"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 40

Seeing Shen Jinrong burst into tears, Yan He panicked. Holding the candle, she was momentarily unsure what to do with her other hand.

Did I do something wrong? Why else would I make Jiejie cry?

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Yan He didn’t know what to do, so she just hung her head and continuously whispered her apologies.

Hearing Yan He’s string of apologies, Shen Jinrong, who had been immersed in sadness, laughed instead. She gave Yan He an affectionate, reproachful look and said softly: “What are you apologizing for?”

Yan He’s peripheral vision caught the tissue box below. She frantically pulled out a few tissues, one hand offering the tissues, the other still holding the candle. Her voice became even quieter: “I… I didn’t mean to…”

“Didn’t mean to do what?” Shen Jinrong chuckled, wiping away her tears with the tissues Yan He offered: “I just thought of something; it has nothing to do with you.”

Yan He nodded, wanting to ask Jiejie what she had thought of, but checked herself. She knew it was insensitive to directly ask about someone’s heartache.

Although Yan He thought this, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Could Jiejie’s memory be related to Tan Ning?

Seeing Yan He’s restless gaze, Shen Jinrong smiled again. Tears still welled in her eyes, and when she smiled, the depths of her eyes seemed filled with sparkling starlight.

“What are you thinking?” She tapped Yan He’s forehead and whispered: “I was thinking of my mother.”

Yan He pursed her lips, staring intently at her.

Shen Jinrong took Yan He’s hand holding the candle and placed it in front of herself, looking at Yan He expectantly, and asked: “So—can I make a wish now?”

Yan He looked at the candle in her hand, nodded, and then hesitantly added: “You have to close your eyes,” she clarified: “And you can’t say it out loud, or the wish won’t come true.”

Shen Jinrong nodded vigorously, holding Yan He’s hand, which gripped the candle, with both of her own. She closed her eyes. Her beautiful face, illuminated by the candlelight, looked both childlike and serene.

What is she wishing for? What is she thinking? Can I still celebrate her birthday with her this time next year?

During the few seconds of making a wish while Shen Jinrong’s eyes were closed, countless thoughts flashed quickly through Yan He’s mind. She seemed to have thought of a lot, yet also nothing at all.

Watching Shen Jinrong’s slightly trembling eyelashes, she thought, Could time stop at this moment?

And then she was amused by her own thought. When she was with Jiejie, she always had moments when she wished time would stop. If it stopped every time, God would surely fault her greed.

A wish… what kind of wish should I make?

Shen Jinrong was caught in a moment of hesitation. But the word “wish” was too remote for her; so much so that she almost believed she had lost the ability to look forward to the future.

For her past self, the unlived future was too elusive and insubstantial compared to the graspable present, and the past was a memory she was unwilling to touch.

Shen Jinrong made a wish in her heart—though even she wasn’t sure if the wish would come true; it was just for a good omen. A person must have wishes, mustn’t they? Even if that wish might be somewhat difficult to achieve, or seem far-fetched at the moment, there’s always a possibility of it coming true.

Shen Jinrong exhaled slowly. She opened her eyes and saw Yan He’s face illuminated by the candlelight.

Yan He was also looking at her. In the instant their eyes met, Shen Jinrong suddenly felt as if she could read the emotions in Yan He’s eyes—she seemed to know what Yan He wanted to say, understood her hesitant words, and comprehended all her worries and persistence.

But she said nothing. She simply lowered her eyes and blew out the candle in front of Yan He.

After the candle went out, Shen Jinrong saw a wisp of smoke rise, but the environment was too dim, making it seem more like a visual deception. The smoke was slightly choking, like the last thing the candlelight had left for the world.

Shen Jinrong raised her hand and turned on the light. Yan He didn’t stop her this time. In the light, she finally saw the wax tears on Yan He’s fingertips and her slightly reddened skin. Shen Jinrong’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly took the candle away from Yan He’s hand. She was only slightly relieved when she saw that her fingertips were only slightly red and not seriously injured.

Shen Jinrong touched Yan He’s fingertips, only fully relaxing after confirming she hadn’t been burned.

“Why didn’t you say anything? That’s so dangerous,” Shen Jinrong sighed, looking at Yan He helplessly, her tone serious: “Don’t ever do that again.”

“It’s a low-temperature candle; it doesn’t burn,” Yan He just smiled. Shen Jinrong found her smile endearingly silly.

What does the “Little One’s” smile mean? Shen Jinrong felt like she couldn’t figure it out again.

“Even so, you shouldn’t do that,” Shen Jinrong sighed silently and rubbed Yan He’s head: “You have to protect yourself first, understand?”

Jiejie’s tone was too serious, and Yan He instinctively nodded. Jiejie looked very much like—a teacher earnestly reasoning with her. A thought flashed through Yan He’s mind, and she called out: “Teacher.”

Shen Jinrong’s eyes widened as she looked at her.

The next moment, soft, warm lips were pressed onto her own.

The kiss was brief, a quick touch. In Shen Jinrong’s shocked gaze, Yan He pursed her lips and whispered softly: “I’ve wanted to call you that for a long time.”

“In Vienna, when you were teaching me how to kiss.”

