Chapter 11 Secret Mornings
There’s a popular thread online: How can you tell when two people’s relationship has changed?
I planned to study it line by line before we went public—and then deliberately do the opposite.
Shen Xiuming had already handed over his substitute teaching duties. Although he was no longer my professor, everyone still called him “Professor Shen.”
Due to work, he would stay at our university temporarily for academic exchanges.
On the surface, when we met on campus, we were still professor and student.
Learning how to pretend I barely knew Shen Xiuming around people I knew became my newest challenge—aside from exams.
We secretly “dated” in the library’s dead-signal corners.
He read. I reviewed.
Peaceful days.
We also ran together on the big sports field at dawn.
Sometimes one in front of the other, sometimes side by side.
Life felt calm and steady. I was suddenly eating two extra bowls of rice. Study efficiency doubled.
My roommates asked if I’d won the lottery.
Just a few days ago I’d been listless—now I was glowing.
I could only laugh and say it was thanks to early sleep and early rise.
But when life felt too good for too long, something came along to prank you.
Like tonight—I stayed in the dorm alone to study while everyone else went out.
Halfway through washing my hair, the water and power cut off.
I wrapped my hair roughly, threw on a jacket, and went downstairs to find the dorm manager.
Of course, bad luck doubled: the manager was at a meeting.
Tonight, it seemed everyone had made plans to disappear.
The whole building was eerily quiet.
I remembered the recent reports of a creep stealing girls’ underwear from dorms. A chill shot up my spine.
Right then, Shen Xiuming’s call came through, asking if I was free this weekend.
I clutched the phone and—without even registering what he was saying—dumped all my troubles on him in one breath.
He didn’t hesitate. Told me to wait on the first floor and not wander.
Less than twenty minutes later, the familiar figure appeared.
I sprinted over, not caring who might see, and threw myself into Shen Xiuming’s arms.
He didn’t push me away. Just patted my head. “It’s okay. Stay at my place tonight.”
My hair was still sticky. I hadn’t even rinsed properly. All I wanted right now was a place with hot water.
I completely overlooked the earth-shaking implication of “staying at Shen Xiuming’s house.”
He had rented a clean, tidy one-bedroom near Z University.
He ran a hot bath for me and told me to wash first.
When I came out, a bowl of hot sugar water waited on the table.
Shen Xiuming left a note saying to sleep peacefully tonight—he’d crash with Chen Xu.
While sipping the sugar water, I messaged him asking why he ran away.
【Professor Shen, scared I’d eat you alive?】
He sent several spanking emojis in protest.
Ever since we cleared things up, I loved calling him “Professor Shen” in private. Every time, his ears would turn blood-red.
I was just imagining his embarrassed expression when a new message came.
【By the way, take that whole stack of materials on my coffee table with you. You can look through them with your roommates and friends.】
When I saw what the thick, A4-bound booklet actually was, warmth flooded my chest.
It was a complete梳理 of undergraduate physics foundations, quantum mechanics pain points, plus suggestions for graduate school directions.
Printed on A4, annotated in fountain pen, handwriting clear and elegant.
I turned page after page, almost able to see Shen Xiuming sitting at his desk, carefully organizing all this for me.