There Are Always Teachers Who Want To Ask Out Parents

Chapter 110: Minxi x Saki: Farewell Is Forever

Shortly after receiving the bridal bouquet at the wedding, Minxi met her current girlfriend.

Her name was Ni Yue, a professor in the Economics and Management Department at Jiangcheng University. She had recently returned from studying in the UK. She was the same age as Minxi, born into an intellectual family with both parents being professors. Standing at 1.7 meters tall, she was slightly taller than Minxi. Ni Yue had a beautiful face and liked to wear light-colored and simple clothing. When she smiled, shallow dimples appear on her cheeks.

They had met at a networking event.

Minxi stood in front of the corridor, looking up to admire a painting by an obscure artist. She was engrossed and didn't notice someone approaching. She only heard a soft female voice near her ear.

"Do you also like this painting?"

She turned her head and met the smiling gaze of the woman. She was momentarily taken aback, and a spark flashed in her mind. Instinctively, she nodded in response.

On that day, Ni Yue wore a emerald green V-neck half-sleeved shirt and a white straight-cut long skirt. Her black hair fell on her shoulders, and she carried an air of scholarly elegance.

After knowing each other for two years, they started dating.

On their first anniversary, Minxi and her girlfriend went on a trip to a southern city. The most famous attractions in the area were the caves and stalactites. It was the off-season, so there weren't many tourists, making it perfect for a leisurely visit.

Due to the higher number of tourists from Japan and South Korea, the signs in the scenic area were not only in Chinese and English but also in Japanese and Korean. Travel groups from both countries could be seen everywhere.

With rolling green hills and a wide river flowing through the valley, surrounded by mist, it felt like a fairyland. The local guide enthusiastically introduced the landscapes and historical sites, brimming with pride.

After getting off the car, Minxi held her girlfriend's hand.

The surface temperature was thirty-six degrees Celsius, scorching hot like a furnace. But as soon as they entered the cave, a cool breeze hit them, sending a chill through their pores, creating a mix of cold and heat.

Inside the cave, there were wooden walkways and stone steps. In narrow sections, only two people could walk side by side. The cave was filled with various shapes of stones, stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and numerous sharp stalagmites rising from the ground, varying in length and density. Under the colorful lights, they appeared even more strange and magnificent.

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There were large and small stone pillars on both sides of the walkway, adorned with intricate and exquisite natural patterns, truly marvelous.

Minxi held her girlfriend's hand, closely following the guide. Behind them was a Japanese tour group, and the tour guide was using a microphone to explain in Japanese, the clear sound reaching Minxi's ears.

As they reached the center of the cave, the lights changed to a colorful display, surrounding a massive towering column like a constellation of stars, magnificent and grand.

Seeing some tourists taking photos, Ni Yue let go of Minxi's hand and smiled, "Can you take a picture for me?"

She walked to a side where the light wasn't as glaring and stood casually. Minxi raised her phone, adjusted the angle slightly, and took a few continuous shots for her.

After taking the photos, Ni Yue waved to Minxi and pointed to the side of the pillar, saying, "I'll go over there and see if there are any other angles to take." She turned around and leaned against the railing.

Minxi smiled and replied okay. She lowered her head to look at the photos when suddenly her lower leg was brushed by something. She turned her head slightly and saw a little girl tripping and falling near her feet.

"Izumi!" The woman beside her exclaimed softly and quickly helped the child up. "Are you okay?"

The voice was gentle and delicate, speaking in Japanese, and it felt familiar.

Minxi's figure trembled slightly as she stared blankly at the mother and daughter in front of her. In her mind, an image immediately emerged. The woman held the child's hand and stood up, apologizing. As she raised her eyes, her voice got stuck in her throat.

Their gazes met, and a wordless exchange took place.

Minxi thought that their separation would be forever, erasing both Saki and the past, never to meet again.

Approaching the age of forty, Saki had gained another fine line at the corner of her eyes, appearing much wearier. The faint smile that once resided between her brows and eyes vanished the moment she saw Minxi, replaced by astonishment, joy, and melancholy.

"...Minxi?" Her lips moved, uttering a name that hadn't been spoken for a long time but remained familiar. Her eyes bloomed with a smile. "What a coincidence."

Minxi silently gazed at her, not saying a word, only politely nodding her head. Her heart remained unruffled, unaffected by any ripples.

In that brief moment of eye contact, Minxi had felt a slight unease, fearing that she hadn't forgotten everything, afraid that her heart would stir even the slightest. But now, she let out a sigh of relief, as if a burden had been lifted.

She let go.

The scars in her heart had healed.

Meeting an old acquaintance again, and all they could say was, "What a coincidence."

"You—" Saki wanted to say something, but suddenly heard someone calling out "Minxi" from ahead. Instinctively, she looked in that direction and saw a woman in a blue dress waving towards them near the stone pillar.

That person called out and then paused, walking towards them.

