The anchor I was supposed to meet turned out to be my student.

"Actually, it doesn't taste very good; it's quite pungent."

Jiang Yan pouted, as if she thought I was being perfunctory, and seemed to be questioning why I smoked it if the taste was bad.

But then I thought about how she had shown curiosity about smoking since we were in the private room, and she still was now, so I said, "Why don't you try it?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan happily pulled my hand away from her cigarette. Before I could remind her that I had already smoked, she took a puff, and as expected, she coughed up the smoke, which made her eyes red.

"I told you, the taste isn't great. Do you even want to smoke it anymore?"

After experiencing the bitterness, Jiang Yan quickly shook her head and said, "Only an idiot would use that stinky stuff!"

I am very satisfied with this result. Sometimes, the more you forbid him from smoking, the more curious he becomes and he might even sneak a smoke. On the contrary, once he tries it and hates the taste, he will no longer think about smoking.

After Jiang Yan's outburst subsided, we both fell silent again.

But soon, Jiang Yanyi couldn't calm down again.

What type of girl do you like?

I gave her a strange look and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Jiang Yan shrugged and said, "I'm just curious... Weren't they teasing you in the private room about liking the queen type? You don't actually like that type of queen, do you?"

I almost choked on the smoke and said speechlessly, "Do I look like a pushover?"

Jiang Yan blinked and answered irrelevantly, "You're not that thin, you're quite strong... Wait, why are you answering irrelevantly?"

I rolled my eyes at her and said helplessly, "Anyway, I just don't really like that one."

Which one do you like?

I like girls who like to wear transparent clothes.

"Someone more ladylike, definitely not someone like you who's mischievous and naughty..."

Jiang Yan said angrily, "Tch, I don't even care if you like me!"

Alright, I've angered her, she should calm down now, right? It's such a pleasant thing to quietly listen to the patter of rain outside and enjoy the warmth on your fingertips.

But Jiang Yanyi's mouth was clearly not going to close so easily, and she couldn't stay still for even a moment.

"Then guess what type of guy I like?"

“I have European gold.” I replied without thinking.

Jiang Yan was stunned at first, then blushed after realizing what was happening. She slapped me on the back and scolded, "Are you trying to kill me? You can even become a pervert around minors!"

However, she didn't control her volume well, which drew a strange look from the clerk at the counter. After realizing what she had done, Jiang Yan lowered her voice and said, "Let me make you guess seriously!"

Thinking about what I know about her so far, I guessed, "You like the kind of warm guy who can be there for you anytime you need him?"

Jiang Yan opened her mouth slightly in surprise and said, "How did you know?"

I just chose a more common answer...

I guessed it right away, and Jiang Yanyi finally shut up after I finished talking to her.

"Have you ever 'done it' with your girlfriend? Does it really hurt for her?"

I need patience, just like with the smoking incident. Once I satisfy her curiosity, she won't keep asking questions.

"You should ask the girl about this. Asking me won't help. I'm the one who's quite comfortable."

"Oh... so usually it's the guy who initiates the contact or the girl who initiates it?"

I turned to her, a little impatient, and said, "Why do you ask so many strange questions?"

Jiang Yan pouted and said, "I'm just curious, no one in my family has told me this..."

Telling your parents is the problem, okay?

"Anyway, whoever can't hold back will take the initiative."

It's really weird to talk about these things with that little girl Jiang Yanyi; I feel incredibly guilty.

"That……"

……

After she asked more than a dozen embarrassing questions, I finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"So, so, so what, are you easy to ride? Why are you asking so many questions!"

Sure enough, the way to deal with her curiosity is to nip it in the bud. Just give her her favorite big mouthful of melon seeds and all the problems will be solved. Forget about that bullshit theory that once you satisfy her curiosity, she won't be curious anymore!

We waited in the lobby for a full two hours before the torrential rain outside finally stopped. I called a ride-hailing service and got in with Jiang Yan to take her home. The taxi stopped downstairs at her apartment building. Since it was already late at night, out of caution, I personally escorted her to her tenth-floor apartment.

As she opened the door, I turned and went downstairs because the taxi driver was still waiting downstairs.

But then Jiang Yanyi's voice came from behind.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

I turned back to her and said, "There's no need to thank me. I was just worried that you might be sold as a wife to bring misfortune to someone else's family."

Jiang Yan kicked me in annoyance, then remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm really happy today. I feel like I've never been able to find someone to talk to about everything on my mind like this before..."

Although what she said was quite emotional, I couldn't help but twitch my lips and say, "Any of your random questions could be posted on a forum and enthusiastic netizens would write books to answer them and satisfy your curiosity..."

"It's not those! I'm talking about my future dream... I don't know if you're reliable about it, but it's better than nothing..."

I wholeheartedly support her dream of becoming an artist. There's no point in forcing someone who lacks self-motivation to learn; it's better to let her try something that interests her.

Looking at this beautiful girl before me, so radiant when she was quiet, I felt as if I was gradually rediscovering something within her. When did I stop mentioning the word "dream"? Perhaps it was after I entered the workforce…

"Of course, thank you for answering my questions." Jiang Yan's eyes were full of mischief.

She really was just having fun with me before...

"Then go inside and get some sleep. Don't stay up late again. I'm leaving now."

"Okay, bye-bye~ Oh, right, remember about Luo Yao!"

"I know, I know……"

It was already 1 a.m. when I got back to my apartment by taxi. My phone, with only 2% battery left, shut down automatically after I paid the fare, so I didn't have time to check who had sent the many unread messages and missed calls...

Standing in front of the apartment door, taking out my keys, I suddenly felt a little nervous...

