Chapter 1: The Incompetent Tutor, Present!
In the photograph, the four individuals other than Xu Haibo are all smiling broadly, while Xu Haibo has a face full of displeasure, seemingly angry. She is holding his hand, likely trying to comfort him, but due to the passage of time, she has long forgotten what the matter was.
"Here I am." Xu Haibo greeted her
Xu Ruofan glanced at the time: "I should be leaving now"
Xu Ruofan glared at him and said, "Hurry up and write something else, and once you're done, take me back to school."
Xiao Xiao's message will be back soon: Stay put, I will be there shortly
Xiao Xiao did not answer, but after catching her breath, she said: "The power of love"
The two casually found a seat and sat down. Xu Ruofan sent a message to her dormitory mate, Xiao Xiao: We saw your male idol at the North Canteen
Xu Ruofan followed her gaze and indeed saw Fang Zhe holding a plate while buying water
Xu Ruofan replied: Fang Zhe
Fang Zhe has a nickname called "Night Library Director," as he studies in the library until late at night almost every day. Xiao Xiao pretended to do the same, sitting in a spot close to him for half the night, hoping that one day the male god would notice her, a diligent junior. She imagined that at some appropriate moment, sparks would fly between them. Unfortunately, after a whole six months, the male god completely overlooked her. However, it was not without any gains; she couldn't just sit there drooling over the male god while spending every day in the library. She learned quite a bit, and as a result, at the end of the semester, although she didn't win the male god's affection, she did earn a second-class scholarship.
Xu Ruofan said: "So what, I still got into university."
Xu Ruofan took off his coat and hung it on the shoe cabinet, changed into a pair of slippers, and entered the room, saying: "Have you eaten?"
Xu Ruofan and Li Qian chuckled softly, each bowing their heads to eat. Neither of them took much, and before long, they had finished their meal
Xiao Xiao also chimed in, saying: "Yes, tell him to go pick up his goddess, he will definitely be happy."
Xu Ruofan casually took down the photo frame to take a look. In the picture, five children stood in front of a large flower bed, each holding a cotton candy. In the back row stood two older children, Wu Lei and Wu Jing, while in the front row were two girls and a boy. The girl in the middle with a tomboy haircut was her; to her left was Mina, who had two small braids and was wearing a beautiful dress, and to her right was Xu Haibo, the little boy in a large soccer jersey. In the back row stood two older children, Wu Lei and Wu Jing, while in the front row were two girls and a boy. The girl in the middle with a tomboy haircut was her; to her left was Mina, who had two small braids and was wearing a beautiful dress, and to her right was Xu Haibo, the little boy in a large soccer jersey.
"Boyfriend?" Xu Haibo asked
Li Qian said: "After you finish your business, please give us a call. If it doesn't work out, ask Jiang Ning to pick you up; he will definitely be happy to do so"
Xu Haibo laughed and said, "With someone like you, how can you still have the audacity to earn tutoring fees?"
Five minutes later, Xiao Xiao appeared in the cafeteria, which could be described as swift. Previously, she would meticulously dress up every night when going to the library, but this time she was truly bare-faced, and after sitting down, she was still slightly out of breath
What is so impressive about excelling in subjects like language, history, and geography? Isn't it all just rote memorization? As long as one has a brain, that is sufficient
Xu Ruofan confidently stated: "Your mother asked me to come not to tutor you in mathematics and English. My scores in Chinese and comprehensive liberal arts are also among the top in the city, alright? Tutoring you for the exam is more than sufficient."
Xu Haibo leaned back against the chair and teased, "I heard that you scored over 70 in English, but the total for both subjects didn't even reach 150. Is that true?"
Xu Haibo has loved sports since childhood, excelling in football, basketball, and swimming. His bookshelf is mostly filled with various sports magazines and journals, as well as a variety of competition certificates and MVP trophies. In the corner, there is a stack of Go boxes, and on the side of the bookshelf hangs a picture frame containing an old photograph
Xiao Xiao asked: Which male god?
