Mistaken Canary Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Zhuo Zhi sensed the subtle tension between the two and keenly said, "You two definitely know each other."
Both men turned to look at her. Zhuo Zhi continued her speculation, "Could it be, Mr. Ying, that you’re the sunglasses guy who took the photo with him?!"
"Of course not!" Ying Tongchen denied immediately, warning Zhuo Shu with a look.
Zhuo Shu nodded, "Yeah, it's definitely not him."
"Then who could it be?" Zhuo Zhi pressed on.
"It's my younger brother," Ying Tongchen said easily, not even breaking a sweat. "After my parents divorced, my mom took my brother abroad to live. He just came back recently."
Zhuo Shu silently gave him a thumbs up for his quick thinking, then added, "Yeah, and I’ve had some business dealings with his brother. The two of us instantly fell in love and vowed to spend three lifetimes together, enduring the passage of seasons. Even if you don't believe my words, surely you trust in your teacher, such a person of high moral integrity?"
Ying Tongchen: "..."
"Really?" Zhuo Zhi looked at Ying Tongchen with some doubt, "Fine, I believe you, Teacher."
The CP ship was sinking. QAQ
...Wait, forbidden CP is even more exciting!
Ying Tongchen was overwhelmed with shame at the trust his student had in him.
The three of them, each with their own thoughts, arrived at the parking lot. Ying Tongchen just wanted to get them on their way as quickly as possible. He deftly opened the passenger door, but when he turned around, he noticed Zhuo Zhi was staring at him with wide eyes, and he immediately asked, "Do you want to sit in the front or the back?"
"Then I’ll sit in the front," Zhuo Zhi said. She had originally planned to lie down in the back, but seeing how smoothly Mr. Ying opened the passenger door, she couldn’t help but feel a little intrigued!
Is the older brother making his move now that the younger brother is absent?
Zhuo Zhi silently shipped the couple in her mind once again. It’s time to add some stimulating plot to the fanfic.
Zhuo Shu had just walked toward the passenger seat when Zhuo Zhi casually spotted the contract in the seat. She pointed at it, "What’s that? Spons—what contract?"
Zhuo Shu immediately took a few sudden steps back, frantically signaling to Ying Tongchen with his eyes, and answered, "Oh, the household responsibility contract?"
"What are you doing? You scared me half to death!" Zhuo Zhi clutched at her brother’s shoulder tighter to offset the sudden offbalance. "Household responsibility contract?"
"Yeah, I’ve been looking into some old land records lately, just checking things out," Zhuo Shu turned away from the car, facing the other direction. "Oh, looks like I dropped my wallet."
Ying Tongchen immediately looked down at the passenger seat, his eyelid twitching.
Zhuo Zhi, being carried: "Where are you heading now?!"
Zhuo Shu: "Just picking up my wallet, and taking in the view while I'm at it."
Zhuo Zhi: "The view in the parking lot?"
Zhuo Shu: "Yep, see? This is the view you'll get after all your hard work..."
In the meantime, Ying Tongchen calmly stood with his hands behind his back. "Get in the car, don't waste too much time."
"Got it." Zhuo Shu relaxed upon hearing this, taking a quick glance at the passenger seat. Sure enough, the contract was gone. He then carefully helped Zhuo Zhi into the car.
"Thank you, Mr. Ying." Zhuo Shu closed the passenger door and extended his right hand, waiting to receive the contract.
Ying Tongchen smiled and extended his contract-less hand, secretly applying pressure. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You're welcome. Maybe we can have a proper chat next time."
Zhuo Shu winced from the pain, still maintaining his springtime smile. "Sure."
"Get in the car." Ying Tongchen secretly pinched his waist hard, "Be careful while driving."
Zhuo Shu was utterly exasperated, unable to cry even if he wanted to. He walked around to the other side, opened the car door, and still wanted to negotiate, resting his hand on the car roof, continuing to beckon with his finger.
Ying Tongchen shook his head.