Is she asleep?

You should be asleep by now...

Chapter 45, 100. Let the Storm Rage On (Part 2)

I gathered my thoughts and returned to the state of my cold war with Bi Antong, so I was no longer nervous that Bi Antong would scold me for breaking my promise and coming home late. So I opened the door...

The house was completely dark. I turned on the light but didn't find Bi Antong sleeping on the sofa. I remember the first time I stayed at Ye Zhi's house after we started living together, I didn't get home until the early morning. I saw Bi Antong sitting on the sofa with the light on, watching over me because she was afraid to sleep alone in the house. She fell asleep without me realizing it and even caught a cold and developed a high fever because of it.

Has she overcome this psychological fear?

I arrived at the bedroom door. No light was coming through the crack under the door, so the lights were off and the person was sleeping inside. To get a change of clothes for a shower, I tiptoed to the door. Looking at the bed, all I saw was a pillow and a neatly folded blanket. Having watched too many horror movies, I felt a chill run down my spine. I glanced back in alarm, but thankfully, there was nothing unusual…

I turned on the bedroom light to confirm that Bi Antong was no longer in the bedroom. I glanced at the dark bathroom again. Wasn't she afraid of not being able to urinate properly?

I knocked on the bathroom door but there was no response. I turned the lock and it opened easily, but still no one was there...

I was immediately puzzled as to where this girl had gone in the middle of the night. Wasn't she the one who was most afraid of going out at night?

Some scenes of home invasion robbery flashed through my mind, but then I thought I'd been watching too many movies, which made me even more anxious. Although we had a disagreement that morning, I still cared about her, so I charged my phone, turned it on, and decided to call her and ask.

When I turned on my phone, I was shocked by the number of missed calls—more than twenty, all from Bi Antong. Could she really be in danger?

I checked my WeChat messages. I thought there would be news about Bi Antong, but it turned out they were all from Xin Ning and Luo Yao. They had both asked for "goodnight, baby." But I couldn't care less about agreeing to their requests last night. Instead, I was worried about Bi Antong's whereabouts.

I called Bi Antong, but it rang for a long time without being answered. Was she deliberately ignoring my calls, or was she asleep at a friend's house with her phone on silent, or had she encountered the worst possible situation...?

Don't blame me for making a mountain out of a molehill. Without knowing whether Bi Antong was safe during this period, I had no mind to care about anything else. My only thought was her safety. I suddenly realized how much I cared about this girl...

Although it's really impolite to call someone so late at night, I was anxious and called Bi Antong's best friend, Lu Xiaojun. After about seven or eight rings, I heard Lu Xiaojun's lazy voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, what's wrong, teacher? Whew~"

I wasn't paying attention to her sweet yawn at that moment, and instead asked directly, "Xiaojun, why don't you call Bi Antong now and see if she answers?"

Lu Xiaojun across from me was clearly taken aback by my inexplicable request, but since she was usually very compliant with me, she responded and did as I asked without asking why.

She called me back soon after, saying that no one answered either. She asked me what had happened to Bi Antong, and I told her that nothing was wrong, I just had something urgent to discuss with Bi Antong, and that she shouldn't worry. Then I thanked her and hung up.

I didn't tell Lu Xiaojun because I didn't want her to worry. Now, Bi Antong is probably not deliberately ignoring my calls.

After thinking about it, I decided to call Bi Antong's mother, but I didn't know her phone number. The file with her mother's phone number was on the school's computer. This situation of not being able to find out about Bi Antong made me feel more anxious than ever before.

Where did she go on this stormy night?

At the hospital where her mother is!

With a sliver of hope, I grabbed a coat and went out. The night air was already chilly after the torrential rain.

I took a taxi to the hospital and quickly ran up to the patient I remembered, just to make sure that the girl was with her mother.

When I entered the ward, I glanced around and immediately felt relieved. I saw Bi Antong's mother sleeping in bed, while Bi Antong was sleeping in the empty bed next door...

I don't know how long it's been since I've felt this way about not being able to find someone I care about. Looking at Bi Antong's small face illuminated by the moonlight, I have to admit that this girl holds an important place in my heart.

I went over and looked at her phone on the table. When I turned on the screen, I saw the mute icon in the upper right corner. I also saw a missed call from Lu Xiaojun and a missed call from someone named "Andersen's Fairy Tales." Without a doubt, that was my call.

Suddenly, I felt that the name "Andersen's Fairy Tales" had a harmony and beauty that I had never noticed before, magically connecting my name with my daughter's name, as if it were implying something.

After a long moment of stunned silence, I gently placed my phone back on the table and looked back at Bi Antong's bed. What I saw nearly gave me a heart attack. Bi Antong, who had been sleeping on the hospital bed, had opened his eyes and was staring at me intently, seemingly lost in thought...

“Let’s go home…” I whispered to her.

But she just kept staring at me without reacting.

“You’ll catch a cold sleeping here without a blanket. Have you forgotten the lesson you learned from when you had a fever last time? Girl, let’s go home and sleep.”

Finally, Bi Antong responded, obediently nodding, then got up, took her things, and left the ward with me.

Before we reached the hospital entrance, we remained silent. For some reason, I no longer felt the urge to continue the cold war with her; perhaps I had realized how important she was to me.

As I stepped out of the hospital, a gust of cool wind blew by, making me feel chilly. Bi Antong, who was next to me, sneezed. I took off my coat and draped it over her shoulders; she was only wearing a T-shirt, which was too thin.

I continued walking forward, but found that Bi Antong hadn't followed. I turned around and saw her biting her lip and looking at me.