"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 24

A scar. What does it signify? Is it the dividing line drawn against an imperfect past, or a memory that’s set in stone and best left untouched? It’s a profound mark, yet one that’s painful to revisit.

Yan He  lowered her eyes, biting the tip of her tongue hard to calm herself. The dull pain eased the sting in her heart slightly, but the sadness remained. Why was she sad? Because she wasn’t there when Elder Sister was hurting. If only I had been there—Yan He thought for the countless time—if only I could have been with her when she was sad.

She wished she hadn’t seen it, and even more, she hoped that fleeting glimpse was just her imagination. She tried to act normal, but the pain from biting her tongue constantly reminded her to stay calm, yet her hands were still shaking. Yan He simply placed her hands under the table and gripped them tightly, attempting to hide her lapse in composure.

“Is something wrong? Are you cold?” Shen Jinrong frowned. She keenly noticed Yan He’s strange behavior and wanted to touch the young woman’s hand, but the thought stopped as quickly as it arose. She assessed the restaurant’s temperature, wondering, did the little one wear so little just to look good?

As Elder Sister’s puzzled gaze fell upon her, Yan He noticed the furrow in her brow and suddenly thought, did Elder Sister have to go through so much to become so observant of everyone around her?

A sudden sourness welled up in her heart, an inexplicable bitterness. Yan He didn’t want to think about it anymore. She forced a bright smile at Elder Sister: “No, I’m fine! I’m just a little hungry!”

Shen Jinrong visibly relaxed and smiled. Remembering she had seen the young woman at the cake shop, she asked: “You didn’t eat anything at the cake shop just now?” She deliberately pointed to the cake bag on the adjacent seat, feigning annoyance: “You only remembered to buy something for me?”

Yan He gave a silly grin. When she came back to her senses, she realized her hand was unconsciously stroking her forehead. She dropped her hand, decided her grin had looked too silly and not cool at all, and soberly pursed her lips: “I don’t like sweets.”

Shen Jinrong raised an eyebrow: “Is that so?”

Hmph, the little one is trying to act cool again.

When Elder Sister smiled, black flames seemed to ignite in her eyes—dangerous enough, alluring enough, captivating enough, beautiful enough. This cluster of black flames was like a mist, casting a faint glow only in the instant it was kindled, then receding into the night sky, leaving only gray smoke.

Her body swayed slightly when she smiled, causing the delicate pearl on her earlobe to swing in a small arc. Yan He was momentarily dazzled.

Yan He didn’t notice and was staring intently at Elder Sister until she met Elder Sister’s smiling eyes and snapped back to awareness.

“Oh, right!” Yan He remembered one of the reasons for her visit, hastily pushing the bag containing Elder Sister’s scarf toward her, her voice urgent as if trying to compensate for her earlier lapse: “That… this is your scarf. I had it dry-cleaned! It’s very clean! Thank you for the scarf!”

Shen Jinrong took the bag and placed it aside, not paying it much attention. She remained composed, and the fact that she didn’t question Yan He’s use of the formal “you”  left Yan He feeling a little disappointed. This brief disappointment was quickly followed by resignation—I shouldn’t dwell on such small details!

“You didn’t really need to rush,” Shen Jinrong said unhurriedly.

She had said it casually, but the young woman across the table took it seriously: “I have to return it. You have to have an exchange—” Yan He bit her tongue. She knew in her heart that one scarf probably meant nothing to Elder Sister. But she was annoyed—Why did I… say my true thoughts out loud?

“You should take care of yourself while you’re young,” Shen Jinrong nodded slightly at the server bringing their dishes, then continued to Yan He: “When I was your age, I wasn’t afraid of the cold either, but later—” She abruptly stopped, then continued: “But as I’ve gotten older, I often feel like my body isn’t as good as it used to be.”

Older people are usually subtle and composed when they want to change a topic.

Yan He wanted to say, But Elder Sister is only twenty-eight? But the words, having reached her teeth, were stopped by her lips and tongue. That sentence felt more like a painful reminder, clearly signaling the gap between them. Yan He was constantly trying to avoid this fact, even though she knew in her heart it was unavoidable.

“Elder Sister is very young,” Yan He said earnestly: “And very beautiful.”

Shen Jinrong was momentarily stunned, apparently not expecting the young woman’s words to be so direct. She quietly said “Thank you” to the server who finished serving the dishes. The server replied: “If you’d like to order more, you can scan the code.”

Shen Jinrong nodded, then invited Yan He to eat: “Their shrimp dumplings are excellent.” She placed a shrimp dumpling on Yan He’s plate.

The dumpling gave off a light steam, its fragrance wafting over—not just of the dumpling, but also a faint citrus scent. Yan He pursed her lips, her face flushed. Her eyes uncontrollably glanced at Elder Sister’s hand—slender and lean, with clearly visible veins on the back.

“Is the heating too warm?” Shen Jinrong placed her chopsticks on the white porcelain plate with a crisp sound. She leaned back in her chair, smiling silently. Yan He noticed she liked to smile a lot, especially when looking at her. It was a teasing smile, with a hint of amusement and helpless indulgence.

“What?”

“Here.” Shen Jinrong raised her hand to point to Yan He’s ear, simultaneously leaning forward, resting her elbow on the table, her smile widening: “Your ears are so red.”

