I Woke Up and Found Myself Married to the Dean - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Are You Using a Kiss to Tell Me There Are Fireworks?

After Wen Qingyan’s “serious” display in the afternoon, Si Nanyu was certain that Wen Qingyan would be waiting for her to pick her up after work. Consequently, she wore a beaming smile for the rest of the day.

The office was good for one thing: news traveled fast.

First, Yang Miao came asking for the truth, and later, Jiao He looked at her with an expression of “wanting to speak but hesitating.”

But Si Nanyu didn’t give her the chance.

The moment the clock struck quitting time, Si Nanyu grabbed her bag and bolted.

She was going to pick up Wen Qingyan!

However, she had only taken a few steps out of the office when she received a WeChat message from Wen Qingyan.

The pickup… was temporarily on hold.

Wen Qingyan had some matters to deal with and asked her to wait a bit.

Si Nanyu had no choice but to return to the office.

Jiao He hadn’t left yet. When she saw Si Nanyu return, her eyes lit up slightly before she quickly looked away.

Sitting back at her desk, Si Nanyu felt that the inquisitive look Jiao He had been sporting earlier had vanished.

Jiao He was the first to leave the office. As she passed Si Nanyu, she asked with feigned nonchalance, “Teacher Si, aren’t you in a hurry to get home?”

“Mhm.”

“Still have a little work to finish…”

Though she replied with a smile, Si Nanyu’s heart sank a little.

As Jiao He walked away with her friends, Si Nanyu overheard their whispered conversation.

“It’s all fake.”

“I heard that this morning, the two of them just happened to run into each other.”

Ran into each other?

Ran into each other, my foot!

Do people “run into each other” while living in the same house? Or “run into each other” inside the same car?!

Si Nanyu’s heart went completely cold. It seemed the rumor about them going on a date after work was officially dead!

People are strange; you worry about the impact when people are gossiping, but when they stop… it has an even bigger impact on Si Nanyu.

She even felt a sudden impulse to shout at Jiao He and her friends that Wen Qingyan had specifically told her to wait for her!

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t be impulsive.

Once the others were far away, Si Nanyu slumped dejectedly against her desk. With no one else around, she relaxed quite a bit, putting on her headphones to scroll through short videos.

Before long, she was invited by Shao Ling to play a few rounds of a game.

She didn’t know the rules, so Shao Ling gave her a thorough tutorial. Then, looking at her “Ace” rank in the game, she fell into deep thought.

Am I actually good at shooting games?

“Game for Peace” (PUBG Mobile) lived up to its reputation. It was, indeed, a bit stimulating.

Si Nanyu was a natural with a rifle, leading Shao Ling to a total massacre of the opposition.

Shao Ling’s frustrated voice came through the headset: “Are you really amnesiac?”

“I wanted to take this chance to educate a ‘noob’ like you, but I ended up getting carried to a win instead.”

“Damn it!!!”

Shao Ling played as a sniper and had decent aim, but Si Nanyu’s aggression had sucked all the “fun” out of the challenge for her.

After two rounds, Shao Ling slammed her phone down in a huff: “I’m done! I’m going to work!”

It was already 6:30 PM; time for Shao Ling to start her shift.

Si Nanyu whispered, “Good luck at work!”

“…I’m going on a date with Teacher Wen later~~~”

“Drop dead! Is it appropriate to say that to a single dog?” Shao Ling’s sharp voice rang out. Si Nanyu expressionlessly moved the phone away from her ear, waited for the shouting to stop, and then said: “Oh, got it.”

“I’m logging off now.”

The sky at 6:30 was in that half-dark, half-light transitional state. Si Nanyu went to the door to turn on the lights, and just then, she received a voice call from Wen Qingyan.

But just as she was about to answer, the call was canceled.

Canceled?!

She didn’t even bother with the lights. Instead, she locked the office door and ran straight toward Wen Qingyan’s office.

The distance wasn’t far. After a few steps, she saw Wen Qingyan and… Xu Jinghao.

Realizing why Wen Qingyan had suddenly hung up, Si Nanyu stopped worrying. She waited for Wen Qingyan at a moderate distance.

After a few minutes, the two finished their conversation and turned to go their separate ways.

At the same time, Si Nanyu’s phone rang again.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned against the wall, waving her phone and calling out in a soft, smiling voice: “Teacher Wen~”

Si Nanyu had excellent eyesight. She clearly saw Wen Qingyan’s hand tremble slightly as she held the phone. Wen Qingyan paused to steady herself before looking up and walking toward her.

