After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Counterattack

Before Ming Shu could speak, Shen Junlan hadn’t even realized how restless her hand was.

It was too late to explain now; anything she said would sound like a flimsy excuse. But considering her increasingly undefined image in Ming Shu’s mind, she still decided to try and save the situation.

Ming Shu was already somewhat afraid and resistant to this kind of intimacy. She couldn’t have Ming Shu starting to fear her every night.

“Wife, listen to me. My hand… it just acted on its own.” That explanation was no explanation at all. Shen Junlan didn’t even believe herself—her hand must have gone exactly where her heart intended.

Ming Shu pressed her lips together in the darkness, remaining silent.

Shen Junlan quickly added, “Truly, Wife, I didn’t mean to.” Even as she said this, her hand hadn’t moved away.

The feeling was too good. She couldn’t bear to let go.

Ming Shu: “…”

“Wife, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you angry?”

After a long wait, the heat finally began to subside from Ming Shu’s burning, embarrassed face. She whispered, “No.”

She wouldn’t get angry with Professor Shen, especially today. As long as she was rational, she wouldn’t be angry with Professor Shen.

“Then can I continue like this? Wife,” Shen Junlan asked, pushing her luck.

Ming Shu glanced down. Professor Shen’s hand hadn’t moved at all; it had already been continuing.

“Mhm.” She replied briefly. Saying one more word would expose the soft, trembling tone of her voice.

Professor Shen’s hand had too strong of a presence.

“Thank you, Wife.”

Shen Junlan leaned in and kissed Ming Shu’s cheek. Her hand moved again involuntarily. Ming Shu flinched, instinctively trying to pull away.

“What are you doing, Professor Shen?”

“A massage. I heard they can get swollen when they’re big.”

Ming Shu was utterly speechless. She hadn’t expected Professor Shen to be even bolder in the dark than she had been back home.

“How is it, Wife? Did that help relieve the discomfort?” Shen Junlan asked gently. Without realizing it, she had slipped her arm under Ming Shu’s neck, so Ming Shu was resting on her left arm, virtually nestled entirely in her embrace on her side. Her right hand was giving the “massage” with a generous three parts of selfish enjoyment.

Ming Shu curled up in her arms but didn’t push her away. Shen Junlan interpreted this as tacit consent and encouragement. Ming Shu was shy, and as Ming Shu’s wife, she should possess the ability to read her wife’s mind.

“Wife, talk to me.”

Ming Shu didn’t dare make a sound, biting her lip tightly. Perhaps it was due to her period, but the desire that had been sleeping and was suddenly awakened by Professor Shen felt intensely strong.

In previous cycles, she only felt low back and leg pain, low energy, and yes, that area would feel full, sometimes even a little hard. Being massaged and kneaded so skillfully by Professor Shen certainly brought a lot of relief. She had softened up again.

“Wife…”

Ming Shu couldn’t take it anymore. Feeling her body’s strange reaction, she suddenly struggled free from Professor Shen and leaped out of bed. Shen Junlan reached up to flip on the switch. The light came on, revealing Ming Shu grabbing her phone and the remaining pair of overnight pants before bolting to the bathroom.

Even in her hurry, Ming Shu closed the door softly.

Shen Junlan looked at her guilty hand under the bright, cool white light and sighed.

“Beast Shen,” Shen Junlan muttered to herself.

Ming Shu felt utterly mortified. After changing into a fresh pair of overnight pants, she didn’t rush out. Instead, she used her phone to search for her bizarre physical reaction.

After a few minutes of carefully reading professional explanations, Ming Shu realized that her reaction was a normal physiological response. It was common for women to experience heightened desire during or around their menstrual cycle.

It was only because she had never experienced it before that she felt something was wrong and treated it like a monster.

Professor Shen had taught her.

Even after learning that her reaction was normal, Ming Shu still couldn’t face Professor Shen immediately. She stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes before finally emerging.

The moment Ming Shu came out, Shen Junlan immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, Wife.”

Ming Shu suddenly didn’t feel awkward anymore, though she was still shy, so she lowered her head. “Why is Professor Shen apologizing so much today?”

Shen Junlan clenched her fist and pounded her chest. “I am guilty.”

Ming Shu asked, smiling, “Guilty of what?”

“I scared my wife again. I didn’t control my boundaries.”

Ming Shu smiled and walked back to Professor Shen. She asked, “Professor Shen, I’m genuinely curious. How did you manage all these years alone? Did you really never date anyone else?”

“Never.” Shen Junlan answered seriously and sincerely. “Wife, I can swear to it.”

Shen Junlan’s fingers were already raised. Ming Shu quickly caught her hand. “I believe you, Professor Shen.”

