129. Stories and Wine, A Soft "Hello, Teacher"

If Chen Xuan could also join this new teaching team, it would surely be a pleasant thing. Setting aside their relationship as a man and a woman, they had started their jobs and secured permanent positions at the same time, sitting side by side as good colleagues.

It was unclear how Chen Xuan planned to approach the upcoming work; at least for the short term, he wouldn’t make any unilateral changes. Li An had already learned some of the reasons why Chen Xuan had come to Rong City through their conversations, but only a part of it.

It was evident that the conflicts between Chen Xuan and his family were significant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ventured alone to a strange city thousands of miles from home. Even having a close friend like Sun Yuman there didn’t fully explain it.

At this age, one stands at a crossroads in life, preparing to become a responsible citizen—finding a job, courting someone, then establishing a family and career. This was an unavoidable process for most people.

Although everyone carries dreams of poetry and distant places in their hearts, reality demands stability in the end. Chen Xuan was not impulsive or reckless; this was clear from their daily interactions. Yet, he had taken this step—at this stage in life, such a step was not rebellion at twenty-five but a deliberate choice.

Li An had made choices before and could understand that Chen Xuan was simply making his own. Chen Xuan had no more to say, and Li An did not press further. Chen Xuan asked to give each other more time, and Li An said he would wait.

So, they would wait—until Chen Xuan opened his heart completely and shared his deepest secrets. Only then could they truly deepen their relationship in a healthy way. Such depth was what made love feel genuine and solid.

Two love-struck souls blindly throwing themselves together might make for a moving story in its early days, but love itself could not endure such recklessness. A thousand people might have a thousand views on love, but love could not be sustenance nor an investment in the future. A thousand couples might have a thousand ways of loving, but inevitably, every love must turn to life.

In Li An’s eyes, good love was a carefully considered choice. It might not seem perfect to outsiders, but only those within it could understand its subtle wonders.

“So please, let’s give each other a bit more time.”

When Chen Xuan held him and whispered these words in his ear, Li An felt an indescribable emotion. He was grateful—grateful to have met someone so alike in this vast sea of humanity, and that they were mutually drawn to each other.

Li An never believed love had to be based on complementarity to last. It was resonance through shared frequency and communication that fostered true intimacy. Only after opening one’s heart could there be real tolerance, understanding, and dialogue—and these were precisely what most modern relationships lacked.

“I’m back.”

The voice came closer through the phone, and the screen wavered wildly before Chen Xuan reappeared.

Li An teased, “Such a loud voice—aren’t you afraid the neighbors will hear?”

Chen Xuan leaned against the headboard, holding the phone. “Let them hear if they do.”

She shifted a little, finding a comfortable position. “So, you’re not planning to visit the teacher early?”

Li An replied, “Nope, I’ll go directly the morning after tomorrow.”

Chen Xuan nodded. “Good luck.”

That evening, over dinner with Jia Mingyu and Zheng Haitao, she learned more about the relationship between Li An and Teacher Wei.

Li An asked, “Don’t worry. What about you? Any plans for the next few days?”

Chen Xuan said, “Tomorrow I’ll visit my grandparents, the day after at my aunt’s to see my maternal grandfather, then the third day at my sister’s. Nothing else after that.”

She didn’t mention her maternal grandmother, which Li An noticed.

They chatted a while longer until Chen Xuan kept yawning. Li An said, “Go to bed early tonight. You must be exhausted after such a long day.”

Chen Xuan asked, “Are you going to sleep too?”

Li An nodded.

She then asked, “Can we keep the call on?”

Li An smiled. “Sure.”

Chen Xuan switched the video to voice only, and moments later Li An heard her say, “I’ve turned off the light.”

“I’ve turned mine off too.”

Li An got out of bed to turn off the light, then returned under the covers. In the dimness, her voice sounded even closer.

“I want to hear a story.”

Li An closed his eyes and looked at the ceiling, softly asking, “What story do you want to hear?”

A pause.

“About the shining fish.”

The shining fish.

Li An began slowly:

“Long, long ago, there was a legend.”

“It was said that in the Red Sea lived a fish that could shine. Whoever found it could have one wish granted.”

“But no one had ever truly seen such a fish.”

“That day was the village’s coming-of-age ceremony. Any youth who participated could officially go out fishing at sea.”

“A young fisher named Chen Xiaomi completed her coming-of-age on this day.”

“She had been waiting for this day eagerly—tomorrow she would set out to find the shining fish.”

“Since childhood, she had one wish: she wanted her sister to see the world.”

“In the Red Sea lived a tribe of fish people who did everything to stop humans from fishing...”

“...”

-

“So, Xiaomi, who fell into the sea, was taken away by the fish people guards.”

“Li An, I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“And then, did the villagers just abandon Xiaomi?”

“While the villagers anxiously discussed what to do, an extremely handsome young man stepped to the edge of the plank. He looked down, the blood-red waves like a gaping mouth ready to swallow everything.”

“He struggled inside for a moment, then closed his eyes and plunged into the waves.”

“This young man was named Ba Wan. He had also taken part in yesterday’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

“He still owed Xiaomi two fried dough sticks.”

-

When Li An woke early the next morning, the voice call on his phone had already disconnected.

