Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 56

Chapter 56 – Graduation

The right amount of pressure at the fingertips

——

June brought another round of early summer rains, just like the year Qin Han first met Zhang Yuqing.

Under the damp air, Qin Han and Xie Ying huddled under a single umbrella as they made their way to the lecture hall for their graduation thesis defense.

Xie Ying exhaled sharply. “Little Qin Han, I’m so damn nervous.”

“Me too.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll pass for sure. Didn’t Dean Du Zhi say your paper was perfect?”

In truth, Qin Han’s thesis had already been declared absolutely satisfactory by Du Zhi. Even her thesis advisor was thoroughly pleased. Yet Qin Han still felt uneasy.

Perhaps it was because this was her first-ever thesis defense. Firsts always made people nervous, just like her first time dating.

She’d been with Zhang Yuqing for a few days now. Every time he called, she still needed to take a deep breath before answering.

Sometimes, as they talked, her ears would grow so hot it felt like his voice might scorch them.

The defense went smoothly. As Qin Han exited the teaching building, the sudden rain had just ceased, leaving the post-rain air clinging moistly to her skin.

The sky was a clear blue, with a faint rainbow arcing across it—half obscured by the tall teaching building.

Qin Han called Zhang Yuqing, cheerfully greeting him, “Zhang Yuqing.”

“Hm?”

“The rain stopped. I can see a rainbow here. Do you see it?”

Zhang Yuqing’s voice carried a smile, “I do.”

Qin Han continued happily, “My thesis defense is over. There’s nothing left at school now except waiting for the graduation photo.”

“Congratulations.”

Zhang Yuqing’s soft laughter came through the phone. “Which gate do you usually use at the school?”

“The main gate.”

She enjoyed chatting about her daily life with Zhang Yuqing. She recalled that first year of university when he’d told her stories about Normal University’s campus legends over the phone.

It was Zhang Yuqing’s attentive care that had eased her loneliness during registration without her parents’ presence.

Qin Han held her phone aloft. “I prefer the main entrance. It’s a bit farther, but it avoids ‘Angel Path.’ You know how it is—those crows flock there. The ground’s littered with dried bird droppings. During my second semester freshman year, I was rushing once and got hit by one.”

Zhang Yuqing chuckled. “We all said it brought good luck then.”

As she spoke, Qin Han’s gaze wandered through the school’s long corridor, searching for her rain umbrella drying with water marks.

Dozens of umbrellas piled together resembled a colorful mushroom cluster sprouting from the solemn corridor after rain.

Meanwhile, Xie Ying’s thesis advisor had finished announcing results. After some final instructions, the students dispersed. Xie Ying spotted Qin Han on the phone and pointed at a cherry-blossom-patterned umbrella by the door. “Little Qin han, here.”

Qin Han picked up the umbrella. “Are you coming back to the dorm with us?” Xie Ying asked. “We’ll wait for Sun Ziyi.”

Qin Han was about to nod when Zhang Yuqing’s voice came through the phone. “Come out. I’m at the main gate.”

“Why are you here?!” Qin Han asked, her voice bright with delight.

“Here to pick up my girlfriend for dinner.”

Hearing Qin Han’s words, Xie Ying knew Zhang Yuqing had arrived. She leaned in toward Qin Han’s phone and said, “Hey, Handsome Zhang, when we take our graduation photo, will you come and treat us girls to a meal?”

Zhang Yuqing smiled, “Whatever my little girl says goes.”

Xie Ying heard this too. She clicked her tongue and turned away, “Get lost! Hurry up and leave! You two are trying to kill single dogs like me!”

Luo Shijin and Li Nan had said similar things before. Qin Han’s face flushed slightly as she handed the umbrella to Xie Ying and fled.

Behind them came Xie Ying’s laughter, “Women grow up and leave the nest!”

On the day of the graduation photo, Zhang Yuqing drove Qin Han to school.

The graduation season was full of sentimental feelings, and Qin Han couldn’t escape them either.

The weather was quite sunny. Sitting in the passenger seat of Zhang Yuqing’s car, Qin Han sighed softly, “I still can’t bear to part with Beijing Normal University.”

