The trees along both sides of the road had sprouted new buds, quite different from their previous bare branches, now full of vibrant life. The street was busy with traffic.
Xu Si leaned half his body against Jiang Rong, but didn’t dare put his full weight on her. She was too thin – he worried she couldn’t support him. Under the streetlight, the girl’s profile was beautiful, her skin like fine jade, so white.
Xu Si looked at her, unable to help the slight smile that formed on his lips. Loving someone means your heart flutters just from a single glance.
Evening in City A was lively, but this time Xu Si didn’t feel lonely. His heart was filled with sweetness.
Downstairs.
“Wait for me a bit, I have something for you.” “Okay.”
After a few minutes, Xu Si watched Jiang Rong come down with a bag. Seeing the books inside, he couldn’t help saying: “Your injury hasn’t healed yet. Little Teacher really cares for me.”
“My hand isn’t injured. I can still write.”
Xu Si looked at her, just smiling.
“Lower your head, Xu Si.”
Xu Si obediently lowered his head. Jiang Rong took out a pink bandaid from her pocket.
“Little Teacher, isn’t it a bit too pink?”
“It’s all I have.”
Though Xu Si complained about the color, he still obediently kept his head down for her to apply it. Jiang Rong looked at the wound on his face, peeled open the bandaid and placed it on his face, saying softly: “This one has medicine in it, and won’t leave sticky residue on your face.”
“Okay.”
Xu Si smiled at her. Jiang Rong took out more bandaids from her pocket: “Remember to change it after washing your face.”
Xu Si took a few from her hand: “Keep the rest for yourself. I won’t need so many.”
“I don’t get hurt often.”
“Then keep them at Little Teacher’s place.”
Jiang Rong put the bandaids back in her pocket: “Alright.”
“Go back up now.”
“Okay, goodbye.”
Jiang Rong looked at the cat in his arms and added: “And goodbye, Yuan Yuan.”
“You flirty cat, say goodbye.”
Xu Si lowered his head to scratch Yuan Yuan’s chin. Yuan Yuan tilted its head up and meowed twice, seeming very happy.
Xu Si watched Jiang Rong go upstairs. When she was almost at the corner, he saw her turn back and smile at him. He couldn’t help but smile back.
“Little Teacher, are we starting to write the materials today?”
Jiang Rong looked up at Xu Si in the camera: “Yes.”
“Okay.”
After a few minutes, Xu Si looked up and said to Jiang Rong: “Why does this feel different from before?”
“Because this is the basic version.” Jiang Rong looked at Xu Si: “After you finish this, you’ll be able to get the basic points.”
“Okay, then I’ll keep practicing problems starting today.”
She looked at the pink bandaid on his face and found herself wanting to laugh. There was an odd sense of incongruity.
As she lowered her head thinking about it, she couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Xu Si saw her shoulders shake: “Are you crying?”
His mind raced through possibilities, immediately wanting to apologize. Whenever he saw her eyes turn red, he felt it must be his fault.
Before he could speak, he saw Jiang Rong raise her head, covering her mouth.
Xu Si saw her eyes curved in crescents like little moons. Thank goodness she wasn’t crying. He sighed in relief.
“Are you laughing at me, Little Teacher?”
“No, keep working on your problems.”
As Xu Si worked, Yuan Yuan lay on his shoulder watching Jiang Rong. Yuan Yuan meowed continuously.
“It probably misses you after not seeing you for so many days.”
“Then bring it out tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Just as Xu Si finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. He said to Jiang Rong: “Wait a moment, I’ll get the door.”
“Okay.”
Xu Si opened the door to find Liang Jieran: “What is it?”
“Can I do my homework in brother’s room? I want to ask you about problems I don’t understand.”
Xu Si neither agreed nor refused, just looked down at him silently before finally saying: “Come in.”
Xu Si pointed to a nearby table: “Sit there and do your homework. Don’t bother me.”
“Okay, thank you brother.”
Jiang Rong saw the little boy in the camera. Their features were somewhat similar, though Xu Si’s were colder, looking fierce when expressionless.
Xu Si kept his head down doing problems, occasionally looking up at Jiang Rong. Noticing her staring at him, he couldn’t help smiling: “What? Is Little Teacher supervising me?”
Jiang Rong came back to herself: “Yes, supervising you.”
Looking at the gently smiling youth on screen, she felt dazed. She would organize all his future study materials, but she didn’t know if she’d be able to see him reach the peak.
Liang Jieran saw Xu Si smiling at his phone and looked up at him. So brother had such a gentle side too. He sat obediently on his small stool and looked away.
While Xu Si was working, he noticed small hands reaching out. He looked at Liang Jieran: “What?”
“I finished. Can brother check it?”
“Such a bother.”
Xu Si flipped through his homework from start to finish. Besides one question missing units, everything else was correct.
Liang Jieran’s eyes met Jiang Rong’s through the phone.
Xu Si pointed at the problem: “You forgot the units.”
“I won’t be careless next time. Thank you, brother.”
Xu Si made a sound of acknowledgment and heard Liang Jieran ask: “Is brother video chatting with his girlfriend?”
“Where did you learn such talk at your age?” Xu Si’s tone was fierce but his ears turned red.
Liang Jieran counted on his fingers, not daring to speak, then sneaked a glance at Jiang Rong.
Jiang Rong smiled: “I’m brother’s classmate.”
Liang Jieran said sweetly: “Hello, sister.”
“Hello.”
Xu Si stuffed the workbook back in his hands: “Go play in your room.”
“I’ll come find brother again tomorrow.”
Liang Jieran happily left the room hugging his homework.
“He’s quite cute, hard to dislike.”
Hearing her call him cute, Xu Si decided he didn’t want to let him in tomorrow.
Seeing Xu Si’s silence, Jiang Rong said: “Memorize your vocabulary.”
“Okay.”
Xu Si read the words while writing them down, and when he felt he’d remembered them well enough, he covered the Chinese with paper and tried recalling the English, then did it in reverse, circling the ones he hadn’t memorized well to review more.
Soon, he had memorized all thirty vocabulary words.
“Review them again tomorrow before learning new words.”
“Okay.”
Before bed, Xu Si looked at Jiang Rong on screen and asked: “Is he really that cute?”
Jiang Rong realized Xu Si was talking about his brother and said: “Not as cute as you.”
“Me?” Xu Si had heard many descriptions of himself, but never “cute.” He was momentarily stunned and incredulous.
“Yes, not as cute as you.”
Xu Si saw her eyes curve in a smile: “What are you smiling at, Little Teacher?”
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