On the latter half of the return trip, Chen Qingning grew increasingly unhinged, standing straight up from the cargo bed, gripping the railing, letting the wind billow through her hair and scarf, one arm raised high as if trying to touch the night sky:
"U jump, I jump——"
"Woo——"
Yu Bei couldn't be bothered with her anymore.
After nightfall, the sky surged in like a tide, and the little lit-up houses on either side were like moored boats. Baihe Special School was among them, the windows of both the dormitory building and the guard booth glowing bright, looking like amber from a distance.
The three-wheeled motor cart stopped outside the school gate. Uncle Hu, the security guard, came out at the sound, standing on the steps and asking, "Who's there?"
Yu Bei let go of the railing and jumped down. "It's me."
Uncle Hu was a bit surprised. "Teacher Yu, why did you come back on a cargo truck?"
"It's late. Couldn't get a cab."
Yu Bei pulled the mountain bike down and had just set up the kickstand when a call came from behind: "Teacher Yu, give me a hand."
Yu Bei turned around. That hand that had been denied a pull midway was once again extended toward him from on high, with perfect justification.
Its owner was clearly frozen through—knuckles bright red, voice thick with a stuffy nose.
Yu Bei paused for a second, then walked over. He didn't take her hand, only helped support her arm as Chen Qingning hopped down.
"Still shy…" Chen Qingning muttered, glancing at him.
Yu Bei didn't explain. He set the tailgate back upright.
Master Lin, who had gotten off the truck, hurried over. "Hey, Teacher Yu, let me."
Yu Bei had already secured it with practiced ease, dusting off his hands. "No trouble."
"Oh dear, you must be frozen stiff." Uncle Hu went back into the guard booth and came out with cigarettes and a hot water bottle. The cigarettes went to the driver, the hot water bottle to Yu Bei—but after catching Yu Bei's subtle look, he turned to Chen Qingning instead: "Teacher Chen, do you want the hot water bottle? I just filled it. The wind's strong at night—don't want you getting frostbite."
"No thanks." Chen Qingning was stubborn. "I'm not cold at all."
Uncle Hu withdrew his hand, a little deflated.
Yu Bei said, "Uncle Hu, use it yourself."
Then he told Master Lin, "I'll transfer the money to you on WeChat."
"No need—" Master Lin poked his head out of the cab. "I won't take a cent."
Yu Bei gave a faint smile.
The three-wheeled truck rumbled off into the distance, dissolving into the dark country road. Chen Qingning couldn't hold it in any longer: "How long are you going to keep watching it go!"
As carefree as she'd been on the road, just as disheveled she was after getting off.
Yu Bei looked at her. "You're the one not going in."
Chen Qingning sniffled. "I'm waiting for you!"
Yu Bei turned to push his mountain bike. "I still need to go to the bike shed. You head back to the dorm first."
Chen Qingning puffed out her cheeks, wrapping herself up so tightly in her scarf that not a sliver of her face showed. "It's not like it's out of the way."
Of course it was out of the way.
The bike shed was in the southeast corner, the dormitory at the north end, separated like the Chu-Han border, requiring a walk through the cafeteria and the parents' waiting room. Chen Qingning's head was throbbing from the cold, her teeth chattering, nearly frozen into an ice sculpture. Chasing a man really wasn't something just anyone could do. She followed for two steps, then decisively took a shortcut back to the dorm, no longer caring whether Yu Bei lived or died.
She sprinted a hundred meters and slammed open the dorm door, also startling awake Qu Xiao, who had been dozing at her desk. Qu Xiao pulled off her earphones and stared at the panting Chen Qingning. "What happened to you? Chased by a wild boar?"
"I'm freezing to death!" She slammed the door shut, tossed aside her bags, and found the air conditioner remote like she was stepping on hot coals, pressing it five times in a row before collapsing back into her chair.
Qu Xiao came over and saw her wrapped up like a zongzi, and couldn't help guessing, "Did you run back?"
"I rode back on a three-wheeled truck," Chen Qingning said, catching her breath, unwinding her scarf and digging out a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea bag from the pile of spoils on the floor, belatedly turning delicate. "That's the first time in my life I've ridden such a terrifying, pitch-black mode of transport…"
Qu Xiao took it in surprise, laughing at the heat packs stuffed inside. "Why didn't I see you carrying this this morning?"
Chen Qingning looked down. "A parent gave it to me."
Qu Xiao glanced at the door. "What about Teacher Yu? Didn't he walk you back?"
"It's all because of him!" Chen Qingning gritted her teeth. "That's why I'm living worse than a dog. Even the pigs on the highway get to ride in big trucks."
Qu Xiao: "?"
She didn't understand, but seeing her roommate's face like a frostbitten peach, she figured she'd been through some real grievance, and joined in the criticism: "How could he let you ride a three-wheeler? Next time I'll give you a ride back."
"Forget it." Chen Qingning waved magnanimously, pretending to be gracious, and started rummaging through the bag on the table.
Qu Xiao asked, "What are you looking for?"
"My phone."
"Checking the time?"