Before her smile could even fade, the hand Si Nanyu was waving froze.

Because she heard Wen Qingyan say in a dead-serious tone: “Si Nanyu, what kind of posture is that? There are still students who haven’t left. What will they think if they see you like this?”

“Also, you… are not allowed to act spoiled.”

The words “act spoiled” were spoken so softly they were almost missable.

But the preceding sentence was quite stern.

Si Nanyu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her.

The courage she had built up over the past few days and the harmony she thought they had achieved suddenly became a muddle.

The desire to playfully ask what she and Xu Jinghao had been talking about vanished. She stood up straight gloomily and gave a small nod: “I understand, Director Wen.”

The little traces of emotion in her voice were not hard to catch. Seeing this, Wen Qingyan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of regret. This matter…

Perhaps she could have used a different tone, or a different setting?

But there were no “ifs.” She had already said it.

“Shall we go?”

After a few minutes of silence, Wen Qingyan asked softly and took the initiative to link her arm with Si Nanyu’s.

Acting as if nothing had happened, she said: “Mom called me just now. She’s going back to Xijing today and will be on a business trip during the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, so she invited us to go over early.”

“Is that so?”

“Then let’s go.”

Neither mentioned the fact that they had clearly agreed earlier today to “pick her up from work and then go home.”

They reached the parking lot in silence. Si Nanyu drove, and Wen Qingyan sat in the passenger seat.

Her unstable state of mind made many of Si Nanyu’s actions feel like subconscious reflexes.

To her current self, today was the “first time” she had ever driven. This morning, she had been panicked, needing to be cautious with every single step.

But right now, it was different. She opened the door, reversed, and drove out of the parking lot with total fluidity.

It was only when she left the school gates and saw the neon lights of the main road that she started to feel nervous.

Beside her, Wen Qingyan was even more surprised, glancing at her repeatedly.

“I don’t know what happened either,” Si Nanyu said honestly, throwing a glance at Wen Qingyan.

“I see. Just focus on the road.”

“Okay…”

Wen Qingyan was sometimes overly rigorous—for instance, right now, with Si Nanyu, whose driving she still considered unstable.

She couldn’t distract her.

She even used her own phone to handle the navigation.

When they reached the entrance of Qin Hua’s neighborhood, Wen Qingyan breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked intently at Si Nanyu: “Today, after I finished my work, Xu Jinghao came to ask me if I wanted to go sketching with her during the National Day break.”

“And then?”

“Are you going?”

Si Nanyu had become more familiar with the car, but she didn’t dare make any large movements. She stared straight ahead, asking Wen Qingyan gently.

She couldn’t read Wen Qingyan’s emotions.

She only knew that Wen Qingyan paused for a moment before saying, “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Then… think about it some more.”

“We’re here.”

After Si Nanyu spoke, she pulled the handbrake and looked at Wen Qingyan, preparing to get out.

Coincidentally, Qin Hua was waiting at the door. Seeing they weren’t getting out, she went to open the passenger door and greeted Wen Qingyan with a smile: “Xiao Wen~”

Qin Hua was much happier to see Wen Qingyan than her own daughter.

Because Si Nanyu had failed to see her WeChat messages again.

Once inside, Qin Hua chatted with Wen Qingyan for a bit before turning to scold Si Nanyu: “Is that phone of yours just an ornament?”

“How is it that eight out of ten times I send you a message, you don’t receive it?”

“I was playing a game with Shao Ling, so I didn’t notice,” Si Nanyu explained softly. Qin Hua’s eyes immediately widened, and she gave her daughter a light slap on the shoulder: “Playing games again? How old are you!”

“Can’t you do something productive!”

As Qin Hua spoke, she suddenly started winking and making faces while Wen Qingyan wasn’t looking.

She seemed to be asking how her relationship with Wen Qingyan was going.

How was it?

Aside from her little mood earlier today, it was actually quite good.

Thinking about it, Si Nanyu suddenly felt it was a bit strange. Why did she always end up having a little “mood” whenever they came to Qin Hua’s place?

And this mood, once diluted by time, was basically nothing!

Wen Qingyan was likely just used to that tone of voice.

Why was she being so stubborn?

And… she had just accidentally mentioned playing games with Shao Ling. If Teacher Wen found out… what would happen?

The last time Shao Ling invited her, Wen Qingyan had seemed a bit unhappy.

After brushing off Qin Hua with a few words, Si Nanyu’s gaze settled on Wen Qingyan.

