At this moment, with Qin Qing’s three words, the dining table fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Qin Qing regretted it as soon as she spoke out of impulse.
He wouldn’t like her like this.
But the words were already out and couldn’t be taken back.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to make up for it, but she had no idea what to say.
Just then, the man beside her spoke up. “Principal Han, I sincerely apologize. Qin Qing isn’t a teaching graduate, after all, and doesn’t have much confidence in educating children. Asking her to take on teaching duties all at once is a responsibility she might not be able to handle.”
Qin Qing quickly nodded along.
She cooperated by whispering softly, “I don’t know how to teach.”
Instructor Chen also stepped in to smooth things over. “Old Han, look how you’ve scared the girl. We said we’d see if there were any substitute teaching positions available, take it slow. But you, right off the bat, want her to take on a major role for you.”
“I’m just desperate for talent!” Principal Han was a broad-minded person and didn’t feel embarrassed.
Zhou Yansheng then picked up his wine glass, stood up, and walked over to Principal Han. “Principal Han, I owe you an apology. This is my fault.”
He smiled as he offered a toast. “I didn’t discuss it with Qin Qing beforehand, mainly because I was afraid of getting her hopes up for nothing. I thought I’d bring her to meet you first, which is why this misunderstanding happened.”
“Let me toast you. I’ll finish mine; you can take your time.”
With that, the man tilted his head back and downed the wine in his glass.
Principal Han also smiled and finished his drink.
The other colleagues from the unit and teachers at the table cheered along.
The atmosphere became lively again.
Qin Qing was slightly stunned.
She had never seen Zhou Yansheng like this before.
Composed, steady, and effortlessly in control.
In comparison, she was the one who was willful, petty, and unreasonable—a clown.
Moreover, he said he wasn’t arranging things for her, just making an introduction.
She had misunderstood him.
Just as she was wallowing in self-reproach and insecurity, Zhou Yansheng returned to his seat, put down his glass, tilted his head toward her, and asked, “Do you have any juice?”
Before Qin Qing could react, the man had already picked up her glass and finished the juice inside.
“The baijiu is too strong,” Zhou Yansheng explained in a low voice.
For some reason, Qin Qing felt like he had just flirted with her.
He was so close to her.
Close enough that she could smell the alcohol on him.
“Qin Qing, the school has a piano. Think about it.”
His voice was very soft. After saying this, the man went back to dealing with those who came over to toast him.
Finally, unable to resist the temptation, Qin Qing shyly followed Zhou Yansheng to toast Principal Han and asked if she could start as a substitute teacher first.
Principal Han immediately agreed, saying it was no problem and that she could come to the school tomorrow.
Beside them, Instructor Chen couldn’t help but tease, “Have any of you ever seen Captain Zhou take the initiative like this at a dinner table? When it comes to his wife’s matters, he really puts his heart into it!”
Qin Qing’s face flushed so red she couldn’t even lift her head.
“Instructor, my wife is here. Give me some face.”
Zhou Yansheng didn’t deny it either. Instead, he pressed the little ostrich beside him against his shoulder. “I’ll make it up to you another day!”
“No need for another day. I think today is just fine, hahaha!”
…
That night, Zhou Yansheng was helped back by Qin Qing.
It had been a long, long time since she had seen him drunk.
The last time she saw him like this was the night she entered his room…
Take a deep breath. Don’t think about it.
Zhou Yansheng, half-drunk and half-sober, was very quiet.
Along the way, aside from resting his arm on her shoulder and letting her bear some of his weight, he hardly seemed drunk at all.
But Qin Qing was certain he was drunk.
Because the sober him would never let her bear even the slightest bit of weight.
Fortunately, the hotel wasn’t far from the residential compound.
After walking for over ten minutes, they arrived home.
After helping the man onto the large bed, Qin Qing let out a sigh of relief.
In the middle of winter, she was already drenched in sweat.
Once the man was settled, Qin Qing took her pajamas and went into the bathroom.
When she came out, she unexpectedly saw the man sitting on the chair in front of the desk.
He was still holding that photo frame in his hand…
Hearing the noise, Zhou Yansheng didn’t look up.
His thumb gently brushed over the youthful, smiling faces of the two in the photo.
As if talking to himself, yet also murmuring to her, “Qingqing, back then… it was so good.”
With just that one sentence, Qin Qing’s tears welled up.
Back then, he was still her brother.
Back then, she hadn’t yet become infatuated with Lin Xiang…
It had been so, so long since she last heard him call her “Qingqing.”
So long that she had almost forgotten the existence of that nickname.
She tried to hold back her sobs, but she couldn’t help it.
At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms and say: Brother, hold me…
But she didn’t dare.
She could only stand there, watching his back, quietly weeping.
Finally, the man in the chair moved.
He set down the photo frame and stood up.
Turning around.
Unsurprisingly, his eyes met her tear-reddened ones. “You go to sleep first. I’m going out for a smoke.”
He brushed past her.
Reaching the door, he turned back.
One hand supporting her back, the other slipping under her knees, he lifted her horizontally and carried her back to bed.
“It’s cold. Get under the covers.”
He tucked her in.
Then turned to leave again.
But the girl hooked her arms around his neck.
And pressed her red lips to his.
She kissed his alcohol-tinged, cold lips.
For a moment, Zhou Yansheng visibly stiffened.
But only for a moment.
Then he cupped the back of her head firmly, deepening the kiss.
Only when the girl instinctively let out a soft gasp did he release her.
“Sleep.”
Zhou Yansheng’s eyes were clear, as if not the slightest bit drunk, though his chest still rose and fell heavily.
He straightened up.
But Qin Qing tightly grabbed his arm.
“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.” The smile at the corner of his lips carried a hint of self-mockery.
After saying this, he turned away. “Just going out for a smoke.”
…
She had kissed him.
And he had kissed her back.
But when he left, that smile… was too piercing.
Qin Qing bit her lip.
She had a bad feeling—Zhou Yansheng… had retreated into his shell again.
Outside the door, Zhou Yansheng was indeed smoking in silence.
Inside, lying on the bed, was his rightful wife, yet he had pushed her away.
He didn’t want her following him in a daze.
A silly girl who didn’t even know what she truly wanted.
At a naive, tender age, she shyly confessed her feelings to him.
Then turned around and spent three whole years chasing after another man!
Yet just before he was about to get engaged, she ended up in bed with him…
Did she even understand that the possessiveness she’d felt since childhood wasn’t love?
He smiled bitterly.
Qin Qing forced herself to stay awake.
She listened intently to every movement outside.
She heard him close the door and come back inside.
She heard him go to the bathroom.
She waited for him to come to bed.
She waited until she was almost asleep…
Finally, the man lifted the corner of the blanket.
And lay down.
Qin Qing tentatively, pretending to be half-asleep, stretched her foot toward the man.
She wanted to say: Husband, I’m cold…
But out of muscle memory, she called out: “Brother, I’m cold…”
As she spoke, her foot touched his calf.
“Qin Qing, go to sleep.”
Hah, “brother” again.
Zhou Yansheng used his legs to restrain the girl’s mischievous little feet.
They were indeed cold.
Still cold after sleeping until now?
The man frowned.
His legs loosened slightly, more like restraint than seeking warmth.
At least Qin Qing felt the heat source and instantly came back to life.
Neither of them moved again.
The night was quiet.
Qin Qing could clearly hear the man’s somewhat heavy breathing.
He was holding back.
He was not indifferent to her.