"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 32

Section 1: The Confession and the Philosophy

The two walked up the stairwell one after the other. The residential complex where Grandmother Shen lived was an old-style staff housing block, with low floors and no elevator. Tan Ning looked at the figure walking ahead of her, her heart stirring slightly. This was likely the first time she had truly observed Shen Jinrong’s back—slight, yet resolute.

After so many years, even Tan Ning had to admit that Shen Jinrong had changed a lot.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked Shen Jinrong why she had not told her about her father’s death: “Why didn’t you tell me about such a huge family matter?”

She and Shen Jinrong had known each other for eight years, a time long enough to understand a person’s behavior and habits, such that she could generally know what Shen Jinrong was thinking without much guesswork. She understood Shen Jinrong’s family and knew Shen Jinrong’s mindset eight years ago.

When she asked this question, Tan Ning already had the answer in her heart, but she still wanted to hear Shen Jinrong explain the reason.

“It wasn’t a big deal.” Shen Jinrong had casually thrown on a long black down jacket. The zipper was pulled all the way up, and she wore the hood, the entirety of her body snugly wrapped. When she didn’t need to see many people, Shen Jinrong often chose warmer clothing over better-looking coats.

Her tone was understated, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

Tan Ning remembered that when she first met her, the twenty-one-year-old Shen Jinrong wasn’t afraid of the cold at all, even going out in Northern winters wearing only thin trousers. Now… perhaps she was starting to bundle up as she grew older?

The two stepped out of the stairwell entrance. The cold wind howled outside, as if clamoring to break through human defenses. Tan Ning did not press the issue. She was too clear on how to control the pace of a conversation, knowing exactly when to ask what, and when to terminate a topic; she was an expert at this.

“Is that so.” Tan Ning tucked her hands into her pockets, seeing only the white mist produced by Shen Jinrong’s breathing. She asked again, “What about the person you like? What kind of person are they?”

Shen Jinrong buried her head further into her collar. Thinking of the young woman pressing close to her with red ears, she said, “A very cute person.”

Hearing the uplift in Shen Jinrong’s tone, Tan Ning smiled: “If you like them, then be with them. Being so hesitant is not your style.”

Shen Jinrong strongly disliked how Tan Ning often defined her behavior. She didn’t like people telling her what to do or setting boundaries for her.

When she was younger, she didn’t find Tan Ning’s approach too abrupt, but now that she was older, she simply felt that Tan Ning’s ability to guess intentions was too strong, and she didn’t want to say much more to her.

“My style?” Shen Jinrong said flatly, “What is my style?” Even she herself didn’t know. Shen Jinrong thought, Tan Ning always likes to be self-righteous.

Tan Ning, slightly stung by her detached retort, awkwardly tried to smooth things over: “I meant that I have always thought of you as a person who charges forward fearlessly.”

Charges forward fearlessly.

Shen Jinrong scoffed internally. Only Tan Ning still liked to say such things to her. What was the definition of charging forward fearlessly? Why did people charge forward fearlessly? Was it for desire or for conviction?

If Tan Ning truly knew, she should have realized that her courage had long been worn down by the trauma of previous years. All that remained was a coward who had to wait for someone else to confess first. A person is timid because they lack self-confidence and are uncertain about the future.

Past, present, and future—her life would always be haunted by the shadow of her childhood.

“Perhaps,” Shen Jinrong gave an ambiguous answer, increasing her pace in the chilly wind. She wanted to finish today’s task quickly, buy the necessary items, return, eat, and start the meeting—if she was in a meeting, she wouldn’t have to deal with Tan Ning.

But Shen Jinrong was unwilling to be relentlessly questioned by Tan Ning. She wanted to counterattack, so she asked casually, “Professor Jiang  didn’t finish his work this year?”

Tan Ning’s partner, Jiang Qiang, strictly speaking, was in the same field as Shen Jinrong. Their research focused similarly on economics, and they had occasional professional overlap. However, Jiang Qiang was currently acting as a partner and had started his own company, while Shen Jinrong was serving as a consultant for a multinational corporation.

She had some understanding of the projects Jiang Qiang was currently undertaking. Based on her knowledge of him, even if he encountered some tricky issues, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to come home for the New Year. If one truly wished to, no difficulty was insurmountable.

When this was brought up, Tan Ning’s expression changed. The faint smile that had been on her face vanished, replaced immediately by awkwardness: “He said the company had some unfinished business.” Her words were evasive, clearly suggesting something was amiss to any discerning person.

Oh. Shen Jinrong understood. He probably just didn’t want to come back. Tan Ning’s ability to guess intentions was extraordinary, but her ability to conceal her own feelings was not great.

