Loving You in Silence - Chapter 5

Meng Yihuai’s brain felt like it had short-circuited.

She stared at the message for several seconds, trying to process the words. Her usually sharp mind was a tangled mess of chaotic thoughts, with one voice repeating over and over:

Jiang Zi is married?!

She’s not just married—she has a KID?!!!

Meng Yihuai clutched her aching heart and rested her forehead against the steering wheel, remaining motionless for quite a while.

She was genuinely upset. She didn’t reply to Jiang Zi for a long time, leaving Jiang Zi staring at the silent chat, wondering if she was just terrible at starting conversations.

Following her principle of not being a nuisance, Jiang Zi put her phone away.

Leading up to the summer break, Jiang Zi stayed holed up at home. Her only activities were grocery shopping, cooking, and taking out the trash.

This chapter captures the contrasting lives of Jiang Zi and Meng Yihuai, weaving together themes of domestic solitude, career burnout, and a rekindled connection through a younger generation.

While her fellow teachers were taking advantage of their rare downtime to travel, flooding her social media feed with beautiful vacation photos, Jiang Zi who didn’t have the habit of “liking” posts silently lurked behind the screen.

An Jia had been back in the country for a week. Upon learning that Jiang Zi was living alone, she insisted on moving in with her. Standing downstairs at the apartment complex, An Jia pushed her suitcase with one hand and scanned the dilapidated surroundings. “…You actually live here?”

“The rent is cheap, and there’s a subway and a mall nearby.” Jiang Zi helped lift the suitcase as they climbed the stairs to the sixth floor.

“This suitcase is heavy. If I’d known, I would have hired help.”

“It’s fine.” Jiang Zi wiped the beads of sweat from her temples and opened the door.

An Jia entered and looked around. The apartment was about sixty or seventy square meters. The furniture was basic, but everything was neatly organized. A few pots of succulents sat on the windowsill, giving the space a clean, cozy feel.

An Jia wasn’t the high-maintenance type. She asked excitedly, “Where do I sleep?”

“If you don’t mind,” Jiang Zi said, “you can share a room with me.”

“I don’t mind, but aren’t you afraid that I’m…” An Jia curled her fingers significantly. “…one of those?”

Jiang Zi shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

At dinner, An Jia turned on the TV just as a live news broadcast featuring Dai Ruyue came on. She stared at the screen, mesmerized by the woman in the formal suit who looked so cool and professional.

An Jia rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. For some reason, she let out a long sigh. “I’m going back to the States in a few days, and my ‘Sister’ hasn’t even said she’ll miss me. Are we destined never to be true lovers?”

“You’ve already slept with her. What more do you want?”

Jiang Zi’s casual remark earned her a strange look from An Jia, making her feel inexplicably chilled. “What?”

“It’s just weird hearing that from you,” An Jia said. “I thought you were some ethereal being who didn’t care for worldly affairs. You’re breaking character.”

Jiang Zi: “…”

“But I’m more worried about you!” An Jia continued. “I can only stay for a few days. Who’s going to keep you company when I’m gone? You have no kids, no interest in dating, and you’re dragging along a ‘little tag-along.’ Your future looks so predictable.”

“Can you not be so blunt?” Jiang Zi asked.

“Hit a nerve, did I?” An Jia looked at her with exasperation. “You need some ups and downs in your life. Why don’t we go bungee jumping tomorrow?”

Jiang Zi felt her knees go weak just thinking about it. “No.”

“Mountain climbing?”

“No.”

“Amusement park?”

“Don’t want to go.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“Stay home and lie down.”

An Jia: “…”

Dai Ruyue, numb from overtime, finally got a day off. While scrolling through her feed, she saw a post from An Jia.

An Jia: Seriously, I’m over this homebody. She won’t do any exercise, but she’s obsessed with these novels…

Below the text were two photos, seemingly taken in secret. One showed a woman under the dim, warm light, her head bowed as she immersed herself in a book, her fingertips resting casually on the page. It was a serene scene.

The second photo was the book cover: “Forced Love: Rebirth of the Nanny, Don’t You Run.”

Dai Ruyue laughed. She held her phone up to a certain person who was quietly drinking coffee and raised an eyebrow. “So, how are things going with your ‘White Moonlight’?”

Meng Yihuai took the phone and studied it for a long while before saying, “She has a child.”

Dai Ruyue: “Huh?”

“Yeah, the kid is attending Beixu High,” Meng Yihuai said, returning the phone. “Talk about a coincidence.”

“Isn’t Beixu a high school?” Dai Ruyue counted on her fingers. “She’s the same age as you. How could she have a high-school-aged child? Are you sure you haven’t misunderstood?”

Meng Yihuai paused. “I suppose that’s true.”

“Your math might be bad, but it shouldn’t be that bad,” Dai Ruyue said, speechless.

Ignoring the teasing, Meng Yihuai slowly stirred her coffee. Suddenly, she chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?” Dai Ruyue asked.

Meng Yihuai thought of the novel title. “Don’t you think she’s cute?”

“…”

Meng Yihuai leaned her head on her hand and smiled. “I’m beyond help.”

At the end of August, the new semester officially began.

As a piano teacher for specialty students, Meng Yihuai’s teaching life was extremely relaxed. Beixu International High School had high entry requirements and even higher tuition; the student body was small, and art students were even rarer. In her years of working there, she had almost never experienced overtime. A stark contrast to Dai Ruyue.

On the first day, the grade dean, Qi Yan, informed Meng Yihuai that a new piano student would be reporting to her soon. Two days later, a girl found her.

The girl had a clean, harmless face that immediately inspired liking. At first glance, Meng Yihuai felt a strange sense of familiarity especially in the girl’s eyes.

