Together Forever - Chapter 17

Volume 1, Chapter 17: Silent Advances and Retreats (2)

Tong Yan thought for a long time, then replied: I just left the clinic. My phone probably died, so I didn't see your message.

A quick reply came back: It's okay, I know. TK

Such simple words, but coming from him, made her overthink them.

She thought about the five missed calls and quickly replied: I always answer if my phone is on. If it doesn't connect, it's definitely off.

Gu Pingsheng: Okay. TK

A simple reply. He must be busy.

She placed her phone on the desk and pulled out a book, only to find it was her International Commercial Arbitration textbook. Oh well, might as well start reviewing for the final exam.

Just as she was about to focus, her phone vibrated.

Did you drink some hot water? TK

Yes.

Does your throat hurt? TK

A little…

If it still hurts tomorrow morning, text me. I'll bring you some anti-inflammatory medicine. TK

Okay.

After typing the word, she couldn't resist asking: Are you home yet, Teacher Gu?

But after typing "Teacher Gu," she deleted it, hesitating, and changed it to "you."

Still at the department office, discussing next semester's courses with the dean. TK

Next semester?

Maritime Law, next semester. TK

Tong Yan remembered him saying he might only teach for one semester. Now he was discussing next semester's courses, which meant he would stay in Shanghai, stay at the university? Each professor usually taught two or three courses. Maybe he would teach her class next semester… Tong Yan pulled out the course catalog, scanning the list of courses, trying to guess which one he would teach.

A few days later, the news spread throughout the department, to everyone's delight. During the Wednesday Commercial Arbitration class, a few girls couldn't contain their curiosity and urged the class monitor to ask Gu Pingsheng directly.

As class ended, the monitor raised his hand with a grin. "Teacher Gu, one last question."

Gu Pingsheng was drinking from a black thermos. Seeing the raised hand, he nodded.

"Teacher Gu, we'd like to know what you're teaching next semester," the monitor, realizing he sounded too eager, added seriously, "so we can buy the textbooks in advance."

"Maritime Law. But you don't need to buy any textbooks. I'll provide printed materials next semester. You don't need to buy any extra books."

A chorus of murmurs and gasps of appreciation rippled through the classroom.

Since freshman year, every professor had provided a list of recommended textbooks. Those who could afford it bought them, those who couldn't borrowed or photocopied them. In the end, having the textbook or not didn't make much difference, as long as they had their class notes… But out of respect for the teachers, they still felt obligated to have the books.

Only classes like Marxist Philosophy and Mao Zedong Thought had textbooks passed around like ancient relics.

For specialized courses, a professor like Gu Pingsheng, providing all the materials himself, was a rare exception.

Tong Yan looked down at her notes, checking for errors and omissions.

"You wouldn't believe it, a few junior girls asked me about Commercial Arbitration yesterday," Shen Yao whispered. "I told them, why worry, you still have two semesters to go. But, honestly, I'm reluctant to let Fatal Beauty Gu teach other students. It's good that he doesn't have to teach elective courses or general law courses. At least he's exclusive to our department."

Tong Yan, resting her chin in her hand, hummed in agreement, glancing at him as he continued drinking water.

"It's a pity," Wang Xiaoru, on her left, also sighed. "Next semester is our last semester. We'll all be doing internships in our senior year." She turned, deliberately looking out the window and saying loudly, "Classmates, if you have a crush on a teacher, confess now! Time is running out! Don't let the younger girls snatch them up!"

After Sunday, there would only be five weeks, thirty-five days, left.

Tong Yan crossed out Saturday on the calendar. Looking at the rows of black marks, she suddenly realized she no longer needed a countdown for Gu Pingsheng's departure.

"Seriously," Shen Yao propped her feet on the speaker under her desk. "Wen Jing Jing is so inconsiderate. She didn't say anything and just applied to transfer dorms. I've been thinking about it, we were always nice to her."

Tong Yan put down her pen. "Weren't we nice to her? Three people in a dorm, much more spacious."

"What three people? It's practically just the two of us now," Shen Yao turned on the music. The sound from the four small speakers created a surround-sound effect. "One transferred dorms, and the other is rarely here."

She glanced at the closed dorm room door, then stood up mischievously and opened Wang Xiaoru's wardrobe. "Look at Xiaoru's clothes! They're on par with my mom's! I bet her new boyfriend is loaded."

Tong Yan hummed in agreement, climbed up to her bed, and turned on the bedside lamp.

Shen Yao continued chattering.

Tong Yan, however, picked up her phone and checked the time, feeling distracted.

"I saw Wang Xiaoru going to Fatal Beauty Gu's office to ask him questions the other day," Shen Yao shared, her gossip mode activated. "Do you think Xiaoru's claim about wanting to 'get' a teacher was foreshadowing?"

"Probably not?"

She placed her phone on the pillow, turned off the light, and tried to sleep.

Since her bad cold, he had been texting her every day, asking about her symptoms. He had also arranged to bring her a lot of medicine. They had started texting each other casually.

