Here's the translation of the text into English: "My ex-boyfriend below mocked me for not being wanted. I couldn't take it anymore, so I randomly pulled a guy next to me and kissed him. After my ex-boyfriend left, I followed behind the guy I've had a crush on for a long time, feeling as timid as a little chick. 'Dr. He...,' I said weakly. No, I didn't, I'm not, you can't accuse me. 'So brave, Tang Qingqing, daring to kiss anyone.' My face stiffened."
My nasty ex-boyfriend mocked me for being unwanted.
In a fit of anger, I grabbed a random guy nearby and kissed him.
After my ex left, I sheepishly followed behind the man I had long admired.
"Dr. Stewart... " I weakly called out.
No, I didn't mean to do like that. Just please listen to my excuse.
"Quite bold, Linda Marshall, find a random guy and kiss him, huh?"
My face froze.
1
Inside a restaurant, Vance Stewart sat across from me with a smile on his face.
Although he was smiling, I felt he was in a bad mood.
No one would easily forgive someone who suddenly kissed them.
Clearly, Vance wasn't doing well.
After all, the person I had impulsively kissed was him, an innocent passerby.
"Are your teeth still hurting? How's the recovery going?" He finally asked after a long pause.
I looked at him nervously, my eyes lingering on his thin lips, savoring the taste from earlier.
But I didn't dare speak, fearing the consequences.
"Speak." He frowned slightly, adding, "Weren't you bold just now?"
"Uh... they're fine... " I stammered, feeling flustered.
"Was that your ex-boyfriend?" His probing tone was intense.
I reluctantly replied, "Sort of... "
He acknowledged with a hum, and then silence fell between us.
I awkwardly lowered my head. Given our current situation, things were indeed a bit complicated.
He was a dentist and my high school classmate.
Just last week, he had witnessed my tearful ordeal during a tooth extraction.
I thought that would be the end of it since we wouldn't meet again.
But just now, I had kissed him.
It started when I went out for a quick errand and ran into Jackie Wilson, my damned ex-boyfriend.
Maybe he was in a foul mood, but he opened his mouth with snarky sarcasm when he saw me.
He claimed that no one would want me after our breakup.
In a fit of rage, I grabbed the nearest person and kissed him.
"No one wants a piece of shit like you, right?" I declared with an air of smugness, not realizing who was beside me.
Watching Jackie leave with a sour expression, I turned back to apologize to the person I had kissed.
When I looked up, I was scared out of my wits.
"Dr. Stewart... " I was terrified.
Before I could finish, Vance gritted his teeth and said, "Linda Marshall!"
2
"Vance, believe me, it was an accident."
I broke the silence, unable to bear it any longer.
After all, I had been his class monitor, and I needed to show a calm.
Although we weren't very close before, I felt like we were.
After saying this, I swallowed nervously and looked at him.
As expected, he remained expressionless.
"So... what do you want to do?" I asked, looking up at him.
Since I was the one who kissed him first, it was only right to offer an explanation.
However, it was clear that I had taken advantage of the situation, making it even harder for me to speak.
After a brief silence, Vance's expression softened, but his tone was still stern, "Linda, can't you do something normal"
"Huh?" I was stunned.
Seeing my bewildered expression, he was at a loss for words. He glanced at me and said angrily, "Didn't you consider the consequences of randomly kissing a man?"
I let out a dry laugh, trying to ease the atmosphere, "Well, but it was you I kissed, right? I'm really sorry."
Vance sighed but still wore a stern expression.
He glanced at his phone and then stood up.
"Forget it, I have things to do. I'll leave first."
I quickly nodded.
However, just as Vance took two steps away, I remembered something else.
"I'm organizing a gathering next Saturday. Will you come?"
Vance didn't turn back, "No."
It was the expected answer, as he hadn't attended the previous two times, citing a lack of time.
I felt a bit disappointed and muttered, "Alright then."
3
Actually, Vance and I did have some interactions.
In my second year of high school, I became the class monitor of a new class.
Scanning the room from the podium, I noticed Vance in the corner.
It was a shallow reason, but he was good-looking.
However, it was clear he wasn't very interested in the people or events in the new class.
So, I didn't manage to talk to him right away, which left me disappointed. I could only secretly pay attention to him.
After all, girls liked pretty things, including people.
Our first interaction happened on a dark and stormy night.
I stumbled upon him in a scuffle.
The sounds of fighting and cursing came from ahead.
Curious, I approached and recognized someone familiar in the middle of it all.
It was Vance.
From a distance, his height advantage was evident amidst the crowd.
Was Vance really going to take them all on by himself?
My eyes lit up, and I couldn't help but step closer.
