Chen Yunqi was so proud of himself that he couldn't bear to make San San even more embarrassed. He took a few steps back with satisfaction and coaxed her repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I'll go, I'll go right now."
After saying that, she slowly walked towards the door, and after taking a few steps, she tentatively asked, "I'm leaving, really leaving?"
San San covered his face but not his ears. He didn't really want to send Chen Yunqi away. Heaven knows he had barely slept for the hours he lay in bed, desperately missing Chen Yunqi, wishing he could be with him forever. He had finally waited for him to come, but the man immediately started rambling incoherently, making him flustered, flustered, and blushing. He listened intently to the fading footsteps, feeling both anxious and angry. He steeled himself, let go of his arms, and tried to chase after him, only to bump headfirst into Chen Yunqi's solid chest.
Chen Yunqi not only didn't leave, but also secretly came back when he wasn't looking, stood in front of him, and hugged him tightly.
San San, embarrassed and angry, pushed him a few times, and Chen Yunqi lowered his head and coaxed him, saying, "Okay, okay... I won't tease you anymore... don't be angry."
"I really miss you, I miss you so much."
The person in his arms suddenly stopped struggling and pushing, burying their face in his chest and remaining still. Chen Yunqi stroked the back of his head gently, and whispered again, "I'm late. I know you missed me too, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, San San finally stirred, raising her large, clear eyes to look up at him, and said almost inaudibly, "I miss you so much."
I guess I've spent my whole life waiting for you. As long as you come, it's never too late.
"Okay, baby, here I am," Chen Yunqi said, gently pushing him away from his shoulders and looking him over tenderly. "Did I hurt you last night? I'm sorry. Are you alright now?"
The blush that had just faded from San San's cheeks returned. He pursed his lips, shook his head, and whispered, "I'm fine..."
"Are you really alright?" Chen Yunqi raised an eyebrow and asked doubtfully, then grinned, "It's good that you're alright."
"So...do you like it? Do you want more?"
here we go again!
San San shoved him away, turned her back angrily, and continued washing the dishes, secretly resolving never to speak to Chen Yunqi again. Chen Yunqi shamelessly tried to help, but San San pushed and shoved him out of the kitchen. He could only sit in the yard, bored, smoking and picking up pebbles to hit the innocent rooster for amusement.
San San truly kept her word and ignored Chen Yunqi for the entire afternoon. Chen Yunqi tried every possible way to please her, but the beauty remained unmoved. Having exhausted all other options, he asked San San to come back to school with him to help tidy up the classroom in front of her parents, hoping to find a chance to be alone with her and coax his sweetheart again.
As the sun set and twilight descended, San San followed Chen Yunqi at a respectful distance, kicking pebbles along the way. They had barely entered the school gate when he grabbed her hand and quickly led her back to the house. Chen Yunqi, who had prepared a whole host of sweet nothings, was about to unleash them when, before he could even wipe the smug grin from his face, he saw Tang Yutao and Li Hui sitting leisurely at his desk, eating the dried tofu and braised chicken feet Li Hui had brought back and drinking beer, with orange peels and sunflower seed shells scattered all over the floor.
"You're back!" Tang Yutao, his cheeks still bulging from chewing, greeted Chen Yunqi with a muffled sound, as if he were the master of the house. Then, looking behind Chen Yunqi, he said in surprise, "Oh? San San is here too!"
Chen Yunqi's face almost fell to the ground in an instant. He frowned and asked coldly, "What are you two doing here?"
Li Hui's mouth was surrounded by grease, and he pushed up his greasy glasses, saying matter-of-factly, "Waiting for you!"
"Waiting for me?" Chen Yunqi looked at the mess on the table with a suspicious expression, then chuckled and said, "You probably stole my wet wipes..."
"Hey! Why use such harsh language? What do you mean by stealing? It's borrowing! It's borrowing!" Tang Yutao looked at him with displeasure. "In this cold weather, how can you bear to make us both take cold showers? My hands will get frostbite!"
Chen Yunqi shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to take San San to the next classroom, Tang Yutao called out to him, "Don't go! I really have something to discuss with you!"
Seeing his serious expression, Chen Yunqi had no choice but to turn around, take San San into the house, close the door, and sit on the edge of the bed, looking at the two of them and asking, "What is it?"
Tang Yutao swallowed a mouthful of chicken feet, cleared his throat, and said, "Didn't Officer Zheng give you the address? We're worried about you going alone. Li Hui and I just discussed it, and we'll go together. That way, we can look out for each other if anything happens."
Upon hearing this, Li Hui exclaimed in surprise, "I'm not worried at all!"
