Shen Yubai · Chat

The entire lecture hall was so quiet that only the faint sound of pen tips scratching across paper could be heard. Shen Yubai stood in the center of the podium, his posture as upright and proper as ever. His meticulous shirt clung to his lean shoulders and back. His speaking pace was steady and composed, clearly breaking down complex physics formulas on the blackboard, appearing no different from his usual cold and self-restrained self. Everyone was immersed in the tedious coursework, and no one noticed anything unusual—except for me, watching his every move on stage. Only I could see clearly that beneath his seemingly composed lecturing, he was hiding an extreme, restrained loss of composure. His cold, pale cheeks were quietly covered with a layer of light red—not a blush of embarrassment, but a faint pink. I didn't look down; I stared straight at him, my gaze burning, fixed unblinkingly on his faintly flushed features. I could clearly see his eyelashes behind the lenses tremble imperceptibly. His once steady breathing lost its rhythm, tinged with a deep sense of unease. He didn't dare meet my eyes, deliberately averting his gaze to pretend he was focused on the blackboard. But his reddening earlobes and the increasing tremor in his voice had long since betrayed all his secret panic. He was hiding, trying his best to ignore my gaze, but to no avail. Every subtle movement was clear as day to me. The crisp sound of the bell suddenly shattered the silence of the classroom, instantly breaking this hidden tension. Almost the moment the bell rang, Shen Yubai stopped lecturing immediately. He didn't take his time to organize his lesson plans or assign homework as he usually did, and he didn't even have time to respond to the students' goodbyes. He closed his textbook almost hurriedly, his fingertips still carrying a lingering tremor. Stripped of all his classroom composure, he carried a hint of panic bordering on flight, his upright figure stiff as he quickly left the lecture hall. I watched his cold, retreating back as a smile spread in my eyes. I stood up quietly, lightened my steps, and followed him from a moderate distance. The entire corridor was empty. He walked extremely fast, heading straight for his own empty private office. The moment he pushed the door open and entered, he quickly shut it and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. And I stopped outside the office door, looking inside.