Serenade

"Why is the office so messy! Did no one clean up?" 𝔣𝔯𝖊𝔢𝖜𝔢𝔟𝖓𝖔𝔳𝔢𝖑.𝔠𝖔𝔪

Early in the morning, a shrill question rang out from the Chinese language teaching research room on the third floor.

Teacher Jiang Ru was bad-tempered, and had just had a conflict with students during morning reading class, so she strode into the office fuming and immediately began berating the two young interns who were there early to grade homework assignments.

"Are you blind? You got here so early but didn't think to tidy up the office! You were waiting for me to come do it, weren't you?"

Chu Zhao lifted her head from a pile of student compositions, her voice hoarse as she said, "These assignments have to be handed back after morning reading class, so I have to finish grading them right away."

"Why did you have to come early this morning to grade assignments?"

Jin Xi complained resentfully, "We were helping you make teaching ppt slides yesterday."

"So it's my fault now?"

"Teacher Jiang, I think you might be giving us too much work." Chu Zhao worked up the courage to say. "The other interns are all able to do trial lectures already, but we spend every day in the office grading papers."

Jiang Ru's expression changed slightly, and she snapped in her shrill voice, "With your level, you want to give lectures? You haven't even learned to walk yet but want to run!"

"That's...that's because you gave us several classes worth of assignments to grade. We don't even have time to sit in on classes and learn."

Jin Xi gently tugged at Chu Zhao's sleeve, hinting that she shouldn't say any more.

Their supervising teacher would evaluate and score their internships, and only interns with high scores could stay on, so it was very unwise to have conflicts with the teacher at this time.

"What, you're not satisfied? You don't even want to grade assignments, how will you become teachers in the future!"

Chu Zhao grimaced, though she was very unhappy she held in her temper.

During the break between classes, she sat alone on the empty stairwell, calling Jing Chi.

"Are you doing alright over there? I heard new recruits get bullied, you have to be clever and not go head to head with them."

"You're worrying too much," Jing Chi's voice sounded very relaxed. "The captain and them take good care of the new guys, it's even more laidback than when we were training at school."

"Really, don't lie to me okay."

"I'm actually more worried about you. How's the new job going? With your frank personality, you won't be very popular in the workplace."

Chu Zhao's eyes reddened all at once, and she tried hard to hold back the sour feeling rising in her throat. "I...I'm not that frank, I'm just more upright."

"Praising yourself makes you happy huh?"

"I'm telling the truth."

"Zhao Zhao, have you been wronged at all? Don't lie to me, you should let me know about anything."

"No, really nothing." Chu Zhao forced herself to restrain her emotions as she said, "Even if there are unhappy things, I can handle them. Jing Chi, don't worry about me. The point is, you're not alone in working hard, I will work hard too!"

On the other end of the call, Jing Chi spat a mouthful of bloody spittle as he squatted on a rock in the woods, and rubbed the bruise at the corner of his mouth.

"Zhao Zhao, wait for me. I will come back proper to marry you."

"As long as you come back safe, that's all that matters."

After talking with Jing Chi, Chu Zhao felt her mood had lightened considerably. She went back to the office and continued grading the mountainous pile of assignments.

No. 1 Middle School was a key institution, with frequent in-class exercises, and Teacher Jiang Ru oversaw several classes that took turns, so as soon as one batch of assignments was handed back new ones came in. The two young interns spent the entire day without even leaving the office, consumed with grading.

They were already more than halfway through the 3-month internship, but Jin Xi and Chu Zhao hadn't sat in on more than a few classes. There would be an assessment at the end of the internship where they had to deliver a lecture, and their usual grades would also count towards the final evaluation that decided if they could stay on.

Looking at the other interns getting along well with their supervisors, then looking at how Teacher Jiang ordered them around every day, Jin Xi felt she probably wouldn't give them very high scores.

She was a bit worried.

"Bro! What should I do?" Jin Xi hung upside down on the soft sofa in Shen Ping Chuan's office, head pointing down and legs dangling over the back of the sofa. "I feel like I'm going to fail this internship."

