Chapter Fifty-Four: Rain Creek and Rain Ting

  In the morning, I didn't go to the classroom and went straight to the office building. I waited for two minutes in front of Ye Yuting's office. The first one who came was unexpectedly Feng Yun, who still had a charming demeanor. When she walked closer and saw Wen Chen, she suddenly froze, standing there not knowing whether to go forward or backward, her face with light makeup looking extremely awkward.

  Wen Jian stepped aside and smiled: "Hello, Teacher Feng. Please come in. I'm looking for Teacher Ye to ask for leave."

  Feng Yan didn't expect Wen Qian's attitude to be so good, and immediately became friendly and enthusiastic: "Ah, it's Wen Qian! Come on in and sit down, Teacher Ye will be right up, I just saw her signing in downstairs."

  She opened the door and welcomed Wen Qian in, even pouring a cup of water on the table with enthusiasm. Wen Qian thanked her hastily and asked: "Teacher Feng, I heard that your son works at the cotton mill, how's the efficiency over there?"

  "He's in the security department, and his performance isn't as good as it was in the early years, but it's still better than other factories, and he can still get paid."

  When it comes to her son, Feng Yan raises a gentle smile, which is also the secret to controlling the conversation atmosphere. If you don't have much to talk about with a middle-aged woman in her 40s, then talk about her son, and you'll definitely hit it off. Wen Xian nodded sympathetically, "The cotton mill can hold on for a while longer due to its diverse products and low costs, but ultimately, it's unavoidable that it will have to go through the pain of reform."

  When Ye Yuting pushed the door and entered, everything in front of her almost exceeded her imagination. Feng Yan was sitting on a chair, Wen Liang was standing by her desk, and the two were chatting and laughing, with a very harmonious atmosphere. Just looking at this scene, who would have thought that just yesterday, these two people were like sworn enemies?

  "Teacher Ye, you're here. Wen Qian is looking for you to ask for leave. You two chat first, I have to go to class."

  Feng Yan warmly said goodbye to Ye Yuting, and also made an appointment with Wen Qian to chat again when they had time. After she left, Ye Yuting looked at Wen Qian with a smile that was not quite a smile, and teased: "I thought I already understood you, but it turns out I didn't. You scolded her so harshly yesterday, yet today you're still smiling and chatting with her?"

  He smiled and said, "My level of flattering is not lower than my scolding! We should respect our teachers and the Tao. Just because someone has some shortcomings, we can't deny their entire being. We should take a nuanced view of Feng Yan as a person."

  "Shut up!" Ye Yuting covered her ears, making him stop talking. Every time she heard Wen Qian's nonsense, she had an urge to hit the wall. What Ye Yuting didn't know was that this urge, Zuo Yu Xi had experienced it before, Ning Xiao Ying had experienced it before, Ji Su had experienced it before, and Xu Yao was a bit silly, still listening with relish until now.

  "Wenhe, I know you're doing it for the teacher's sake, thank you!" Ye Yuting wasn't a fool. Yesterday, Feng Yan had indeed apologized to her and Huang Mei as Wenhe had predicted when she came back from the teaching affairs office, but her attitude was still somewhat unpleasant. The atmosphere in the entire office became both heavy and awkward. Huang Mei was young and had poor psychological quality, and by the time school let out in the afternoon, she wanted to switch offices. Today, Wenhe did this, and Feng Yan could take advantage of the opportunity to step down, making everyone happy. However, it's really hard for him at such a young age to have such meticulous and thoughtful considerations.

  Wen Qian burst out laughing and pulled out a leave application form from her pocket, saying: "It's all talk and no action, fake moves. Teacher Ye, if you really want to thank me, then approve my leave application!"

  Ye Yuting was so angry that she couldn't help but laugh, picking up the pen holder on the table as if to smash it. Huang Mei ran in excitedly and shouted: "Sister Ye, Director Feng just greeted me and smiled at me..."

