After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Are you Jealous?

Ming Shu was utterly choked up by the words she hadn’t managed to finish, and she couldn’t catch her breath for a moment.

What a concise summary: she was the wife Professor Shen married, who only got a marriage certificate and didn’t have a wedding.

Ming Shu had never cared about the lack of a wedding, but somehow, hearing that fact spoken by the unfamiliar female voice on the other end of the phone, her chest felt tight and congested.

It was a very young, confident voice, with a hint of arrogance and condescension.

The woman called Professor Shen “Junlan,” a very intimate address.

Ming Shu composed herself and asked, “May I ask who you are?”

The woman chuckled derisively, as if dismissing someone insignificant.

“There’s no need to tell you now. You’ll find out very soon.”

The call was abruptly cut off from the other end. Ming Shu’s body trembled.

She felt extremely cold; a chill radiating from her heart spread to her limbs, corroding her.

Unable to think about the relationship between the young woman and Professor Shen, Ming Shu dragged her heavy steps back to the room. The door was still ajar, but the light was on. Professor Shen was sitting up, leaning against the headboard, looking at her.

Her steps faltered, her heart thumped suddenly, and then plummeted. Ming Shu quickly withdrew her gaze, not wanting to get lost in Professor Shen’s tender and affectionate eyes again.

Actually, she often couldn’t distinguish if Professor Shen’s eyes were genuinely deep because she was looking at her, or if her profound eyes naturally carried a depth that drew people in.

Ming Shu now thought it was the latter, but her reaction was a bit slow. She was already half-drowning, flapping her arms. Below the water was an abyss, countless seaweeds binding her legs. She couldn’t remember if she knew how to swim, nor was she sure if she could escape this deep pool alive.

Professor Shen just looked at her, saying nothing. Ming Shu also remained silent, first turning around to close the door, and then returning to the bed.

“I’m sorry, Professor Shen, I woke you up. I just went out to answer a call.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t asleep.”

As they got closer, Shen Junlan noticed Ming Shu’s red eyes. She raised her hand, subconsciously wanting to touch Ming Shu’s reddened eyes, but then remembered something and withdrew her hand.

Ming Shu kept her head down, didn’t see Professor Shen’s restraint, and said softly, “It was Lingyu’s call. I asked Lingyu, and she is currently not interested in Ms. Yu.”

“Okay, I will subtly convey that to Yu Le. Thank you, Wife, for helping me inquire.”

“You don’t need to thank me. Professor Shen helps me more. It’s rare for me to be able to help Professor Shen with something.”

Shen Junlan leaned in a little closer, lowering her head to look up at Ming Shu’s face.

“Wife, did something happen? I feel like you’re not very happy.”

“No, let’s go to sleep.”

Ming Shu wasn’t willing to talk to her. Shen Junlan was anxious but helpless. She had already acted in a way that was not respectful enough towards Ming Shu tonight, and she couldn’t push her luck further. If Ming Shu didn’t say anything, she would wait until Ming Shu was willing to talk to her.

“Okay, let’s sleep first. Good night, Wife.”

Professor Shen still called her “Wife.” Nothing had changed, yet everything seemed different. Ming Shu lay down first, watching Professor Shen reach out to turn off the light, and then lie down beside her.

In the quiet night, they could hear each other’s breathing.

Ming Shu couldn’t sleep. She didn’t want to think about it, but the sharp, mocking words of the young woman’s voice kept replaying in her mind. She couldn’t help but care.

“Professor Shen.”

“Mhm.” Shen Junlan couldn’t sleep either. Hearing Ming Shu call her, she immediately replied, “I’m here, Wife. Do you have something to tell me?”

“Professor Shen, have you… truly never been in a relationship before?”

“No, it’s absolutely true. Yu Le can vouch for me.”

“What about dating in the English sense?”

“Never. I’m a relatively traditional person. I’ve never dated anyone. I only accompanied Yu Le to a few singles mixers, but I didn’t find a suitable partner until I reunited with you.”

Ming Shu tightly pursed her lower lip in the darkness. She wanted to believe Professor Shen, but who was it that called her just now using Aunt Zhang’s phone?

“What’s wrong, Wife? I feel like something is off since you came back from taking that call.”

Ming Shu struggled for a long time, feeling that this was not just a personal matter, but also involved Aunt Zhang, and decided to come clean. “Professor Shen, I just received a call from Aunt Zhang’s phone, but the person speaking was not Aunt Zhang.”

