As the city filled with a stern, killing chill and the rampant, lawless demonic winds grew more frequent, Qingling welcomed December.
Winter had never been something Huo Chuxue liked. Never mind anything else, just braving the demonic wind to go to work every day was detestable enough.
On Friday, Huo Chuxue got off work early. She planned to take He Qingshi back to meet her parents.
Although she could imagine her father’s attitude—he would undoubtedly fly into a rage, become hysterical, and a fierce battle would be unavoidable—since she had decided to be with He Qingshi, facing her parents was inevitable sooner or later.
There was no need to worry about her mother. The key was her father.
Her best friend Qiao Shengxi was right. Better to get it over with. Since she had to face it anyway, she might as well muster her courage and resolve the matter sooner rather than later.
To prepare for bringing He Qingshi home, Huo Chuxue had given her mother, Xie Mingrou, an early heads-up, asking her to put in a good word with her father. She didn’t expect her father to agree immediately. She just hoped things wouldn’t get too tense when the time came.
True to a writer who had penned countless romance novels, Ms. Xie Mingrou was more open-minded than the average parent. In other families, if a daughter wanted to marry a divorced man, the parents would probably have hit the roof long ago. But Ms. Xie did not oppose her daughter’s choice at all. She hadn’t even tried to persuade Huo Chuxue otherwise.
In Xie Mingrou’s view, this was her daughter’s life. Parents could offer opinions, but they absolutely should not interfere too much. Moreover, she had great confidence in Huo Chuxue. She knew her daughter’s temperament: she appeared soft on the surface, but inside she was incredibly strong-willed and stubborn. Once she decided on something, not even ten oxen could pull her back.
Even if, taking the worst-case scenario, her daughter’s choice was wrong and she had kicked an iron plate, her parents’ warm embrace would always be open to her.
As for visiting his future mother-in-law and father-in-law, Professor He was initially hesitant. After all, this was clearly going to be a tough battle, like a collision of planets, bound to cause a huge commotion. If it went badly, it could come to blows, a fight to the death.
However, given Huo Chuxue’s constant encouragement, he gradually gave up struggling.
Since this was unavoidable and he had to face it eventually, he could only adjust his mindset and aim to resolve it perfectly as soon as possible.
On Friday afternoon, He Qingshi had class, so Huo Chuxue went to University A first to wait for him. After his class finished, the two would go back to Tangshui Town together.
Knowing she was coming, He Qingshi had given her his office key in advance so she could wait for him there.
She had been to He Qingshi’s office once before, so she found her way easily.
The office was large, spacious, and bright. Sunlight streamed in, suspending pillars of light in the air.
Several potted plants were placed around the office. These little things shook their branches vigorously, greedily soaking up the sunlight.
The most eye-catching among them was undoubtedly the lucky bamboo by the window.
He Qingshi had taken excellent care of that lucky bamboo. Its nodes were distinct, and it was lush and green.
Huo Chuxue walked around and spotted a watering can. Since she had nothing better to do, she simply rolled up her sleeves and watered the plants.
After watering them, it was still early—only half past four. He Qingshi still had half an hour before his class ended. Huo Chuxue waited in his office, bored out of her mind, curled up on the sofa playing with her phone.
He Qingshi’s office faced the sun. Bright, gentle sunlight streamed in through the window, warm and cozy.
After basking in it for a while, drowsiness hit her, and she simply fell asleep.
When He Qingshi finished his class and returned to his office, he found a bear sleeping soundly.
As for her sleeping posture? It was nothing to write home about! She was sprawled out, limbs akimbo.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a silent smile. He put down his laptop bag and textbooks, walked over, and gently patted Huo Chuxue’s shoulder. “Xiaoxue, wake up, wake up. We should get going.”
Huo Chuxue had only slept for half an hour but had successfully had a dream. In the dream, she had actually returned to her high school days. Teacher Su was showing them Gone with the Wind.
