NOVPUBLiu Changqing watched as An Yuanyao waved goodbye before stepping into a taxi. He gave her a slight nod in response.
Only after the taxi disappeared from sight did he let out a long sigh.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he felt a shift in An Yuanyao’s behavior.
The distance she usually maintained seemed to be steadily eroding. In fact, it almost felt like she was growing closer to him.
This made Liu Changqing uncomfortable.
It was… strange.
His thoughts drifted to earlier that afternoon when An Yuanyao had smiled at him while offering the roast duck she had carefully wrapped.
His face darkened as he slapped himself lightly and muttered under his breath, "Stop thinking about these nonsensical things!"
He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his head, and looked up at the darkening sky.
A wistful feeling stirred within him.
I hope it’s not what I think it is.
"See you tomorrow!"
Zhao Xuanwen waved to Liu Zhiyue with a cheerful grin.
As soon as classes ended for the day, she began packing her books into her bag. Her tone was playful as she added, "Big sis is heading home to rest~"
"Just leave already and stop rubbing it in," Liu Zhiyue muttered, his face sour as he waved her off.
Her giggles filled the air as she watched his reaction.
Since morning, her deskmate had been in a foul mood. Initially worried, she had tried to coax the reason out of him.
After much pestering, he finally relented: his father had hired a tutor for him.
No wonder he looked so glum—it all made sense now.
Zhao Xuanwen could sympathize. She had gone through something similar when her mother hired a tutor for her last year. That torturous experience was still fresh in her memory.
Back then, she had complained to Liu Zhiyue, but he had only offered her a halfhearted "Good luck" before moving on.
Ah, how the tables turn.
With her bag slung over her shoulder, she grinned at him one last time and said, "Good luck!"
Before Liu Zhiyue could retort, she skipped out of the classroom, leaving him sighing heavily.
From her seat at the front of the class, Zhou Shiyan watched Zhao Xuanwen leave, her eyes thoughtful.
The weight of the day bore down on Liu Zhiyue. His legs still ached from the 50 extra duck walks his father had added to his morning routine as punishment.
This time, I’ll crush the final exams, he resolved, clenching his fists.
The seat beside Liu Zhiyue shifted as someone sat down.
Snapped out of his thoughts, he turned to see Zhou Shiyan, now seated at Zhao Xuanwen’s desk.
"What’s this about?" he asked, frowning.
Zhou Shiyan ignored him, calmly opening a plastic bag she had brought with her. Inside was a thick slice of a French baguette, roughly the size of her hand.
She held the bread out toward him, her expression blank.
"Do you want some?"
"...…"
Liu Zhiyue glanced at the bread and immediately recognized it.
"A piece of baguette? Is this your dinner?"
"My mom brought it home. It’d be a waste not to eat it," she replied evenly.
Baguettes that had been on the supermarket shelves too long and turned hard were often given to the staff to take home. Though this wasn’t officially allowed, most people turned a blind eye, knowing about Lan Yixian’s tough circumstances.
Zhou Shiyan took a bite, her small teeth straining against the hardened crust.
She stopped, her eyes fixed on the bread.
"I can’t bite through it," she muttered.
"...…"
Liu Zhiyue sighed, exasperated.
"You should tear it apart first. And why did you come over here just to eat?"
"I didn’t," she replied matter-of-factly, placing the bread back on the table and pulling out her books.
"I promised your dad I’d tutor you."
"You’re serious?"
"Yes."
Her gaze dropped to the bread again, avoiding his stare.
Her unusually quiet demeanor made Liu Zhiyue suspicious.
"I don’t get it. Why are you even involved with my dad? And why agree to tutor me?"
"…"
Her silence stretched on until, finally, she said, "It’s… complicated."
Her vague response left Liu Zhiyue frustrated.
He couldn’t fathom how these two seemingly unconnected people had managed to strike such an agreement.
Does being a math class representative really require this much dedication?
Letting out a heavy sigh, he glanced at Zhou Shiyan, who was still struggling with her bread.
Her face, usually devoid of expression, was now strained as she tried to bite off a piece. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
After watching her struggle for a while, Liu Zhiyue reached into the desk compartment and pulled out a carton of milk.
"Here, drink this," he said, placing it in front of her.
"Huh?"
"I’m not planning on drinking it tonight. My dad bought way too many cases for some reason."
"…"
"It’s not a bribe or anything. I just thought that bread looked really dry, and milk might help."
Zhou Shiyan stared at the carton for a long moment before finally speaking.
"I’ll make sure your grades improve."
