Chapter 38: In the Heat of Romance

The area around the school had a food street, and the shops often stayed open until eleven or twelve at night. On the brightly lit street, Yan Ningxi and He Huan walked ahead, while Ming You and Jiang Lai followed closely behind.

Ming You: “Is it heavy? Let me carry it.”

Jiang Lai: “It’s not heavy, not heavy. We’re almost at the store.”

Once the two teachers arrived at the store, the students divided up the ice cream and started using their chopsticks, adding ingredients to the boiling hotpot.

With around twenty people, they filled exactly three tables. The seat next to He Huan was empty—it had been intentionally saved for Yan Ningxi. To her right sat Jiang Lai and another female classmate.

With the good intentions of being a dutiful underclassman to her senior, Jiang Lai quietly said to her classmate, “This elegant and outstanding Ming You senior sister is the rumored younger sister of Teacher Yan, and also a student from Teacher He’s previous class. They have to sit together, and I need to sit at the same table as them so I can ask Teacher He to invite Ming You senior sister back to share her experience with university entrance exams for our class. Got my signal?”

“Got it!” The female classmate stood up with her bowl. “Good luck!”

After making an OK hand gesture, Jiang Lai extended a warm invitation to Ming You: “Ming You senior sister, sit here with me. Teacher Yan and Teacher He can sit to your left.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Once Ming You sat down, Jiang Lai waved to the server again: “Auntie, bring another clean set of bowls and chopsticks here!”

There was just the corner of the square table between Ming You and Yan Ningxi.

Jiang Lai pushed the boxed ice cream in front of her forward; the cool sensation spread from her fingertips throughout her body: “Senior sister, this box is for you. It can help with the spiciness.”

Ming You pushed the ice cream back to Jiang Lai: “My stomach isn’t great. I can’t handle hot and cold like that. You eat it.”

Her fingers are so pretty!!

Her nails are so short too!!

Looking at Ming You through rose-tinted glasses, Jiang Lai smiled innocently: “Our table has a mandarin duck pot. Teacher He and Teacher Yan don’t eat much spicy food. What about you, senior sister? Can you handle spicy?”

“Not really.”

“Oh right, senior sister studies the broadcasting hosting major. You have to protect your throat at all times.”

“…” What was this baseless stereotype?

Hosts couldn’t eat spicy food?

She could eat spicy food just fine. Her “not really” simply meant her tolerance wasn’t that extreme.

Jiang Lai looked at the two to her left: “Teacher Yan, Teacher He, do you want aprons?”

Some female classmates at the other tables had gotten dark red aprons from the server to block oil splatters. They were practical, but that color…

Ming You leaned her head toward Yan Ningxi: “Sister Yan, take off your jacket and put it in the bamboo basket in the back. Wear mine. I’m wearing dark colors inside and out, so oil splatters won’t show.” She wore a vintage blue-gray denim shirt jacket in BF style, paired with a black fitted turtleneck knit top underneath.

“Mm.” Yan Ningxi didn’t fuss, especially since it wasn’t cold in the hotpot restaurant.

Ming You took off her jacket first, rolled up her sleeves, then took Yan Ningxi’s jacket when she removed it, folded it neatly, and put it in the basket. Their bags were in there too.

The denim jacket was oversized. Yan Ningxi buttoned two buttons after putting it on. After all, white clothes didn’t look good with oil stains and were hard to wash. As she dressed, she also thought about which of her own clothes Ming You could take with her tomorrow.

Clothes and pants from the hotpot gathering needed washing that night. With November temperatures and no dryer, they definitely wouldn’t dry overnight.

The new bowls and chopsticks hadn’t arrived yet, so Yan Ningxi moved her cup to Ming You. It held warm water: “Your cold is completely gone?”

“My nose doesn’t itch, and my throat doesn’t hurt.”

These were honest words. The care she wanted, she’d gotten over the weekend meeting. She’d played her part. Not taking medicine now would just be masochism.

“Eat less spicy.” Seeing Ming You’s long hair hanging over her shoulders, which would get in the way while eating, she asked, “No hair tie?”

Ming You drank some water: “Forgot.”

But in reality, she had one—in her pants pocket.