“Wife, your reaction was so intense just now, I was scared too,” Shen Junlan said, gently squeezing Ming Shu’s soft, seemingly boneless fingers and kissing her hand.

A blush immediately spread across Ming Shu’s face. “Don’t talk about that anymore.”

“Fine, no more talk,” Shen Junlan said. “Sleep.”

Ming Shu watched her with suspicion.

Shen Junlan swore a second time. “I promise I absolutely won’t mess around this time. I swear it.”

“Wife, you can tie my hands up. I have a tie.”

“That’s not necessary.”

Having just accepted a new piece of knowledge, her traditional views had been challenged. Ming Shu felt her own thinking was backward and outdated. Yet, here was Professor Shen, who had strong desires, apologizing to her and willing to adjust and adapt to her pace. Although the execution process might have had deviations, Ming Shu felt Professor Shen’s sincere respect.

This must be difficult and agonizing for Professor Shen, and Ming Shu was absolutely willing to trust her.

The lights went out again. Shen Junlan mentally chanted constraints to herself, lying face-up and pinning her hands down.

“Professor Shen, good night~”

Ming Shu’s voice was soft and sweet. Listening to it reminded Shen Junlan of sipping flower nectar as a child. She turned her head to look at Ming Shu, whose sleeping posture was like that of a good baby, and her smile was infinitely tender. “Good night, Wife.”

The next morning, Shen Junlan got up extra early. Afraid of waking Ming Shu, she avoided the bathroom. She got dressed and put on a mask, intending to drive back to her own place to wash up.

To her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Ling Han emerging from the room next door. Ling Han was still groggy, but seeing someone leave Ming Shu’s room immediately set off a level ten alarm in her head. “Who are you?”

Shen Junlan glanced down. Ling Han had grabbed her arm. Shen Junlan looked up and smiled. “Hello, Miss Ling. We meet again. I am Ming Shu’s wife.”

Ling Han stared at her, stunned, for several seconds. Shen Junlan gently pulled her arm free from Ling Han’s grasp. Her exposed eyes curved in a gentle smile. “I’m barefaced and haven’t washed up, so I won’t remove my mask. Thank you for taking such good care of Ming Shu. When it’s convenient, I’ll treat you to a meal, Miss Ling. I have things to do, so I must go.”

Ling Han stared blankly at Shen Junlan’s retreating back, completely forgetting why she had come out. After a few seconds of standing still, she went back into her room.

When Ming Shu woke up, Professor Shen was already gone. Ming Shu was a little surprised. She lacked security and usually woke up at the slightest noise, yet last night, despite being in a foreign country and on her period, she had slept surprisingly well.

Was it because Professor Shen came to stay with me?

The thought of Professor Shen brought both a flush and a smile to Ming Shu’s face. She got up, washed, and got ready, then wanted to grab her phone to ask Ling Han to go for breakfast. She wanted to pay Ling Han back for last night.

The moment she opened her phone, she saw a message from Professor Shen first. Professor Shen said she would come to see her again tonight.

What did it mean that Professor Shen wanted to come over again when I couldn’t alleviate her desire?

She was still pondering this question while eating breakfast with Ling Han.

They went to the nearby congee shop—the one Professor Shen had packed food from last night. Professor Shen had also given her the location.

Ming Shu ordered a bowl of Lean Pork and Vegetable Congee, and Ling Han ordered a Seafood Congee. Afraid it wouldn’t be enough, Ming Shu also ordered a serving of steamed dumplings and small crispy pork.

As Ling Han ate the breakfast Ming Shu treated her to, she kept glancing at Ming Shu, often looking like she wanted to speak but couldn’t. She suspected that what she saw this morning was an unawake dream or delusion, so she wanted to ask Ming Shu if Professor Shen was truly in the US and if she had really come to see Ming Shu last night.

However, she felt these questions were intrusive. What right did she have to ask? They were just ordinary colleagues and friends.

“Ling Han, what’s wrong?” Ming Shu saw Ling Han hold a spoonful of congee to her lips but not drink it, her face serious as she pondered something. Ming Shu asked with concern, “Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.” Ling Han smiled. “Just spacing out for a moment.”

“Good. I’m done eating. Take your time. I’m going to look up some things on my phone,” Ming Shu said.

“Okay.”

Ming Shu lowered her head to her phone. She did have something to look up, and it was related to Professor Shen.

She had suspected Professor Shen had an “addiction” to sex, believing this was why Professor Shen was in such a hurry to get married through blind dates. Why else wouldn’t she seek a normal relationship and marriage?

As for the other, vague family reason Professor Shen mentioned during the blind date, Ming Shu hadn’t yet seen any family pressure forcing Professor Shen to marry quickly. She believed this was a smoke screen Professor Shen used to cover up her “addiction.”

