My Teacher Passed Away, and I Became Her Stand-in - Chapter 2

The room remained silent for a moment, then the handle turned. The door opened halfway, revealing a haggard face. The entire visage was devoid of color, eyes bloodshot, and lips pale.

It was difficult for Jin Kaiyu to reconcile this face with the Qu Qiushuang of her memory—the woman who was always radiant with a soft glow and a gentle smile, yet the features were undeniably hers.

That face had lost its spirit, remaining motionless as if devoid of a soul, reacting only by instinct: “Xiao Yu?”

Her usually soft, moist voice was no longer clear, now thick with hoarseness.

Jin Kaiyu didn’t know what to say for a moment, only responding in a softened tone: “It’s me.”

The corners of those lips, which usually held a faint smile, were now pulled flat. There wasn’t even a hint of curiosity: “Make yourself at home. If you need anything, just tell Auntie Liu.”

With that, she turned around.

Seeing her about to go back inside, Jin Kaiyu disregarded everything else and quickly pressed against the door, calling out: “Mentor’s Wife—”

The moment that title left her mouth, Qu Qiushuang’s turning body froze.

Jin Kaiyu couldn’t see her expression, but she knew that at a time like this, such a relational title served only to remind her exactly what she had lost.

Her gaze fell upon Qu Qiushuang’s bare feet. Those feet stepped directly onto the carpet without any barrier, the blue veins distinct yet fragile.

The weather was still very cold, and the heater wasn’t on inside. Jin Kaiyu usually had a strong constitution, yet even she had shivered earlier in her thin shirt.

Qu Qiushuang wore only a white nightgown. The fabric clung tightly to her spine, forming a sharp curve; her waist was slender, shockingly thin.

The woman was utterly frail, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.

Looking at her thin shoulders, Jin Kaiyu consoled: “Eat something before you rest. It’s already 8:30.”

Qu Qiushuang didn’t speak. Her hand gripped the doorknob, and she only looked back at her with those pupils that had lost their luster.

Jin Kaiyu did not flinch or look away, staring back stubbornly, still refusing to let go of the door frame.

That gaze was firm and scorching. Qu Qiushuang moved her eyes away, landing on the area beneath Jin Kaiyu’s eyes; her once fair eyelids were now a patch of bruised blue-black, filled with stagnant blood that wouldn’t dissipate.

She finally relented: “Fine, I’ll come down once I’ve changed.”

Hearing this, Jin Kaiyu also breathed a sigh of relief. The corners of her eyes curved slightly as she said: “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

They went downstairs. Auntie Liu was waiting at the bottom of the steps, watching eagerly.

Jin Kaiyu gripped the handrail and met Auntie Liu’s concerned gaze, feeling a sense of comfort in her heart.

“Please go reheat the breakfast.” At this point, Jin Kaiyu thought of Qu Qiushuang’s dry lips and added further instructions, “If time permits, you should cook a pot of porridge and then simmer some soup.”

Upon hearing this, Auntie Liu brightened up: “I ordered a chicken early this morning. I figured Teacher Qu probably wouldn’t be able to eat anything else.”

Jin Kaiyu nodded and moved to the sofa. She sat for twenty minutes before seeing Qu Qiushuang gracefully descending the stairs. Her steps were slow; Jin Kaiyu almost doubted if she had the strength to move at all.

She still wore no makeup. Her nightgown had been replaced by a cream-white cardigan and a matching midi skirt, giving her an indescribable elegance.

She smoothed her skirt and sat down beside Jin Kaiyu, naturally avoiding the single-seat sofa that belonged to Zhao Choucheng.

It was an instinctive reaction. Jin Kaiyu’s heart was suddenly pricked. She turned her face away, not daring to look at Qu Qiushuang anymore, and pushed the ginseng tea Auntie Liu had brought toward her.

In the interval while Qu Qiushuang drank her tea, Jin Kaiyu finally had the time to examine the living room closely.

Details she hadn’t noticed before were now very distinct.

Everywhere in this house were traces of Zhao Choucheng’s life.

The several Impressionist paintings hanging on the staircase were typical of Zhao Choucheng’s style. The shelves behind the sofa were filled with rows of ceramics and bronze collectibles—undoubtedly Zhao Choucheng’s favorites. And then there was the entire wall of relief murals opposite them.

