I Woke Up and Found Myself Married to the Dean - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Are You Going to Flirt with Married Women Too?

The sensation beneath her palm was soft and supple, making it clear to Si Nanyu that Wen Qingyan’s figure wasn’t nearly as fragile as her thin frame suggested.

Her previous heartache felt somewhat redundant now.

However, the misunderstanding was complete. Si Nanyu’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson as she stammered out an apology: “Teacher Wen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, it’s just that you turned around so suddenly…”

“So by your logic, it’s my fault?”

Wen Qingyan was practically driven to laughter by her anger. The heat in her ears cooled instantly, and she folded her arms across her chest in a scrutinizing posture.

If one looked closely, her gaze was laced with a chilling frost.

Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Si Nanyu’s eyes involuntarily flickered back to Wen Qingyan’s arms as she continued to explain: “I really didn’t… I just wanted to come over and help.”

“Then why did you reach out?”

“And now, what are you looking at?”

Wen Qingyan’s chest heaved with indignation at Si Nanyu’s sophistry.

“I’m not…” Si Nanyu retracted her gaze, explaining hurriedly.

But explanations were hollow. She had… taken advantage of Wen Qingyan; there was no doubt about that.

Si Nanyu bowed her head, offering a solemn apology once more: “Teacher Wen, I am truly sorry!”

She didn’t see that in the moment she bowed, Wen Qingyan’s eyes reddened. The hands gripping her own arms tightened for a second, only relaxing when Si Nanyu stood straight again.

In a way, Si Nanyu was acting with complete transparency.

But the more she acted this way, the angrier Wen Qingyan became. Given their actual relationship, it wouldn’t have mattered how far Si Nanyu went. But the fact that Si Nanyu had retracted her hand so quickly made Wen Qingyan’s heart twist with complicated emotions.

And now it was even worse. What… did this count as?

Wen Qingyan’s eyes began to sting. She turned her head away, unable to look at Si Nanyu any longer. She abandoned the half-washed dishes, stepped past her, and headed straight for her bedroom.

She ignored the sound of Si Nanyu’s footsteps following behind her.

Open door, enter, close, lock—all in one fluid motion.

“Teacher Wen, please don’t be angry…” Si Nanyu’s muffled apology drifted through the door. Wen Qingyan couldn’t bear it; tears wetted her ears as she lay down.

A self-mocking smile touched her lips. She was laughing at herself for being sentimental again, for thinking that Si Nanyu had changed her nature and wanted to… be close to her.

Wen Qingyan didn’t sleep well, and Si Nanyu was restless all night.

She was woken up early by Paigu’s whining. The dog was still cautious around her, but since he was desperate to go out and Wen Qingyan hadn’t gotten up, he had no choice but to find her.

Si Nanyu sighed, put on the leash, and took Paigu out.

They didn’t go far, just a quick loop around the neighborhood to a fresh market and a breakfast stall. The market was small but had the daily essentials. Si Nanyu grabbed some ingredients and headed back.

Because she had woken up so early, she had plenty of time to cook. Hot milk, ham sandwiches, and steamed buns a substantial spread.

Si Nanyu set the table and waited for Wen Qingyan after finishing her own morning routine.

Around 7:30 AM, Wen Qingyan finally emerged from the bedroom. She was already washed up. She flicked her gaze toward Si Nanyu and said flatly, “I don’t drink milk.”

“I… I saw the black coffee in the cabinet, but… drinking milk in the morning is… nutritious.”

As Si Nanyu stammered, Wen Qingyan’s hand reaching for the coffee pods paused. She let out a soft, dry laugh. “Oh, so you know that now?”

She had said similar things to Si Nanyu thousands of times, but the Si Nanyu who loved iced Americanos never listened. Eventually, Wen Qingyan had stopped trying, letting her have her way.

Seeing the roles reversed now felt utterly ironic.

She took a few sips of coffee, glanced at the steaming breakfast, and urged the dazed Si Nanyu: “We’re going to be late for work.”

Whatever breakfast was bought had to be cleared away. Si Nanyu left the house in a bit of a flurry, barely catching Wen Qingyan’s car.

The silence in the car remained. Wen Qingyan didn’t want to talk, and Si Nanyu didn’t dare to.

However, Si Nanyu couldn’t stop stealing glances at her. When they reached the subway station near the school, Wen Qingyan parked, stared straight ahead, and said, “Get out.”

“From now on, take the subway or find other transportation to work.”

The implication was clear: Wen Qingyan would no longer be commuting with her!

Si Nanyu’s face fell. She gave a small nod and stepped out. Wen Qingyan was in a hurry; as soon as the door clicked shut, she drove off.

After that…

It truly was as Wen Qingyan had said. She wouldn’t eat the breakfast Si Nanyu prepared, and she didn’t reply to the WeChat messages asking what she wanted for dinner. They lived in the same house and worked at the same school, yet they never seemed to cross paths.

Si Nanyu’s mood remained low until Thursday.

During her lunch break, she had no appetite. She returned to the office early and stood on the second-floor balcony, soaking in the sun while her thoughts remained in a muddle.

Just as class was about to start, two figures appeared in the distance.

