She Is So Hard To Get - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Admit Mistakes
The temporary accommodation provided to the teachers was quite nice—a one-bedroom apartment in the school district.
Yan Ningxi settled Ming You on the sofa and gently helped her remove her makeup with a cotton pad and cleanser. Then, she retrieved the first-aid kit and, somewhat unskillfully, replaced the sweat-dampened bandage on Ming You’s injured left hand with a clean one.
Just as she tied the knot and was about to pull away, her hand was caught.
“Sister Yan, don’t leave me…”
The girl’s eyes were tightly shut, her drunken murmuring repeating the same few words: “Sister Yan, I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
Although she felt a slight unease, Yan Ningxi didn’t forcibly pull her hand away. Instead, she was reminded of how stunning Ming You had looked when she saw her earlier today.
Today’s Ming You was completely different from the student she had met in the bar last night.
She had a tall figure, thick, soft, straight black hair tied partially into a bun, revealing a smooth, full forehead. Her makeup was exquisite but not heavy. She wore a dark green long dress, a black designer camera bag that could only fit a phone, and a pair of black high-top canvas shoes.
It had to be said that Ming You was a beautiful girl by any standard.
The girl’s eyes were large and bright, her lashes long and curled, and her skin was fair and clear. If fair skin was rated on a scale of 1-10, and Yan Ningxi was a five, Ming You was a seven.
On the girl’s left wrist was an expensive-looking designer watch. The hour hand was close to midnight, marking exactly one day since their first meeting last night.
Only after Ming You’s breathing evened out did Yan Ningxi slowly withdraw her hand, the mark of the watch strap still visible on the back of her hand.
After washing up, she went back to the bedroom.
The living room light was off, the bedroom was quiet, and the girl on the sofa opened her eyes. In the darkness, she raised her hand to lightly touch her face.
The first time someone had so gently and meticulously removed her makeup was during the summer holiday between her sophomore and junior years of high school. He Huan had gifted her a complete set, from skincare to various cosmetics.
She was clumsy at learning makeup, never got the hang of it, and was too lazy to try. During her art exam training, He Huan would personally apply her makeup in the morning and remove it at night whenever a test required it.
How many times did that happen, from that summer to the winter break?
Five times? Ten times?
Today’s makeup was paid for. She certainly couldn’t apply it herself.
She moved her sore neck and casually tugged at the thin blanket, intending to toss it aside. The pain in her palm made her change her mind. She clutched the blanket and sniffed it. It had the clean fragrance of laundry detergent and a faint perfume scent, which surprisingly gave her a sense of calm.
Beer makes you drunk easily.
She had hoped to have a good night’s sleep.
But in her mind, the image of He Huan drawing her eyebrows, the sight of He Huan and Jiang Bin drinking cross-armed and embracing, and He Huan’s cruel and definite “No” from the karaoke bar, flashed repeatedly. Numerous scenes and conversations, both past and present, cycled like cross-fading slides, giving her a splitting headache.
—He Huan, I’ll only ask you one thing: did you ever include me in your future plans?
—No.
How ridiculous that she had worked so hard for so long, yet she was never in her plans.
The harsh words were still ringing in her ears. Ming You couldn’t bear it any longer. She sat up, grabbing the tissue box from the coffee table, ready to throw it.
A clear, sharp “Ming You” pulled the girl back from the abyss. Hearing Yan Ningxi’s voice, the girl’s body stiffened, and she escaped the devil’s grip once more. The hand she had raised slowly lowered, and the tissue box was spared.
Yan Ningxi was a light sleeper; the slightest sound could wake her. She switched on a wall lamp and placed her hand on Ming You’s forehead: “Are you still feeling terrible?”
The touch on her forehead was much warmer than the icy feel she’d had during the day. Ming You’s agitation instantly subsided. She shook her head: “I had a nightmare.”
“No matter what the dream was, it’s good that you’re awake.” Yan Ningxi didn’t ask what she dreamt: “Both last night and tonight, can you tell me why you were drinking?”
“Bad mood.”
“The reason?”
Ming You looked up to meet Yan Ningxi’s inquiring gaze and said with a half-smile: “For people nowadays, living in a world of drink and pleasure, not every drink needs a reason, right? If I absolutely have to give one, would Sister Yan believe me if I said I broke up with someone?”
