Mistaken Canary Chapter 40
Chapter 40
The commotion outside the school gate caught the attention of the security guard. As he rushed out, he shouted, "Who’s making all this noise out here?!"
When he reached the flowerbed, he saw two upright men sitting with perfect posture, both staring solemnly at the passing cars on the road.
"Huh? Mr. Ying?" The security guard recognized the young man in the orange jacket and walked up to him with a friendly smile. "What are you doing sitting out here in the cool night air?"
Ying Tongchen turned his head and smiled. "Just taking a stroll after dinner."
"And this gentleman?" The security guard gestured toward the man beside him.
Sensing the attention, Zhuo Shu subtly shifted his body, turning his back slightly. He raised a hand to cover his ear for a moment, hesitated, then awkwardly put it down—only to discreetly cover his ear again as if trying to hide something from view.
"He’s a student’s guardian. Came to discuss something with me," Ying Tongchen replied.
"Then why are you both sitting here? Why not come to my office? I’ll make you both some tea—I just got a fresh batch of good leaves!" The security guard warmly invited them. "Come on, come on, bring the kid’s dad along too!"
"Dad?" Zhuo Shu froze, pointing at his own face. "Whose dad am I?"
"Oh! Turns out you’re just a young lad. My mistake, my mistake! I thought you were someone’s father." The security guard burst into laughter.
Zhuo Shu felt like he couldn’t even breathe properly for a moment, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ying Tongchen’s lips curve slightly in a silent smile. Unable to help himself, he ended up laughing along as well.
"No need, we still have some things to discuss. We won’t bother you—go ahead and continue your good work." Ying Tongchen smiled, then turned to Zhuo Shu and said, "Let’s head to my office and have a proper talk."
"Alright."
The two of them strolled leisurely toward the office. The autumn night carried a faint chill in the air. Even though Ying Tongchen had been running just moments ago, now that he had stopped, the cold seeped through the short sleeves of his shirt, making his arms feel a bit exposed.
Instinctively, he quickened his pace—until a jacket was draped over his shoulders from behind.
He turned his head slightly and glanced at Zhuo Shu. The other man was now left with only a thin dress shirt, hands tucked casually into his pockets. He tilted his head back to look at the moon and whistled nonchalantly—the tune didn’t hit any of the right notes.
Ying Tongchen turned back around and, without refusing, put the jacket on directly.
Zhuo Shu had a slightly larger frame than him, so the suit jacket draped over Ying Tongchen like he was a kid trying on his older brother’s clothes. Paired with his casual and athletic wear, the combination looked odd and mismatched.
Zhuo Shu smirked, clearly satisfied with the sight.
Stepping into the office, Ying Tongchen switched on the light, revealing a few desks that had been knocked out of place—likely from the sports committee member’s escape attempt. After straightening them, he returned to his seat.
Zhuo Shu naturally pulled up a chair and sat beside him. His gaze dropped to the contract on Ying Tongchen’s desk, and he casually reached out, discretely pressing a hand onto it—only to have Ying Tongchen smack it away.
"You’re here to steal the contract too, aren’t you?" Ying Tongchen accused.
Zhuo Shu let out an awkward chuckle.
Truthfully, ever since leaving the school, Zhuo Shu had been on edge, knowing that Ying Tongchen would definitely look at the contract. The only thing he couldn’t predict was how he would react.
He had agonized over it for a long time—so much so that, while carrying Zhuo Zi upstairs, he nearly missed a step and only snapped back to reality when Zhuo Zi yelled at him.
Then he waited and waited, but there was still no response from Ying Tongchen. That could only mean one of two things:
One, Ying Tongchen wanted nothing to do with him and planned to draw a clear boundary between them, never interfering with each other’s lives again.
Two, Ying Tongchen still had a shred of conscience—and hadn’t read the contract.
Either way, Zhuo Shu just wanted to settle things quickly. The uncertainty was driving him crazy.
"Don’t use such an ugly word like ‘steal’," Zhuo Shu coughed awkwardly and looked up at the ceiling.
Ying Tongchen tapped his finger on the contract. "When did you prepare this?"
Zhuo Shu pressed his lips together, gave up the struggle, and confessed honestly, "When I left the villa last time."
"Oh, speaking of the villa…" Ying Tongchen trailed off, lifting his gaze to meet Zhuo Shu’s deep-set eyes.
Zhuo Shu instantly tensed up. "What about the villa?"
"I was the one who paid for the trees." Ying Tongchen said matter-of-factly.
"…That’s it?" Zhuo Shu felt like all his nervous anticipation had gone to waste. "I’ll pay you back."
"No need." Ying Tongchen steered the conversation back on track. "Why did you prepare this contract?"
Zhuo Shu thought for a moment. For the sake of his dignity, he decided to polish his reasoning a little. "Back then, I thought finding a good partner to… sponsor was a difficult task. So, I figured—why not make the process more systematic, standardized, and reasonable?"
Ying Tongchen: "……"
"But I really didn’t know that this wasn’t your line of work." Zhuo Shu sighed. "I even made a whole career plan for you—you would’ve definitely become an award-winning actor."
