After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Small Growth

“Mrs… Mrs… Mrs. Shen?” Tian Tian was startled, her words tumbling out incoherently.

The other students were no better, all lowering their heads, frantically trying to recall if they had spoken any reckless, disrespectful words about their “Mrs. Shen” during their earlier excitement.

Despite their self-reflection, the students were still highly skeptical that the incredibly beautiful woman they saw was actually their professor’s wife.

How could it be such a coincidence?

That they would run into her at a workplace.

Doubtful or not, the students all hunched their shoulders, waiting like quails for Professor Shen’s judgment and punishment.

Tian Tian was the most terrified. She had been the most vocal, dancing right up to Professor Shen and asking for her wife’s contact information. She wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into or just disappear on the spot.

Anything but standing exposed and defenseless in front of Professor Shen.

“I’m sorry, Professor Shen. I… I was just running my mouth. Please don’t take it seriously,” Tian Tian said, struggling to form an apology.

Shen Junlan smiled. “I don’t mind. Now, settle down and focus on your work.”

“Absolutely, absolutely.”

The other students quickly agreed. They were scared half to death. Fortunately, Professor Shen had a good temper.

“Oh, a reminder for everyone. Your Mrs. Shen is not ready to meet you yet, so don’t approach her rashly and disturb her.”

“Understood, Professor Shen.”

“Professor Shen, please rest assured.”

“We’ll just secretly look at Mrs. Shen a few times, at most,” said the female student who had been staring with stars in her eyes earlier. After saying it, she quickly covered her mouth, guiltily thinking: Professor Shen wouldn’t stop us from even looking, would she? Mrs. Shen is so beautiful, lots of people must be looking. Professor Shen can’t possibly control everyone.

Shen Junlan offered a gentle smile. “You may appreciate her. I’m not that overbearing.”

“Thank you, Professor Shen!”

The heavy weight on the students’ chests finally lifted. Seeing their Professor Shen as gentle as ever, they became restless again, their gossip-loving souls burning bright.

“Professor Shen, how did you and Mrs. Shen meet?” a bold male student asked.

“This is not the time for that. Continue your tour. You still have to write journals and reports.”

At Professor Shen’s words, a chorus of “Ah,” “Ouch,” and “Wuu” erupted. No one dared to ask again. The students took one last look downstairs, but the beautiful woman was no longer in sight.

Correction: their beautiful Mrs. Shen was no longer in sight.

The pain of their shattered dream was slightly delayed. A moment ago, they were too busy being afraid of Professor Shen’s anger to feel anything else, but now the sting was setting in.

Mrs. Shen was truly stunning—a beauty beyond their reach. Yet, with Professor Shen… they were surprisingly well-matched.

One was gentle and reserved, the other was stunning without being aggressive. An odd combination, yet strangely fitting.

Professor Shen’s internal fire had been stoked, and the students’ fire of gossip was still burning fiercely, causing them to put off the task Professor Shen had given them during the tour.

Ming Shu had no idea she had been observed by Professor Shen’s students. She was currently at the back of her team, listening attentively as the team leader and another member communicated with the American partners. She only spoke when asked a direct question.

The American publishing partners noticed Ming Shu and occasionally steered the conversation toward her. Ming Shu felt terribly anxious but had to grit her teeth and respond.

Just when her brain felt like it was running out of oxygen from the tension, Ming Shu thought of Professor Shen. She recalled a make-up oral exam she once had in university. Her oral English professor had been worried about her. Because she struggled to speak English confidently in front of her classmates and answer questions, her participation grade was low. During the actual oral exam, she was so panicked she couldn’t utter a single word. Her vision suddenly blurred, and she couldn’t even clearly see the three topics on the slide. She had passed out, giving the professor quite a scare.

Later, when she took the make-up exam, the examiner turned out to be Professor Shen—the same Professor Shen who had rescued her in the cafeteria, the Professor Shen who had encouraged her in translation class. Professor Shen’s smile seemed to possess a magic that made her feel calm and safe. She chose a topic, opened her mouth, and spoke with some stammering, but managed a mediocre grade in oral English, finally overcoming the hurdle.

