"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 41

Before Yan He  officially started her internship, Tan Ning  scheduled a meeting with her before the winter break began. The location remained the school office. Yan He had been there several times, having taken some courses in that building, and was already familiar with the teaching complex.

Tan Ning had not yet been promoted to associate professor, so she still shared an office with other teachers. However, as the holidays approached, there were likely not many teachers around.

The only students left at school were probably the freshmen, whose summer break, by school tradition, began later than the other grades.

None of this concerned Yan He. She had been preparing for her internship and working on her thesis, hoping to finalize the first draft before the internship started. She was, as always, a person who planned ahead.

Only when she received a message from Tan Ning did she recall that Tan Ning also taught freshman courses.

To be honest, Yan He had mixed feelings about Tan Ning. As a student with decent grades, she could tell that Tan Ning’s professional ability was high. Moreover, as a thesis advisor, she had responsibly provided great help.

Yet, putting aside all that, Yan He always felt a slight barrier concerning Tan Ning’s relationship with her sister. Still, she knew she shouldn’t think that way.

She hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and when her sleep was poor, she kept having recurring dreams. The dreams were all about the scene where Tan Ning and Shen Jinrong (沈錦容) stood side-by-side.

Yan He still remembered how she felt when she saw Tan Ning help brush something off Shen Jinrong’s shoulder. The image recurred repeatedly in her dreams, making her relive it over and over, which amounted to a form of self-inflicted torment.

Every time she awoke with a start from a dream, Yan He would sit blankly on her bed, thinking: How could I think this way?

Tan Ning messaged her, asking if she had time to meet soon, perhaps to help her look over the first draft before the holiday. Yan He hesitated for a moment. She thought that this complex feeling was hers alone, and Tan Ning seemed completely unbothered by it. The more unbothered she was, the more guilty Yan He felt—Teacher Tan was clearly open and honest, with no such intentions, yet I’m still agonizing and wavering.

And so, now, standing at the door of Tan Ning’s office, Yan He pursed her lips, raised her hand, and gave a gentle knock.

“Please come in!” a gentle female voice came from within. Yan He took hold of the handle, pressed down slightly, and opened the door.

A rush of cold air greeted her. The air conditioner in the corner was buzzing, cooling the room, where only Tan Ning was present. Seeing Yan He arrive, she looked up from her computer and smiled lightly at Yan He: “You’re here?” She paused, then added, “I thought it was Teacher Yu’s student. Teacher Yu just called someone to move some things.”

Yan He knew Teacher Yu, who was one of her specialized course instructors in her sophomore year.

“Is Teacher Yu not on holiday yet?” Yan He carried her laptop over to Tan Ning, smiling as she exchanged pleasantries: “Our third-year students are already on break, why haven’t the freshmen and sophomores started theirs?”

Tan Ning pulled a chair over for her and gestured for her to sit down. Yan He did so, then heard Tan Ning say: “You third-years are about to start your internships! That’s why the school lets you go early.” Tan Ning asked with a smile: “It’s so hot, would you like some water?”

Yan He adjusted her sitting posture, a little uneasy: “Yes, please.”

The more candid Tan Ning was, the more guilty Yan He felt about her own secret thoughts.

As Tan Ning got up to fetch her water, she explained why she had scheduled the meeting for this time: “I asked your student counselor and they said you’re going to intern at CCTV (China Central Television). Is warm water okay? Just slightly warm.”

Yan He nervously stood up: “That’s fine!”

Tan Ning returned with the water, patted Yan He’s shoulder, and smiled, signaling for her to sit down: “Why so nervous? I won’t bite.” The way she narrowed her eyes while smiling was somewhat similar to Shen Jinrong, yet not exactly the same.

Yan He thought: When my sister narrows her eyes and smiles, there is a hint of mischief, but with Tan Ning, there is only composure.

“It’s summer, so young women shouldn’t drink anything too cold. Drinking some warm water is actually better for your health.”

Yan He took the cup and quietly said thank you.

“It’s like this: the CCTV internship is usually quite busy. I was worried you wouldn’t have time once your internship starts,” Tan Ning expressed her concern: “I thought I’d help you check the first draft for any issues before the holiday. Anyway, there’s nearly a year left, so there’s no need to rush.”

Yan He sipped the water in small mouthfuls. Tan Ning and Shen Jinrong are still different, she thought. When she looked up, her eyes met Tan Ning’s. They were beautiful but also very clear, seemingly looking through her eyes right into her soul.

Yan He nearly choked.

“Thank you, Teacher!” she expressed her gratitude.

After Tan Ning reviewed her first draft and offered a few suggestions, it was soon lunchtime.

“Well—Teacher, I’ll be leaving now!” Yan He picked up her laptop, bowed slightly, and bid farewell to Tan Ning.

Tan Ning said, “Wait a moment.” She quickly tidied up her own things, picked up her bag, and walked over to Yan He: “Let’s walk out together.”

Yan He thought: Could it be that she’s going to use this time to ask me something?