Although Shen Jinrong and Jiang Qiang were colleagues who had barely met, Shen Jinrong did not like him, based purely on their few brief interactions. Perhaps it was intuition, or perhaps something else about him felt off to her.

The two continued their sporadic conversation, finally arriving at the wet market. The market was deserted during the New Year. The once fully stocked vegetable stalls were empty, and plastic sheeting and other materials were all neatly piled on the ground, making the place look somewhat messy.

Shen Jinrong breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that every sentence exchanged with Tan Ning was like a bloodless confrontation, creating immense pressure. Shen Jinrong oriented herself and was walking side-by-side with Tan Ning toward the stall Grandmother Shen had specified when she suddenly saw a familiar figure at the entrance of that very shop.

That figure was too familiar. Shen Jinrong quietly took half a step to the side, silently creating distance between herself and Tan Ning.

But the young woman had already seen them.

Shen Jinrong sighed inwardly.

Section 2: Encounter and the Subtle Exchange

“Professor Tan, Professor Shen.” The “social butterfly” Li Xiuxi  already knew the two professors in front of her because of Yan He. Seeing Yan He staring blankly, she quickly stepped in front of her to greet them: “Happy New Year to you both.”

Tan Ning nodded slightly to her, but found her face unfamiliar. Unable to recall if she had taught her, she asked, “Happy New Year. You are—” Li Xiuxi quickly glanced at Yan He, then at Shen Jinrong, before replying, “I’m Professor Shen’s student.”

Shen Jinrong nodded in agreement at the right moment: “Yes, she is my student.” Her gaze shifted, seeing the young woman standing quietly next to Li Xiuxi, head lowered, looking pitifully lost in thought. Her heart softened, and she called out softly, “Yan He.”

Her voice, carried on the crisp cold wind, sounded slightly airy, as if floating in the space between them. Yet, the voice itself was gentle and lingering. When calling Yan He’s name, her voice was noticeably softer, forming a stark contrast with her previous sentence.

It was like an implicit show of vulnerability, or a low sigh.

Little Yan He, please don’t misunderstand.

Yan He was startled to hear her name. She usually heard the Elder Sister call her “Little one,” and she rarely called her by her full name so formally. But in front of Professor Tan…

Yan He was somewhat sensitive about Tan Ning. She thought, Is she trying to distance herself from me?

She raised her head and met the Elder Sister’s eyes. The Elder Sister wasn’t wearing earrings today. Tucked into the oversized black down jacket, she looked small. Her skin was fairer, accentuating the faint red at the corners of her eyes, which looked like they were reddened by the cold. The mole below her eye accented her pale face with a touch of charm.

Shen Jinrong’s huddled appearance was somewhat vulnerable. Yan He intuitively felt the Elder Sister was different today—was it because she was much more relaxed for the New Year, or because of something else? She offered a smile to Tan Ning, who was standing beside Shen Jinrong: “Professor Shen, Professor Tan.” The smile seemed genuine, yet even she couldn’t say how much sincere feeling was in it.

“You two are very close?” Tan Ning turned to Shen Jinrong in surprise, intending to ask how she was so familiar with a student from the Journalism Department, but she unexpectedly caught the way Shen Jinrong and Yan He were looking at each other.

—The inexplicable lingering tenderness; people who have mutual affection can be exposed by a single look.

A strange thought suddenly flashed through Tan Ning’s mind. It was an idea that seemed impossible, yet now held a degree of possibility. Her mind stirred. Her gaze rotated between Shen Jinrong and Yan He, but she said nothing.

“Yes, the university arranged for Yan He to interview me before.” Shen Jinrong nodded to Yan He. Being mindful of Tan Ning next to her, she merely gave Yan He a subtle wink. Her words were light, her expression toward Tan Ning cool, yet she offered a gentle smile to Yan He a few meters away.

Tan Ning truly hadn’t known they were this familiar. She had originally thought Yan He had only attended one of Shen Jinrong’s classes, but she hadn’t expected them to already know each other personally.

That makes sense.

Tan Ning recalled seeing Yan He’s ‘like’ on one of Shen Jinrong’s rare Moments posts, thinking, Perhaps it’s not that unusual.

Yan He had already regained her composure. She lowered her head to look at her list: “Boss, we need two bags of hotpot base and a hotpot set for four.”

“You’re having hotpot at home?” Tan Ning asked with a smile as the boss went inside to retrieve the items.

Yan He felt a little guarded. She subconsciously felt Tan Ning was dangerous; every word from her seemed to have a hidden meaning. Yet, Tan Ning’s eyes were sincere, so sincere that it was hard to feel suspicious. She didn’t know how to react, so she cast a pleading look at Shen Jinrong, who slightly raised an eyebrow in response.