Teacher Su stood on the podium and said softly, “When you’re young, you don’t understand love. By the time you understand it, half your life is already gone.”
The moment she woke up, the movie’s theme song seemed to still linger in her ears, refusing to fade.
She found it quite strange. For so many years, she had never dreamed of Teacher Su. But ever since that high school class reunion, she had started dreaming of her frequently.
There were only two scenes in the dreams each time: one was Teacher Su showing them a movie, and the other was the last class Teacher Su taught their class before resigning.
The dream was abruptly cut off. Huo Chuxue woke up suddenly, her eyes hazy and slightly narrowed, filled with confusion.
He Qingshi smiled and asked, “Did you have a dream?”
“Mhm.” Huo Chuxue sat up straight. “I dreamed about my teacher.”
“Your high school English teacher?”
“Yes.” Huo Chuxue nodded. “I’m surprised I actually dreamed of her.”
“You dream of what you think about during the day. You must be missing her.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t dwell on it and instead picked up her bag. “Let’s go.”
He Qingshi said, “Okay.”
Just as the two were about to leave the office, they saw Jiang Nuan appear at the doorway.
The three of them ran into each other head-on. Jiang Nuan seemed to deflate like a balloon instantly, her face turning deathly pale.
She had finally mustered the courage to save herself, but heaven had played a cruel joke on her.
The two stood before her, a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. He Qingshi had his arm around Huo Chuxue’s shoulder, so intimate.
Huo Chuxue discreetly glanced at the girl a couple of times. The girl before her was slender and delicate, with a well-behaved appearance. A large cotton jacket hung loosely on her frame, making her seem even more petite.
She carried a yellowish canvas bag. Her jeans were washed until they were faded white. The strap of the bag pressed down on her shoulder, seeming as if it could crush her.
When Huo Chuxue saw her eyes, she was shocked. She was at the most vibrant, carefree age in her twenties, yet those eyes seemed shrouded in a thick fog, filled with bewilderment and a deep sense of despair. It was as if peeling back that layer of mist would allow anyone to glimpse a heart riddled with holes.
Huo Chuxue felt shaken and didn’t dare look too closely.
Knowing this was He Qingshi’s student, she smiled and nodded at Jiang Nuan. “Hello.”
Without waiting for Jiang Nuan’s reply, she turned to He Qingshi and said, “I’ll wait for you in the car.”
He Qingshi nodded. “Go ahead.”
Jiang Nuan stood stiffly, nervously twisting her fingers. She looked at Huo Chuxue, but the words “Hello, Mrs. He” absolutely refused to leave her lips.
Fortunately, Huo Chuxue didn’t seem to mind and walked away in her high heels.
Watching Huo Chuxue walk into the distance, He Qingshi finally asked Jiang Nuan, “Jiang Nuan, did you come to see me about something?”
Jiang Nuan slowly raised her head and asked an unexpected question.
“Teacher He, do you like her very much?”
He Qingshi: “…”
“Who?” He Qingshi asked calmly. “Are you talking about my girlfriend?”
“Mhm.”
“I like her very much. We’re going to get married in the future.” His expression was gentle, and every corner of his eyes and brows radiated happiness.
After saying it, he found it a bit funny himself—discussing this with his own student.
“That’s really wonderful!”
“That’s really wonderful!”
…
After listening, Jiang Nuan actually said “That’s really wonderful!” several times in a row.
He Qingshi felt that Jiang Nuan was very off today, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
Actually, it should be said that this child had been off since April. She was like a different person. The former good student started being late and skipping class. Even when she did attend, she often slept during lectures. Her grades plummeted. The student who used to get scholarships every year now barely managed to avoid failing.
The counselor for Class 3, Teacher Meng, had privately talked to her several times. He Qingshi had also talked to her, but this child kept her mouth shut and said nothing.
However, what He Qingshi could see was that the girl’s complexion was very poor today—deathly pale, without a trace of color.
