TIL - 6

She put down her chopsticks.

Wen Huo never comforted Qiu Mingyun, because she knew that Qiu Mingyun understood perfectly well; she just couldn’t act on it.

Sufficiently intelligent adults can all manage their emotions, it’s just that some manage them well, and some don’t. Those who manage well are reborn; those who don’t perish. That’s just how it is.

So no matter how much faith Wen Huo had in Qiu Mingyun’s intelligence, this time she still went over and hugged her: “A thesis can be patched up, revised, and submitted, but love cannot. The cracks in love are alive; they spread, they mutate, and they can’t be fixed. What appears fixed is only temporary, an illusion. You can love anyone, but don’t forget to love yourself. You’ll know later that no one is truly worthy.”

Qiu Mingyun wrapped her arms around Wen Huo’s waist, her tears soaking Wen Huo’s clothes: “Actually, from the moment his face fell and I started apologizing, we should have ended it.”

Wen Huo said nothing.

Qiu Mingyun hugged her tightly: “But, he was the one who liked me first. When he asked if I could hug him, he seemed to genuinely love me. Was there something I did wrong that eroded his passion?”

Wen Huo released her, sat down, wiped her tears, and said, “I remember last year you wanted a ticket to Troye Sivan’s concert. You said if you didn’t see such a treasure of a boy with your own eyes, you’d regret it for the rest of your life. In the end, you couldn’t get a ticket. The next week, you became obsessed with Deyun Club’s crosstalk, and your phone wallpaper even changed to Qin Xiaoxian. You lost interest before you even had it, let alone him, whom you already had.”

Qiu Mingyun covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently: “Why?”

Wen Huo told her: “Losing interest in the old and favoring the new is an unsolvable problem. Who do you think avoids it? It’s just that some people have a conscience and are willing to try harder, while others don’t, making it easy for them to let go.”

Qiu Mingyun’s makeup was smeared all over Wen Huo’s white shirt. She repeated for the second time, “He looked so in love with me back then. He said he would marry me...”

“There are four seasons every year, and each season is different. You’re not even the same as last year, so will those sweet nothings still exist?”

Qiu Mingyun stopped speaking, switching to silent sobs.

She truly understood the principle of being able to look back but not go back, but there was an unbridgeable chasm between understanding and doing.

*https://www.google.com/search?q=hpo8.com

Wen Huo coaxed Qiu Mingyun to bed and then left. She knew Qiu Mingyun wouldn’t be able to sleep, but some wounds had to be licked by oneself. She had already done everything she could, and that was enough.

As she stepped out, she saw Shen Cheng’s car. He looked like he had been there for a long time, but he hadn’t called her.

Shen Cheng was listening to a play in the car, eyes closed, leaning against the seat back. He didn’t open his eyes or speak to her even when he heard Wen Huo get in.

Wen Huo also remained silent.

After a while, Shen Cheng opened his eyes, took off his headphones, started the car, and drove out of the university district.

Shen Cheng took Wen Huo to his apartment on Jianguo Road, next to SKP, about a half-hour drive away.

After arriving at the parking lot, Wen Huo looked through the windshield at the McLaren P1 in the opposite parking spot, next to a Cullinan, then a 62S, a Maybach, and so on. Who would have thought these all belonged to the low-key Shen Cheng?

Shen Cheng was not in a hurry to get out of the car. He first took off his glasses and then said: “Wu Guo’s research direction for the PRL paper is the same as yours, and he’s even doing better than you. But his思路 is narrow, far inferior to yours.”

Wen Huo said nothing.

He knew Wu Guo.

Shen Cheng continued: “Why do you think he appeared at the seminar? And why did he approach you? Do you think it’s because your charm attracted him?”

His tone changed from his usual coldness, becoming a little aggressive, and Wen Huo also stopped speaking politely: “I didn’t think that.”

Shen Cheng turned his head and reached out to touch her face: “Wen Huo, what have I taught you?”

Wen Huo stared steadily at him, not making a sound.

Shen Cheng’s hand slowly moved across her face, finally stopping at her lips, pressing hard: “Only drink when I’m present.”

Wen Huo just looked at him: “What are you to me?”

Shen Cheng paused. She was truly drunk. Since that incident, she had been numb every time he saw her. He was a little surprised, his tone rising slightly: “You were the one who blocked me by the car door and said you wanted to sleep with me.”

Wen Huo looked away: “You’re mistaken.”

Shen Cheng took out his phone and played a recording for her.

In the recording was Wen Huo’s voice, vastly different from her current calm and composed tone. The voice there was soft and seductive.

“Professor Shen, I don’t know how to solve this problem.”

“Professor Shen, I can’t finish my thesis. What should I do?”

“Professor Shen, please pay attention to me, okay?”

“Professor Shen, do you like drinking milk? Cow’s milk or goat’s milk? Or something else?”

“Professor Shen, the book says to ‘embrace destiny.’ What does ‘embrace destiny’ mean? How do I embrace it? I’m so dumb.”

