SYLM Chapter 90

Chapter 90 “Let’s meet again next time, okay?”

Chapter 90 “Let’s meet again, okay?”

The rain had passed and the sky had cleared, with a few wisps of lingering clouds. Sunlight streamed through the clouds, scattering onto the damp ground, reflecting a faint halo.

The white Benz slowly pulled into a parking space in front of the Sweet Home restaurant. The tires rolled over accumulated water, splashing a few drops.

Chen Lu turned off the engine and glanced at Gu Wan Jun in the passenger seat. She was looking down, organizing the Chinese language test papers in her hands. Her soft, long hair fell naturally, covering half her face, making her appear gentle and focused.

Chen Lu pursed her lips, feeling a bit agitated, yet helpless.

“We’re here.”

After saying that, without waiting for Gu Wan Jun to respond, Chen Lu directly pushed open the car door and got out.

Knowing that the young woman didn’t want to be alone with her, Gu Wan Jun smiled and shook her head. She neatly organized the test papers and then followed Chen Lu out of the car.

The restaurant’s glass door reflected two tall, indistinct figures. As soon as the door was pushed open, the bell above the door jingled crisply. The receptionist, Jia Jia, looked up and immediately recognized Chen Lu, a friend of her boss.

Jia Jia directed another server to ring up the bill for the previous table while smiling and welcoming them:

“Miss Chen, you’re here. Sorry, our boss isn’t in the store right now.”

Chen Lu nodded, her tone calm: “I know, I’m not here to see her.”

Fu Yi Wen made sure to deliver meals to Tang Ying at this time every day, without fail. How could she not know that?

Hearing that Chen Lu intended to eat there, Jia Jia nodded and confirmed with a smile, “You’d like to eat here, right? The usual spot?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, how many of you?”

“Two.”

After saying that, Chen Lu turned to look at Gu Wan Jun, who was looking around, seemingly interested in the restaurant’s decor.

At the same time, Jia Jia’s gaze followed Chen Lu’s movement and landed on Gu Wan Jun behind her. The moment their eyes met, Jia Jia couldn’t help but brighten.

Gu Wan Jun was wearing a beige knitted cardigan over a light-colored long dress. She looked gentle and elegant, dignified and beautiful, especially her lovely peach blossom eyes, which appeared amorous and tender, making people willing to be lost in them, even knowing it was a trap.

Jia Jia couldn’t help but look at Gu Wan Jun a few more times, inwardly marveling that beautiful women only hang out with other beautiful women.

Seeing the server staring directly at Gu Wan Jun, Chen Lu squeezed her fingertips, stepped forward expressionlessly, and blocked the somewhat infatuated gaze:

“Take us to a private room.”

“…”

Chen Lu’s words pulled Jia Jia back from her momentary lapse in professionalism. Jia Jia quickly retracted her gaze and smiled, “Oh… okay, no problem, this way please.”

At Chen Lu’s request, the server Jia Jia led the two to a quiet private room. The room’s decor was simple yet elegant, with a few abstract paintings hanging on the walls. Soft sunlight streamed through the glass windows onto the floor, adding a touch of warmth and tranquility to the room.

After sitting down, Gu Wan Jun scanned the room and softly praised, “The atmosphere here is really nice.”

Chen Lu didn’t respond, simply looking down at the menu. At the same time, Jia Jia, who was standing by waiting for the guests to order, noticed that Chen Lu seemed to be wearing pajamas under her trench coat.

Pajamas with a trench coat? Was this some new trendy outfit?

Jia Jia mentally made a question mark, but that didn’t stop her from taking out the best service attitude to prepare to introduce dishes for Chen Lu at any time. As a result, in the next second, Chen Lu passed the menu in her hand to Gu Wan Jun.

“You order.”

Gu Wan Jun was taken aback, didn’t take the menu. She smiled slightly, looking at Chen Lu gently:

“Help me recommend something, it’s my first time here, I’m not familiar with the dishes.”

“…”

Hearing these words, Chen Lu frowned. She hadn’t wanted to eat this meal in the first place, so how could she be in the mood to make recommendations? She returned the menu to the server, her tone indifferent:

“Just bring whatever, the specialties will do.”

“…”

Standing on the side, Jia Jia sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two and couldn’t help but feel her gossip soul ignited. She secretly glanced at Gu Wan Jun and then at Chen Lu, feeling that there was an inexplicable tension between them.

