WRR – Chapter 17

There was a cocktail party in the evening, but attendance wasn’t mandatory. Some of the teachers who had other commitments left right after the awards ceremony.

Xu Shi’s work was technically finished as well. She was supposed to rest for the night and catch a flight back in the morning.

But Tingting had given her such specific instructions, so Xu Shi could only follow behind Yu Lingshan, barely daring to breathe.

The scene outside was a bit chaotically scattered. Many people came over to exchange pleasantries and shake hands with Yu Lingshan, and several teachers asked for photos with her.

Throughout the whole process, Yu Lingshan maintained a smile amidst the busyness. Xu Shi stood off to the side with nothing to do, watching her. At first, she wondered what Tingting would be doing if she were here.

But then she thought, she wasn’t really Yu Lingshan’s assistant, and besides, Yu Lingshan looked completely at ease. She probably didn’t need to do anything.

Soon, the people around Yu Lingshan crowded Xu Shi out. From a few people away, Xu Shi watched the beaming Yu Lingshan, who was surrounded, and for some reason, she felt like smiling.

She even had a feeling that Yu Lingshan desperately wanted to escape at that moment.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Yu Lingshan turned to look at Xu Shi and asked, “Xu Shi, do we still have time?”

After speaking, she winked at Xu Shi.

She used her full name and even winked.

Xu Shi immediately looked down at her hand, and upon realizing she wasn’t wearing a watch, she quickly checked her phone and played along. “W-we have to, have to go now, Teacher Yu.”

Yu Lingshan turned and smiled at the people around her. “I’m so sorry, I have something else to attend to, so I must be going.”

After saying that, she beckoned toward Xu Shi, and a couple of people immediately cleared a path for her.

Just as Xu Shi reached her, Yu Lingshan took her by the wrist, and Xu Shi quickly lifted her arm.

Yu Lingshan said a few more goodbyes and then left with Xu Shi.

Once they were in the car and the door had just closed, Yu Lingshan let out a chuckle.

Xu Shi turned to look at her.

Yu Lingshan: “Not very good at lying, are you?”

Xu Shi: “What?”

Yu Lingshan: “W-we have to, have to go now, Teacher Yu.”

Xu Shi: “…”

Yu Lingshan’s eyes curved as she smiled. “That nervous?”

Xu Shi didn’t deny it. “A little.”

Yu Lingshan: “Not bad. I was worried you wouldn’t understand what I meant.”

Xu Shi: “I got it.”

Yu Lingshan: “What if you hadn’t understood?”

Xu Shi: “Then there’s nothing I could have done.”

Yu Lingshan sighed. “Talking to you is no fun.”

Xu Shi apologized instinctively. “I’m sorry.”

Yu Lingshan: “Didn’t I tell you not to apologize when you haven’t done anything wrong?”

Xu Shi: “Oh.”

Yu Lingshan was exasperated. “Am I going to eat you, Xu Shi?”

Xu Shi: “No.”

Yu Lingshan closed her eyes briefly. “Let me borrow your shoulder.”

So Xu Shi moved closer, sitting up straight.

Yu Lingshan immediately leaned against her and stopped talking.

The drive to the hotel took no more than five minutes. The wind outside was a bit brisk. Xu Shi waited for Yu Lingshan to get out of the car and immediately draped her coat over her shoulders.

The two of them entered the hotel together, but to Xu Shi’s dismay, when they reached the lobby, she saw someone she didn’t want to see. The second time today. What bad luck.

Up ahead, four people were chatting and laughing, and two of the middle-aged men were shaking right hands.

How funny, what a coincidence. Xu Shi recognized three of them.

One was Ying Jie, another was Ying Jie’s father, and the third was Teacher Wu Liyang.

Xu Shi’s pace slowed involuntarily as she tried to figure out how to get around them and leave quickly.

“Xu Shi.”

Yu Lingshan suddenly called her name in a low voice.

Xu Shi answered, and heard Yu Lingshan say, “Take my hand.”

Before Xu Shi could move, the hand Yu Lingshan had on her wrist slid down and intertwined with hers.

Yu Lingshan said, “Let’s go meet them.”