She is going to teach Xu Haibo. Her father and Haibo's father were good buddies in college, having shared a dormitory. The two of them pursued a pair of close friends in the same dormitory back in the day, namely her mother and Haibo's mother. The friendship between the two families has lasted until now. She is two years older than Xu Haibo, so she can be considered his older sister, even though there is no blood relation. However, due to the relationship between their parents, they are actually closer than real cousins or siblings.
If you have the ability, recite one for me to listen to. According to what you said, you don't even have a good grasp of geography and history, which requires intelligence. So tell me, do you have any intelligence at all
Xu Ruofan flipped through the magazine while saying, "Then I must thank you." She glanced up at Xu Haibo, who was leisurely resting his hand on the back of the chair and looking at her, and added, "What are you looking at? Go do your homework."
A hamburger is about right for someone of your small stature
"Even if my mind is simple, I have never scored less than 72 in mathematics." Xu Haibo circled back again, seizing this one critical point, determined not to lose in the verbal exchange.
Just as she took the tray, Li Qian suddenly tugged at her, her face filled with excitement, and said: "Hey, hey, Fang Zhe!"
Li Qian said: "It has been such a long time since I last saw him, I need to quickly send a message to Xiao Xiao."
Xu Ruofan instantly realized the ambiguity in her words, feeling a bit embarrassed. She pretended not to notice and said, "You should hurry and write, it gets dark early, and I can't return too late"
Eating a hamburger is still considered not having eaten a meal, how much more do you want to eat
Xu Ruofan smiled and said, "It can't be that bad."
I will take you back shortly
Xu Haibo wrote his homework for a while, then turned to Xu Ruofan and said, "You earn your tutoring fees quite easily"
"Alright then. " Xu Ruofan shouldered her bag, picked up the empty plate, and said, "Keep an eye on your idol, I'm leaving"
Xu Ruofan took a closer look and saw that it was mathematics
At 5 PM, just as the meal began, Xu Ruofan and Li Qian arrived at the cafeteria, one or two hours earlier than her usual dining time, entirely due to a tutoring job arranged by her mother for her.
Xu Haibo let out a chuckle and threw the exercise book on the table to Xu Ruofan
Xiao Xiao glanced at Fang Zhe while saying, "What time will you be back tonight? I can find a boy to pick you up; it gets dark early now, and it's not safe for you to be alone."
"Classmate." Xu Ruofan replied
Xu Ruofan looked at the childhood photo and unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth. After his gaze lingered on Wu Lei for a moment longer, he put the photo back and casually pulled out a magazine from the bookshelf, sitting down on a nearby chair to browse through it
Am I the only one? Otherwise, would my mother have sent you to supervise
Is this the method of provocation that Teacher Chen taught you
Well... this is indeed...
Are you the only one at home? Xu Ruofan asked
Xu Ruofan glared at him with annoyance
Xu Haibo laughed and said, "You, a person who scored 72 in the college entrance examination mathematics, still have the audacity to ask me to check your math homework"
Then I will just watch you do your homework, since I have already been paid, anything goes
Xu Ruofan said: "It will not be too late, not to that extent"
"What are you starting? You really came, huh?" Xu Haibo said as he took off his school uniform jacket, "You really think my mom asked you to come and help me with history, geography, and politics? She just wants you to watch me do my homework."
She complained to her mother about the subjects of history, geography, and politics, saying there was nothing to make up for, as they were all just rote memorization. That guy Haibo is too lazy to study, and I can't just open his head and pour the knowledge in. Her mother replied that she understood, but since he asked for help, how could they refuse? Your Aunt Chen has just been promoted to principal and is busy with the new school, while Uncle Xu is often on business trips and can't pay attention either. They can't keep sending Haibo to his grandmother's place, as she can't manage him. Anyway, your school is close to Haibo's home, and since you have some free time at school, just consider it a favor to help your Aunt Chen out, going twice a week.
