Chapter 1 – Prologue: Pandas and Bamboo

“Teacher Pei.”

Half an hour into the senior year final exam, Teacher Tang, who was invigilating the class next door, stood at the classroom door and softly called out to Xuezhu.

The students, who were all focused on their papers, instinctively looked up toward the door.

Xuezhu didn’t move and instead glanced at the head invigilator for permission.

Director Wang was notorious for being the strictest invigilator in the entire grade. In his forties, he had a passion for striped polo shirts, and his belt split his round belly into two sections. Even in the scorching heat after the summer solstice, he still insisted on drinking tea from his insulated flask every day.

Director Wang let out a deep “hmm” and then continued to glare at the students below the podium, his sharp eyes scanning their varied expressions.

The students quickly lowered their heads again, the rustling of pens filling the room as they pretended to concentrate on their papers.

Once outside, Teacher Tang asked, “Want to go sing tonight?”

Xuezhu asked, “Until what time?”

Teacher Tang replied, “The late-night session—singing all night. But if you really can’t hold on, you can leave early. We women have special privileges.”

Summer vacation wasn’t just for students—it was for teachers too.

In fact, teachers looked forward to summer break even more than students did.

Xuezhu didn’t think too much before agreeing.

“Sure.”

Teacher Tang then asked, “Is your husband coming?”

Xuezhu was puzzled. “Why would he go?”

“I’ve never heard your husband sing before, so I’m curious,” Teacher Tang said. “And every time we have a gathering where spouses are allowed, you never bring him. What’s the deal? Keeping him hidden like a treasure?”

Xuezhu explained, “He’s busy with work.”

“He can’t still be working at midnight, right? Doesn’t he sleep?” Teacher Tang tried to persuade her. “Just ask him. If he doesn’t want to come, that’s fine.”

Teacher Tang was too enthusiastic, so Xuezhu had no choice but to compromise. “Alright.”

She took out her phone and sent a WeChat message.

Curious as ever, Teacher Tang peeked over her shoulder and was surprised to see that Xuezhu had saved her husband’s contact as “Brother Ningning”.

Teacher Tang was momentarily stunned.

If she remembered correctly, Xuezhu’s husband’s name did have a “Ning” in it.

It was printed on their wedding invitation:

Mr. Meng Yuning & Miss Pei Xuezhu.

Teacher Tang immediately put on an exaggeratedly jealous yet envious expression and asked sourly, “Do you always call your husband ‘^[1]“Gege” (哥哥) means “older brother” in Chinese. It can be used literally for a biological older brother or more casually as an affectionate term for a male friend, … Continue readingGege’?”

Xuezhu instinctively pulled her hand back in embarrassment.

Teacher Tang smirked. “I never took you for someone who acts so sweet and clingy with your husband in private.”

Xuezhu mumbled, “It’s just a contact name.”

Teacher Tang clicked her tongue. “Tsk tsk.”

Xuezhu: “…”

Who still uses a cutesy nickname with “Gege” as an adult? It’s adorable when kids do it, but grown-ups just seem overly sentimental.

Besides, she didn’t actually call him that.

It was because Meng Yuning once got drunk and asked her, Why don’t you call me Brother Ningning like you did when we were kids?

Men can be even more petty than women sometimes. Xuezhu just couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud, so she compromised by changing his contact name instead. That was enough to appease him.

As she opened the chat, Teacher Tang’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of their previous conversation.

bamboo: 【When will you be home?】

Brother Ningning: 【Almost there, downstairs.】

bamboo: 【Don’t come up yet! Help me pick up my package.】

Brother Ningning: 【Send me the pickup code.】

bamboo: 【Your package has arrived at Cainiao Station. Pickup code: XXXX】

bamboo: 【Your package has arrived at Cainiao Station. Pickup code: XXXX】

Brother Ningning: 【Got it.】

Teacher Tang: “…”

What… an unbelievably mundane conversation.

As someone still single, Teacher Tang suddenly felt a little less excited about the idea of marriage.

bamboo: 【Are you free tonight? I’m going singing with my colleagues—wanna come?】

The two of them stood at the classroom door, waiting for several minutes.

No reply.

Teacher Tang had to rush back to invigilate, so she said, “Let me know when your husband replies. I’m heading back to the classroom.”

“Okay.”

Xuezhu put away her phone and walked back into the classroom.

Director Wang stood up impatiently.

Xuezhu was startled and immediately apologized. “Sorry, I was out too long.”

Surprisingly, Director Wang showed rare leniency. “It’s fine. Teacher Pei, keep an eye on them for me—I need to use the restroom.”

