Chapter 2
When a person lacks oxygen, their consciousness tends to blur.
Jian Wu wasn’t sure if that was the reason, but this second felt incredibly long.
He noticed almost immediately that Song Shuci wasn’t wearing his glasses.
His pupils were dark, and without the lenses to shield them, they seemed like a huge, dark vortex, pulling in anyone who met his gaze, tearing away their mask of pretense, and then dissecting their heart.
Jian Wu couldn’t stand that kind of look.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his rusty brain couldn’t squeeze out a single word.
Until Song Shuci looked away first.
The man subtly rubbed the hand that had been hit by the elevator door, then politely and silently blocked the elevator’s side door with his hand, slightly tilting his head back and saying to Dean Ling: “After you.”
As if all his actions were purely out of respect for Dean Ling.
Dean Ling calmed his startled nerves and chuckled awkwardly: “Mr. Song, you don’t have to be so polite. If we miss this elevator, there’s another one. And the elevators in our school usually reopen if you press the up or down button again, no need to be so risky.”
Song Shuci smiled faintly, with a touch of polite detachment: “Mm, I understand.”
He had just acted recklessly, yet now he was pretending to be a gentleman.
Jian Wu glanced at his hand, silently taking a few steps back, a sarcastic remark bubbling up in his mind.
With the addition of two people, the narrow elevator instantly felt crowded, perhaps because the intense awkwardness occupied too much space.
“Dad!” Ling Meng beside him greeted Dean Ling sweetly.
“Oh! You’re here?” Dean Ling replied, then noticed Jian Wu squeezed behind Ling Meng, surprised: “Isn’t this Xiao Jian? Why are you here too?”
Hearing his name, Jian Wu abruptly withdrew his gaze from Song Shuci’s face, lowered his head, took a step back, forced a smile, and obediently greeted Dean Ling.
“Hello, Dean.”
He didn’t explain why he was there, but fortunately, Dean Ling only mentioned it casually and didn’t pursue it further, just chuckling twice.
As the elevator doors closed again, the elevator suddenly fell silent.
Although Ling Meng disliked the social butterfly nature of the older generation, she had been subtly influenced since childhood and had long since cultivated a highly emotionally intelligent, sweet-talking skill. Seeing that Jian Wu didn’t answer, she quickly chimed in: “Dad, I told Xiao Jian that Professor Song was coming, and as soon as Xiao Jian heard it, he was so excited, he insisted on coming to meet the distinguished professor from abroad and learn from him.”
Jian Wu, trying to play dead in the corner: “?”
He frantically signaled to Ling Meng with his eyes, but unfortunately, Ling Meng was too engrossed in her speech to notice.
Song Shuci had originally turned to face the elevator door, but hearing this, he slightly turned his head back, seemingly wanting to see who this person Ling Meng was talking about was.
Sensing Song Shuci turning around, the exaggerated winks and nudges Jian Wu was using to stop Ling Meng instantly disappeared. He stared straight ahead with his arms crossed, like a freshly carved wooden statue.
After a moment, Song Shuci turned his head back, as if speaking to Ling Meng: “Excited?”
His voice was light and calm, betraying little emotion. Ling Meng smiled and replied: “Yes, Jian Wu has been looking forward to meeting you!”
“Absolutely no–”
Seeing that Ling Meng was getting carried away, Jian Wu finally couldn’t bear it and spoke up, but before he could finish the word “no,” Ling Meng stomped hard on his foot.
The woman’s high heels were like deadly weapons. Jian Wu winced in pain, looked up, and met Song Shuci’s meaningful gaze.
Fuck.
Damn it.
What are you looking at?
Embarrassed to the point of wanting to disappear, Jian Wu had never felt the B Medical University elevator move so slowly. He turned his head to watch the descending floor numbers, standing stiffly like an unwavering pine tree in the cramped elevator.
Dean Ling was clearly very pleased with his daughter’s words, beaming: “Good, good, young people should communicate more. Shuci is about your age, you should learn from him.”
He patted Song Shuci on the back and, using this opportunity, introduced him to the two people in the elevator: “This is our newly appointed Professor Song, a PhD from A Medical University, who did a three-year postdoc at H University and recently returned to China.”
After that, he introduced them to Song Shuci: “This is Teacher Jian from our affiliated middle school, and this is my daughter. They were hired into the school together and are in the same group, so they have a good relationship.”
