After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Afternoon Tea

“Do I?” Shen Junlan asked doubtfully. She didn’t know how else she could help Ming Shu, especially with the addition of Qiao Qian as an unpredictable and explosive factor.

“Yes, with Professor Shen behind me, I feel very secure.”

“But I can’t protect you all the time. I can’t shield you from Qiao Qian’s harm.”

“I don’t need to be protected all the time,” Ming Shu blinked, a shimmering flash in her eyes that instantly registered in Shen Junlan’s mind, reminding her of a childhood picture with her mother at a photo studio, taken with an old-fashioned camera.

Ming Shu said seriously, “The people who provide constant protection are bodyguards, Professor Shen. You are not my bodyguard; you are my wife. If you must say you have a responsibility to protect me, you’ve done an excellent job. Every time I face an issue, you’ve never run away; you’ve always helped me through it.”

“And even if I had a bodyguard, it wouldn’t be one hundred percent safe. A president can still be assassinated. Professor Shen, I know you want to protect me, but I don’t want to be a burden to you.”

Ming Shu spoke clearly that she didn’t want to be a burden, and Shen Junlan felt a pang of self-reproach. She had seriously considered arranging a dedicated bodyguard for Ming Shu so that even when confronting Qiao Qian, Ming Shu wouldn’t be easily taken advantage of. But this method was clearly not something Ming Shu would accept.

This solution was one she had conceived from a position of authority, and she had overlooked the impact on Ming Shu’s normal work life. Ming Shu was not Qiao Qian; she wouldn’t be as overbearing as Qiao Qian, and this was precisely what worried her about Ming Shu.

“Don’t worry about me, Professor Shen. I think Qiao Qian probably won’t do anything too underhanded besides competing with me openly.”

Shen Junlan shook her head, “Ming Shu, you must be vigilant with Qiao Qian.”

“Okay, I’ll be vigilant,” Ming Shu promised. Professor Shen knew Qiao Qian better than she did, and of course, she was willing to heed Professor Shen’s warning. Furthermore, her own perception of danger was acute, and she was naturally vigilant enough.

“Mmm.”

“Next time Qiao Qian makes a move, I will tell Professor Shen,” Ming Shu remembered the fuse that ignited Professor Shen’s initial anger.

Shen Junlan smiled helplessly, “Only about Qiao Qian? What about other things?”

“I’ll judge myself whether it’s necessary to share with Professor Shen.”

“How do you define ‘necessary’?” Shen Junlan asked.

“If it doesn’t involve safety issues, ‘interesting’ is necessary.”

When Ming Shu was at work, she heard some colleagues chatting about everyday life, saying that shared topics and a desire to share were important in a marriage. She consciously noted it down, thinking she could learn from it.

“Then, Wife, has anything interesting happened at your company recently?” Shen Junlan rested her head on her hand, lying on her side, and the other hand slipped into Ming Shu’s white bathrobe.

Ming Shu’s face slightly reddened, her small face wrinkled and features gathered together. She spoke with some difficulty, “It seems like nothing recently.”

“Not a single thing?” Shen Junlan asked, gently squeezing a spot.

It wasn’t that there was nothing. Encouraged by Professor Shen, Ming Shu remembered one thing, but it was a bit awkward to say out loud.

After repeated deliberation, she said, “There was a mix-up. A colleague’s partner bought her a private product and hoped she would try it remotely. That colleague happened to be opening the package when everyone was watching. Everyone was quite awkward the whole day.”

Ming Shu finished speaking with difficulty. She had hoped Professor Shen would be kind enough to let her go quickly or just liberate her completely, but Professor Shen didn’t. Professor Shen was grinding her down with extreme patience today, leaving her in an awkward position where she could neither move forward nor retreat.

“Professor Shen…”

Ming Shu twisted her body; she was about to cry.

Shen Junlan leaned in to kiss Ming Shu’s slightly red eye corners, chuckling, “Your colleague has given me some inspiration.”

“Wife, do you want to try it?”

“Try what?”

“Remote control.”

Ming Shu shook her head decisively. That was too embarrassing. She probably couldn’t accept it in this lifetime.