What’s going on with these two? Why is there a hint of gunpowder? Do people with bad relationships come to eat together?

Jia Jia silently made another question mark in her mind. The private room door opened and closed, leaving only Chen Lu and Gu Wan Jun in the room.

Gu Wan Jun placed the Chinese language test papers on the table. The papers were clipped with a stack of classical Chinese dictation slips. She took a red pen from her bag and looked at Chen Lu with a smile:

“Lu Lu, would you like to help me grade the slips?”

“…”

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking Chen Lu’s carefully sealed memories.

Back in high school, as the Chinese language representative, Chen Lu, afraid that Gu Wan Jun would be overworked, often helped her grade test papers and dictation slips. Other teachers knew it and were envious of Gu Wan Jun, who often joked, “Be envious, she’s mine.”

Memories flooded her mind, carrying a sourness that instantly made Chen Lu’s brow furrow. She didn’t even bother to correct the form of address, and refused in a cold and hard tone: “No.”

Sensing the other person’s resistance, Gu Wan Jun sighed with feigned grievance, her voice gentle: “But I need them for the first class this afternoon. You know I really can’t grade them all by myself.”

“…”

What did she know? What did it have to do with her if she couldn’t finish them?

Chen Lu raised her eyes to look at Gu Wan Jun, her gaze carrying a hint of impatience.

Gu Wan Jun didn’t flinch under that gaze, still looking at Chen Lu gently, her eyes carrying a hint of expectation and entreaty.

Don’t look at me with that kind of look.

Chen Lu wanted to say that.

But she couldn’t.

Saying those words would declare her the loser in this game.

But wasn’t she already?

Five years ago, she cared about Gu Wan Jun, and five years later, she still felt flustered by the other’s gaze.

So pathetic.

Chen Lu felt a burst of annoyance. She hated this feeling of being out of control, hated being led around by the nose by Gu Wan Jun. She forced herself to meet Gu Wan Jun’s gaze, but the unease in her heart intensified, as if every pore in her body was shouting, “Agree to it! Agree to it!”

The tips of her fingers on her knees tightened their grip on her palms. Chen Lu finally turned her face away, her tone awkward:

“Red pen.”

“…”

A hint of a smile flashed across Gu Wan Jun’s lovely peach blossom eyes. She took another red pen from her bag and handed it to Chen Lu:

“Here, thank you.”

After taking the pen, Chen Lu said nothing, and lowered her head to start grading the slips, her movements crisp and neat, as if using this to cover up the fluctuations in her heart. Gu Wan Jun picked up the Chinese language test papers and began to grade them seriously. Soon, only the rustling sound of pen tips scratching across paper remained in the room, the atmosphere quiet and subtle.

The two were immersed in their work until the server brought the dishes to the table.

Seeing the food on the table, Gu Wan Jun put down her pen and said softly, “Let’s eat first, the food will get cold if we wait too long.”

Chen Lu didn’t look up, her red pen still making marks. Gu Wan Jun called her again, and only then did she reply in a cold tone, “Didn’t you say you needed them for the first class this afternoon?”

Even as she responded, Chen Lu’s red pen didn’t stop.

Looking at the young woman’s downcast eyes, Gu Wan Jun’s heart stirred, and a touch of tenderness couldn’t help but rise in her heart: “There are two of us, we have enough time, let’s eat first.”

Only then did Chen Lu raise her head, glancing at Gu Wan Jun with a cold look before finally putting down her pen.

One worked at school, and the other got up early and coded words on the computer. Both had been busy all morning, and after all that work, they were really a bit hungry.

The two started eating.

The dishes on the table were full of color, aroma, and flavor, but Chen Lu ate the meal absentmindedly. Gu Wan Jun, sitting directly across from her, looked at her from time to time, her gaze gentle and focused, making it hard not to notice.

Halfway through the meal, Gu Wan Jun casually mentioned that in the liberal arts class she was in charge of, there were a few students who originally had very good writing skills but had been going off-topic when writing essays in recent exams, giving people the feeling that they had a lot they wanted to write, but it was all jumbled.

When the topic involved the content of writing, Chen Lu relaxed a little. She put down her chopsticks and analyzed in a calm tone:

“In this situation, one aspect might be emotional tension, worrying that there wouldn’t be enough time for the exam, and starting to write before thinking about the structure of the essay. Then, as they write, they discover that the framework is wrong, but they can’t make major changes, so they can only continue down the wrong path. On the other hand, it’s possible that they really have a lot of ideas about the topic, but their control over the writing isn’t good enough, leading to writing a little about this and a little about that, and in the end, they exceed the word count, and none of it is well-written.”

