Chapter 3 Call sister-in-law!

Lan Xubai noticed Lian Nanshu’s nervous movements. Seeing how quiet things were getting, Lan Luobai tried to lighten the mood again and asked,
“Then… may I ask what department you’re in, Teacher?”

Just as Lian Nanshu finally managed to pick up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, she heard the question. She glanced at Lan Xubai first and replied,
“Foreign Languages Department.”

Lan Luobai had only asked to ease the awkwardness, but now—hearing the answer—she was caught off guard. The meat she’d just picked up dropped right back into her bowl.
“Ah… what a coincidence!” she laughed awkwardly and nodded.

Lian Nanshu also smiled faintly and lowered her head without saying more.

Just then, a male student walked over, staring directly at Lian Nanshu and asking,
“Hey, classmate, is this seat next to you taken?”

Before Lian Nanshu could even respond or lift her head, Lan Xubai spoke up coldly,
“It’s taken.”

“Huh?” The boy wasn’t giving up and looked at Lian Nanshu again, trying to plead his case. But Lan Xubai said firmly,
“She’s not a classmate—she’s a teacher. And my wife.”

The boy instantly replied,
“Oh—sorry! My bad. I’ll find another spot,”
and quickly fled the scene.

The most shocked person at the table was Lan Luobai. She stared at her brother, wanting to say something but hesitating. She tugged lightly on Lan Xubai’s sleeve and whispered,
“Brother, are you crazy?”

Lian Nanshu hadn’t expected him to speak up like that. But then she remembered how he’d witnessed her being harassed earlier that day. Did he now think she was a loose, attention-seeking woman?

“Thank you,” she said politely, despite the embarrassment.

Lan Xubai looked up at her, then turned to his stunned sister and said calmly,
“This is your sister-in-law, Lian Nanshu.”

“Sister-in-law? Lian… Lian…!” Lan Luobai’s mind flooded with memories.
She suddenly realized—this was the woman who had “forced” her brother to marry her back in the countryside.

She glanced at her brother, then at Lian Nanshu again, unsure. Lian Nanshu wished she could just crawl into a hole and disappear.

“What are you staring at? Call her properly,” Lan Xubai reminded her when she hesitated too long.

Pulled back to reality by his words, Lan Luobai weakly murmured,
“Sister-in-law…”

Though Lian Nanshu wasn’t used to being addressed that way, she still nodded politely.

“This horrible awkwardness… I can’t take it. I need to find an excuse to leave!” she thought.

She was just about to say something when Lan Xubai suddenly reached into her bowl and placed a piece of chicken in it.

“I remember—you love chicken thigh meat. Eat more.”

Lian Nanshu was speechless. She had just been about to put down her chopsticks and excuse herself, but it was as if Lan Xubai knew exactly what she was about to do.

“…Thank you,” she muttered, then lowered her head and focused on eating.

Lan Luobai could hardly believe it.

Not only was Lian Nanshu her professional course teacher, but also her sister-in-law?! She was already imagining how chaotic the future would be.

The table fell quiet again.

Lian Nanshu had completely lost her appetite. She didn’t even dare to look at them.

After the meal, she left the cafeteria, thinking she’d organize some materials and leave school early. It was Grandpa Lin’s birthday today, and she still hadn’t prepared a gift. She also needed to go home and change.

“Wait up!” Lan Luobai came running after her.

Lian Nanshu turned around.

Lan Luobai stopped, catching her breath, and asked,
“Um… Sister-in-law, do you have time this afternoon?”

“I have some other things to take care of,” Lian Nanshu replied.

Lan Xubai approached and spoke gently,
“Today is an elder’s birthday celebration. Could you spare a little time and come along?”

He was clearly inviting her, and without hesitation, Lian Nanshu replied,
“Sorry, I also have to attend a birthday banquet for a family friend today.”

“Is it for Grandpa Lin?” he asked.

“Yes!” she nodded automatically, then suddenly realized something and looked at Lan Xubai in shock.
“How do you know that?”

Lan Xubai gave a slight smile and said,
“We’re going to Grandpa Lin’s birthday as well. We haven’t had time to prepare a gift yet.”

Lian Nanshu looked troubled.

Seeing her hesitation, Lan Xubai asked with concern,
“Is it inconvenient?”

“Not exactly… It’s just that Grandpa Lin’s granddaughter is also a student here, and we’d planned to go together.”
Lian Nanshu felt a bit bad. If she left with him, it would leave Lin Manyin waiting alone.

“I know Sister Lin. I’ll go find her and explain. You and my brother go ahead and prepare the gift,” Lan Luobai suddenly offered, puffing up her chest like she was on a mission.
She was clearly trying to create a chance for the two.

