Chapter 53

Du Heming ignored the newcomer and lined up her skewered vegetables side by side on the grill rack, sighing, “I knew it. Without Director Lin as your shield, those admirers of yours couldn’t stay away.”

Besides the blabbermouth Zhang Jue, a few young colleagues from the administrative departments had also caught wind and come over.

Someone chimed in, “Teacher Zhang, sharing is caring, right?”

At lunch, not everyone had been that familiar yet, and with the hot springs waiting in the afternoon, both the drinks and the jokes had been kept tame.

By evening, though, the bonds had formed, the alcohol had flowed, and everyone had let loose.

Lou Yixuan casually picked up a basket of meat skewers and handed it to Zhang Jue. “Teacher Zhang is such a nice guy—he’d be thrilled to serve everyone. It’s not just for the beauties, right, Teacher Zhang?”

Du Heming got the hint.

Lou Yixuan’s voice was a bit louder than usual, like she was setting a trap for certain people to walk right into.

“Sigh, I can handle being called ‘Teacher,’ but ‘beauty’? No way.”

As Du Heming brushed oil onto the veggies, she sighed again. “So I’ll just do it myself. No need to trouble Teacher Zhang.”

Zhang Jue caught the one-two punch of sarcasm from the two of them and quickly backpedaled. “What are you saying, Teacher Du? How could you not be a beauty? Every lady here is a total knockout. Right, everyone?”

None of the female colleagues nearby responded, but the art teacher tossed in a casual agreement. “Teacher Zhang, you focus on serving the beauties. I’m heading elsewhere for a smoke.”

With that, he shrugged at Lou Yixuan to signal he wasn’t joining the fray, and she nodded back.

The grill rack was pretty long—Du Heming’s melons only took up a quarter, leaving plenty of room for Zhang Jue to show off.

“Teacher Zhang?” Lou Yixuan held out another pair of tongs. “Smoke or grill?”

“Teacher Lou, you have the wrong idea about me—I don’t smoke.” Zhang Jue took the tongs and started loading chicken wings and pork belly onto the rack.

Sizzle. Again, sizzle.

Lou Yixuan chatted with the others nearby, laughing and blending in seamlessly, drawing even more people over.

Birds of a feather flocked together, and the topics flowed.

The administrative folks were younger on average than the teachers.

As he listened to the group chattering animatedly beside him, Zhang Jue increasingly felt like a belittled waiter.

Another veggie basket appeared before him. “Teacher Zhang, add an eggplant—some beauty colleague wants one.”

Zhang Jue clamped an eggplant from the basket Lou Yixuan offered. “No problem.”

A few minutes later, Du Heming picked up a skewer of baby pumpkins. “Teacher Little Lou, too busy chatting? Your melon’s ready. Still eating?”

“Yeah!”

“I thought with Teacher Zhang’s grilled meat, you’d look down on my grilled melon.”

“…” Tch, so sour. Just the flavor we want.

Lou Yixuan stepped over to Du Heming, took the pumpkin skewer, and grinned at her new friends. “Vinegar-glazed pumpkin—new taste sensation. Want to try?”

Du Heming grabbed a cucumber skewer next. “No idea if it’s sour, but it’ll cut the grease. Help yourselves.”

The colleagues laughed at their banter, chuckling as they each snagged a melon skewer.

Lou Yixuan took a mushroom one.

Zhang Jue was starting to lose his cool.

If they were eating melon to cut the grease, what was the point of him grilling a whole basket of meat?

He couldn’t let it go to waste. “Teacher Lou, your chicken wings and eggplant are done. Give ’em a taste while hot.”

Lou Yixuan approached and took the loaded plate with one hand, exclaiming in mock admiration, “Teacher Zhang, such skill! Whoever becomes your girlfriend is lucky. You’ve been searching for months—any progress? Got a steady partner yet?”

Zhang Jue sensed the danger at those words.

Incoming threat.

He tried to laugh it off. “Teacher Lou, where’d you hear that nonsense? I’m still single—no partner here. Don’t spread rumors. Speaking of, you and Lin lately…”

“Am I wrong?”