What she didn’t know was that Yan Ningxi had seen the hair tie on her wrist when she gave her the flowers at the school gate. It was the one she’d given her. The loop was black, with a gray bead at the clasp.

Yan Ningxi said: “Turn around.”

Ming You did. Then her long hair was gathered up and turned into a twisted braid by Yan Ningxi’s hands.

“I have an extra hair tie here.” He Huan stood up, took a thin dark brown hair elastic from her bag in the bamboo basket, and handed it over. “Here.”

Yan Ningxi caught it: “Thanks.”

The braid was neither too loose nor too tight, seemingly messy but evenly symmetrical. Paired with the girl’s naturally thick baby hair bangs and the black fitted outfit, it had a unique charm.

Jiang Lai couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration: “Wow, Teacher Yan’s hands are so skilled. She can braid hair, and it looks this good!”

She lavished flattery with her words, but inwardly she thought: Changing clothes, braiding hair—they’re so doting! Teacher Yan and Ming You senior sister’s interactions don’t look like sisterly love at all; it’s clearly a hot romance! I’m shipping it, shipping it!

A server held up the utensils and called out loudly: “Whose bowls and chopsticks?”

“Me! Here, here!”

Jiang Lai helped set up the bowls and chopsticks for Ming You. Ming You poured freshly squeezed peanut milk into her cup from the new pitcher and passed it to Yan Ningxi’s side of the table: “Sister Yan, you drink something hot too.”

“I’m fine with plain water. You drink the peanut milk.” Yan Ningxi swapped their cups.

This time, Ming You’s attention wasn’t on Yan Ningxi using her cup, but: “Are you allergic to peanuts?”

Yan Ningxi shook her head: “No.”

Then it was just that she didn’t like the taste or texture of peanuts: “What about freshly squeezed soy milk?”

“Have you ever met someone allergic to soybeans?” Yan Ningxi misunderstood, thinking Ming You was still on the allergy topic. Peanuts were one of the most common allergens; soybeans weren’t.

Ming You shook her head and said: “I’m asking in case I buy something you can’t eat in the future, to check if there are any foods you’re allergic to.”

“None so far.” She hadn’t had any allergic reactions yet, so she couldn’t say 100% no.

“Sister Yan, aren’t you going to ask about me?” Without giving Yan Ningxi time to ask, Ming You answered herself: “I’m allergic to mangoes.”

“Got it.” Yan Ningxi smiled down at her head. “No mangoes.”

The male homeroom teacher from the next table stood up, raising a glass of juice: “Classmates, congratulations on winning the special prize and first prize. Also congratulations to our Teacher He and Teacher Yan for their excellent guidance. Teachers and students all worked hard—effort brings rewards. Let’s toast to ourselves.”

Everyone stood up one after another and clinked glasses.

Ming You also spotted from the next table that figure she’d noticed during the competition in the auditorium: Gao Xinxin.

She knew Gao Xinxin was a senior at No. 3 Middle School, but hadn’t realized she was in Yan Ningxi’s class. Gao Xinxin hadn’t performed on stage tonight; instead, she’d done the same stage control work as Jiang Lai in another play.

So she was Yan Ningxi’s class representative?

“Ming You, didn’t you participate in some host competition in October? How’d it go?” As soon as they sat down, He Huan tossed a question at Ming You.

“Nationals finals next week.” She hadn’t posted photos from the qualifying round on Space.

Her previous posts had mostly gotten zero views, but the recent ones all had some.

He Huan had seen them.

“Then we’ll be watching eagerly.” He Huan raised her glass. “Here’s to you taking first place.”

“Thanks, Teacher He.” Ming You raised her glass too.

Everyone at the table was a student, drinking sodas, fruit juices, and tea. Ming You actually wanted to have a proper drinking session with He Huan someday. Once drunk, maybe that hypocritical mask would come off.

“Teacher He, Teacher Yan, I have a presumptuous request!” Jiang Lai raised her right hand like she was being called on in class.

He Huan: “What is it?”

“I want to say, well,” Jiang Lai hemmed and hawed, glancing embarrassed at them, then back at Ming You, “could the two teachers invite…”

“Jiang classmate.” Ming You pointed at the ice cream on the table. “The ice cream will melt if you don’t eat it.”