One was Xu Jinghao, the smiling, baby-faced teacher she had met on Monday. They shared an office, though they hadn’t spoken much.

The other… was Wen Qingyan.

The two were chatting intermittently, and Wen Qingyan seemed to be in a fairly good mood… until she looked up and saw Si Nanyu. Her gaze turned cold instantly.

Si Nanyu stood up straight, craning her neck to look at Wen Qingyan. As she watched, she felt like Wen Qingyan’s expression shifted slightly. It was too far to be sure, but it felt less frigid.

The pre-class bell rang. Si Nanyu had a music class with Class 6 for the first period, so she reluctantly pulled her gaze away.

On her way, she gathered her courage and sent Wen Qingyan a WeChat message.

“Teacher Wen, how about spicy crab for dinner tonight?”

She sent messages like this every day. Wen Qingyan never replied. She didn’t hold much hope today, either. She locked her phone and entered the classroom.

After a week of teaching, Si Nanyu was becoming more adept. Music appreciation still took up half the class. During the session, she checked her phone three or four times. Seeing no reply, she forced herself to focus on the lesson.

When class ended and she returned to the office, she kept checking her phone. Just before entering, she saw the female teacher from earlier standing on the balcony, talking to a girl who looked strangely familiar. The girl was tall, with a high ponytail and bangs that partially obscured her eyes.

Why does she look so familiar?

Back at her desk, Si Nanyu was distracted trying to place the girl’s face. Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

There were two unread messages from Wen Qingyan.

One was a simple “Mhm,” sent during the middle of the class.

The other was sent just now, about eight minutes after her class ended.

Wen Qingyan’s message had a bit of an edge: “Are you actually going to cook it or not?”

!!!!!

Si Nanyu sat up so abruptly that she startled Yang Miao: “Nanyu, what’s wrong?”

Si Nanyu gave an awkward smile. “Nothing… it’s nothing.”

Inside, she was screaming, wanting to punch herself. How could I have missed her message! Argh!

She typed back furiously: “I’m doing it, I’m doing it! I’ll go to the market right after work!”

Si Nanyu felt blissful as she waited for the end of the day. As soon as the bell rang, she rushed out to buy the ingredients.

Spicy crab was a must, and she also bought vegetables and beef. She rode home on a mountain bike that had been gathering dust in the underground garage. She had found the purchase record for the bike from six months ago. She’d cleaned it up a few days ago—it was new, just a bit dirty. She had decided to cycle to work to save energy and get some exercise.

The house wasn’t that far from the school; she only needed to leave fifteen minutes earlier.

As she cycled home leisurely, she ran into the property manager, a woman a few years older than her whom she’d been trying to get to know. Sister Liu was a straightforward and polite person.

“Busy, Sister Liu?” Si Nanyu greeted her.

Sister Liu’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she complained affectionately, “Yes, a resident upstairs said they lost their green onions and asked me to help find them…”

Lost onions?

Si Nanyu’s smile faltered for a second. “You guys in property management sure are busy.”

“Hah! Just busywork. Oh, by the way, Miss Si, remember to pay your management fee. It’s due at the end of the month.”

“Okay, okay… I’ll pay it when I have a moment!” Si Nanyu nodded, preparing to head upstairs. But Sister Liu suddenly grabbed her hand and whispered mysteriously, “Miss Si, are you single?”

“Uh, I… I…” Si Nanyu was caught off guard. Seeing Sister Liu’s face leaning in closer, she stepped back. “No, I have a partner.”

“Oh? Really~?” Sister Liu looked skeptical.

Si Nanyu nodded like a woodpecker. “Yes, I have a partner.” She paused, then added, “She’s very beautiful.”

“Very beautiful? How beautiful?”

“Is she as beautiful as the lady behind you?” Sister Liu asked. Si Nanyu was getting a bit annoyed. She reflexively looked back, intending to say “Yes,” then stopped dead.

The “beauty” was none other than the “girlfriend” in her heart.

Her dear Teacher Wen.

Dressed in an apricot-colored knit shirt, her coat draped over her arm, holding a shopping bag…

She did not look approachable at all. Wen Qingyan adjusted her glasses, her eyes looking cold enough to kill!

Wen Qingyan was usually aloof, but Si Nanyu was surprised the property manager didn’t recognize her.

Wen Qingyan walked toward the elevator with an icy stride. Si Nanyu didn’t dare delay and squeezed into the elevator with her.

Si Nanyu wasn’t entirely sure what she had done wrong, but Wen Qingyan’s expression was terrifying. She didn’t dare speak loudly, only shrinking back and whispering, “Teacher Wen…”

“Take this.”

“What…?”

“Your durian puffs.”

Wen Qingyan shoved the bag toward her, not caring if she could hold it. She added with clear disdain, “You are not allowed to eat those in the house.”

“And…” Wen Qingyan paused, stepping out of the elevator before saying coldly, “Make that smell of cheap perfume on you disappear!”

Si Nanyu’s sense of smell wasn’t that sensitive or rather, she was only sensitive to Wen Qingyan’s white tea scent. She lifted her arm to sniff it, muttering with a frown, “Is there a smell?”

When she looked up, Wen Qingyan was right in front of her. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Si Nanyu, are you going to flirt with married women too?”

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