She guessed correctly. As they walked side-by-side down the empty hallway, Tan Ning brought up a topic seemingly casually: “The last time I saw you was during the New Year, with Jinrong. We didn’t have time for much small talk.”

Yan He smiled: “I was with a friend buying things then, and I didn’t expect to run into the two of you.”

Tan Ning spoke courteously, and Yan He played the guessing game along with her. Neither of them revealed their true intentions with their back-and-forth exchange.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Tan Ning laughed: “I understand! When on holiday, neither teachers nor students want to run into each other too much.”

Tan Ning’s simple sentence lightened the atmosphere. Yan He gave an awkward smile, saying no, not at all, but inwardly agreeing with the sentiment.

The two chatted casually, and they soon reached the ground floor. Facing the blinding sunlight, Yan He put on her baseball cap. She felt every second spent with Teacher Tan was a little drawn out, likely due to her complicated feelings. On one hand, she felt a little guilty; on the other, a little awkward.

Isn’t this just me making things difficult for myself? Yan He thought.

Yan He expected Tan Ning to continue the topic, but she didn’t. It was as if she had only asked a question in passing, not as a deliberate probe, and her offer to walk together was merely because their paths aligned.

Could I have overthought this? Yan He wondered. She turned and glanced at Tan Ning, saying, “Teacher, I’m going to go eat now. I’ve made plans with a friend.”

Tan Ning nodded with a smile. Under the sunlight, everyone’s emotions were laid bare. Yan He suddenly had a strange feeling. She felt Tan Ning had changed a little from the first time she met her.

The first time Yan He saw Tan Ning, her face was full of the joy of a new mother and the happiness of a complete family. Now, however, that happiness seemed like a forced pretense.

“Alright, then I won’t interrupt you young people for lunch,” Tan Ning smiled and waved: “If anything comes up, just message me on WeChat.”

Yan He nodded, thanking her: “Thank you, Teacher! You’ve worked hard! I’ll be going now.”

Tan Ning opened her sun umbrella and thought: She is a polite, good child. Her and Shen Jinrong— Tan Ning shook her head. Could I be overthinking things?

The plan to have lunch with a friend was merely an excuse. After walking out of the school gates, Yan He simply found a small restaurant and sat down to order. She thought: I just didn’t want to stay with Teacher Tan any longer.

Yet, Tan Ning’s eyes were gentle and calm, but that gentleness and calmness seemed to carry a magical power that could peer into the soul. Chatting with Tan Ning was comfortable, but the pace of the conversation was always firmly controlled by Tan Ning.

Yan He disliked others prying into her inner thoughts. She didn’t think Tan Ning was doing it on purpose; it might just be the professional habit of having been a psychological counselor. Li Xiuxi had told her that Tan Ning once worked as a psychological counselor at the school for a period, but that was a long time ago.

A long time ago—In her messy thoughts, Yan He suddenly grasped a clear thread—Was that during the time she was teaching my sister?

If that were truly the case—Yan He thought of the scar on her sister’s wrist. Although the scar had faded with the passage of time, the glimpse of it was still a fierce sight. It wasn’t hard to imagine how severe the injury must have been at the time.

Yan He suddenly had a strong urge to see her sister.

No other reason, no specific goal, just a sudden thought.

What should one do when one misses someone?

“If you want to see me, just send me a message.”

At that time, standing by the rolled-down car window of Shen Jinrong’s car, that was what her sister had told her.

Yan He lowered her head to look at her phone, aimlessly scrolling through pages. This meaningless action gave her a sense of security, at least she wasn’t completely idle.

So—Should I go find my sister?

Yan He’s biggest reason for delaying contacting Shen Jinrong was her fear of disturbing her sister.

Disturbing.

However, what she didn’t know was that the very “disturbance” she worried about might also be a source of joy for Shen Jinrong.

Yan He fiddled with her phone, flipping through her photo album, thinking about what topic could sustain an entire conversation with her sister lately.

She saw the jasmine flowers she had photographed a while ago. It was a picture of the jasmine blooming outside her house recently, emitting a light fragrance on a hot afternoon.

She recalled that the last time she saw her sister was only a week ago, which didn’t seem too distant—yet Yan He felt as though centuries had passed. A single day apart feels like three autumns was truly an apt description of her current mood.

In that photo, the small white flowers were fully in bloom, neatly arranged together, scattered aesthetically.

Yan He hesitated for a moment, made a simple edit to the photo to make the overall composition look more harmonious and beautiful. Then, she took a deep breath and cautiously sent it to her sister.

The feeling of a secret crush is like the stamen hidden within the petals, shyly tucked inside, not daring to openly reveal the heart’s affection. Yet, the fragrance is rich, and it cannot be hidden.

—What is there to be shy about? Don’t you just want to see her? Don’t you just want to hug her tightly?

When she thought of her, she didn’t directly tell her, I want to see you; instead, she sent a photograph.

Sister, look, the jasmine flowers have bloomed. Can we meet?