Xuezhu was momentarily stunned but held back a laugh and nodded. “Got it.”

Sitting at the podium, Xuezhu rested her chin on her hand, watching the students below, who were acting suspiciously.

Some were getting restless, thinking their little movements were going unnoticed. What they didn’t realize was that the teacher had a clear view of everything from the front.

With a smile, Xuezhu said, “You two in the second-to-last row—what are you up to?”

The two students she called out instantly wilted like frost-bitten eggplants, burying their heads.

A warning to the others—after that, no one dared to hope that this young female teacher would turn a blind eye to their antics.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Xuezhu figured it must be a reply from Meng Yuning.

Sure enough, it was.

Brother Ningning: 【Done with invigilating?】

bamboo: 【Mm, today’s the last exam.】

bamboo: 【Are you free to come sing?】

Brother Ningning: 【I have to work overtime today.】

Brother Ningning: 【What time will you finish? If it’s too late, I’ll come pick you up.】

A very polite way of declining.

Xuezhu wasn’t surprised. Meng Yuning was genuinely busy—bank employees practically ran on a 24-hour schedule if they could.

In other words, he wasn’t coming. Xuezhu wasn’t disappointed either—without her husband around, she could have even more fun.

bamboo: 【No need la~】

That “la” carried an unmistakable tone—not only was her husband unable to join her, but she sounded like she was actually happy about it.

And of course, Meng Yuning picked up on that.

On a short break, Meng Yuning made himself a cup of coffee and saw the WeChat message she had sent ten minutes earlier.

As he was thinking about what emoji to reply with, someone knocked on the break room door.

“Director Meng, Director Chen needs to see you.”

Meng Yuning put away his phone. “Got it.”

He finished the last sip of his coffee and walked over to the sink to wash his cup.

The female employee who had relayed the message hesitated for a moment before finally gathering the courage to step forward. “I can wash it for you if you’d like?”

“No need,” Meng Yuning said as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs. “Go back to work.”

The female employee watched as the man skillfully rolled up his sleeves, revealing his lean, well-defined forearms. Then, he took off the mechanical watch from his left wrist and placed it beside the sink.

Next, he removed the wedding ring from his ring finger and slipped it into the pocket of his suit pants.

As if unwilling to let even a single drop of water touch it.

—

The final exam was finally over.

The students were openly ecstatic, while the teachers maintained a more reserved excitement.

Upon learning that Pei Xuezhu’s husband wouldn’t be coming, Teacher Tang let out a sigh.

“Ever since your wedding, I haven’t seen your husband even once.”

Xuezhu knew that Teacher Tang’s disappointment wasn’t because she had any feelings for Meng Yuning—she simply wanted to admire something beautiful and feast her eyes.

At the wedding, Teacher Tang and Meng Yuning weren’t familiar with each other. She had to down several glasses of alcohol to build up the courage to approach him and, with a serious expression, ask, “Mr. Meng, do you really not have any brothers?”

Meng Yuning, confused, had looked at Xuezhu for an explanation.

Xuezhu simply gazed up at the sky, pretending not to understand anything. But actually, she had the same question in her heart.

Later that night, after drinking too much and retiring to their bridal chamber, the very first thing Xuezhu asked was—

“Why did your parents only have you? With genes this good, isn’t that a huge waste?”

Meng Yuning answered calmly, “Family planning policy.”

Taking advantage of her drunkenness, Xuezhu boldly complained about the national policy.

“Damn that family planning! Why couldn’t they have delayed it a few years? Genes this good should be passed down for generations!”

Meng Yuning was silent for a few seconds before gently comforting her, “It’s okay.”

Xuezhu asked, “What do you mean by ‘it’s okay’?”

Meng Yuning glanced—not very gentlemanly—at the slit of her ^[2]A qipao (旗袍), also known as a cheongsam, is a traditional Chinese dress that is form-fitting, often made of silk, with a high collar and side slits. It’s known for its elegant and feminine … Continue readingqipao, then slowly placed his cool palm over it.

With a serious expression, he said, “We can have more children.”

Xuezhu was on the slender side. While she didn’t look particularly voluptuous or sexy in a qipao, she had the advantage of having learned dance for a few years as a child. Her posture and demeanor were graceful, her skin was fair, and her petite figure carried a delicate softness and subtle allure.

She decided not to recall the rest—too inappropriate.

Although Teacher Tang was a bit disappointed that Xuezhu’s husband couldn’t come, after a few drinks, she quickly put it out of her mind.

To celebrate their “liberation,” the teachers sang until one o’clock in the morning. Some of the more disciplined ones couldn’t hold out any longer and decided to leave early.