They were having hotpot today. Wen Qingyan was already busy preparing the ingredients, wearing an apron with her sleeves rolled up, looking both serious and beautiful with her head tilted down.

Si Nanyu regretted it.

If she had known, she wouldn’t have been so stubborn; otherwise, she could have had a great conversation with Wen Qingyan on the way here!

“I’ll go help wash the vegetables and stir-fry the soup base. Mom, you go rest!”

Realizing that Qin Hua’s presence might only make things more chaotic, Si Nanyu quickly shooed her away and hurried into the kitchen.

She stood back-to-back with Wen Qingyan.

She stammered: “Wen Qingyan, I just said I played a game with Shao Ling. You’re not unhappy about that, are you?”

“…No.”

“Then why, last time you mentioned Shao Ling, did you seem a bit… off?”

Si Nanyu had kept this question bottled up for a while. She just hadn’t found the right moment to bring it up until now.

Shao Ling was a very important friend to her. If her relationship with Wen Qingyan wasn’t harmonious, it would be a major headache.

“It has nothing to do with Shao Ling.”

“Then…”

“It has to do with you.”

“Actually, as long as you explain things clearly to me, many things are fine. But you always assume I’ll be unhappy.”

“So you leave many things unsaid.” Wen Qingyan put down the vegetables and meat she was organizing and turned to look at Si Nanyu.

Si Nanyu froze, chewing over every word Wen Qingyan had said.

The logic… seemed to hold up?

And it seemed to fit her personality perfectly.

“So, for these past ten years, have we always been like this?”

“Not entirely.” Wen Qingyan shook her head, a flash of confusion in her eyes as if she didn’t quite understand it herself. “More often than not, you would tell me everything, regardless of whether I was interested or not.”

“…Oh, I see.”

At this point, the person even more confused was Si Nanyu. Because of her memory gaps, she could only use her current personality and behavior patterns to interpret Wen Qingyan’s words. It sounded like something she would do, but something still felt slightly off.

“Do you still want to go see the Ferris wheel?”

“What…?”

Cold water flowed over her hands, but Si Nanyu’s thoughts had drifted far away. She thought she heard what Wen Qingyan said, but she asked for confirmation as if she weren’t sure.

Wen Qingyan didn’t repeat herself immediately. Instead, she bit her lip, her expression bashful: “I said, do you want to go see the Ferris wheel?”

“Why? Aren’t you afraid of the cold?”

“…Mhm.”

“Maybe it’s because my tone was a bit harsh with you today, so I’m not afraid of the cold anymore.” As Wen Qingyan spoke, she unconsciously puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away in embarrassment, refusing to look at Si Nanyu.

Si Nanyu was clearly surprised by that statement.

Blinking, she offered an apology: “Then… I’m sorry. I was acting a bit petulant in the car today.”

“Are you two ever going to eat? The hotpot base…”

Qin Hua’s shouting stopped abruptly, and her footsteps halted.

Her eyes darted around everywhere except at the two people standing face-to-face with blushing faces: “Pardon me. We can eat the hotpot a bit later too!”

The reason Qin Hua had invited them over…

Was obviously because she missed them.

But once they started eating the hotpot, Qin Hua’s pace was very fast. Almost without waiting for them to finish what was in their bowls, she would dump more vegetables, meat, and tripe into the pot.

Seeing that they were mostly full, she said, “It’s getting late. Is the Ferris wheel still open?”

“It’s open. It doesn’t close until very late.” Si Nanyu was oblivious to the hint, acting as if she hadn’t noticed a thing.

Because… she was a bit of a glutton.

The tripe she bought this time was crispy and delicious!

Besides, Wen Qingyan had mixed the dipping sauce for her personally.

She wasn’t going anywhere, and Wen Qingyan wasn’t going anywhere, but the hotpot would be gone once it was finished!!!

Knowing her daughter’s foodie nature all too well, Qin Hua couldn’t help but facepalm. She could hardly look.

Meanwhile, Wen Qingyan was indulging her: “Eat more if you like it.”

As she spoke, she “personally” blanched a few more slices of tripe for her.

The last remaining pieces of tripe all went to Si Nanyu!

Could it be… that the only clown here was Qin Hua herself?

Was she redundant?

Should she leave…?

No, couldn’t she just kick them out?

Qin Hua was annoyed, but she treated Wen Qingyan much more gently than she did Si Nanyu: “Xiao Wen, don’t always spoil her!”

“Being full is enough. If you go too late, it’ll be freezing.”