"Asking Yu Bei if he made it back to his dorm alive."
"…"
It wasn't until after he'd finished a hot shower that Yu Bei saw Chen Qingning's message.
Teacher Chen: Dear Teacher Yu, have you made it back to your dorm?
Yu Bei put his phone back on the desk and turned to the mirror to dry his hair.
A thick layer of steam had condensed on the mirror's surface, his upper body faintly reflected within it. He stared at that blurry outline for a moment, then took down the squeegee hanging nearby, wiped the mirror clean, and only then returned to the desk to type.
Yu Bei: Made it back.
The other side was instantly typing:
Teacher Chen: [Image]
Teacher Chen: Do you have any cold medicine?
Teacher Chen: If not, I'll bring you a couple of packets.
The photo was of a cup, filled with a brownish drink. Yu Bei averted his eyes slightly. I have some.
Having witnessed this woman's recklessness on the road, and fearing she might act on impulse and actually show up at his door, he quickly typed: Already drank it.
Teacher Chen: Really?
Teacher Chen: I don't believe you.
Yu Bei turned off his phone, put it back in its place, and opened his computer to compile today's home-visit teaching records. He paused for a moment at the "Teaching Results" column, then continued typing:
"Responded positively to bus stop images; was able to complete the corresponding sequencing after 2-3 verbal prompts."
Rubbing his forehead as he reflected briefly, he added:
"Attention span showed improvement compared to last session."
His phone vibrated intermittently beside him, and Yu Bei finally had time to pick it up. The screen was still on the chat with Chen Qingning, and the girl had sent another photo.
A screenshot, seemingly of a chat record. Yu Bei zoomed in with two fingers and confirmed—it was a mirrored, left-right reversed version of his WeChat interface with Chen Qingning.
She had secretly taken a photo of him on the way back.
And set it as her chat wallpaper.
He was leaning back in his seat, his profile half-hidden in shadow, while she squeezed a small portion of her face closer to the camera, her white teeth gleaming.
Yu Bei noticed the note she had given him.
Speechless for a few seconds, he decided not to comment on it at all.
"Why isn't he replying to me?"
"I even set a couple's wallpaper!"
Chen Qingning lay in bed shaking her phone like she was scrambling for red envelopes during Spring Festival Gala, trying to rattle a reply out of Yu Bei. Naturally, nothing came.
She also sent the suspiciously obtained photo to Qu Xiao for appraisal: "We look great together, right?"
The dorm lights were already off, and Qu Xiao was buried under her covers: "Even half your face looks this good."
Chen Qingning wasn't satisfied: "I'm asking you to look at both people. Look at the whole picture."
Only then did Qu Xiao say, "You can barely see Teacher Yu if you don't look closely. And he's wearing black."
Chen Qingning's photography skills came under fire: "Isn't his profile handsome? His nose bridge could pierce the sky, his Adam's apple could dive off a diving board—calling it the photo of his life wouldn't be an exaggeration."
Qu Xiao laughed at her over-the-top description: "Why don't you just tell him that to his face?"
Chen Qingning: "I said it on WeChat, and even asked if he wanted to use it together. He didn't reply."
"He's definitely busy," Qu Xiao reassured her, scrolling through Xiaohongshu.
The entire page was filled with posts about special education and autism. She casually swiped and tapped into one.
"I get it now," Chen Qingning concluded, like fireworks crackling to life: "He's a secretly-pleased guy."
Qu Xiao: "…"
Qu Xiao didn't play along with the joke, only asking, "Did you go observe the class today?"
Chen Qingning exited the chat: "No."
She suddenly held her breath, then whimpered, "Xiao'er, you've suffered so much…"
Qu Xiao: "What?"
"I never even thought about you teaching kids like that."
Qu Xiao fell silent for a moment, then spoke: "Well, that's why it's called special education."
In the pitch-black dorm, Chen Qingning didn't reply, still sniffling. Qu Xiao went, "Hey—you're not actually crying, are you?"
"Fake." The moving display of emotion smoothed out instantly: "I just think you're amazing. Yu Bei spent a whole afternoon on just one kid, and you have to face an entire class."
Actually, Chen Qingning hadn't even seen what Lele's brother looked like.
There was a wall between them, and it wasn't convenient to pry.
"Kids who can come to school are much better off than those who need home visits," Qu Xiao said nonchalantly, then asked, "Teacher Yu spent a whole afternoon?"
"Yeah."
Chen Qingning scrolled through her friend list, deciding to pick some other backup male candidates to while away the long night.
"How many homes did you visit?"
"Just one," Chen Qingning answered distractedly.
"Doesn't one only take an hour…" Qu Xiao was puzzled: "Did you see the kid's condition?"
"I don't know, I was with the other one."
Qu Xiao asked, "There's another child in the family?"
Chen Qingning said, "There's a second son."
"Oh, how's that kid?"
Chen Qingning paused: "Seems normal."
Qu Xiao made no further sound.
For some reason, Chen Qingning could imagine her letting out a sigh of relief.
