Xie Qian’s attractive lips pressed into a thin line.
After the “truth session” at the fried skewer shop, Xie Qian had secretly observed Wen Ying’s attitude. She didn’t seem angry; her behavior toward him was the same as before. If there was any difference, it was that she seemed more open and at ease.
Logically, this was a good thing, but for some reason, Xie Qian felt uneasy.
He wondered if he might be ill, otherwise why was he always looking for signs that Wen Ying, his “hamster,” was upset?
“What’s wrong?”
Noticing Xie Qian’s prolonged silence, Wen Ying looked up from the pile of test papers.
“Nothing, I was just distracted, thinking about something else.”
Xie Qian would never admit his awkward thoughts. Nor was he willing to face his true feelings about Wen Ying dining with Song Shao. Emotions, when suppressed, find other outlets. Shen Huan and Wen Ying’s two younger cousins became the unlucky targets. When selecting test papers and study guides for the three kids, Xie Qian was extra meticulous, picking and choosing until they had a huge stack at checkout.
Wen Ying felt a pang of sympathy. “Are we buying too much at once?”
Xie Qian’s expression was calm. “You said we need to build good habits early. These papers and guides aren’t too much. If your expectation for them is eight out of ten, aim for ten. Even if they fall a bit short, they’ll still meet your original goal.”
That made a lot of sense!
Professionals should handle professional matters, and Xie Qian was a god in the realm of tutoring struggling students. Wen Ying trusted his judgment completely.
After paying, Xie Qian casually mentioned, “What are you planning to treat Song Shao to? Have you picked a suitable restaurant? Want me to recommend a couple?”
Wen Ying shook her head. “My mom’s handling it, and she chose the place. I don’t know yet. Oh, Song Shao’s bringing his uncle, Editor Song, to the dinner. You remember Song Chan, right? Editor Song said she got accepted to Yale!”
The news had already spread at the provincial key school, but Wen Ying wasn’t sure if Xie Qian knew.
“Oh, that’s quite an achievement.”
Overseas universities don’t just look at grades; they value a student’s overall abilities. Song Chan’s acceptance to Yale was indeed something for Song Foxiang to brag about.
But Xie Qian felt no particular reaction. He wasn’t planning to study abroad.
Seeing Xie Qian unmoved by “Yale,” Wen Ying felt a secret thrill.
It wasn’t that she wanted to sabotage his bright future, but compared to life itself, attending Yale wasn’t that important.
They went to the post office to mail Shen Huan’s share of the papers and guides. Wen Ying carried the portions for her two cousins, and Xie Qian offered to escort her, saying the study guides were too important.
Wen Ying, who trained regularly with running, was in great shape and carried the two large bags with ease. “No need to escort me, I can handle it!”
To prove her point, she swung the bags to show her strength, leaving Xie Qian speechless.
Wasn’t this carefree hamster exactly what he wanted?
Yet Xie Qian, who should have been happy, wasn’t. He was trapped in a strange loop of an unsolvable problem.
Wen Ying wasn’t overthinking it. Recalling her cousins’ unreliability in her past life, she was eager to see their faces when they received the pile of papers and guides. After saying goodbye to Xie Qian, she practically skipped home, humming a tune.
Chen Li’s family lived in the same neighborhood as Wen Ying’s. Wen Ying headed straight to her aunt’s house with the two big bags. Her younger cousin Deng Hao opened the door, grinning at her.
“Mom, Sister Ying’s here, and she’s carrying a ton of stuff!”
Deng Yaomei no longer worked as a nanny for Chen Li’s family. Chen Li had hired a cook who also handled school pickups and drop-offs for Deng Jie and Deng Hao, as well as grocery shopping and cooking, but didn’t live with them.
With the cook taking on much of the housework, Chen Li had more time to focus on self-improvement.
Hearing her son’s voice, Chen Li came out of the study. Seeing the bags Wen Ying carried, she feigned annoyance. “You’re visiting, why bring so much? We’re family, no need for such formalities!”
Wen Ying set the bags on the table. “Auntie, these aren’t for you. They’re for Xiao Jie and Hao Hao.”