"You sound genuinely disappointed."
"Mhm…" Zhuo Shu took a couple of seconds to react, then quickly shook his head in an exaggerated attempt to cover up. "Not exactly. More like… a bit of regret, a little loss, and a touch of melancholy."
"……"
"So what do we do now?" Zhuo Shu’s gaze lingered on the contract, still holding onto a sliver of hope. "How about… you sign it? The benefits are pretty great."
Ying Tongchen shot him a sideways glance.
Zhuo Shu immediately backed down. "Alright, alright. You’re an upstanding person. Forget it!"
The two fell into a brief silence. Zhuo Shu awkwardly glanced around the office. The layout and decor were quite decent, and each desk had a nameplate for the teachers.
He idly ran his fingers over one of them, his fingertips brushing across Ying Tongchen’s name. In a quiet voice, he murmured, "It only feels real now… So you really are a teacher."
"Mm."
"Is it tough, being a teacher?" Zhuo Shu unexpectedly asked.
Caught off guard, Ying Tongchen paused for a moment. A fleeting, almost imperceptible emotion flashed in his eyes before he replied, "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Aren’t you a Deputy Director? Why would you choose to work at a school?" Zhuo Shu said. "Of course, I’m not saying your job here is bad, but you and I both know—you have more lucrative options."
Before Ying Tongchen could answer, Zhuo Shu continued talking to himself. "Or maybe you’re just a selfless, noble soul, willing to sacrifice everything for the country’s education system?"
Caught off guard, Ying Tongchen let out a soft chuckle—so light and fleeting that Zhuo Shu almost thought he imagined it.
"I'm not that noble," Ying Tongchen said with a faint smile, warm as a spring breeze yet never quite reaching his eyes. "I used to think teachers were the most annoying thing in the world."
Zhuo Shu was slightly surprised. After a moment of contemplation, he chuckled. "Figures. People always end up becoming what they once hated the most."
"You’re absolutely right." Ying Tongchen laughed aloud this time.
Suddenly, Zhuo Shu remarked, "Don't move."
Ying Tongchen: "?"
Zhuo Shu picked up his phone and snapped a picture of his bewildered expression. "Looks good. You should wear contacts more often."
"So you're saying I look ugly with glasses?"
"Who said ugly?" Zhuo Shu opened a photo-editing app, mumbling to himself, "It’s just a different kind of handsome. With glasses, you make people want to do you until you cry. But with contacts? Damn, that’s straight-up criminal temptation."
After finishing his edits, he brightened the screen and held it up for Ying Tongchen to see.
Ying Tongchen stared at the photo—this wasn’t him at all!
Where did this cat-eared, filter-drenched abomination come from?!
Was there no justice left in this world?!
He sternly knocked on the desk. "Sir, please mind the setting."
Zhuo Shu casually glanced around, his gaze suddenly thoughtful. "By the way, Mr. Ying, we haven't tried the office yet, have we?"
Ying Tongchen: "......"
"Alright, I get it now."
"What exactly do you ‘get’?" Ying Tongchen raised a questioning brow.
"Your eyes are practically screaming, ‘Come on, come on, I can handle it’." Zhuo Shu stood up and walked to the door, switching off the lights. Guided only by the moonlight and the glow of the streetlamps, he made his way to Ying Tongchen’s desk by the window.
"One last time, alright?"
Ying Tongchen looked up, meeting his sharp yet undeniably charming features. Before he could respond, Zhuo Shu leaned in, closing the distance between them until there was barely a breath between them. Then, a soft warmth brushed against his lips.
Ying Tongchen stilled for a second. His heartbeat skipped, his thoughts tangled, and finally, he let his eyes drift shut.
The evening breeze stirred the osmanthus trees outside, carrying its rich, honeyed scent through the window cracks, wrapping around them. And as the quiet sound of lips meeting filled the air, the fragrance seemed to grow even sweeter, almost intoxicating.
Ying Tongchen instinctively hooked his arm around Zhuo Shu’s shoulder, responding to the kiss.
Just then, the sound of polished leather shoes scraping against the floor echoed down the hallway, followed by voices growing nearer.
Ying Tongchen froze, his heart racing. He quickly shoved Zhuo Shu away, whispering urgently, "It’s the Director of Discipline."
Both of them scrambled to dive under the desk, holding their breath, afraid to make a single sound.
"Yes, yes, I’m on patrol right now, haven’t caught anyone skipping class yet," the Director’s voice drifted in from outside as he chatted on the phone. He passed the Freshman Teachers’ office, gave a quick glance, and halted.
Ying Tongchen’s forehead broke out in cold sweat. Just as panic set in, a large hand gently covered his mouth. Zhuo Shu silently shifted in front of him, his breath warm against Ying Tongchen’s ear.
Taking advantage of the fleeting moment, Zhuo Shu, ever the opportunist, leaned in and mischievously brushed his tongue against Ying Tongchen’s ear. The other had no way to resist—hehehe.
