"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 47

The person taking photos below was a journalism student Yan He recognized, a junior from the news department. She didn’t really recognize his face, but she recognized the SLR camera the boy was holding.

That camera was a brand new one she and Yu Ke had managed to buy with hard-won grant money, finally retiring the old-style camera the news department had used for six or seven years.

She felt her mind was a mess, completely unable to process the jumbled information: the blinding sunlight, the dusty wind blowing intermittently, the sweet citrus scent from Elder Sister beside her, the mixed sounds in her ears, and the student aggressively photographing her and Elder Sister.

Shen Jinrong was holding the flowers with her right hand, her left hand resting at her side. Yan He was standing to her left. She suddenly felt her own hand brushed by Elder Sister’s, seemingly inadvertently, yet feeling like a deliberate gesture.

“Senior! Senior! Look over here!” The male student taking photos clearly recognized Yan He. Seeing her gaze wander, he quickly raised his hand and waved, shouting, “Professor Shen! Smile!”

Before Shen Jinrong and Yan He could react, the boy had already pressed the shutter button repeatedly, taking many photos of them.

In the pictures, Yan He’s expression was somewhat serious, her lips pressed together, her eyes resolute. Shen Jinrong, standing next to her, was smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers. Her left hand and Yan He’s right hand were nearly touching, and though there was no more contact, it made people sigh with the thought, “They look so well-matched.”

Presenting flowers to the teachers was the final part of the event. Afterward, amid even more celebratory music, students arranged on both sides set off streamers.

With two loud “bangs,” streamers soared through the air. Yan He turned her head and gazed intently at Shen Jinrong.

She thought, if she could make time freeze right here, she would do anything.

The colorful streamers scattered in mid-air. Since they were near the starting point, Yan He and Shen Jinrong had the most streamers falling over them. The flying ribbons caught the sunset light, and in a daze, they looked somewhat like large, falling snowflakes.

The snowflakes drifted down, with a few pieces landing on Shen Jinrong’s hair and shoulders. The world was still so noisy. Everyone felt various kinds of happiness and excitement. But at this moment, right here, under the falling streamers, Yan He thought, this joy belonged exclusively to her and Shen Jinrong.

How fortunate.

It was as if only the two of them remained in this world enveloped by streamers. In this completely sealed-off space, everything else seemed less important compared to the person she loved.

Faced with the sudden streamers, which hadn’t appeared in the rehearsal, Shen Jinrong seemed a little flustered, or perhaps the unexpected “bang-bang” sounds startled her. She subconsciously took half a step back. Just as her foot touched the solid ground, Yan He grabbed her arm, her hand firmly stopping Shen Jinrong’s backward fall.

Shen Jinrong regained her balance, returning to her composed state, as if everything that just happened was Yan He’s illusion.

“Be careful, Professor Shen.” Yan He’s voice, filled with laughter, came from beside her, sounding like teasing, yet also a kind reminder.

Shen Jinrong nodded, appearing extremely calm and collected. “Yes, I know. Thank you.”

Very polite, very distant.

This was how they were supposed to behave in front of others.

The event just ended. Shen Jinrong and a few other teachers stayed behind for a group photo with the school leaders. As Yan He came down, she saw the junior student who had just photographed them running over excitedly.

“Senior! Senior!”

Yan He stopped, looking at him confusedly.

The student ran up to her, holding his knees and gasping for breath. After catching his breath, he gestured to the camera hanging around his neck. “This! I just took photos of you and Professor Shen together!”

Yan He’s eyes lit up.

She had originally planned to ask Yu Ke for the photos the day after the event ended, but now it looked like she didn’t have to.

She looked at the student expectantly. He smartly stood next to her and showed her the photos one by one. They flipped through the pictures until they reached the one where Yan He and Shen Jinrong were standing side by side.

The student smiled and joked, “It really looks like a wedding photo!”

Hearing this, Yan He turned to look at him.

The student thought his comment was inappropriate and shrank his neck back, muttering an “I’m sorry.” But Yan He was secretly laughing to herself.

