Four students were watching a movie at the cinema when their homeroom teacher was sitting right behind them, and they were completely unaware of it.
Chai Qianning couldn't help but feel sorry for them for a few seconds. Adhering to the principle of being kind, she didn't tell Chai Shuqing that she was right behind them, so that they could watch the movie in peace.
However, because Chai Shuqing's seat was on the far side, she had to turn slightly to watch the movie.
As the light from the movie screen swept across Chai Qianning's face, she still noticed her presence out of the corner of her eye.
At first glance, Chai Shuqing looked away in disbelief, then glanced a second time, meeting Chai Qianning's inscrutable eyes in the light and shadow. A third glance, stiff as could be, led her to stealthily peek at the person sitting next to Chai Qianning.
Although she was reluctant to believe that the person sitting behind her was her homeroom teacher, it was true.
Soon, Chai Qianning received a message from the other party: [Sis! What are you and Teacher Sheng doing at the movies?]
Chai Qianning lifted her eyelids, glanced at the back of the other person's head, then lowered her eyes and began typing: 【I never said I wasn't coming to the movie.】
Chai Shuqing bombarded Chai Qianning with a bunch of "Ahhh" emojis, making Chai Qianning's hand holding the phone go numb from the shock.
Finally, she smiled slightly and turned off her phone.
Halfway through the movie, the audience was almost completely absorbed in the film, and the world was so quiet that it seemed as if only the dialogue of the characters in the movie could be heard.
Chai Qianning's attention was gradually drawn to the plot, and she stopped paying attention to the people in front of her, but would occasionally glance at Sheng Muxi next to her.
Sheng Muxi watched the movie intently, her thick eyelashes fluttering gently in the flickering light.
The popcorn was placed between the two of them.
She would occasionally reach out and grab a few kernels of popcorn to eat.
Sometimes, I would accidentally touch Chai Qianning's fingers as she reached for popcorn.
The moment their fingertips touched, it felt as if an electric current flowed through them, and then intensified with each subsequent touch, reflected in frame after frame of a movie.
This film tells a touching love story between a man and a woman, interspersed with a family storyline. In the second half of the film, the family storyline explodes, bringing tears to the audience's eyes.
The actors on screen were sobbing uncontrollably, and some people in the theater were also quietly sobbing.
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, Chai Qianning, who always claims to be easily moved to tears, couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat when a certain scene in the movie played.
But she didn't shed a single tear, though she could feel the sobbing of the person next to her.
Even though the lighting wasn't great, Chai Qianning still noticed the tears sliding down Sheng Muxi's face.
She searched her entire body, found a tissue in her bag, and handed it to Sheng Muxi.
All that could be heard was Sheng Muxi's slightly hoarse voice as he quietly thanked her.
At this point, Chai Qianning's focus shifted from the movie to Sheng Muxi.
This is the second time Chai Qianning has not been able to see the end of the movie; the first time was at Sheng Muxi's house.
The lighting in the theater changed with the scenes in the movie, and the sounds of sobbing and sniffling filled the space, which was enough to show that this movie could be classified as a tearjerker.
Perhaps the plot or lines touched a nerve with Sheng Muxi, because by the second half of the movie, the tears on her face hadn't dried.
Chai Qianning silently moved her body a little closer, her arm touching the other person's hot arm.
She stayed close, letting the other person gradually lean in, using one shoulder to bear the weight of the woman's entire sorrow.
The woman's tears streamed down her face, soaking her shoulder. The scalding heat seeped through her clothes, leaving a mark on her skin and penetrating deep into her soul.
Chai Qianning leaned back in her chair, the fragrance of Sheng Muxi's hair filling her nostrils.
The two bodies had somehow become very close, so close that Chai Qianning could almost feel the intense emotions within the other.
Chai Qianning closed her eyes, becoming an out-of-place presence in this theater.
While many people were experiencing emotional fluctuations due to the movie's plot, she was only emotionally affected by Sheng Muxi's emotional fluctuations.
The movie has ended.
The people in the theater didn't leave immediately. The moment the lights came on, Chai Qianning subconsciously frowned before opening her eyes to adjust to the light.
The scenes in the theater, like the receding tide, reveal the details that emerge from the water.
The first thing Chai Qianning saw was the scene in front of her.
One of the boys took out a tissue to wipe Yao Yunqi's tears, but Yao Yunqi simply buried her face in Chai Shuqing's arms. Chai Shuqing patted her back to comfort her.
Then, she turned her head and saw Sheng Muxi's reddened eyes, a few strands of hair clinging to her neck. And, a little further down, the embarrassing tear stains on her shoulder.
Sheng Muxi's face was dry of tears. She half-closed her eyes, looked at Chai Qianning's shoulder for a few seconds, gently bit her lip, and then raised her eyes to meet Chai Qianning's expressionless face. She looked around.
Most of the people in the theater were moved to tears by the movie, and their expressions showed signs of crying. Chai Qianning, however, was unusually calm.