Ying Tongchen: "......"
The Director of Discipline muttered to himself, "Where did I leave that thing?" He turned around and headed back toward his office.
After a long wait, once they were sure the hallway had fallen silent, the two men quietly stood up.
Zhuo Shu started to speak when, unexpectedly, he was cast down by a critical hit.
Ying Tongchen opened the window. "Get out. Now."
Zhuo Shu, stunned, stared in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Out of the window? Isn't there surveillance?"
Oh, right. There’s surveillance.
Ying Tongchen grabbed him and pushed him toward the door. "Hurry up, or the Director might come back."
Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives*. The sound of footsteps approached from the far end of the corridor.
(TLN: The proverb “Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives (说曹操，曹操到)” refers to the time when you are talking about someone, and he or she appears immediately. Basically like the English saying ‘speak of the devil’.)
Quickly, Zhuo Shu made his great escape, and when he reached the school gates, he saw the security guard standing by the entrance. He came to a suave stop, gave the guard a very gentlemanly wave, and casually sauntered to his car. Once inside, he drove away, leaving only an afterimage.
Zhuo Shu raced home. As he entered, Zhu Zi was collapsed on the sofa, and she asked where he had been. It was then that he remembered he hadn’t finished his own tasks yet—he had neither discussed future plans with Ying Tongchen nor taken back the contract.
…
On Monday at school, Ying Tongchen kept a close eye on the sports committee member and reviewed his family background. He was planning to have a proper talk with him.
During the break, he noticed the sports committee member was absent from the lineup. He quickly turned around to head to the classroom to find him.
As he reached the doorway of his classroom, he saw the sports committee member sneaking around on the podium, bending down.
"What are you doing?" Ying Tongchen asked conversationally.
The sports committee member jumped, and the thing in his hand dropped to the ground. He quickly turned around, nervously looking at him. "Mr—Mr. Ying, good morning."
Ying Tongchen's gaze fell on the item on the ground. It was a pink envelope.
The sports committee member looked visibly flustered. It was clear what the contents might be.
He instinctively reached down to pick it up, and Ying Tongchen reminded him with a stern voice, "Give it to me."
The sports committee member bashfully looked up at him. "Mr. Ying..."
Ying Tongchen raised an eyebrow, "The parent-teacher meeting is soon. Do you really want your parents to see this?"
Reluctantly, the sports committee member handed over the envelope.
"Follow me to my office," Ying Tongchen said, holding the letter. He led the boy to the office.
Once inside, he opened a drawer casually and unexpectedly saw the contract. Without thinking too much, he shoved the envelope inside, covering it with an unused notebook to keep it out of sight, before turning to face the sports committee member. "Now, tell me, how's your relationship with your family?"
After a conversation, Ying Tongchen had a general understanding of his family situation and had a clearer picture in mind.
…
The next two days were spent grading papers for the students. When busy, it was easy to forget things, and it wasn’t until Tuesday evening that he received a call from Zhuo Shu, which reminded him there was something important still unattended to.
"Got a minute? I’m passing by the school and thought I’d come by to pick up the contract and maybe grab a bite with you," Zhuo Shu said.
"No need for dinner, I still need to supervise the evening self-study. What do you need the contract for? I might as well just destroy it here," Ying Tongchen replied.
"No, I’ll destroy it myself," Zhuo Shu insisted firmly. "Hurry up, let’s go eat."
"I already ate in the cafeteria."
"..." When can he make plans for the future with Ying Tongchen? Zhuo Shu was frustrated. After hanging up, he lightly slammed the steering wheel, trying not to disturb the students from studying.
Ying Tongchen took out a manila folder and swept the contract and a notebook into it. He walked to the school gate but couldn’t immediately recognize which car was Zhuo Shu’s.
At that moment, a flashy sports car lowered its window, and Zhuo Shu, wearing sunglasses, snapped his fingers with flair and called out, "Over here."
"..." Ying Tongchen looked up at the evening sky, speechless. He approached the car and handed over the folder. "I’m leaving." He walked away.
"Wait!" Zhuo Shu took off his sunglasses and called after his back. "Don’t you have anything to say?"
"Wishing you safe travels?" Ying Tongchen briefly looked back and waved his hand, then continued to walk away.
Zhuo Shu, visibly annoyed, watched him return to the school. With frustration, he glared at the manila folder in his hand and angrily thought about throwing it away.
As he moved the folder, he suddenly noticed a pink envelope peeking out from the folder.
Zhuo Shu: "?"
He immediately pulled it out, unfolded the letter, and saw the opening salutation—
"Dear Xiao Zhuo,"
Zhuo Shu: "!"
Xiao Zhuo?
I’m only two days younger than you, and you dare call me Xiao Zhuo?!
But... this must be a love letter, right? Right?
He quickly skimmed through the letter, then suddenly snapped it shut. With a mischievous look, he glanced toward the school gate.
Well, well, Ying Tongchen. So, this is how you really feel about me!
.
.
.
Author’s Note:
Zhuo Shu: How dirty-minded! (*≧▽≦)