Hearing there were gifts, Deng Jie, the older cousin, got excited and came over, while Deng Hao was practically bouncing with joy.
Under their expectant gazes, Wen Ying pulled out sets of test papers, a study guide, two study guides, another study guide… The two large plastic bags seemed to use sci-fi space-folding technology, holding far more than Deng Jie or Deng Hao could have imagined!
“Not toys?”
“Sister Ying, that’s way too many papers…”
Their excitement vanished. Deng Jie’s expression turned serious, and Deng Hao bolted.
“You’re not my Sister Ying, you’re a demon!”
Chen Li grabbed her younger son by the collar. “Stop right there. Be polite to your sister and don’t talk nonsense.”
Despite her words, Chen Li felt a headache looking at the pile of papers and guides.
They were just primary school kids. Did they need to do so many papers and practice so many questions?
Chen Li and Chen Ru had different parenting philosophies. Chen Ru was strict, while Chen Li prioritized her children’s healthy growth over grades and wasn’t obsessed with test scores.
Of course, healthy growth mattered most, but grades weren’t unimportant. Chen Li didn’t want her sons to be poor students.
At the very least, parent-teacher meetings were embarrassing otherwise… After their earlier family troubles, Deng Jie and Deng Hao had become much more sensible. Chen Li no longer dreaded calls from their teachers.
Out of respect for Wen Ying, Chen Li didn’t voice her doubts. Wen Ying, sensing her aunt’s hesitation, explained, “These papers and guides were chosen by Xie Qian. You know his skills, Auntie. Wang Shuang studied with him and got into a 211 university in Shanghai. While Xiao Jie and Hao Hao are still young, building a strong foundation now means we won’t have to worry later.”
The name “Xie Qian” was a golden seal of approval. Chen Li’s view of the pile shifted instantly.
“Oh, you little girl, you went to so much trouble for Xie Qian!”
Chen Li switched sides. Deng Jie, seeing the tide turn, tried to slip away, but Chen Li swiftly grabbed him with her other hand. “You’re not running either. Your sister went out of her way to get these, owing her friend a favor. This is her care for you, understand?”
Holding a son in each hand, Chen Li spoke earnestly.
Deng Jie was on the verge of tears.
“Mom, Sister Ying’s care is so heavy!”
He earned a knock on the head.
“Don’t be ungrateful.”
As Chen Li disciplined her sons, Wen Ying struggled to hold back laughter. “Auntie, talk to Xiao Jie and Hao Hao about it. Studying’s more effective when they’re proactive. I’ll head home now.”
Deng Jie and Deng Hao shot her resentful looks as Wen Ying made her escape.
Chen Ru highly approved of Wen Ying’s actions and called Chen Li to emphasize the importance of supervision. “Kids are playful and lack discipline. Building good study habits now will benefit them for life. Don’t go soft or get confused!”
Chen Li had skimmed through the papers and guides. The primary school questions weren’t beyond her, and Xie Qian’s choices were indeed top-notch. She was grateful to both him and Wen Ying.
Now, the challenge was clear.
To raise her sons into top students, she’d need to supervise them. She could handle primary school questions, but what about middle school?
When Deng Shangwei came home that evening, Chen Li dumped the pile of papers and guides in front of him.
“You’re in charge of tutoring the boys’ homework!”
Deng Shangwei slowly formed a question mark, weakly reminding her, “Honey, my grades were worse than yours in school…”
Chen Li crossed her arms. “So what, you get to stay a bad student forever? They’re not just my sons. You work, I work. You study, I study. We’re both busy. Are you trying to be an irresponsible dad?”
Deng Shangwei swore he had no such intention, but tutoring his sons was daunting. He’d rather Chen Li set him a goal of earning ten million a year than deal with homework.
After some negotiation, Chen Li compromised. “Fine, we’ll split the tutoring. At the end of the term, we’ll compare results. I’ll take Hao Hao; his focus is worse than Xiao Jie’s.”
The younger son’s focus was weaker, and primary school questions were simpler.
At that moment, Deng Shangwei both loved and hated Wen Ying.
He loved her for caring about his sons’ studies but hated how she’d unwittingly pushed him to step up.
In Wen Ying’s words, this was the start of an unexpected rat race!
