40: Chapter 40: Am I being too forward by helping Teacher Liang with her laundry?

Shen Weiyue did it in the end.

His movements were too fast, so when he discovered there were other clothes underneath the shirt, it was already too late.

Damn, there are undergarments too.

The usually easygoing and dashing Director Shen looked at the dirty clothes already soaked in the basin, falling into a dilemma.

If he washed them, it didn't seem quite right; would Liang Yuting think he did something unspeakable with her underwear and was a pervert?

If he didn't, the clothes were already soaked—wouldn't that be even more suspicious?

Washing halfway was even worse; it would be better not to wash them at all.

Shen Weiyue stood in a daze for a long while before finally deciding to be open and aboveboard. So what if it was purple? He was just washing clothes to express gratitude; it didn't matter.

Forget it this time; at worst, he just wouldn't be so helpful next time.

The consequence of his actions was that when Liang Yuting returned from work, she was first pleasantly surprised to see a table full of fragrant food, then horrified to see the clothes hanging on the balcony, to the point of being unable to suppress her shame.

"Did... did you do this?"

She pointed at the dishes on the table and asked.

Shen Weiyue nodded proudly, feeling very satisfied with her reaction.

Liang Yuting didn't praise him, but instead pointed at the drying rack on the balcony and asked stammeringly, "And... and... and did you do that too?"

"Yes. I have a bit of a germaphobe streak; whenever I see dirty laundry, I want to wash it clean. So when I saw it while going to the Restroom, I just washed it on the way. Teacher Liang, you don't mind, do you?"

"This... I, you can't, at least you shouldn't, sigh..."

Liang Yuting's mind was a mess. She didn't suspect Shen Weiyue of doing anything improper, it was just that such things shouldn't be handled by a boy in this kind of relationship. But if she scolded him, he had only meant well.

"I'm sorry, Teacher Liang. I just wanted to repay your kindness for helping me, thinking I could help with some chores. I didn't know you would be so upset. I won't do it again..."

"No, I'm not upset. I just... sigh... forget it, let's not talk about this. From now on, I'll wash my own dirty clothes. You should use your extra time for studying."

"Teacher Liang, what do you mean by 'from now on'? It's actually only one month left. Thank you for your guidance; as a student, I have nothing else to repay you with. I made dinner, see if it tastes good?"

Shen Weiyue's sudden words pulled Liang Yuting back to reality.

That's right.

There was only about a month left. After the College Entrance Exam, he would graduate, go to a university in another city to study, and they probably wouldn't see each other for two or three years.

Shen Weiyue's home wasn't in this county town. Thinking more extremely, perhaps they would never see each other again in their entire lives.

The intersection of her life and his was limited to these three years of teacher-student relationship.

What "from now on" indeed.

A trace of sadness rose in Liang Yuting's heart and spread through the air; she even felt a stinging sensation in her nose.

"Haha, is that so? Then I'm so happy. Xiao Shen's cooking is super delicious. Let me go wash my hands first."

She walked quickly into the bathroom, washed her hands, wiped her moist eyes, and adjusted her emotions before walking out.

On the table were one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a soup; it was just right for two people, with no waste.

To divert her sadness, Liang Yuting asked while eating, "How do you feel about this Mock Exam 3?"

"It feels great, even better than Mock Exam 2," Shen Weiyue replied confidently.

"That's wonderful!" Liang Yuting laughed. "You don't know this, but Teacher Han has made a bet with Director Lu regarding your College Entrance Exam results. He has extremely high expectations for you."

"Huh? What's going on? Teacher Liang, tell me quickly."

"It's like this..."

Liang Yuting described the scene in the large conference room that day, vividly and colorfully.

Shen Weiyue listened awkwardly to Old Demon Han's boasting. Seeing that she was too focused on talking to use her chopsticks, he naturally picked up food for her using serving chopsticks.

Watching this, Liang Yuting's nose stung again; she had the illusion that she was about to lose something precious.

She ate the food in her bowl and pretended to be happy, saying, "Xiao Shen, both Teacher Han and I believe in you. Besides, you are the first batch of graduates I've taught; don't let us down."

"Don't worry. Although I might not be able to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, I guarantee I'll get you a reliable 985 university, and I'll also let Teacher Han win Director Lu's tea."

Shen Weiyue picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu for her again and said with great interest, "When the time comes, I want to have a sip too, to see what kind of good tea it is that makes Teacher Han covet it so much."

Seeing him keep picking food for her, Liang Yuting couldn't help but pick a piece for him too and said, "Don't keep picking food for me, have some of my tofu too."

"Uh?"

"No, I mean eat the tofu I picked for you. Don't be impure."

Liang Yuting tapped Shen Weiyue's forehead with the tip of her chopsticks and gave him a coquettish glare.

Shen Weiyue smiled, having to admit that it was hard to resist being alone with a Liang Yuting like this.

Fortunately, there was only one month left.

"I feel really good about this exam. I believe if I keep up this pace and push hard for another month, I will definitely be able to get into Jianghai University."

"Mm, I believe in you. Everyone has seen your hard work."

...

As they chatted, Liang Yuting suddenly sighed, "Sigh, such delicious food, I won't have the chance to eat it in the future. For the remaining four Saturdays, why don't you come and cook for me?"

"I have no problem with that. I can never repay Teacher Liang's great kindness; cooking a few meals is a small thing," Shen Weiyue said, comforting her as he saw she was a bit sad. "It's not like we're being separated by death; I'll come back to see you often in the future."

"These words are just talk..."

Liang Yuting put down her chopsticks and said softly, "The connection between people is actually just a fleeting moment. When I was in high school, I told my good friends that we should stay in touch, but now we barely keep in contact at all."

"In college, on graduation day, my roommates and I hugged and cried, promising to keep in touch often. But after starting work and getting busy, we contact each other less and less."

"How does that poem by Du Fu go? 'In life, we rarely meet, moving like... moving like what?'"

"Moving like the stars Can and Shang," Shen Weiyue also put down his chopsticks. "Teacher Liang, are you trying to say: 'In life, we rarely meet, moving like the stars Can and Shang. What night is this tonight, that we share this candlelight?'"

"Yes, yes! No wonder Teacher Gao speaks so highly of you, calling you a little scholar. That's the poem I meant." Liang Yuting's eyes were bright and glowing.

"But this isn't candlelight; it's an electric light, not dim and yellow like in ancient times."

"Just turn off the light and light a candle."

Liang Yuting did exactly as she said, going straight to the drawer to find a candle.

Shen Weiyue was taken aback and blurted out, "Wouldn't that be a candlelight dinner?"

The other party paused as well but didn't respond.

Once the candlelight lit up and the electric lights were turned off, the whole room began to sway with the candlelight.

Bathed in it, Liang Yuting seemed to have returned to her student days, possessing a unique, youthful beauty.

Shen Weiyue smiled and said, "All that's missing is a cake; otherwise, you could wish me a happy birthday in advance."

"Huh? When is your birthday?"

"Right after the College Entrance Exam, on June 9th."

"My goodness, what a coincidence, so am I."

Excitement and a strange light flickered in Liang Yuting's eyes. She said happily, "Although we weren't born in the same year, we share the same month and day. When the time comes, I'll buy a cake, and we can celebrate our birthdays together, okay?"

After speaking, she asked again, "You shouldn't have left by then, right?"

"No, I still have to pack my things and check out of the rental," Shen Weiyue replied.

"Then it's settled!"