IROAWTMTFL Chapter 54

“What’s going on, Yan Yan?” Hu Cong was utterly confused. What was happening? Yan Yan had called Professor Zhuang, and it became confusing after that.

Hu Cong kept asking, but Yan Yan couldn’t bother to reply. He was concerned about the situation on the forum so he casually responded, “It’s like that.”

“Like what?” Hu Cong muttered, and could only imagine the situation himself. Meanwhile, Yan Yan was entirely preoccupied with the “good things” Zhuang Yiyun had created.

Putting aside the fact that Zhuang Yiyun became a visiting professor at his school without telling him, the fact that he had gotten them photographed due to his recklessness, leading to the harsh criticism just before his graduation – Yan Yan felt he should thoroughly scold Zhuang Yiyun. Scolding wasn’t enough, it was better to beat him up, tie him up and beat him! But now, he couldn’t spare the time to scold anyone. He hastily hung up the phone and delved into the forum posts.

As a well-known handsome guy elected as the campus heartthrob in his freshman year, he had his own fans at the school. He was one of the prominent figures on campus. When it came to his involvement with the married Professor Zhuang, people in the forum didn’t just let it slide. If it had been someone else involved, it might have been different, but once they mentioned him, the forum erupted into chaos. Some insisted it wasn’t him, others thought he had been deceived like Hu Cong, and there were even shameless comments about how they were a perfect match.

In addition, there were people wailing, lamenting the loss of two husbands overnight, wondering why Professor Zhuang’s affair partner wasn’t themselves.

Yan Yan: ‘Do you want to compete for the title of mistress too? How honorable.’

What kind of monsters and ghosts were these people? Their university was also one of the top institutions in the country, yet these supposedly proud intellectuals were engaging in such indecent behavior with a married professor. Regardless of whether Zhuang Yiyun and he were having an affair or not, these people knew he was married and yet still continued their gossip. What was their intention? How were they any different from him, whom they were scolding? The only difference was that he could enjoy what they couldn’t.

Yan Yan directly seized Hu Cong’s phone and showed off his power in the forum. Hu Cong couldn’t even stop him. His forum vest quickly changed sides, from being part of the “Professor Zhuang is Yan Yan’s cousin” group to the “Only Yan Yan is worthy of Professor Zhuang” group.

Hu Cong: “…” This was disastrous. His incoherent statements would probably lead to him being chased and scolded on the forum during the last four months of his university life. How miserable he was, who would understand!

Zhuang Yiyun had no idea what had happened. He was on his way to the research center when he received Yan Yan’s call. Unable to comprehend the situation, he turned the car around and went back home to fetch their marriage certificate. When he arrived downstairs at the dormitory to call Yan Yan, Yan Yan was still scolding fiercely on the forum. After ending the call, Yan Yan grabbed Hu Cong’s phone and headed downstairs, still scolding as he did.

Hu Cong was completely ignored as Yan Yan rushed past him. If it weren’t for the fact that smartphone was a touchscreen, Yan Yan would have damaged the physical buttons with his speed.

The February weather was cold, and the north wind biting. Zhuang Yiyun was waiting for him in the car. When he appeared at the entrance of the building, Zhuang Yiyun opened the car door and was about to get out but Yan Yan ran towards him and forcefully pushed the car door closed. Then, he circled to the passenger side and got into the car.

“Where’s the marriage certificate?” Yan Yan asked immediately he entered.

The warmth inside the car, mingled with the chilly air outside, enveloped them, filling Zhuang Yiyun’s nostrils with Yan Yan’s scent – fresh, and slightly sweet.

Yan Yan seemed anxious, but Zhuang Yiyun took a moment to savor the air imbued with his scent before handing him the two marriage certificates.

Two identical marriage certificates, but with different names on them. Yan Yan flipped through the certificates and found his own, then handed Zhuang Yiyun’s to him, “Hold it up, I’ll take a picture!”

After that, he picked up his phone to take a photo. However, when he tried to unlock the phone, he realized he was holding Hu Cong’s phone, and he didn’t know the password. He attempted Hu Cong’s birthdate, but it showed “Incorrect password.” Although the camera function didn’t require unlocking, Yan Yan was too caught up in his emotions to remember that.

“Use my phone,” Zhuang Yiyun said. He didn’t ask what had happened, and unlocked his own phone before handing it over.

Yan Yan lowered his head to reach for the phone but found himself face-to-face with his own image on the wallpaper. It was a photo taken on Fenjiezhou Island as he hung up a wishing plaque. Did Zhuang Yiyun see it?! He had written Zhuang Yiyun’s name on it. What if Zhuang Yiyun had seen it…

Yan Yan told himself not to think too much and just opened the camera app. Turning on the overhead light in the car, they held up their marriage certificates, heads close together, and took a picture. With only the overhead light as illumination, Zhuang Yiyun hesitated for a moment, wondering if Yan Yan would want to delete the picture taken under this dim light.