She paused, and continued: “I used to have this problem too. Actually, there are no shortcuts to writing, you can only write more and practice more. Whether you write well or not, there’s only a beginning after you start writing. If you grit your teeth and keep writing, you’ll slowly discover your progress.”

Gu Wan Jun didn’t know when she had also put down her chopsticks. She rested her chin on one hand, looking at Chen Lu intently, listening to her eloquent explanation, and a ripple couldn’t help but rise in her heart.

Chen Lu was no longer the inexperienced young woman she used to be. Now, her words conveyed more confidence and composure, and she exuded a unique charm.

Her falling in love with her was the simplest thing.

No one could not love this kind of Chen Lu.

Gu Wan Jun’s heart couldn’t help but flutter, her gaze even more gentle.

After Chen Lu finished speaking, she realized that Gu Wan Jun had been staring at her the whole time, but hadn’t responded, so she was a little puzzled:

“Is there something on my face?”

Chen Lu said as she subconsciously touched her face, her eyes unintentionally revealing a softness and cuteness that even she hadn’t noticed, causing Gu Wan Jun’s nose to feel inexplicably sore.

She hadn’t seen this kind of unguarded, soft look in the young woman’s eyes for many years.

When they came out of the restaurant, the rain had stopped.

Gu Wan Jun looked at the time. There was still an hour before the first class in the afternoon. She turned to look at Chen Lu and asked softly, “Lu Lu, can I take a nap in your car?”

Chen Lu frowned, her tone cold: “Call me Chen Lu.”

“Okay, Chen Lu.” Gu Wan Jun smiled, her tone gentle; “Can I take a nap in your car?”

“…”

Two minutes later, the two were in the car.

Gu Wan Jun leaned back in the passenger seat, closing her eyes. After about ten minutes, Chen Lu called her twice, but Gu Wan Jun didn’t respond.

She must have fallen asleep.

Chen Lu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately took off her trench coat and gently placed it on Gu Wan Jun, then leaned back in the driver’s seat, closing her eyes to rest.

In the passenger seat, the trench coat carried a faint scent of Chen Lu, like a mixture of morning tea and sunshine, fresh and warm.

Gu Wan Jun closed her eyes and quietly curled the corners of her lips, her heart filled with a trace of sweetness.

Thirty minutes later.

Gu Wan Jun, who had “just woken up,” rubbed her temples and looked down, feigning surprise: “Lu Lu, you even put your coat on me.”

Chen Lu, who had fallen asleep while resting and hadn’t managed to retrieve her clothes beforehand, gnashed her teeth, and started the car expressionlessly: “If you get sick, Duo Duo will get infected too.”

Gu Wan Jun’s eyes curved into a smile, her tone gentle: “In that case, I’ll have to thank Sister Lu Lu on Duo Duo’s behalf.”

“…”

Ten minutes later, the white Benz stopped again in front of the gate of Yunjiang No. 3 High School.

The first thing Chen Lu said coldly after the car stopped was: “Give me back my coat.”

Gu Wan Jun didn’t return the coat immediately, but pinched the collar of the trench coat, brought it to her nose and sniffed it lightly, her smile gentle:

“What kind of perfume do you use? It smells so good.”

Chen Lu paused, her tone indifferent: “There’s aromatherapy in the car.”

“It’s not aromatherapy, the aromatherapy smells different, it’s the smell on your coat.”

“…I didn’t use perfume today.”

“Then maybe it’s the smell of your body wash?”

As she spoke, Gu Wan Jun turned her head, approaching Chen Lu, seemingly wanting to find out for sure.

The sudden movement startled Chen Lu, and her expression changed. She immediately dodged to the side, and as a result, her elbow hit the car door, making a muffled sound.

It would have been better if Chen Lu hadn’t dodged. That dodge caused an awkward and ambiguous atmosphere to permeate the air.

Catching a glimpse of the redness that was visibly creeping up Chen Lu’s ears, Gu Wan Jun, having achieved her goal, suppressed her laughter. Seeing that it was a good time to stop, she moved back to her original position and thanked with a smile:

“Thank you for picking me up today, and thank you for having lunch with me. Let’s meet again next time, okay?”

“There won’t be a next time, get out of the car.”

