Nan Yu’s fingers were very white, clearly defined by their joints, and his nails were neatly trimmed. Just by looking at his hands, one could find him quite pleasing to the eye.
Mu Chengguang loved to kiss the ring finger adorned with his wedding ring, but Nan Yu always took it off before going to school, so no one at the school knew he was already married.
As soon as Shuai Chang entered the office, Teacher Wu from the next class said, “Teacher Nan, my classmate’s friend’s cousin just graduated with a master’s degree. She’s beautiful; should I introduce you?”
This time, Shuai Chang didn’t find an excuse to refuse. With a hint of apology in his eyes, he replied, “I’m sorry, Teacher Wu. Actually, I am already married; I just haven’t mentioned it before…” A ripple of pain briefly flashed in his amber eyes.
Teacher Wu’s heart tightened, thinking he must have a hard-to-speak secret, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll just refuse on your behalf. I thought a handsome man like Teacher Nan wouldn’t be single!”
By the time Shuai Chang returned to the math office after the second class, not only the math teachers but even teachers from other subjects knew he was married.
The homeroom teacher of Class 3 from Grade 10, Tong Linghui, met him in the restroom and specifically confirmed it. Shuai Chang collected himself and pretended not to notice Tong Linghui’s astonished expression, saying, “Yes, I’m married.”
Shuai Chang washed his hands as Tong Linghui stubbornly leaned closer, asking, “When did Teacher Nan get married? Did you hold a wedding? Why didn’t you invite us to the wedding?”
“Stop.” Shuai Chang raised his hand to cover Tong Linghui’s mouth. “I got married last year; we just obtained the marriage certificate without holding a wedding. I’ll definitely invite you when we hold a celebration, okay?” After saying this, Shuai Chang let go.
Tong Linghui moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing. He turned to leave the restroom, and after a few steps, he looked back and said, “Teacher Nan, you promised to invite me.” He left before Shuai Chang could respond.
Because he had just covered Tong Linghui’s mouth, Shuai Chang washed his hands again.
Teaching Grade 10 students was relatively easy. Shuai Chang taught two classes, covering four lessons a day with repeated content. After class, he helped students with their questions, and that completed his workday.
The only busy periods were grading papers after the monthly exams. Nan Yu usually graded them at school until around ten in the evening; if he couldn’t finish, he would take them home and wake up two hours early the next morning to continue.
At the moment, Shuai Chang arrived just in time for the middle of the month, with half a month left until the monthly exam.
During lunchtime, Nan Yu would eat in the teacher’s cafeteria. After finishing his meal, he would nap in the office before afternoon classes.
In these few days, Nan Yu had been inviting Xu Yu to join him for lunch. The moment the lunch bell rang, Shuai Chang walked toward Class 3. The boarding students had already rushed to the cafeteria, while the day students hurried home. In the spacious classroom, only Xu Yu remained; he waited for Nan Yu.
“Xu Yu, let’s go, it’s time for lunch.” Shuai Chang called him from the doorway.
Xu Yu walked over holding an English vocabulary book. He was very diligent in his studies, often memorizing vocabulary while eating.
Xu Yu looked up and called out “Teacher Nan,” to which Shuai Chang nodded in response. It was the first time he saw Xu Yu’s appearance—his skin was slightly dark, his eyes very bright, and his lips were thin with a light color, giving him a spirited look, like a young leopard born recently with fierce instincts.
As they walked to the teacher’s cafeteria, Xu Yu continued to recite his vocabulary, so Shuai Chang chose not to engage him in conversation. During lunch, Xu Yu opened his vocabulary book to study, but Shuai Chang stopped him, saying, “Don’t look at your book while eating; it can lead to indigestion and is bad for your stomach.”
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Yu set it aside but ate quickly.
“Slow down a bit. How’s your study going lately? Have you encountered any problems?” Shuai Chang asked out of routine concern.
Xu Yu swallowed his food and shook his head, “Everything is good.”
Fellow teachers who recognized him during meals would greet Shuai Chang, knowing Nan Yu was helping a student.
Shuai Chang preferred to chew his food slowly, while Xu Yu finished his meal in no time and picked up his vocabulary book to study while waiting. After Shuai Chang finished eating, the two stood up and walked out; Shuai Chang went to the teacher’s office, while Xu Yu headed to the dormitory.
As they parted, Shuai Chang called Xu Yu back, taking a meal card from his pocket, saying, “This card has a thousand yuan on it. I might not be eating lunch at school anymore, so you can use it to eat.”
Xu Yu was taken aback for a moment, extending his hand to take the meal card. “Thank you, Teacher.” He bowed slightly, his voice muffled.
“As long as you study well, that’s all I ask for as a teacher. Now go ahead and take a nap at noon; you need to rest well to be refreshed for the afternoon.” Shuai Chang patted Xu Yu’s frail shoulder.
Having solved Xu Yu’s meal issue, Shuai Chang returned to the office for a short rest, as he had two more classes in the afternoon.
Recently, the school held a teacher’s football match, and Nan Yu had signed up. After finishing work at five, the teachers gathered on the playground to practice.
Among a group of relaxed teachers, Nan Yu stood out, and his running figure on the field was the most striking sight on campus.
Many unmarried female teachers stayed after work just to watch him play.
Today, Shuai Chang performed exceptionally well, scoring two goals. At halftime, physical education teacher Ran Junan playfully tightened his grip around Shuai Chang’s neck, saying, “You’re amazing today, Nan Yu! Did you take performance-enhancing drugs?”
Shuai Chang was sweating, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his gaze was like a tranquil lake, occasionally rippling with melancholic waves.
After Ran Junan spoke, Shuai Chang looked up at him, and Ran Junan’s face suddenly turned bright red as he awkwardly released his grip, stammering, “Nan, Nan Yu, why are you looking at me?” He felt like his heart was racing, nearly jumping into his throat just from Nan Yu’s gaze.
Shuai Chang asked curiously, “You’re talking to me; if I don’t look at you, who else should I look at?”
“Forget it, you wouldn’t understand.” Ran Junan covered his flushed face and ran away.
The halftime break lasted ten minutes, and the second half began.
In the first half, Ran Junan and Shuai Chang worked well together, but during the second half, he kept mispassing the ball to Shuai Chang. Their team struggled, while the opponents seized the opportunity to score two goals, leading to a tie game.
After the practice match, night had fallen. The teammates piled on top of Ran Junan, teasing, “That’s what you get for dragging us down.” Shuai Chang took out his phone and recorded a short video to send to the football group, and Ran Junan became the target of group ridicule.