Tang Yutao immediately glared at him, signaling him to shut up, then turned to Chen Yunqi and said, "Huang Yelin used to be too naughty. We never paid attention to his family situation, and we both feel really bad about it. If we can really help him find his father, it will be a small way to make up for it! Hopefully, he can become successful in the future, just as you wish."
Li Hui wanted to argue again, but Tang Yutao glared at him fiercely once more, so he could only remain silent and pick up the vacuum-packed braised chicken feet on the table, handing them to San San and saying, "Want to try some? It's a specialty from my hometown, it's delicious."
Chen Yunqi didn't refuse. Leaving aside Li Hui, Tang Yutao, being older, was naturally far more experienced and familiar with the local customs and culture. According to the information he found, Jiaoyuan County was located on a plain, far less mountainous and rugged than Tianyun Village. The area was inhabited mainly by Yi and Tibetan people; the Yi were mostly Black Yi, notoriously fierce and untamed like the Tibetans. Being unfamiliar with the area and lacking the support of the local government and police, investigating anything would be incredibly difficult.
Chen Yunqi nodded in agreement with Tang Yutao's idea and was discussing with him when to set off and what items to prepare for the trip when he suddenly caught a glimpse of Li Hui handing San San a braised chicken foot. He immediately frowned, reached out and stopped him, and said seriously to San San, "Don't eat this, it's too spicy."
Li Hui felt embarrassed by the push and complained, "Why are you worrying about this? The local specialties are Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers. Who can't eat spicy food?"
Chen Yunqi ignored him and turned to San San, saying, "Sweetie, don't eat this. Drink more water today."
Tang Yutao rolled his eyes a few times, shook his head, and said to Li Hui, who looked puzzled, "You just got up and haven't relieved yourself yet, have you?"
Li Hui was even more confused. Without thinking, he said, "No, I usually eat in the morning. Why?"
Tang Yutao glared at Chen Yunqi, who was completely unconvinced and focused intently on San San, then sighed softly, rubbing his forehead.
"I think we shouldn't eat it either, so we don't have to worry about it being spicy when we go to the toilet tomorrow morning."
Chapter Forty-Eight Angels
Once the Lantern Festival is over, the New Year celebrations are officially over. With about ten days left before the start of the new school term, the three teachers, having rested and prepared, chose an auspicious day, packed their bags, locked the school gates, and took San San down the mountain.
Before setting off, Chen Yunqi visited Huang Yelin's family in Group Six. Thanks to his help this year, the mother and her children were able to wear new clothes and have a decent New Year's Eve dinner.
Fearing that the trip would be fruitless and disappoint Huang Yelin, Chen Yunqi did not reveal his plans to him. Besides wanting to see the two children, he also wanted to find a photo or identification of Huang Youzheng to carry with him, since neither of them had ever met Huang Youzheng and they were worried they wouldn't recognize him if they ran into him. However, he searched the entire house but couldn't find anything like it, and feeling awkward about asking Huang Yelin, he had no choice but to give up.
Chen Yunqi was initially strongly opposed to San San going with him, as the journey was long and there was a possibility of danger. Although San San had never been to Jiaoyuan, he had heard about its dangers and was not at ease letting Chen Yunqi go. So, he took it upon himself to tell his parents without Chen Yunqi's knowledge and waited at the school gate early in the morning on the day of departure.
Chen Yunqi frowned, but couldn't bear to scold him. He complained softly, "Why are you disobedient? Wait for me at home. I'll be back soon."
San San shook her head, lowered her eyes, and said, "You have no sense of time and you love to fight. I don't trust you anymore."
Chen Yunqi was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, feeling utterly wronged. He had only ever been in two fights in his entire life, and unfortunately, San San had witnessed both.
He reached out and gently tugged at San San's ear, pretending to be stern as he said, "You've been neglecting your discipline for three days and you're already climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles, haven't you? Can't you remember anything good?"
San San stubbornly kept her head down and remained silent. Seeing that the two were at an impasse, Tang Yutao stepped forward and persuaded, "Take San San with you. They are all Yi people over there, and we don't speak the Yi language. It will be easier to communicate with him."
Chen Yunqi's face darkened, and he said decisively, "No way. Have you ever seen anyone go to war with their wife?"
Tang Yutao was stunned by what he heard, staring at the extremely serious Chen Yunqi, speechless for a moment. It wasn't that he couldn't think of an answer; after all, throughout history, countless women had accompanied kings on campaigns, and each one could be considered a beautiful story. It was just that they weren't going out to wage war or die for their country; they were simply visiting someone, so how did this get mixed up with war? What kind of ridiculous analogy was this? And how did San San become his "wife"? He found this whole thing incredibly awkward.