As she left, Professor Shen smiled and encouraged her, telling her she had improved and to keep working hard. She had never forgotten that moment.

Now, the publishing partners were addressing her with genuine work-related questions. This was the first time Ming Shu felt the positive professional value of her looks. She clenched her fists, her mind filled with the image of Professor Shen’s gentle encouragement. She mustered her courage and replied. Her voice was slightly shaky, but her answers were fluent and substantive, earning her appreciation and encouragement from the Americans.

Ling Han also whispered to her, “Ming Shu, you were great.”

However, the accompanying team leader and the other member were clearly displeased, feeling she had stolen their spotlight. The team’s negotiation lead stopped them several times when they tried to interrupt.

During their lunch break at a nearby restaurant, the team leader and the other member continued to make passive-aggressive comments.

“Xiao Yan, I never noticed you were so articulate before. You were holding out, waiting for today, right?”

Ming Shu caught the venom in the team leader’s tone. She lowered her head, unsure how to respond.

The other member, who was also involved in oral communication, made a sharp remark. “Xiao Yan has been hiding her talent all this time. Oh, wait, with a face like that, you don’t need much talent. Just use the honey trap! The other side is already dizzy. Just deliver yourself, why bother with complicated business negotiations, haha?”

“I didn’t.”

Ming Shu bit her lip and retorted, her eyes welling up with tears of grievance, and her voice trembling. She had been at the back of the team and had never volunteered a word. She couldn’t very well refuse to answer when the American partners addressed her directly.

“Oh, come on~ Your seniors were just making a joke. Why are you taking it seriously, Xiao Yan? You’re still too young.” The team leader laughed vulgarly and stood up with a glass of wine. “I toast you with this drink. Don’t take it to heart.”

Ming Shu had juice in front of her. She picked up the juice, took a sip, and considered it a peace offering.

The colleague tried to cause more trouble. “The team leader is drinking wine. How can you drink juice? Come on, let big brother pour you a glass.”

Ling Han couldn’t stand it. “We have work this afternoon. Do you want to reek of alcohol and have a muddled mind when you talk to the Americans?”

The colleague’s face flushed and then paled. The team leader laughed. “No need, no need. Just one drink.”

Ming Shu didn’t want Ling Han to be resented because of her. She pulled Ling Han’s arm, making her sit down, and then spoke up herself: “My tolerance for alcohol is low. I shouldn’t drink.”

“If you can’t drink, you can practice! How can you work without drinking?” The team leader’s ugly behavior was fueled by the alcohol. He stood up to pressure her into drinking. “Our negotiator started out not drinking, and now she can drink a whole table under and secure a deal. Xiao Yan, you need to learn.”

Ming Shu looked at the negotiator sitting quietly nearby. The negotiator ignored them, casually sipping a glass of white wine.

Ming Shu felt wronged, but she was used to helplessness and grievance, so she could tolerate it. She placed her palm over her cup. The team leader leaned in, his greasy, bulky body pressing close to pour the wine, but he spilled it on her hand instead. Her hand and the tabletop were drenched, though thankfully her clothes were spared.

Ling Han used a clean napkin to wipe her hand. The team leader slipped back to his seat and continued to clink glasses and drink with the other colleague.

“Are you okay?” Ling Han asked with concern.

Ming Shu shook her head. She then looked at the composed negotiator. At that moment, the negotiator turned her head and smiled at her. “I’ve taken note of their behavior. We have work this afternoon. I’ll take you two to the meeting. The Americans don’t like negotiating with people who are greasy and boastful like them. Let them take a rest.”

Ming Shu was a little confused. She didn’t fully understand the negotiator’s actions, but she grasped one thing: the negotiator held no malice toward her.

In the afternoon, the negotiator brought Ming Shu and Ling Han to meet with the American partners again. Ming Shu consciously spoke less, feeling she was better suited for background work and not face-to-face communication like this.