“By the way, our affiliated middle school is one of the best in the city. Many teachers send their children to study there,” he joked. “You don’t have to worry about your children’s education if you come here.”
Ling Meng smiled sweetly and extended her hand to Song Shuci, appearing poised and polite.
“Hello, Professor Song, my name is Ling Meng.”
Both father and daughter of the Ling family were shrewd, calling him Professor Song repeatedly even though he hadn’t signed a contract or completed the hiring procedures.
“Hello.” Song Shuci politely shook her hand and then glanced at Jian Wu.
Noticing Song Shuci’s lingering gaze, Jian Wu paused for a moment, then forced himself to introduce himself: “Hello, I’m Jian Wu.”
Hearing Jian Wu introduce himself, Song Shuci’s eyes darkened slightly.
After a moment, he extended his hand to Jian Wu: “Hello, Teacher Jian.”
“Excuse me,” Jian Wu turned his face away, “I threw the chalk too hard during class and twisted my hand, I can’t shake hands, please forgive me.”
Song Shuci’s hand paused for a moment, then slowly retracted. “It’s okay, I can see that Teacher Jian works very hard.”
He glanced at Jian Wu’s clothes nonchalantly: “You haven’t even had time to wipe off the chalk dust.”
Hearing this, Jian Wu subconsciously looked down at his chest, following Song Shuci’s gaze. The collar of his dark shirt was slightly open, and there was a barely noticeable speck of white next to the second button.
Because he usually needed to dress formally for class, Jian Wu habitually buttoned his shirt all the way up, but this was often hot and stuffy, so he unbuttoned his collar as soon as class was over. He must have gotten a bit of chalk dust on it then.
Were those eyes next to Song Shuci’s nose or magnifying glasses?
Jian Wu had just finished this sarcastic thought in his mind when he suddenly realized something—
No, this wasn’t just any ordinary shirt, and Song Shuci mentioning it wasn’t just because of that insignificant speck of chalk dust.
This was a seventh-anniversary gift Song Shuci had bought for him.
Sure enough, before Jian Wu could respond, he heard Song Shuci’s leisurely voice again: “Teacher Jian, this shirt is a four-year-old design, isn’t it? I bought one before, I remember it very well, it really is quite nice.”
Jian Wu: “…”
He swore he absolutely wasn’t wearing this shirt because of any lingering feelings, it was simply because it was too expensive, and it would be a waste for no one to wear it.
Besides, he had long forgotten where this shirt came from, how did Song Shuci still remember it so clearly?
Oblivious to the undercurrents between the two, Ling Meng exclaimed: “Wow, what a coincidence.”
“Indeed,” Song Shuci looked at Jian Wu’s collar and smiled, “Teacher Jian is still wearing it, it seems you like this shirt very much too.”
“Professor Song,” Jian Wu retorted, “Not everyone has a 500,000 annual salary like you. Just because I keep wearing a shirt doesn’t necessarily mean I like it.”
Hearing Jian Wu mention the content of their earlier conversation in the conference room, Song Shuci raised an eyebrow slightly: “It seems Teacher Jian is very concerned about me. I haven’t even introduced myself, yet you already know everything about my situation.”
Jian Wu was momentarily speechless by his counterattack, then said irritably: “I know so much to remind you that universities have many tricks when it comes to salary negotiations. The settlement allowance isn’t given all at once, and the house the school gives you only has the right of residence, not ownership. Also, the research funding they promised you… if you don’t pass the later assessments, it won’t–”
Dean Ling was still present, and Song Shuci was the backbone he had worked so hard to recruit. Jian Wu’s words made him sound like an undercover spy within B Medical University, so before he could finish, Ling Meng firmly covered his mouth.
“Haha,” Ling Meng, panicked, nervously glanced at Song Shuci, and let out a dry laugh, desperately trying to salvage the situation, “Did anyone just say something?”
A deathly silence filled the elevator. No one responded to Ling Meng’s attempt to smooth things over, so her words fell to the ground with a thud, echoing despairingly.
Awkwardness and silence spread. The Ling father and daughter carefully watched Song Shuci, observing his reaction.
After a while, Song Shuci, the center of attention, suddenly let out a soft laugh.
Dean Ling, who hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise, wiped the sweat from his forehead and, seizing this moment of eased tension, quickly picked up the conversation: “Xiao Jian, this… what he said is indeed… but I believe someone as outstanding as Shuci will have no problem passing the assessments.”