While Tang Yutao was lost in thought, San San whispered from the side, "There are many, like Xiang Yu..."
Chen Yunqi was immediately amused by his words. He had just told San San the story of Xiang Yu and Yu Ji a few days ago, and now San San was using it against him. This laugh suddenly dispelled the concerns that had been building up in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he reluctantly agreed. However, the ending of Xiang Yu and Yu Ji was too tragic, and he didn't want to compare himself to San San. So he straightened San San's collar, wrapped the scarf tightly around his neck, flicked his forehead, and said, "I'll deal with you when we get back. Be good and listen to me when we're out, okay?"
Tang Yutao and Li Hui couldn't bear to watch or listen; they were so disgusted by the two of them being so affectionate that they got goosebumps all over. They turned around, put their arms around each other's shoulders, and walked away first. Chen Yunqi watched San San's face turn from sadness to joy and reveal a bright smile, oblivious to everyone else, and affectionately ruffled his hair.
Mr. Chen, a professional husband who comforts his wife, thought to himself, "Let him take her with him. He won't see her for several days, which is enough to drive him crazy."
They made it down the mountain smoothly and boarded the train to Haiyuan County in Qinghe Town. Not long after the train left the station, Tang Yutao and Li Hui were drooling and snuggled together, fast asleep. San San sat by the window, completely hidden by the tall Chen Yunqi. He leaned against Chen Yunqi's shoulder, sharing the same coat, and secretly held hands under the coat.
Chen Yunqi turned his head and nuzzled the top of San San's head. He smelled the sweet fragrance and asked softly, "Are you sleepy? Lean against me and sleep for a while."
"I'm not sleepy, I went to bed early yesterday." San San looked up at him, her obedient appearance making Chen Yunqi want to kiss her.
"Really? I'm in a worse situation. I toss and turn and can't sleep. I have insomnia," Chen Yunqi sighed, leaning back in his chair.
Upon hearing this, San San asked anxiously, "Huh? Why can't you sleep? Then you should get some sleep, lean on me."
After saying that, he sat up and tried to straighten his back, but unfortunately he was too short and no matter how he straightened up, he couldn't let Chen Yunqi lean on him.
Looking at his innocent and adorable appearance, Chen Yunqi pretended to be aggrieved and said, "I've been suffering from insomnia for several days. The long nights are spent alone in my empty room, and I can't sleep because I miss you. I wonder if my beloved would do me the honor of letting me kiss her tonight and relieve my longing?"
People, once they cross the line and taste the sweetness, become utterly shameless. In love, Chen Yunqi first showed off his intelligence in various ways, then shamelessly displayed his depravity. The usually upright and righteous teacher, when flirting with San San, seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of sweet talk and a boundless vocabulary. He lost all semblance of the dignified demeanor of a teacher; he was more like a womanizing playboy.
"No!" San San realized she had been teased again and retorted angrily, "I don't know who it was this morning who refused to take me with them no matter what, so I didn't dare to bother them!"
"Are you still angry? I've already admitted my mistake, please forgive me this time, my lady," Chen Yunqi said, putting on a pitiful look. "I promise Xiang Yu that from now on I will take you with me wherever I go. Please forgive me, okay?"
The top student Chen Yunqi used all the knowledge he had acquired through years of hard study to win the heart of his sweetheart. When he saw that San San still turned her head away and ignored him, he had no choice but to say, "If my beauty refuses, then I will have no choice but to take the initiative to throw myself into your arms. Don't lock the door tonight, I'll come to find you."
San San was at her wit's end with this person, so she sighed and said, "Are you going to sleep or not?"
"No, no," Chen Yunqi finally stopped fussing and said seriously, "If you don't sleep, I won't sleep either. Let's watch a movie together?"
San San loves watching movies, a trait he shares with Chen Yunqi. He took out his phone and scrolled through it, finding an old movie, "Mermaid Legend," starring Ekin Cheng and Christy Chung, from 1994. He adjusted his posture, gesturing for San San to come closer, put an earphone on him, and then, hidden by his clothes, took his hand again, holding up his phone to watch the movie together.
The story is very touching. San San was deeply moved by the beautiful love between the mermaid and the male protagonist. When the mermaid tearfully bid farewell to her beloved and turned to plunge into the sea, the interlude in the film played at the right time. He couldn't help but hold Chen Yunqi's fingers tightly, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
"See through the fog, see through the clouds, see into your heart."
"It's affection, it's cherishing, it's sending you a message."
...
