After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Me and Teacher Mu in the Past

Perhaps because the fever had subsided, Mu Yan looked much calmer than she had at noon. Like this, she more closely resembled the “Teacher Mu” An Ning was familiar with.

But for some reason, An Ning sensed a trace of reluctance in her tone.

It must have been her imagination. Now that she knew their past relationship wasn’t as strained as she’d thought, she’d even begun to feel a false sense of closeness, as if Mu Yan relied on her.

An Ning didn’t feel nearly as relaxed as she appeared. For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to have something weighing on her heart. Given her usual nature, if it had been anyone else, she would have asked directly by now:

“Teacher Mu, were we close in the past?”

But as she looked into those calm, dark eyes, the words caught in her throat.

She had a feeling she wouldn’t get an answer.

So she could only say what she could say:
“Mm, we still have class tomorrow. Remember to take your medicine on time these next few days, and avoid the wind. Also, I reheated some porridge—it’s in the kitchen. Drink a little later.”

This time, Mu Yan didn’t smile warmly like she had the night before, nor did she give her the cold shoulder like when she was feverish. Instead, she gave her the most typical “Teacher Mu” response:

“Text me when you get to school.”

After saying that, Mu Yan lay back down. And just like that, their conversation ended.

An Ning’s lips curved slightly. She gently closed the bedroom door.

Leaving the riverside residence, An Ning boarded the night bus—but not toward Yun University. She was heading back to her old neighborhood.

It was already close to 8 p.m.

The ceramic factory residential complex was as desolate as ever. An Ning walked straight to her front door and turned the handle.

This was usually the An family’s dinnertime. Her parents were seated at the dining table, chatting as they ate.

Hearing the door, they both instinctively set down their chopsticks and looked toward her.

“How’s Yan Yan doing?” her mother asked first.

“She’d already recovered from the fever when I left. She’s in good spirits now, no need to worry.”

Had it been before, An Ning might have wondered why her mother cared so much about Mu Yan. But now, it no longer surprised her.

She walked into the kitchen, scooped a bowl of rice, and sat down at the table.

Liu Jiajing had originally wanted to ask why her daughter didn’t stay to take care of Mu Yan, but seeing her somber expression, she held back.

Their dinner continued in silence. The conversation had stopped the moment An Ning arrived.

Finally, while clearing the dishes, An Ning looked at her mother and asked the question that had been haunting her:

“Mom, what was my relationship with Teacher Mu like… in the past?”

Liu Jiajing froze mid-motion. The porcelain bowl clinked against the glass table.

She looked up at her daughter in surprise and uncertainty.

Has Ning Ning found out something?

Suppressing the tremble in her heart, she tried to keep her tone casual.
“You two got along well. Why are you asking?”

The girl across from her lowered her head silently, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Then why haven’t I seen her much since my first year of high school?”

If they had a good relationship, why had she lost contact with Mu Yan after her injury? Why did she feel fear toward Mu Yan?

The joy of uncovering the truth was fading—replaced by an even deeper unease.

“… ”

An Ning watched her mother set the bowl down and take a seat across from her, her face now mirroring her father’s—full of words but unsure where to begin.

Gripping the hem of her shirt, torn between expectation and fear, An Ning braced herself to open Pandora’s box.

Her mother finally let out a long sigh and said gently, with a mix of love and guilt:

“We can’t tell you. This is between you and Yan Yan. We promised her not to talk to you about it.”

So it wasn’t that they didn’t know, but that they couldn’t say.

“But…” An Ning suddenly found her parents unfamiliar. These were the people closest to her, yet they’d hidden a secret about her for five whole years. Her voice trembled with hurt and confusion:
“You knew I’d forgotten. I… I—”

Her father cut in gently, part comfort, part helplessness:
“Some things, you can only find the answer to on your own. Even if we told you, Yan Yan’s attitude wouldn’t change.”

All the frustration building up inside An Ning deflated, like a balloon pricked by a needle.

They were right. She was just being unreasonable.

The one who wanted the past buried was Mu Yan.
The one who forgot everything—was her.

