As Lu Yibing’s somewhat lazy words fell, every syllable seemed permeated with exhaustion. Since the system had already cleared him, Xie Yun simply turned his head away and ignored him.
A short while later, the doorbell chimed, and Butler Gu opened the door.
A light green dress swayed slightly in the sea breeze brought in from outside, and long hair flowed like water down to the woman’s waist. She arrived with a smile on her face. She closed her umbrella, shaking off a puddle of rainwater.
Butler Gu took her umbrella while Xie Yun stepped forward to greet her: “Teacher.”
“You brought your textbooks and materials home, right?” Yu Yu clutched her bag and gave him a beaming smile.
He nodded. “Let’s go to my room, Teacher.”
“Alright.”
The two went upstairs together, leaving Lu Yibing sitting alone on the sofa.
Reaching the upper floor, Xie Yun smilingly opened the door for his teacher.
Before them, the grey-and-white, Instagram-style bedroom was perfectly square and tidy. A black-and-white sketch hung on the wall, and everything was arranged so neatly that not a single trace of daily life could be seen. Thick, deep-black velvet curtains were draped to one side, while the world outside the floor-to-ceiling windows remained dark and hazy.
Xie Yun casually switched on the lights.
He took the necessary textbooks and tools out of his bag. Teacher and student sat side-by-side as Yu Yu watched him finish some problems first. Xie Yun was always quick with his work; multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions usually took him only a few minutes each. Large-form problems took a few minutes longer, and he would only ask the teacher if he couldn’t solve them after that time.
However, he asked very rarely, and whenever he did, Yu Yu would provide an extensive explanation.
Two hours passed in this manner until there was a knock at the door. At that moment, Yu Yu was in the middle of explaining a solution to Xie Yun; being suddenly interrupted, she stopped abruptly. Xie Yun stood up to open the door.
Upon pulling the door open, a tall figure appeared before him. Inky bangs hung down, and a pair of eyes shimmering with weariness gazed at Xie Yun as Lu Yibing curved his brows into a smile.
“What did you come here for?” Xie Yun raised his eyes, his knuckles propped against the doorframe.
Lu Yibing didn’t answer him directly. Instead, he looked past him toward Yu Yu inside the room: “Teacher, there’s a problem I don’t know how to do either. Could you teach me as well?”
Xie Yun raised an eyebrow.
Seeing Lu Yibing come over, Yu Yu replied with a smile: “No problem. Xiao Bing, come on in.”
“Brother, I came here to study with you,” Lu Yibing said in a small voice, brushing past Xie Yun with his test paper in hand.
There was no way to stop him from coming in. Xie Yun sighed inwardly and closed the door.
Suddenly, the black-and-white test paper was spread out on the desk. Lu Yibing pulled over a stool and sat on Yu Yu’s other side. “Teacher, it’s this problem,” he said, pointing with his finger and smiling.
Yu Yu followed his finger and was stunned for a moment. She let out a helpless sigh and immediately scolded him: “I reviewed this problem in class. Were you not listening?”
Lu Yibing gave an apologetic, fawning smile: “Sorry, Teacher.”
The one-on-one session had turned into a two-on-one. Xie Yun ignored them and continued his work, but Lu Yibing’s gaze uncontrollably drifted toward him.
The white light reflected off the boy’s exquisite profile, mercilessly highlighting his fair complexion. His somewhat bony fingers gripped the pen as he worked seriously; his back was straight, and his dark loungewear revealed his long, beautiful neck. The boy’s eyes were cast down, his long lashes creating a small shadow.
So well-behaved, Lu Yibing evaluated.
Since it was a problem she had explained over ten times, Yu Yu didn’t want to explain it again. She simply stood up and called to Xie Yun: “Xiao Yun, you explain this problem to him.”
She swapped seats with Xie Yun, and the two boys ended up sitting side-by-side.
Ah? Me? Xie Yun was speechless.
