be curious about what kind of wife H University’s universally acknowledged austere professor would find.

The call was still connected. Shen Junlan looked at the group of students intently watching her, sighed helplessly, and asked Ming Shu, “Wife, my students want to say hello to you. Is that okay?”

Ming Shu swallowed nervously, moved the phone away, cleared her throat, and then brought the phone closer again. “It’s okay.”

Shen Junlan nodded to the students. The students once again shouted out loud, “Teacher’s Wife!”

Ming Shu tried her best to keep her voice from shaking and simply replied, “Hello.”

“Teacher’s Wife has such a nice voice. She must be very beautiful, too, right?”

Ming Shu didn’t know how to answer at all. But the students were still waiting expectantly, gazing eagerly at Professor Shen’s phone screen, as if they could see what the Teacher’s Wife looked like from it.

“Alright, greetings over. Disperse. Leader, take everyone back.” Shen Junlan toned down her gentleness and added a bit of authority to her voice, signaling to the students that the moment was over. She knew Ming Shu had social anxiety, and too much interaction would exhaust her.

The students weren’t satisfied. They hadn’t gotten any further useful information, but Professor Shen had spoken, so they couldn’t stay any longer. They followed the leader toward the dormitory, constantly looking back.

This time, Shen Junlan watched the students leave, preventing a repeat of what had just happened.

“I’m sorry, Ming Shu. I didn’t know the students would suddenly come over.”

“I’m fine. But Professor Shen, our relationship being exposed probably isn’t good for you.”

“Hmm?” Shen Junlan was stunned for a moment. “Why isn’t it good?”

Ming Shu had been at the center of public opinion since childhood, growing up with people discussing her. She could already imagine what the situation would be like when her relationship with Professor Shen spread at H University.

Text with voices floated through her mind, line by line.

Ah, the austere Professor Shen is not so austere after all.

Yan Ming Shu is clever. The forum even has her ‘glorious history’ of causing emotional entanglement among hundreds of people.

Professor Shen’s taste isn’t so good. She actually found a beautiful, seductive wife. Can she keep her?

Professor Shen’s self-control isn’t good either. Let’s use this to test Professor Shen.

Former teacher and student, tsk tsk.

Could they have gotten together while Yan Ming Shu was still in school?

Very likely.

“Ming Shu?” Shen Junlan waited for a long time without hearing her voice, so she called out.

Ming Shu responded. Thinking that Professor Shen’s reputation at the school could very likely be ruined because of her phone call that exposed their relationship, she felt panicky.

“I’m sorry, Professor Shen.”

Shen Junlan sensed Ming Shu’s panic and comforted her, “Don’t rush, Ming Shu. Take your time. Tell me, what are you worried about?”

“The students exposing our relationship will damage your reputation.”

“Oh, that.” Shen Junlan smiled. “I’m not worried, Ming Shu. You don’t need to worry either.”

Ming Shu was shocked. “Professor Shen isn’t worried at all?”

“No. Everyone needs to know sooner or later. We aren’t having a secret affair.”

Ming Shu subconsciously corrected her. “It’s a secret marriage.”

“It’s the same thing. It’s not illegal for me to get married or be in a relationship.”

Ming Shu was speechless. It seemed Professor Shen was right.

However, was Professor Shen really not worried about her reputation? Or had Professor Shen simply not thought of this point yet?

“It was going to be public eventually. I already hinted to my colleagues that I was married when I attended a colleague’s engagement party, and the Principal knows. It’s only a matter of time before the students know. I was mentally prepared.”

“Then… what about the mental preparation for your reputation worsening?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, we were once teacher and student. If people dig that up, it will be bad for your reputation. Also, my appearance could become a reason for everyone to attack you.”

Shen Junlan laughed happily, genuinely and heartily happy.

“Wife, are you worried about me?”

The tone was soft and slightly teasing.

Ming Shu was stunned. After a while, she realized that Professor Shen was genuinely not worried. She was the only one panicking here, like an eunuch worrying more than the emperor.

“Wife, why are you ignoring me?”

“I want to go to sleep now.”

“Good night, wife.”

Shen Junlan hung up the phone and continued to collect leaves.

Occasionally stopping, she couldn’t help but smile when she remembered Ming Shu worrying about her. After several bursts of laughter, she suddenly realized a blind spot: Ming Shu lacked self-confidence, was even self-deprecating, and was afraid of bringing a negative impact to her.

She didn’t care, but Ming Shu did.

Shen Junlan called back, “Hello, the subscriber you dialed is currently busy. Please try again later.” The call didn’t connect.

Ming Shu was currently on a call with Mia, feeling extremely uneasy. It was her first time receiving a call from someone higher up than her office manager.

“Ming Shu, are you really not signing up?”

“The deadline seems to have passed,” Ming Shu replied softly. The time displayed on the top right corner of her phone was already past midnight.