Reassured by the Elder Sister’s subtle comfort, Yan He felt much calmer and said, “Yes, a few of my good friends are having hotpot at home.” She emphasized the word “friends,” as if it were an implicit explanation for the Elder Sister.

“Okay!” Old Hu, the owner, asked the two professors: “What do you need?”

You two.

Yan He found those two words grating on her ears, sharp and uncomfortable, as if the two women were one unit. Her eyebrow slightly twitched as she scrutinized Tan Ning. Perhaps because Tan Ning was older, her every move exuded a sense of ease and mastery over life.

At first, a slight sourness appeared in her heart, not very noticeable. Then, this trace of sourness seemed to take root, spreading rapidly through her heart like wildfire. It was like dropping black ink into clear water; even a single drop was enough to be obvious.

Yan He again thought of the scene where she saw the Elder Sister give flowers to Tan Ning that day. Just like that day, she felt like an outsider now, too.

“Goji berries.” Tan Ning shook her phone: “Where do I scan the code?”

Old Hu pointed casually to the QR code pasted on the door: “Scan it yourself; Alipay or WeChat is fine. Just show me once you’ve paid.”

Shen Jinrong and Tan Ning only bought goji berries. The boss quickly fetched them and handed them over.

Tan Ning took the goji berries and thanked him. As she prepared to leave, she noticed a small bit of lint on Shen Jinrong’s shoulder, reached out to brush it off, and said in a slightly chiding tone, “How can you be so careless?”

Shen Jinrong instinctively took a small half-step back but failed to dodge her touch.

Tan Ning was slightly shorter than Shen Jinrong, about up to her eyebrows, making the gesture look quite natural. Yan He coldly observed their intimate action. Although she showed nothing on her face, the sourness in her heart had already spread to the tip of her nose, and it took considerable effort to stop her body from trembling.

“We’ll be going now.” Before leaving, Tan Ning turned and said this to Yan He with a smile.

We.

Yan He thought self-pityingly, Is this a declaration of sovereignty?

Perhaps it was too cold today. She wasn’t wearing gloves, and her fingertips were icy. Even the hand warmer in her pocket was useless—the surface skin temperature could rise, but it couldn’t fend off the inner chill.

Meeting Li Xiuxi’s worried gaze, Yan He forced a smile—the standard, polite smile she often used as a formality—which looked utterly strained: “What’s wrong?”

Li Xiuxi had known her long enough to recognize her fake cheerfulness and tried to reassure her: “I don’t think they have anything going on. They’re probably just colleagues who arranged a meal for the New Year—” Before she finished, Li Xiuxi realized her words were inappropriate, only making things worse. If they were just ordinary colleagues having a meal, they wouldn’t need to specifically come out to buy goji berries, would they? And they only bought that one item, clearly purchasing it because the house needed it for cooking—”Don’t overthink it. Maybe the student is just visiting the teacher’s home.”

Li Xiuxi’s comforting voice sounded in her ears, but Yan He heard none of it. Her mind was a mess. Logic and emotion were split into two small figures, their conflicting ideas disrupting her peace: Professor Tan walked over with the Elder Sister; they stood so close, and Professor Tan touched the Elder Sister’s shoulder. And she said ‘we,’ she and the Elder Sister.

Even though the Elder Sister had explained that Tan Ning was her undergraduate teacher, the overwhelming jealousy was uncontrollable. This feeling was visceral—the bitterness and dull pain one felt when seeing a loved one with someone else. Logic told her not to care, not to look, but emotionally, she felt a self-abusive urge to keep watching.

Yan He suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation, as if her beloved possession had been touched by someone else.

“Your things are ready,” the boss said, pulling open the door with a whoosh and handing over two large red plastic bags: “There are thirteen items in total; they’re all in the bags. Check them over. The total is one hundred and thirty-two, rounding down to one hundred and thirty.”

Li Xiuxi took the items, scanned the code, paid, and thanked the boss: “Thank you! You’re not even taking a break during the New Year?”

The boss laughed: “Even during the New Year, you still have to live!”

Li Xiuxi exchanged a couple more casual words with him, then shoved one bag into Yan He’s hand and pulled her away.

Yan He was clearly not present, her eyes wandering. While walking, she nearly tripped over a raised paving stone. Li Xiuxi steadied her, only to hear Yan He’s lost voice: “What do you think the relationship is between Professor Shen and Professor Tan Ning?”