With that, she pulled Xu Shi toward the group of four.

Xu Shi was internally resistant, and this resistance made her bold enough to refuse Yu Lingshan.

She pulled Yu Lingshan to a stop and said, “I don’t want to go over there.”

Yu Lingshan stopped, squeezed her hand firmly, and looked into Xu Shi’s eyes. “Stand up straight. I’m here.”

And just like that, Xu Shi was led over by Yu Lingshan. As they approached, the group noticed the two of them.

In those few short steps, Xu Shi saw a wide variety of rich expressions on their faces.

“Lingshan, you’re here.” Wu Liyang was the first to smile. Then he gave Xu Shi a polite smile. “Hello.”

Xu Shi was flattered and quickly smiled back at Wu Liyang. “Hello, Teacher Wu.”

Wu Liyang introduced her to Ying Shide. “This is Elder He’s student, Yu Lingshan.” He smiled. “She won quite a few awards this time.”

Ying Shide glanced at Yu Lingshan, then at her and Xu Shi’s joined hands. A couple of fake laughs echoed in the air. “I’ve heard of you, of course. Elder He’s prized pupil. Hello.”

Yu Lingshan’s right hand was clutching her clothes; she had no intention of extending it. “Hello.”

Just then, Ying Jie, who was behind Ying Shide, suddenly stepped forward. She looked at Yu Lingshan. “Teacher Yu, I’ve admired you for a long time. Hello, hello.”

Yu Lingshan let out a faint, perfunctory laugh. “I’m sorry, and you are?”

Ying Shide: “My daughter.”

Yu Lingshan made a sound of realization, then looked at Ying Shide. “I’m sorry, and you are?”

Ying Shide slowly drew in a breath. Wu Liyang quickly stepped forward and said, “Teacher Ying. He’s in the same field as me, you could say.”

Yu Lingshan smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry,” then she asked Wu Liyang, “Which Teacher Ying?”

Wu Liyang said reproachfully, “This girl…”

Ying Shide gave an awkward laugh. “It’s alright. I’m old now. How would the young people know who I am?”

The air fell silent for a moment. After a few seconds, Ying Jie, who was standing to the side, glanced at Xu Shi and their joined hands. “Xiao Shi, are you done with work?”

Xu Shi was wearing a staff uniform and a blue name badge. Anyone present could tell what her job was at a glance.

“You two know each other?” Yu Lingshan asked Xu Shi.

Xu Shi shook her head. “We were classmates once, I guess. I don’t know her.”

Yu Lingshan then asked Xu Shi, “What’s your job?”

Ying Jie immediately explained for Xu Shi, “She’s a staff member for your event. She runs errands for you all.”

Yu Lingshan lifted Xu Shi’s name badge. “Oh~ so that’s what this means.” She smiled at Wu Liyang. “I wanted her to accompany me, so I just borrowed a uniform for her from someone.”

She then turned to look at Ying Jie. “Is this classmate of yours also an invited guest? She’s dressed so beautifully.”

The expressions on Ying Shide and Ying Jie’s faces had already soured. Wu Liyang stepped in and said, “She’s just here for fun. You’re not wearing much, don’t catch a cold. You two should head on up.”

Yu Lingshan’s smile was perfectly natural. “Alright. You all continue your chat, we’ll head up first.”

And so, Yu Lingshan, clicking in her high heels, led Xu Shi by the hand into the elevator.

After the doors closed, Xu Shi let out a long breath. She first said, “Thank you,” and then added, “You didn’t have to do that. That father and daughter are especially vicious.”

“Vicious.” Yu Lingshan repeated the word from Xu Shi’s sentence and started to laugh.

Xu Shi had no idea what she was laughing about.

Yu Lingshan: “I know what I’m doing.”

Xu Shi asked again, “Are you very familiar with Teacher Wu?”

Yu Lingshan: “He’s a friend of my mentor.”

Xu Shi pressed her lips together. “He seemed to know who I was.”

Yu Lingshan: “Teacher Xu is world-famous. What’s so strange about him knowing you?”

Xu Shi said in a low voice, “Yu Lingshan.”