Mia said, “It’s fine. After every deadline, people still come to ask. I can give you one more chance. Ming Shu, do you want to participate?”

Ming Shu bit her lower lip and remained silent.

“I just called you, and it said you were on another call. Were you asking friends and family for their opinion?”

“…Yes.”

“That means deep down, you still want to try, but you lack courage.”

Ming Shu’s call earlier, besides being prompted by Professor Shen’s “I miss you,” was also meant to ask Professor Shen a question: from Professor Shen’s perspective, how good was her written translation level? But with the students’ commotion, she completely forgot the question. Then, she got overly anxious about Professor Shen’s concerns (like the eunuch worrying more than the emperor) and abruptly hung up using the excuse of going to sleep.

She asked Ling Han, Wenxuan, and Professor Shen precisely because her internal confidence was insufficient, and she wanted to seek external reassurance and gather courage.

“Ming Shu, I’m asking you one last time. Do you want to try?”

“I…” Ming Shu wanted to try, but then she remembered how difficult it was for her just to greet Professor Shen’s students. The company project was so important. Would it be too presumptuous for her to compete? Even if she were lucky enough to get selected, going abroad and accidentally messing up the project would be worse than not getting the position at all.

She still didn’t dare. She was afraid. She had grown accustomed to retreating into a corner, trying to hide her light, because being inconspicuous was the safest way for her to survive.

How could she break out of her shell of self-preservation, step outside, and also shoulder the company’s important responsibilities?

Mia sighed. “How about this, Ming Shu? The qualification audit test for applicants starts tomorrow morning when work begins. If you change your mind and decide to participate, you can go to the conference room with the other colleagues.”

“Thank you,” Ming Shu said gratefully, but she felt very uneasy. She knew Mia meant well, but this left her even more agitated and confused.

“You can do it, Ming Shu. I think highly of you. You shouldn’t be hidden. I’m not saying this because you’re Lingyu’s friend I’m Lingyu’s cousin I just purely admire you.”

Purely admire her.

Ming Shu felt a knock on her hard shell of self-protection. Should she try to compete for it?

Professor Shen was also in the US. Maybe she could see her, maybe not, but she could also see the broader landscape through Professor Shen’s eyes, getting a little closer to Professor Shen.

If she gathered her courage and tried harder to improve herself, she would also be a better match for Professor Shen, and she wouldn’t have to worry so much about dragging down Professor Shen’s reputation.

Ming Shu knocked hard on her own shell. She was close. She contacted Lingyu again, sending a message first to ask if she was asleep.

Lingyu had been a little worried about Ming Shu after receiving Professor Shen’s request for help earlier that day. Receiving Ming Shu’s message late at night, she didn’t hesitate to call Ming Shu.

Ming Shu would never bother her late at night unless it was important.

“Lingyu, you’re still awake?”

“Yes, Ming Shu. You can tell me anything. We’re still the same as before.”

Lingyu sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the box full of leaves she had brought back from the office, waiting for Ming Shu to confide in her.

Ming Shu stammered out the company project matter to Lingyu. After listening, Lingyu said, “This project is great! There are technical positions that don’t require communication with others. Ming Shu, you can definitely handle it. Plus, Professor Shen is also abroad. You might even meet up in the US! How romantic.”

“How do you know Professor Shen is in the US?” Ming Shu was confused. She didn’t think she had told Lingyu.

Lingyu hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest. “Professor Shen reached out to me today and asked what you like.”

“Asked what I like?” Ming Shu was surprised.

“Yes. I think Professor Shen is planning to bring you a gift when she returns, a little surprise between wives.”

Lingyu held the cool box and smiled. She knew Ming Shu and understood that Ming Shu needed clear, unwavering love, so she helped in her own way. She didn’t mention that she told Professor Shen to collect leaves. Ming Shu would probably guess other things. Who would ever think that the dignified Professor Shen would be picking up leaves on the streets of America?

“If you want to go, try it. Ming Shu, I believe in you.”

After exchanging goodnights, they hung up the phone.

Ming Shu’s mind was in turmoil, not just about whether to sign up, but also about Professor Shen asking Lingyu about her preferences.

Why was Professor Shen concerned about that?

Just as she was pondering, Professor Shen’s call came through again.

“Finally connected, Ming Shu. Were you on the phone with someone else just now?”

“The company’s executive assistant, and Lingyu.”

“Does Professor Shen need anything else?”

Ming Shu’s mind was filled with what Lingyu had said about Professor Shen wanting to secretly prepare a surprise for her. It felt like she had peeked into Professor Shen’s little secret, and her voice trembled with anxiety.

Shen Junlan smiled, her voice gentle yet firm. “I was afraid my wife was overthinking, so I wanted to tell you clearly: no matter what anyone else says, it won’t change us. Ming Shu, I like you.”

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