One by one, more people trickled out.

No one was competing with Xuezhu for the microphone now, and she was absolutely thrilled.

Thanks to her parents’ influence, every time Xuezhu went to KTV, she always picked ^[3]Heart Rain (心雨) is a classic Chinese song originally sung by Fei Yu-ching (费玉清) and Meng Tingwei (孟庭苇). It’s a well-known duet that expresses deep emotions of love, longing, and … Continue readingHeart Rain.

She grew up watching her parents passionately duet to the song, so she followed suit, pouring all her emotions into it.

Unfortunately, even if some of her remaining colleagues knew the song, none of them were willing to sing such an old-fashioned love ballad with a married woman. So Xuezhu had no choice but to hold both microphones and fully immerse herself in a one-woman performance.

When it was the female part, she sang in a sorrowful, high-pitched voice, embodying the helplessness and melancholy of women from that era.

“My heart is like the love of June, endlessly weeping with rain…”

When it was the male part, she deepened her voice, singing with somber pain, channeling a man’s reluctance and powerlessness toward the woman he loved.

“Thinking of you, thinking of you, thinking of you, thinking of you, thinking of you… one last time.”

And then, the climax—

“Because tomorrow, I will become someone else’s bride…”

“Let me think of you one last time…”

“…”

To be honest, songs from that era had such a unique charm.

She was so deep into the performance that her colleagues couldn’t help but wonder—was something wrong with Teacher Pei’s marriage?

However, the phone vibrating on the table reminded them that this was just her putting on a show.

Teacher Tang, seizing the opportunity, picked up the call for Xuezhu, gave the address, and finally got to see Xuezhu’s husband in person.

He seemed to have just gotten off work, still in his suit, with a faint exhaustion in his eyes.

When the man walked in, not only Teacher Tang but several other colleagues were momentarily stunned.

They were all office workers, yet while some would come off work looking messy like unkempt primates, clutching beers and ranting about their dull, frustrating lives, Teacher Pei’s husband, despite the weariness on his face, carried it like a touch of human warmth. Tall and well-proportioned, he still exuded the elegance of a moonlit breeze—refined and graceful, like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

Meanwhile, Teacher Pei was completely drunk, oblivious to the fact that her husband had come to pick her up. She clung to the microphone, repeating the most heart-wrenching line of the song over and over again:

“Because tomorrow, I will become someone else’s bride…”

At this moment, the only sound in the karaoke room was her impassioned singing—no one else dared to speak.

Singing about becoming someone else’s bride right in front of her husband… Teacher Pei sure had guts.

Meng Yuning stepped in front of Xuezhu, blocking the screen.

“Don’t block my lyrics,” Xuezhu grumbled impatiently, waving him away.

Meng Yuning lightly patted her cheek, his tone calm. “Whose bride are you becoming?”

“Are you stupid?” Xuezhu rolled her eyes, then hiccuped from the alcohol. “Of course, I’m becoming Brother Ningning’s bride.”

The man smiled. From the slight curve of his lips to the gentle arc of his eyes, warmth melted away the exhaustion that had lingered on his sharp features.

He took off his suit jacket and handed it to her. “Cover your legs.”

Xuezhu blinked. “What?”

The next second, she immediately understood why he wanted her to cover up.

She was wearing a dress, and his jacket shielded her bare legs from the knees down. Then, without hesitation, Meng Yuning scooped her up in his arms.

Everyone in the room collectively gasped.

Even in his arms, Xuezhu wasn’t behaving. She tugged at his tie and asked, “Where are you taking me?”

Meng Yuning played along. “Taking the bride home.”

That cheesy line instantly sobered her up. “Huh? You came to pick me up?”

“Mm.”

Neither of them was the type to say sweet nothings easily, but with their colleagues watching, Xuezhu felt even shyer than she did in private. Her lips curled into an embarrassed smile, and she buried her face against his chest, as if hiding from everyone’s gaze would make the moment less mortifying.

Meng Yuning, though slightly uncomfortable himself, kept his composure. His gaze briefly flickered away, but he still maintained a polite farewell to his wife’s colleagues before carrying Xuezhu out.

Many of the colleagues were still single and took a long time to recover from the overwhelming romance they had just witnessed.

Teacher Tang, however, suddenly recalled something—she had accidentally glimpsed Teacher Pei’s chat history earlier and saw her husband’s WeChat profile picture.

A cartoon panda sitting in a snowy field, hugging a bamboo shoot.

Drunkenly, she thought to herself—This kind of effortless, unintentional display of affection… now that’s the real killer move.