Lou Yixuan struck first as the mood shifted. “Before today, Teacher Zhang asked me out to eat alone multiple times. Wasn’t that to get closer to me? But talk about bad luck—I always spot you chatting up different female teachers at school.”

“Forgive my poor eyesight; I can’t tell where your boundaries are with the opposite sex.”

“That said, Teacher Zhang, you’re so handsome and poised, always so enthusiastic. Girls love that. It’s just me—something stuck in my craw—so I turned you down three times in a row. Three, right? Sorry if I’m being presumptuous and misread you.”

Her little mouth unleashed a torrent: praise mixed with shade. Du Heming wanted to applaud.

Zhang Jue’s face darkened instantly.

Rage boiled inside, but Lou Yixuan’s honeyed words hid daggers—full of “misunderstandings” and “apologies.” He had to swallow it and keep up his gentlemanly facade in front of everyone.

“Teacher Lou, you’re too kind. Asking you to dinner was just to say thanks and make a friend. If I caused a misunderstanding, I should apologize.”

He’d had designs on her once, but after that cafeteria rejection, no more.

Tonight, he’d targeted her only to fake closeness and provoke Lin Huayan—to expose their ambiguous relationship and confirm his suspicions.

Tit for tat: let them taste public humiliation.

“I wondered why Director Lin suddenly called me in for a talk last month. Guess you two are close…”

“Teacher Zhang.”

Hearing him twist facts and sling mud at Lin Huayan, Lou Yixuan felt sick.

Infuriating—enough to make her want to hit him.

She shoved the plate back without mercy. “Now that it’s out, let’s be clear. Teacher Zhang thinks mighty highly of himself; I’m not in your league. In my book for friends or partners, you’re a zero.”

Tired of playing nice.

Bring on the mudslinging, the verbal sparring—all on her.

“Also, on or off campus, I keep myself clean—no solo dates with the opposite sex, no meals alone with them. Teacher Zhang, please respect that. Don’t do anything misleading anymore, or else…”

“Lou Yixuan, enough!” Zhang Jue’s fig leaf was ripped off. He exploded, thunderous, swatting the plate away.

Good thing Du Heming was quick—she yanked Lou Yixuan back, or her clothes would’ve been ruined.

The plate smashed into the grill rack with a bang, shattering, pieces clattering crisply to the ground.

The “spectators” all stepped back, leaving Zhang Jue alone in place.

“Zhang Jue, you spineless coward!” Du Heming lunged, grabbing his collar. “What, embarrassed and resorting to violence now?”

“Teacher Du, Teacher Du.”

Lou Yixuan tossed her half-eaten mushroom skewer and hugged Du Heming’s arm, dragging her back. “Let go—don’t get rash.”

“What happened?”

Lin Huayan strode up just as Du Heming released him.

She first checked their faces and hands. They shook their heads to say they were fine, so she turned to Zhang Jue, who stood opposite, disgustedly brushing his clothes.

The onlookers had pieced together the dispute’s cause but stayed silent as mice now—no one spoke up.

Lou Yixuan stepped forward to smooth things. “My fault—hand slipped, dropped the plate. Wasted Teacher Zhang’s efforts.”

She bent to pick up the shards. “I broke it; I’ll clean it. Teacher Du, grab the staff for the small pieces? Need it swept quick.”

Lin Huayan was the team lead—any trouble from her team, big or small, became her trouble.

Lou Yixuan didn’t care about herself; she just didn’t want to burden Lin Huayan.

“Okay, watch your hands.” Du Heming agreed readily and dashed off.

Also to cool down.

But Lin Huayan grabbed Lou Yixuan’s hat brim and hoisted her up. “Get up. Don’t pick it. Wait for staff.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t even touched the ground yet.

Was Lin Huayan’s grip always this strong?

She felt like she was being lifted like a chick—feet off the ground, legs wobbling.

“Teacher Lin, you…”

Lou Yixuan swayed, half-turning before Lin Huayan’s other hand steadied her waist. Finally stable.

So embarrassing.

Was Lin Huayan mad? Punishing her like this?

