Teacher Ye truly lived up to his profession. After the meal, he had Meng Yao complete a test paper. After grading it, he immediately devised a study plan for her.
It spanned three densely packed pages, and based on her learning situation, he pointed out her weak areas and what needed focused attention.
At three in the afternoon, Meng Yao finally left Ye Lei’s home. Before she left, Ye Lei even fetched a few books and test papers from his study for her.
“Your foundation isn’t as poor as you think. Go back and review the formulas for physics and math carefully. We’ll have tutoring three days a week—try to make time to come, okay?”
Meng Yao replied, “Okay.”
Ye Lei was pleased. “Don’t feel embarrassed. This is my specialty, and tutoring you doesn’t take much effort. Just study diligently according to the plan I’ve given you. I can’t guarantee you’ll get into any prestigious universities, but you’ll definitely have your pick of local universities in Yishi.”
Ye Lei spoke with confidence, and Meng Yao felt encouraged.
Fangxiu, who was nearby, added, “My husband isn’t boasting. He’s always taught senior classes for the college entrance exam. Every student in his class who followed his guidance got into university!”
Meng Yao thanked them, bid them farewell, and left with renewed confidence.
Along the way, her mood was light and cheerful. She hadn’t expected that a simple act of kindness would end up helping her so much. It seemed doing good deeds really did bring good rewards.
Feeling the one yuan left from selling vegetables in her pocket, Meng Yao remembered the flowers she had bought last time, which she had lost before even bringing them home.
Today, she decided to try her luck and see if the flower seller was still there.
Luck was on her side. When Meng Yao arrived, the flower-selling elder sister was still there and even recognized her at a glance.
“Young lady, here to buy flowers again!” The elder sister pointed to her stall. “These were all picked fresh today. They’re really lovely. I’ll even give you a discount. Come and take a look.”
The elder sister had a soft spot for pretty faces. Although the girl in front of her didn’t dress like she came from a wealthy family, her delicate features were truly beautiful, especially those bright, sparkling eyes.
“Alright, I’ll take a look,” Meng Yao said, squatting down to start picking.
The elder sister was quite curious to see what arrangement she would create with the flowers today.
Just as Meng Yao was intently selecting flowers, a voice tinged with laughter came from behind her.
“Lei Feng?”
“Is that you, Lei Feng?”
Gu Jingcheng looked at the familiar silhouette and couldn’t help but smile. After their brief encounter the other day, he hadn’t even learned the girl’s name. These past few days, he had found himself wandering around this area intentionally, and today, he had actually run into her.
Meng Yao half-turned while squatting and saw Gu Jingcheng standing right behind her, looking at her with a faint, teasing smile.
Gu Jingcheng was undeniably handsome—she had known that in her past life. The reason Meng Yu had insisted on marrying Gu Jingcheng back then was because she had accidentally seen him in the county town and, upon returning, had clamored for a Marriage Exchange.
Gu Jingcheng had fair skin, but his features were sharp and cool. He wore a brown short leather jacket with light-colored jeans. If it weren’t for his strikingly handsome face, this outfit would have easily earned him the label of a “hoodlum.”
But there was no denying it—this style would remain fashionable for decades to come.
Meng Yao couldn’t help but steal a few more glances, secretly cursing in her heart: What a show-off.
If the two of them stood together, it would look like a model from a TV show had come to the countryside for inspiration and encountered a village elder sister asking for directions.
Meng Yao continued picking flowers, too lazy to pay him any attention.
Gu Jingcheng stepped forward and crouched down beside her. “Why didn’t you answer when I called you?”
“Didn’t you say to call me Lei Feng the other day?”
The older woman across from them saw this and thought, Oh, so these two know each other!
“Young man, do you want to buy some flowers? They’re very fresh!”
Gu Jingcheng was quite straightforward. “Yes, I’ll pick some now!”
With that, he began pretending to carefully select flowers.
“Comrade Lei Feng, since you’re already being so kind, could you help me pick a bouquet and arrange it like you did last time?”
Meng Yao looked up at him. How did this guy know what her bouquet looked like last time?