Saki watched as the person approached step by step, her heart beating rapidly. It felt like an invisible hand was choking her throat, making it difficult to breathe.

"Minxi?" Ni Yue held her girlfriend's arm and curiously looked at Saki. "Do you know each other?"

"No, we don't." Minxi replied without hesitation.

Saki clenched her daughter's hand tightly.

"Mom, it hurts..." the little girl frowned.

She quickly released her grip and lowered her gaze, looking at her daughter.

"There's a memorial monument over there. Let's go take a picture." Without much thought, Ni Yue held Minxi's arm and walked towards the other side of the stone pillar.

Saki suddenly looked up, wanting to call her back, but her lips froze and her gaze watched as the person turned around without any nostalgia, linking arms with the woman beside her...

At noon, Minxi and her girlfriend returned to the hotel and entered a private room.

Trekking had been physically exhausting, and both of them were tired and hungry. The dishes were brought out one by one, and almost all of them were emptied from the plates, except for the boiled freshwater prawns, which were left as snacks for later.

The prawns were of a moderate size, with tender and delicious meat. Ni Yue always enjoyed eating them, and Minxi had acquired the skill of quickly peeling prawns. Within five seconds, she would remove the head, tail, and legs, leaving only the succulent meat. In no time, she had peeled a whole plateful.

"You go ahead and eat. I'll go wash my hands."

"I'll wait for you to come back."

Ni Yue looked at Minxi with admiration. She herself couldn't peel prawns properly no matter how many times she tried, always ending up with messy hands. Minxi, on the other hand, had a natural talent for it, becoming skilled after only a few attempts.

But what she didn't know was that Minxi had mastered the skill of peeling prawns a long time ago.

That's why she could adapt so quickly.

The restroom was located at the other end of the lobby, requiring them to pass through dozens of round tables. During peak season, the tables would be filled with people, mostly tour groups, during meal times. However, it was currently the off-season, and only a few tables were occupied by tour groups, one of which had a flag with Japanese writing on it.

As Minxi walked by, she glanced sideways and immediately noticed Saki sitting at a corner of one of the tables, helping her daughter with the food, her eyes and smile filled with tenderness.

Minxi didn't pause her steps, though. She turned her head back and continued walking to the restroom, washed her hands, and then took a detour to avoid passing by that particular table as she made her way back to the private room.

….

After finishing their meal, the two of them returned to their room and took a short nap. At 2:30 PM, they woke up and headed to the pier to embark on a river cruise.

The river's surface was clear and reflective like a mirror, showcasing the undulating mountain ranges on both sides. The cruise boat sailed slowly through the center of the river, leaving behind a slender trail of snow-white waves. It was a heavenly scene, akin to a painting coming to life.

Ni Yue enjoyed taking photos and had been capturing many moments along the way. However, the scenery on both banks started to feel repetitive, with nothing but green waters and lush mountains. She walked to the deck and embraced Minxi from behind, kissing her cheek as if no one else was around.

In middle age, the fiery passion of youth had faded, and more often than not, they found solace in each other's company, nurturing their enduring love like a gentle stream.

Minxi tilted her head and held onto the hand around her waist, smiling. "Be careful not to let other tourists see us."

"What does it matter?" Ni Yue didn't care and stretched her neck to reach Minxi's lips.

They were both tired of being cautious all the time.

Away from home and among strangers, they could be however they wanted to be.

After about half an hour of cruising on the river, the boat stopped at another pier on the opposite side, leading to another scenic spot. A few scattered individuals disembarked from the boat.

Not far away, there was a shop selling locally famous ice cream. Ni Yue tugged at Minxi's hand and asked, "Want to have some ice cream? I'll go buy it." As she spoke, her throat made a slight swallow, and she felt thirsty.

Minxi looked at her and burst into laughter, nodding in agreement.

Clearly, it was her who wanted to have the ice cream.

There was a short line at the entrance of the shop, not too many people, but it still took some time. Minxi glanced at her girlfriend's figure and couldn't help but smile. She found a shady spot and sat down, resting while waiting.

"Wuwuwu..."

A cry came from near a flower bed. Minxi instinctively looked up and saw a little girl wandering around. Her clothes and silhouette seemed somewhat familiar.

The girl appeared to be around eight or nine years old, wearing a floral dress and a white straw hat. She had a backpack shaped like a Shiba Inu on her shoulders, giving her an adorable appearance. She wandered around the flower bed, crying and looking around while mumbling for her mother. As she turned, her tear-streaked face came into Minxi's view.

Izumi?

Minxi was taken aback. She stood up and looked around, but she didn't see any sign of Saki. Listening to the girl's cries, she suddenly had a bad premonition and her legs moved involuntarily towards her.

"Little one, is your name Izumi?" she asked, intentionally pretending not to know, speaking fluent Japanese.

