Charge Forward

【Although you find it tricky, you decide to take the initiative to approach her again.】

【Since Shu Yunyi is quite lazy and rarely leaves her apartment except to occasionally buy alcohol, you don’t need to go out of your way to find her. All you have to do is visit her apartment.】

【This time, you don’t contact Shi Jing and instead choose to go alone.】

【When you arrive at the apartment, you knock on the door, but there’s no response for a while.】

【After persistent knocking, Shu Yunyi finally opens the door, looking at you with visible impatience.】

【Faced with your arrival, Shu Yunyi doesn’t let you in but instead asks about your purpose for coming.】

【In response, you choose…】

A. (Boldly confess) I think you’re still quite charming, teacher.

B. (Hide your feelings) I’d like to discuss and exchange ideas with you.

C. (No nonsense) Directly punch her and force your way in.

D. Free action

“Hmm…”

Shen Yi is utterly speechless. These options are all over the place, and what’s with the punching option? Is this some kind of violent door-breaking game?

Frowning in thought, Shen Yi moves his finger toward option B, the most stable choice.

But just as he’s about to click, he changes his mind.

“Screw it, I’ve always played it safe. This time, I’m going all out!”

Who needs a slow and steady approach? Let’s just confess right from the start.

If it blows up, I can always start over.

With a steady hand, he clicks on option A. He just wants to see what happens.

【After making your decision, you stand at the door and boldly confess your feelings to Shu Yunyi.】

【Shu Yunyi listens to your confession without much change in expression, merely sizing you up.】

【Whether she agrees or rejects you, neither would surprise you. But instead, she just stares at you, making you feel incredibly uncomfortable.】

【You decide to say something more…】

【Before you can open your mouth, she closes the door again.】

【You’re left standing outside, rejected.】

“What does this mean?”

Shen Yi frowns slightly, muttering to himself in thought.

Shu Yunyi’s attitude is strange. She neither nods in agreement nor shows disgust, nor does she outright reject him.

From start to finish, she just looks at him with an appraising gaze, leaving him completely puzzled.

【This rejection doesn’t discourage you. A few days later, you gather your courage and visit her again.】

【This time, you learn from your mistake and decide to cater to her preferences.】

【You arrive at her apartment door for the third time and knock.】

【Shu Yunyi sees it’s you again and immediately tries to close the door, but you step aside and reveal the beer in your right hand.】

【You manage to open her door with a case of beer.】

【Her hand stops mid-air, and Shu Yunyi unconsciously swallows as she looks at the bottles.】

【It seems that, in her eyes, the alcohol is more important than you.】

【You successfully enter the room.】

【Shu Yunyi invites you to sit down and then opens a bottle to drink on her own.】

【After a few sips, her expression softens, becoming more lively, and her attitude toward you warms up.】

【You start chatting about the past over drinks.】

【Since you’ve already confessed your feelings earlier, you don’t hold back this time.】

【You talk enthusiastically about the fun times in the dormitory, how popular she was back then, and how everyone admired her.】

【Since you’ve already graduated, the teacher-student barrier between you two has diminished.】

【You feel content and at ease chatting with your former teacher from your younger days.】

【Most of the time, you’re the one talking, with Shu Yunyi occasionally chiming in.】

【After a few rounds of drinks and as the evening sets in, you prepare to leave.】

【Shu Yunyi walks you to the door, and before you leave, she points at the beer bottles and tells you to bring some liquor next time. Beer is too mild, like a soft drink.】

【Hearing her mention a “next time,” you feel elated. This means Shu Yunyi isn’t rejecting you.】

【You nod in understanding, already looking forward to the next meeting.】

Seeing the situation improve, Shen Yi clenches his fist. It seems that being bold wasn’t entirely wrong, though catering to her preferences played a big part too.

Regardless, this start is much better than not being able to talk to her at all.

【A few days later…】

【Just as Sun Wukong struck the White Bone Demon three times, you now knock on your teacher’s door for the third time.】

【Not long after, you return to Shu Yunyi’s door, this time better prepared with four bottles of liquor and some cold dishes.】

“Knock, knock, knock…”

In a flash, Shen Yi is back in the scene, knocking on the door.

The door opens, and Shu Yunyi’s face appears.

Perhaps due to natural beauty, even though she’s in her thirties, her skin remains firm, her complexion clear, with bright eyes and red lips.

“You’re here?”

She lets go of the door handle, yawning as she walks back inside.

She’s still in her nightgown, and it’s hard to tell if she’s even changed clothes or gone out in the past few days.

With the experience from last time, Shen Yi doesn’t feel awkward. He walks to the dining table, clears some bottles and jars to the side, and lays out the drinks and dishes.

Shu Yunyi comes out of the bathroom and sits down directly.

She’s not entirely unkempt—she’s at least washed her face and combed her hair.

Probably because having messy hair would tarnish her teacher’s dignity, though she doesn’t seem to care much about that.

Shen Yi pours her a glass of liquor and pushes it toward her. She takes it and downs it in one go.

Liquor is definitely stronger than beer. After one sip, her eyes brighten, and she seems to find Shen Yi a bit more likable.

“You’re quite obedient. I like that.”

She smiles at Shen Yi, her eyes curving.

Shen Yi knows she’s talking about the alcohol and not actually complimenting him, so he just shakes his head and takes a sip himself.

“Sss…”

Shen Yi inhales sharply. He usually drinks beer and rarely touches liquor.

Seeing Shu Yunyi drink so easily, he didn’t expect the liquor to burn like fire as soon as it hits his stomach.

He glances at the bottle and realizes he accidentally bought 52% alcohol. No wonder it’s so strong. He quickly takes a bite of the cold dish to soothe his throat.

With the alcohol in their systems, the conversation flows more freely.

Shu Yunyi squints as she takes another sip, then asks him sideways,

“You’ve already graduated. Why did you suddenly think of coming back to see an old lady like me?”

Shen Yi smiles, half-flattering and half-serious,

“How could you be an old lady? If you went out and said you were the same age as me, people would believe you.”

“As for why I came back, I’m just following my heart.”

Shu Yunyi is beautiful and carries an air of elegance. Perhaps due to years of teaching, she exudes a certain intellectual charm, especially when her expression turns cold, which makes her even more captivating.

She’s used to compliments and doesn’t pay much attention, sighing instead,

“I’m in my thirties now. It feels like it happened in the blink of an eye. Half my life has passed in a blur, and I’ve achieved nothing.”

“Might as well drink…”

She rests her chin on her hand, staring blankly as she swirls her glass, her tone somber.

Shen Yi doesn’t understand why the mood suddenly turned melancholic when they were having a good conversation.

“Forget it. Just drink with me.”

She shakes off her gloomy mood and clinks her glass with Shen Yi’s.