Boss Teacher - Chapter 19: The Doll Shop

Shen Mingsu's directness caught Yan Chi off guard. His mind went blank, filled with thoughts like, 'What does 'like' mean?' and 'Is this a confession?'

But he couldn't figure out what to do. He stared blankly at Shen Mingsu with his bewildered amber eyes.

Shen Mingsu's gaze lingered on Yan Chi's slightly parted lips for a moment. He felt an urge to kiss him recklessly, but that would frighten Yan Chi, so he couldn't do it.

"Yan Chi, I like you." Shen Mingsu repeated, gazing into Yan Chi's eyes.

Yan Chi immediately lowered his head, avoiding his gaze.

Shen Mingsu cupped his chin in his hands, lifting his face to meet his eyes. "I really love you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. So, will you say yes?"

Seeing he couldn't hide any longer, and looking at Shen Mingsu's expectant yet anxious expression, Yan Chi sighed deeply. "Yes, I say yes."

Now it was Shen Mingsu who was stunned. "Huh?"

"I said, I say yes." Yan Chi couldn't help but chuckle, thinking he was really childish. He joked, "Don't you like me anymore?"

"No!" Shen Mingsu reacted strongly, repeatedly asking until Yan Chi grew impatient. He then hugged Yan Chi tightly. "I... I was just too excited. Are we really together?"

All of this felt unreal to Shen Mingsu.

Yan Chi frowned. "Too fast? It seems a bit... well..."

"Not fast, not fast!"

Shen Mingsu covered his mouth, resting his head on his shoulder, his deep voice tinged with grievance, "From the first day you came to school, I've been trying to win you over, but you haven't given me any response. I even wondered if you hated me..."

"I don't hate you." Yan Chi patted his head, a little embarrassed, "I just didn't realize you were pursuing me..."

Yan Chi was very oblivious when it came to emotions. He hadn't realized Shen Mingsu's subtle, gradual pursuit at all. If Xi Chang and the others hadn't reminded him, he probably would have forever thought Shen Mingsu was just a helpful and kind person.

Shen Mingsu held Yan Chi tightly, whimpering like a spoiled puppy. "That's why I confessed today, otherwise I'm afraid someone else would snatch you away while I'm chasing after you."

Yan Chi chuckled. "No way, no one else is chasing me except you."

"That means they don't have good taste." Shen Mingsu snuggled against Yan Chi's neck, inhaling his scent, a possessive glint in his eyes where Yan Chi couldn't see.

Yan Chi was a size smaller than Shen Mingsu, completely nestled in his embrace. The heat of his body made Yan Chi uncomfortable, and he pushed against his chest. "Okay, let go of me."

Shen Mingsu reluctantly released him, his fingers still tightly intertwined with Yan Chi's. "No hugging, is this okay?"

"Fine, fine." Yan Chi's ears turned bright red; he couldn't resist the expectant look in Shen Mingsu's eyes.

Suddenly, Yan Chi felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He turned around to see half the class standing behind him, scrutinizing him and Shen Mingsu with curious eyes.

Sethia, holding a candied hawthorn skewer, stared intently at Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu as he took a bite. Beside him stood Tan Mo, Feng Wang, and Li Huai, all four students scrutinizing the newly formed couple with equally curious gazes.

Yan Chi: “…!!!”

Help, help!

How long have these kids been listening?!

Yan Chi wished he could disappear into the ground. He didn't even have the courage to say hello. They must think he and Shen Mingsu were some strange adults!

This is so embarrassingly awkward!

Unlike Yan Chi, Shen Mingsu showed no shame whatsoever, instead warmly greeting the group, "What a coincidence! Since you're here, congratulations on my successful confession to your teacher, Mr. Chi!"

"But weren't you two already together?"

Feng Wang crossed his arms, expressing his incomprehension.

Shen Mingsu: "It was all just a rumor before. Confessing today is an honor for you all. So, are you going to congratulate us, the newlyweds or not? Hurry up, if you can't think of anything to say, go away. Can't you see how shy your teacher is?"

Yan Chi: "..."

Knowing he's shy, why make him feel so awkward?!

Yan Chi pinched Shen Mingsu's arm hard, his eyes wide, "Stop talking!"

Shen Mingsu winced in pain, but still waited for the students' blessings.

Sethia pondered for a moment, "Hmm... I wish you both happiness and love?"

Tan Mo: "Happy wedding."

Feng Wang rolled his eyes, "May your happiness be as boundless as the Eastern Sea, your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains, and may you have a son soon."

"Sorry, my brother was just talking nonsense, please forgive him, Teacher Chi." Li Huai quickly tried to cover for his brother, "I wish you a long and happy life together."

Shen Mingsu pardoned them. "Received. You've expressed your gratitude well."

The four students left together. Yan Chi slapped Shen Mingsu's hand off his shoulder, looking miserable, "I can't even imagine how awkward I'll be teaching in front of them."

"Why would you be awkward?" Shen Mingsu lowered his eyes, "Is it because I'm not presentable?"

Yan Chi: "That's not what I meant... I, I just feel so uncomfortable."

"Alright, alright, forget about those kids." Shen Mingsu pulled Yan Chi towards the street corner. "I'll take you to a fun place."

The shop window displayed all sorts of exquisite dolls and various styles of doll clothes. Soft music played inside. The shop owner was sewing clothes on a sewing machine, and her daughter was dressing up the dolls.

