The Professor’s Secret Wife

The late autumn sunlight streamed through the classroom window, illuminating Lu Ming as he stood on the stage, an image of perfection that seemed almost unreal. His fitted black shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, and deep-set eyes had turned his first lecture as a visiting professor into a “seminar” on good looks. I, Xiao Lan, tried to make myself small in the corner, my heart pounding not because of his “sinfully handsome” appearance, but because of the earth-shattering truth: the man standing on the podium, nine years my senior, was my legal husband.

We married in secret because I was still an undergraduate. His sudden appearance as a visiting lecturer at my university was a “drama” I could never have foreseen.

I secretly texted him: “Why did you come to my school to teach without telling me? Do you want me to die a sudden death?” while my hyperactive roommate, Xiao Hua, relentlessly nudged me to admire the handsome guy.

Things came to a head when Xiao Hua, who couldn’t focus, was caught by Lu Ming. Without hesitation, she threw me under the bus. Her voice echoed throughout the room: “Professor, my roommate is curious to ask if you have a girlfriend?”

I froze, meeting Lu Ming’s sharp gaze.

“No.”

Lu Ming’s voice was icy, but then, the glittering wedding ring on his finger was revealed, like a sensational announcement. “But I have a wife, and my wife is sitting right here.”

The class went silent, then erupted. I swear my heart felt like it was leaping out of my chest. Lu Ming scanned the room, his eyes lingering on me with a subtle yet profound look. He gave a killer, dangerous smile and confirmed: “My wife is also a student here, but because she is still studying, we kept it a secret.”

After class, I just wanted to flee. Lu Ming texted: “Come home tonight.” I realized I couldn’t refuse my own husband.

Back in the dorm, I met Yu An, the rich and beautiful new foreign language faculty beauty queen. She casually mentioned Lu Ming. “I just ran into him on the way back. He just moved to our school; I heard the principal spent a lot of effort to invite him.”

Yu An’s unexpected acquaintance with Lu Ming made me suspicious. I decided to go home that night to find out what was going on.

Ling, another roommate, constantly mocked me about my “invisible” boyfriend compared to the generous Huang Ming who was pursuing Yu An. When I decided to leave, Ling sniped: “I think your boyfriend doesn’t love you much. Xiao Lan, why don’t you just break up and find a better one?”

However, Yu An cut in dramatically: “Oh, about tonight, Senior Huang Ming booked the French restaurant on his own. I refused straight away, I’m not going.”

Yu An’s firm refusal made Xiao Hua tease: “Don’t tell me it’s Professor Lu Ming? He just said in class that his wife is also a student here.” Yu An didn’t deny it, just gave a mysterious smile, which made me want to see Lu Ming immediately.

I arrived at the villa near the school, where Lu Ming had moved. He was in the kitchen, wearing an apron and cooking steak. His unannounced presence at school annoyed me. “Principal Wang begged me; how could I refuse?” Lu Ming replied.

During dinner, I received a friend request from Wang Kang, a student. Lu Ming, without letting me reply, declined it and explained: “I might as well keep an eye on my little girl, lest she’s too naive and gets tricked.”

I retorted: “Do you know how obsessed the whole school is with you now? That face, that body, you’re a certified heartbreaker.”

He smiled mockingly: “Including you?”

I asked about Yu An, and Lu Ming indifferently replied: “Ah, I remember now. I think I ran into her while jogging this morning near the compound.” I breathed a sigh of relief, reminding him to pretend we didn’t know each other at school.

But as soon as I finished, he slowly untied his apron: “I haven’t answered you yet.” He agreed to keep it a secret at school, but this wasn’t school. His hot breath brushed my face as he whispered: “You were distracted in class today, I let it slide. But not this time, understand?”

The next morning, I dragged myself to class, feeling bruised. In a moment of carelessness, I had grabbed Lu Ming’s thermos. Xiao Hua noticed: “Hey Xiao Lan, why is your thermos identical to Professor Lu’s?”

The rich aroma of white fungus soup (which he prepared because I often skipped breakfast) wafted out when I opened it, making Xiao Hua gasp: “Wow, did your boyfriend prepare that? How thoughtful?”

Flustered, I texted Lu Ming to complain. He replied simply: “Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach.” My heart softened at his silent care.

Back at the dorm, I was shocked to find my belongings ransacked. Ling casually admitted to “borrowing” my cosmetics. She even sneered at the diamond ring I kept in a velvet box, claiming it was just “cheap Moissanite, only a few dozen yuan.” I decided to keep quiet, thinking it was better she believed that to avoid trouble.

A month passed, and rumors about “Professor Lu’s wife” were still rampant. Yu An, who never missed Lu Ming’s class, fueled the speculation.