“Jiang Nuan, are you sick?” He Qingshi asked with some concern.
Jiang Nuan shook her head with difficulty. “I’m fine, Teacher He.”
“You’re all grown up now. Take good care of yourself. Don’t make your family worry.”
“Teacher He, you’ll always remember me, right?”
“Why do you ask that?” He Qingshi said with a smile. “You’re my student. Of course I’ll remember you.”
“That’s good.” Jiang Nuan suddenly smiled a knowing smile. “I’m leaving, Teacher He.”
He Qingshi couldn’t help but frown and called out to stop her. “Jiang Nuan, if there’s anything, tell your teacher. We will all help you.”
Jiang Nuan shook her head. “Teacher He, no one can help me.”
He Qingshi: “…”
He wanted to say more, but she had already run far away.
At the deep end of the dim corridor, under a murky pool of light, that back was thin and fragile, unable to withstand a single blow.
—
He Qingshi locked his office door and went straight to the parking lot.
As he reached the stairwell on the first floor, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.
He turned around and saw Director Duan walking toward the main entrance.
The middle-aged man was dressed entirely in black. He carried a briefcase in his left hand and covered his right ear with his right hand. He was tall and thin, and his expression looked very rushed.
They passed each other, and Director Duan didn’t even notice He Qingshi.
“Director Duan.” He Qingshi took the initiative to greet him.
The sudden voice clearly startled Director Duan. He looked up and saw it was He Qingshi. A trace of panic immediately flitted across his face, but it vanished in an instant. He quickly forced a smile, his attitude enthusiastic. “Oh, it’s Teacher He! Did you just finish class?”
“Yes, just finished.” He Qingshi noticed Director Duan’s right ear. “What’s wrong with your ear?”
Director Duan gritted his teeth, took a breath, and then answered, “My ear’s a bit inflamed. It hurts terribly.”
“Ear inflammation can be serious. You should go to the hospital quickly.”
“That’s exactly what I plan to do.” Director Duan asked in a low voice, “Are you heading straight home, Teacher He?”
He Qingshi said, “I’m going to Tangshui Town today.”
Director Duan asked, “Going for fun?”
“Visiting a friend.”
“Let’s not chat anymore. I need to get to the hospital.” Director Duan waved his hand and left in a hurry.
“Take care, Director Duan.”
—
He Qingshi walked quickly to the parking lot. His car was parked inconspicuously in a corner.
He walked up, opened the car door directly, and got in.
Huo Chuxue was sitting in the passenger seat, almost falling asleep waiting. Seeing him return, she asked, “All done?”
“Mhm.” He Qingshi nodded, fastening his seatbelt. “Let’s go!”
The man focused on steering, his eyes on the road ahead. Sunlight fell into the car, casting long, slender shadows from his ten fingers.
The car moved forward slowly. The trees on both sides kept receding, and the parking lot was left behind.
“What did your student want with you?” Huo Chuxue asked, tilting her head.
“She didn’t say specifically.” He Qingshi found it a bit strange. “Instead, she said some odd things.”
“What things?”
“She asked me if I liked you very much.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“That student of yours is probably interested in you.” Huo Chuxue smiled faintly, pretending to be troubled. “Ah, stealing the male idol of the entire female student body—what a sin!”
He Qingshi: “…”
Professor He rarely played along with her jokes, but he pursed his lips and smiled. “Doctor Huo, braving the condemnation of the world, openly making an enemy of all the female students—your courage is commendable!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
After the joke, Huo Chuxue remembered the girl’s eyes and couldn’t help adding, “I always feel that your student came to see you about something today. You should pay a bit more attention to her.”
He Qingshi, however, didn’t pay it much mind. “Never mind her for now. Let’s deal with your parents first.”
Huo Chuxue raised an eyebrow, teasing, “Is Professor He nervous?”
He Qingshi sat up straight, composed his expression, and said seriously, “The ugly son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law—it’s impossible not to be nervous.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”