Zhuo Shu was about to try again, but when he saw the dangerous glint in Ying Tongchen's eyes, he quickly withdrew his little fingie.
"Goodbye."
After watching the car leave the campus, Ying Tongchen took out the paper contract from behind him, his gaze falling on the words "Sponsorship contract" written in bold. He sneered, turned, and went back to his office, locking the contract in the drawer before heading back to the sports field.
Just in time for the last of the long-distance runners/walkers to reach the finish line. After awarding all the prizes, the principal gave a final speech on the podium, marking the official end of the sports competition.
Ying Tongchen directed the students to clear the classes’ base area and put away the tables and benches. After tidying up the site, he returned to the classroom with his two trophies, placing them next to the students' trophies.
"You all performed really well in this sports meet. Among the fifteen classes, our total score came in third place for the grade," Ying Tongchen summarized.
The students burst into enthusiastic applause.
"What about Class 1?"
"Fourth."
The applause grew even louder.
Ying Tongchen continued, "But in the midterm exams, Class 1's biology score ranks higher than yours."
The biology class representative spoke up, "That's because Mr. Zheng keeps dragging Ms. Sheng to Class 1 to give them extra lessons. You should work harder too, Mr. Ying!"
"Exactly, exactly."
"I think by the time we graduate, we'll be attending Class 1's wedding!"
"Boohoo, are Mr. Zheng and Mr. Ying going to be separated?"
"Mr. Zheng is too despicable, using his good looks like that!"
"Objection! Life’s a pot, boiling and hot; the boss has words, like it or not."
"Quiet down." Ying Tongchen tapped the desk. "Guess I didn't pay enough attention—so you all actually like extra lessons?"
The students suddenly realized, "Oh, no!!!"
"Don't worry, if that's what you all want, I'll do my best to accommodate." Ying Tongchen smiled.
"Also, next week there's a parent-teacher meeting, so make sure to inform your parents, at least one should attend."
Just as he finished the announcement, the bell for dismissal rang.
Ying Tongchen returned to his office, where the teachers were still discussing the events from the past couple of days.
As soon as Zheng Zhinan arrived at the door, he shouted loudly, "Friends, let's go for dinner! Hot pot!"
The group immediately responded, everyone starting to pack up.
Ying Tongchen was about to unlock his drawer, to retrieve the contract, when Fu Lu glided over on her chair.
"Was it your class's Zhuo Zhi's gege who accompanied you on the run today?" Fu Lu asked.
"Mm," Ying Tongchen calmly released his hold on the drawer, unfazed as he started tidying his desk. "What's up?"
Fu Lu glanced at the others, then leaned in and whispered, "He's really too handsome, though. How do you two know each other?"
Ying Tongchen replied, "We don’t know each other."
"Lies! No detail can escape my keen eye!" Fu Lu whispered, her eyes wide like copper bells, radiating sharp intelligence. "I saw the way you two exchanged glances—there's definitely some hidden connection—like a planked passage, built after sacrificing many heroic men* that brought you together, right?"
(TLN: lolol, this is another reference to Li Bai’s "The Hard Road to Shu", more in footnote[1])
"Good thing you're not a literature teacher," Ying Tongchen lamented.
"What are you two still talking about? Hurry up and head out, the seats are already reserved!" Zheng Zhinan came over, urging them.
"Let's go." Ying Tongchen stood up and suddenly remembered, "Didn't Sheng Wu say she was treating you to dinner? Why are you having dinner with us instead?"
"Sigh, Sheng Wu didn’t just treat me. She invited several others who lost the competition too, so I just decided to just have the dinner with everyone," Zheng Zhinan mumbled dejectedly.
…
After dinner, it was already late. Ying Tongchen said his goodbyes to his colleagues and took a cab back to the school. The seniors were still in the middle of extra lessons for evening study, and the sound of reading filled the school.
The office for the first-year teachers was empty. He turned on the lights, closed the door, and sat at his desk. He took out the contract from the drawer and casually flipped to a page, reading it carefully.
