I Woke Up and Found Myself Married to the Dean - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Caught in the Act.

Before entering the theater, Si Nanyu placed all the snacks by her side and handed the 3D glasses to Wen Qingyan, asking in a very low, concerned voice: “Can you see clearly?”

Geological Disaster was a 3D movie that required wearing the specialized glasses.

Wen Qingyan knew her own limits; her nearsightedness wasn’t severe, and she could generally see well enough, but…

Si Nanyu was too close, and her question was too tender.

It caused Wen Qingyan to daze for a moment. After a brief pause, she said, “I can see.”

Only then did she accept the glasses Si Nanyu offered, tucked away her usual spectacles, and prepared to put on the 3D ones, only to find Si Nanyu’s eyes still fixed intently on her face.

“What is it?” Wen Qingyan asked naturally, feeling puzzled.

Si Nanyu’s voice was muffled: “Mmm, nothing…”

Yet her gaze remained frozen on Wen Qingyan’s face for several seconds before reluctantly pulling away. An odd sensation flickered through Wen Qingyan’s heart, but it was too fleeting to catch.

There was no time anyway, as the movie began.

The surroundings fell silent. Wen Qingyan focused seriously on the film.

Si Nanyu… touched her own slightly burning ear. She gave a small shiver.

She was being so strange. Why was she dazing while looking at the beauty mark near Wen Qingyan’s eye? Why was she thinking about such messy things?

The movie was better than expected. The visuals were thrilling, and the plot was tight and exciting.

It would have been perfect if she hadn’t seen a familiar face on the screen.

When the movie ended, neither moved. Wen Qingyan was used to waiting until the very end of the credits, while Si Nanyu stayed because of the person she recognized.

It wasn’t until she saw the name “Tao Yi” in the credits that Si Nanyu confirmed she hadn’t been mistaken. It really was Tao Yi; she was the second female lead. It seemed her friend was doing very well in the entertainment industry.

After a silent moment of admiration for her friend, advertisements began to play on the screen. The movie was a hit, and as soon as this session ended, the next was about to begin; people were already trickling in.

Si Nanyu was about to call out to Wen Qingyan, but she noticed Wen Qingyan’s gaze was fixed on the incoming crowd.

She followed her look.

Wen Qingyan seemed to be watching a couple. A long-haired woman in a casual shirt had her arm around a petite, cute woman; the two were laughing and chatting intimately as they took their seats.

Wen Qingyan didn’t look away.

Si Nanyu suddenly felt a bit unhappy. She pursed her lips slightly and shot Wen Qingyan a resentful look.

A few seconds later, Wen Qingyan seemed to sense the gaze. She turned to her and said in a heavy voice, “Let’s go.”

She left first. Si Nanyu watched her for a moment with wide eyes before following.

From the moment they left the cinema until they reached the parking lot, Wen Qingyan didn’t say a word. Si Nanyu, feeling wronged herself, walked with her head down, not looking where she was going.

Inevitably, she bumped right into Wen Qingyan’s back.

“Sorry…”

“I think I just saw a friend’s girlfriend.”

Wen Qingyan only realized Si Nanyu’s strange mood after she had fully processed the shock of seeing Xu Jinghao’s girlfriend with another woman. She couldn’t directly say it was Xu Jinghao, so she could only offer that explanation.

Thankfully, that wasn’t what Si Nanyu was worried about.

“Oh, I see.” Si Nanyu smiled thinly. She didn’t spare a thought as to which friend it was; her first reaction was relief—relief that Wen Qingyan hadn’t been attracted to someone else.

Otherwise, her plan to pursue Wen Qingyan would have gone up in smoke.

Yes, she was simultaneously acting as the twenty-eight-year-old Si Nanyu and as if she were pursuing Wen Qingyan all over again.

Her mood soothed, Si Nanyu’s smile grew wider, but a moment later, the gravity of the situation hit her: “Your friend’s girlfriend is cheating??!”

Si Nanyu’s focus never quite aligned with Wen Qingyan’s predictions.

Wen Qingyan was used to it. She gave a small nod, opened the car door, and sat down.

Si Nanyu followed, her face full of indignation: “How can this be? You have to tell your friend… don’t let her be hurt by a scumbag!”

“Are you going to tell her?”

Si Nanyu’s sense of morality was sometimes extremely strong, yet at other times, it could be quite blurry. She would never do what Xu Jinghao’s girlfriend did, but she would see movies, eat, and hang out with her close female friends. There was no physical intimacy, but they did everything friends do.

Wen Qingyan had once… sulked over this very issue with Si Nanyu.

What had Si Nanyu said back then?

“I don’t like men, so my friends are all women. Hanging out with friends is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

Was it normal? It seemed normal. There were no intimate actions when they played together, but whenever Wen Qingyan thought about how happy Si Nanyu could be with people other than her, she felt a faint prickle of annoyance.

No, it was a lot of annoyance.

Unconsciously, Wen Qingyan wore that annoyance on her face. Seeing this, Si Nanyu—who had been planning to vent more indignation—immediately shut up. Thinking she was being too talkative, she muttered weakly, “These things are indeed hard to talk about.”

Once the initial heat of the moment passed, Si Nanyu calmed down. She finished speaking and stared at Wen Qingyan.

But Wen Qingyan was no longer listening to what she said. She stepped on the gas a bit too hard, her voice light and dismissive: “…Mm.”

Before heading home, they went to pick up Paigu.

Having been neglected all day, poor Paigu wagged his tail pitifully. Toward Wen Qingyan, of course. Toward Si Nanyu… he didn’t hide anymore, but he remained lukewarm.