Ling Han noticed Ming Shu’s change and asked her when they went to the restroom if she was still bothered by the team leader and the colleague’s accusations.

She was, of course.

Though unintentional, she had indeed, to some extent, stolen the spotlight from the team leader and the other colleague. She felt an uneasy sense of guilt.

Ling Han sighed with a smile. “Ming Shu, you can’t think that way. You can’t empathize with people who slap you in the face, be merciful to them, and then criticize yourself.”

Ming Shu remained silent.

Ling Han continued, “Their incompetence is their problem. In a way, you saved the day. Remember what the negotiator said at lunch? If we let those two, who rely on their seniority and exaggerate during negotiations, mess around, we wouldn’t secure this deal.”

“The environment abroad is different from ours. Our custom of using drinking culture to reveal flaws and deepen trust won’t work here. Ming Shu, you can’t be merciful to them and endlessly friendly while only pressuring yourself. You need to grow thorns. You need to learn how to protect yourself.”

“Protect… myself?”

“Yes, protect yourself.”

Ling Han gave a bitter smile. It was only when Professor Shen wasn’t around that she had the right standing to say these things to Ming Shu. She desperately wanted to be the one who could openly protect Ming Shu, but she didn’t have the right. She was also afraid Ming Shu would notice her selfish motives, so she could only exist in this capacity.

After listening to Ling Han, Ming Shu felt her typically closed-off mindset had broadened slightly. Even though it was a tiny step, it was precious to her. No one had ever told her these things before.

She truly needed to learn to protect herself.

Was this her lucky year? She had not only reunited with her former mentor, Professor Shen, and flash-married to overcome her difficulties, learning so much new knowledge, but she had also made a friend in Ling Han, someone who helped her and gave her new insights.

“How can I thank you, Ling Han?” Ming Shu asked gratefully.

Ling Han smiled. “Just keep being my friend.”

Ming Shu blinked in confusion twice. Ling Han quickly changed the subject. “We’ve been out for a while. We should go back.”

Ming Shu nodded and replied, “I promise.”

Back in the conference room, the negotiator was clearly and logically discussing terms with the American partners. Ming Shu, encouraged by Ling Han, shed her burden of self-reproach and participated at appropriate moments.

When work ended, Ming Shu felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. She was almost impatient to share it with Professor Shen and to thank Professor Shen for her invisible encouragement.

She had already figured out how she was going to repay Professor Shen.

That evening, Professor Shen arrived much earlier than yesterday, around 8 PM. Ming Shu opened the door and let Professor Shen in, urging her to take a shower. She had already showered herself.

Shen Junlan keenly sensed that Ming Shu was in high spirits tonight, almost euphoric. She was surprised, guessing that Ming Shu’s business trip had gone very smoothly.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Ming Shu was sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking intently at her phone.

Shen Junlan moved closer to Ming Shu. Ming Shu sensed her presence and quickly turned off the phone, as if a student had been caught looking at something inappropriate by their teacher.

“Wife, why is your face so red? I haven’t done anything yet.” Shen Junlan looked at Ming Shu with a gentle smile.

Ming Shu pursed her lips. Her lower lip, half-covered, was red and moist in Shen Junlan’s sight, tempting her to pluck it.

Shen Junlan swallowed. She leaned in and licked Ming Shu’s lip. She fully expected Ming Shu to shyly pull away, but in the next second, she was suddenly pushed down onto the bed by Ming Shu, who was pressing on her shoulders.

The world spun. Their positions were reversed in an instant.

Shen Junlan sank into the soft white sheets, staring blankly up at Ming Shu, whose face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed. She was thoroughly confused by her current position.

Ming Shu closed her eyes, leaned down, and kissed her first.

Shen Junlan’s eyes widened, but quickly, she closed them too.

Her good student had learned how to kiss. Shen Junlan’s heart hammered wildly.

Her position on the bed was the last thing on her mind.

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