During one class, I was intercepted by Wang Kang, the student whose friend request Lu Ming had rejected. He insisted: “I did my research. You said you have a boyfriend, but no one at school has ever seen him. You must have said that to avoid harassment, right?”

Just then, Lu Ming’s icy voice rang out: “Xiao Lan.”

He summoned me to his office, handing me a stack of homework, under the stunned gaze of the entire class. On the way, Yu An called out: “Professor Lu!” He cut her off coldly: “Send an email.”

In the office, Lu Ming adjusted my collar, his warm breath close: “You haven’t been home for a while; come home with me tonight.”

The climax occurred on the evening of the alleged cheating attempt. I was lying on the sofa teasing Lu Ming about his busy schedule when Xiao Hua called. My friend frantically suggested we sneak into Professor Lu’s office to steal the midterm exam.

Lu Ming, who had my phone, pressed the answer button and turned on the speaker. “Sorry, she’s busy.”

Xiao Hua was suspicious: “Xiao Lan, why did that voice just now sound like Professor Lu’s?”

In a panic, I leaped up to cover Lu Ming’s mouth, shouting: “Don’t say it!” But it was too late. Xiao Hua hung up, leaving me caught in the act of “stealing the exam.” Lu Ming smiled softly: “Let me check if you have the guts for that.” and pulled me into his arms.

The next afternoon, I dragged myself to class, feeling utterly drained. The gossip flared up again, but this time because of a photo. “Professor Lu’s wife is exposed!”

A student showed her phone: Lu Ming and Yu An walking one after the other towards the villa complex, suggesting they lived in the same area. The whole school went wild, convinced that Yu An was Professor Lu’s wife. Her elegance, talent, and family background, combined with her ambiguous non-denial, only fueled the rumor. Ling again spoke sourly, praising Yu An and implying I was jealous.

I decided to postpone confronting Lu Ming, as he had just informed me he was going on a three-day business trip. I would wait for him to return.

That night, Yu An still didn’t explicitly deny the rumor. She even invited me to play the piano accompaniment for her violin solo at the school anniversary performance.

The performance was magnificent. I played the piano, feeling Lu Ming’s intense gaze from the audience. He had returned earlier than expected. After the piece ended, I received a louder round of applause than Yu An.

Backstage, Yu An looked grim. Ling mocked me for “stealing the spotlight.”

Just then, Lu Ming appeared. His suit jacket was slung over his arm, his black shirt unbuttoned at the top two buttons, his expression cool.

Ling excitedly nudged Yu An: “Professor Lu, are you looking for Yu An?”

Lu Ming glanced past them, his voice deep and cold: “No, I’m looking for my little girl.”

The room fell silent. Under everyone’s bewildered gaze, he stopped in front of me. He smiled faintly, reaching out to stroke my head, his eyes showing a hint of warmth: “You look beautiful today, and your playing was excellent.”

I blushed profusely. Lu Ming held my hand, his voice warm: “From beginning to end, I only have one wife, and that’s you. I don’t know this classmate; I’ve only seen her a few times because we live in the same area.”

He turned to Yu An, his words polite but sharp: “Xiao Lan might overlook it out of courtesy to a friend, but I won’t. I waited a whole day after seeing the false rumors yesterday, and since this classmate didn’t clarify, I had to handle it myself.”

Yu An’s face turned pale; she stammered an apology.

Lu Ming cut her off, his voice icy: “I don’t care about your plans.” He then pulled me away, but not without one last playful jab at Yu An: “You forgot to wear your wedding ring today; otherwise, you’d look even prettier.” I silently cursed him for being petty, but quickly cleared my throat in a show of loyalty: “Next time, I’ll wear it every day.”

Finally, under Lu Ming’s insistence, I retrieved my wedding ring from the dorm before going home with him. That evening, he used my phone to post a picture of the dinner he cooked, accompanied by a photo of two hands wearing wedding rings intertwined on his social media. The caption read simply: “Professor Lu’s cooking skills are top-notch.”

I screamed, spoon in hand: “Why did you post that? Now the whole school knows!”

Lu Ming shrugged: “Official announcement. What’s wrong with that?”

I put down my spoon, my heart pounding, and blurted out: “Do you like me even a little? I always thought you married me just for convenience.”

Lu Ming put down his chopsticks, walked over, and swept me into his arms. I was startled: “What are you doing?”

He whispered in my ear, his voice low: “Perhaps I haven’t tried hard enough if you think I only like you ‘a little.’ You’ll have to feel for yourself just how much I like you.”

His passionate breath lingered until almost morning. The next day, Lu Ming spooned me from behind and asked: “Do you know now?”

I nestled into his chest, my heart overflowing with emotion: “I know.”