It really does look like a wedding photo.

Flipping further, they came to the group photo of the teachers. Shen Jinrong was standing on the far right of the entire stage, completely distinct from the other teachers. Her skin was fair, her expression cool, and she stood there, slender and tall, as if in a category of her own.

“Professor Shen is so fair,” the student remarked. “I noticed it when I was taking the pictures; she’s at least two or three shades lighter than Professor Zhao next to her!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Professor Zhao, who had finished the group photo, walked past them.

Professor Zhao clearly heard the comment. He glared fiercely at the student, gave a “humph,” and walked away. Professor Zhao was usually a kind, grandfatherly figure; although a little bald, he had a good temper and smiled like a Buddha.

The student gave an embarrassed smile, quickly shielding his face, afraid Professor Zhao would remember what he looked like.

“Are we WeChat friends yet?” Yan He asked him.

The student quickly replied, “Not yet! I missed the last meeting… I missed the chance.”

Yan He took out her phone and opened her QR code. “Then let’s add each other on WeChat. Can you export the photos and send me a copy?”

After they became friends, the student asked, “Do you want all of them?”

Yan He thought for a moment, concerned he might misunderstand. “Yes, all of them. Remember to send the original files, thank you!”

The two said their goodbyes and parted ways.

Yan He walked a few steps, about to look for Shen Jinrong, but saw her talking with the department head on the stage. She was hesitating whether to wait for Elder Sister when Li Xiuxi walked up from behind her and threw an arm around her neck. “Hey! Sister! How was it!”

Li Xiuxi winked at her. “How does it feel to present flowers to Professor Shen?”

Yan He moved her neck a bit, complaining, “Ease up! I’m an office worker now!” Then, she smiled shyly. “It was really great.”

“Told you your sister would come through!” Li Xiuxi took off her work badge around her neck and let out a long breath. “Finally, it’s over. The freshmen are about to have their military training here.”

“Haven’t the freshmen started school yet?”

“They report next Monday.” Li Xiuxi looked around furtively, only sighing in relief after confirming no one was paying attention. “I really don’t want to do the welcoming work! I’m just afraid someone will come looking for me to be a laborer.”

Yan He laughed. “Don’t you still have to recruit new members?”

Li Xiuxi shrugged, smiling cunningly. “That’s a matter for the juniors to worry about. What does that have to do with me, a senior intern?”

They both laughed.

“So, aren’t you going to grab a meal with your Elder Sister?” Li Xiuxi asked. “It must have been hard to take leave from your job, right?”

Yan He sighed. “It really was. I only managed to sneak out because a particularly kind older colleague at my station said I could tag along on an outdoor assignment.”

Li Xiuxi sighed too, then remembered the main topic. “Aren’t you going to have dinner with your Professor Shen?”

Yan He was about to say she wanted to, but her phone rang. She looked down and saw her direct supervisor calling. Panic instantly set in. Her face full of horror, she gave Li Xiuxi a “shush” sign, took a deep breath, and answered the phone.

“Hello? Yan He?” The voice of the head of the reporters’ department came through the phone, the tone moderate, betraying no emotion.

Yan He took a deep breath to calm herself. “Yes, Teacher Qin, it’s me.”

“Ah, are you at the station right now?” Qin Liu asked.

Yan He thought she had been caught skipping work. She nervously pressed her lips together and answered, “No, I’m out on location with Sister Wang.”

“Oh! That’s what I figured, since neither of you were here.” Qin Liu chuckled. “Here’s the thing. Before you leave work today—ah, forget it. Come to my office tomorrow after you get to work.”

Yan He opened her mouth, asking somewhat nervously, “Is… is something going on?”

It doesn’t seem like I was caught skipping work… So what is it?

“It’s good news,” Qin Liu laughed on the other end of the phone. “It’s definitely good news. I won’t spoil it for you, so you don’t get too excited to sleep. See you tomorrow morning.”

With that, he hung up the phone.

