Together Forever - Chapter 14
Volume 1, Chapter 14: The Real You and Me (2)
Gu Pingsheng wasn't very familiar with Shanghai, so Shen Yao immediately volunteered to lead the way.
As they approached their destination, Tong Yan recognized the area as Shen Yao's neighborhood and whispered, "Why are we going to Huaihai Road? Are you planning to extort Teacher Gu?"
During the summer break after freshman year, Shen Yao had insisted on a farewell meal. Tong Yan had dragged her suitcase to this very street and chosen a relatively simple Ajisen Ramen restaurant. Shen Yao had happily ordered two side dishes and two bowls of ramen. The tiny portion of kimchi cost six yuan, a few slices of cucumber in soy sauce cost nine yuan… Considering Shen Yao's enthusiasm for seeing her off, Tong Yan had gritted her teeth and paid the bill, a meal that cost a quarter of her monthly living expenses.
So, her impression of dining on Huaihai Road was: expensive, very expensive.
"The symposium starts again at 3:00 PM. I want to go home and change. Too bad you're ten centimeters shorter than me, otherwise I'd lend you my pants," Shen Yao winked. "A free meal offered by Fatal Beauty, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it."
Then, turning back, she said, "Teacher Gu, my home is nearby. Would you like to stop by? I'm a little cold, I'd like to change my clothes."
Gu Pingsheng, after putting away the change from the taxi driver and his wallet, glanced at the alley Shen Yao pointed to and nodded.
Shen Yao's home was in a four-story pre-liberation building.
On the incredibly expensive Huaihai Road, it was worth a fortune.
They entered through a narrow red door. The kitchen, dining room, and a bedroom were on the first floor. They followed Shen Yao up the old mahogany staircase, past the second-floor bedroom, and into the living room on the third floor.
"Wait a moment," Shen Yao made them tea. "I'll be right back."
Then she hurried downstairs, leaving them alone in the room.
Because it was an old building, the room wasn't large, with only one sofa.
They sat side by side. Bored, Tong Yan looked at the DVDs scattered on the table.
The top one was Paul Verhoeven's "Black Book." Tong Yan remembered watching it on Shen Yao's computer a few years ago. It was about a Jewish woman who became a spy for the Dutch resistance during World War II but fell in love with a Nazi officer. In the end, after the war, she watched her lover being executed. It was the inspiration for Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution."
"Have you seen it?" he suddenly asked.
"Yes," she picked up the DVD. It was the German version, probably another one of Shen Yao's language learning tools. "It's a good movie. I watched it on Shen Yao's computer when it came out. It made me feel so sorry for the Jewish people. So many of them died during World War II. They're such an intelligent and hardworking people."
"Yes, Jewish people are very intelligent," he said. "When I was in graduate school, the students with better grades than me were Jewish. Chinese people are also very intelligent. There were over 200 students in my graduating class in high school, nine of whom were Chinese. Only one girl, a Chinese-American, was accepted to Harvard. Another Chinese student was accepted to Yale. The other Chinese and Chinese-Americans went to Columbia, Cornell, Duke, all excellent universities."
And one went to Penn.
She added silently, then said with a smile, "So, intelligent people often face more hardships."
She was referring to the movie, but she suddenly felt like she was talking about him.
"Actually, my taste in old movies is quite mainstream. I like 'Legally Blonde.'" She quickly changed the subject.
He leaned back on the sofa and thought for a moment. "A fashion-obsessed girl whose boyfriend breaks up with her after he gets into law school, and then she miraculously gets into Harvard Law School in a pink Barbie outfit and wins him back?"
She immediately corrected him. "The boyfriend was a jerk. She ended up with her law professor. I love that movie. I've watched it a dozen times. Back then, I swore I would study law…"
She stopped abruptly.
The old grandfather clock suddenly chimed, the deep sound marking the passage of time.
What a terrible topic… Today really wasn't a good day for conversation.
"So, it seems romantic comedies can be inspiring sometimes," Gu Pingsheng stood up and walked to the balcony. "I recognized this area when I got out of the taxi. Is there a street called Yandang Road nearby?"
She breathed a sigh of relief and also stood up. "It's right across the street," she pointed out the window. "That street perpendicular to this one is Yandang Road."
