Chapter 10: Living with My High School Goddess Teacher!

Christian Yale made a quick run and personally handled the discharge paperwork. By the time he returned to the hospital lobby, Yasmin Yonwin had already packed up her things. "It's all done." Christian handed her the documents. "I'll take you both home." Yasmin lowered her voice. "Thank you, Christian… I'll find a way to pay you back for that money." "Why are you being so polite with me?" Christian smiled, then reached out and took Alfred Yonwin's other arm. "Come on. Let's go." Before long, the Porsche drove into the neighborhood Yasmin rented in. It wasn't as upscale as Xander Zorn's area, but it was quiet, with a calm, clean atmosphere. After parking, Christian helped Yasmin support Alfred upstairs and settled him into the bedroom. "Dad, lie down for a bit." Yasmin tucked a thin blanket over her father. When she stepped out of the room, she spoke softly to Christian. "Today really… we couldn't have done it without you." "It's almost dinner time, so…" She hesitated, then looked up. "Stay and have a simple meal with us, okay? Let me at least thank you properly." Christian laughed easily. "Sure. Then I'll be in your hands, Yasmin." "Call me Yasmin," she corrected, her cheeks tinting pink. She turned toward the kitchen. "I don't have much food at home. I'll throw something together. Don't judge." "I'll help." Christian rolled up his sleeves like he meant it. "The kitchen's a little messy…" "It's fine. When a man and a woman work together, the job feels lighter." The kitchen was small. With both of them inside, it was impossible to move around without brushing shoulders or bumping elbows. Christian stood to the side slicing meat. Yasmin bent to grab soy sauce from the cabinet. She wore a pair of faded, form-fitting jeans. The moment she leaned over, the fabric hugged the curve of her hips and the long line of her legs, outlining a full, rounded silhouette… Christian's knife hung in midair. For a second, he forgot what he was doing. "Christian, can you help me with the garli-" Yasmin straightened and turned at that exact moment. Her words cut off when she met his gaze. Christian's heart lurched. His hand jerked down on instinct, and the cleaver scraped across the nail of his other hand. "Careful!" Yasmin cried. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Christian steadied the blade in a rush, his heartbeat pounding hard. He snatched up a clove of garlic. "The skin's kind of slippery… You wanted garlic, right? I've got it!" He lowered his head and started smashing the garlic with force, but his ears burned hot. *Get it together,* he cursed himself. *You almost made a fool of yourself in front of her.* "Pfft…" Seeing how flustered he looked, Yasmin couldn't hold back her laughter. Christian's ears turned even redder, and he chopped so hard the garlic nearly flew. As if remembering something, Yasmin used the opening to ask, "Christian… Oliver Warth mentioned before that you're in a lot of debt?" She remembered it clearly. Christian's ex-girlfriend had been Abby Heyland, the one on duty that night during rounds. But Abby seemed to be Oliver's girlfriend now. And after what Oliver said today, something about the whole thing felt off… Hearing that, Christian gave a self-mocking smile. Then, while he kept smashing the garlic, he briefly explained how he'd once "targeted poverty alleviation" and ended up in the mess he was in. "You're already like this…" Yasmin's voice caught. "Why did you still help me?" She'd thought Christian was just having a rough time. She hadn't realized he was carrying that kind of debt. And when she'd been at her most helpless, this student who could barely protect himself had stepped in front of her again and again, without hesitation. He'd even taken out three hundred thousand… She felt grateful, and her heart ached for him. Christian looked at her tear-streaked face. Before he even knew what he was doing, he lifted a hand and gently wiped the tear at the corner of her eye. "Because you're my Yasmin." "How could I stand by and watch you and your dad get bullied by those scum?" "Besides, look at me. I'm fine. Money can always be earned again." "The food… the food's going to burn." Yasmin turned away in a hurry. The tips of her ears reddened as she muttered under her breath, "Idiot…" Christian withdrew his hand, grinning to himself as he went back to helping. Soon enough, a simple spread of three dishes and a soup was on the table. Christian ate like he'd been starving, giving enthusiastic thumbs-ups between bites. "Yasmin, you're wasting your talent. You should open a restaurant." Yasmin ducked her head with a shy smile, clearly embarrassed by the praise. "It's not that good. It's just home cooking." "Ahem…" Alfred sighed. "Yasmin's always been good with her hands. Too bad she went into teaching, and then ran into a piece of trash." Christian went quiet. *Uncle, you're really something. One sentence and you killed the entire conversation.