Yu Lingshan turned to look at Xu Shi. “In a bad mood again?”

Xu Shi said quietly, “No.”

Yu Lingshan: “There’s ice cream in the room’s refrigerator. Go get some for yourself in a bit.”

Xu Shi paused for a moment.

When they got to the room, the first thing Yu Lingshan did was go to the refrigerator and get the ice cream for Xu Shi. Then she took a dress from the closet and gave it to her. “Change into this after you finish eating. I need to make a call.”

Xu Shi had no time to be sentimental. Before she could even say thank you, Yu Lingshan had taken her phone out to the balcony.

Xu Shi looked at the ice cream and smiled, pursing her lips. She let out an “oh” as if speaking to no one in particular, added another “thank you,” and went into the bathroom.

Then she stood in front of the mirror, blankly tore open the wrapper, and began to eat.

Every time Ying Jie was mentioned, she would be unhappy for a long time, let alone seeing her in person today.

Ying Jie had once been a very good friend of hers. They had been inseparable from their freshman to junior year, until Xu Shi’s parents got into a car accident. She took a few months off to go home and take care of them, and when she returned to school, she discovered that Ying Jie had entered a competition with her work and had even won an award.

Not only that, but the author of all the works on her computer had been changed to Ying Jie.

At the time, Xu Shi had tried everything. She went to the teachers, she made a scene, she sought help from everyone she could think of. Unexpectedly, the result of making a big deal out of it was that she was publicly shamed online and accused of plagiarizing Ying Jie’s work.

That was the darkest half-year of her life. All of her classmates at school distanced themselves from her because of Ying Jie’s father. Her mother’s illness often relapsed and required care. She could only swallow all the bitterness herself, lying awake at night, crying the whole night through.

“Xiao Zhi?”

Yu Lingshan knocked on the door from outside, and only then did Xu Shi realize she had been spacing out for a long time.

“Almost done,” Xu Shi answered.

The moment she finished the ice cream, Xu Shi’s mood was soothed. While changing into the dress, she was even in the mood to hum a little tune.

When she came out, Yu Lingshan was on the phone again. She was sitting barefoot on the sofa, saying into the phone, “You go ahead and tell her. I can’t wait for her to find out.”

The person on the other end said something, and she smiled and added, “I’ll bring it over for her to see myself.”

Xu Shi stood quietly to the side, but Yu Lingshan’s gaze was already on her. Then, she picked up a strawberry from the table and nodded repeatedly at Xu Shi, looking very much like someone waiting for their girlfriend to come out of a fitting room.

“Okay, thank you.” After saying this, Yu Lingshan hung up the phone.

She looked at Xu Shi. “Beautiful.” She tilted her head and praised, “Our Xiao Zhi is so beautiful.”

Xu Shi asked, “Where are we going in this?”

Yu Lingshan laughed. “You put it on without even knowing what for?”

Xu Shi: “Mhm.”

Yu Lingshan: “So obedient. Wear this to dinner with me tonight. I’m taking you to formally meet Teacher Wu.”

Xu Shi was pleasantly surprised. “Really?”

Yu Lingshan: “Have I ever lied to you?” Then she immediately answered her own question. “I have.”

Xu Shi was completely amused by Yu Lingshan. “Thank you.”

Yu Lingshan: “Is ‘thank you’ enough?”

Xu Shi said at once, “I also have to treat you to a meal. I remember.”

Yu Lingshan bit off half a strawberry. “I suddenly don’t feel like a meal. Let’s change it to something else.”

Xu Shi nodded. “Okay.”

Yu Lingshan raised an eyebrow. “You’ll agree to anything?”

Xu Shi: “I’ll agree to anything.”

Yu Lingshan smiled. “So confident I won’t make a strange request?”

Xu Shi thought for a moment. “Because I’m really grateful to you for letting me meet Teacher Wu.”

Yu Lingshan smacked her lips lightly and pulled out a tissue from beside her to wipe her hands. “Alright then. You said it.”

Yu Lingshan wiped her fingers one by one, her eyes lifting to look at Xu Shi. “Come here. Kiss me.”