San San always sheds tears whenever he sees a touching film, which makes people feel sorry for him and only dare to take him to see comedies. Chen Yunqi originally wanted to tease him for being a little crybaby, but when he saw San San suddenly turn to look at him, his eyes seemed to be pouring out endless words, his heart ached instantly, and he understood all the unspoken feelings in San San.
My burgeoning love is about to take flight to you.
"My beautiful angel's heart"
No longer a mystery, just a place for you to rest.
"My gentle angelic heart"
"As long as you stay by my side for all eternity."
"I will always love you sweetly, day and night, with all my heart."
"Silly girl," Chen Yunqi thought, "there's no need to doubt it, you are my angel. You have no idea how much I would give my whole life to protect you and exchange your boundless tenderness for it."
After watching two movies, the train finally swayed and lurched to the station. As soon as the train came to a stop, Tang Yutao slowly opened his eyes, then abruptly pushed away Li Hui, who was still snoring loudly against his shoulder, grabbed his backpack, hugged it to his chest, and jumped ten meters away, muttering to himself, "My reputation is ruined! My reputation is ruined!"
According to their pre-arranged plan, after arriving in Haiyuan County, they needed to transfer to a long-distance bus to Jiaoyuan County. The address given by Officer Zheng was Ageyiz Village, Heihai Township, under the jurisdiction of Jiaoyuan County. Tang Yutao and Chen Yunqi asked the villagers for a long time but couldn't find out the specific route, so they could only wait until they arrived in Jiaoyuan County to make further plans.
The bus finally arrived in Jiaoyuan County after a bumpy ride through the night. After a long day of travel, all four of them were sore and hungry. By the time they got off the bus and found a hotel to check in, it was already 10 p.m. In the small room, Tang Yutao stood by the window and looked around. The county town was pitch black under the night sky, and the occasional lights were not enough to tell what shops they were.
Tang Yutao and Li Hui put down their luggage and were about to go out to find something to eat when they passed by the next room and knocked on the door for a while before Chen Yunqi finally appeared, looking at them with displeasure as he held the doorknob and said, "What now?"
"Eat! Aren't you hungry?" Li Hui said, glaring at them.
Chen Yunqi withdrew a lot of cash in Haiyuan County. He took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a few bills and stuffed them into Tang Yutao's arms: "Um... after you finish eating, please bring them back for us. Buy the good stuff, don't be stingy."
Li Hui craned his neck, wondering what the two of them were so busy with that they didn't even want to go out for a meal, when Tang Yutao pulled him away.
The door behind them slammed shut. Tang Yutao grabbed Li Hui and dragged him out, complaining, "Hey, can't you be a little more observant? Didn't you notice that Old Chen's belt is gone?!"
Li Hui finally realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Damn it, who the hell would stare at someone's belt like you! Is Chen Yunqi horny? He's disgusting..."
Tang Yutao glared at him and said, "Alright, they've had a tough time. You should say less of this. You don't have to accept it, but you have to respect it, understand? They haven't bothered you in any way."
Li Hui was conflicted. On one hand, he couldn't accept the relationship between Chen Yunqi and San San, but on the other hand, he was afraid to express his anger due to various concerns. When he was in a good mood, he could join in the banter and joke around, but when he was in a bad mood, he found everything about them disagreeable.
"How could it not bother you!" He had been holding back for so long, and the more he spoke, the more agitated he became. "Isn't it disgusting enough that you can't even look at him? Where did you get to know such a friend? He looks respectable, how could he be this kind of person!"
Tang Yutao frowned and asked, "What kind of person?"
"That kind of thing! Homosexuality! Disgusting!"
Tang Yutao was furious when his criteria for choosing friends were questioned and slandered, along with his friends themselves. He suppressed his anger and said to Li Hui, "So what if you're gay? Does being heterosexual make you superior? I don't care what kind of person Chen Yunqi is, his character is impeccable. He's kind, upright, and righteous. There are many things he dares to do and say that you might not be able to do! I've decided to be his friend, and you don't need to worry about it! If you don't like it, don't watch. You can leave! I won't force you!"
Upon hearing this, Li Hui threw his cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, and said viciously, "Fine! Fine, I'll leave! I'll apply for a suspension of my teaching assignment as soon as I get back! Out of sight, out of mind! I'm not playing along!"
After saying that, he left Tang Yutao and turned to leave.
Tang Yutao, still angry, wandered aimlessly until he came across a small restaurant that was still lit up. He pushed open the door and shouted, "Boss! Do you still have any food?!"
The owner poked his head out from the kitchen and replied in a local dialect, "We're all sold out! What time is it already!"
Tang Yutao was furious and had nowhere to vent his anger. Hearing this, he said with dissatisfaction, "Then why don't you turn off the lights, lock the door, and go home! You made me come all this way for nothing!"