Shen Ping Chuan sat neatly attired at a redwood desk, holding an assessment report. His tie was tied neatly and tightly, his shirt well-fitted, and he seemed much more mature than his student days.

"Your sister-in-law's birthday is coming up soon, come with me to pick out a present for her later."

"Bro, I'm talking to you about work and you're talking about my sister-in-law. Are you even listening to me?"

"I heard you. If you can't get into No. 1 Middle School, there's still No. 3 and No. 5 Middle Schools, they're not bad schools either."

"No. 3 and No. 5 can't compare with No. 1 Middle School. The facilities, salaries, everything is much higher at No. 1." Jin Xi sighed lightly. "Nevermind, it's useless talking to you about this, you can't help anyway."

"If you really want me to help, I can make it happen, as long as Old Shen doesn't find out."

Jin Xi immediately sat up straight, half-kneeling on the sofa acting obedient. "Bro, you have a way?"

"I can take some money from this quarter's bonuses and invest in your school."

"......"

"Forget it! If I did that, I'd be looked down on by the other interns for sure. I'd rather go to another school."

Shen Ping Chuan shrugged. "Any problem that can be solved with money is not a problem. It's just a small issue, don't worry so much over it."

"Bro, I feel like you've changed a bit."

"How have I changed?"

"I can't say exactly. Maybe because you grew up."

For some reason, Jin Xi just felt Shen Ping Chuan was a bit different from how he used to be. In the past, Shen Ping Chuan put on the air of a student council president. Though annoying, he had been very upright and would never abuse his privileges.

Not only that, present Shen Ping Chuan's temper seemed much worse than before, often kicking stools and flipping tables in the office...though he wouldn't act this way at home, past Shen Ping Chuan had been very patient, laughing every day and not prone to fits of temper.

When did it start?

Jin Xi thought of her sister-in-law, that gentle girl who was like a little lamb.

She seemed to have changed somewhat too. To Jin Xi's impression, Xia Qing had been a rather cold girl, but now Xia Qing was so obedient to Shen Ping Chuan it was a bit unnatural.

Maybe she'd been spoiled by her. Jin Xi felt this wasn't a big deal either.

It was a good thing for her sister-in-law to dote on her brother.

That night, Jin Xi left the office with Shen Ping Chuan and by some coincidence ran into Jiang Ru in the underground parking lot.

Jiang Ru had her arm wrapped around a middle-aged man in a suit, and the two looked about to get in a car.

Seeing Jiang Ru, Jin Xi reacted like a mouse spotting a cat, immediately hiding behind Shen Ping Chuan. "Oh no, if she finds out I didn't stay at school and work overtime, she'll definitely scold me again!"

The parking lot was empty, so Jiang Ru naturally caught sight of Jin Xi right away. Like a principal catching a truant, she raised her willowy brows and called out, "Jin Xi, what are you doing here!"

Jin Xi could only sheepishly emerge from behind Shen Ping Chuan, stammering awkwardly, "Hello Teacher Jiang, I...I'm going out to eat with my brother..."

"You're going out to eat when I told you to do something!"

Jin Xi grumbled under her breath, "You told us to do so much, grading assignments, cleaning the office, making ppt for you, how can we finish it all at once."

"And you're talking back to me!"

It was obvious Jiang Ru was the hot-tempered type. Usually oppressed by superiors without daring to make a peep, now that she finally had underlings, she naturally wanted to vent double.

"Hurry back and get to work! If you don't finish tomorrow morning, don't think about getting a score on your internship evaluation from me!"

"We're not robots!" Jin Xi worked up her courage to say, "We have to eat too!"

"You only know how to eat, why don't you eat yourself to death! Just seeing you pisses me off."

Shen Ping Chuan slammed the car door shut and yelled angrily, "How do you talk to my sister like that!"

"Oh dear brother, stop interfering. Let's go, let's go!"

Jin Xi, that little coward, was still as timid as ever. She was afraid that there would be a conflict between Shen Ping Chuan and Jiang Ru, and had worked hard to tread carefully during her internship, only for it to be in vain.

The moment Shen Ping Chuan walked out, the middle-aged man Jiang Ru was holding onto was stunned, and blurted out blankly: "Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen, how...how can it be you?"