There is no need for that; if it is late, I can just have my classmate pick me up at the station.
This matter became a topic of laughter in their dormitory. They advised Xiao Xiao to give up, but Xiao Xiao said that those girls who managed to win over their ideal partners simply possessed a bit more tenacity than others, and she considered herself to be that kind of girl. However, Fang Zhe did not give Xiao Xiao the opportunity to continue her pursuit. Since the beginning of this semester, his presence on campus has been rare. Xiao Xiao specifically kept an eye on him; he came to class, but after class, he would leave and did not stay in the school dormitory. He had not been to the library at all. Many people speculated whether Fang Zhe had found a girlfriend or boyfriend at another school, while others suspected he might be supported by a wealthy woman or businessman outside.
They arrived too early, and many of the cafeteria windows were not yet open. However, she is not very hungry at the moment, so she took a look around and decided to make do for now, planning to eat more when she returns in the evening.
If you are not hungry, let's get started. Xu Ruofan placed the bag on the chair
"It is finished," Xu Haibo said
Do I need your mother to teach me? Moreover, with your simple mind and strong physique, even stimulation should be effective
Xu Ruofan smiled and handed the phone to Li Qian, who laughed and said, "She must be sprinting at a hundred meters dash speed right now"
Xu Haibo is currently in the second year of high school. He has just undergone the division of arts and sciences and is facing the upcoming final examinations. It is said that his performance in history, geography, and politics is extremely poor. His mother, Aunt Chen, then thought of her who excels in comprehensive subjects and wanted her to tutor Xu Haibo. His mother readily agreed.
While Xu Haibo was doing his homework, Xu Ruofan stood behind him, observing the furnishings in his room. She had not visited his home for two or three years, and the decor in the room had not changed much. The posters of sports stars on the wall were still as she remembered, and the piano in the corner was covered with a dust cover, with a few magazines and dirty clothes haphazardly thrown on top, suggesting it had not been played for a long time
I haven't eaten, but I had a hamburger on the way, so I'm not very hungry
Xu Haibo had clearly just arrived home, still wearing his school uniform when he opened the door. It had only been about three months since the last time the two had met, yet it felt as if he had grown taller. As they stood close together, she had to look up at him.
"Are you done?" Xu Ruofan expressed disbelief, "Is the homework for high school students really that little now? Hand it over, let me check it."
Fang Zhe is a senior in the School of Engineering, consistently ranking among the top three in the B University campus heartthrob list. They had only just entered their freshman year when Xiao Xiao encountered him by chance on the street and was instantly captivated, declaring him her chief male idol. However, Fang Zhe is notoriously aloof; it is said that from senior female students in their fourth year to freshmen in their first year, countless girls have faced rejection from him. Xiao Xiao is one of them, and there are rumors that Fang Zhe is actually quite reserved. Nevertheless, Xiao Xiao does not believe this. After being directly rebuffed when she attempted to strike up a conversation, she decided to take a more indirect approach.
Wu Lei and Wu Jing are fraternal twins, with Wu Lei being three years older than her. She is also two years older than Xu Haibo and Mina. At the time this photo was taken, her younger brother had not yet been born. The fathers of these individuals were college classmates and have maintained a good relationship over the years. When they were young, they often gathered to play together. However, as the adults became busier with work, opportunities to meet decreased. Nevertheless, even now, the four families still gather once or twice a year, as her mother and Haibo's mother are close friends, making their families even closer. In addition to the regular gatherings of the four families, the two families also frequently arrange to dine or travel together.
Xu Haibo did not respond, but glanced back at her with a hint of a smile
The distance from Xu Haibo's home to Station B by bus is only four stops. Xu Ruofan called his home phone beforehand to confirm that he had arrived home after school before going up to knock on the door
Her mother said so, and Aunt Chen and Uncle Xu indeed treated her very well, so she naturally felt it was her duty. Moreover, she could earn some pocket money, just as her mother said, since she was idle anyway