I Woke Up and Found Myself Married to the Dean - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Teacher Si’s Fingers are So Long and Beautiful

“I won’t be around tomorrow; I have to go out for something.”

Even though she knew exactly what Si Nanyu meant by her question, Wen Qingyan chose not to answer directly. Instead, she diverted the topic by saying she was heading out.

This defensive maneuver seemed to be a habit formed over their years together. Wen Qingyan froze for a moment after saying it, then put down her chopsticks and said in a low voice: “I’m finished.”

“Huh? Is that all?” Si Nanyu’s confused voice followed. She pointed at the steaming hot pot: “There are still so many ingredients…”

Si Nanyu didn’t understand. Wen Qingyan had bought quite a lot: lamb, beef, tripe, duck intestines, bamboo shoots, and fresh vegetables. It was impossible for two people to finish it all. Si Nanyu had been eating as hard as she could, but Wen Qingyan had only had a few slices of meat and some greens.

She wanted to persuade her to eat more.

However, Wen Qingyan stood up as if she couldn’t sit still a second longer. Straightening her clothes, she repeated: “I’m finished.”

“Paigu is waiting for me.”

Wen Qingyan didn’t look full; she looked like she was fleeing. Even as Si Nanyu pointed at the feast, Wen Qingyan turned a deaf ear. This was usually Si Nanyu’s specialty—selectively ignoring advice and being rebellious. Now, Wen Qingyan wanted to try it too.

Because today, she didn’t want to see Si Nanyu pretending that everything was fine.

She felt she had done everything she was supposed to do. She cared about Si Nanyu’s feelings, yet she feared Si Nanyu didn’t care about hers. More importantly…

That question—“Will you always be here too?” Had left her heart in a total mess.

Wen Qingyan took Paigu downstairs while Si Nanyu cleared the table and washed the dishes.

Then, sitting on the bay window, Si Nanyu changed the contact name for “Si Xueyi.” She sent a text message apologizing, stating she had dialed the wrong number, and finally deleted the contact entirely.

Perhaps she still needed some time, but likely not much. Having finished that, she looked down at the street, waiting for Wen Qingyan and Paigu.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, they returned.

Wen Qingyan had changed into a sky-blue tracksuit, her long hair tied back in a low ponytail, leading a bounding Paigu. But the moment they saw her, both human and dog stopped in their tracks.

Wen Qingyan was slightly nearsighted. She usually only wore glasses for work, rarely outside because they were inconvenient. Looking up at Si Nanyu now, she instinctively squinted.

“Isn’t it cold with the window open?”

“Um… it’s okay,” Si Nanyu said stubbornly, suppressing a shiver.

But Wen Qingyan caught the subtle movement. Her hand paused while putting down the keys. She walked in as if nothing had happened, wiped Paigu’s paws, and then said to Si Nanyu: “Close it quickly. I’m going to shower.”

“You should go too, to warm up.”

“…Okay.”

Seeing Si Nanyu agree, Wen Qingyan nodded, led Paigu into the living room to give him some water, and then continued into the bedroom.

The apartment was small enough that every sound was clear. Wen Qingyan could distinctly hear Si Nanyu’s footsteps following behind her. But when she turned around, she saw Si Nanyu standing still, her feet shifting slightly and her gaze darting away.

She had been following, but didn’t want to admit it. Wen Qingyan didn’t call her out, turning back around as if she hadn’t noticed.

Once Wen Qingyan disappeared behind the bedroom door, Si Nanyu let out a long breath: “Whew~”

She was annoyed at her own sudden impulse to cling to Wen Qingyan. Clinging… given their current relationship, it probably wasn’t forbidden. But what would she even say?

Si Nanyu didn’t know. But she knew that Wen Qingyan’s presence was special to her.

Predictably, Si Nanyu’s mood improved significantly. Perhaps because she had technically lived through these things before, after the initial shock, she was coming to terms with the reality at a speed she didn’t quite understand.

Of course, it might also be because Wen Qingyan was “coaxing” her. Yes, Wen Qingyan buying hot pot was definitely to cheer her up! Even her “fleeing” felt like a weird form of affection.

As the new week began, Wen Qingyan encouraged her through actions. That week, Si Nanyu didn’t ride her bike; she took Wen Qingyan’s car to work. Wen Qingyan would go grocery shopping with her, cook with her, and take her along to walk the dog after dinner.

Although Wen Qingyan remained quiet, Si Nanyu felt her shadow in every corner of her life.