Shen Junlan asked with a hint of regret, “Can we do it at home?” The same effect could be achieved by increasing the distance at home.

Ming Shu nodded hesitantly. She felt truly doomed. Her boundary was being lowered little by little by Professor Shen.

The lunch break was limited, and not enough time for the couple who booked the romantic room to do much. Fortunately, they had clarified each other’s thoughts. Although the practical application might still be a bit difficult, at least they had reached relative agreement verbally.

When changing back into their original clothes, Shen Junlan held Ming Shu close and kissed her for a long time. She intentionally kissed the little bunny’s ear, knowing well that the little bunny’s ear got red easily, just like her face, and was even shyer and more sensitive.

Shen Junlan drove Ming Shu back to the company. On the way, they stopped to buy afternoon tea, drinks, and desserts. Shen Junlan let Ming Shu pick whatever she liked for herself. Shen Junlan also picked some to share with her colleagues.

“Wife, pick a share for Ling Han too,” Shen Junlan smiled, using action to show that she was no longer jealous of Ling Han, giving her little bunny wife one hundred and twenty percent peace of mind.

“Okay!” Ming Shu happily agreed. Ling Han was always willing to share everything with her. She had been internally debating whether to buy a share for Ling Han, afraid of making Professor Shen jealous. Since Professor Shen brought it up herself, that problem was non-existent, meaning Professor Shen was accepting.

“Thank you, Professor Shen.”

“What is there to thank me for?” Shen Junlan smiled, embracing Ming Shu, and gently bit Ming Shu’s full lower lip, stopping only when Ming Shu’s face was flushed and her heart was racing.

Ming Shu practically jumped away. After creating distance from Professor Shen, she looked around, anxious about being seen by others, which would look bad.

Shen Junlan said, “A little punishment, Wife. Remember next time, don’t randomly thank me again, or the punishment will get heavier and heavier.”

Looking at Professor Shen’s face, which was warm like the morning sun, Ming Shu’s heart was already chilled. She understood that the heavy punishment Shen Junlan spoke of was a weight she couldn’t bear.

She sealed her lips shut. If she could manage not to talk today, she wouldn’t.

When paying, Ming Shu offered to pay, and Shen Junlan didn’t refuse. However, she suggested an alternative: they would each pay for the items they picked for the other. Shen Junlan had picked slightly more for Ming Shu, and Ming Shu was quite satisfied with paying for her share.

Finally, at the company downstairs, Ming Shu hurried towards the company, carrying the two portions of afternoon tea that Professor Shen had paid for. Due to her rush, fearing she would be late, she forgot to close the car door. Shen Junlan didn’t call her back but watched tenderly until Ming Shu’s figure disappeared into the company entrance.

Ming Shu made it back in time for work, and before settling down, she delivered the afternoon tea to Ling Han. “Professor Shen bought it for you,” Ming Shu said breathlessly.

Ling Han tilted her head and smiled, “Thank Professor Shen for me.”

“Okay.” Ming Shu returned to her seat. Just as she sat down, someone entered the door—it was Qiao Qian.

Qiao Qian had changed out of the eye-catching red riding outfit and was now wearing the GR Company uniform for the afternoon, with an ID badge hanging around her neck.

The colleagues in Ming Shu’s office all saw Qiao Qian walk in. They found it strange. Qiao Qian simply walked in, turned around and left without saying a word. Everyone was bewildered.

Ming Shu ignored it. She hoped to keep their distance from Qiao Qian and live in peace. They weren’t in the same office and wouldn’t have any interaction. She only needed to focus on her work, and she wouldn’t pay attention to Qiao Qian otherwise.

Ming Shu debated whether to mention Qiao Qian’s brief visit to their office but decided against it, feeling it was unnecessary. Qiao Qian hadn’t threatened her safety, and besides, the matter was quite dull and not worth sharing.

Just then, Ming Shu received a message from Professor Shen.

My colleague really liked the afternoon tea my wife sent. They asked me to say thank you.

Ming Shu also relayed Ling Han’s thanks to Professor Shen.