“…”
“Just joking, Sister Yan, don’t take it seriously. I’ve never been in a relationship.” It was just unrequited love, that’s all.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. Drinking is fine, but you must drink in moderation.” Yan Ningxi had no interest in prying into another person’s privacy: “The sofa is small and not as comfortable as a hotel’s king bed, but you’ll have to make do for the night. I’ll go make you a cup of honey water.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“No trouble.”
Before long, Yan Ningxi returned with the cup.
Ming You stared unfocused at the dim yellow light source on the opposite TV wall, holding the glass of honey water that Yan Ningxi handed her with both hands, sipping the perfectly tempered drink.
It was a little sweet.
Yan Ningxi stood beside her, looking at the still-frame that was Ming You, and suppressed a yawn.
After drinking half the honey water, Ming You lay back down. Although her throat was moist, her voice was still a little hoarse: “Sister Yan, you should go back to sleep now. I’m fine.”
“I’ll leave the light on for you. Call me if you need anything.”
Yan Ningxi’s body clock was very regular; her alarm was set for eight o’clock on weekends and holidays. Wearing a dark blue-green short-sleeved top and shorts for sleep, she groggily opened the door, intending to go to the bathroom, and found herself eye-to-eye with Ming You, who was sitting upright on the sofa.
She took a step back and closed the door.
She had completely forgotten she had brought a girl home last night.
She changed into a collared, light apricot casual dress, put her hair up, and opened the door again: “Morning.”
“Good morning, Sister Yan.” Ming You politely stood up: “Thank you for not minding and bringing me back last night. I’m truly sorry for troubling you twice in one day. Please accept my sincere apology and gratitude.”
Seeing Ming You sincerely bow in apology, Yan Ningxi earnestly accepted: “Alright, I accept.”
Ming You took two steps closer to Yan Ningxi and saw a slight “ambiguous” mark from her bite along the edge of the collar. She had no idea how hard or painful the bite was, or how long it would take to fade, with no experience to gauge it.
“Your neck…”
“It was unexpected. Don’t worry about it.” Yan Ningxi spoke calmly and composedly, as if the tooth mark on her neck wasn’t from the girl but from a mosquito bite.
Yes, her and her absurdity were a complete accident.
Ming You was not foolish. She knew the other party was unwilling to bring up the bar incident, and to press the matter further would be asking for a snub.
She glanced down at her own wrinkled and stained dress, and casually undid the top two buttons: “Sister Yan, since you’re already being so kind, could you help me with one more thing?”
“What do you need help with?” Yan Ningxi still stood at the bedroom door, not moving an inch.
“I can’t go out looking like this, and I feel very uncomfortable. I’d like to use your bathroom to shower. Also, could I borrow some clothes from you? Any T-shirt and shorts will do.” After a night, the smell on her body was worse than last night, reaching a point where she couldn’t tolerate it for another minute.
“Small matter. One moment.” Yan Ningxi rummaged through her closet but couldn’t immediately find any clothes or pants suitable for Ming You.
Finally, she saw a brand-new dress hanging on a hanger. It was a bright, elegant yellow and green floral print long dress, with a shallow V-neck, in a loose, casual pastoral style. If Ming You wore it, the length would probably cover most of her calves.
She had noticed last night when Ming You was wearing flat shoes to the KTV that she was about five centimeters taller than her.
She took the dress out and placed it on the bathroom shelf: “This dress should fit you. I’ve also put out a new towel and toothbrush for you.”
Seeing Ming You head toward the bathroom, she made sure to hand her a disposable glove to put on her left hand and seal it, reminding her to avoid getting the wound wet.
Ming You changed into the dress and blew her hair dry before appearing in front of Yan Ningxi.
Yan Ningxi was holding two bowls of cooked noodles in her hands. After looking Ming You up and down, she commented: “Not bad. It suits you very well.”
“That’s only because Sister Yan has good taste.” Ming You said sweetly, taking a bowl of noodles from Yan Ningxi: “I’ll carry this. Be careful, it’s hot.” The two bowls of plain vegetable noodles were placed on the dining table one after the other.