The tense standoff broke with Lin Huayan’s chick-lift maneuver. The crowd couldn’t hold back their laughs.

Zhang Jue, under everyone’s scornful stares, had nowhere to vent. He stormed off furiously.

Whispers followed him into the endless night.

After Du Heming fetched the cleaning staff, she linked arms with Lou Yixuan. “You roasted him good—brilliantly. Scoundrels like him in gentleman’s clothing deserve to have their reputations trashed. Let everyone see his true colors, save some good girls from him.”

“You two. What’s the point of verbal fights? What if you got hurt?” He Huan arrived right after Lin Huayan.

“He actually dared to swing?”

Du Heming clenched her fists, face fierce. “If he touched you, my fists aren’t vegetarian—I’d beat him till he’s spitting teeth. Been itching to deck him forever.”

“Over there.”

Lin Huayan shot Lou Yixuan a look. “Teacher He worries about you two, like me.”

She knew Du Heming had trained in taekwondo years back.

Usually all laughs and carefree, bold as brass—but serious? A fighter who’d go all out.

Loyal to friends, two ribs for a blade.

But Teacher He was soft-hearted, peace-loving, all about harmony and de-escalation.

Du Heming might think she saw them as troublemakers.

Away from the dining area, Du Heming vented. “That guy’s a fake gentleman all day—smiling assassin, really. Huge bias against gays, trashes me behind my back nonstop. Lou doesn’t come to school much, so she wouldn’t know, but I can’t believe you two haven’t heard a word.”

Lou Yixuan heard this from Du Heming for the first time.

She glanced surprised at Lin Huayan, who gave a tiny nod. He Huan’s expression grew heavier.

“I never took him seriously, so no beef. He’s a nobody.”

Du Heming’s anger surged like lit fuse, eyeing Lin Huayan and He Huan. “Teachers He and Lin, you don’t think I’m holding a grudge but can’t act ’cause we’re coworkers—seeing each other daily—so you egged Lou on for the tongue-lashing, right?”

“Teacher Du, don’t—Teachers Lin and He wouldn’t think that.”

Lou Yixuan panicked too.

She hadn’t meant to drag Du Heming into misunderstanding, or realize how much resentment she’d bottled up.

“Gay marriage is legal—we’re not perverts or deviants. The ones who should be ashamed, slinking around? Lowlife scum like him!”

Du Heming’s eyes reddened.

Her orientation never got true parental approval; the community still faced backlash. She’d built a steel heart, thick armor.

Before, no one in her heart—did her own thing, fine.

But now…

She didn’t want to be the weirdo to He Huan, or some reckless “kid” she’d failed to watch.

“Teacher Du, you’re right. You’re not a pervert. None of us are.”

Lou Yixuan openly admitted her orientation—in front of He Huan, and Lin Huayan.

She’d never been afraid to own it.

She just cared too much about Lin Huayan’s feelings, wanted to shield her too badly.

“Had I known his rap sheet, I wouldn’t have stopped you. Let you pummel him—black eyes, bloody nose, teeth everywhere. Work fees? Medical? We can pay. Settle with cash—no biggie. Right, Teacher Du?”

Lin Huayan: “…”

He Huan: “…”

Du Heming stared blankly for a good while before turning her sorrow and anger into joy, chuckling foolishly as she lightly tapped Lou Yixuan’s forehead.

“Lou Lou, Lou Yixuan, you’ve dropped your facade—you owe me my little fairy.”

…

Human joys and sorrows do not connect. Between people stands a high wall, separating each one, leaving their hearts unable to truly resonate.

This wall was both physical and psychological.

So Du Heming tried hard to understand He Huan, while Lou Yixuan tried hard to understand Lin Huayan.

But those who truly understood each other were the little bitter melons, and so they huddled together for warmth once more.

The evening’s entertainment options were plentiful: poker, karaoke, board games, foot massages. No one let a shattered, inconsequential plate dampen the fun.

Karaoke? Lou Yixuan was no good at that.

Board games? Du Heming passed.

Foot massages? He Huan had been dragged off by Teacher Wang and the others, and Du Heming wanted to avoid her anyway.