An hour before, Chen Xuan had messaged him: You sleep so quietly.

At this moment, she was already on her way to her grandparents’ house.

He asked who had fallen asleep first last night, but Chen Xuan couldn’t remember.

“We have to keep listening to the shining fish story tonight.”

“I’ve forgotten where I left off.”

“I don’t care.”

-

On the second day of the holiday, Li An began with a good morning message to Chen Xuan, thousands of miles away.

After washing up, he came to the living room and found Ba Wan lying across the piano, glancing at him sideways.

Since the piano had been brought back, Ba Wan seemed to think he owned the place.

“That house too small to hold you?”

Li An scolded him.

Ba Wan stretched lazily before jumping down from the piano board.

After a simple breakfast shared between master and servant, Li An began his daily practice.

A quiet day of practicing piano was a rare holiday for him.

Aside from a short lunch and nap, he did nothing else until going to Ji Yang’s house.

By evening, he had reviewed up to the thirty-second piece out of 299.

Only eight pieces remained to complete the entire volume.

As the last note faded, he stopped and wiped his sweat.

“You played beautifully,” he said to Ba Wan, who was still lying on the piano board.

Then he stood up to prepare to leave for Ji Yang’s.

On the way, he wondered if after finishing all forty pieces, he could record them somehow. That way, after transposing and practicing, he could compare and listen again.

Recording audio or video?

Seems like no conflict there.

-

Although Xiao Ji didn’t receive Li An’s praise tonight,

“Keep up this pace,” Li An said at the end of class.

Ji Yang stood at attention and nodded firmly, “Understood!”

She knew the teacher wouldn’t allow her to be complacent.

Both teacher and student knew well that Ji Yang had improved lesson by lesson over the past three classes.

After class, Li An chatted with Ji Chengguang and Hu Rong about the child’s progress tonight.

-

As he was leaving, Ji Chengguang accompanied him to the foyer and then picked up two bottles of Moutai from the cabinet.

Li An hadn’t noticed any liquor there when he arrived.

“Teacher Li, tomorrow is Teacher’s Day. We wanted to invite you to dinner. You’ve been guiding Yangyang for so long, and we haven’t had a chance to show our appreciation. But considering you’ll probably be busy tomorrow...”

Before Li An could respond, Ji Chengguang handed the two bottles to him and firmly squeezed his hand. “It’s just a small token. Please don’t refuse.”

With both words and actions, riding on the occasion of Teacher’s Day, Ji Chengguang left Li An no chance to decline.

Accepting the gift felt genuinely good.

Seeing this, Li An didn’t hesitate.

After brief pleasantries, he carried the two bottles away.

Outside the neighborhood, he examined the bottles.

One-liter bottles of Feitian Moutai, two of them.

Regardless of whether Ji Chengguang was wealthy, at least he was giving Li An enough face.

With these two bottles, Li An would feel much more confident visiting Teacher Wei tomorrow.

Back home, he called Jia Mingyu to ask if she would be going to the teacher’s house to pick up some things in the morning.

“I already delivered them yesterday.”

Good.

That was well settled.

“Okay, senior sister, see you tomorrow morning.”

After hanging up, he resumed his bedtime story ritual.

-

The next morning, after finishing morning practice, Li An changed into slightly more formal clothes and set off with the two bottles of liquor.

He took Bus 101 to Rong City Conservatory of Music. After getting off, he spotted Jia Mingyu just two steps away.

“Senior sister.”

Jia Mingyu saw the Moutai in Li An’s hands and immediately understood the purpose of his call last night.

“Let’s go.”

They crossed the street and, before entering the school gates, heard the sounds of military training on the playground.

A scene full of vitality.

Another new academic year had begun.

Watching from afar, Li An marveled at how many stories these young, tender faces would experience over the coming four years.

Several students carrying instruments approached, heading toward Building No. 2’s practice rooms.

Li An and Jia Mingyu passed through the teaching building and stopped before an old dormitory.

This building was originally built as staff housing; now most units were rented out.

Teacher Wei had never moved away.

They entered the aged entrance door; Jia Mingyu led, Li An followed.

“Nervous?”

Li An smiled. “How could I not be?”

They stopped at Room 301 on the third floor.

Li An recalled standing before this door for the first time as a freshman—it had already been seven years.

“Whew—”

He shrugged and gave Jia Mingyu an ‘okay’ gesture.

Jia Mingyu nodded and then turned to knock on the rusty security door.

After a moment, footsteps approached.

“Whew—”

The wooden door creaked open.

A rough, hoarse voice greeted them, “Hey now, you sure know how to pick your timing. Your wife is making dumplings right now.”

Jia Mingyu laughed.

Wei Sanwan didn’t notice the figure standing beside the door outside and thought Jia Mingyu was alone.

He opened the security door without looking further, only to hear Jia Mingyu say, “Teacher, look who’s here.”

She stepped aside and pulled Li An in.

Wei Sanwan was stunned.

“Teacher.”

Seeing the thin figure before him and hearing that long-unheard word ‘Teacher,’ the deep wrinkles around Wei Sanwan’s eyes tensed and relaxed, then he cracked a smile.

“You little rascal.”