However, before he could suggest adjusting the light, Yan Yan had already taken the photo with a click.

“Done,” he said, and was ready to get out of the car.

No longer concerned about the photo’s quality, Zhuang Yiyun grabbed his arm, asking him what had happened.

“You’re still asking? It’s all because of you! Why didn’t you tell me you had become a visiting professor at our school? Now you’re the male god, you’re going around flaunting your marriage ring in public, and I’ve become your mistress! I’ll settle the score with you later.”

Zhuang Yiyun: “I wanted you to find out on your own, but you didn’t care.”

Yan Yan: “Are you trying to shift the blame onto me? How could I have guessed something like this? Forget it, forget it, I need to resolve this problem first.”

“I’ll explain.”

“Don’t bother. You relax. I’ll handle this. Send me the photo.” Yan Yan got out of the car.

Before he left, he muttered, “I don’t want this to become common knowledge yet.”

Being called a mistress was quite insulting, but Yan Yan appeared relaxed. On one hand, they weren’t truly involved, and on the other hand, he was a carefree person. As Yan Yan walked away, Zhuang Yiyun watched him with a smile. Yan Yan probably didn’t realize how precious this quality of his was. Despite being slandered, he didn’t sacrifice his emotions to pay for other people’s mistakes.

However, Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t just stand by, even though Yan Yan said he didn’t need to interfere. He got out of the car and followed Yan Yan to enter the dormitory building. Of course, Yan Yan had no trouble entering, but Zhuang Yiyun was stopped by the dormitory auntie.

“Hey, hey, you behind Yan Yan, what are you doing?”

Yan Yan turned around at the auntie’s words. By then, the dormitory auntie had already gotten up from the office and approached them with curiosity. As she approached, she recognized Zhuang Yiyun. She remembered he had come to see his younger brother, Yan Yan, after curfew. It was the day before Chinese New Year amd when it had snowed heavily.

“It’s you,” the dormitory auntie then turned to Yan Yan, asking, “This is your big brother, right?”

Yan Yan nodded blankly, asking in confusion, “Auntie Wang, how did you know?”

“He came to the dormitory to find you in the middle of the night that day it snowed, but I stopped him outside.”

Snow… Xing City rarely saw snowfall. The last snowfall was after his final exams, and Zhuang Yiyun stood him up after they made plans to have dinner together. He got angry and went out to have fun. So, Zhuang Yiyun came to the school looking for him?

“Alright, since he’s your brother, you can go in. But come down before curfew, you can’t stay in the dormitory.”

The dormitory auntie turned and went back to the office, leaving the two of them standing there.

Yan Yan had been anxious a moment ago, but now he wasn’t. In the crowded lobby on the first floor, he approached Zhuang Yiyun and asked, “You came to find me that day?”

Zhuang Yiyun nodded. “But I didn’t find you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? It was snowing heavily that day.”

“I deserved it.”

Damn it, Yan Yan’s mind went blank. He was smiling brightly, his eyes sparkling like stars. An incident from the past had unexpectedly led to a belated apology. The person apologizing seemed sincere, and Yan Yan felt oddly satisfied.

Some of the passing students directed their curious and probing gazes at the two of them, with some looks even filled with dissatisfaction and disdain. Clearly, they had read the posts on the forum today. But Yan Yan paid no mind and walked upstairs with Zhuang Yiyun.

He stood tall and confident; after all, Zhuang Yiyun was married, and he was the one Zhuang Yiyun was married to. Was he his own third wheel? Who could demonstrate how to do such a high-level maneuver?

On their way back to the dorm, they attracted many more curious glances. Upon entering the room, they were met with a thoroughly shocked Hu Cong.

Hu Cong pointed at Zhuang Yiyun, not knowing how to address him, and blurted out, “Elder Cousin?”

Although he didn’t understand the specific situation, it didn’t prevent Zhuang Yiyun from knowing that his relationship with Yan Yan was no longer a secret.

He closed the door and said to Hu Cong, “Let’s get acquainted again. I am Yan Yan’s husband.”

“Fuck!” Hu Cong stared at Yan Yan, his mind was still reeling. “He got divorced and married you?!”

Yan Yan: “…” Brother, I appreciate your vivid imagination.

Zhuang Yiyun: “…” Where on earth does he look “remarried”?

“But the Civil Affairs Bureau is closed now…”

If he let Hu Cong’s imagination run wild, who knew where it would end up? Yan Yan had to explain reluctantly, “We got married last year, I just didn’t tell you guys. I have his ring, he’s my partner, no one else.”

