20: Chapter 20 Defining Relationships

The headache after a hangover; she woke up amidst a soft warmth.

Su Wanqing was jolted awake by the morning light piercing through the window.

Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and her whole body was as limp and sore as if it had fallen apart, especially the soreness at her waist and the base of her thighs, which carried a strange dullness that throbbed against her heart.

The clean scent belonging to another person still permeated the air.

The cedarwood scent of the young man's body wash mixed with the faint woody fragrance on her, intertwining into a flustering ambiguity.

Su Wanqing's mind buzzed, going blank instantly.

The indulgence in the lounge last night, that cautious embrace, then the deep kiss against the wall at the entrance after returning home, and the hesitation and resolve when shedding clothes in the bedroom...

All the images rushed back frantically like a tide, so clear that her cheeks burned scorching hot in an instant.

She stiffly turned her head to the side.

Jiang Chen was sleeping right beside her, sound asleep.

The young man's clean features looked exceptionally soft in the morning light; his long eyelashes drooped, his nose was straight, his lip line was clear, and even his breathing was light and shallow.

He slept very peacefully, yet one hand still subconsciously rested on her waist, the pressure light but carrying an unmistakable protectiveness.

Su Wanqing's whole body stiffened, not even daring to breathe too heavily.

She had lived for thirty years, always calm and self-possessed, proper in every step, hiding all her emotions beneath a cold exterior.

She was the Teacher Su in others' eyes—powerful in aura and rarely smiling.

She was the university lecturer standing before the podium in class, whose very gaze carried a sense of distance.

But last night...

She had actually shed all her hard shells in front of a boy ten years younger than her—who was also her student—crying as she buried herself in his arms, and finally giving herself to him completely.

What made her even more flustered was...

This was her first time.

Thirty years of following the rules, preferring to go without than to settle for less; it wasn't that she had never felt attraction, but she could never cross that hurdle in her heart. She refused to settle, refused to easily give away her heart, and even the most intimate contact stopped at a mere taste.

Last night's alcohol, that sudden heartbeat, that unreserved sinking—it was the only time in her life she had lost control, and the first time she had given herself entirely to another person.

The strange soreness in her body and that faint, almost invisible red stain on the bedsheets reminded her of this every moment.

Su Wanqing's cheeks were hot enough to burn; shame, panic, helplessness, and a sliver of softness and reliance she was unwilling to admit even to herself were densely tangled in her heart.

She subconsciously wanted to quietly move away, but as soon as she moved slightly, the hand on her waist tightened a little.

It wasn't a deliberate restraint, but more like a subconscious lingering in his sleep.

Jiang Chen's brow furrowed slightly as he murmured lowly, his voice still carrying the hoarseness and laziness of just waking up: "...Don't run."

Su Wanqing instantly froze in place, not daring to move an inch.

The tips of her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.

She could clearly feel the steady rise and fall of his chest; through his thin clothing, his warm body heat continuously transferred over, making her heart restless.

The air was terrifyingly quiet, leaving only their interlaced breathing and the dust floating slowly in the morning light.

Awkwardness, like a fine-meshed net, wrapped the two of them tightly.

What was even more fatal was...

They were teacher and student.

It was a relationship where she stood on the stage and he sat below, where even their eyes couldn't linger for an extra second.

Once exposed, her career and his academic future would both be severely affected.

Su Wanqing closed her eyes, trying to regain her usual calm and composure, but her tongue felt tight and her throat dry; she couldn't say a word.

What should she say?

Say that last night was just a drunken accident?

Say that they were both adults and should just move on?

Say... let's act as if nothing happened, and in school, we'll still be clean teacher and student?

But the moment her fingertips touched the bedsheets, that genuine throb in her heart and that warmth of being cherished couldn't be faked.

From his firm "I'm not at ease" in the lounge, to the care in his movements last night, to his hand still protecting her in his sleep right now, it all made it impossible for her to truly categorize this sentiment as an "accident."

Just as her mind was in chaos and she was about to snap, the person beside her finally opened his eyes slowly.

