Grandma looked worriedly at the young master kneeling on the ground and reached out to help him up. “I haven’t done anything for you, I hold no favor over you. There’s no need for such a grand gesture.”
Jin Ruizhi said, “No, Grandma, you have done me an immense kindness.”
Grandma stood frozen, not understanding what he meant.
Jin Ruizhi didn’t hide his intentions and spoke openly. “Grandma, you must have noticed—I like your yi, Song Tingyou.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to her. I won’t touch her, I couldn’t bear to. If she needs me, I’ll be there. If she doesn’t, I’ll stay invisible in the corner.”
“Grandma, you are one of Youyou’s most beloved family members. I want to help Youyou take care of the people she loves. That way, Youyou will be happy.”
“Grandma, I want nothing in return—only Youyou’s happiness.”
The young man, who had always been proud, knocked his forehead heavily on the ground again. “Grandma, let me take care of you. Let me make you happy and make Youyou happy too. Is that okay?”
…
Song Xinya and Song Tingyou returned to Zijin Mansion.
In the living room, Song Tingye was explaining a math problem to Qin Yuyan.
Song Tingye: “When you see this problem, what’s your first reaction?”
Qin Yuyan blinked her big, innocent eyes and asked, “My first reaction… can I say whatever I want?”
Song Tingye: “Go ahead, it’s no big deal.”
“My first reaction,” Qin Yuyan coughed twice and said, “is that math is such a pain in the ass—who the hell invented it?”
Song Tingye: “What the hell? Are you cussing?”
Qin Yuyan: “Otherwise, you think I’m saying sweet nothings?”
Song Tingye: “Let me tell you, kids aren’t supposed to curse.”
Qin Yuyan pulled out a Chinese test paper and pointed at the essay question. “Song Tingye, look at this essay topic. What do you think the examiner is trying to test?”
Song Tingye’s eyebrows knitted tightly. “What the fuck—this examiner is deliberately messing with me!”
Qin Yuyan grinned mischievously. “Hey, kids can’t curse~”
Song Tingye slammed his fist on the test paper. “It’s just an exam, and they make it this hard? There’s always some villain trying to overthrow me. Let’s see my socialist iron fist smash all the ghosts and monsters!”
Bang—Song Tingye slammed his fist on the essay question again.
Song Xinya stared at Song Tingye like he was an idiot. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t write an essay, so you smash the paper? You’re like He Zhizhang!”
Song Tingye: “I’m venting.”
Song Xinya: “No one even lit a match, and you’re already on fire. You’re so explosive, were you made of white phosphorus?”
Qin Yuyan tilted her little head over. “Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I don’t get it.”
Song Tingye explained to her, “White phosphorus is a chemical that ignites at low temperatures. It’s used to describe people who get worked up over nothing.”
Qin Yuyan blinked her big eyes. “I still don’t really get it.”
Song Tingye: “If you don’t get it, don’t worry about it. Your IQ only needs to handle not being hungry.”
Qin Yuyan: “Oh, I totally get that—being not hungry!”
Song Tingye clapped with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Wow, you’re amazing.”
Song Xinya felt like the two of them were a pair of idiots.
She looked around the living room. “Where’s Mr. Jin? Did he go home?”
Song Tingye: "He said he had something to do, and went out."
Song Tingyou asked curiously: "Did he say what it was?"
Song Tingye: "He's always so mysterious. He didn't say."
"I'm back." Jin Ruizhi walked into the living room.
Seizing the opportunity, Song Tingye took the chance to fill in Qin Yuyan's knowledge gaps: "That saying, 'speak of the devil,' describes exactly this situation."
Qin Yuyan: "I get it now."
Song Tingye: "All thanks to my brilliant teaching."
Qin Yuyan: "All thanks to my own intelligence."
Song Tingye: "Your brain isn't even as big as my pinky fingernail."
Qin Yuyan: "Keep insulting me, I'll bite you."
Song Tingye stopped teasing.
Song Tingyou looked at Jin Ruizhi and asked, "Where did you go just now?"
Jin Ruizhi sat down at the table, spread out a set of physics test papers, picked up a pen, and began writing, uttering two words from his lips: "Secret."
He wasn't the type to brag about everything he did for a girl.
He didn't want Song Tingyou to feel guilty or indebted to him because he helped take care of her grandmother.
He helped her take care of her grandmother simply because he wanted her loved one to be well.
He just wanted her to be happy.
Song Tingyou felt that Jin Ruizhi seemed secretive, as if he was hiding something from her.
But Jin Ruizhi's expression was open and honest.
She thought that whatever he was doing, it couldn't be something bad.
She stared at him, curious about what he was up to.
Jin Ruizhi looked up. His face was sharply defined, with a strong jawline, dark eyebrows, clean features.
He said to Song Tingyou, "Aren't you going to study? You haven't studied yesterday or today. Two days without studying—don't you worry about others surpassing you?"
Song Tingyou was moved by his words: "I'll study. I'll study right now."
She sat down beside him, spread open her books, and began to study.
Qin Yuyan and Song Tingye sat across from them, one worrying over math, the other over Chinese.
Qin Yuyan: "Family can leave, friends can betray, but math won't—because if math doesn't work, it just doesn't work."
Song Tingye: "Chinese is hard, so hard, harder than reaching the sky. White feathers float on green water, quack quack, I'm done."
As an A-level instructor who charged eight thousand yuan per forty-minute class, Song Xinya tutored the four young ones on the side.
Qin Yuhe was quite busy with work today, eating meals at his computer in the study. Song Xinya didn't disturb him all day.
That evening, Song Xinya waited for Qin Yuhe in the bedroom, wanting to discuss something with him...
At eleven o'clock at night, the bedroom door made a sound.
Song Xinya jumped off the bed and ran toward the door on her fair, bare feet.
The bedroom floor was covered with a long white plush carpet—clean, soft, and comfortable.
Outside the door, as Qin Yuhe reached for the handle, it slipped from his fingers as the door was pulled open from within.
Song Xinya's radiant face came into view, the light in her eyes brimming with urgency and anticipation.
"Why are you back so late tonight?"
Qin Yuhe: "There's a lot to handle regarding the resort project in Mocheng—the announcement of the winning bid is coming soon."
Song Xinya had been thinking about this too, and asked, "When's the announcement?"
Qin Yuhe: "In one day."
Song Xinya: "That soon? Wonderful."
Qin Yuhe: "It wasn't supposed to be this fast, but I sped up the project because I knew you were eager for Song Xuanli to take the bait."
Song Xinya: "So you stayed out so late tonight, just to help me?"
Qin Yuhe responded with a calm, "Mm-hmm."
Song Xinya wrapped her arms around his waist, rested her chin against his chest, and tilted her face up to look at him. "You've done so much behind the scenes—why don't you ever say anything?"
If she hadn't asked, he probably wouldn't have uttered a single word.
Qin Yuhe: "Helping my wife is a husband's duty."
