Chapter 34: Comradeship
After finishing her meal, Ruan Yu parted ways with Wang Jing. As she walked from the cafeteria toward the bus stop, her phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out and saw Teng Hao's name on the screen.
They had exchanged numbers nearly a month ago but had never contacted each other. Seeing his name flashing on her phone now left her momentarily stunned.
"Hello?"
"Top Scholar! Guess what rank I got in the monthly exam!" Teng Hao's voice burst through the receiver.
His excited tone told Ruan Yu he had good news, and her mood instantly lifted.
"Did you improve?"
"Of course I improved! When I put my mind to it, the whole class turns into Hello Kitty, okay?"
"So you climbed to second-to-last? Or did you finally claim the bottom spot?"
"Damn, you're ruthless. And here I was thinking I'd share some joy with you. Turns out our 'comradeship' is this fragile, huh?"
Ruan Yu couldn't help but laugh—both at Teng Hao's progress and his mention of their "comradeship."
Their initial mutual dislike, the later conflicts, all the grievances between them—in this moment, they transformed into something positive.
"Did you make it into the top twenty?" she asked, turning serious.
"Yeah," he replied, his tone matching hers. "Exactly twentieth."
"Still twenty spots left to climb."
"I'll be counting on the Top Scholar's guidance."
"Don't mention it."
"By the way, let's change the tutoring location today."
"Where?"
"I'll send you the address." With that, he hung up.
Soon after, a message from Teng Hao arrived with the address:
A108, Dongyun Road, Changning District —right in the city center.
What was he doing downtown? Just because he ranked twentieth in class, was he already so full of himself he couldn't find north?
Ruan Yu wasn't thrilled, but since her little patron insisted on changing locations, she couldn't refuse. As she walked, she checked the route—fortunately, there was a direct bus.
Downtown traffic was terrible during rush hour, and Ruan Yu was stuck for about half an hour. By the time she reached Dongyun Road, it took her a while to find the address.
A108 was a newly renovated but unmarked storefront. The space was large, with floor-to-ceiling windows, but the blinds were tightly drawn, making it impossible to see inside.
She knocked, but the door wasn't fully closed—it swung open at her touch.
The interior was brightly lit.
"Teng Hao?" Ruan Yu called out, but there was no response.
She checked the address on her phone again, confirming it was correct, then took a proper look around.
The reception desk was a sleek black marble design, completely bare—no items, no logo—as if the owner hadn't decided what to name the place yet. Behind the desk was a vividly colored wall. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but upon closer inspection, it was covered in illustrations of various street dance moves.
Along the corridor, the walls were lined with large portrait photos, each framed in metal, resembling high-quality murals.
The first photo was of a Black man, with a brief Chinese introduction beneath it. Ruan Yu skimmed it, noting his name was Sam, before her gaze was drawn to the second photo—Teng Yi.
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