His height already gave him half the advantage, and he didn't look weak either.
At that moment, I was sure he would win.
The alley was dim, and they didn't notice me sneakily watching from the corner. And I was ready to etch the scene of his victory into my memory.
He was facing six opponents, that was quite a challenge.
I watched excitedly as Vance swung his fists and stepped forward.
Then... he got knocked down.
I was taken aback, genuinely surprised.
He lost, and it was a complete defeat.
Poor Vance was cornered against the wall, and I couldn't help but step forward.
As the class monitor, I could never just stand by and watch my own student get beaten like that.
A few minutes later, patting the ash on my hands after fighting, I walked towards him with a blank expression.
Without a doubt, I had successfully played the hero, becoming an unforgettable part of Vance's high school memories.
I still remembered his expression.
Though he appeared expressionless, the bruises on his face and the look in his eyes were impossible to hide.
There was shock mixed with a bit of shame, and the embarrassment of being knocked down.
Finally, he tried to act nonchalant.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
I dared not tell him how much he reminded me of a sulking pet when it was humiliated.
It was kind of cute, honestly.
I coughed twice, then calmly extended my hand to him.
"Vance, are you okay?"
At that moment, I felt the great aura of my class monitor role successfully enveloped him.
After that, I developed an indescribable feeling towards Vance.
A feeling of a strong protector for the weak.
Although we didn't keep in touch now, and even though we were at the same university but not close, through my one-sided "protection", I still had further interactions with him
4.
After that incident in the high school, I knew we were on the same way back home.
So, to fulfill my duty as class president, I followed him for several days.
Even the stray cats he often fed recognized me and would meow when they saw me.
One day, he finally couldn't take it anymore and called out to me from behind.
"Miss class monitor, you've been following me for days."
Was it that obvious?
As for why, it was of course because protecting my student was my responsibility.
Naturally, I wouldn't say it like that.
I just smiled confidently and said to him, "I'm worried you might get beaten up again, so it's safer to follow you."
Then the silence fell between us. Vance gave no response.
Looking back, I thought he must have been speechless at the time.
"Well, thank you then." He said, though his tone didn't sound sincere, but I was happy.
"No need, no need, it's what a class monitor should do." I grinned at him.
He seemed exasperated by me and turned to leave.
But that didn't diminish my care for him.
I continued to follow him, even to this day.
It had been five years since the second year in high school.
So, you could say I ended up at the same university because of him.
It was just a pity he might not know.
Our past group chats and records now seemed strange and distant.
I still remembered I had asked him, "What was your first impression of me?"
He replied with a word that made me laugh for a whole day.
"Delinquent. A delinquent girl stalking me home."
It seemed like we were on good terms back then, even as ordinary classmates.
I didn't know why things became like this after graduation.
Perhaps it was the ambiguity between familiarity and unfamiliarity that caused our current awkward relationship.
5.
My toothache had been bothering me for days.
My best friend and high school classmate, Stephanie Bailey, told me Vance was recently interning at a hospital, just in the dental department.
My eyes lit up when I heard that, and I clapped my hands in excitement.
"It's settled then."
When I got there, I was so captivated by his face that I ended up at the crucial moment of tooth extraction.
Vance stood by with pliers, next to an older dentist, while I lay on the chair.
A saying suddenly popped into my mind, perfectly fitting the situation.
It was "let's see how it goes."
To be honest, I was really scared.
6.
"Vance, you haven't had a chance to practice yet, have you? This girl comes in every few days, and her tooth should be extracted. Why don't you give it a try today?"
The older dentist didn't look that old, but his eyes seemed to see through everything.
He spoke to Vance with a half-smile.
Vance glanced at me, then at the tools in his hand, and nodded.
Seeing this made my heart race.
"Can I get anesthesia?"
I asked, looking up at him and swallowing nervously.
"It won't hurt, no need for anesthesia."
Vance replied gently, adjusting the chair height while putting on a mask.
I shivered and grabbed his white sleeve.
"Vance... can you be gentle?"
As soon as I spoke, I knew my dignified image as the class monitor had crumbled.
Vance rarely smiled, but he did then. "I can't be too gentle, or the tooth won't come out."
His words made me even more scared, and I tightened my grip on his sleeve.
"Maybe I shouldn't have it extracted after all?" I was about to throw in the towel and walk out.
"Don't be afraid." Vance reassured me, pulling me back. "Believe me."
Looking at his charming face, I somehow found myself sitting back down.
How spineless!
I cursed myself, but my body obediently lay back.
I closed my eyes, but Vance didn't make any moves.
Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I heard his amused voice.
"Linda. Could you let go of my sleeve first?"
Embarrassed, I withdrew my hand and awkwardly apologized several times.