Seeing that she couldn’t refuse anymore, Lian Nanshu finally agreed.
“Alright then.”

“Good. Then it’s settled,” Lan Xubai said, his expression relaxing as he shot a satisfied glance at his sister.

“I’ll head back to my office to grab my things first.”

“I’ll go with you,” Lan Xubai offered immediately.
“I’d like to see where you work and get a feel for the school environment.”

He quickly changed the topic.

“…Okay.”
Lian Nanshu had no choice but to let him tag along.

Watching them leave together, Lan Luobai muttered,
“With such a pretty sister-in-law, what has my brother been doing all these years? If it were me… I’d already have a few kids by now—just like in the books!”

She remembered how her brother’s old comrades had described Lian Nanshu as a plain, rustic village girl.
But no one had mentioned how stunning she actually was.

“I have to tell Mom and Dad!”
Lan Luobai decided this sister-in-law was actually quite likable, and their parents needed to know.

Lian Nanshu was spending time alone with him for the first time, and for a moment, things felt a little awkward. As they walked along the road, she didn’t know what to talk about. Lan Xubai kept glancing at her from time to time.

“Nanshu Teacher, have you eaten yet?” An elderly professor in his fifties came walking toward them. He looked kind and approachable, slightly hunched over as he sized up the young man beside Lian Nanshu.

Lian Nanshu smiled and replied, “I have. Just came from the cafeteria. They had your favorite braised pork today!”

“Great, great. That dish only comes around on the first day of school each year. I’d better hurry over!” the professor joked, then added, “Nanshu Teacher, aren’t you going to introduce… this young man?”

Professor Lin’s eyes fell on the man next to her.

Lian Nanshu glanced at Lan Xubai and said, “Professor Lin, this is… my… husband, Lan Xubai.” As she spoke the words, she felt an inexplicable nervousness in her heart. “This is Professor Lin from our school—he was my mentor’s teacher,” she quickly added by way of introduction to Lan Xubai.

Lan Xubai couldn’t help but feel a burst of happiness when he heard her introduce him that way.

“Hello, Professor Lin! Thank you for taking such good care of Nanshu at school,” Lan Xubai said modestly.

“Not at all!” Professor Lin smiled warmly. “Nanshu’s excellent in both work and academics. We hardly need to worry about her. It’s her personal life that the school leadership is more concerned with!”

As a military man, Lan Xubai instantly understood the meaning behind those words.
Lian Nanshu instinctively looked at him and, seeing no particular expression on his face, felt a faint twinge of disappointment.

“Thank you for the school’s care. I hope you’ll continue to look after Nanshu in the future,” Lan Xubai replied with a smile.

“Professor, you’d better hurry or there won’t be any braised pork left!” Lian Nanshu quickly tried to steer the conversation away, feeling like she would lose it if it went on any longer.

It seemed Professor Lin had done it intentionally. Since she spoke up, he glanced at Lan Xubai and said, “Alright then. When you both have time, come by my place for a meal.”

“Definitely, definitely! Please go ahead!” Lian Nanshu replied quickly.

Professor Lin gave her a knowing look and pointed at her as if saying “You’re dodging it again,” then walked off.

Lian Nanshu simply smiled without saying anything more.

“Take care, Professor!” Lan Xubai added politely.

After Professor Lin had walked away, Lian Nanshu explained, “The professor and everyone else are just curious. It’s not what you think.”

Lan Xubai nodded. “It’s okay. I understand.”

She observed his reaction, deliberately or not. Seeing that his expression hadn’t changed at all still left her with a bit of a sense of letdown.

“Um… how about you walk around for a bit? I need to go upstairs to finish writing a lesson plan. Shouldn’t take more than half an hour.” She pointed at the building ahead while explaining. The two other teachers scheduled for the afternoon weren’t around, and another had gone out for errands and wouldn’t be back for a while. If he went up with her, the two of them weren’t close enough to sit there without it being awkward.

Lan Xubai said, “It’s fine. I already walked around this morning. I’ll just wait upstairs for you.”

“Well… okay then!” Since he put it that way, Lian Nanshu didn’t feel comfortable insisting otherwise.

The office was in the third room on the fourth floor. It was shared by four female teachers, and their desks were arranged facing each other.

When she opened the door, the other two teachers weren’t there.

“You can sit here,” she said, moving a chair next to her desk. Then she poured him a cup of water from her own mug.

“So many books?” Lan Xubai was surprised to see her desk piled high with books. He was genuinely a little stunned by the sheer volume.