Hu Cong was stunned, and he looked at Zhuang Yiyun again for confirmation. Zhuang Yiyun nodded, leaving Hu Cong utterly bewildered.

Hu Cong scrutinized Zhuang Yiyun from head to toe and didn’t see any teacher-student relationship or age difference. Based on his aura and his face alone, he couldn’t help but comment sincerely, “Yan Yan, you moved fast. Impressive.”

Yan Yan rolled his eyes and was about to get angry. He felt like he was being taken advantage of. Was this still his brother?!

“It’s I who was quick,” Zhuang Yiyun said.

Yan Yan felt at ease and gave him a meaningful look, leaving Hu Cong dumbfounded after being fed dog food. When these two people’s eyes met, sparks seemed to fly between them, making him, a straight guy, feel like a light bulb. It was scary!

Yan Yan transferred the photo Zhuang Yiyun had sent him to Hu Cong’s phone. He was about to post them directly on the forum but thought better of it. Instead, he sent a private message to the administrator.

[Administrator, hello, I am Yan Yan from Class One, Senior Year, Tourism Management. The posts about me having an inappropriate relationship with Professor Zhuang Yiyun from the School of Pharmacy on the forum are purely false and slanderous (link:…). Zhuang Yiyun and I are legally married (attached photos). Kindly delete the posts.]

It was better not to let everyone know about it. If the whole school knew that he and Zhuang Yiyun were married, he would have no way out. The label of being Zhuang Yiyun’s husband would be permanently affixed to him, something he wasn’t prepared for. Just like what Zhuang Yiyun had said when he approached him to propose marriage, he wasn’t ready to become a permanent mark in someone’s life, whether it was as a husband or an ex-husband. He wasn’t prepared for either.

On the side, Zhuang Yiyun already knew what happened on the forum from Hu Cong. He was different from Yan Yan, a student. He was a visiting professor invited by Dean Lin from the School of Pharmacy, so he made a direct call to Dean Lin.

“Dean Lin, there’s a private matter I need to discuss with you.”

“Professor Zhuang, please speak, as long as I can help.” Dean Lin was not aware of the situation and was pleasantly surprised. Dr. Zhuang was asking him for help; he must have a good reason. Favors come and go, and as long as he could assist, Dr. Zhuang would continue to be the visiting professor.

“When I completed the registration procedures, I indicated my marital status as ‘married.’ However, due to my marital situation, there has been some unfavorable public opinion on the student forum. I hope you can communicate with the Academic Affairs Office and address this promptly to prevent the situation from escalating and affecting my spouse’s and my reputation.”

Dean Lin was shocked. He hadn’t expected this. Dr. Zhuang’s outstanding appearance and his young age would undoubtedly bring attention, possibly even some disturbance, to the school. Knowing that Dr. Zhuang was already married had put his mind at ease. He hadn’t anticipated that what he had expected had indeed happened and so quickly.

“Professor Zhuang, are you at the school now? How about coming to my office for a detailed discussion?” Dean Lin was working late, so this could be some sudden temporary work.

“Alright.”

Zhuang Yiyun had called with the speakerphone on deliberately, so both Yan Yan and Hu Cong could hear the conversation. After hanging up the phone, he took Yan Yan with him and left.

“Should I come too?” Yan Yan asked.

Zhuang Yiyun nodded.

“Let’s go then, it’s not like he’s my dean.”

The two of them left without hesitation, leaving Hu Cong feeling utterly bewildered. What had just happened? Oh, he found out his roommate got married, and the husband was a professor at the school.

This was Yan Yan’s second visit to the School of Pharmacy, the first being when Zhuang Yiyun had given a lecture. At that time, he had only dashed into the auditorium on the first floor. This time, they went straight to the top floor, to Dean Lin’s office.

When they reached Dean Lin’s office, his assistant was reporting the situation, specifically the forum posts. When they heard the knock on the door, the assistant went to open it, courteously welcoming the two inside.

“Please take a seat.” Dean Lin glanced at Yan Yan and invited him to take a seat as well.

“I just asked about the situation and have a preliminary understanding. Professor Zhuang, I would like to ask you what the facts are.”

Zhuang Yiyun extended his hand and introduced Yan Yan: “This is my spouse, Yan Yan. He is a senior at your school and the protagonist of this rumor. The fact is that there is no cheating partner, I only have this one marriage partner.”

Dean Lin turned his attention to Yan Yan. He found it somewhat difficult to accept. He truly hadn’t expected a talented young man like Zhuang Yiyun to be married to a regular student from their school. Apart from the fact that they both looked good, they didn’t seem to match in any way. Even compared to other students, Yan Yan, with his blond hair and overall appearance, didn’t seem like a diligent student.