She recalled how, for some reason, she had leaned against Chai Qianning while watching the movie, and her ears gradually grew warm.
She feigned composure and asked, "Was the movie not good?"
Chai Qianning was worried that the other person would feel embarrassed that she had cried on her shoulder and wet the clothes on her shoulder.
So she made up a random excuse and pretended she knew nothing.
She said, "No."
Sheng Muxi stared into her eyes and asked again, "Then why didn't you react at all? I think the movie was pretty good at making people cry."
Chai Qianning smiled apologetically: "I accidentally fell asleep halfway through reading it."
Sheng Muxi: "..."
How can someone fall asleep like that?!
"Um, was the movie very touching? No wonder I saw so many people with red eyes." Chai Qianning casually smoothed her hair.
"Yes, it's quite touching. It's not just about love," Sheng Muxi said to her as they walked.
As I walked towards the exit of the theater, a sharp voice suddenly rang out, mixed with a sense of shock.
"Teacher!" Yao Yunqi called out from behind.
The other three were in a flurry of activity, wishing they could shut Yao Yunqi's honest mouth.
Chapter 15 Waiting for a Rabbit to Run into a Tree Stump
It's unclear whether Sheng Muxi was more intimidating to the students, or whether it stemmed from the students' inherent respect for teachers during their school years.
After greeting Sheng Muxi, the four high school students dragged and pulled each other away, disappearing without a trace.
Sheng Muxi went to the restroom, and Chai Qianning waited for her by the sink. She took out her phone and sent a message to Chai Shuqing, asking when she would be home.
The other person said they were going to other places with their classmates, so Chai Qianning gave them a few instructions on WeChat and then left the chat.
On the way back, Sheng Muxi glanced thoughtfully at the spot on Chai Qianning's shoulder that had been wet with tears. It had dried, but faint traces were still visible.
She was somewhat relieved that the other party didn't mention it. Recalling the scene in the movie theater, she belatedly realized that their actions at the time had been somewhat intimate.
To distract herself, she talked to Chai Qianning about the four students.
She said, "Don't you think some of them have a tendency to fall in love too early?"
Chai Qianning leaned back in the car seat, turning her gaze away from the distant night view, her eyelashes lowered and then lifted again: "I think some of them have a tendency to have a crush on someone."
"Why?"
"It's obvious."
Sheng Muxi glanced at her: "I meant your sister."
Chai Qianning smiled, knowing what the other person wanted to say.
After all, as the homeroom teacher, Sheng Muxi couldn't possibly ignore everything she saw or heard in the movie theater.
“For me, I found out about my sexual orientation when I graduated from junior high school. My sister found out even earlier; she told me when she was in the first year of junior high that she would be with a girl when she grew up,” Chai Qianning said.
"You sisters seem to know each other very well."
"Yes, that's true. We spend a lot of time together, so there are many things that our parents don't know, but we know each other."
At the crossroads ahead, the neon lights seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil, climbing inch by inch into the darkness.
Sheng Muxi stopped the car and, while waiting at the red light, turned around, her fingers lightly tapping the steering wheel: "So, what do you think about your sister and Yao Yunqi..."
Chai Qianning: "..."
"Teacher Sheng, other teachers catch students dating between opposite sexes, why are you catching them dating between the same sex?"
Sheng Muxi raised a smug, slightly mocking eyebrow: "Then I should thank you for telling me that your sister's views on sexuality matured quite early."
Chai Qianning: "..."
"It's probably just pure friendship."
The car drove into the community parking lot, and the two got out and went upstairs together in the elevator.
In the elevator, Sheng Muxi's phone vibrated several times. She turned on the screen to check the messages, but instead saw a newly downloaded green app on the interface, its fresh appearance catching her eye.
She paused for a few seconds.
Just then, Chai Qianning's gaze inadvertently fell on the other person's phone screen, and she accidentally caught a glimpse of something.
Sheng Muxi swiped her finger to open WeChat and replied to the message.
Chai Qianning pondered for a moment, then understood something.
It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening when Chai Shuqing returned from outside.
Chai Qianning nestled on the sofa, propping her chin up as she spoke: "Teacher Sheng suspects that you and Yao Yunqi are having a puppy love relationship."
Chai Shuqing paused, drying her hair with a towel, and exclaimed, her clear eyes reflecting the watery light. She stared at Chai Qianning for a few seconds: "Sister, did you say something to Teacher Sheng?"
What can I say?
“Under normal circumstances, what teacher would suspect that girls are dating early?”
Chai Qianning: "..."
"So, does it or doesn't it?" Chai Qianning yawned as she spoke, fiddling with an apple on the table, her tone sounding more like she was gossiping.
"Of course not, how could that be? Yao Yunqi said she's straight. And I don't have any feelings for her at all, we're just very good friends."
Chai Qianning walked lazily toward the bedroom.
At the door, she gestured to Chai Shuqing: "Okay, study hard and make progress every day. Get some rest. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight."