Teacher Ye truly lived up to his reputation as a teacher. After lunch, he had Meng Yao complete a full test paper. Once he finished grading it, he immediately created a study plan for her.
The plan filled three entire pages, densely packed with notes. Based on her academic performance, he also pointed out her weak areas and what she needed to focus on most.
It was already three in the afternoon when Meng Yao finally left Ye Lei’s home. Before she left, Ye Lei even brought out several books and practice papers from his study for her.
“Your foundation isn’t as poor as you think,” he said. “Go back and carefully review the formulas for physics and mathematics. We’ll have tutoring three times a week. Try to make time to come over, alright?”
Meng Yao nodded. “Alright.”
Ye Lei looked pleased. “You don’t need to feel embarrassed. This is my profession, and tutoring you doesn’t take much effort. Just follow the study plan I gave you seriously. I can’t guarantee you’ll get into some prestigious university, but getting into a local university in Yi City definitely won’t be a problem.”
Ye Lei spoke with confidence, and Meng Yao felt encouraged as well.
Fang Xiu, standing nearby, added, “My husband isn’t bragging. He’s always taught graduating classes preparing for the college entrance exams. As long as the students follow his arrangements, every single one of them gets into university!”
Meng Yao thanked them both and left full of confidence.
Along the way, her mood was excellent. She had never expected that one small act of kindness would help her so much. It seemed that doing good deeds really did bring rewards.
Touching the one yuan left in her pocket from selling vegetables, Meng Yao suddenly remembered the flowers she had bought last time. She had lost them before even bringing them home.
Today, she decided to try her luck and see if the flower seller was still there.
Fortunately, when Meng Yao arrived, the flower-selling lady was still there and immediately recognized her.
“Little girl, buying flowers again?” The woman pointed at her stall. “These were all picked fresh today. They’re very fresh. Big Sister will even give you a discount. Come take a look.”
The woman especially liked good-looking people. Although the girl before her clearly didn’t come from a wealthy family judging by her clothes, her little face was truly beautiful, especially those bright watery eyes.
“Alright, let me see.” Meng Yao crouched down and began picking flowers.
The woman was also curious to see what kind of bouquet arrangement she would create today.
Just as Meng Yao was carefully selecting flowers, a teasing voice sounded from behind her.
“Lei Feng?”
“Is that you, Lei Feng?”
Gu Jingcheng looked at the familiar figure and unconsciously smiled. After their brief encounter that day, he hadn’t even learned the girl’s name. These past few days, he had intentionally wandered around this area, and unexpectedly, he actually ran into her today.
Still half-squatting, Meng Yao turned around and, sure enough, saw Gu Jingcheng standing behind her, looking at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Gu Jingcheng really was handsome. Meng Yao had already known that in her previous life. The reason Meng Yu had insisted on marrying Gu Jingcheng back then was because she had accidentally met him once in the county town and immediately demanded a marriage switch after returning home.
Gu Jingcheng’s skin was fair, but his features were cold and sharp. He wore a short brown leather jacket on top and light-colored jeans below. With that outfit, if not for his excessively handsome face, people would easily mistake him for some street thug.
Still, she had to admit that this style remained fashionable for decades afterward.
Meng Yao couldn’t help glancing at him a few more times before secretly cursing in her heart.
Show-off.
If the two of them stood together, it would look like a television model visiting the countryside and getting stopped by a village woman asking for directions.
Meng Yao continued choosing flowers, too lazy to bother with him.
Gu Jingcheng walked over and crouched beside her.
“Why didn’t you answer when I called you?”
“Wasn’t it you who said your name was Lei Feng that day?”
The flower-selling woman immediately became interested.
“Oh! So you two know each other!”
“Young man, want to buy flowers too? They’re very fresh!”
Gu Jingcheng answered readily, “Of course. I’ll pick some right now!”
As he spoke, he seriously pretended to choose flowers.
“Comrade Lei Feng, since you’re already helping people to the end, how about helping me arrange a bouquet like the one you made last time?”
Meng Yao raised her eyes toward him. How did this guy know what her bouquet looked like last time?