“Take the graduate exam?”

Qin Han shook her head, “Better not.”

Du Zhi had mentioned before that Qin Han’s academic performance was excellent. Although she missed out on the direct admission to graduate school during her exchange years in the US, if she wanted to pursue a master’s degree at her alma mater, many professors would still be willing to mentor her.

Zhang Yuqing remembered many years ago when this young girl had pushed open the tattoo studio’s door in the night, standing under the dim lamplight with a resolute gaze.

She said, “Zhang Yuqing, I just checked—teachers actually earn decently well.”

She said, “If I work hard, I’ll make a lot of money in the future. Then you won’t have to work so hard anymore.”

At the time, the girl was around 17 or 18 years old, naive about the hardships of life. She spoke with fervent conviction, even promising, “I’ll always be by your side in the future.”

Zhang Yuqing hadn’t believed her then. He thought she was merely moved by the moment, like someone who had read a sentimental scene in a book or watched an emotional movie. He figured her words would be forgotten in a few days, with no real action to follow.

Later, Du Zhi told him Qin Han was studying with particular intensity, more anxious than third-year high school students preparing for their exams. She was just short of resorting to extreme measures like hanging her head from the ceiling or pricking her thighs with needles.

When he first heard this, Zhang Yuqing was somewhat surprised.

He had seen Qin Han during the summer break after her high school exams. While her academic performance was good, she wasn’t the type to work tirelessly. Even in their conversations, he could sense she wasn’t someone burdened by academic pressure.

Why would such a young girl suddenly push herself so hard in her studies? Was she trying to help him shoulder life’s burdens?

It was then that Zhang Yuqing began to realize Qin Han’s earlier words hadn’t been spoken lightly—she was truly determined to make something of herself.

As they approached a red light, Zhang Yuqing stopped the car and turned to Qin Han with a serious expression.

He asked, “Young lady, tell me why you don’t want to pursue graduate studies.”

Qin Han, caught off guard by his sudden seriousness, began counting on her fingers. “I asked Dean Du about it. She said after graduate studies, it’s easier to stay in universities as a teacher. Pursuing a doctorate would lead more into research.”

“That makes sense.”

“I actually prefer frontline teaching. For special education teachers, experience is crucial. The principal of the special school even mentioned they could send me for part-time graduate studies if needed later. So I’ll skip it now and reconsider in the future.”

Hearing the girl’s carefully planned future, focused on professional growth rather than immediate earnings, Zhang Yuqing felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

With a teasing smile, he pressed, “Is that all? No reason connected to me?”

Qin Han looked genuinely flustered, hesitating before responding. “There is one. I thought… with more experience, I could mentor Dandan better.”

After the red light passed, Zhang Yuqing restarted the car and said with a smile, “Eager to become our family’s little head already? What do you think Dandan will call you then? Little Teacher Qin? Qin Han-jiejie, or perhaps… Little Sister-in-law?”

His tone was teasing, but his voice carried warmth.

Qin Han’s face flushed crimson at his words.

When the car reached the Normal University gates, Qin Han tried to escape the embarrassing atmosphere by getting out. She pulled on the door, only to find it locked. Forced to turn back, she said, “The door…”

Zhang Yuqing leaned back in the driver’s seat, unhurriedly unbuckling his seatbelt.

Sunlight streamed through the window, filling his eyes with amusement as he tapped the steering wheel with two fingers. “Answer first, then you can get out.”

Qin Han remained silent, her face burning like a coal furnace.

Zhang Yuqing’s grin grew more mischievous. “No answer?”

After a long moment of internal conflict, Qin Han’s face grew so hot she could feel it from her toes. In a voice barely audible, she mumbled, “Right now, she’d call me jiejie. At school, she’d call me Teacher. And… and later, later I guess she’d still call me Little Sister-in-law.”

“What was that?”

Zhang Yuqing feigned confusion, leaning closer. “What will she call you later? I didn’t catch that part.”

The car’s interior was already cramped, but as Zhang Yuqing moved closer, Qin Han felt an overwhelming warmth that even the air conditioning couldn’t dispel.

