"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 14

The next day, Yan He  held a meeting with her club members, scheduled for three in the afternoon in the classroom at the Student Activities Center. She hadn’t led a meeting in a long time; during her study exchange, Yu Ke, the other President of the Journalism Society, had managed affairs.

The classroom assigned to the Journalism Society was where Yan He, upon entering, saw a bass and a drum kit placed beneath the windows opposite. She remembered the space being empty before she left and wondered where Yu Ke had acquired them.

The few tables in the classroom were cluttered with materials and old school newspapers, scattered everywhere.

This was entirely Yu Ke’s style—extremely informal.

Half an hour before the meeting, none of the club members had arrived. Yu Ke sat on a high stool, legs dangling, looking down at Yan He who was slumped on the sofa, and complained with crossed arms: “Yan He, let me tell you, while you were gone, legends of you still circulated in the student body. How many freshmen joined our Journalism Society because of you, the ‘Campus Beauty’? Then, just as I used you as a gimmick, you immediately ran off to Italy.”

Yu Ke was from Beijing and tended to clip her words when speaking quickly. Yan He didn’t look at her when she spoke, naturally missing the subtle affection in Yu Ke’s eyes.

Yan He lowered her head to look at the documents, her hands paused on one page, unmoving. Hearing the complaint, she reluctantly looked up at Yu Ke: “Stop being sarcastic. Didn’t I just get back?”

Yu Ke, in a good mood, swung her legs and teased: “Yes, yes, yes. I heard that as soon as you got back, you immediately subbed in for Li Xiuxia’s class and got caught red-handed by the professor.”

Yan He was a little annoyed: “Didn’t I apologize in the end!” Bringing up Shen Jinrong, she couldn’t help but steer the conversation toward the professor: “Professor Shen didn’t even say anything critical!”

“Oh really?” Yu Ke nodded, a hint of playful petulance in her tone. She didn’t continue the topic with Yan He: “Did you bring me anything back from Italy?” She raised an eyebrow and held out her hand to Yan He in a grand gesture.

Yan He swatted at the outstretched hand impatiently and rummaged through her backpack: “Who asks for a gift upfront? I was planning to give it to you after the meeting.”

Yu Ke jumped off the chair and sat next to Yan He, watching her search.

Yan He felt the sofa sink beside her, and the next second, Yu Ke’s arm was draped over her neck in a buddy-buddy manner: “Let me see, what did you bring me?”

“Chocolate.” Yan He pulled out a box of chocolates and handed it to her. The box was shaped like a violin and was stamped with a picture of Mozart, hand on hip.

Yu Ke was surprised: “I thought you’d bring me red wine or something, but chocolate is fine too! Your Elder Sister isn’t picky!” She took the chocolate and gently rubbed the box twice.

“Red wine is too heavy,” Yan He stretched. Yu Ke happened to see the document resting on her lap, open to Shen Jinrong’s profile page.

“Hey? Shen Jinrong? I’ve heard of her! Isn’t she the professor our department just poached?” Yu Ke carefully placed the chocolate on a side table and then patted Yan He’s shoulder: “I heard our little student Yan He was caught by this very Professor Shen?”

Yan He was even more exasperated: “I was not!”

“Fine, fine, fine,” Yu Ke laughed. She ruffled Yan He’s hair and asked, “Should we let someone else interview her then? That way, you can also gauge the ability of our new members.”

Yan He lowered her head and closed the folder: “I’ll go. Li Xiuxia didn’t explain things clearly, and I should go to make sure there are no misunderstandings.”

(The truth was, Li Xiuxia had cleared things up with Shen Jinrong long ago, and Professor Shen had accepted the leave slip without further comment, considering the matter closed. Yan He simply wanted an excuse to see her.)

“That works too.” Yu Ke shrugged. Just then, a club member knocked and tentatively poked their head in. She checked the time—it was almost time for the meeting—and stood up, saying to Yan He: “It’s about time. Ready to start the meeting?”

