Pet Romance

Chapter 32 … Shen Qian was tone-deaf, so she hated music class, but the school emphasized holistic education, requiring one music class per week. Her music teacher was a young woman who always wore thick white makeup and bright red lipstick. The class nicknamed her “Geisha.” Geisha loved to play the piano and show off. It was said she was the only one in the school’s music faculty to pass grade 8, making her an exceedingly proud thorny rose. She often played various world-famous pieces without sheet music, then basked in the students’ enthusiastic applause. Until one day, while playing, she suddenly stopped, embarrassed to the point of fleeing the music room. She had forgotten how to play. Someone in the class whispered that the piece was “Wedding March.” The following week, Geisha didn’t dare come to class, perhaps feeling too ashamed. For several weeks, their class had no teacher. The class monitor reported this to the school, and the response was: Geisha had resigned. The school only had music classes for first-year students, one class a week, all taught by Geisha, who was the sole music teacher. Without her, what music class could they have? Hiring a new teacher would take time, and using the class time for self-study was considered wasteful, so they decided to have a senior student cover the class. Coincidentally, You Ran had P.E. when Shen Qian had music. The school invited You Ran to teach. When You Ran, dressed in a light blue summer uniform, walked in, the class was in an uproar, all eyes on the famous handsome senior. Shen Qian’s deskmate nudged the sleepy Shen Qian, “Class is starting.” Shen Qian grumbled, opened her eyes drowsily, and stretched her neck to see the legendary senior the school had sent. When she saw the boy sitting by the piano, she almost jumped up, staring in disbelief at You Ran. You Ran raised an eyebrow, glanced briefly at Shen Qian, who stood out like a crane among chickens, and asked indifferently, “I’m not here to teach, just like Teacher Liang (Geisha), I’ll play for you.” As You Ran adjusted the piano keys, Shen Qian called out, “Senior You Ran, can you play ‘Wedding March’?” She grinned at him, but You Ran gave her a blank look and coldly refused, “No.” Shen Qian laughed again, “If you don’t, I won’t let you go home tonight.” The boys in the class started to tease, winking at each other, some shouting, “You even know where his home is.” Some mischievous boys even asked Shen Qian, “Are you secretly in love with the senior and following him home?” Both Shen Qian and You Ran’s faces turned red simultaneously. Shen Qian couldn’t help but steal a glance at You Ran, who also secretly looked at her. Their faces turned even redder, but their reactions were different. You Ran sat uneasily, looking embarrassed, while the troublemakers hooted, “Oh, Shen Qian, you really are quick to act.” Shen Qian grabbed her deskmate’s music book and threw it at the boy, saying, “I like to take the initiative, so what?” The book hit the boy’s head, not hurting, but he howled like a banshee for You Ran’s attention, saying, “Senior You, she’s got a powerful chest, you must protect your chastity.” Shen Qian felt utterly embarrassed and shrank back into her seat, least confident about her large chest. But the naive You Ran mistook “chest” for “weapon,” meaning the music book, and he chuckled, “Such weapons don’t scare me; I can catch it with one hand.” “…” The class fell silent, Shen Qian at a loss for words. If this got out, how could she face anyone? Being teased like that? She banged on the table, glaring at him, “You’re talking nonsense, how can you be sure you could… could catch it with one hand?” You Ran burst into laughter, “I’ve tried before.” “…” The classroom was now completely silent, all eyes on them with suggestive looks. Shen Qian’s face was as red as a furnace. You Ran, initially puzzled, suddenly realized the truth, and his face flushed with embarrassment. Thus, a rumor spread that Senior You Ran could easily “handle” Junior Shen Qian’s chest. After this rumor spread, everyone speculated about their relationship, assuming it was intimate. In reality, their relationship was quite pure. However, due to this rumor, Shen Qian’s restless teenage heart became even more agitated. She didn’t know where this agitation came from, but she knew exactly where it was directed. Images of You Ran often popped into her mind, along with his unintentional teasing.