After finishing the whole document, he could summarize it as follows:
Party A: Zhuo Shu
Party B: Ying Tongchen
Party A agrees to financially support Party B with a large sum, for a period of two years. Each month, Party B will receive a substantial living allowance, a car worth over a million, and a house. In return, Party B will provide special services to meet the needs of Party A.
(Note: Since Party B is particularly concerned about social security benefits, aside from the living allowance and other bonuses, Party A will also cover the highest level of five insurance and housing fund coverage contributions on behalf of Party B.)
To ensure the harmonious and sustainable development of their relationship, both parties must also fulfill the following obligations:
Party A cannot deduct money without cause, delay payments, withhold rewards, make unreasonable demands, or throw tantrums. Party A must treat Party B well.
Party B cannot disappear without reason, refuse calls (on call 24/7), skip important events (you know the drill), have relationships with others, terminate the contract without cause, or pull on Party A’s ears (important!). Party B must treat Party A well.
Ying Tongchen: "..."
Ying Tongchen stared at the contract for a long time, his mind reeling. Finally, he reached for his phone, about to dial Zhuo Shu’s number. Just as his fingers hovered over the screen, a sudden scream rang out from outside: "Ow!"
He jumped in surprise and quickly closed the contract, rushing to the window.
He looked down and saw, lying on the grass below, the helpful sports rep from earlier in the day, holding a small flashlight. The fall had caused the light to shine on his chin, revealing a pale, twisted smile as he greeted, "He—Hello teacher!"
Ying Tongchen was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
The sports committee member quickly turned off the flashlight and patted to tidy his backside as he stood up. "I—I came to wait for my jie. Her evening study session for the senior class just ended late, and I was worried, so I came to pick her up."
That wasn’t the real reason, though! In truth, he had done poorly on his midterm exams and was afraid of being scolded by his parents, so he planned to sneak a little something from the school. He had quietly crouched by the wall, only to see his homeroom teacher return! He was so scared that he stepped back and ended up losing his balance.
"This is the staff office. The senior class is in another building," Ying Tongchen reminded him.
The sports committee member chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, I know. I was just passing by and got startled by a little wild cat. But Mr. Ying, you’re so dedicated! Working this late—truly a hardworking caretaker. Your selfless contributions will definitely be noticed. I’ll post on my Moments to praise you!"
"Quit messing around with pointless stuff," Ying Tongchen said, bracing both hands on the windowsill. "Hurry up and head over to the senior building."
"Alrighty."
After the sports committee member left, Ying Tongchen turned off the lights and went to the restroom.
On his way back, just as he stepped outside the corridor, a small flash of light flickered in the pitch-black office, accompanied by a faint rustling sound near his seat.
Ying Tongchen’s heart almost leapt out of his chest as he shouted, "Who’s there?"
A shadowy figure slipped out through the back door, moving stealthily with a stash of papers in hand.
"Stop right there!" Ying Tongchen immediately gave chase, but the moment the person heard his voice, they moved even faster, sprinting toward the school gate like the wind.
"Stop! Put that down right now!!!"
Ying Tongchen’s mind flashed through a variety of ways to seal someone's lips—flashy sword fights, rivers of blood—but in the end, he resorted to his trump card. "A’Wei! I see you! Don’t force me to tell your parents!"
The person ahead only stumbled slightly, tightly clutching what was in their hands, and without turning their head, shouted, "Mr. Ying, I’m sorry! Please just overlook it this time!"
Just as they were about to reach the school gate, someone entered in from outside.
Ying Tongchen was momentarily stunned. Before he could think about why the person would be here, he instinctively shouted, "Zhuo Shu, stop him!"
"!" Zhuo Shu, who had arrived with intent, thought he might have misheard. How else could he have perfectly heard the voice of the person he was eager to see?