Yan He nodded and stood up as well.

“So, that’s the plan.” Yan He was the main speaker at today’s meeting. After she finished the arrangements, Yu Ke closed her notebook with a dull “thud.”

It seems Yu Ke has a lot of authority in the club, Yan He thought silently.

“Any other questions?” Yu Ke leaned her hands on the table and asked the junior members sitting opposite her.

A boy hesitated for a moment and raised his hand.

“Go ahead,” Yu Ke nodded.

“President… I want to ask Senior Yan He…” The boy scratched his head and said awkwardly, “Could I get your contact information?”

Yu Ke barely held back a laugh. She knew Yan He didn’t care for this type of person, but she still turned to Yan He and asked with feigned seriousness: “Well…”

Her words trailed off, waiting for Yan He’s response. But at the same time, she noticed Yan He’s high ponytail and saw that the lines of her fair, slender neck seemed sharper than before.

There was a small bump on Yan He’s nose bridge that, paradoxically, softened the curve of her profile.

Yu Ke thought randomly, Is Yan He thinner? Why does she look so much fairer again?

Yan He was slightly surprised but responded graciously: “Yes, you can add me directly in the WeChat group.” After saying that, she felt her words might easily be misunderstood, so she added: “Everyone can add me; it will make future work more convenient.”

The boy gave an awkward smile at that.

Yu Ke smiled faintly: “Alright, everyone add each other as friends. Now, check the class schedules for the teachers you’ve been assigned and prepare to call them to schedule interviews.”

Yan He lowered her head and saved Shen Jinrong’s number to her phone. She had been staring at the sequence of digits for so long that she knew it by heart. She solemnly typed the name “Professor Shen Jinrong” into the name field, but after a moment’s thought, she deleted the intentionally misleading two characters, “Professor.”

Isn’t it true? Didn’t you fall for her at first sight?

Yan He sighed and rubbed her temple. Her brain always went into overdrive when she thought of Shen Jinrong.

“President, when should we call Professor Shen to ask?” the junior member assigned to work with Yan He asked nervously: “I’ll check the official website now…”

Yu Ke had a hidden motive: she had specifically assigned Yan He a junior member who had a girlfriend. Yan He was unaware of this and didn’t care about such things.

“She doesn’t have class right now,” Yan He said casually, glancing at the time. The moment the words left her mouth, she saw the surprise in the junior’s eyes. Yan He coughed lightly, trying to cover her lapse: “I checked right before the meeting.”

The junior nodded, seizing the chance to flatter her: “President, you are so far-sighted!”

Yan He was amused by him: “Stop talking nonsense.”

“Then… should I call now?” the junior asked tentatively, reaching for his phone.

—Then, he saw the usually amiable President press down on his hand, stating unequivocally: “I’ll make the call.”

Meeting Yan He’s eyes, the junior member, for some reason, sensed her nervousness. He withdrew his hand: “…O-okay!”

Yan He took a deep breath, pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from her palms, and then opened her contacts interface. She took another deep breath, her lips tightly pressed together. Even the junior sitting next to her could feel her tension—Why is the President so nervous? Is this the attitude required for diligent work! I’ve learned something!

Yan He’s fingertip hovered over the name. Three characters—she had secretly traced every character and every stroke a thousand times in her mind.

After a moment’s hesitation, she pressed down.

Then, facing the black call screen, she glanced at the junior next to her and turned on the speakerphone.

Her heart began to pound wildly.

Yan He could clearly hear the sound of her own heartbeat. Outside of her and the phone, the world stood still in that moment, without a sound; even breathing seemed to stop.

In her ears, in front of her, there was only this phone—the phone connecting her to Shen Jinrong.

“Hello, who is this?”

The slightly hoarse voice rang out, mixed with the static crackle of the current. Yan He pressed one hand to her chest, trying to keep her heart from beating so fast. She let out a sudden sigh of relief.

Connected.