“I think so too,” Song Shuci naturally picked up Dean Ling’s words and looked at Jian Wu. “However, I’m truly touched that Teacher Jian would risk betraying his own school to remind me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself–”
Ling Meng finally released Jian Wu’s mouth. He wanted to retort again, but Song Shuci, before he could speak, casually suggested: “Let’s add each other on WeChat?”
This unexpected move stunned Jian Wu, and the words he was about to say were abruptly swallowed back.
“Good, good,” Dean Ling was more enthusiastic than the person involved. He beckoned Ling Meng and Jian Wu: “Both of you take out your phones and scan Professor Song’s QR code to add him as a friend.”
Ling Meng quickly took out her phone and completed the process. Her gaze then landed on Jian Wu. He coughed twice and subconsciously touched the seam of his right pants pocket, where his slightly bulging phone resided.
He didn’t know why Song Shuci suddenly suggested adding each other on WeChat, but after a few seconds of thought, he hesitated and told a clumsy lie: “I forgot my phone.”
Jian Wu thought Song Shuci would mock him again for this answer, but Song Shuci only glanced at his fingertips resting on his pants pocket before looking away and saying: “Alright, we’ll talk about it later then.”
The elevator doors opened. He strode out, half a step behind Dean Ling, chatting with him as he completely left Jian Wu and Ling Meng behind, seemingly not caring about the matter at all.
Dean Ling seemed to genuinely like Jian Wu and even spoke up for him in front of Song Shuci: “Actually, Xiao Jian is a good kid, he’s just a bit shy. He’s a little nervous meeting you for the first time, not very good with words.”
Song Shuci paused, his tone subtle: “He’s shy with me?”
“Of course,” Dean Ling praised, “We haven’t had such a talented young backbone like you at B Medical University for a long time. Xiao Jian might be a little intimidated by you.”
Song Shuci slightly turned his head, glancing at Jian Wu, who was lagging behind them: “That’s quite something. Teacher Jian seems like such a carefree person, I wouldn’t have thought he’d feel intimidated.”
“Of course he does, Xiao Jian works very hard,” Dean Ling, oblivious to the silent confrontation between the two, continued, “Don’t let his quiet demeanor fool you, he gets along very well with the students and is a great teacher. If you have children in the future, you can ask Xiao Jian for help with them.”
Noticing Jian Wu’s gaze on him, Song Shuci looked away and curled his lips emotionlessly: “Being a middle school teacher must require a good memory, right? Someone so forgetful and with such a bad memory being a teacher… Dean Ling, I’m a little worried for you.”
Jian Wu: “…”
He knew it. Song Shuci would die if he didn’t get a few sarcastic digs in. He had been pretending to be indifferent just now, waiting for this moment. He must have been holding it in for those few minutes, how difficult it must have been for him.
His words were roundabout and loaded, probably referring to more than just the phone incident.
He probably overheard Jian Wu’s hurried “I don’t know him” to Ling Meng at the conference room door.
Petty.
“Professor Song,” he retorted from behind Song Shuci, “As a researcher, you should know that the human brain has limited capacity. It’s impossible to remember everything. Those unimportant things… unimportant people,” Jian Wu deliberately emphasized the latter half of the sentence, looking at Song Shuci, “I generally don’t bother remembering.”
This time, it was Song Shuci’s turn to fall silent. Jian Wu watched him take a rather obvious deep breath, seemingly suppressing some emotion. Unfortunately, he was walking behind Song Shuci and couldn’t see his expression.
They used to bicker a lot when they were dating. Jian Wu was all too familiar with this reaction from Song Shuci. Every time Song Shuci lost an argument, he would take a deep breath to calm down.
The corners of Jian Wu’s mouth curled up, subconsciously revealing a hint of smugness from winning the argument.
But his smugness didn’t last long before he heard Song Shuci say: “Teacher Jian is right, just like Teacher Jian you… I remembered you immediately.”
As he spoke, he suddenly turned around and took two steps towards Jian Wu.
Jian Wu was startled. He instinctively felt that Song Shuci wouldn’t say anything good and subconsciously stepped back.
However, no matter how fast he retreated, he wasn’t faster than Song Shuci’s words.
“Because I always feel,” the young man said with a faint smile, “that Teacher Jian looks remarkably like my runaway fiancée who took my child with her.”