When the girl introduced herself as Jiang Manjing, Meng Yihuai arched an eyebrow. “Last name Jiang?”

“Ye… yes.” Jiang Manjing seemed nervous for some reason.

Meng Yihuai took her to the piano room. She was surprised to find the girl was quite talented, with several awards under her belt. She was a promising student.

Meng Yihuai was almost certain this was the “kid” Jiang Zi had mentioned.

The parent-teacher meeting was held a week later. At seven in the morning, Meng Yihuai stood at the school gate. The security guard, watching the students trickle in, chatted with her. “Teacher Meng, this is the first time I’ve seen you at school this early.”

Meng Yihuai smiled. “I heard there’s a parent-teacher meeting today.”

“True, but it doesn’t start until ten,” the guard said. “And aren’t you the piano teacher?”

“I can’t be idle all the time, right? I should participate in school activities occasionally.”

The guard didn’t quite get it. Her idea of “participating” was just standing at the front gate?

Meng Yihuai waited patiently for over two hours. She stepped away to the restroom, and upon returning through the parking lot, her gaze froze on a corner.

The person she had been waiting for was standing not far away. It was likely her first time at the school, as she looked somewhat lost. Meng Yihuai observed her silently for a long time.

Jiang Zi seemed to have taken the meeting seriously. she wore delicate, light makeup and pearl earrings. A black casual blazer added a touch of indifference to her already cool temperament. Her pale skin gave off a sense of sickly fragility.

Meng Yihuai felt her heart skip a beat.

She checked her makeup in a compact mirror, straightened her dress, and once she was sure everything was perfect, she took a deep breath and walked over with a practiced, effortless expression.

As she approached, Jiang Zi looked up. Her expression froze for a moment.

They hadn’t seen each other all summer. Their last conversation had ended with the mention of the “kid” at Beixu. Meng Yihuai smoothly re-introduced herself, subtly emphasizing their status as old classmates.

After the pleasantries, Meng Yihuai checked the time. “It’s still early for the meeting. Why don’t you come to my office and sit for a while?”

Jiang Zi seemed to remember her and didn’t refuse. “Alright.”

As they passed the security booth, the guard poked his head out. “Teacher Meng, the parents haven’t all arrived yet. You’re not waiting anymore?”

Jiang Zi immediately said, “Teacher Meng, if you have business to attend to, don’t mind me.”

“What business could I have?” Meng Yihuai turned to the guard. “I was just helping Teacher Bai receive people. He just told me he’d be here soon.”

“But—”

Meeting Meng Yihuai’s slightly raised eyes, the guard sensed a hint of danger and wisely shut his mouth.

Meng Yihuai’s private office was small but tidy. Aside from some fluffy decorations, there was a coffee machine on the desk. “Make yourself at home,” she said.

Learning that Meng Yihuai was Jiang Manjing’s piano teacher, Jiang Zi became strangely stiff. “Teacher Meng, how is Manjing doing in class?”

Meng Yihuai leaned against her desk, taking a sip of water and letting out a long “hmm” as if deep in thought.

Jiang Zi grew more nervous. “Is she not behaving?”

“She’s very well-behaved, and she has talent,” Meng Yihuai said.

Jiang Zi licked her lips. “Manjing is a bit timid and socially anxious. She just transferred here and has a lot to adjust to. I hope you can be patient with her.”

Meng Yihuai suddenly laughed. “Are you talking about Jiang Manjing, or yourself?”

Jiang Zi didn’t catch the drift.

“Teacher Jiang, you’re being too polite.” Meng Yihuai set down her cup and leaned forward, her fingers propped on the desk. A faint scent of roses drifted toward Jiang Zi’s nose.

Meng Yihuai curved her lips. “I am a very responsible teacher. You can rest easy leaving Manjing to me.”

The woman before her was beautiful and glamorous, easily rivaling any runway model. Every strand of hair was perfect, but her vibe was decidedly suggestive.

Jiang Zi nodded quietly. Just then, Jiang Manjing sent her a message.

Jiang Zi stood up. “The meeting is starting. I have to go.”

The meeting lasted over an hour. Afterward, Jiang Zi was called to the office by the homeroom teacher, Bai Feng. She repeated the exact same concerns to him that she had told Meng Yihuai, and Bai Feng shared updates on Manjing’s progress.

Once the meeting concluded, Jiang Manjing went to the Qiao family home with Qiao Zhao, and Jiang Zi headed home alone.

She still had to work the afternoon shift. After a short post-lunch break, Jiang Zi arrived at Beicheng No. 1 High School and began preparing lessons in her office.

As she was bowed over her lesson plans, the silence of the office was broken by several message notifications on her phone. Jiang Zi picked it up to check.

She found a string of messages from a certain responsible teacher. There were several in a row—videos and photos. The protagonist in all of them was Jiang Manjing, captured from the perspective of an observer.

Only the last photo was different.

Jiang Zi clicked on it. The background was a library bookshelf. Meng Yihuai was holding a book by the author Wang Xiaobo, her head slightly bowed. Her features were partially hidden by her soft, falling hair, revealing only a sliver of her profile. She looked serene and elegant. A stark departure from her usual, somewhat playful self.

It was highly deceptive.

A few seconds later, the last image was retracted.

Meng Yihuai: [Sorry, I sent the last one by mistake. You didn’t see it, did you?]

Jiang Zi: [I saw it.]

A moment of silence followed. It felt a bit awkward, so out of politeness, Jiang Zi typed: [Ms. Meng, you look very beautiful.]

Jiang Zi: [You look like a true intellectual.]

The next second:

Meng Yihuai: [?]

Meng Yihuai: [Back in high school, Ms. Jiang, you called me a “delinquent girl.”]

Meng Yihuai: [Did you forget so soon?]