Yan He held her phone and stared blankly.

Li Xiuxi waved a hand in front of her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did answering the phone make your soul fly away?”

“My boss told me to go see him tomorrow morning.” Yan He kept running through possibilities in her head. “Do you think I was caught skipping work?”

“I don’t think so. If you had been caught, your senior colleagues would definitely have told you.” Li Xiuxi asked, “What did your boss say?”

“He said it was good news.”

Li Xiuxi smiled. “If it’s good news, it’s good news. He already said it was good news, so why are you worrying?”

Yan He sighed. “Isn’t this the first time I’ve skipped work and feel guilty?”

Li Xiuxi laughed heartlessly.

As they were chatting, Shen Jinrong had finished her conversation and was walking towards them. She reached the two just as she heard Li Xiuxi laughing and casually asked, “What are you two talking about that’s so funny?”

If anyone else had said this, Li Xiuxi might have thought the teacher was being sarcastic. But since it was Shen Jinrong speaking, who was beautiful and had a pleasant voice, she felt Professor Shen was genuinely asking.

“Morning, Professor!” Li Xiuxi, in a moment of absentmindedness, blurted out “morning.”

Shen Jinrong tilted her head, slightly surprised. She glanced at her wrist, checking the time, and chuckled. “It’s not morning anymore. It’s time for dinner.”

“Professor Shen.” Yan He also chimed in.

Shen Jinrong raised her eyebrows slightly. “Morning, then.”

Li Xiuxi: Pfft.

Yan He: ? [Kitty scratching its head]

“I might not be able to have dinner with you tonight,” Shen Jinrong said to Yan He apologetically, without avoiding Li Xiuxi. “The department head just needed me for something, and I need to finish up the work in the next two days.”

Yan He was stunned, quickly saying, “It’s fine! It’s fine!”

Shen Jinrong curved her lips, smiling at her. It wasn’t until Shen Jinrong left that Yan He realized—Wait a minute! I never told Elder Sister that I wanted to eat together!

Does that count as… an implicit agreement? That after meeting, we should eat together…

Li Xiuxi blinked. “Hey, Yan He.”

“What?”

“Um… your ears are red.”

Yan He raised her hand in horror to cover her ears.

Li Xiuxi gave a small cough. “It won’t cover it. Your face is red too.”

Yan He woke up very early the next day. Her mind was occupied. She had been wondering all night what the “good news” her boss mentioned was, so she hadn’t slept well and woke up around five in the morning.

Seeing the sky just starting to lighten, she thought, Since I can’t sleep anyway, I might as well throw caution to the wind and just get up. She went downstairs for a run, then stopped at a food stall for breakfast. After eating, she went home, changed clothes, and headed to the station.

When Yan He arrived at the office, it was still forty minutes before the official start time. The entire office was empty. She sighed and began tidying up her desk, as well as neatly arranging some documents in the public area.

After she finished these tasks, only twenty minutes had passed. People gradually started arriving at the office. Bored while sitting, she stood up and bought a cup of coffee downstairs. She ran into Sister Wang in the elevator on the way back up.

Seeing Sister Wang, Yan He’s eyes brightened. Holding her coffee, she was about to say something but was separated by a crowd of people squeezing into the elevator.

Once they finally reached the office, Yan He held her coffee and cautiously asked Sister Wang, “Sister Wang, the boss asked me to go see him today when I get to work… He said it was good news…”

Sister Wang, carrying her breakfast, heard Yan He’s words and paused. Clearly remembering something, her smile widened. “Aiya! If Old Qin says it’s good news, it must be good news. Don’t worry!”

Yan He asked, “Do you know what it is?”

Sister Wang smiled mysteriously. “You’ll find out soon.”

So, with a nervous and apprehensive heart, Yan He spotted Qin Liu entering his office, waited for ten minutes in her seat, and then walked over.

Before knocking, Yan He stood outside the door for a long time doing mental preparation. She took a deep breath, thinking that since the boss said it was good news, and Sister Wang said it was good news, there definitely wouldn’t be a problem.