It was a charming pedestrian street lined with dark gray, old-fashioned villas. She remembered Miao Miao saying she had taken her wedding photos in a cheongsam on this street. Too bad it was pouring rain now, obscuring the view, with only colorful umbrellas floating in the mist…
"Then this must be it. Her family is quite well-off, living here."
"She's also a good student," Tong Yan sighed. "Since starting university, I've realized one thing. Not everyone from a poor background becomes incredibly successful, and not everyone from a wealthy background is incompetent."
See, inspirational stories weren't always true.
He rested his right hand on the railing and turned back to look at the bustling traffic outside. "When it comes to academics, passing exams can be achieved through hard work, but to truly excel, you do need some natural talent."
"Isn't that what you're doing?" she murmured softly.
He seemed to sense she was speaking and turned to her unexpectedly. "Were you talking to me?"
Tong Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she forced a smile. "Yes, I'm hungry. What are you planning to treat us to, Teacher Gu?"
He suddenly smiled. "I don't think I need to think about that. She probably already has a place in mind to fleece me and treat you."
As he spoke, his gaze returned to the street outside.
She suddenly remembered her dorm mates discussing Gu Pingsheng's deafness, finding it to be an advantage. How wonderful, he would look at you intently, focused only on you, when you spoke to him. But if he didn't want to talk to you, it was also very easy.
He simply had to look away.
In the end, Shen Yao lived up to expectations and headed straight for Yandang Road, choosing a steakhouse.
The restaurant was in a separate villa. It went without saying, it was expensive.
Before even entering, Tong Yan asked Shen Yao, "Didn't you want Chinese food?"
"It's fine. I'll order you a double portion of mushroom soup to warm you up." Shen Yao squeezed her hand, feigning concern. "Women should eat beef. It's good for you. This place isn't that expensive, only about 200 yuan per person. That's definitely not expensive in Shanghai, trust me…" She glanced at Gu Pingsheng. "Besides, I'm the one treating, not you. What are you afraid of?"
Gu Pingsheng was walking ahead of them, closing his umbrella and handing it to the waiter.
Tong Yan looked at his back and silently muttered, "Why wouldn't I be afraid? He's my biggest creditor." Had she ever seen someone who hadn't repaid their debt, yet was eagerly sharpening their knife to slaughter their creditor?
When she saw the menu, she almost cried. A simple mushroom soup was 138 yuan. How could it possibly be 200 yuan per person?
He didn't stop ordering, starting with appetizers, truly acting like a sacrificial lamb… Every time he named a dish, Tong Yan would quickly scan the menu and glare at Shen Yao.
"T-bone, 8 ounces," he glanced at Tong Yan. "And for this young lady, filet mignon, 5 ounces, medium-rare. Shen Yao, what would you like?" She quickly scanned the menu. Filet mignon was 70 yuan per ounce, and she was about to eat 5 ounces?
Under Tong Yan's murderous gaze, Shen Yao calmly replied, "Filet mignon, 6 ounces, rare."
"A bloodthirsty carnivore?" he joked, closing the menu. It was a rare instance of him making a joke.
Shen Yao smiled sheepishly and, while he was confirming the side dishes and desserts, whispered to Tong Yan, "Teacher Gu was joking! See? His eyes are so charming when he jokes."
Tong Yan gritted her teeth. "Do you want him to cry while clutching his wallet?"
"One more filet mignon, 6 ounces, medium," he added to the waiter.
Tong Yan and Shen Yao exchanged glances. Who else was coming?
"Professor Zhao Yin also lives nearby," he explained after the waiter left. "So I invited her to join us."
Tong Yan nodded, picking up her glass and taking a sip of hot water.
"Nightmare Goddess?" Shen Yao blurted out. "Seriously, Teacher Gu? If we had known she was coming, we would have taken care of it ourselves." Gu Pingsheng looked at Shen Yao with amusement. "Have you retaken physics too?"
"No," Shen Yao shook her head. "The point is, the university physics textbook used by all students was co-edited by Professor Zhao Yin. So, she's the nightmare goddess of the entire university…"
Two glasses of red wine were served, and he gestured for them to be placed beside him and the empty plate next to him. "It seems I've chosen the wrong profession. I've never seen you so afraid of me."