Zhuang Yiyun’s expression turned cold. He sensed it—Dean Lin’s scrutiny carried a sense of disapproval and dissent.

“I will be frank, if it weren’t for Yan Yan, I wouldn’t have considered your proposal. I took this teaching position only because I wanted to accompany him through the last few months of his university life. I don’t want this matter to cause him harm or distress.”

Dean Lin’s expression turned ugly. Zhuang Yiyun’s words were somewhat grating to him as a lifelong educator. He hadn’t come to teach to impart wisdom or noble ideals. It had nothing to do with the professional standards of their college. He was here simply to accompany his husband through his studies…

Dean Lin remained silent for a while. In the end, he could only sigh inwardly. It was their choice, and he had no right to interfere, especially since he was the beneficiary here. He hoped that Zhuang Yiyun could broaden his students’ horizons, understand cutting-edge research ideas and achievements, and use this opportunity to gain an advantage in internships and employment. After all, Senlan Pharmaceuticals was a leading company in the domestic industry.

He couldn’t deny he had selfish motives… Dean Lin sighed lightly and nodded.

“I understand. Leave it to me; I’ll contact the Academic Affairs Office now. Regarding your marital status, do you wish to make it public?”

Zhuang Yiyun looked at Yan Yan. He wanted to nod, but he left the choice to Yan Yan.

Yan Yan was still shocked by Zhuang Yiyun’s words earlier, and shook his head in a daze. He was still thinking about Zhuang Yiyun’s words about wanting to accompany him through university. How touching those words were, they made him breathless. He hurriedly lowered his head, afraid he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to touch Zhuang Yiyun’s hand.

“Alright, we’ll contact you about the situation.” Dean Lin thought of the students’ remarks on the forum and added, “I’m sorry for our lack of management regarding students’ comments.”

“It’s harder to guard against the people’s mouths than to guard against the Yangtze River. Management might be beyond our control; it’s not your fault.”

Zhuang Yiyun nodded to Dean Lin, then had tea in Dean Lin’s office. It seemed like they were just having tea, but they both understood the unspoken agreement between them. Zhuang Yiyun was there to oversee the situation firsthand.

Dean Lin didn’t make excuses and immediately called the head of the Academic Affairs Office.

Yan Yan logged into his university forum account to monitor the situation. Less than five minutes after Dean Lin made the call, the post was deleted. He also received a private message from the administrator. He was polite and courteous, stating that the issue had been resolved, and they would closely monitor the situation. Any similar rumor posts would be deleted, and the accounts responsible would be banned.

Yan Yan showed the message to Zhuang Yiyun, who nodded. He gestured to Dean Lin before leaving with Yan Yan.

Once they stepped out of Dean Lin’s office, Yan Yan kept his eyes on Zhuang Yiyun’s profile. Zhuang Yiyun allowed him to look until they entered the elevator.

“Haven’t you seen enough? If you keep looking, I might not be able to control myself,” Zhuang Yiyun’s body remained still, but his gaze grew intense.

“There are surveillance cameras in the elevator!”

“What did I do?”

Yan Yan choked, not knowing how to respond. He reassured himself that he must be tired from the online quarrels today, causing his reactions to be sluggish.

At this moment, Zhuang Yiyun suddenly approached, whispering in his ear, “Then is it okay if there is no surveillance?”

Yan Yan instinctively looked up at the elevator camera, then swiftly moved in the opposite direction, attempting to escape to the opposite corner away from Zhuang Yiyun. He wanted to leave, but Zhuang Yiyun wouldn’t let him. With quick reflexes, Zhuang Yiyun seized his wrist. Initially, Yan Yan pressed for the first floor, but Zhuang Yiyun moved his hand upward and pressed the third floor.

The third floor at the School of Pharmacy was the laboratory; there was usually no one at this time. In the stairwell there, there was no surveillance, a blind spot.

Yan Yan was pulled into the laboratory by Zhuang Yiyun. Though he wasn’t familiar with the place, he could make an educated guess. His heart started pounding. He hesitated, caught between resisting and following along.

The staircase and the elevator hall were separated by half a corridor. Although there were ten meters away, Yan Yan felt like he had reached in no time. When Zhuang Yiyun pushed the door open and pulled him in, his heart nearly stopped.

It felt like they were having an illicit affair; him and a university professor, hiding in an empty stairwell and kissing. Yan Yan let Zhuang Yiyun press him against the wall, not resisting. Today’s events were pushed to the back of his mind, but the tender feelings Zhuang Yiyun had for him, the care he showed, remained in his heart.

Their lips met, and Yan Yan’s heart felt light, as if he was floating, he was falling into Zhuang Yiyun’s turbulent sea of emotions.