Si Nanyu felt exhausted. They say pets take after their owners. She was the one who brought him home, and since there were only two people in the house, she was surely at least half his owner, right?

Why did he only act like Wen Qingyan? He wasn’t exactly cold, but he wouldn’t be affectionate either.

Truly like owner, like dog. It was enough to make her jealous.

Si Nanyu watched Wen Qingyan interacting intimately with Paigu and felt her jealousy growing. It reached a peak when Wen Qingyan pulled a piece of chicken jerky from her pocket. Paigu’s eyes instantly lit up, and he frolicked about to please Wen Qingyan. Wen Qingyan laughed tenderly, patted his head, and fed him the jerky.

The human and the dog were a picture of perfect harmony. It made Si Nanyu feel quite redundant.

No, she had to win Wen Qingyan’s attention back!

Action followed thought. Si Nanyu eagerly opened the door for Wen Qingyan and Paigu, asking tentatively: “Let’s go to the supermarket together.”

She didn’t have many skills she could show off. Aside from music, cooking was what she was most confident in. She couldn’t exactly perform a concert for Wen Qingyan on the spot, and doing it at home didn’t feel right, so she would cook for her.

“The way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.” That saying couldn’t be wrong.

Moreover, she remembered Wen Qingyan liked the Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs she made last time. Showing her white teeth in a grin, she added: “Let’s make Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs.”

The answer was exactly what she hoped for. Wen Qingyan, looking down at Paigu, instinctively replied: “Okay.”

Her tone was soft and natural. Si Nanyu’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled. She proactively opened the trunk, preparing to lift Paigu in.

Just as she moved, Wen Qingyan cautioned her carefully: “Be more gentle with him.”

Crack.

Si Nanyu’s heart secretly broke. Was she really that heavy-handed? Could this fifty-plus-pound dog really not handle her lifting his front paws?

For dinner, she made Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, Garlic Romaine Lettuce, and Stuffed Peppers with Meat.

Aside from the ribs, which Wen Qingyan had enjoyed last time, she also liked the stuffed peppers. Si Nanyu had specifically bought beef and used a more refined technique than before; Wen Qingyan ate significantly more.

The secretly broken heart was glued back together.

In a jovial mood, Si Nanyu didn’t want Wen Qingyan to exert herself. After dinner, she proactively took over the dishwashing, saying thoughtfully, “Teacher Wen didn’t get a good rest all weekend, you must be exhausted. Let me do it.”

Wen Qingyan: “…Do you think I’m old?”

“What…?!” Si Nanyu froze, dish in hand. Her footsteps stopped as she looked at Wen Qingyan in disbelief.

She hadn’t meant that at all.

But Wen Qingyan seemed genuinely piqued; a faint flush appeared on her cheeks. Then she heard her say: “…Neither of us has been idle this weekend. Aren’t you tired too?”

Si Nanyu clearly sensed Wen Qingyan’s petty mood. Although she felt Wen Qingyan was being a bit sensitive, she explained hurriedly, “I didn’t mean it like that!”

But Wen Qingyan didn’t want to continue the topic. She lowered her eyes, walked over, and snatched the dish from Si Nanyu’s hand: “Go rest.”

Her tone carried an unquestionable dominance. Si Nanyu didn’t dare refuse and obediently handed it over.

Her gaze followed her. It was as if Wen Qingyan had eyes in the back of her head; she turned on the faucet and said, “Go to the living room and play with Paigu.”

“Oh, okay.” Si Nanyu nodded submissively where she couldn’t see and closed the kitchen door.

Inside the kitchen, Wen Qingyan’s straight back slumped. Her eyes were filled with an irrepressible sadness. Most people have some degree of age anxiety, and Wen Qingyan was no exception. Especially since she was six years older than Si Nanyu.

Confusion and sadness flashed in her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder: did Si Nanyu really think she was too old?

Between the drinking, taking Paigu out, the meeting, and the movie, Wen Qingyan was undeniably exhausted, but being called out on it by Si Nanyu made her feel aggrieved. And a little stubborn.

So, when she returned to the living room, she turned on the TV. Without looking at Si Nanyu, she said, “Let’s keep watching movies.”

“Let’s watch 2012 again.”

Si Nanyu, who was trying to bond with Paigu, turned back in surprise: “Watch it again?”

“Why? Are you tired?” Wen Qingyan raised an eyebrow, a hint of expectation lurking in her gaze.

Expectation? Si Nanyu almost thought she was seeing things, but it felt off. Wen Qingyan’s emotions seemed a bit excessive right now. Could she still be brooding over that accidental comment? Was she waiting for her to say she was tired?

Before the movie started, Si Nanyu stole several glances at Wen Qingyan. Finally, she summoned the courage to lean in and apologize: “I’m sorry… I was just worried you’d be tired. I didn’t mean anything else.”

Wen Qingyan stared at Mount Everest on the TV, her heart stirring slightly. Her red lips parted as she granted a sort of pardon: “It’s nothing.”

“You’re overthinking it.”

She was… overthinking it?

Looking at Wen Qingyan’s clearly appeased expression, Si Nanyu fell into deep thought. She felt something wasn’t quite right.

But what could she do? This was her Teacher Wen; she had to spoil her, right? And she discovered that Teacher Wen was a bit of a tsundere! It made her like her just a little bit more.

No, a lot more. She had never associated the word “cute” with Wen Qingyan before. But now, this cute and tsundere Teacher Wen was hitting her right in the heart.

Si Nanyu couldn’t help it, and she didn’t want to hold back. She reached out… planning to poke Wen Qingyan’s cheek…

“What are you doing?!”

Oh no. Caught in the act.

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