  Wen Qian seemed to be infected by her joy, and a smile floated on the corner of his mouth. He didn't regret what he did yesterday, but it was clear that although Feng Yan didn't dare to openly cause trouble for them, she was still the head of the teaching and research group, and everyone shared an office, so it would be awkward for both Huang Mei and Ye Yuting if things were too tense.

  "Teacher Huang, pay attention to your demeanor! With that silly look on your face, be careful you won't get married..."

  Huang Mei just saw Wen Cen standing on one side, and quickly straightened up her chest, lifted her head, adjusted her clothes, cleared her throat, and said seriously: "Wen Cen classmate, why are you being called to the office again so early in the morning? This error frequency is too high!"

  Yeyu Ting took over the conversation, shaking the fake note in her hand, "Taking a leave of absence again, for one day! Huang Mei, don't you have class in the first period? What are you doing here wasting time?"

  "Alright, I'll leave, see how you treasure this student... Hehe, don't hit me, I'm leaving."

  Wen Cheng watched the two female teachers playfully fighting, completely disregarding him as a student. He suddenly felt a mix of emotions: Was it that his presence was too weak, or was he simply a friend to women?

  "Teacher Ye, just approve it, I really have an urgent matter today!" As soon as Huang Mei left, Wen Chen began to pester her. Skipping class wasn't a big deal, but since she had been getting along pretty well with Ye Yuting lately, she should still go through the formalities, or else it wouldn't be good when they meet next time.

  "Wen, in a few days it's going to be the first mock exam. This exam is very important and will basically decide your position in the eyes of teachers and classmates, having a great impact on various aspects later on. I hope you can focus your mind on studying and don't let your favorite teacher down, don't...let me down!"

  Ye Yuting's eyes were as black as ink, shining like morning stars. Her expression was sincere and instructive, with a warm and gentle tone that didn't want to elaborate further. She nodded slightly and suddenly said: "I don't know why, but just now I suddenly felt that your eyebrows and eyes are similar to someone else's, although they are completely different styles, really...".

  Before she could finish speaking, Ye Yuting picked up her pen and signed the leave application form with a flourish, tossing it into Wen Qian's arms and laughing as she scolded: "Hurry up and go, don't bother me here."

  The Qingzhou City Education Bureau is located on Chang'an Road, just three streets away from the municipal party committee and government. This has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it is convenient to communicate with the city leaders, but the disadvantage is that the leaders communicate too frequently.

  It is said that Director Li Dingguo gets a headache every noon. Whenever a leader from any department comes over for a casual chat, you have to accompany them. Sometimes, when the leaders haven't finished discussing something, they come back two or three times, and Li Dingguo has to entertain them again and again, drinking this and that until he can't take it anymore.

  Therefore, within the Education Bureau, there is a popular saying: "A hundred years of planning, leaders are the foundation; ten years of wine parties, a hundred years of bureau chiefs." It's been passed down as a joke.

  Outside the smoke hotel, he made a phone call to Zuo Yu Xi, and the two met at a high-end Western restaurant on Chang'an Road. Zuo Yu Xi wore a professional attire, a white diagonal-striped shirt with an open collar, a black tight-fitting waistcoat suit, simple in style, clear lines, paired with purple high-heeled shoes with floral edges, looking sharp and capable yet elegant. Warmly familiar with the fork and knife circling the steak, Zuo Yu Xi supported her chin with her hand, staring at him with interest: "Incredible! Don't tell me that Wen Huai Ming often brings you to places like this? I originally intended to see you make a fool of yourself today."

  "Left sister, it's hard to see me make a fool of myself, but it seems that someone was seen by me, and it's not just making a fool of oneself."

  Zuo Yuxi's face turned slightly red, she picked up her chopsticks and tapped the warm plate, saying: "You want to fight? It's been so long since you've been teasing me without any respect. Just wait, sooner or later I'll get my revenge, let's see how you'll still have the nerve?"

  She smiled slightly: "I suddenly thought of another joke..."

  She recalled the joke about taking a boat last time, and Zuo Yu Xi quickly stuffed the sliced beef into Wen Qian's mouth to prevent him from speaking nonsense. This subconscious action further showed that in her heart, she had already regarded Wen Qian as an extremely intimate person. Otherwise, would you dare to use a beauty's utensils to eat a meal? Especially in such a dangerous Western-style dinner setting.