This was between the two of them. No one else could help.

“I’m going to bed.”

She didn’t press her parents any further. She went to her room, changed into pajamas, and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, emotionally exhausted.

From the moment she learned Mu Yan was sick, her emotions had been a nonstop rollercoaster. There hadn’t been a single moment of peace.

Why did Teacher Mu want to hide the past?
If I meant so much to her, why didn’t she come looking for me all these years?
What exactly happened back then?

So many questions pulled at her tired mind. An Ning turned over and buried herself in the soft bed, letting out a long, frustrated scream:

“Ahhh!”

She didn’t want to believe Mu Yan had done something so shameful that it had to be hidden.
But the facts were right there in front of her.

After a moment, she rolled over and her gaze landed on the wooden box under her desk.

That was her storage box. It had held countless childhood treasures she couldn’t bear to throw away.

An Ning suddenly sat up. Not bothering to put on slippers, she jumped out of bed barefoot and dragged the heavy box out.

She had only glanced through it earlier. But now, she realized—if that box had been with her since she was a child, maybe something inside could be related to Mu Yan.

She opened the aging lid and began pulling things out one by one, soon filling the already cramped room.

Turns out she had quite a variety of childhood hobbies:
Comic books, glass marbles, shiny collectible cards, even beaded hair ties.

Then—what’s this?

Just as she was lamenting her childhood self for not keeping a diary, a small blue hardcover notebook caught her eye.

It was utterly ordinary, the kind sold at any stationery shop near a school.

But An Ning suddenly had a hunch—an intense one—compelling her to open it.

The yellowed pages were slightly warped by time, but still legible.

On the first page was a simple sketch of a cat, lazily sprawled out on its back, fast asleep.

The art style was unmistakable—it looked exactly like the sketches Mu Yan used in her profile pictures.

An Ning gripped the notebook tightly—then quickly loosened her grip.

She carefully turned the pages, afraid the aged paper might tear.

Each page featured the same cat, but in different poses:
Chasing mice, climbing trees, washing its face…

Over a hundred pages—none repeated.

And on the very last page, glued to the inside back cover, was a photo.

A photo of two girls.

One, a teenager—slender and beautiful, looking a little stiff in front of the camera, her expression quiet and reserved.

The other, no more than five or six, round-faced and clinging to the older girl like a little bear, her smile squishing her face into a scrunched-up ball of cuteness.

An Ning stared at that photo for a long, long time before gently closing the notebook, holding it to her chest.

She lowered her head, breathed in the faint musty scent of aged paper, and slowly began to smile.

What had she been so hung up on?

How could she doubt someone who’d drawn her a hundred pages of cats?

If Mu Yan didn’t want to talk about it, then she’d wait—until the day she did.

After all, they were in contact again now.

It didn’t matter.

Even if she never remembered the past, they still had so much of the future left.

I’m Not Jealous: The puppy rushes in.gif
I’m Not Jealous: Teacher Mu, are you feeling better yet?
I’m Not Jealous: The puppy peeks in.gif

MY: Almost recovered.

I’m Not Jealous: Seal clapping.gif That’s great! Remember to keep a light diet these days and don’t stay up late. Your body will still be weak after a fever.

MY: …Got it.

I’m Not Jealous: [Article Share] — “Top 10 Most Nutritious Fruits.” You can eat more fruits too!

MY: Mm.

I’m Not Jealous: [Article Share] — “Post-Fever Recovery Tips.” You should check this out!

MY: …

Just as An Ning was wondering what those ellipses meant, a picture popped up in the WeChat chat window.

It was a familiar doodle style: a little puppy with its mouth pinched shut, looking pitiful and aggrieved.

There was no caption, but the artist’s meaning was crystal clear:

“I got it, I got it, I got it already! Do you think I’m a kid or something? Stop nagging me!”

An Ning burst out laughing in front of her phone.

After understanding her relationship with Mu Yan, it was like a blindfold had been lifted. She began noticing all the little things she used to miss—things that were obvious in hindsight.

For example: Teacher Mu was actually really cute!