Perhaps her searching gaze was too obvious; Qu Qiushuang put down her cup and looked at her.

Jin Kaiyu felt momentary embarrassment. She searched her mind and finally remembered: “The mentor’s remains will probably arrive in Haishi the day after tomorrow.”

Along with the remains of the other project members.

Qu Qiushuang did not respond. Her eyes gazed into the void, her expression ethereal.

Jin Kaiyu paused, then said: “If you want to go personally to bring her back, I can arrange it for you immediately.”

Qu Qiushuang shook her head and closed her eyes, remaining very quiet.

Jin Kaiyu wanted to say more, but she suddenly froze. A single tear rolled from the corner of Qu Qiushuang’s eye, seeping into her hairline and disappearing.

Jin Kaiyu was filled with apology: “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t say anything wrong, and you didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize.” Qu Qiushuang reached out to brush the corner of her eye before gently waving her hand.

Jin Kaiyu hadn’t expected her to say that, her heart was a mess of mixed emotions.

Before coming here, she had spent a long time mentally preparing herself. After such an incident, it would be entirely reasonable for the family members to have any kind of emotion toward the survivor.

Given Qu Qiushuang’s upbringing and character, while she wouldn’t resort to hitting, scolding, or harsh words, it would be normal for her to refuse to see her. Such a peaceful attitude was surprising.

Then she heard her ask: “Did she say anything?”

Jin Kaiyu quickly pulled a USB drive from her bag and placed it on the table: “This is the video from the salvage recorder. Do you want to watch it now?”

She asked, but she only left the USB drive on the coffee table. When Qu Qiushuang leaned forward to take it, her hand stopped halfway.

Jin Kaiyu saw her expression and couldn’t think of a suitable word to describe it. It was somewhat similar to a child in a TV drama who receives a long-awaited toy—wanting to take it but not daring to move.

The difference was that a child is hesitant out of love and disbelief; Qu Qiushuang’s hesitation stemmed more from grief and fear.

Jin Kaiyu sighed. She beat her to it, plugging the USB into her laptop and inquiring with her eyes.

Qu Qiushuang dazedly withdrew her hand. After staying still for over ten seconds, she nodded as if resigning to fate: “Play it.”

Jin Kaiyu clicked the video. She had only seen it once and didn’t dare look again.

In the background of the video, Zhao Choucheng remained as incomparably composed as ever. When Jin Kaiyu watched it last night, her heart was full of admiration for such fearlessness.

But now, she looked away to Qu Qiushuang. The woman’s shoulders were quivering very slightly, her eyelashes lowered, and her plain, clean face was covered in tears.

The nonchalant smile on Zhao Choucheng’s lips suddenly felt a bit piercing.

Jin Kaiyu tried her best to suppress her thoughts and avoid making any judgments. She had no such right. She forced herself to focus on the video.

In the video, Zhao Choucheng called out “Qiushuang,” paused for a moment, and with eyes still smiling and a spirit full of unbridled ease, she said: “You might be angry, but don’t be too sad for me. Just bless me. Bless me as I go to a new world. Remember to take good care of yourself.”

At this point, she moved on to the next person’s name. When Jin Kaiyu first watched it, she was too dazed to notice, but now she realized it was actually so short.

On the screen was the end of the world, outside the screen was not another paradise either.

When the video finished, Jin Kaiyu didn’t ask further and took it upon herself to close the laptop.

Qu Qiushuang remained silent. Only her slightly erratic breathing could be heard in the living room; it had been like this last night as well.

Jin Kaiyu suddenly wondered: just how practiced must a person be at endurance to be so devastated yet not let out a single sound?

She didn’t know what to say to comfort her. Words seemed useless. A hug could be considered, but it was inappropriate. Jin Kaiyu thought for a moment, feeling the temperature of her own hand. Yes, it was warm.

Without hesitation, she grasped the hand in front of her—the one that was almost transparent from the loss of color. The palm felt soft to the touch. Jin Kaiyu almost doubted if the woman could feel it, so she instinctively increased her grip.