* The air turned awkward. After dinner, Alfred had only just recovered from a serious illness, so he went back to his room early to rest. Only the two of them remained in the living room. Christian was thinking it was about time to leave when Yasmin, sitting across from him, suddenly went pale and pressed a hand to her lower abdomen. In an instant, she was sweating through the pain. Her hair fell loose, sticking to the pale curve of her neck… Christian hurried over and held her by the shoulders. "Yasmin, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Yasmin curled up on the couch, her fingers pressing hard just below her belly. "My lower abdomen… it feels heavy and painful." "Does it happen a lot? Especially in the days before your period?" Christian asked as he took her pulse. Yasmin nodded, wincing. "Yeah… every time. It's been years. It's not a big deal." "This is cold energy stagnation, and the qi and blood in your pelvis aren't flowing smoothly." Christian crouched and looked up at her. "I know a massage technique that can help relieve it. Want to try?" The pain came in waves, growing sharper. Yasmin couldn't bear it anymore. She bit her lip and gave a small, breathy "Mm." Christian helped her lie back on the couch and sat beside her. Then he tugged her jeans down just a little and placed his palm over her lower abdomen, slowly channeling his energy. Yasmin's body tensed for a moment. Then a warm current seeped in, and the tightness in her nerves and muscles eased despite herself. Following the method from the Inheritance, Christian's fingertips carried a steady flow of energy as he traced gentle circles and applied light pressure around the Energy Sea and nearby acupoints. "Mmm…" Yasmin let out an involuntary, soft sound of relief. Realizing what she'd done, her cheeks flushed and she turned her face away. Sensing her embarrassment, Christian kept his hands moving and searched for something else to talk about. "By the way, my old lease is almost up. The landlord's son is getting married and needs the place. I've been stressing about where to go next." Yasmin turned her head slightly to look at him. "You're looking for an apartment?" "Yeah. It's hard to find something decent. Either it's too far or it's too expensive." Christian gave a bitter laugh. Yasmin fell silent for a moment. Then she opened her eyes. "How about…" She hesitated, then spoke as if deciding all at once. "You move in here." "There's an empty room. It's been unused for ages." "You'd save on rent." "And my dad just recovered. When I go back to work, I… I won't feel at ease leaving him alone." Christian's fingers paused. His heart kicked hard in his chest. Living together with his high school goddess teacher? The image was so unreal he almost didn't dare think it. "This… might not be appropriate," he said, forcing calm into his voice. Yasmin shot him a reproachful look. "You lent me three hundred thousand, and I can't pay it back yet. I'm letting you save some rent. Is that not allowed?" Joy surged through Christian. "Fine. Then I'll move in tomorrow!" Yasmin didn't say anything else, but the gloom that had clung to her for days seemed to thin and lift. Under Christian's massage, her lower abdomen grew warmer and warmer. The pain gradually faded, and a heavy fatigue rolled in like a tide. She closed her eyes and murmured drowsily, "Christian… thank you…" And just like that, she fell asleep. Watching her peaceful sleeping face, Christian stopped. He reached for the thin blanket nearby and gently covered her. "No wonder she was everyone's goddess…" "Years later, and I still can't stop wanting to protect her." Just then, the phone on the coffee table buzzed. The screen lit up. The caller ID displayed four bold characters: BEAST WORSE THAN ANIMALS! Christian chuckled under his breath. No need to guess. It had to be Xander Zorn. He glanced at Yasmin, not wanting to wake her, then took the phone and stepped onto the balcony to answer. The moment the call connected, Xander's furious voice slammed into him. "Yasmin! You bitch! Don't think you're safe just because that little punk is backing you!" "I'm telling you, this isn't over!" "Elliot Casson might not dare touch you, but I've got plenty of ways to ruin you!" "Three hundred thousand? That was just the principal!" "If you don't pay me back five hundred thousand! A million! Five million! I'll make sure you and your deadbeat father can't survive in Valia!" Christian listened without expression. When the roaring finally paused, he asked evenly, "Done?" There was a stunned beat on the other end. Xander blurted, "Christian? Why is it you? Where's Yasmin?!" "Yasmin?" Christian drew out the name on purpose. "She was exhausted. She fell asleep. If you've got something to say, call back tomorrow." "Asleep?!" Xander's voice jumped. "It's not even that late. Why would she be asleep already?" In his mind, lurid images flashed one after another, and he completely lost it. "You two… did you fuck in-" Christian ended the call. … "Beep, beep, beep-" In a high-end residential complex, Xander listened to the dead tone and called back in a rage, only to find he'd been blocked. He hurled his phone at the wall. It shattered into pieces on impact. "Christian Yale!" "Yasmin Yonwin!" "You filthy pair… just you wait!!!"