Yan Chi was stunned when he entered the doll shop. He recognized the shop owner as the middle-aged woman who had followed the manager yesterday. She had changed into clean clothes, and her timid and listless demeanor was gone, replaced by a vibrant energy.

Beside her, a little girl was dressing a doll, her face rosy and very cute.

The sound of the bell when a customer entered made the middle-aged woman and the little girl look up. The middle-aged woman also recognized Yan Chi at a glance and stood up in surprise.

The little girl tugged at her mother's clothes, pointing excitedly at Yan Chi, "Mommy! It's a handsome brother!"

The middle-aged woman hugged her daughter, looking at Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu beside him. Her habitual wariness slowly disappeared, and she smiled at them, "Welcome."

Yan Chi noticed the mother's unease, smiled and nodded to the mother and daughter, then looked at the exquisite dolls in the shop window with Shen Mingsu.

The middle-aged woman's gaze couldn't help but fall upon them. Her name was Zhou Guixiang. Five years ago, an earthquake had transported her to a terrifying, endless world, where she had been endlessly running around in various dungeons ever since.

She was an ordinary person with only a few handicrafts to her name, useless in the life-or-death world of endless dungeons. She could only enter low-level dungeons to earn points, which she could exchange for time spent in the player lobby.

Later, she had a daughter, but her husband, finding them a hindrance, abandoned her.

Unable to afford the points needed for both of them, and unable to bear abandoning her daughter, Zhou Guixiang simply took her daughter into an A-level dungeon, making it their final resting place.

Then, a high-level NPC suddenly appeared, bringing them to this world, giving her a shop, and telling her she could run a business there.

In this world, no monsters would harm her, and all she needed to do was serve the customers.

Zhou Guixiang knew that those who came to her shop were not human; in any other place, they would be enemies ready to draw their swords.

At first, she was uneasy, but gradually she lowered her guard because these monsters would call her "Auntie," praise her beautifully made doll clothes, and some would even share their snacks with her little daughter.

Sometimes, Zhou Guixiang had a strange feeling. Why did she think these monsters were kind? Why were her kind even more terrifying than the monsters?

Later, Zhou Guixiang stopped thinking about it. She was lucky enough to have this small shop, a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and her daughter was equally lucky to have a home.

Zhou Guixiang hugged her daughter, a smile blooming on her troubled face. She took out two fist-sized keychains, each with a short-haired boy doll attached.

One was clearly a miniature version of Yan Chi, with soft chestnut-brown short hair, a small mole at the corner of his eye, and those gentle, smiling eyes. The other was simply a common doll keychain.

“Go give this to those two older brothers and tell them it’s a gift for our new store opening.”

The little girl nodded obediently, took the pendant, and ran to Yan Chi’s side. She tilted her head back and called out, “Brother!” Holding the pendant high, she exclaimed, “Brother, a gift! A…a gift for our opening! It’s for you!”

The little one was too young to speak clearly.

Yan Chi didn’t take it. He looked at Zhou Guixiang in surprise. Zhou Guixiang nervously clenched her hands and nodded to him, indicating that he should accept it.

Yan Chi squatted down in front of the little girl, his gaze level with hers, and took the pendant from her with both hands. “Okay, thank you for the gift. I wish you a prosperous opening and abundant wealth.”

The little girl smiled and kissed Yan Chi’s cheek, then turned and ran back to her mother’s arms.

Yan Chi, both amused and exasperated, held up the small keychain and asked Shen Mingsu, "Which one do you want?"

Shen Mingsu pointed to his cheek. "Can you kiss me?"

"W-there are other people here." Yan Chi blushed and told him righteously, "Outside, don't even think about it."

"Then I want the one that looks like you."

Yan Chi handed him the keychain.

Shen Mingsu looked at the doll repeatedly, a smile playing on his thin lips. He placed the doll against Yan Chi's face and nodded seriously. "Hmm, they're both cute babies."

Perhaps having heard such inappropriate remarks too often, Yan Chi had become immune. He didn't react as strongly as before, giving him a look that told him not to go too far.

Shen Mingsu clung tightly to him, wanting to hold his hand as well. Seeing that Yan Chi had circled around without buying a single doll, he asked, "Aren't you going to buy a doll? I see you really like them."

Yan Chi: "Who told you I like dolls?"

Shen Mingsu: "You have a ton at home, don't you like them?"

"Those are plush toys. I buy them because they're comfortable to hug," Yan Chi explained, glancing at the BJD dolls and shaking his head. "You can't hug these dolls to sleep; they'll easily crush you. Forget it."

Upon hearing that Yan Chi would hug a doll to sleep, jealousy instantly welled up in Shen Mingsu's eyes, like a child throwing a tantrum. "I want you to sleep with me tonight."

Yan Chi decisively refused. "No."

"We're lovers! Can't lovers sleep together?"

"We've only been dating for a day."

Shen Mingsu dejectedly: "...How many days do we have to date?"

"At least a month later." Yan Chi gave a timeframe: he had feelings for Shen Mingsu, but not to the point of sleeping together.

Shen Mingsu, seeing an opportunity, said, "Alright."

"Ding ding~"

A guest entered. Yan Chi turned around and saw it was another familiar face.

⬅️ Previous Next ➡️