“Goodbye, Teacher Si!”

“Goodbye, students.”

The eighteen-year-old boys and girls were full of energy. Looking at the students greeting her, Si Nanyu felt even better. This environment was one of the things keeping her spirits up. After a week of classes, she felt more at ease in her role.

In fact, if she hadn’t seen Si Jiamu looking like she wanted to approach her, her mood would have been even better.

“Teacher Si, can we have lunch together?” Si Jiamu’s tone was cautious.

Most of the students had already left. She walked over slowly and asked in a small voice: “Teacher Si, can we have lunch together at noon?”

Seeing Si Jiamu’s tentative attitude, Si Nanyu felt a part of her heart soften. There had been clues all along—even if Si Nanyu hadn’t understood Si Jiamu’s behavior in the office last week, combining it with current reality made her realize things weren’t as bad as she’d imagined.

However, she still couldn’t have lunch with her.

She flashed a polite smile and declined gracefully: “I’m sorry, Teacher Yang has already asked me. I can’t make it.”

Perhaps sensing Si Nanyu’s gentleness, Si Jiamu asked: “Is it about the choir?”

Si Nanyu gave a small nod. Just as Si Jiamu opened her lips to say something else, Yang Miao appeared at the door of Class 8 with her meal: “Teacher Si, ready to go?”

“Ready.”

Si Nanyu answered, then turned back to Si Jiamu with a smile: “I’m heading out first.”

Yang Miao had approached Si Nanyu earlier that morning, asking for help with the choir’s piano accompaniment. As fellow music teachers at Zhennan, how could Si Nanyu refuse? Since she didn’t have many classes on Friday, Yang Miao told her they’d start right after lunch.

In some ways, Si Nanyu was very sensitive. For instance, she could clearly feel Si Jiamu’s kindness and her desire to be close. She also saw the look of disappointment in Si Jiamu’s eyes as she walked past.

Her heart wasn’t made of stone. Her childhood attitude toward Si Jiamu had been more about spite; now that things had changed, Si Jiamu hadn’t actually done anything wrong. So, this engagement was a perfect excuse to decline without the burden of an awkward lunch. She wasn’t ready to face her yet.

After a quick meal with Yang Miao, Si Nanyu arrived at the music room early. Soon, the choir students began to trickle in. Yang Miao explained the plan and then handed the teaching reins over to Si Nanyu.

When the piano music began, she saw the students’ eyes light up before they began to follow her lead. Yang Miao couldn’t help but look a bit proud, standing by the door with a smile.

Turning around, she happened to see Wen Qingyan and Xu Jinghao looking into the classroom. Xu Jinghao waved politely, while Wen Qingyan stiffly withdrew her gaze before giving a slight nod.

Yang Miao was talkative, and since she wanted to praise Si Nanyu, she stepped outside to chat with them.

“Nanyu is truly a rare talent. In all my years at Zhennan, she’s the most outstanding student I’ve ever had.”

“And she doesn’t care about fame. When her band was so popular, she chose to come back to the school to teach…”

Wen Qingyan knew everything Yang Miao was saying in fact, she knew the reasons behind it even better. She shared that sense of pride. But they weren’t the only ones who knew; the students in the classroom knew it too.

Inside, Si Nanyu had stopped playing and was surrounded by a crowd of teenagers showering her with praise.

“Teacher Si, you’re so amazing! Can I come to you for advice more often?”

“Teacher Si…”

“Teacher Si, your fingers are so long and beautiful. You were born to play the piano.”

“Fingers” was a sensitive word. Wen Qingyan clearly saw the girl who said it blushing, and the girls standing near her were all teasing each other with their eyes.

It was true, as Yang Miao said and as she saw with her own eyes: Si Nanyu was excellent. But the human heart is a strange thing. The more excellent Si Nanyu appeared, the more Wen Qingyan felt she couldn’t hold onto her. The more panicked she felt.

She didn’t hear what Yang Miao was saying next; her gaze was like fire, fixed intensely on Si Nanyu.

“Then it’s settled! Tonight at seven o’clock at…”

Yang Miao’s voice suddenly amplified in her ear. Wen Qingyan snapped out of it, asking in confusion: “Teacher Yang, seven o’clock what…?”

“The social mixer at seven! You just agreed to it!” Yang Miao grinned mischievously. Having organized these gatherings for years, this was the first time she’d managed to catch Wen Qingyan she definitely wasn’t going to let her off the hook!

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