After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: I Really Want to Kiss Her

“Don’t say another word.”

An Ning stared at Mu Yan’s flushed ears. Although she obediently agreed to the woman’s reprimand, she couldn’t help but feel a little ticklish inside.

 Teacher Mu’s ears looked so soft.

She suddenly remembered the deliciously flavored gummy candy she had tasted in that drunken dream—its light sweetness still seemed to linger on her tongue, making her mouth water.

An Ning didn’t regret drunkenly spouting nonsense anymore. After all, without that glass of red wine, who knew how much longer it would’ve taken for her and Mu Yan to end up together?

What she regretted now was how low her alcohol tolerance was—she could only vaguely recall what happened after she got drunk.
 

Teacher Mu, who had allowed her to do as she pleased just because she cried, and that kiss on the side of her neck—those should’ve been treasured memories.

Should she find another time and have a drink again?

She thought about it, but still didn’t dare. Besides, even if she drank again, there was no guarantee she’d remember it clearly. Using alcohol as an excuse to act on her desires—it felt a little too calculating.

The key issue was:  Teacher Mu was far smarter than she was. If the woman figured out she did it on purpose, she might not get mad, but she’d definitely sulk and ignore her.

During winter break, cars with proper student verification were allowed to enter campus. After An Ning showed her student ID to the campus guard, Mu Yan drove the car directly to the entrance of the Yun University Art Museum.

As a nationally renowned university, Yun University’s art department might not be as famous as Meng University’s, but it still boasted a few alumni who had made a name for themselves in the art world. The museum itself was uniquely constructed—entirely white, with semicircular edges. From a distance, it looked like a perfectly sliced block of tofu, hence its nickname among students: “The Tofu Hall.”

To An Ning’s surprise, there were quite a few people here for the exhibition. The plaza in front of the museum had been turned into a temporary parking lot, and cars of all kinds almost filled the two football-field-sized squares.

The two of them got out and walked toward the museum. People came and went in small groups. Judging by their appearance and clothing, most didn’t look like students. They looked more like those “artists” who’d achieved some success.

An Ning even saw a middle-aged man with long hair tied in a topknot, dressed in a flowing white robe—he looked more like a martial arts master than a modern person—stroking his beard as he floated past them with a lofty expression.

Don’t stare. It’s impolite.

She reminded herself—but still couldn’t help sneaking another look at the man.

When she came back to her senses, she found Mu Yan watching her with a teasing glint in her eyes.

That gaze practically screamed: “So easily amused.”

“Ahem…” An Ning cleared her throat awkwardly and leaned over to whisper, ” Teacher Mu, don’t you think it’s strange? This is the first time I’ve seen so many… uh, eccentric people.”

“Heh.” The woman chuckled softly and shook her head. “That just means your classmates have relatively stable mental states. That’s a good thing. Have you heard of Meng University’s Ghost Painting Festival?”

“Ah?” An Ning was confused. That name sounded eerie—not like any known holiday.

“On the night of the Ghost Festival,” the woman explained, “a lot of Meng University students will paint themselves with fluorescent paint of various colors. The skilled ones can paint ghost faces, while the less skilled ones just end up as blobs of color. Then, these glowing people,” her voice suddenly dropped low, as if telling a ghost story, “wander the campus late at night, scaring each other. Anyone who screams in fright is considered to have lost face.”

“…Doesn’t the school stop them?” An Ning shivered, imagining the chaotic scene.

“They tried to at first,” Mu Yan said, clearly amused by An Ning’s mix of awe and dread. “But the administration realized that if they didn’t let them do this, the students would just come up with something else. Instead of playing endless defense, they decided to regulate the event and let it be. So now there’s an unwritten rule—on Ghost Festival night, students who don’t want to participate generally stay indoors.”

“As expected of the—” An Ning began to say as expected of art students, but stopped herself, feeling it might be too much of a generalization. Looking at the woman, who was smiling like a mischievous grown-up who had successfully tricked a kid, she suddenly grew wary and asked, ” Teacher Mu, were you messing with me just now?”

“What do you think?” The woman raised her brows at her, a pair of beguiling peach blossom eyes glimmering with amusement, and walked away.

An Ning’s heart heated from that gaze. She stood there dazed for a moment before stomping her foot and hurrying to catch up.

This must be payback for what I said and did in the car, she thought, half-exasperated. She really holds a grudge.

An Ning had never been to the museum before, so she didn’t know what it normally looked like. Right now, the floor was clear, with faint square scuffs on the ground suggesting where display cases had once stood. On both sides of the curved corridors, various-sized paintings hung neatly, stretching out of sight.

People gathered in front of different artworks, chatting in hushed tones. Despite the number of visitors, the gallery wasn’t noisy.

An Ning thought about how, during team meetings, it usually took the coach shouting himself hoarse just to quiet them down. She realized there was truth in the saying: the gap between people can be bigger than between humans and dogs.

The main exhibit was in the center of the museum. An Ning had intended to go straight there, but Mu Yan was methodically examining each painting along the corridor. Left with no choice, An Ning followed along.

Not knowing much about painting, An Ning just enjoyed the visual impact. She liked the grand, dramatic paintings with many characters and vivid scenes—those looked the most impressive.

After admiring a war painting that reportedly contained 180 people, she noticed Mu Yan standing in front of a small painting and staring at it for a long while.