Yan He quickly raised her hand to cover her ears, belatedly feeling the heat on her earlobes, which loudly betrayed her inner feelings. Her fingertips were slightly cold, causing a tiny shiver when they touched her earlobe.

That’s not fair!

Yan He’s tongue pressed against her palate, silently competing with herself. In a moment of pique, she saw Shen Jinrong, who had finished her teasing smile and was drinking water. She could see the lines of Elder Sister’s neck, and the rhythmic movement of her throat as she swallowed water.

She raised an eyebrow and said: “But Elder Sister’s face is red too.”

Shen Jinrong’s eyes widened, and she choked, covering her mouth as she coughed a few times. She could feel her face flush crimson, realizing that this time she really was blushing.

While she was coughing, Shen Jinrong heard the sound of a chair moving and immediately felt a light pat on her back. The warmth of the palm, even through two layers of clothing, accurately reached her back. The young woman’s concerned voice whispered in her ear, asking like someone who had done something wrong: “Are you okay?”

Shen Jinrong turned her head to look. The young woman had moved to sit beside her. Seeing that she had calmed down slightly, she withdrew her hand and lowered her eyes, admitting her mistake: “I’m sorry, Elder Sister. I won’t talk while you’re drinking water next time.” After saying this, she secretly glanced up.

Shen Jinrong suppressed the itch in her throat, intending to say it’s not your fault, but in the next second, she caught the young woman’s mischievous smile. The young woman leaned in closer. Shen Jinrong could even feel her breath moving the hair near her ear. The strands brushed against her earlobe, causing an involuntary shiver. Then, the voice, light and teasing, full of youthful brightness, whispered: “Elder Sister’s face is even redder now!”

Shen Jinrong: …

Was I just flirted with?

Halfway through the meal, Yan He picked up her phone to scan the QR code on the menu to order another drink. The drink list was full of strange and exotic names. The young woman secretly glanced at Elder Sister, who was eating unhurriedly, and asked: “Elder Sister, is there anything good to drink here?”

Shen Jinrong thought seriously, her expression momentarily freezing, her lips pursed. She instinctively tilted her head, a small gesture that broke the usual solemnity and composure of an older person, showing a fleeting moment of being caught off guard.

“Silk stocking… milk tea?”

Hearing the hesitant tone, Yan He blinked, put down her chopsticks, propped her chin in her hand, and said pitifully: “If I drink milk tea in the evening, I won’t be able to sleep.”

Shen Jinrong pursed her lips and suggested: “Then… Mango Pomelo Sago?” She remembered Wen Yuan  saying this was delicious last time. Perhaps the young woman would like the sweet-and-sour flavor?

Yan He whispered: “I’m allergic to mangoes.”

Shen Jinrong paused, then asked: “I haven’t really drunk much of this either. Why don’t you order for yourself?”

Yan He searched the drink list for a long time and finally ordered a drink called “Plum See”.

Shen Jinrong saw her place the order but didn’t ask what it was. About a minute later, the server brought over a tiny glass. The cup was only about as tall as an index finger, and its base was about the size of a one-yuan coin. The cup was small to begin with, and it looked even more pitiful on the tray.

Yan He was greatly astonished: “It’s this big?”

The server seemed used to customers’ reactions, placing the cup next to Yan He: “Your ‘Plum See’.”

Shen Jinrong laughed heartily beside her, but midway through the laugh, she suddenly realized something wasn’t right. Wait—that “Plum See“—wasn’t that alcohol?

“You—” Before she could finish, she saw Yan He pick up the small cup, examine it for a moment, hesitate, and then down it in one gulp.

Shen Jinrong’s mouth hung slightly open, her face maintaining a complicated expression: “…That’s alcohol, right?”

Yan He pursed her lips, pretending to be calm and composed as she nodded: “Yes, it should be… plum wine.”

Shen Jinrong’s expression became even more complicated: “You—” If I remember correctly, the young woman’s alcohol tolerance… isn’t very good, is it?

The blush on Yan He’s face became more pronounced. She smacked her lips to savor the taste, then asked Shen Jinrong with a silly grin: “It’s delicious! Do you want to try some, Elder Sister?”

Shen Jinrong: …

You’ve already finished it, what am I supposed to try? Is the alcohol kicking in this fast?

“I drove here; I can’t drink.”

Half an hour later, Shen Jinrong patted Yan He, who was sitting in the passenger seat, reminding her: “Close the car door! Aren’t you cold?”

Yan He nodded foolishly and closed the door casually.

“Where is your house?” Shen Jinrong turned to ask, opening the navigation app, intending to take the young woman home first.

Yan He didn’t answer. She raised her hand, grasping the hand that was typing on the screen, and whined pitifully: “Elder Sister.”

“…Elder Sister.”

“Yes, what’s wrong?” Shen Jinrong replied.

“I need Elder Sister to pat my head!”

“If you can’t hold your liquor, don’t drink like that. It’s dangerous.” Shen Jinrong helplessly rubbed the head the young woman offered, asking: “Where is your house? Be a good girl. I’ll take you home first.”

Yan He sniffled, vaguely feeling she had forgotten something. She patted all her pockets but couldn’t find her keys. Her voice started to sound tearful: “I can’t find my keys!” She paused, then remembered she hadn’t actually brought them, sniffled again, and sounded even more pitiful: “No one is home, I can’t go back!”

“Elder Sister…”

“Elder Sister, can you please take me home with you?”