She pushed him away. “We’ll discuss that later!”

Seeing her extreme embarrassment, Zhang Yuqing stopped teasing her.

He unlocked the car door. “Call me after you take your graduation photo? I’ll come pick you up.”

“Are you really going to treat my roommate to dinner?” Qin Han asked.

“Didn’t you say your roommate has been the most caring these past few years? This meal is my responsibility. But the choice is yours—do you want me to treat you?”

Qin Han nodded.

Zhang Yuqing smiled. “Alright then. Contact me after the photo shoot. Let’s meet at Qushun Restaurant tonight.”

Qushun Restaurant was a renowned old establishment in the area, known for its high prices—a place students rarely visited.

Qin Han knew this because her father had mentioned earlier that they could reserve Qushun Restaurant for Du Zhi’s dinner invitation.

When Zhang Yuqing proposed treating her roommate there, Qin Han gasped. “That place is so expensive!”

“Expressing gratitude for your roommate’s care deserves a proper setting.”

Zhang Yuqing suddenly laughed and ruffled Qin Han’s hair. “Don’t worry about saving money for me, young lady. Whether I have enough funds is my concern, not yours. You don’t need to worry about that now or in the future.”

“But…”

“Do you remember how I wished you a happy birthday when you turned eighteen?”

Qin Han felt momentarily disoriented. Her mind was filled with countless memories of Zhang Yuqing—memories she would often revisit and savor during her free time in America.

Yet his sudden question left her momentarily stumped. She couldn’t recall what exact wish he had expressed that year.

“I wanted you to live without worries, especially when you’re with me. Do you understand?”

Qin Han’s memory came flooding back.

That day, she had reached out to Zhang Yuqing, demanding a birthday gift. He had casually patted her hand and said, “Worry-free.”

She had thought it was a dismissive response.

Now she realized it was a heartfelt wish.

After Qin Han left, Zhang Yuqing sat in his car for a while, pondering whether he should tell the girl the truth—that he was now wealthy. He wanted to prevent her from constantly trying to save money for him.

When Qin Han’s mother had come knocking, it had been a time of immense pressure for Zhang Yuqing. Even then, he had believed he could bring joy to Qin Han and protect the person he loved.

Perhaps fate had other plans, for the young girl chose that very day to come.

In a moment of helplessness, he uttered words that would break Qin Han’s heart.

In the nights that followed, Zhang Yuqing would dream of her sobs, jolting awake drenched in cold sweat.

These past few years, he’d worked tirelessly and amassed wealth.

While he couldn’t claim great fortune or lavish living, he could at least provide the girl with a stable home.

A faint vibration from the car’s interior drew Zhang Yuqing’s attention to Qin Han’s phone.

The rose-gold device lay on the passenger seat, its screen lighting up with unread messages with each vibration.

Though the girl’s phone had no password, Zhang Yuqing had no intention of checking it.

After a moment’s consideration, he decided to deliver the phone personally.

He knew the Normal University campus like the back of his hand. Though he’d never taken graduation photos there, he remembered exactly where students gathered on the field and which buildings served as photo backdrops.

Zhang Yuqing locked his car and walked toward the Normal University campus, clutching Qin Han’s phone.

The familiar yet alien feeling of returning to this place after so long enveloped him.

Students moved about the campus in a steady stream. Many departments were taking graduation photos today, creating a sea of black academic gowns that stretched across the grounds.

Zhang Yuqing walked to the sports field clutching Qin Han’s phone. Among the sea of identical gowns, he spotted Qin Han immediately.

The young woman stood in the sun, laughing and chatting with classmates while linking arms with one of them. Judging by her affectionate demeanor, this must be the “female Luo Shijin” she’d mentioned so often.

Nearby, a group of gowned girls stole glances at Zhang Yuqing. After some whispered consultation, a girl with a straight-across bangs haircut stepped forward.

She removed her cap, smoothed her fringe, and approached him.

“Hello?”

Zhang Yuqing turned slowly, waiting for her to continue.

The girl pointed at his phone. “M-may I have your contact information?”

Zhang Yuqing smiled and waved the phone. “This is my girlfriend’s phone.”