With that thought, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Qin Liu’s voice came from inside. Yan He opened the door and entered, seeing a cup of tea on Qin Liu’s desk, who was looking at her with a smile.

He gestured to the sofa nearby and said, “Have a seat.”

Then, he picked up his teacup and walked over, sitting on the single sofa next to Yan He, and laughed. “I saw you deliberating outside the door for a long time. Am I that scary?”

Yan He then remembered that the office door outside was frosted glass.

“No…” She smiled nervously. “I was just nervous.”

“No need to be nervous, okay?” Qin Liu slowly took a sip of tea. He got scalded, but for the sake of maintaining his leadership image, he couldn’t spit it out. He swallowed the boiling tea forcefully, and his eyes watered slightly.

Yan He didn’t notice, continuing to be nervous on her own.

“Here’s the thing. Our station has an opportunity for an overseas assignment around—late December this year, early January next year,” Qin Liu said slowly. “It’s to a small country, in the southwest region.”

“The country has good security, and its history is worth exploring.” Qin Liu picked up a file from his desk and handed it to Yan He. “These are some materials. You can take a look and then decide whether or not you want to go.”

Yan He woodenly took the file he handed over, but she didn’t look at the materials immediately. Instead, she asked blankly, “Why me?”

Qin Liu chuckled. “You want to ask why we’re sending an intern, right?”

Seeing Yan He nod, he explained, “It’s like this: it’s not just you. A senior reporter and a cameraman will go with you. This isn’t a particularly big feature story; our station often does this kind of reporting.”

“For a young person, this is also a great opportunity for experience. It won’t take too long, about less than three weeks, and you’ll be back.”

Yan He nodded. “Okay, I’ll go.”

Qin Liu was a little surprised. “You can take some time to consider it.”

“You said yourself, it’s a great opportunity for experience,” Yan He smiled.

Qin Liu suddenly realized that on that young and vibrant face, the young person’s ambition was fully apparent.

“However, since it’s abroad, you still need to be mindful of your safety,” Qin Liu said, discussing the arrangements with her. “You’ll be going with Old Yao. I’ll arrange for you two to meet soon. Ah! Old Yao, Yao Yao! Do you know who she is?”

After leaving Qin Liu’s office, Yan He was still in a daze. She hadn’t expected the good news Qin Liu mentioned would be an overseas assignment for an interview and report in another country. Even more surprising was that she would be going with Yao Yao.

How could she not know Yao Yao? As an excellent senior reporter, Yao Yao was the only person in their department who hadn’t retired who had covered a war zone. There used to be another one; Yan He remembered the previous senior was named Gu Yu, but she seemed to have resigned a long time ago.

“It’s good news, right?” Sister Wang saw her come out with a stack of documents and asked with a cheerful smile. “Didn’t I tell you?”

Yan He nodded emphatically. Afraid of disturbing other colleagues, she quietly chatted with Sister Wang. “They want me to go to a small country to interview about the local culture and customs and things like that.”

“I knew it was that matter.” Sister Wang smiled. “Don’t be too nervous. If conditions allow, our department traditionally sends outstanding interns to go with senior reporters every year.”

Then, Sister Wang said mysteriously, “And by custom, you’ll also get a short vacation beforehand to prepare.”

During her lunch break, Yan He opened her chat box with Elder Sister. She scrolled up and realized it had been a while since their last conversation, and the first and last message of every chat were always sent by her.

But she didn’t mind. You have to be brave when pursuing your Elder Sister!

The brave little puppy wagged its tail and excitedly sent a message to Elder Sister: “Elder Sister, I’m being sent on an overseas assignment!”

“It’s around the end of the year, to a small country for an interview!”

The desire to share her joy with Shen Jinrong had never been so strong.

Shen Jinrong quickly replied: “[Fireworks] Our little Yan He is amazing!”

“[Kiss]” Yan He saw the emoji she sent and secretly blushed. Why is Elder Sister sending a kiss emoji!