"What to do When the Pretty Woman I Kissed is My Best Friend's Professor" - Chapter 98

The fabric in Yan He’s hand was inexplicably glaring to Shen Jinrong. The thin layer of cloth was like a transparent excuse for something being hidden, an invitation to an unknown next step.

Shen Jinrong’s face reddened. She glared at Yan He in reproach and asked, “You like it?”

Yan He nodded, but her hand clenched the hanger, afraid to touch the two pitiful pieces of cloth. Her nervousness made it seem as if she weren’t the one who had just been teasing her Jiejie.

Shen Jinrong gave her another glare: “Put it back.”

“Fine…”

Yan He lowered her head, thinking to herself that her Jiejie would look incredibly beautiful in that swimsuit. Black against the whiteness of her skin—Yan He subconsciously swallowed.

The tips of Shen Jinrong’s ears were red, but she decided it wasn’t due to shyness; it must be because the temperature difference between inside and outside was too great. Professor Shen pretended to be nonchalant, touched her ear, and pulled Yan He towards the rack selling ski equipment.

When they walked out of the store holding the paper bag, Yan He still hesitated, turning back to look at the second floor. She tugged on her Jiejie‘s sleeve and asked, “Are you really not going to buy it?”

Shen Jinrong, of course, knew she was talking about that swimsuit. She let out a sniff and said, “No.”

Yan He secretly pouted, still trying to resist: “But it’s so pretty!”

Shen Jinrong genuinely couldn’t understand what was so attractive about a plain black bikini with no decoration. She gave Yan He a look: “Time for dinner?”

By this time, the sky was already dark. Far away, the faded gray clouds and deep blue sky mixed together, presenting a sense of inexplicable depth. Where the sun had set, a beautiful shade of pink was visible. This pink was similar to others she had seen before, yet not exactly the same. Yan He thought, no two skies are exactly alike.

She carried the bag in one hand and held her Jiejie’s hand with the other. There were many coffee shops nearby. The faint smell of coffee lingered in the air, but was quickly dispersed by the approaching wind, leaving nothing behind.

Perhaps because they had just come from indoors, her Jiejie’s hand was warm. The temperatures of her palm and fingertips were slightly different but not far off. Holding hands, fingers intertwined, brought a sense of inexplicable security. This security might have come from the feeling of being enclosed, or perhaps from the tenderness of the person beside her.

Walking through this small town, she didn’t need to strain to hear what the foreigners were saying, nor did she need to think about the things that bothered her. She only needed to think about what to eat for dinner, what to prepare for skiing with her Jiejie tomorrow, and—how to confess.

Many times—she wanted to impulsively tell Shen Jinrong, I like you. Can we be together? When you like someone, you constantly think about making her belong to you. Yet, before taking that final step, you hesitate.

“I want to check out the Christmas market again,” Yan He leaned closer to Shen Jinrong. She knew Shen Jinrong would agree.

Her Jiejie nodded: “Sure, we can see if there are any good things to eat there.” She smiled again: “Maybe some sausages? Some local specialties.”

In Yan He’s opinion, Italian specialties were rather uninspired. Apart from sausage, pasta, and pizza, there didn’t seem to be much else left. Some handicrafts? They were pretty much the same as small commodities from Yiwu, China.

“We can buy some to bring back for Grandma,” Yan He said. “I’ll see if there’s anything suitable to buy for myself, too.”

Speaking of which, she probably should call Ms. He to report on the situation, but she had been sending Ms. He WeChat updates on her itinerary this whole time and hadn’t actually called.

“Grandma might like it,” Shen Jinrong said casually. “If I buy something for her, I’ll have to get something for Aunt Mei too—oh, that’s Tan Ning’s mother.”

The sudden mention of Tan Ning made both of them pause.

Yan He stopped for a moment, very calmly: “Yes, we definitely should bring things back for all the elders.”

Shen Jinrong nodded silently.

The Christmas tree lit up promptly at six in the evening. The bell high up in the nearby church also rang out as the lights came on. The melodious chimes spread throughout the small town. Yan He squinted and saw the huge bell swaying. A gust of wind blew by, making the bell sounds even louder. It was as if this gust of wind served as the messenger for the chimes.

They stood beneath the Christmas tree, amidst the crowd, looking up at the small decorative lights illuminating the deep green tree. They watched the star at the very top twinkle, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky beside it.

“So beautiful.”

The deep blue and pink sky shone together. Although the light was much dimmer than before, it was still beautiful at this moment.

Yan He looked down at their clasped hands. Never had she felt the world was so wonderful. Did Europe have a tradition of making wishes under the Christmas tree? Where did people entrust their beautiful wishes?

Yan He didn’t know.

But as she looked at Shen Jinrong, a warm current suddenly flowed through her heart. Her Jiejie also noticed her gaze and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Yan He was nudged by the crowd and involuntarily moved closer to Shen Jinrong: “I was thinking about whether people make wishes to the Christmas tree.”