Warmth spread through her palm. Qu Qiushuang subconsciously raised her eyes and met a pair of concerned eyes—sincere and intense, with what seemed like flickering flames at the bottom.

Qu Qiushuang froze again. In her memory, a pair of identical eyes flashed by. She paused for a long while before turning her head away: “I’m fine.”

Seeing her finally pull herself out of her emotions, Jin Kaiyu took the opportunity to pull her up, using her other finger to point toward the dining room: “Let’s go eat breakfast.”

Qu Qiushuang seemed to have lost all her strength, actually allowing herself to be pulled along.

Jin Kaiyu led her to the dining room. The lapis-and-gold dining table was already covered with a dazzling array of food. Jin Kaiyu placed her on a chair and pulled out the chair next to her to sit down.

Auntie Liu was busy bustling around. Seeing this scene, her eyes nearly popped out of her head, but looking at Qu Qiushuang’s haggard state, she ultimately said nothing.

The porridge mentioned earlier was brought before them by Auntie Liu. Jin Kaiyu reached out to test the temperature of the bowl’s surface; it was a bit hot, and she couldn’t help but frown.

For someone in a bad mood who had agreed to eat, they might regret it in the next second. She couldn’t give Qu Qiushuang that chance.

She stood up quickly, walked into the kitchen with practiced ease, took half a box of ice cubes, placed them in a large bowl with water, and carried it back to the dining room. She then placed the bowl of porridge from in front of Qu Qiushuang into the large bowl.

This sequence of movements could be called ‘smooth as flowing water’.

Auntie Liu’s mouth, which had just closed, fell open again. For the first time, she doubted her own job performance.

She hesitated for a long time but couldn’t hold back: “Miss Jin, you aren’t here to steal my livelihood, are you?”

“It’s good that you know there’s still room for improvement.” Jin Kaiyu replied with a straight face, but turning her head, she saw Qu Qiushuang also wearing a very faint smile. She suddenly felt a bit sheepish. “It was too hot; it would have taken forever.”

The trace of a smile in Qu Qiushuang’s eyes didn’t fade as she nodded gently: “Yes. Thank you, Xiao Yu.”

The porridge cooled quickly. The two sat side-by-side at the table in silence as they ate. Jin Kaiyu actually hadn’t eaten for several meals and had no appetite.

At this moment, she was indeed hungry. After seeing Qu Qiushuang, her tensed nerves relaxed slightly, and her appetite revived in sync. Besides the porridge, she ate an entire basket of soup dumplings.

After the meal, seeing that both had given her face by eating a lot, Auntie Liu was very happy and went to wash some strawberries and cherries.

Qu Qiushuang naturally had a small appetite, she had only eaten a bit more because she saw Jin Kaiyu had a good appetite. She didn’t touch a single piece of fruit from the plate; it all went into Jin Kaiyu’s stomach.

After finishing, Jin Kaiyu felt this meal could count as two.

She raised her hand to check her watch. Unknowingly, it was already 10:30. Time went by so fast, yet there were still many things to handle, so she stood up to take her leave.

Qu Qiushuang leaned back on the sofa, surveying the living room decorations following the gaze Jin Kaiyu had initially used. After half a turn, she watched through the glass as Jin Kaiyu’s back crossed the bluestone path in the courtyard. After a long time, she asked Auntie Liu: “What time did Xiao Yu arrive?”

Auntie Liu thought back: “I don’t know. I got up early to head out for groceries, and there was a dark figure standing at the door. It gave me a fright. If it were anyone else, I might not have recognized them, but Miss Jin has such a handsome face. I quickly opened the iron gate and let her into the courtyard. That was probably before seven o’clock.”

Qu Qiushuang calculated the time. When Jin Kaiyu called last night, it was nearly ten.

She hadn’t boarded the plane yet, and the flight took about six hours.

Seeing her ask, Auntie Liu couldn’t keep her mouth shut and continued prattling: “Miss Jin is strange, too. She arrived so early, and I said I’d wake you, but she wouldn’t allow it. Yet after sitting by herself for a long time, she went to call you herself.”

Qu Qiushuang stared at the relief mural for a long while, then withdrew her gaze and sighed: “This child has truly worked hard.”

She closed her eyes.