Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The suit was soaked with water, making Ning Yifan’s shirt appear translucent.

Three years ago, when Ning Yifan was awarded the Outstanding Young Scholars Fund, he had been ecstatic.

He spent two months’ salary to order this handmade suit from Italy. After a long wait, he only received it last year.

He cherished it dearly, personally tending to every single wrinkle.

Now, it was draped over Xie Ruoyan like a pile of tattered rags.

As more and more students fled downstairs, the two of them-one standing, one horizontal-stood out like cranes among a flock of chickens.

The girl seemed a bit frightened, looking as if she were on the verge of tears.

Ning Yifan regained his composure and gently set her down on the ground.

“Teacher Zha, you’re here! I thought you were busy and just ran back between lectures to sign for a delivery.”

My student ran straight to my side, eyes full of concern.

Only then did Ning Yifan notice that I was standing just five meters away from him.

His pupils constricted instantly, and he pulled half a step away from Xie Ruoyan.

“Wen Xin, when did you…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Even though I was fully geared up, my student had recognized me at a glance.

As my husband, he really shouldn’t have missed me.

Xie Ruoyan looked at me, then at Ning Yifan. She lowered her head, but she couldn’t hide the curl of a smile at the corner of her lips.

While the laboratory building was being checked for the cause of the alarm, Ning Yifan followed me back to my office in our home department.

I casually took off my white lab coat and started looking through the messages on my computer that I hadn’t finished reading before I left.

He sat across from me, stood up to pace around the office once, then sat back down. After a long silence, he spoke.

“There were only the two of us in the office just now. She was wearing high heels and sprained her ankle, so I carried her downstairs.”

I continued browsing the computer screen and nodded.

“Mhm, I see.”

He choked on his words, falling silent for a long while before speaking with difficulty.

“Wen Xin, don’t misunderstand.”

This time, I put down the mouse and looked up directly at him, my expression one of confusion.

“What exactly do you think I should be misunderstanding?”

Ning Yifan froze for a moment before forcing a smile.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

The next day, I accompanied a teacher from the neighboring department to take some students to City B for an academic conference.

Teacher Cai was older and possessed quite an air of authority.

Only after he stood up and left did the students in the back row start whispering.

“Why was Xie Ruoyan rejected by Teacher Cai back then?”

“I don’t know the specifics, but that day she went into his office and was scolded out not long after. She was crying so hard…”

I frowned slightly.

I hadn’t heard the exact reason, but since it was kept so quiet, it likely wasn’t anything good.

I put on my noise-canceling headphones, blocking out the rest of the conversation.

It was a morning when I returned to the university.

On a whim, I went to the private kitchen restaurant I usually frequent to get some takeout.

I went straight to Ning Yifan’s office.

He was holding a handheld garment steamer, ironing his suit.

It was crisp and neat, the side seams sharp.

The crumpled appearance from last time was completely gone.

I smiled and set the takeout containers down.

“The clothes were returned?”

Ning Yifan turned around, a look of pleasant surprise on his face as he pulled out a chair for me.

“I could have handled it myself, but she ran halfway across the city to find a high-end dry cleaner. It really does look brand new.”

I pulled out a wet wipe to clean my hands, took the chopsticks he handed me, and picked up a piece of spicy chicken.

Ning Yifan poured some soup for me, chattering away.

“It really wasn’t worth the money. Her family’s financial situation isn’t great to begin with.”

With the chicken in my mouth, I followed the rule of not speaking while eating.

The chef was off his game today; the food was bland and tasteless.

The silence in the office was broken by a knock at the door.

Before permission was given to enter, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Xie Ruoyan was wearing a one-piece dress. Her high heels were so new that they didn’t quite fit.

She shifted her ankles, looking at Ning Yifan with excitement.

But she froze when she saw me.

My seat was in a blind spot from the window on the door.

I smiled and put down my chopsticks, my tone gentle.

“Is there something you need?”

Then I glanced at the wall clock.

12:32.

An indisputable private time meant for rest.

I looked at Ning Yifan, my tone teasing.

“Why does Teacher Ning still have office hours scheduled now?”

Ning Yifan was peeling a shrimp, lining it up neatly on the edge of my lunch box.

“That’s not it. Don’t tease me.”

Xie Ruoyan looked a bit embarrassed, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“I didn’t realize the professor’s wife was here too. It’s just that I was reading the literature Teacher Ning posted in the group chat. Since I just joined the group, there are some parts I don’t quite understand. I thought I’d come and ask during the lunch break. I’m sorry for disturbing your rest.”

She even waved the printed literature in her hand.

Ning Yifan finished peeling the last shrimp before taking off his disposable gloves.

I watched my slightly long fingernails with leisure.

Tsk, I should go for my monthly maintenance.

Xie Ruoyan became even more flustered, unable to stand steadily, her heels clicking alternately against the floor.

It’s inevitable for new students to struggle with literature when they first join a research group, which is why they are assigned a senior student to guide them from the start.

Besides, a supervisor’s work is more complex and demanding than one might imagine.

If a student has ideas or directions regarding a project, coming to discuss them is perfectly reasonable.

But coming just to read literature was truly a case of making conversation out of nothing.

Only then did Ning Yifan look up at Xie Ruoyan, his brow furrowing as he spoke indifferently.

“Highlight the parts you don’t understand and post them in the group. I’ll explain them at the next group meeting.”

Xie Ruoyan’s face lit up with joy, and she nodded repeatedly.

“I will make sure to master this paper.”

I ate a giant river prawn.

They were in season, the meat firm and sweet.

But it had grown a bit cold from being takeout, leaving a faint fishy aftertaste.

Ning Yifan mentioned some essential software for scientific research.

He would say a sentence, and she would respond.

Before she left, Ning Yifan called out to her softly.

“The lab has a dress code. Besides, that dress doesn’t suit you. Don’t wear it again.”

The full-length mirror in the corner of the office reflected a corner of my clothes.

A formal white one-piece dress.

I had worn this same dress on the day of the recruitment fair.

I glanced at the distracted Ning Yifan, then at the reimbursement receipts on the desk that hadn’t been tidied up yet.

I tapped my finger lightly on the table and murmured:

“The results for this year’s project evaluations should be announced soon, right?”