“I don’t know,” Shen Jinrong replied, “but you can write a letter to Santa Claus.”

“Can I really send it?” Yan He turned to look at her.

“Yes, you can. Of course, you can also make a wish to me,” Shen Jinrong winked at her. “Maybe I can even make it come true.”

Yan He opened her mouth, wanting to ask, Then can you be with me? Can you be with me forever? But she thought Shen Jinrong probably didn’t want to hear that.

“Then can I wish for you to buy that swimsuit?”

Yan He blinked.

Shen Jinrong refused: “No.”

Yan He pouted: “Then what’s the point of wishing!”

“Keep it to yourself,” Shen Jinrong mimed zipping her mouth shut.

Yan He refused to listen. She openly leaned over and pecked her Jiejie‘s lips, then licked them afterward, earning a reproachful glare from her Jiejie.

“Is there anything you like?” They circled the entire marketplace. The small square had many small wooden houses, each selling different things. The store they had just passed specialized in handmade leather goods. Leather wallets and belts were neatly arranged on the table in front, the buckles decorated with gold patterns.

“This store has rings,” Yan He walked closer to a nearby store, realizing upon closer inspection that it sold decorative items. She saw rings displayed in small compartments and suddenly said this to her Jiejie.

A ring didn’t seem right to buy now, but she still wanted to buy one.

Shen Jinrong saw the price tag below and raised an eyebrow: “That expensive?” She smiled at the shopkeeper, picked up a ring to examine it briefly: “It’s gold-plated, and they’re selling it for a hundred euros?”

She put the ring down and told Yan He sincerely: “If you like this style, I can make one for you.”

Yan He’s eyes widened: “Make one?”

“Of course. I have the tools at home. Haven’t you seen them before?” Shen Jinrong thought of the full set of tools in her studio and smiled: “I can also make some earrings, if you want them.”

Shen Jinrong paused, then added: “If you want to buy this one, that’s fine too.” She wouldn’t interfere with any of Yan He’s choices.

Yan He placed the ring back exactly where it was and showed her neat teeth in a smile: “No, no need.”

The little puppy’s eyes were shining brightly, full of anticipation: “Jiejie promised to make one for me!”

Shen Jinrong pretended to be difficult: “Then what do you want for your birthday present? Do you want a ring or a scarf?”

Yan He tugged at her, looking wistfully: “Can I have both?” She wanted earrings! She wanted her Jiejie to wear matching earrings with her!

Shen Jinrong was internally laughing hysterically, yet she maintained a calm expression: “That depends on your performance.”

So, for the rest of the walk, Yan He was calculating how to achieve outstanding performance.

When they were preparing to return to the hotel, Yan He proactively took the bag from her Jiejie’s hand, pressed the elevator button, held the door open for her Jiejie, and made a gesture of “please.”

Shen Jinrong tried hard to suppress her laughter as she walked into the elevator, and continued to enjoy the little puppy’s attentiveness all the way into the room.

“Jiejie! Jiejie, do you want water?” Yan He poured a glass of water and presented it to her Jiejie: “Drink this! It’s warm!”

Shen Jinrong took the cup, took a sip, and then handed the cup back to Yan He. She handed her bag to Yan He: “Here, take this.”

Yan He took the bag, turned around to place it on the nearby table, and then fetched the slippers: “Jiejie, wear these!”

The tips of Shen Jinrong’s ears flushed: “I can change them myself.”

“Fine!” Yan He straightened up, smiling: “Jiejie, do you want to take a shower?”

Following her gaze, Shen Jinrong saw the frosted glass of the bathroom, through which the shape of the bathtub was faintly visible. She abruptly turned and glared at Yan He: “Little hooligan!”

Yan He turned her head away: “I won’t look!”

Shen Jinrong looked around nearby and finally found the curtain that was hidden to one side. She pulled the curtain shut and clapped her hands in satisfaction: “Good.”

Yan He laughed: “I wouldn’t actually look. If there wasn’t this curtain, I’d go out for a stroll when you’re taking your shower.”

Shen Jinrong stood with her arms crossed: “I know you wouldn’t dare look.”

Yan He pursed her lips—she truly wouldn’t dare look.

The sound of trickling water came from the bathroom. Yan He lowered her head and felt around in her pocket, eventually pulling out a rose-gold necklace. The necklace was styled like the World Tree, enclosed within a gold circle.

Yan He put the necklace back into its small box and shook it near her ear, hearing a muffled collision sound inside. She lowered her eyes and put the box back where it was.

The World Tree, in Norse mythology, constitutes the entire world. (1) Yan He thought, I can give you my world, too.

Then, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Shen Jinrong walked out wearing a bathrobe. Water dripped from the ends of her hair, her cheeks were lightly flushed from the bath, and her eyes glistened with water, unintentionally exuding a stunning charm.