Heading back to her room too early would just make her emo alone—she needed something to do.

“Teacher Du, Teacher Lou, come on, come on, let’s play cards!”

A few girlfriends who had just finished singing in the audiovisual room spotted the two staring awkwardly at each other in the lobby and shoved them straight into the game room.

Du Heming was decent at cards. “Lou Lou, do you play cards? Blood War to the End Mahjong, four players per table.”

She hadn’t really associated Lou Yixuan with mahjong at all, so it hadn’t even crossed her mind as an option before they got pushed into the game room.

“A little bit.”

“A little bit?”

“I’ve learned the rules, played a bit too—at a friend’s house a couple times. Ling Xuan’s place.”

Lou Yixuan’s mahjong skills had been taught by Lu Lingxuan.

What could a half-baked player teach her?

A half-baked player produced another half-baked player.

“So, wanna play?”

Lou Yixuan wasn’t all that into mahjong, but she could tell Du Heming wanted to. “Sure. I bet your skills are better than hers. I’ll watch you play first, then learn from you.”

“When it comes to card skills…”

Du Heming swallowed the boast she’d been about to make. “Uh, I’m average, average. Alright, we’ll team up. Losses are on me, wins we split—you bring the luck, I’ll ride it.”

“Then I need to slip my facade back on and cast some spells to help us win more.”

And make us a little happier too.

Who didn’t love winning?

But not long after they sat down, Du Heming lost four hands in a row. Her worst was calling a kong-exposed win on one player, only to get shut out by a pure suit straight dragon from another.

During the first hand, Du Heming had still been grinning as she explained the techniques to Lou Yixuan.

By the fourth hand push, not only was Du Heming’s face green, but Lou Yixuan was fidgeting too. Both wondered if they were cursed with bad luck.

“Um, Teacher Du and Teacher Lou, if you’re teamed up, maybe switch partners? Might turn your luck around?”

Their card buddies suggested helpfully, and the other three agreed.

As they hesitated, Teacher Wang, short one player, grabbed Lou Yixuan as a conscript. “Teacher Lou, come join our table! Teacher He is back at the hotel, Teacher Lin’s off talking business with Sun Zong. Without you, we won’t know what to do with ourselves. We’ll play small stakes, just until eleven. How about it?”

The game room had several sections: smoking and non-smoking.

Theirs was non-smoking, with only three mahjong tables, all occupied by female colleagues.

Facing three much older female teachers, Lou Yixuan did some mental prep, exchanged a glance with Du Heming, then agreed. “Sure, Teacher Wang. But my skills are rusty—I’ll play slow, so please bear with me.”

Lou Yixuan was slow at sorting tiles, reading them, and playing them. Luckily, Teacher Wang and the others weren’t in it for gambling, and they could tell she was a total newbie, so they didn’t rush her.

By the time Du Heming’s table had finished two hands, Lou Yixuan’s had only done one.

On their third hand, the phone in the tile box buzzed.

But Lou Yixuan was clutching her newly drawn tile amid a dizzying array, unsure where to put it—no time to check messages.

She counted her tiles over and over. Was she… self-drawing?

After hesitating forever, she steeled herself, laid them out, and declared, “I think I’ve won.”

The player to her right, Teacher Wang, drew next. “Teacher Lou, you’re lucky—self-draw shutting out all three on your third hand.”

“It’s a small one, very small.”

Ears sharp, Du Heming heard Lou Yixuan had won. She was one tile away herself when the player before her tossed the “two of tubes” she needed—a sneaky small win. She claimed it, then hurried over to check on Lou Yixuan.

She took one look and nearly jumped.

*Lou Lou, this isn’t just “winning”—this is a fake win! You’re bluffing it!!!

“Teacher Du?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. A true gentleman doesn’t speak while spectating—keep playing, take your time.”

Du Heming grinned stiffly, her heart pounding.

She whipped out her phone and messaged Lin Huayan on WeChat: [Teacher Lin, come save Lou Lou quick! She’s about to bury herself!!!]

Lin Huayan replied almost instantly: [Where?]

[Du Heming: Game room!]