It was a simple piece—a vase under sunlight holding two small white flowers. It looked fresh and clean, but compared to the rich colors around it, it seemed rather plain.

” Teacher Mu, what’s so special about this one?” An Ning asked curiously, walking over.

The woman glanced at her, reached out, and An Ning instinctively grabbed her hand. Following Mu Yan’s lead, she moved to the other side of the painting.

“This is—!” she gasped. From this angle, the vase in the sunlight took on a completely different look. The white flowers were tinged with a faint red, and the vase looked darker—moody yet beautiful.

“Isn’t it pretty?” Mu Yan asked softly by her ear, her tone laced with smug satisfaction at having tricked her.

But An Ning’s thoughts had already drifted far from the painting. She suddenly realized just how close they were standing. The woman’s breath brushed her ear—warm and tingly.

She turned to gaze at Mu Yan’s stunning, more mesmerizing-than-art face, and nodded seriously. “It’s beautiful.”

Mu Yan: “…Why are you staring at me?”

Flushed from being looked at so intently, the woman glanced at her and turned away, embarrassed.

“Hey, hey,  Teacher Mu,” An Ning caught up with her, grinning. “Can’t you tell me how they painted that effect?”

“What’s there to explain?” the woman said, exasperated. “You’re not studying art. As long as you can appreciate it, that’s enough.”

I just didn’t want you to feel ignored…

An Ning nodded sheepishly.

They chatted as they walked deeper into the museum and reached the center.

A painting in bright orange tones stood at the center. The plaque below read: “Wildfire” – Tieshu.

An Ning only glanced at it once before she was instinctively drawn forward, weaving through the crowd to stand closer.

Orange flames covered the entire canvas. Amid the overlapping strokes, a faint human silhouette could be made out.

The vivid colors lit up viewers’ eyes. The painting was like a “magic beast”—just one look and you were pulled into an overwhelming emotion you couldn’t shake.

Yet, unlike the somber, painful artworks An Ning had seen online, this one felt passionate and scorching. It radiated pure, beautiful love. Just one glance made her eyes burn and stirred an uncontrollable impulse.

She wanted to kiss. To embrace the one she loved.

My love for you is like wildfire—one spark is enough to spread across the land.

An Ning glanced around in a daze and noticed that others shared her reaction. The more sensitive among them already had tears in their eyes, though their lips held a sweet smile.

She instinctively turned to Mu Yan. The woman wasn’t looking at the painting—her gaze was lowered, but those obsidian eyes tilted slightly in An Ning’s direction, as if observing her reaction.

The woman’s features were sharp yet gentle. Under the ceiling lights, her pale face glowed like high-quality cream.

Then it hit An Ning.

She reached out and grabbed that slender, fair hand at Mu Yan’s side. Its soft, smooth texture made her want to bite it lightly.

But there was something more important right now.

An Ning bent her knees so she could look Mu Yan in the eyes. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she asked:

“ Teacher Mu, does this painting… have something to do with me?”

It wasn’t hard to guess—the figure’s silhouette was familiar. She saw that kind of jumping smash every day at the badminton court.

Still, she couldn’t be sure.

She had never imagined herself appearing in Mu Yan’s artwork. Never imagined… the woman could harbor such fiery love for her.

She knew  Teacher Mu liked her, but Mu Yan rarely showed it openly. Most of her affection came in the form of quiet indulgence.

Just thinking about that made An Ning’s whole body feel hot and overwhelmed.

I really want to kiss her.

If they weren’t in a quiet art museum, surrounded by so many people, she might have already done it.

The woman being watched blushed even more. Her composed expression wavered into something flustered, like a thief caught in the act. Her peach blossom eyes held unspoken words. After a few seconds of silent struggle, she turned her head away and mumbled almost inaudibly:

“So what if it is? Is that not allowed?”

An Ning let out a relieved laugh, stood up, and naturally wrapped her arms around the woman’s slender waist. She leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Of course it is. It’s my honor.”

Her hug-like gesture had already caught the attention of nearby onlookers. The woman in her arms was clearly mortified. She struggled slightly and pleaded in a tone that sounded almost like a frightened little animal, “Let go… Let’s talk outside.”

“No way. Even hired models get paid. Shouldn’t you at least give me something?” An Ning replied without thinking. Feeling Mu Yan’s body trembling against hers, she actually felt a surge of satisfaction.

She really, really liked the way Mu Yan treated her differently from others. Liked the unique expressions the woman showed only to her.

She even liked… pushing her boundaries, as long as she wasn’t hated for it.

Because  Teacher Mu like this—was incredibly tempting.

“Purge the garbage from the art world!”

Suddenly, a man’s furious shout came from behind. An Ning instinctively looked up and saw a burly man with wild hair and a beard holding a bucket of red liquid. He charged toward the wall where “Wildfire” was displayed.

The crowd instinctively scattered at his roar, leaving the artwork alone to face him.

No!

An Ning saw the man raise his arm. The viscous red liquid in the bucket sloshed, about to spill.

Without thinking, she yanked Mu Yan aside and threw herself forward—shielding the painting.

The sticky, acrid liquid came flying. She barely had time to shut her eyes.

“An Ning!”

She heard Mu Yan’s panicked, furious shout—but her mind held only one thought:

Is the painting safe? This is the first painting  Teacher Mu ever made for me…