Shen Ping Chuan's eyes turned cold: "Qin Feng, is this woman your wife?"

Qin Feng immediately realized the problem. His face instantly turned ghastly pale as he grabbed Jiang Ru and shoved her forward aggressively: "You cheap woman, quickly apologize to Mr. Shen!"

Jiang Ru staggered forward from his push, still not understanding what was happening: "Old Qin, what are you saying? Why should I apologize to these two kids?"

"If you spout any more nonsense, I'll hit you!" The man called Qin Feng's face turned red with anger as he shouted, spit flying: "This is our company's young Mr. Shen, he's my superior!"

At this point, Jiang Ru's face kept turning red and white as she stared blankly at Jin Xi and Shen Ping Chuan: "Jin Xi...what is your relationship with them?"

"Teacher Jiang, he's my older brother."

Before Jiang Ru could respond, Qin Feng immediately walked over and bowed to Jin Xi: "I'm sorry, Miss Jin, really sorry. My wife is a bit hot-tempered, but she didn't mean it. I apologize on her behalf. Please be the bigger person and don't take it to heart with her!"

As he spoke, he pulled Jiang Ru over: "Hurry up and apologize to Miss Jin!"

Jiang Ru's respectable life depended entirely on her husband's high salary at the Shen Corporation. Therefore, she didn't dare talk back and could only lower her voice timidly: "I'm sorry, Miss Jin, it's all my fault. Please don't take it to heart."

Jin Xi wasn't used to scenes like this. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she took her brother and left.

The next day, it was as if Jiang Ru had become a different person. Not only did she revoke Jin Xi and Chu Zhao's homework grading duties, she even let them lecture at the podium. After class, she served them tea and coffee obsequiously, her attitude solicitous to the point they could barely adapt.

Chu Zhao asked Jin Xi: "Do you think our internship assessment and evaluation scores are set now?"

Jin Xi thought about it and nodded: "Probably."

That night, Jin Xi pulled Bo Yan to the sofa and carefully recounted what had happened.

"She was ordering us around just a few days ago. Now she's even serving us coffee! You know, when she brought the coffee to me, I was so nervous I burnt my mouth."

Bo Yan laughed at her jest, lifting her upper lip to see that there really was a small blister on the tender flesh.

He smiled and rubbed her head: "Silly girl."

Jin Xi hugged Bo Yan's neck acting coquettishly: "Tell me, how can people change so quickly! It's like a face changing performance."

"People will always change," Bo Yan's smile also gradually faded as he said this: "Your brother has changed too."

"Will you change?" Jin Xi's dark eyes gazed at him.

"I will change too." Bo Yan gently kissed Jin Xi's forehead and said gently: "But I will change into someone you like."

"The way you are now is how I like you."

Jin Xi lowered her head to think again, then said to Bo Yan: "But I don't really like how my brother is now."

"Is that so."

"I'm not saying my sister-in-law is no good! I just feel...she indulges my brother too much."

Bo Yan was silent. In the beginning, only he and Shen Ping Chuan knew what really happened...Shen Ping Chuan slowly changing into what he is now, although you can't completely blame Xia Qing, she must have been the biggest catalyst.

"Your sister-in-law is grateful to your brother," Bo Yan could only comfort Jin Xi: "Don't overthink it. Back then your brother saved her father's life. She can't speak harshly to your brother."

"It's just...I've always had this feeling that I've never told anyone. Let me secretly tell you, and don't say anything to anyone else, just pretend I'm overthinking things."

"Hm?"

Jin Xi leaned on Bo Yan's shoulders and moved closer to his ear, whispering: "I've always felt that the relationship between my brother and sister-in-law seems a bit abnormal, but I might be overthinking things too. I always feel that my brother is a bit...sponsoring my sister-in-law."

Jin Xi didn't say the last two words aloud, just silently mouthed them for Bo Yan to see.

"..."

Bo Yan's breathing paused for a moment.

So now even an absent-minded little fool like Jin Xi has noticed it. How long is Shen Ping Chuan going to keep lying to himself?