“Professor Shen told you, it’s a teacher-student relationship.” Li Xiuxi, terrified that her dear friend would break a leg during the New Year, dragged her forward: “Didn’t she say Tan Ning was Professor Shen’s undergraduate teacher? What else could it be? Do you think they’re having an affair?”

Yan He hesitated but ultimately didn’t nod.

She was just jealous, fighting a battle with herself.

“Sigh, if you ask me, you’re just overthinking it,” Li Xiuxi patted her shoulder, switching the bag to her other hand, and comforted her: “If you’re really worried, just go ask your Professor Shen. Why agonize over it here?”

Yan He pouted and sighed.

Section 4: The Truth About Professor Jiang

“That was Yan He from the Journalism Department just now.” On the way back, Tan Ning brought up the two girls they had met. Teachers always had a natural fondness for talented and diligent students, and if the student was also beautiful, they left an even deeper impression.

Shen Jinrong was reluctant to talk more about it. It was enough that she was the only one whose thoughts were being scrutinized by Tan Ning; there was no need to drag Yan He into it. She knew Yan He was one of Tan Ning’s graduating students and was worried Tan Ning might make things difficult for her if she knew about their relationship—Shen Jinrong knew Tan Ning wasn’t that kind of person, but she still wanted to protect the young woman as much as she could.

Therefore, she frowned, trying to use a light tone to avoid Tan Ning’s probing: “Yes.”

“You two looked quite close,” Tan Ning said, watching her, seemingly anticipating the answer to this question.

Shen Jinrong’s tone was flat, revealing no emotion: “You know this already, don’t you? She came to my class once to ask for leave for the girl standing next to her.”

Tan Ning said, “I think I heard her mention something about a double degree.” She then smiled: “It seems our Professor Shen has a lot of charm.”

Saying this, Tan Ning remarked with some emotion, “She is one of the graduating students I’m supervising. I think she resembles you a little when you were her age.” A little prickly, a little sensitive, but equally clever.

“Is that so.” Shen Jinrong nodded to the security guard standing at the gate, waiting for Tan Ning to continue. When she didn’t want to talk, she always remained silent, waiting for others to initiate a new topic.

“Of course, I’m very good at reading people.” Tan Ning said this, sounding like a double entendre. Good at reading what? She had only seen her meet Yan He once. What could she possibly deduce?

Shen Jinrong thought, If Tan Ning were truly good at reading people, she might not have married Jiang Qiang. Thinking of the rumors that had vaguely circulated, and seeing Tan Ning’s cheerful smile, Shen Jinrong sighed inwardly, knowing she had not yet heard the news.

“Why were you so slow!” Grandmother Shen watched Shen Jinrong put the goji berries into the chicken soup and gently complained: “You said you had a meeting, so we were going to eat early, but you took so long just buying goji berries—” “Grandma, we ran into a student and chatted a bit longer,” Tan Ning explained for Shen Jinrong, poking her head out with her daughter in her arms.

“Aiya! If only our Rongrong could be surrounded by as many successful students as Ningning!” Grandmother Shen said, smiling at Tan Ning.

Shen Jinrong began to debone the chicken with a blank expression: …I am an emotionless butcher.

At twelve fifty-six in the afternoon, Shen Jinrong sat in front of the computer with her bowl, adjusted her suit jacket, and logged into the video conference, ready to begin.

“President Shen, did you hear?” The meeting hadn’t formally started yet, and only a few Chinese colleagues were present. They seemed to be chatting about some gossip and didn’t hold back when they saw Shen Jinrong, instead asking her directly.

Shen Jinrong finished her last bite of rice, set the bowl aside, calmly wiped her mouth, and reapplied lipstick. Only then did she open her camera and ask, “Hear what?”

“It’s about President Jiang, the CEO of SW. Didn’t he get married? Well, he got involved with his secretary last year. I heard the secretary is making a scene at the company right now.”

Shen Jinrong lowered the volume when she heard the letters “SW,” and asked calmly, “Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s spread throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region. The situation is pretty messy.”

Shen Jinrong raised an eyebrow, thinking, No wonder Jiang Qiang didn’t come back this year. She offered no comment, only saying: “It’s almost time. Let’s prepare the documents and start the meeting.”

The meeting ended quickly. The general direction of the proposal had already been finalized, and the purpose of today’s meeting was merely to refine some details. Additionally, since it was still the Chinese New Year holiday, no one was in the mood to work, so the meeting adjourned at half past two.

Shen Jinrong closed her laptop and let out a long breath.

She picked up her phone and found four WeChat messages from the young woman, which had arrived while the phone was silenced: “Elder Sister, I’m eating hotpot with friends~” “[Image]” “Elder Sister, can I see you?”

“Elder Sister, I want a hug.”