Chapter 60 Part 2

After school that day, following the routine meeting, Chi Nuan was stopped by Master Yang the gatekeeper as she left. He turned and handed her an Express Envelope Bag: “Teacher Chi, express package for you.”

“Mine?” Chi Nuan took it curiously. It was same-city delivery, and her name was indeed on the label.

While waiting for her cab, she tore open the envelope bag. Inside was a standard-sized envelope.

“Please take extra care of our Wu Zhe.”

The handwriting on the envelope was sloppy. Chi Nuan opened it to find ten Mall Shopping Cards, each worth a thousand yuan.

Chi Nuan couldn’t help but laugh wryly. She stuffed the cards back into the envelope, tucked it into her bag, and planned to find Wu Zhe’s student file in the office tomorrow and return them to the registered address.

She took a cab to the restaurant. While everyone else in their senior year of college busied themselves with internships, Zhou Damao had conned money from Doctor Zhou to open the place. He wasn’t great at studies but had a knack for business. The restaurant became an internet-famous spot, turning a tidy profit in its first year.

Chi Nuan entered and immediately saw Zhou Damao playing the basketball machine with Little Wutong.

Xu Dan and Du Min huddled in a corner. Xu Dan waved at Chi Nuan from afar: “Teacher Chi, over here.”

Chi Nuan nodded, watched Little Wutong toss a few more shots, then walked to the table.

“Zhou Damao’s pretty good with kids,” Chi Nuan said as she sat.

“He’s not watching the kid—he’s just playing himself, okay?” Du Min cracked the last sunflower seed in her hand and asked Chi Nuan mysteriously: “Remember that bombshell on the Yuncheng forum a few days ago?”

Chi Nuan didn’t catch on right away: “Which one?”

Xu Dan lowered her voice too: “Didn’t we discuss it in the group chat? The one about the S&M session at the club that went wrong—guy asphyxiated to death. The post got deleted in under half an hour.”

Chi Nuan remembered: “Yeah, what about it?”

Xu Dan: “It was Cao Pinhui.”

“…” Chi Nuan stared at the name for a long moment. “Cao Pinhui?”

Du Min: “You’re shocked too, right? Xu Dan and I still can’t believe it.”

Chi Nuan: “How do you know it was him?”

Du Min: “I ran into Xue Wen today.”

Xue Wen had returned to town a few times over the years, but the timing never aligned for a meetup. Still, they kept in touch via phone, so it didn’t feel too distant.

Du Min: “Xue Wen said she rushed back for Cao Pinhui’s funeral. I asked what happened, and she just said it was an accident—wouldn’t elaborate. It only clicked later: she probably didn’t want to spread it around. Not exactly glamorous.”

Xu Dan: “It’s all over the No. 2 High School group chats. Rumors about Cao Pinhui started right after, but no one dared post hard evidence—probably scared of backlash from the Cao family’s influence.”

Little Wutong hugged the basketball and chattered excitedly with Zhou Damao about the score as he walked over. Du Min and Xu Dan simultaneously dropped the topic unfit for young ears.

Zhou Damao pulled out a chair, grabbed Du Min’s drink, and chugged two big gulps: “Teacher Chi, your son’s got skills. Pretty good player.”

Little Wutong pulled his cartoon water cup from his backpack, looked at Chi Nuan, and grinned as he drank.

Chi Nuan ruffled Little Wutong’s hair: “Finish your water and go wash your hands. Dinner’s soon.”

“You got it.” Zhou Damao took Little Wutong to wash up. Xu Dan leaned in and asked Chi Nuan: “You haven’t dated anyone in years, and now you’re working and raising a kid. It’s exhausting—ever thought about finding someone to share the load?”

“Not exhausting,” Chi Nuan said, eyes downcast. “Little Wutong’s very well-behaved.”

Xu Dan: “I’ve been meaning to tell you—my boyfriend’s company has this guy. Yuncheng local, family got four or five apartments from demolition. Only child. He just wants a nice, pretty girl with a stable job. I’ve met him—clean-cut and handsome.”

Du Min asked Xu Dan: “This reliable?”

Xu Dan got flustered: “Of course it is! Would I set Nuannuan up with just anyone?”

“With my situation,” Chi Nuan said, looking at Xu Dan, “maybe not.”

Du Min countered: “What’s wrong with your situation? You’re gorgeous, great personality. Just bringing you home would have me grinning in my sleep every night.”

“Exactly,” Xu Dan chimed in with Du Min. “Nuannuan, let me set it up for you?”

Du Min: “Though I’m not sold on Xu Dan’s picks, to be honest.”

Xu Dan: “…”

Xu Dan: “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m that unreliable?”

Du Min burst out laughing.

Xu Dan pelted her with sunflower seeds, and amid the playful scuffle, the topic fizzled out.

After the gathering, Chi Nuan and Little Wutong returned home. It wasn’t too early, so Little Wutong reviewed his lesson once, bathed, and went to bed.

Once Little Wutong was asleep, Chi Nuan returned to her room. Under the desk lamp, she reviewed her lesson plans for a bit when she suddenly recalled what Du Min and the others had said about Cao Pinhui’s death.

As she sank into high school memories, her phone buzzed with two messages from the math teacher next door.

Wang Lili: “Director Huang came to ‘care’ about you again this morning? With a wife that fiery, he’s got guts.”

Wang Lili: “Pretty annoying, right?”

Wang Lili hadn’t been in the office then, so someone must have told her later.

Becoming the subject of behind-the-scenes gossip was uncomfortable enough, and Wang Lili had to pry into it so nosily.

Chi Nuan opened her drawer, full of chocolate-flavored lollipops. She took one out, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth.

As the sweetness intensified, she rested her head on the desk and let out a soft sigh.