Soon after, Zhuo Shu saw Ying Tongchen rush out from the shadows, pointing at the boy in front and yelling, "Quick, he’s stolen the household responsibility contract!"
"!" This was serious!
Zhuo Shu immediately rushed over, blocking the boy, grabbing his arm with a firm grip. With a quick twist, the boy winced in pain, and whatever he was holding fell to the ground.
Ying Tongchen soon caught up, and he immediately bent down to pick up the document from the ground, his heart still racing as he peered at the sports committee member. "What did you steal that for? How much did you see?"
The sports committee member hung his head, looking defeated. "Sorry, Teacher, please don’t tell my parents."
Ying Tongchen would’ve liked to tell his parents, but he would have to actually have the guts for that to happen.
How could he report it? Tell them their son stole a contract with my name on it?
He impatiently opened the document, his pupils shrinking.
This wasn’t the contract!
It was the student aspiration form.
The school had implemented a new rule, requiring all students to fill out a mock college application form, which would be discussed during the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.
The idea was twofold: to help students start thinking about their future goals, and to give parents a glimpse into their children's dreams.
Ying Tongchen let out a quiet sigh of relief. "So this is all you took?"
"Yeah." The sports committee member lowered his head.
"Why?"
"I... I put down 'athlete', but my parents have always wanted me to study finance and take over the family business." The sports committee member said, looking pitiful. "I didn’t do well on my exams this time, so they’ll probably cancel all my outdoor courses. So, I thought I’d change it to finance to trick them for a while."
Ying Tongchen patted his shoulder. "I understand. I’ll have a good talk with your parents during the meeting. But no matter how unwilling you are, you can’t steal. Don’t do this again next time."
"Ok."
"Are you sure this is all you took?" Ying Tongchen asked again, making sure.
"Yeah. I was worried I might have grabbed the wrong one, and I was just about to check the other documents when you showed up," the sports committee member recalled.
"Alright. It’s getting late, so head home," Ying Tongchen said, calling a cab for him and repeatedly confirming with the driver that he would take him all the way home before letting him go.
As the car drove off, Ying Tongchen plopped down on the edge of a nearby flowerbed, gently massaging his numb leg.
"What's wrong, did you pull a muscle?" Zhuo Shu walked over and sat beside him.
Ying Tongchen gave him an annoyed look, grabbed the document, and smacked it on Zhuo Shu's head. Then, he quickly thought to himself— the document was way more valuable than Zhuo Shu’s head.
He carefully placed the document aside, then reached out and grabbed Zhuo Shu’s ear, scolding him, "Laozi’s been running around all day, and now because of your damn contract, I’m running like my life’s on the line! And you still dare laugh at me?"
Zhuo Shu winced in pain, gritting his teeth. This guy really didn’t show any mercy when pinching. He explained reasonably, "I didn’t know, argh, it hurts, it hurts! Oww—"
When Zhuo Shu had finally cried out sufficiently, Ying Tongchen released his grip and asked, "What are you doing here so late?"
"Digesting after dinner, taking a stroll to kill time." Zhuo Shu answered shamelessly.
Ying Tongchen put on a professional fake smile. "Based on the time it took during my last home visit, it takes at least half an hour by car to get from your house to school. So, may I ask, how is this a ‘stroll’?"
Zhuo Shu: "A socialism stroll."
Ying Tongchen: "..."
Zhuo Shu: "..."
Zhuo Shu: "Let go of me! Argh, ow ow! This is outrageous!"
.
.
.
Footnote:
[1] A planked passage, built after sacrificing many heroic men - like in chapter 6, this is another reference to Li Bai’s "The Hard Road to Shu". This time, it’s referring to the two lines ‘地崩山摧壯士死; 然後天梯石棧方鉤連’, which translates to ‘The opening of this route sacrificed many heroic men to landslides and earthquakes; Before there was a planked passage built along many a cliff face’.
Here’s the link to the translation of the poem - https://28utscprojects.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/079/#:~:text=The%20opening%20of%20this%20route%20sacrificed