Her arm pressed against the car door without leaving, Chen Lu took back her coat with a cold face, her tone firm.

Gu Wan Jun, having been rejected, smiled helplessly, but wasn’t discouraged.

Things would eventually work out. Next time, she would have other ways to ask the young woman out.

Gu Wan Jun unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car, only to run into a few students from her class right in front of the school gate.

High school was an age where they were curious about everything. Seeing that their Chinese language teacher had arrived in someone else’s car, the girls immediately craned their necks to look at the driver’s seat of the white Benz.

Meeting the students’ gossipy gazes, the smile on Gu Wan Jun’s lips faded a little.

Chen Lu was a public figure. Should she introduce her to the students in this close, face-to-face situation? Would there be any negative impact?

While Gu Wan Jun was still hesitating, a sharp-eyed student had already recognized Chen Lu—

“Chao Mu? Is that Chao Mu who wrote ‘The Cage’? Right, I didn’t see it wrong, right? Teacher, Teacher, is that the Senior Chen Lu you told us about before?” One of the girls asked excitedly.

Gu Wan Jun: “…”

Seeing that the students had recognized her, she could only nod.

In the driver’s seat, Chen Lu, hearing these words, looked at Gu Wan Jun outside the car with a complicated expression as she gripped the steering wheel.

She hadn’t expected Gu Wan Jun to mention her in front of her students.

Before Chen Lu could react, several girls had already greeted her with a smile: “Hello, Senior!”

Chen Lu felt a little awkward, especially when she thought about the fact that she was wearing pajamas and had no makeup on. She forced out a smile and waved to them: “Hello.”

“Senior, I’ve read your ‘The Cage’, I’m a fan of your book!” One of the girls said excitedly.

Chen Lu smiled: “Thank you.”

Another girl also chimed in enthusiastically: “Senior, our Chinese teacher always mentions you when she teaches our class. She even said you were her favorite student!”

“…”

Chen Lu couldn’t smile anymore.

She glanced at Gu Wan Jun outside the car. The two of them made eye contact, and a hint of blush appeared on Gu Wan Jun’s face. She shifted her gaze away a little embarrassedly.

There were more and more students at the gate. Afraid of causing Chen Lu any negative impact, Gu Wan Jun, using the excuse that class was about to start, finally managed to send those few students away.

There were still 10 minutes before the first class in the afternoon started. Before leaving, Gu Wan Jun seized the last bit of time and knocked on the car window.

“Anything else?”

“Sorry, I caused you trouble.”

“What?”

“Before I introduced you, I should have asked for your permission first. After all, it was this kind of face-to-face meeting, and I was afraid of causing you any negative impact.”

Gu Wan Jun really hadn’t expected this situation to occur. She knew that public figures generally paid a lot of attention to their outward appearance. Although Chen Lu was her former student, and although she thought Chen Lu was beautiful at any time, she should still respect Chen Lu’s wishes when this situation occurred.

That pair of lovely peach blossom eyes was full of sincerity. Chen Lu could tell that she really cared about her outward image, and she hadn’t expected Gu Wan Jun to consider this point too.

Gu Wan Jun was a considerate and thoughtful person, Chen Lu had always known that, but when that thoughtfulness landed on her again, Chen Lu couldn’t help but feel her heart stirred.

She had to admit that she had hated Gu Wan Jun for so many years, not because Gu Wan Jun wasn’t good enough.

But because she hated why Gu Wan Jun was so good.

Hated why such a good Gu Wan Jun was unwilling to love her.

Her wandering thoughts consciously returned. In the end, unable to bear making that person feel guilty, Chen Lu softened her tone, a rare occurrence:

“There’s no negative impact. Judging from those girls’ reactions, you probably didn’t say bad things about me.”

“…”

Gu Wan Jun paused for a moment, then her eyebrows and eyes softly relaxed.

She heard that Chen Lu was comforting her.

How could this person be so good?

After the two bid farewell, the car returned to silence.

The scent of white tea from Gu Wan Jun still lingered in the air, faint but persistent.

Not to mention that trench coat.

Chen Lu looked down at the clothes in her hand, which were covered with Gu Wan Jun’s scent.

This person was almost marinated in perfume, yet she turned around and said she smelled good.

Chen Lu pursed her lips, her expression unreadable. Perhaps feeling that wearing pajamas was really undignified, she put on the trench coat after a moment of “utter disdain” and drove away.