Trouble was unavoidable. Yu Yu added calmly: “I’ll take this time to grade the homework you just finished. You teach your brother that problem.” She placed a specific emphasis on the last two words.
Seeing Xie Yun move closer, Lu Yibing moved his test paper even closer to him with a grin. Xie Yun looked at the problem and was thoroughly exasperated.
…Isn’t this a 10th-grade problem?
No wonder Yu Yu was annoyed enough to make him teach it.
He looked up, and their gazes accidentally collided. Xie Yun was certain: he was definitely doing this on purpose. His thumb pressed lightly against the edge of the paper. Knowing the other’s intent, the more he looked at him, the more annoyed he became. Yet, he calmed his heart and began to teach him patiently: “Look at this problem. It’s obvious you can substitute using this formula.”
Xie Yun kindly explained it once. As Lu Yibing listened, he raised an eyebrow, looking into Xie Yun’s eyes as if to argue, then intentionally hesitated as if he had seen through something, smiling without a word.
Yu Yu, who had been listening the whole time, was confused.
A somewhat burning gaze felt like it was scorching the back of the teacher’s head. Xie Yun felt a bad premonition he was about to get scolded.
“Xiao Yun, were you not listening in class either? This is a 10th-grade problem,” she finally couldn’t help but say, her tone steady but laced with a hint of reproach.
At this moment, the senior teacher in her forties began to seriously doubt her own teaching abilities.
Xie Yun, who had been annoyed by Lu Yibing’s intentional behavior, had actually wanted to explain the problem incorrectly to trick the other into revealing he knew how to do it. As a result, he forgot the teacher was still right beside him and ended up “trapping” her instead.
A total miscalculation. Truly awkward.
Haha… look at the mess I’ve made.
“Sorry, Teacher, I forgot how to do this one too.” To play the part to the end, Xie Yun had no choice but to follow through with the mistake.
As soon as those words left his mouth, Yu Yu shot him a suspicious look. Clearly, a problem in the homework he just finished used the exact same substitution formula. How could he not know how to do it just because the phrasing changed? He even got the formula wrong.
She didn’t understand it, but out of professional ethics, she eventually explained it to the two of them one more time. After all that circling around, they ended up playing a trick on the teacher.
Lu Yibing twirled his pen. After hearing Yu Yu finish the explanation, he stayed behind on the pretext that he also wanted to listen to the rest of the lesson.
What exactly does he want? Xie Yun was puzzled, but since the teacher was there, he knew the other wouldn’t act out, so he let him be.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were half-open. The rain had stopped and the sun was out; the room was filled with the salty scent of the sea drifting in from outside. A bit of coolness dispersed their fatigue as the clock struck twelve.
Xie Yun listened without a trace of sleepiness, the interaction between teacher and student being extremely active. In contrast, Lu Yibing was frequently yawning beside them.
He couldn’t understand it. He wanted to sleep. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes.
Catching sight of the yawning boy, Xie Yun understood his purpose for being there even less.
A gentle knock sounded from outside the room. It was finally lunchtime. Lu Yibing stopped yawning and immediately perked up. Xie Yun glanced at the black-and-white clock hanging on the wall.
Has time passed this quickly?
“It’s late, let’s eat first.” Yu Yu put down her red pen and said smilingly to the two. “I’ll explain a few more problems to you later, and then I’ll drop you both off at school.”
Field Academy was the same as ordinary high schools; they only had a half-day off. The schedule was tight and the tasks were heavy, which the students were used to. Yu Yu turned back to Xie Yun with a smile and said: “Xiao Yun, your foundation is good. I believe you can definitely take first place in these two months. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me.”
Xie Yun gave a polite smile in return. Hopefully.
Wellington steak coated in minced mushrooms and ham sat on the table emitting a savory aroma. The creamy mushroom soup was rich, and the truffle mashed potatoes and roasted seasonal vegetables overflowed with appetizing scents.