After a long silence, Qu Xiao spoke: "Actually, they shouldn't have."
"Shouldn't have what?" Chen Qingning stopped her search for someone to chat with.
"Shouldn't have had another one. The risk is too great."
Chen Qingning's voice grew heavy, not quite agreeing: "Then what hope would there be left in life?"
During morning assembly class, Chen Qingning stood by the door, staring blankly at the children in the classroom.
Before bed last night, she had looked up information about children with intellectual disabilities. Compared to the family she'd seen over the weekend, these kids and their parents seemed a bit luckier—they had sign language and writing as outlets to convey their thoughts. But intellectual delays were different. Some children struggled even with basic self-care and social interaction, and their parents had to face not just communication barriers, but a long, irreversible road ahead for the rest of their lives.
Chen Qingning couldn't imagine that kind of helplessness and despair.
"What are you spacing out about?" Yu Bei passed by her and issued a new task: "Today you're leading the students for morning exercises."
Chen Qingning snapped back to reality, utterly shocked: "Me?"
Yu Bei: "Mm."
He faced the students and signed.
Midway, he pointed at Chen Qingning, seemingly informing them that today's leader would be someone else.
In an instant, the kids hopped up excitedly, filing out the back door of the classroom with enthusiasm but in an orderly fashion.
Ge Lingxi pressed against the corridor window glass, peering inside, her eyes bright and watchful.
"And you?" Chen Qingning smiled at her, then looked back at Yu Bei.
Yu Bei said, "I have something to do."
"What is it?"
"A trip to the academic affairs office."
"New wallpaper really makes a difference, huh," his intern's train of thought expanded like the Big Bang: "You're even reporting to me now."
Yu Bei seemed about to speak, then stopped.
"I'll wait for you in the classroom," Chen Qingning said, a sweet smile spilling over her face. She leaned out of the doorframe, clapped her hands to signal the students to stop their sign-language chatter, then turned back: "I promise you, not a single one will come back missing an arm or a leg."
Thanks a lot.
Yu Bei finished that thought silently, then lifted his foot and walked away.
Chen Qingning led her little ponies of all shapes and sizes to the playground.
Her sign language was lacking, so she had to rely on exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures to remind them to adjust their formation. The kids were well-trained and quickly lined up in a straight row.
Chen Qingning gave them repeated thumbs-up.
Yu Bei had his own arrangement for morning exercises—each day, a different student was rotated to lead the routine up front.
For the past week, Chen Qingning's attention had been entirely on Yu Bei. She couldn't remember who led last Friday, and she didn't know how to ask in sign language.
She glanced at Sister Yu from the neighboring class.
If she asked the teacher for help now, and Yu Bei found out, wouldn't she look bad?
She couldn't be that incompetent—can't even manage a simple morning exercise.
Chen Qingning immediately switched tactics. She pulled up the scrolling concert-style bullet comments on her phone, switched them to bright gold glowing bold text, typed in her message, and held it up with one hand:
[Who's leading exercises today]
The students saw it, froze for a moment, then burst into fresh, amused laughter, doubling over.
Yu Wenlei caught her move and laughed too: "Teacher Chen, you really have a way."
The tallest boy at the back of the line raised his hand, jogged forward, pointed at himself, and "said" something in sign language that Chen Qingning couldn't understand.
Chen Qingning only remembered Ge Lingxi's name. She nodded with feigned composure, then made OK, OK gestures with her fingers.
The boy at the front of the line stepped aside to give up his spot.
Yu Bei had trained them well—as soon as the music played, they moved their bodies and limbs as usual, as if they could hear it.
After exercises ended, she escorted the students back to the classroom, watched them settle into their seats, and only then felt like she'd been granted a reprieve. Deeply wounded, she returned to the office.
Yu Bei was already seated behind the small desk, head bowed, flipping through materials he'd just picked up.
Chen Qingning hurried over, feigning disappointment: "I thought you'd be in the classroom to check on the results."
Yu Bei looked up: "I checked from the hallway."
Chen Qingning glanced at the door: "Oh, you were spying on me!" Then she showed off, seeking credit: "I did great, didn't I?"
Yu Bei only asked: "Your sign language check is Tuesday. Did you read the book?"
Chen Qingning froze for a second, then lied: "Yeah, I read it."
"What were the first ten pages about?" Yu Bei pulled a stapler from the desk drawer and turned the stack of materials sideways.
Chen Qingning said: "Isn't the check tomorrow?"
The stapler clicked shut with a snap. Yu Bei looked at her again: "So you do remember tomorrow is Tuesday?"
Chen Qingning opened her mouth: "How could I not remember?"
Yu Bei said: "Go back to your seat."
Chen Qingning turned around, and the more she thought about it, the more it stung. She was a teacher too—who was he to talk to her like she was one of his students? They were equals! Colleagues! She was just about to charge back and reclaim her dignity when Yu Bei called out first:
"Chen Qingning."
Chen Qingning turned around.
A piece of candy flew over, and she caught it with quick reflexes.
What she caught wasn't just the candy, but also Yu Bei's praise: "Good job."