“Huh?”

Ming You leaned closer to Jiang Lai and lowered her voice: “You can’t make a presumptuous request in public. You should say it privately.”

“Oh.” Jiang Lai chuckled. “I was just afraid of missing the chance.”

The beef slices in the spicy pot were cooked. Ming You wanted to pick one for Yan Ningxi—”Hiss”—a drop of scalding hot oil splashed onto the back of her hand, making her pull back.

“Senior sister, wipe it off and check if it’s okay.” Jiang Lai handed her a napkin.

“It’s fine.” Ming You set down her chopsticks and pressed the napkin to the spot.

Getting splashed by oil while eating hotpot was common; it wasn’t as bad as scalding boiling water. It just stung for a moment—no need to make a fuss.

He Huan turned down the heat.

Yan Ningxi: “Hand.”

Ming You obediently extended her right hand. Yan Ningxi held her wrist, ice and fire clashing again as she checked the “injury.”

If it were He Huan…

He Huan wouldn’t take her out to eat with anyone, wouldn’t share a bed, hold hands, hug, or spend dawns and dusks together.

What He Huan would do, Yan Ningxi did. What He Huan wouldn’t do, Yan Ningxi did too.

“Teacher Yan, let’s toast you.” Gao Xinxin and a few classmates from the next table came over with their glasses. “For this drama competition, from script to rehearsal, you personally gave guidance. You’re also the director of this play. We’re glad we didn’t disappoint you. You worked hard!”

“Yeah, Teacher Yan deserves the most credit!”

“Teacher Yan is our lucky star, our goddess of fortune!”

“Teacher Yan, we’ll make you proud!”

Jiang Lai tugged at Ming You’s clothes: “Senior sister, see? I didn’t lie. Teacher Yan is everyone’s goddess—so popular, so respected, so…”

“I see you’re especially good at flattery!”

Ming You felt anxious for her and helped out: “Your class got the special prize, and you’re the class rep. Aren’t you going to learn from that?”

Jiang Lai: !!!

She hurriedly stood up with her glass!

Ming You shook her head with a smile and quietly picked some food into Yan Ningxi’s bowl.

…

Some students boarded at school, others commuted home, so the gathering couldn’t go too late and lasted just over an hour.

Yan Ningxi put her own jacket back on and made Ming You button up the denim jacket: “You have the keys. Go back first. I need to go to school with Teacher He to make sure the boarders are back in their dorms.”

“Mm, I’ll go back and wait for you.” Ming You slung her sporty crossbody bag over her shoulder and picked up the bouquet.

As she turned to leave, Yan Ningxi called after her: “Wait.” She stepped forward and freed a strand of hair caught on the backpack strap. “Don’t forget to buy the tickets you need.”

Knowing Yan Ningxi’s character, Ming You wasn’t surprised at all by her saying this now. She played cute: “Teacher Yan is Teacher Yan—no chance to slip by. How about I give you my ID, and you buy them for me from now on?”

“Quit it.”

If not for the students still around, Ming You really would’ve hugged her: “Don’t worry, I bought tonight’s and tomorrow morning’s tickets together.”

“Teacher Yan.” Gao Xinxin walked over. “You don’t need to walk us back to school. The five boarders are all girls. After we get to the dorm, I’ll have the dorm auntie call you.”

Ming You dropped her smile and calmly glanced at Gao Xinxin before walking away without a word.

Yan Ningxi watched Ming You leave the hotpot restaurant. She put her hand on Gao Xinxin’s shoulder: “I live close. Let’s walk.”

Once they were outside and Ming You was out of sight, Gao Xinxin asked: “Teacher Yan, does your sister live with you?”

“No. She’s attending university in Hengyuan and just comes to visit occasionally.”

“Oh.” Tonight’s Ming You—her words and actions—were completely unlike the Ming You she knew.

Elegant in speech, poised and generous, attentive in etiquette, smiling, helping pour tea and pick food—these were descriptors she couldn’t associate with Ming You.

When she first heard, she couldn’t believe it. Today, seeing was believing.