But today, since the end of class that morning, he hadn't sent a single message…

Seeing the light go off, Shen Yao thoughtfully turned off the music.

Just as Tong Yan was drifting off, the dorm phone rang. In the middle of the night… She was about to pull the covers over her head when she heard Shen Yao call, "Yan Yan, Yan Yan, honey, your phone call."

Shen Yao stretched the phone cord all the way to Tong Yan's bed, handing it to her with a strange expression.

Tong Yan took the receiver and said, "Hello?"

"Tong Yan, don't fall asleep. Wake up."

The voice was familiar. She thought for a moment and remembered who it was.

Cheng Yu, her high school classmate and Lu Bei's best friend.

"Yes, what is it?"

Cheng Yu made some small talk, then said he was planning to come to Shanghai for Christmas and wanted to get together. Tong Yan refused without thinking. There was a long silence on the other end, then, "Tong Yan, I promised Lu Bei I would spend Christmas with you. What's wrong? Did you go to a Shanghai university and now look down on someone who went to Hunan University? I remember our law department is better than yours."

Cheng Yu was trying to make light of the situation.

She was silent for a long time, then said, "Don't force me. You know how I am."

She handed the phone back to Shen Yao, and Cheng Yu quickly hung up.

Just as she was trying to fall back asleep, Shen Yao placed the receiver back on the hook, walked to Tong Yan's bed, and looked up at her. "Tong Wuji, I'm in love." Tong Yan looked at her blankly. Shen Yao's face was flushed with excitement. "I'm in love with this man's voice! Introduce me! I can't take it, I'm truly in love!"

…Tong Yan was wide awake.

"Is he a university student? Is he your classmate?"

Tong Yan couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, from the Hunan University Law School…"

"Such a prestigious university… definitely better than our three-year-old law school," Shen Yao's eyes sparkled. "Did he say he's coming to Shanghai for Christmas? Can I go with you?"

"…You were eavesdropping on my phone call!" Before Tong Yan could finish, Shen Yao had already kicked off her slippers, climbed onto her bed, and snuggled under the covers. "Tell me everything! You don't know, when he said 'hello,' my heart skipped a beat! How can a man's voice be so captivating?"

Tong Yan, squeezed against the wall, started answering Shen Yao's endless questions, carefully avoiding the topic of Lu Bei. Shen Yao seemed intent on talking all night. Tong Yan sighed and checked the time on her phone.

Unexpectedly, there was an unread message.

"What does he look like? Do you have a photo?" Shen Yao, hugging her pillow, leaned against the wall. "You know I'm not picky about looks. I just want to know what he looks like."

Not just looks, she wasn't picky about anything.

Unlike Xiaoru, who had standards for everything.

"I don't have a photo, but he's quite good-looking. 80 out of 100, at least."

She discreetly opened her inbox.

Gu Pingsheng: Are you asleep? TK

Tong Yan: Not yet. Shen Yao is chatting with me.

Gu Pingsheng: Pingfan is also chatting with me. TK

Tong Yan: Not relationship problems again, I hope? Shen Yao just answered a phone call for me… and now she says she's in love with the guy who called. Just one phone call! That's too fast.

"Tong Wuji!" Shen Yao smacked her arm. "This is about my future happiness! Can you be more serious? Who are you texting? You're grinning like a fool!"

She immediately tried to peek at Tong Yan's phone.

Tong Yan quickly hid it. "If you look again, I'll kick you off the bed."

Shen Yao quickly surrendered, continuing her barrage of questions. Tong Yan quietly changed "Gu Pingsheng" in her phone to "TK," then, thinking it was still too obvious, changed it to her own name, "Tong Yan."

That way, no one would guess who it was.

Gu Pingsheng quickly replied: Maybe it's a personality thing. Some people carefully weigh their options, others jump in headfirst. TK

Perhaps because it was late at night, or because Shen Yao had suddenly fallen into this inexplicable infatuation, their conversation took an unexpected turn. For the past two weeks, although they had been texting frequently, their conversations had been quite mundane.

Tong Yan chatted with Shen Yao for a while longer, then gathered her courage and asked him casually: What about you? What kind of person are you?

A long time passed before he replied:

The longer you have to wait for something, the more you will appreciate it when it finally arrives. TK

"Huh?" Shen Yao, seizing the opportunity, glanced at the message and immediately gave a suggestive smile. "Who is this? Saying they're waiting for you?"

Tong Yan quickly exited the message and hid her phone under her leg. "Get off the bed, get off the bed. I want to sleep."

"Don't worry, don't worry," Shen Yao immediately raised her hands in surrender. "I didn't see anything."

Another message seemed to have arrived, but she didn't dare look at it in front of Shen Yao.

Shen Yao continued talking for a long time, but Tong Yan only responded absentmindedly, her mind replaying his words.

After lying in bed, she finally took out her phone.

The light from the screen was bright in the darkness:

Simply put, the longer the wait, the more precious it becomes. TK

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