The girl widened her eyes, and her dark and shining pupils seemed brighter after being washed with tears. She hesitated and nodded, saying, "How did you know..." She paused and continued, "Auntie, are you also Japanese?"

As Minxi looked at her, all the resentment in her heart disappeared, and she couldn't help but smile and shake her head. She replied, "No, I'm not. Where is your mother?"

 How much she hated this child back then...

The little girl sniffled, raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and spoke softly, "I don't know... she's gone..."

The mother and daughter came here to take a boat. Everyone was waiting in the lounge for the boat. She wanted to use the restroom, so she followed the directions her mother had given. However, the restroom had two entrances, one in the front and one in the back, and they looked the same. She didn't understand Chinese and had a terrible sense of direction, so she couldn't find her way back after coming out.

She didn't care whether the pretty aunt was a bad person or not, Izumi spoke frankly. She thought that since the aunt could speak her language, she should be able to help her, right?

Moreover, this aunt looked familiar.

Not only did she see her in the cave in the morning, but it seemed like she had seen her before, but she couldn't quite remember...

After listening to the child's choked-up words, Minxi frowned and turned to look in the direction of the shops. Ni Yue was still in line, almost her turn. After a moment of consideration, she held the girl's hand and said, "I know how to get back. Let's go, I'll take you there."

The little girl was obedient and followed her.

The lounge was not far, just separated by a wall from the flowerbed side, but the path was a bit winding. For someone with a poor sense of direction, it was indeed easy to get lost, especially for a child who couldn't understand the signs.

There weren't many people inside, just one group.

Minxi immediately saw Saki sitting in a chair, playing with her phone.

That person seemed unaware of what had happened, completely oblivious, with a calm and content expression. Before Minxi could call out to her, the little girl broke free from her hand and ran over, saying, "Mom!"

Saki looked up in confusion at her daughter and asked, "What's wrong, Izumi?"

"I got lost right after I used the restroom," the girl whispered, pointing her hand towards the entrance. "It was that aunt who brought me here."

Saki followed her daughter's hand with her gaze.

Their eyes met.

The surging blood rushed through her chest, boiling in an instant. She stood up abruptly, but saw the person at the door turning to leave. Saki hurriedly chased after her, grabbing her wrist.

"Minxi!"

In the next second, her hand was pried open.

Minxi took a step back, her pupils reflecting a pair of bloodshot eyes. Unkind words surged to her lips but were swallowed back. She furrowed her brow slightly and said calmly, "Take care of your child when you go out."

"...Thank you," Saki choked out, unable to control the trembling of her shoulders.

Minxi turned around, intending to leave.

"Have you been well these past few years?"

The voice behind her was like thorny vines, binding her legs, rendering her immobile. Her heart remained still as water as she casually replied, "I'm doing fine. I've been on vacation recently, taking my girlfriend out to play."

"You... have a girlfriend?"

"Mm."

Saki's body trembled, her hands tightly clutching the edge of her skirt, causing the smooth fabric to crease.

She could no longer utter a word and couldn't produce any sound. Her rigid back suddenly collapsed, and she watched helplessly as that person walked away step by step, until they disappeared around the corner of the wall...

Twenty years later.

In the quiet hospital room, a sea of white met her eyes, and the faint smell of medicine permeated the air.

The old woman lay in bed, struggling to breathe. Her eyelids were half closed, and the hand exposed outside the blanket was thin and withered like a dry branch. Even with the oxygen mask on, it seemed as if she couldn't catch her breath, as if the hand of death was already gripping her neck, allowing her no more time.

She saw the faces of many departed loved ones, saw a pitch-black road without end.

And she still saw the faces that remained in her mind.

The old woman's throat emitted wheezing sounds, as if she was trying to say something, but unfortunately, she couldn't form complete words.

She felt very tired.

She wanted to sleep.

To fall asleep and never wake up again.

She closed her eyes.

In the last few minutes, her brain flashed fragmented images, like a final burst of light. There were happy moments, sad moments, and moments of regret--

[If you're willing, come back to China with me. If you're not willing, we'll never contact each other again.]

She regretted it.

Even if it meant giving up her pride, giving up her dignity, she didn't want to lose that person anymore. But she missed the chance, unable to regret it. Farewell meant forever, and she ultimately failed to seize the final opportunity, losing her.

She wanted to, she really did...

The waveform on the electrocardiogram turned into a straight line.

She stared with wide eyes, her mouth agape, but her pupils dilated.

….

A few days later, Eguchi Izumi was at home sorting through her mother's belongings when she came across a locked small box. The key was in her mother's vanity drawer.

Opening the box, she found a thick stack of photographs, a few handwritten notes, and some trinkets.

The photos depicted two young women.

Embracing each other, kissing, with affectionate expressions.

Izumi recognized one of them as her mother, but the other...

She looked familiar, but she couldn't remember.

Author's Note: 

The inspiration for the final part came from a lovely commenter in the comments section (can't remember the name...).