Seeing that he had ordered red wine, Shen Yao's gossip senses went into overdrive. "Teacher Gu, just between us, is Zhao Yin our future… Mrs. Gu?"
Tong Yan, who had been listening intently, glanced at Gu Pingsheng when Shen Yao said this.
Truly close friends, asking the same question she had asked before.
"I remember giving you all the opportunity to ask me anything at the beginning of the semester. But that doesn't mean you can ask me anything, anytime, anywhere," he said, still smiling.
"Ooh~ I understand."
Shen Yao quickly turned to Tong Yan, resting her head on her hand and whispering, "He's basically admitted it."
Tong Yan didn't respond, sensing his gaze in their direction. She bit the rim of her glass and remained silent.
When Zhao Yin arrived, she and Shen Yao immediately stopped joking, putting down their glasses and respectfully greeting her. Since Gu Pingsheng had entrusted her with tutoring Tong Yan, she had been going to Zhao Yin's office twice a week, but for some reason, she couldn't feel close to the professor.
Because it was a weekend, Zhao Yin was dressed more casually than usual.
Yet, even in her casual attire, there was an understated elegance.
Shen Yao clearly also had a mental scar from Zhao Yin's classes.
The lively atmosphere quieted down with the addition of one person.
Shen Yao, bored, casually asked Tong Yan, "I have to go back to the conference this afternoon. How are you getting back to school?"
Without thinking, Tong Yan replied, "Subway Line 1, then the light rail, then walk."
"It's windy and raining. It's a fifteen-minute walk from the light rail station to the school gate, and another half hour from the gate to the dorm. You were freezing all morning. If you walk back like that, you'll either die or be half-dead."
"I'm going back to the university this afternoon. You can go with me," Gu Pingsheng suddenly said.
"Great!" Shen Yao quickly accepted on Tong Yan's behalf. "Thank you, Teacher Gu."
Zhao Yin touched Gu Pingsheng's hand.
He turned to her, and Zhao Yin smiled. "Don't forget about the alumni gathering tonight."
Shen Yao immediately pinched Tong Yan's arm and whispered, "Look, she touched his hand."
Tong Yan wanted to cry but couldn't react. She whispered, "That's because Teacher Gu can't hear."
Shen Yao widened her eyes and hissed, "Haven't you ever been in a relationship? You don't just casually touch someone's hand! Would you touch Teacher Gu's hand? You would at most pat his arm."
Tong Yan suddenly remembered Juyongguan…
"Oh right, you have touched Teacher Gu's hand."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she nervously bit her lip.
"You held hands at the gala," Shen Yao corrected herself. "But that doesn't count."
…
Just because Gu Pingsheng couldn't hear didn't mean Zhao Yin was deaf. Although Shen Yao had whispered, Tong Yan still glared at her, warning her not to make such comments.
On the way back, they encountered a particularly talkative taxi driver who kept asking questions. Tong Yan couldn't completely ignore him and could only give half-hearted answers to his strange queries.
"Your boyfriend is very cool," the driver said, looking at them through the rearview mirror, probably trying to engage Gu Pingsheng, who had been silent. Tong Yan deliberately turned to look out the window. "He's not being rude, he just can't hear." She paused, then added, "He's not my boyfriend, he's my teacher."
The driver said, "Oh," then asked, "So, is there a communication barrier in class?"
Tong Yan looked at the raindrops on the car window and didn't answer.
The driver, finally taking the hint, turned on the radio. It seemed to be a serialized radio drama. The male narrator, using different voices for different characters, told a suspenseful story…
Her phone vibrated. She took it out and saw a message from Shen Yao: You're going back to school with Fatal Beauty, and I'm stuck with Nightmare Goddess on Huaihai Road. Talk about preferential treatment!! Tong Yan couldn't help but smile. She put away her phone and glanced at Gu Pingsheng.
It was an unconscious action, but he noticed and turned to look at her. His expression shifted from questioning to a quiet stillness. He didn't ask, but he didn't look away either.
Rain streamed down the car window, drumming against the glass, accompanied by the ongoing suspenseful story on the radio… All her senses seemed heightened in that silent exchange of gazes.
He was truly beautiful.
For some reason, that was the thought that came to mind…
She quickly turned away, staring fixedly at the passing cars outside.
You're doomed, Tong Yan.
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