  "Alright, stop smiling all day, what's so urgent that you're looking for me?"

  He took a closer look at Zuo Yu Xi and said, "Hm, there is some resemblance..."

  "What?"

  "Nothing," Wen Qian changed the subject, saying in a low voice: "I've contacted Xu Fuyan, but haven't received any response yet. However, I estimate that there's a high possibility of meeting tonight." Wen Huaming's message hadn't been passed on yet, but as long as Xu Fuyan wasn't really stupid, under the current circumstances, there was no reason to refuse the olive branch extended by Zuo Yuxi.

  Zuo Yuxi's hand holding the knife hesitated for a moment, and at this moment, even she felt a little nervous, looking up at Wen Ze without saying a word.

  "Believe me, it's all right, everything will go as planned, there won't be a single mistake!" Wen Jian reached out from the dinner table and placed his hand on hers, his hand was very cool.

  Zuo Yuxi put down his knife and fork, turned his hand over and grasped it, with Wen Xiang's ten fingers interlocking, and smiled lightly: "I believe you!"

  Two people gazed at each other, their eyes fluttering back and forth. After a long time, they exchanged a smile, feeling infinite warmth in their hearts.

  "Right, didn't you say we'd meet at night? Why did you call me out so early?" The atmosphere just now was too ambiguous, Zuo Yu Xi intentionally adjusted her mood a bit, but the coquettish look on her face looked like she was pouting.

  Wen Ze patted her forehead: "Sister, we have to discuss how to deal with this tonight, can't just meet and say 'Old Xu, hurry up and strip naked and go at it', we'll be your strong backing, don't be afraid!"

  "Haha," Zuo Yuxi laughed with a forward and backward lean, pointing at Wen Qing jokingly: "Good, dare to arrange your future father-in-law, be careful that Xu Yao's girl will clean you up." She didn't know yet that this scoundrel Wen Qing had long been carrying the sign of her future father-in-law, swindling people outside several times.

  "We're just good friends..."

  Zuo Yuxi gave him a sideways glance and asked, "You're taking the day off today, are you going to stay home waiting for Wen Huaiming's call?"

  "Hmm, this is a good question! I've saved your phone number, so we can only be together for the rest of the day today."

  "You little scamp," Zuo Yu Xi stood up, wanting to grab his ear and complained: "Only the closest people know my number, no more than three in all of Qingzhou, yet you casually gave it to someone else."

  "But that's what was allowed..."

  "Xu Fuyan won't work either! Except for working hours, I don't want to be disturbed by anyone! Now it's all messed up, this number can't be used anymore, it's all your fault."

  If someone saw Zuo Yu Xi at this moment, the coldest beauty in Qingzhou's official circle, looking like a little girl with a slight pout and thin anger, they would probably immediately hug an electric pole and die on the spot.

  Left MM is really getting more and more feminine! However, towards women's habit of not grasping the key point, Wen uncle was speechless. What time is it now and you're still calculating these things? Comforting her: "OK, OK, just this once, don't make a habit of it, this is an extraordinary choice for an extraordinary time." Sighing, "Looks like I'll have to get a BB gun!"

  Looking at Wen Qian's bitter face, Zuo Yu Xi couldn't help but burst out laughing. He took out his phone from his bag and pushed it over to her: "Alright, I'll give this to you. Anyway, I won't be able to use this number anymore."

  "Wen Lie shook his head and said: 'Alright, I'm still a student, what's the point of having a mobile phone? Left sister, don't tempt me anymore, or I might really take it.'"

  Zuo Yuxi smiled and stopped insisting, chatting about something else. The two chatted and laughed, and before they knew it, two hours had passed, and the monotonous ringtone of the phone finally sounded.

  "Hung up the phone, Wen Xian chuckled and said: '7 o'clock tonight, 17 Chunxi Road! Xu Fuyan is very sincere, directly inviting us to his home.'"