Gu Jingcheng raised an eyebrow and smiled. “So? Will you do it, Comrade Lei Feng?”
The woman beside them happily watched the drama unfold.
“Are you annoying or what? I’m not Lei Feng!” Meng Yao snapped irritably.
Gu Jingcheng immediately leaned closer.
“My surname is Gu. 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 refused to marry. She immediately changed her name.
“My name is Chen Yao.”
“Chen Yao?” Gu Jingcheng repeated the name softly before suddenly smiling. “That’s a nice name.”
Meng Yao looked at him, meeting his bright sparkling eyes, and suddenly became curious about what kind of reaction Gu Jingcheng would have if he learned she was actually from the Meng family—the one he was about to be engaged to.
Gu Jingcheng said, “Since we already know each other now, can you help me pick out a bouquet?”
Having just lied to him, Meng Yao still felt a tiny bit guilty, so she helped him pick a bouquet and selected one for herself as well.
When it came time to pay, Gu Jingcheng generously paid for both bouquets.
“Thanks for helping me choose flowers. Consider this bouquet my thank-you gift.”
“Thanks,” Meng Yao replied before taking her flowers and leaving.
But after only a few steps, Gu Jingcheng followed after her again.
“Oh right, you still haven’t told me where you live. How old are you? Where do you usually go for fun? What’s your home phone number?”
The straightforward flirting shocked even Gu Jingcheng himself.
Grinding his teeth, he hurriedly tried to justify himself.
“I just think warm-hearted people like you are pretty rare nowadays. Barely qualified to be friends with me.”
Meng Yao replied, “No need to force yourself.”
Since Meng Yao refused to answer, Gu Jingcheng stubbornly kept following her and asking questions nonstop. She was starting to get annoyed.
She needed to hurry home and understand the homework Teacher Ye had assigned. She had no time to make friends with this rich young master. Besides, this rich young master would very likely look down on her the moment he learned her identity.
“What? You can’t even tell me where you live? Don’t tell me you’re some kind of enemy agent?” Gu Jingcheng started talking nonsense.
Meng Yao suddenly swung the flowers in her hand and stood on her tiptoes aggressively as she shouted at him.
“My home is in a village—the exact kind of muddy countryside village you rich young masters despise the most! I need to hurry home and study for university exams, otherwise people like you will look down on me forever and keep mocking me for being uneducated!”
“There! Now you know! Anything else you want to ask?”
Gu Jingcheng froze completely. His body went still, except for his wildly beating heart.
He didn’t understand what was wrong with him. The girl before him was obviously angry at him, yet when he saw her little face flushed red with anger, her puffed-up cheeks, her effort to stand on tiptoe just to reach his shoulder height, and those deer-like eyes…
He only found her unbelievably adorable.
How could a girl look this cute even when angry?
Cute.
Meng Yao looked at the dazed man in front of her and pushed his shoulder impatiently.
“Say something. Did you go stupid?”
Gu Jingcheng finally snapped back to reality.
Stammering, he explained, “I-I don’t look down on rural areas. A-and I’d never mock you for lacking education.”
He quickly glanced at her before turning his head away and muttering softly,
“You’re very good.”
Meng Yao couldn’t be bothered with him and turned to continue walking. Easy words to say now—but if he learned she was from the Meng family, he would probably stomp her into the ground. After all, in her previous life, she had been mocked countless times by Song Wei because of it.
Seeing the disbelief on her face, Gu Jingcheng panicked.
“What I said just now was sincere!”
“Really!”
Meng Yao kept walking.
“If you still don’t believe me—” Gu Jingcheng suddenly had an idea. “If you don’t believe me, I can tutor you!”
“I’m a freshly graduated university student! I got excellent grades in every subject. If I tutor you, you’ll definitely get into university!”
Suddenly, Meng Yao thought of something uncertain.
She stopped walking and turned around to look at the man whose face instantly lit up with excitement.
“Do you know English?”
Gu Jingcheng hurried over to her, still slightly out of breath.
“Of course I do. I got full marks in English!”
Finally, Meng Yao gave him the only smile she had shown all day.