After finishing her photo shoot, Qin Han tried calling Zhang Yuqing but realized her phone was missing. She searched through her bag and every pocket, but the phone remained elusive.

Just as Qin Han was growing anxious, a figure appeared before her.

She looked up to see Zhang Yuqing holding her phone, smiling. “Looking for this?”

“What are you doing here? I was just about to call you!”

Several roommates noticed Qin Han and Zhang Yuqing, and they all gathered around.

Xie Ying blurted out, “Holy crap, this is Zhang Yuqing in the flesh! He’s actually quite handsome. I was just thinking that the junior boy who helped us queue earlier wasn’t bad-looking, but now he seems totally ordinary in comparison.”

She quickly covered her mouth, shrank back, and glanced around. “I should keep my voice down so he doesn’t hear.”

Zhang Yuqing responded with ease, “Hello, I’m Qin Han’s boyfriend, Zhang Yuqing.”

This announcement was met with a chorus of excited screams from the roommates.

The weather was slightly warm, so Qin Han removed her graduation gown. Zhang Yuqing naturally took her bag and clothes.

Qin Han’s roommates were all friendly. Even during her two years in the US, they often tagged her in group chats and sometimes sent international packages.

Among the roommates, Qin Han was the youngest, so everyone called her “Little Qin Han”.

Only Xie Ying and Sun Ziyi knew Zhang Yuqing’s name and appearance; some roommates had never met him before.

Seeing Zhang Yuqing’s attentive behavior towards Qin Han, one roommate bluntly said, “Little Qin Han’s boyfriend is pretty good. Better than the previous one.”

“Which one before? There wasn’t one before, was there?” Xie Ying asked, bewildered.

Qin Han was equally perplexed, looking at Zhang Yuqing with wide, innocent eyes.

The roommate who knew the story was incensed. “Just mentioning it makes me mad! Little Qin Han is such a great girl—smart, well-mannered, and beautiful. What did that bastard do to her? She was crying so miserably in our dorm during her first year!”

Another roommate, unaware of the history, chimed in angrily, “Right! What a piece of shit! Breaking up was the right choice!”

Xie Ying hastily covered their mouths. “Sisters, watch your language! The ‘piece of shit’ you’re cursing will be treating us to dinner later!”

While Xie Ying was explaining Qin Han’s relationship history to her roommates, Zhang Yuqing called out to Qin Han.

Despite being insulted, he didn’t show any anger. Instead, he placed his hand on the top of Qin Han’s head. “It won’t happen again.”

Qin Han had initially felt guilty, having been inexplicably labeled as a “bastard” by her roommates. But upon hearing Zhang Yuqing’s gentle voice, she lifted her head. “What?”

“I won’t let you cry like that again.”

The meal progressed amicably. When no one else was looking, Xie Ying grabbed Qin Han’s hand. “Little Qin Han, spill the tea—how’s Zhang Yuqing in bed?”

“He’s great, really. Gentle, kind, responsible, smart, and has solid values.”

“No!”

Xie Ying interrupted Qin Han, her expression both mysterious and excited. “I mean, during… you know, when you two were being intimate, how was he?”

Intimate?

Qin Han recalled Zhang Yuqing’s fingers gently tracing her back during their embrace, her cheeks flushing crimson.

Noticing her blush, Xie Ying nudged her with an elbow. “Little Qin Han, spill the details. No secrets!”

This was such an awkward topic, but the wine had given Qin Han a bit of courage. She tilted her head thoughtfully before answering, “His hands were warm, with just the right amount of pressure at the fingertips.”

Xie Ying’s eyes widened as if she’d heard something scandalous. She quickly covered Qin Han’s mouth, whispering urgently, “Just say whether he’s good in bed or not! You don’t need to get so specific!”

“What do you mean ‘good in bed’?”

“You know… that thing.”

“What thing?”

Xie Ying’s eyes bulged. “You haven’t done it?”

Qin Han took a moment to process what “done it” meant. After a pause, she replied, “No.”

“Then why are you talking about hands?”

“I was talking about hugs.”

Disappointed, Xie Ying fumed, “You two! Are you elementary school chickens?!”