Ming Shu had also carefully analyzed that Professor Shen sought her out because they mutually needed each other. She had needed Professor Shen first. Since Professor Shen was upright and highly moral, only after giving Ming Shu what she needed could she confidently reveal her own needs, step-by-step and strategically, for fear of scaring her—though Ming Shu was scared regardless, she was not completely resistant.

Her previous plight had been solved thanks to Professor Shen. She had also been awkward and resistant for so long due to her lack of adjustment. She felt it was time to seriously repay Professor Shen.

Professor Shen had willingly been vulnerable with her before. Ming Shu had been completely inexperienced and clumsy at the time, certainly not satisfying Professor Shen. But she was willing to learn. She wanted to treat Professor Shen the way Professor Shen treated her, and she could read more theoretical knowledge.

Ming Shu felt confident. She thought she should be able to satisfy Professor Shen.

Ming Shu saved all the useful information she found and collected, but didn’t have time to study it closely. Ling Han finished her breakfast, and they left together to meet up with the other team members to prepare for work.

She would have to squeeze in research and memorization during breaks.

The publishing house was very different from what Ming Shu had imagined. Ming Shu thought she had mistakenly entered a luxurious library and couldn’t help but look around. However, she quickly focused on her work. This time, she challenged herself again, exchanging a few English sentences with the publishing house staff beyond just greetings.

On the second floor, Shen Junlan was leading a group of students on a tour. She stood by the transparent glass railing, looking down, and happened to see Ming Shu and her colleagues entering. Ling Han was standing right beside Ming Shu.

A student approached her with a question about publishing multiple versions of translated works. Shen Junlan immediately pulled back her gaze and began answering the student.

After finishing her explanation, she noticed a cluster of students around her, not waiting to ask questions, but leaning over the railing to look downstairs.

“Wow, that woman is so beautiful!”

“I heard from the publisher that they’re from the DR Company, here to discuss a collaboration.”

“DR? Is that the largest and most authoritative translation company in our country?”

“Yes! I want to join that company after I graduate. I wonder if I’ll still have a chance to meet that beautiful woman then,” one female student said dreamily, clasping her cheeks.

“I heard that company is really hard to get into. The assessments are very strict.”

“Ah, of course. Good companies have high competition. Will I still have a chance to meet the beautiful woman?”

“We’re H University students! We’re not bad either! You have to be confident!”

“Right, be confident! I want that woman’s WeChat too. I can even ask about the company.” Another female student had already found a reason to ask for contact information.

“Are you sure you just want to ask about the company? I don’t even want to call you out.”

“Hehe, isn’t it normal to be moved by seeing a beautiful woman?”

“I don’t want to rain on your parade, but a beautiful and talented woman like that probably already has a partner, right?”

“Not necessarily. Few people would dare to pursue someone on that level.”

“If you’re thick-skinned, you can try. There’s no harm in it. It’s great just to talk to a beautiful woman.”

“Hehe, I’ll try. I’m the team leader for our project, so using that identity to ask for a WeChat exchange is pretty convenient.”

“I want it too.”

“Me too.”

“I also want the beautiful woman’s WeChat. If the team leader gets it, don’t forget us!”

“Okay, I’ll get it first, then we’ll see.” The team leader, Tian Tian, was a lively and quick-witted girl, currently looking enchanted.

“Ah, the beautiful woman is out of sight now.”

Shen Junlan patiently listened to the students discussing Ming Shu. Fortunately, she didn’t hear any slander. However, what was this talk about poaching her wife?

She raised her hand and placed it on the team leader Tian Tian’s shoulder. Tian Tian turned around and excitedly shared, “Professor Shen, there was a super beautiful woman downstairs just now, from DR Company! Can I go down and ask for her WeChat now? Just for a moment, I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Not just Tian Tian, everyone looked at Shen Junlan with expectation.

“She will be here for the next few days. She is staying for a week.”

“Then there’s no rush, we have time. Oh, Professor Shen, you know that beautiful woman?”

Shen Junlan smiled.

Tian Tian was mentally setting off fireworks. “Professor Shen, do you have that beautiful woman’s WeChat?”

Shen Junlan continued to smile.

The students all felt confident and chirped like little sparrows, though they remembered they were in a publishing house and tried to control their volume.

Shen Junlan frowned slightly.

“Why are you all so excited?”

“Of course!” Tian Tian excitedly whispered, covering half her mouth. “It’s rare to encounter such a stunning beauty! It’s practically a miracle! But Professor Shen already has a Mrs. Shen, so it’s normal that you don’t feel much.”

Shen Junlan patted Tian Tian’s shoulder lightly and then motioned for the students to come closer. The students gathered around, their young, eager eyes blinking with curiosity, all looking at her.

Shen Junlan smiled and whispered, “Don’t covet your Mrs. Shen.”

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