After a while longer, everyone’s minds settled, and they immersed themselves in work. Qiao Qian came again. This time, Qiao Qian was not alone and was not empty-handed. She brought two bodyguards carrying a large Styrofoam box filled with various afternoon teas, all of which were quite expensive. However, Qiao Qian offered them with a condescending tone, and no one dared to move hastily.

Everyone in the office knew about the antagonism between Qiao Qian and their deputy group leader. Who would dare to casually accept items from the “enemy” before the deputy group leader had expressed an opinion? Moreover, Qiao Qian’s attitude was entirely that of looking down on them and offering charity. No one felt comfortable, and even those who wanted to eat hesitated.

Qiao Qian stood with her arms crossed, waiting for a long while. Not a single person in the entire office stepped forward to take anything. She saw some of the desserts starting to melt in their boxes and grew anxious.

Are these people so ungrateful?

Or are all these people choosing to stand with Yan Mingshu?

Finally, Qiao Qian left in anger, a silent fury. The two bodyguards bent down to carry the items away, and their eyes beneath their sunglasses seemed to hold a hint of schadenfreude.

After Qiao Qian’s scene, everyone felt uncomfortable, especially Ming Shu. Ling Han counted the heads in the office and quietly placed a group order for afternoon tea.

When the afternoon tea arrived, Ling Han invited everyone to take some. The colleagues’ hearts, which had been looked down upon and trampled by Qiao Qian, were soothed. After having the afternoon tea, the office atmosphere became relatively harmonious again.

Ming Shu thought with annoyance, This is what I should have done. Ling Han was better at handling this kind of problem than her. She was indeed unsuitable for a leadership role, even a small one like deputy group leader, Ming Shu thought self-critically.

“Why aren’t you getting any?” Ling Han placed a taro paste tiramisu and a cup of handmade yogurt on Ming Shu’s desk.

Ming Shu shook her head. She didn’t want to explain, only thanking Ling Han.

Towards the end of the workday, a colleague returned from the restroom with new gossip.

“It turns out Qiao Qian suddenly buying us afternoon tea was an attempt to buy people in our office and dismantle us from within. She just wants to oppose our deputy group leader.”

“It’s good that everyone is quite united and standing with the deputy group leader.”

“Yes, yes, it’s a good thing we weren’t fooled.”

“Who cares about her little afternoon tea? She looks down on everyone, walking around with her nose in the air.”

“She’s not generous either. She didn’t buy any for the colleagues in her own office. After no one here wanted it, she took it back to her own office colleagues, and they didn’t want it either.”

“How embarrassing!”

“Serves her right!”

Ming Shu listened to the fresh gossip her colleague brought back but offered no opinion.

No one noticed that someone else had slipped out of the office then, looking around stealthily at the office next door. Not seeing Qiao Qian, they followed the two bodyguards to the stairwell, where they found Qiao Qian venting her frustration on the untouched afternoon tea.

“Damn it,” Qiao Qian gritted her teeth, throwing the afternoon tea items one by one into the company trash can in the stairwell. A drink package split open, and the fragrant liquid spilled onto the floor, mixing with the trash to form a strange, sweet and foul odor.

“So annoying,” Qiao Qian frowned, shifting slightly to the side, but the flowing liquid inevitably stained her shoe. A fly flew out of the trash can, circling around her. Qiao Qian grew more irritated and pointed at the swiftly moving fly, “You two, kill this fly for me.”

The two large, burly bodyguards exchanged glances, both reading “absurd” in the other’s eyes, but they had to obey the order and both tried to swat the fly.

The person who had come out of Ming Shu’s office watched in astonishment for a moment before stepping forward and saying, “Miss Qiao.”

Qiao Qian corrected him, “Call me Miss Qianqian.” Since watching the movie Sissi as a child, Qiao Qian had been deeply obsessed with the name Sissi (Qianqian).

The person reluctantly complied, “Miss Qianqian.”

“Who are you?” Qiao Qian asked haughtily.

“I’m from Deputy Group Leader Yan Mingshu’s office.”

“Oh? Someone from Yan Mingshu’s office. What do you want with me?”

The person smiled sinisterly, “I believe Miss Qianqian has a need to cooperate with me.”

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