The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

On Tuesday afternoon, Lin Feng had just closed his advanced mathematics notebook when his phone screen lit up.

The caller ID read "Teacher Zhou". I stared at the screen for a few seconds, then hung up.

I flipped my phone face down on the table and continued flipping through the book. About two minutes later, the phone rang again.

It was Zhou Mei again; he hung up again.

When it rang for the third time, I simply couldn't answer it.

"Lin Feng." Zhou Mei's voice came through the receiver, completely different from her usual tone in class.

It wasn't a cold, monotone tone with each word spaced the same; rather, it carried a hint of hesitation and caution. "Are you free now? Could you come to my house?"

"Teacher Zhou, the exam is coming up soon, and I'm studying."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Lin Feng could hear her breathing; it was very light and shallow.

Then she spoke, her voice a little lower than before: "What happened last time was wrong of me. I shouldn't have hit you. Can't you give me a chance to apologize?"

Lin Feng's finger brushed against the edge of the phone case.

"And then—" Zhou Mei paused, then spoke again in a tone Lin Feng had never heard before, almost pleading, "We've gone through all that... just come. Please? I'm begging you..."

Lin Feng stood in the library corridor, holding his phone.

People were running on the playground outside the window, and the setting sun dyed the track orange-red.

After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Okay. I'll be right there."

By the time I arrived at the entrance of Zhonghai City residential area by bus, it was already dark.

Zhou Mei stood under the streetlight next to the guardhouse.

She was wearing a very ordinary white cotton short-sleeved shirt and a pair of gray lounge shorts, with slippers on her feet.

Her hair was casually tied in a low ponytail, she wasn't wearing makeup, and her lips were a little dry. Her complexion wasn't good; her cheeks were paler than usual, and there were two faint bluish patches under her eyes.

She looked noticeably thinner than when she was in class.

She saw Lin Feng walking towards her from the bus stop, and her lips twitched as if she wanted to smile but didn't. "You're here."

Lin Feng nodded.

The two walked side by side into the residential area. Zhou Mei was half a step ahead, her calves, visible beneath her gray shorts, looked almost bloodless in the streetlights.

No one spoke. There were only two people in the elevator, and the floor numbers jumped up one by one.

Zhou Mei looked down at the tips of her slippers.

When Lin Feng entered, he smelled the aroma of food.

There were four or five plates on the table, covered with plastic wrap. There was braised pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cucumber salad, a bowl of tomato and egg drop soup, and a plate of not-so-appetizing cola chicken wings, the edges of which were a bit charred.

The chopsticks were set out, along with two bowls, two cups, and an unopened bottle of red wine.

"I made all of these myself." Zhou Mei stood next to him, her voice a little unnatural. "I don't know if they'll suit your taste. I made those chicken wings twice. The first time they were too burnt."

Lin Feng stood beside the dining table, looking at the plate of charred cola chicken wings. "Teacher Zhou, you don't need to go to all that trouble. I'll just sit for a bit and then leave."

Zhou Mei's fingers clenched at the edge of her shorts. "Are you still angry with the teacher?" She took a step forward, getting closer to him, and raised her hand, her fingertips pointing towards his left cheek. "I was wrong to slap you last time. Does it still hurt?"

Lin Feng took half a step back.

Zhou Mei's finger stopped in mid-air.

He paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand and let it hang at his side. A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth, a self-deprecating smile. "Let's have lunch together. I haven't had much of an appetite lately, and eating alone makes it even less appealing."

Lin Feng looked at her pale face and the two dark circles under her eyes, and felt a little soft-hearted. He then sat down in the chair.

Zhou Mei peeled off the plastic wrap, and steam rose from the dish, indicating that it had been cooked recently.

He picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of spare rib in Lin Feng's bowl, and then put a piece of chicken wing in his bowl.

When the chicken wing was flipped over, the charred mark on the back was more obvious. She didn't pick up much food herself, but just slowly ate the rice from the bowl.

He ate a few bites and then put the bowl down.

"That day in the classroom," she began, her eyes fixed on the cola chicken wings on the table, "I saw you sitting with Shen Qianqian. She brought you yogurt, and the two of you were talking together."

Lin Feng put down his chopsticks.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Zhou Mei's fingers unconsciously twirled along the edge of the tablecloth. "I just felt really uncomfortable. That big lecture was a mess; I misread several lines of the PowerPoint presentation. Later, when they made me answer questions and stand as punishment, I didn't even know what I was doing."

She looked up at Lin Feng. "I'm not an impulsive person. After being a counselor for several years, I've seen all kinds of students and dealt with all kinds of parents. I thought I could control everything and wouldn't fall for that man again, but..."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine bottle next to him and used the corkscrew to pull out the cork.

She poured a little less than half a cup into her own cup, then looked at Lin Feng's cup.

Lin Feng shook his head.

Zhou Mei tilted her head back and finished the half-glass of red wine in one gulp. A little dark red liquid spilled from the corner of her mouth, which she wiped away with the back of her hand.

Then I poured another glass.

"I've been wanting to message you lately, but I've typed and deleted it several times. I don't know what to say. 'I'm sorry' is too weak; even I don't think it's enough."

A faint blush slowly rose on her cheeks, spreading outwards from her cheekbones. It wasn't a healthy rosy glow; it was the result of alcohol.

Her skin was already very fair, but the blush became even more pronounced after drinking alcohol.

"Exams are almost over. I'll definitely be going back to my parents' place then. I won't see you for a month or two during the summer vacation." Her fingers circled the rim of her wine glass. "Thinking about this makes me feel empty. I've never felt this way before. I used to think being alone was great. Eating alone, preparing lessons alone, watching TV alone, no one bothering me, and I didn't have to cater to anyone."

She took another sip of wine.

"But after you left my house that day, as soon as the door closed, I felt that the house was too big, as if something was missing."

Lin Feng picked up his glass, took a sip of the red wine, and put it down. "Teacher Zhou, I'm not the kind of good person you think I am." His voice was low. "I have a childhood sweetheart, the girl next door. And my relationship with Shen Qianqian is ambiguous. Actually—" He tapped his glass lightly on the table, "I'm actually quite fickle, and I'm not worth you doing this."

Zhou Mei smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness.

He took off his glasses and placed them on the table, wiping his eyes with his finger. "I know. I could tell from your voice when you answered the phone last time; that girl and you have a special relationship. I hate men who cheat on their partners. You know that?"

She looked up at him, "But for some reason, it doesn't work in front of you. I just can't help thinking about you, even though I know you're my student, but..."

She picked up her glass and took another sip.

His fingertips were trembling slightly. "Lin Feng, can you stay? Keep your teacher company. I've been...so lonely lately."

Stand up from the chair.

I was a little unsteady on my feet, and my knee bumped into the table leg, causing the bowls and chopsticks on the table to wobble slightly.

She walked up to Lin Feng, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest. Her shoulders trembled slightly beneath her white cotton short-sleeved shirt.

Lin Feng stood still, raised his hand that was hanging by his side, and placed it on her back.

"Teacher Zhou—"

"Raymond Lam, can you carry me back to the bedroom?"

Lin Feng sighed and half-carried her towards the bedroom. Just as he reached the bedside and was about to help her lie down, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

They both fell backward and landed on the bed, causing the mattress to cave in.

Zhou Mei turned over and pressed her lips to mine. The taste of red wine traveled across her tongue.

Lin Feng's body stiffened, giving him no chance to resist.

Then she raised her hand and placed it on her back, beginning to respond to his kiss, her tongue clumsy yet eager.

……

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