—Shen Jinrong was flushed red the entire ride home, and her responses to Yan He’s attempts at conversation were sporadic.

“You’re here,” Shen Jinrong parked the car in the familiar spot, deliberately maintaining a cold demeanor.

I’m still mad, Shen Jinrong thought. Little rascal! Intentionally calling me that to embarrass me!

“Then I’ll go,” Yan He secretly watched her. Seeing that Jiejie didn’t seem to care about her leaving, she felt a little flustered, thinking, Is Jiejie really angry?

But the next second, she caught Shen Jinrong’s quick, furtive glance. Yan He seized upon that look—as if she had caught Jiejie’s weakness.

Yan He’s heart leaped. A favored child is fearless. She deliberately said: “I’m really leaving now!” As she spoke, she unfastened her seatbelt, placed one hand on the car door, and deliberately stared at Shen Jinrong.

What will Jiejie say?

“Hurry up and go!” Shen Jinrong snorted, glaring at Yan He again, her voice filled with feigned ferocity.

Yan He pouted, pretending to be wronged: “Jiejie… we were just celebrating your birthday together, and now—do you dislike me already?”

The “Little One’s” demeanor was too pitiful. Shen Jinrong sighed and turned her head to look at her: “It’s not that I dislike you, it’s—” Before she could finish her explanation, Yan He leaned over. The distance between them was too close, and Shen Jinrong was startled, instinctively flinching backward.

She saw the sparkling eyes of the “Little One,” overflowing with amusement: “Then—Jiejie says you don’t dislike me, so that means you like me!”

Shen Jinrong’s mouth hung slightly open, stunned by the “Little One’s” leap in logic. She wanted to refute that the conclusion wasn’t necessarily true, but halfway through, looking at Yan He’s smiling face, she felt even more speechless.

The more I say, the more mistakes I’ll make! I won’t say anything!

“I really have to go now,” Yan He glanced down at her watch: “It’s getting late.”

“Mmm,” Shen Jinrong nodded.

“Then—it’s a date,” Yan He raised one eyebrow, the light in her eyes even brighter.

“A date for—what?” Shen Jinrong paused.

“To treat you to dinner once I get my internship salary.”

Shen Jinrong gave a small hum: “We’ll see how I feel.”

“Then it’s settled,” Yan He pressed a kiss on her forehead, smiling sweetly.

Shen Jinrong sniffed: “Who settled anything with you? I said we’ll see how I feel,” she said this on purpose.

“It’s settled that you’ll always be in a good mood,” Yan He smiled, opened the car door, and before closing it, she leaned down and said to Shen Jinrong, who was sitting in the driver’s seat: “Happy birthday.”

“Remember to open the gift.”

“Drive safely.”

It was nearly nine o’clock when Shen Jinrong drove home. As usual, she parked her car in her designated spot in the underground garage.

The familiar spot, the daily routine of parallel parking, the almost obsessive need to park the car right in the center of the space.

As she got out of the car with her bag, some force seemed to guide Shen Jinrong. She turned her head to look at her car and suddenly pictured the “Little One” stumbling drunkenly that night.

Under the influence of alcohol, a shy “Little One” could become so—Shen Jinrong raised her eyebrow. She walked to the elevator door, raised her hand and pressed the call button, watching the numbers on the LED screen constantly jump and decrease until the elevator reached her location.

The elevator door opened, she walked in, and pressed the button for her floor.

The elevator was empty, the white LED light making it feel somewhat cold. Listening to the mechanical whirring of the elevator, Shen Jinrong suddenly felt a sense of confusion.

She thought, I repeat these actions every day, day after day, year after year, and I’ve never felt lonely. But now, standing on the left side of the empty elevator, she unconsciously left a space for someone else.

Shen Jinrong was momentarily absent-minded. She looked to her right, only seeing her slightly distorted face on the stainless steel elevator wall.

Someone should be standing here.

She thought.

When I turn my head, I shouldn’t only see myself.

The elevator dinged, and Shen Jinrong reached her destination. She opened her door and went to the living room only after changing her clothes. She sat on the sofa and saw the bag on the coffee table.

It’s the “Little One’s” gift.

What would she give?

Shen Jinrong thought, It couldn’t possibly be Baby’s Breath again.

She was amused by her own thought. She looked up at the bouquet of Baby’s Breath on the TV stand and thought, Did Yan He think I liked this flower because I gave Tan Ning Baby’s Breath last time?

She tore open the goose-yellow-wrapped gift.

It was a book, about five or six centimeters thick. A small planet was drawn on the goose-yellow cover, with a little boy with yellow hair standing on it, watching the sunset.

The title was The Little Prince.

It looked like a pop-up book.

Shen Jinrong casually opened a page. As she did, a mountain transformed from flat paper to a three-dimensional shape, standing up before her eyes. At the top, a small boy in a yellow scarf stood with his back to her.

Shen Jinrong turned a few more pages.

“The stars are beautiful, because of a flower that cannot be seen.”

The stars are truly beautiful, because there is a flower that cannot be seen. ① She looked out the window.

The stars tonight were exceptionally bright.

On this planet, she also has her flower now!