The main course today was steak, and Yu Yu stayed for the meal.
How did the morning study feel? Are you confident, Host? The system suddenly poked its head out.
Xie Yun sat down with the others and picked up his knife and fork: It was okay, but I still feel a bit uncertain.
The system raised an eyebrow: I heard Teacher Xiaoyu say you’re fine. Are you questioning the affirmation of a senior teacher? Don’t sell yourself short, Host.
Hearing this, Xie Yun smiled: Why? If I take first place, will you give me money? It feels like you care more about this exam than I do.
[It’s a task, a task,] the system emphasized. [There’s definitely a reason for you to participate. You’ll find out when the time comes.]
The knife sliced firmly through the pastry-wrapped steak on the plate. Xie Yun unhurriedly forked a piece and put it in his mouth. [Oh.]
The system laughed.
After the meal, Lu Yibing proactively announced his withdrawal, and Xie Yun felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Yu Yu noticed the subtle expression on his face but didn’t ask much. She only mentioned it once they re-entered the room: “Xiao Yun, your brother’s grades in class are a bit on the lower side. It’s more convenient since you’re his brother; you can tutor him when you have time.”
The woman watched him, reaching out to pat his back. Xie Yun gave another polite smile: “Okay.”
But first, the student had to actually listen during the teaching process for him to be able to teach… With Lu Yibing always staring at him, how was Xie Yun supposed to teach?
After a few more hours of tutoring, Xie Yun went to change back into his school uniform. The deep blue jacket neatly outlined his figure, his tie was straight, and a bit of his snowy-white shirt was visible. His lower body was clad in black trousers that hugged his long legs, paired with white shoes.
He looked very vibrant and youthful, like a new 10th-grade boy—innocent and naive. That is, if he smiled more and didn’t keep such a stiff face.
“Let’s go, Teacher.” He quickly gathered his supplies from the desk. Yu Yu took her bag and followed him back downstairs.
Looking down, those long legs in black school trousers were crossed casually. A youth was leaning his head on his hand lazily, lying on the sofa scrolling through his phone. His dark bangs swayed with the sea breeze coming through the window; his long lashes fluttered, and a faint smile played on the thin lips of his fair face.
If he hadn’t been adopted from an orphanage, he would truly look like a pampered young master.
His somewhat bony knuckles rested on the stair railing as Xie Yun gazed down at him. At that moment, the boy on the sofa lifted his eyelids, as if sensing the gaze.
Their eyes met. The smile on Lu Yibing’s lips deepened.
With a flick of his eyes, Xie Yun quickly averted his gaze.
Why is he smiling again for no reason?
The three of them took their bags and left the sea-view villa. The pink Rolls-Royce was exceptionally eye-catching. Yu Yu pressed her car key. “Get in,” she said with a smile.
Xie Yun nodded and immediately went to open the front passenger door.
The other two: ?
“Aren’t you going to sit with your brother?” Yu Yu asked bluntly with a slight smile.
Xie Yun spoke with a hint of apology: “Teacher, I get car sick.”
In reality, he didn’t get car sick at all. That’s right—he just didn’t want to be pressed up against Lu Yibing.
Hearing this, Yu Yu didn’t ask further. She walked over and opened the driver’s door: “Alright then, everyone get in quickly.”
Someone wasn’t happy. Lu Yibing pouted.
Inside the car, the “abandoned” person in the back seat looked sideways at Xie Yun, who had closed his eyes to sleep as soon as he got in. His gaze darkened slightly.
Perhaps because Xie Yun was sleeping, the car remained silent the whole way. Field Academy was very close to their home, only a few minutes away. Thus, Xie Yun hadn’t even napped for long before he lazily lifted his eyelids.
The car moved swiftly, and the lush green scenery outside blurred into shadows. The spires of castles fell into Xie Yun’s eyes through the window—a vast, European-style beauty flashed by.
The top of the tallest laboratory building at Field Academy came into view.