Chapter 19: The Fifth Tutor
Teng Yi was waiting for her.
Ruan Yu could tell from his gaze fixed directly on her and the bag of cold medicine in his hand that he was indeed waiting for her.
Realizing this, she instinctively glanced around. The campus was somewhat deserted at this hour, with only a couple of delivery guys weaving between the dormitory buildings. No one seemed to notice them.
“What? So afraid of being seen with me?” He walked up to her, his tone light despite the accusatory words.
“I don’t want people to misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand what?”
“That we’re close.”
“What if they do?”
“Troublesome.”
Teng Yi’s lips quirked upward. This was the first time a girl had called him troublesome.
“You sounded like you had a cold at noon.” He held out the bag to her.
Ruan Yu’s throat suddenly itched, and she couldn’t suppress a light cough—just enough to confirm his suspicion.
“Take it.”
“No need.”
“Did you buy medicine yourself?”
She shook her head.
“Then take it.” Teng Yi shoved the bag into her hand.
His movement was swift, their fingers brushing briefly. The contact was fleeting, barely skin-deep, and she didn’t even have time to register the warmth of his fingertips.
“It’s not candy. If you don’t want it, I can always take it back and use it myself,” he added.
Feeling that further refusal would be overly prudish, Ruan Yu tightened her grip on the bag.
“Thank you.”
“If you really want to thank me, let’s talk.”
“About what?”
The moment the question left her lips, Ruan Yu realized how foolish it sounded. What else could they possibly discuss besides Teng Hao?
“Teng Hao.”
As expected.
“Alright.”
“Want to find a place to sit?” He gestured toward the west gate.
The west gate led to a “food street” lined with snack stalls. Every evening, students from the university district flocked there in droves to eat, drink, and hang out. Ruan Yu had only been there a handful of times, but she knew the place was perpetually lively, as if hosting a food festival every day.
“No, let’s just talk here.”
Teng Yi nodded and sat down on the concrete curb bordering the lawn.
Ruan Yu blinked in surprise.
“Danced all afternoon. My legs are a bit sore,” he explained, as if sensing her confusion.
She didn’t comment but figured it wouldn’t be fair for one of them to loom over the other during a conversation, so she sat down as well.
She deliberately left a few fists’ worth of space between them.
“You’re Teng Hao’s fifth tutor.” His voice, heard up close, was low and slightly husky, laced with a lazy undertone.
“I know.”
“Do you know why he’s acting out like this?”
Teng Yi leaned back, propping himself up on his hands against the grass. Though speaking to her, his gaze wasn’t on her but on the night sky. The clouds were thick tonight, with only a few scattered stars faintly glimmering.
Ruan Yu stayed silent. She hadn’t thought about it.
After a pause, Teng Yi turned to look at her when she didn’t answer.
She shook her head.
“Because he’s trying to get Ms. Shen Bing’s attention this way.”
Ms. Shen Bing?
“My mom.” Teng Yi smiled.
In his smile, Ruan Yu saw the affectionate indulgence of a son toward his mother. She averted her gaze, a pang of envy flickering in her chest—envy that he could speak of his mother so casually."Ms. Shen Bing is extremely busy. Out of 365 days a year, she spends about 360 abroad. The remaining five days are when she returns to deal with Teng Hao's tutoring issues." Teng Yi paused, then slowly realized, "Thinking about it this way, I should thank Teng Hao for letting me see my mother."
Ruan Yu: "..."
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