Jiang Chen's eyelashes fluttered; he was confused for a moment, but as his gaze focused and he saw Su Wanqing beside him, his pupils constricted slightly.

His gaze inadvertently swept across the bedsheets, and that faint red stain instantly hit his eyes; last night's memories rushed back like a movie.

Her shyness, her nervousness, her endurance, and finally her silent trembling as she buried herself in his arms.

He understood something instantly.

"Teacher... Teacher Su."

This "Teacher Su" actually helped Su Wanqing regain a bit of her confidence.

She looked away, not daring to meet his burning gaze; her eyes fell on the plane tree outside the window, her voice as light as a feather and still carrying the hoarseness of just waking up.

"You're awake?"

Those two words were tinged with uncontrollable awkwardness.

Jiang Chen cautiously withdrew his hand from her waist, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her delicate skin, making them both shudder.

"I'm sorry, I... I didn't control myself well last night, but I really didn't mean to take advantage of you."

He paused, looking intently at her back, his tone incredibly serious.

"Teacher Su! I like you, and it's not on a whim."

Su Wanqing's heart sank suddenly, then softened just as abruptly.

She turned her body slightly, finally daring to look at him.

The morning light fell on her face, softening her cold features; her eyes still held lingering shyness, but there was more honesty now, no longer complete detachment.

"Jiang Chen, I don't blame you."

Her voice was very light, carrying an imperceptible tremor. "This isn't just on you; I... I didn't resist either."

As soon as these words were out, Jiang Chen's eyes brightened instantly, as if starlight had fallen into them.

Su Wanqing bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind, and spoke the thoughts in her heart.

"I've lived for thirty years, always following others' expectations—excelling at work, being elegant in behavior, and having to get married when I reached a certain age. It's as if my own feelings never mattered."

"I drank last night, so maybe I became bolder."

She gave a self-deprecating smile, a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. "But I know very well that my feelings for you aren't just an impulse."

"I don't want to settle anymore, and I don't want to live for others anymore."

Su Wanqing looked into his eyes, her gaze open and soft, carrying the resolve unique to a mature woman, yet also hiding heavy concerns.

"Let's not talk about who is right or wrong, nor about any responsibilities that must be taken. I have different feelings for you too. Jiang Chen, we can... try being together."

Jiang Chen froze completely, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

But Su Wanqing's next sentence pulled the atmosphere back to reality.

"But."

She looked up, her gaze serious and solemn, each word clear and distinct.

"In school, we must maintain our distance. No holding hands, no ambiguity, no actions beyond those of teacher and student. Once discovered, it would be devastating for both you and me! Can you do that?"

Jiang Chen nodded vigorously, his voice trembling but incredibly firm.

"I can! I'll listen to everything you say, Teacher Su."

He reached out and cautiously grasped her fingertips; his palm was warm and strong.

The morning light outside was impossibly gentle, but the atmosphere inside was becoming increasingly hot.

The tenderness of last night had not yet dissipated, and the throb after confirming their feelings now was even more surging than before.

Su Wanqing was just about to say something to ease the overly ambiguous atmosphere when her wrist was suddenly pulled gently.

She unexpectedly fell back into his arms, her nose bumping into his warm chest, and the scent of cedarwood instantly enveloped her.

"Jiang Chen..."

She spoke in a low voice, tinged with panic.

"I know."

Jiang Chen lowered his head, his nose brushing against the tip of her reddened ear, his voice low and restrained. "In school, I'll be good."

"But now..."

His voice was as light as a sigh, carrying irrepressible heartbeat and possessiveness. "Now, there are only the two of us."

"Teacher Su, you just promised me."

Without waiting for her response, the young man's burning kiss fell gently on her temple, then slowly moved down, grazing her brow bone and nose, finally stopping on her cool lips.

Gentle, yet carrying a resolve that brooked no refusal.

Su Wanqing shuddered; all her logic and restraint completely collapsed at his low, husky "Teacher Su."

She didn't push him away; instead, she slightly closed her eyes.

"Be gentle..."

The arm around her waist tightened again, pulling her firmly into his embrace.

A fierce battle returned once more!