I’m Not Jealous: Zipped lips.jpg Okay, I won’t say any more. I’m heading to class now—talk later!
I’m Not Jealous: Puppy making a heart with its paws.jpg

MY: Mm. Listen carefully in class.

I’m Not Jealous: Got it~ Puppy with a backpack.jpg

Mu Yan looked at the flood of colorful emojis in the chat window and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

So it wasn’t her imagination.

An Ning’s attitude toward her… had truly changed.

Reclining on her bed, Mu Yan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gazed thoughtfully at the mug on her nightstand.

Before An Ning came, she had forced herself to put away the photo that had originally been placed there. But she hadn’t expected to slip up in an unseen way.

Now that An Ning had figured out the mug was a gift from her, she could probably piece together more details about the past.

But the fact that she hadn’t asked directly meant—she still didn’t remember.

Mu Yan couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling. It was like a sword that had been hanging over her for years had finally come crashing down—only to stop just short of piercing her throat.

Relief, but not full release.

Maybe the moment she said, “Do you want to marry me?”, everything had already started veering onto a different path from what she originally hoped for.

But she had neither the strength nor the will to fight it anymore.

So be it, Ning Ning.

I’ll do as you said—I won’t keep making things hard for myself.

Let’s see, this time… how far we can go.

That moment of concern after the high fever turned out to be just the beginning. Since then, chatting with Mu Yan became a regular part of An Ning’s life.

From trivial daily matters to big life choices, nothing was off-limits.

I’m Not Jealous: The noodle stall at the cafeteria seems to have a new chef. It was super salty today.
I’m Not Jealous: Photo of salty noodles + spitting emoji.

MY: Rinse them with water.

I’m Not Jealous: Already finished eating! Next time I’ll ask the lunch lady if it’s still the same chef. Puppy chugging water.

MY: Your appetite’s pretty good.

I’m Not Jealous: Hehe, of course! Teacher Mu should eat well too!

MY: I am. Photo of plain noodles.

I’m Not Jealous: Is there meat? Is there meat? Is there meat? My coach says I need to eat more meat for strength!

MY: …Next time.

I’m Not Jealous: Teacher Mu, the provincial team invited me again. My classmates are all telling me to go, but… I don’t really want to. If I go, I won’t be able to come home as often… and I’ll miss my parents. Worried puppy.gif

MY: Do what you want.

I’m Not Jealous: Mm, but everyone says it’s a waste if I don’t. Even Coach keeps trying to persuade me…

MY: If it’s something you’re this torn about before even doing it, then maybe it’s not worth doing. It’s not like you only have one path in life.

I’m Not Jealous: Mm. I know what to do now.

At a private booth in a restaurant, Yuan Zi sat across from Mu Yan. She was reporting work when she noticed Mu Yan’s phone vibrating like crazy—like a hyperactive little bee. Her eyelid twitched uncontrollably and her voice gradually slowed… until she wisely fell silent.

What’s going on?

She was full of question marks.

As far as she knew, for Mu Yan, that smartphone—which had all the modern functions society demanded—was basically just a paperweight most of the time.

Never mind phone calls (Mu Yan ignored nine out of ten), even replying to messages usually took her at least a week.

So who the heck was this person who actually got through the “Iron Tree” filter?

Mu Yan glanced over, sensing Yuan Zi’s pause, and looked slightly confused.

Excuse me? You’ve been staring at your phone nonstop, and you still have the nerve to care whether I stopped talking? Are you using my voice as background music now?

Yuan Zi silently cursed in her heart—but she was used to this behavior. She simply gestured for Mu Yan to finish replying before they continued.

As a boss, Mu Yan was practically perfect: high pay, low stress, and total freedom. The only issue was, it often felt like she was living in another dimension—ignoring people was just part of the deal.

And then…

She saw it.

On that eternally expressionless, ice-queen face—a smile.

She’s smiling?!

The shrimp Yuan Zi had been about to eat fell back onto her plate. She looked dazedly out the window.

It’s not even raining red outside. What’s happening?!