Gu Jingcheng raised an eyebrow and smiled. “How about it, Comrade Lei Feng?”
The older woman stood by, smiling as she watched the scene unfold.
“Stop bothering me, I’m not Lei Feng!” Meng Yao snapped impatiently.
Gu Jingcheng immediately leaned in closer. “My surname is Gu, and my name is Gu Jingcheng. What’s your name?”
Meng Yao was about to answer when she suddenly remembered that Gu Jingcheng still didn’t know she was the fiancée he despised and didn’t want to marry. So she changed her name on the spot. “My name is Chen Yao.”
“Chen Yao?” Gu Jingcheng repeated the two words, then suddenly smiled. “That’s a nice name.”
Meng Yao looked up at him, meeting his bright eyes. She suddenly grew curious—what would Gu Jingcheng’s reaction be if he knew she was the Meng family daughter he was about to be engaged to?
Gu Jingcheng said, “Since we’ve met now, could you help me pick a bouquet?”
Having just lied to him, Meng Yao, feeling a tiny bit of guilt, helped Gu Jingcheng pick a bouquet and chose one for herself as well.
When it was time to pay, Gu Jingcheng generously offered to cover both. “Thank you for helping me pick the flowers. Consider this my way of saying thanks!”
“Thanks,” Meng Yao said, taking her flowers and preparing to leave.
She hadn’t gone far when Gu Jingcheng caught up to her again.
“By the way, you haven’t told me where you live yet. How old are you? Where do you usually like to go for fun? What’s your home phone number?” As soon as these blunt pickup lines left his mouth, even Gu Jingcheng himself was surprised.
He gritted his teeth, trying to justify himself. “I just think there aren’t many people as helpful as you these days. You could barely qualify as a friend of mine.”
Meng Yao replied, “No need to force it.”
Meng Yao didn’t answer, but Gu Jingcheng refused to give up, following behind her and asking question after question until Meng Yao grew annoyed.
She needed to hurry home and finish the homework Teacher Ye had assigned. She didn’t have time to befriend this young master, especially since he would likely look down on her once he found out who she was.
“What, you won’t even say where you live? Are you some kind of enemy agent or something?” Gu Jingcheng began talking nonsense.
Meng Yao swung the flowers in her hand, stood on her tiptoes, and glared at him fiercely. “My family is from the countryside, the kind of muddy village you look down on the most! I need to hurry home and study so I can get into college. Otherwise, I’ll be looked down on by young masters like you, who’ll constantly complain about how uneducated I am!”
“Now you know! Anything else you want to ask?”
Gu Jingcheng froze, his entire body going still except for his pounding heart. He didn’t know what was happening to him. Even though the girl in front of him was losing her temper, the sight of her flushed face, her puffed-up cheeks from anger, her height—barely reaching his shoulders even when she stood on her tiptoes—and her deer-like eyes made him think only one thing: How adorable…
How can a girl be so adorable even when she’s angry…
Adorable.
Meng Yao looked at the man standing dazed before her and couldn’t help but give his shoulder a push. “Say something! Are you dumb?”
Gu Jingcheng snapped back to reality.
Stammering, he explained, “I… I don’t look down on rural areas, and I… I definitely wouldn’t look down on you for not being educated.”
He glanced at her quickly, then turned his head to the side and said softly, “You’re really good.”
Meng Yao couldn’t be bothered with him. She turned and continued walking. Talk is cheap. If he knew she was from the Meng family, he’d probably trample her underfoot. After all, in her past life, Song Wei had mocked her countless times.
Seeing her disbelief, Gu Jingcheng grew anxious. “What I said just now was the truth!”
“Really!”
Meng Yao kept walking.
“If you don’t believe me—” Gu Jingcheng had a sudden idea. “If you don’t believe me, I can tutor you!”
“I just graduated from university! I excelled in every subject. If I tutor you, you’ll definitely get into college!”
Meng Yao suddenly remembered something uncertain. She stopped and turned to look at the man, whose face lit up with surprise. “Do you know English?”
Gu Jingcheng hurried to her side, still catching his breath. “Of course I do! I got a perfect score in English!”
Meng Yao finally gave him the only smile she’d offered all day.