“Professor Shen, there’s a bulge in your pants. What’s that? Can I touch it?”

“Professor Shen, your lips are dry. Can I help you?”

“Professor Shen, touch this dress of mine. Is it very large?”

“Professor Shen, I’m thirsty...”

Wen Huo reached out to snatch the phone, and as both of them expected, she tumbled into Shen Cheng’s arms.

Shen Cheng held the phone high, looking at the anger building in Wen Huo’s eyes, and felt more at ease: “I’ve never seen a student like you, seducing a teacher under the guise of seeking guidance. You’re quite bold.”

“I didn’t.”

Shen Cheng held her waist, pulling her closer to him: “Didn’t what? Didn’t seduce me? Then who taught you to not wear underwear to my class? And pretend to pick something up, so I would see.”

Wen Huo retorted: “Then did you uphold a teacher’s integrity?”

Shen Cheng picked her up from the passenger seat and placed her on his lap, tilting his head back to look at her: “I’m not your teacher, I’m your man.”

Wen Huo said calmly: “You’re Han Bailu’s man.”

Shen Cheng pinched her face, forcing her to look at him: “You were willing.”

Yes, Wen Huo was willing.

To be Shen Cheng’s mistress, Wen Huo was willing.

Early last year, Wen Huo, by chance, attended one of Shen Cheng’s classes. His refreshing insights and clear, structured speaking made her look at him twice. Once she looked, it was hard to look away.

He was as bright as the sun and moon entering one’s embrace, yet as dissolute as a jade mountain about to collapse.

The “Rong Zhi” chapter in A New Account of Tales of the World gave Wen Huo a strong sense of identification after seeing Shen Cheng. The striking impression at first sight made her run to his car after class, using a “no leave without giving” rogue method to get his WeChat.

Then, after drinking 700ml of foreign liquor, she ran to his dinner party, waited by his car, and asked if she could sleep with him.

She still remembered how, facing so many of Shen Cheng’s colleagues watching, he explained: “She’s my student, just under a lot of stress lately.”

She also remembered what a balding man said then: “Professor Shen has beautiful students under him.”

Shen Cheng didn’t respond further, helping her into the car.

He thought it would end there, that Wen Huo would make a fuss for a bit and then be done with it. But he didn’t expect the alcohol she drank to have such a strong kick. When they arrived outside her dorm, she wouldn’t get out of the car and was even angry with him: “Heh.”

Shen Cheng wanted to pour her some water from his cup, but she snatched it, used his cup to drink, and after finishing, she snorted: “Professor Shen has beautiful students under him. The implication is that person has seen your other students. Why would he have seen them?”

She didn’t wait for Shen Cheng to answer, continuing: “It must be because you brought her to your events. Why would you bring her to events? It must be because you slept the night before. You can sleep with them, why can’t you sleep with me?”

Shen Cheng frowned: “Do you know what you’re saying?”

She then hugged him, looking a little wronged: “Professor Shen, will you sleep with me? I haven’t slept in so long, I’m so tired.”

At the time, Shen Cheng was very repulsed. He asked for her home address and sent her home.

Wen Huo woke up the next morning feeling dizzy and nauseous. Only after asking Wen Bing did she learn she had been left at the door last night.

She didn’t remember everything that happened, but she knew she had fallen asleep last night, and slept very well. From then on, sleeping with Shen Cheng became her goal.

To sleep with him, she did too many wicked things, but she didn’t regret it. She had no morals and didn’t care about others.

How did the saying go? Without morals, one won’t be morally blackmailed. She knew what she was doing wrong and still did it. She just wanted to sleep with Shen Cheng.

Why?

Because she suffered from secondary insomnia, very severe. PRL, Science Advances, various journals, countless discoveries—all were exchanged for hundreds of hyperactive and painful nights.

She could endure a few more years, but her ambition was great. She had too many things she wanted to accomplish and didn’t want to die so early, so she had to sleep.

Although Wen Huo initiated the WeChat conversation, it seemed Shen Cheng had more to say. He pressed hard on her lips, making them bloody red, almost oozing blood: “Have you acted enough?”

“Did I offend you?”

Shen Cheng pinched her waist, pressing her against himself: “Wu Guo approached you with ill intentions, and your playing hard to get with him wasn’t with good intentions either.”

Wen Huo’s eyelids twitched, but she said nothing.

Shen Cheng mercilessly exposed her: “Wu Guo’s supervisor is Yang Yinlou. A year ago, you were originally going to take his class, but by chance, you ended up in mine. Now you’re acting contrary, trying to approach Yang Yinlou through Wu Guo. Are you trying to say you seduced the wrong person and want to correct that mistake?”

Wen Huo knew that with Shen Cheng’s intelligence, it would be easy for him to guess Wu Guo’s intentions in buying her an ice cream cone and adding her on WeChat. But she truly hadn’t expected him to also guess her purpose in allowing Wu Guo to approach her.

She indeed wanted to approach Yang Yinlou, though not in the way Shen Cheng thought. Yet, she still went along with his words: “So what if I am?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”