Ming You was using her phone to switch to food mode, aiming it at the bowl, when she heard Yan Ningxi say: “The dress is new, and it suits you better than me. You don’t need to return it.”
The dress had been bought before the holiday, and even at the discounted price, it was less than Ming You’s expense at the KTV.
Yan Ningxi’s statement was unexpected for Ming You. She had intended to use the return of the clothes as an excuse for their next meeting.
After skillfully taking the photo, she looked at the person opposite her and praised: “Sister Yan is kind and beautiful, has good taste, and is a great cook. I really wish I could go back and re-do high school.”
“Look forward. High school was so exhausting, once is enough.”
“It was exhausting. But I regret not having a beautiful teacher like Sister Yan in my high school. What a pity.” Ming You made her point and then focused on eating her noodles.
Yan Ningxi was not so composed.
The two ate their noodles in silence, preoccupied with their own thoughts. Ming You finished first and carried her empty bowl into the kitchen.
Yan Ningxi followed her: “Don’t get your hand wet. Leave it there.”
Ming You didn’t argue and stepped aside.
The phone rang in the living room. Yan Ningxi put down her bowl and chopsticks, took her phone, and went out onto the balcony: “Hello, Teacher He?”
“Yan Yan…”
“Everything is fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“Thank you.”
“Was that Teacher He?” Ming You’s clear voice sounded behind Yan Ningxi.
“Yes,” Yan Ningxi didn’t hide it.
Ming You held out her hand: “Although it might be a bit sudden, Sister Yan, could I borrow your phone to say a few words to Teacher He?”
Hearing Ming You’s voice, He Huan’s breathing hitched. She had assumed Yan Ningxi had taken Ming You to a hotel and had been planning to ask Yan Ningxi how much it cost so she could pay for it.
He Huan: “Give the phone to her.”
Seeing Yan Ningxi nod, Ming You took the phone. She walked out to the floor-to-ceiling window, leaned against the railing, and casually tapped her fingers on the glass. She looked completely at ease and comfortable, all the despair and confusion from last night gone.
“Morning, Teacher He.”
After starting, and before He Huan could respond, Ming You continued on her own: “Yesterday was your wonderful wedding day, and I was so thoughtless and caused you trouble. I truly apologize, and I promise you this won’t happen again in the future. Oh, and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to have Teacher Yan pick me up. I feel much better after a night’s sleep. I’ll listen to Teacher Yan. You don’t need to worry.”
Her choice of words was full of polite formalities, distance, and courtesy. To anyone unaware of the true situation, it would sound like a simple apology from a student who made a mistake, realized it, and was making amends to her teacher.
While He Huan was still processing the long speech, Ming You added one more line: “I once again wish you a happy wedding, and may you and Mr. Jiang live in perfect harmony and have a child soon.”
Without waiting for a reply, Ming You hung up the phone.
“Sister Yan.” She quickly walked back into the living room and handed the phone back: “I just wanted to apologize to Teacher He one more time. I was worried that I might have said or done something out of line that made her angry while I was drunk last night.”
“I hope you are sincere in admitting your mistake.” Yan Ningxi’s tone was cooler than He Huan’s. After taking back her phone, she asked: “Does drowning your sorrows in alcohol work?”
“It does! And it works incredibly well. I feel refreshed now, can’t you tell, Sister Yan?”
Ming You spread her arms wide, posing as if fully recovered, and explained: “In high school, I was quite isolated and didn’t fit in much. Teacher He taught our class Chinese and was always very patient with me. I’m very grateful to her. I was out of my mind from drinking last night when I contacted her again. I suppose I’m just used to Teacher He’s comfort…”
“Mhm, I can tell. Teacher He does care about you a lot. Ming You, the relationship between a teacher and a student can be that of a mentor and a friend, but you shouldn’t rely on it too much. In your growth journey, you’ll have mentors for different stages of your life. Focus on the present, and try to make more friends your age when you have time.”
After listening to Yan Ningxi’s “big lecture,” Ming You’s mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom, and her voice was very soft: “Students like me… all of you must find us very annoying.”
“What?”
“I said, I understand. I’ll make more friends.”
After the slightly unpleasant conversation, Ming You asked Yan Ningxi for a bag to put her dirty clothes in, preparing to leave: “Sister Yan, can we exchange contact information?”