That was autumn for you—cool mornings and evenings. Si Nanyu and Wen Qingyan were both wearing shirts and long pants; even with jackets, they were thin.

In some ways, Qin Hua was a decent mother, but she had a bit of a bad habit left over from her younger days: whenever she thought of something good, she had to shove it at her children!

She had finished eating long ago, and no one was serving her food or blanching meat for her.

So she left the dining room to find some clothes for the two of them.

But the result was unsatisfactory.

The clothes were from several years ago, left there when the two had first gotten married and she had just bought the house. They were out of style.

After fretting about it for a while, Qin Hua finally went back to her room, made a few trips, and returned to the dining table.

With a thud, twenty thousand yuan in cash appeared before Wen Qingyan and Si Nanyu.

The two looked at each other, and Si Nanyu was the first to ask: “Mom? What are you doing?”

“The clothes at home are too old-fashioned. Don’t wear them. Go buy some new ones.”

“This is all the cash I have in the house, so ten thousand each. I’m not playing favorites.” After saying that, she lightly tapped the table: “Now go! Or you’ll delay me from going to do my square dancing.”

Square… dancing?

Si Nanyu couldn’t wrap her head around it. Why would a woman like Qin Hua—who thought she was at the forefront of fashion and had once sworn she would never do square dancing—choose to do square dancing?

She even insisted on leaving the house at the same time as her and Wen Qingyan, claiming it was for “mutual protection” since it was dark.

In reality, while holding her square dancing props, she nagged Si Nanyu: “Don’t get so caught up in your fun that you stop caring about things.”

!!!

How could she?

Si Nanyu didn’t believe a word Qin Hua said. When she was with Wen Qingyan, who else would she care about if not her?

However, the facts proved that Qin Hua’s worries were not unfounded.

Standing beneath the Ferris wheel, Si Nanyu’s heart was racing with excitement.

Then she felt like she was being watched.

The gaze was impossible to ignore.

She turned her head to see Wen Qingyan with an expression that was slightly… resentful?

But the resentment vanished in a flash. Wen Qingyan stepped forward, pulled her along to buy tickets, and they entered the cabin.

In Si Nanyu’s current perception, this was her “first time” on a Ferris wheel. She couldn’t help but look around, but… Wen Qingyan wouldn’t let her. She grabbed Si Nanyu’s wrist: “Don’t move around.”

“Oh, okay.”

Si Nanyu sat down obediently, her eyes fixed on Wen Qingyan. After a while, she asked, “Teacher Wen, are you afraid?”

“No.”

“I just think it’s better to be safe.”

Wen Qingyan spoke these words, but her grip on Si Nanyu’s hand tightened noticeably.

Si Nanyu looked at their hands. Wen Qingyan looked a bit uncomfortable and turned her face away, saying: “Maybe a little.”

“If you don’t move, then it’s fine.”

Wen Qingyan wasn’t actually that timid; she wasn’t afraid of heights. It was just that if Si Nanyu was full of curiosity and kept moving around, she would feel it was dangerous.

“Oh, I see… then can I sit a bit closer to you? Just a little bit.”

Even closer… just a little bit?

They were already holding hands, and Si Nanyu’s hem was touching her leg. How much closer could they get?

While Wen Qingyan was thinking, Si Nanyu scooted over. She checked the distance between them and… scooted again.

Now, Wen Qingyan couldn’t even see the hem of her clothes by her leg because they were completely overlapping.

Strands of hair were also brushing against her cheek.

This wasn’t “a little bit closer”—it was as close as physically possible!

Wen Qingyan wanted to move, but Si Nanyu used her own reason against her: “Don’t move around, it’ll be dangerous.”

She was smiling brightly, clearly teasing her.

Wen Qingyan’s face reddened. She looked outside, and just then…

Fireworks exploded. Her eyes sparkled with surprise, and she instinctively turned her head to tell Si Nanyu…

But the other woman was too close—so close that Wen Qingyan’s lips brushed against her cheek.

The touch was soft, and it was gradually growing hot.

The “eighteen-year-old” Si Nanyu was even more easily embarrassed than she had imagined; her cheeks turned a shade of red far more intense than the reflection of the fireworks.

“Sorry, I just wanted to tell you there are fireworks,” Wen Qingyan whispered, leaning back slightly so her lips left Si Nanyu’s cheek.

Her eyes flickered; she wanted to see Si Nanyu’s reaction.

Just as she expected, Si Nanyu first gave a shy smile.

But then she blinked, pretending to be naive as she asked: “…Teacher Wen, are you using a kiss to tell me there are fireworks?”