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know. By the sound of it, she should be a young girl. She called you Junlan.”

Shen Junlan put Ming Shu’s answer and her recent behavior together, and she smiled with relief.

“Wife, was it because of that female voice that you asked me if I really hadn’t been in a relationship before?”

Ming Shu didn’t answer, but Shen Junlan received her answer nonetheless.

“Wife, are you jealous because she called me Junlan?”

“No, I have no right to be jealous.”

“How can you say you don’t? You have the most right in the world to be jealous of me.”

Another wave stirred in Ming Shu’s heart. Professor Shen’s words could always easily move her heart.

“Professor Shen never dated. How are you so good at sweet talk?”

Shen Junlan said, “Because of you. Humans’ potential is activated during courtship. It’s a self-taught skill.”

Courtship? Was Professor Shen pursuing her?

Ming Shu found it a bit absurd. She had voluntarily walked into Professor Shen’s gentle trap; there was no need for Professor Shen to expend effort in courtship.

Ming Shu was caught in an internal struggle. On one hand, she felt she should be gentle and obedient to Professor Shen, like a little white rabbit raised by its owner. On the other hand, she knew she had hopelessly begun to like Professor Shen, and her ridiculous self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to demean herself like this.

She was angry at the phone call, angry at Professor Shen, and even angrier at herself.

Shen Junlan didn’t know Ming Shu was angry. In the darkness, she fumbled for her phone and dialed Aunt Zhang’s number.

“Hello, the number you dialed is switched off. Please try again later.”

“It’s off, Wife.”

Ming Shu’s rationality returned somewhat. She felt something was wrong just now and said anxiously, “Did something happen to Aunt Zhang?”

“Professor Shen, quickly call Jiajia and ask.”

“Okay, Wife, don’t panic.”

Shen Junlan called Jiajia. Jiajia’s phone was not off, but there was no answer.

“She might be asleep and has it on silent.”

“Is there any other way to contact Aunt Zhang?” Ming Shu pressed.

“I can call Old Liu. I’ll have Old Liu go to the house and check.”

“Mhm.” Ming Shu temporarily put her personal emotions aside and focused on Aunt Zhang’s situation.

Old Liu’s call connected.

“Professor Shen, have you returned from abroad early? Are you at the airport? I’ll come pick you up now.”

“No, I haven’t returned yet, Old Liu. Go to the villa immediately and check on Aunt Zhang. Aunt Zhang’s phone is off, and I can’t reach her.”

“Oh, I’ll go right away. I’ll call you back after checking the situation.”

“Mhm, I appreciate it.”

“It’s no trouble. Being your driver is the easiest job. Alright, I won’t talk anymore, I’ll drive over to check on Aunt Zhang first.”

It would take Old Liu almost 20 minutes to drive from his house. Shen Junlan and Ming Shu waited quietly together in the darkness.

Ming Shu felt very uneasy.

“Professor Shen, do you know who was talking to me on the phone just now?”

“What did she say to you?”

“She said…” Ming Shu couldn’t bring herself to say it. Saying it out loud felt like tattling on someone to Professor Shen.

“You can’t say? That makes it hard to guess.”

Ming Shu hesitated, and after carefully rephrasing it in her mind, she said, “She asked if I was your wife.”

“What did you say?” Shen Junlan asked expectantly.

“I asked her who she was.”

Shen Junlan was slightly disappointed.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“She said there was no need, that I would know who she was very soon, and then she hung up.”

Shen Junlan said, “I think I can guess who it is.”

“Who is it?”

“I’m not certain yet. I’ll tell you after I handle it, Wife. I don’t want you to worry about my trivial matters. Can you understand?”

She just didn’t want to tell her, Ming Shu understood. She should maintain her original mindset. She was just the wife Professor Shen bought with money. Besides satisfying Professor Shen’s needs, she had no authority over anything else and shouldn’t ask questions.

“Okay.” Ming Shu agreed. She had a strong premonition that she and Professor Shen would soon end their marriage.

Neither of them spoke again. After waiting for quite a while, Old Liu finally called back.

“How is Aunt Zhang?” Shen Junlan asked as soon as she answered the call.

“Not good. Aunt Zhang was driven out. She was pushed and fell.”

Shen Junlan frowned, “What happened?”

“Who’s there? Sneaking around and being secretive behind the grape trellis?”

Old Liu was discovered. While running away, he said, “Professor Shen, this is bad! It’s Miss Xixi. Miss Xixi is back!”

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