Song Xinya looked out through the windshield and saw two teenagers walking side by side.
One of them was taller, with a soft, obedient face, fair and tender skin, and rosy, full lips—the kind of "puppy-eyed boyfriend" look that was all the rage right now. On the outside, he seemed incredibly well-behaved.
The uniform at this private high school was custom-tailored, in a style like the ones you see in Korean dramas.
The male student wore a white shirt, a navy suit jacket, trousers with an excellent drape, and a thin plaid tie around his neck. The fabric was luxurious, the cut sharp and fitted. Decked out like that, on a teenager with a tall, straight posture, he was a pleasure to look at.
Song Xinya saw the puppy-eyed boy approaching and felt like she was watching a Korean idol drama.
That said, she had seen far too many handsome men in her life. The man she'd married was stunningly gorgeous, and Song Tingye and Jin Ruizhi were so handsome it bordered on unfair. This puppy-eyed student, while good-looking, wasn't enough to make Song Xinya turn her head.
She drove on, straight past him.
Through the windshield, the puppy-eyed student had only been glancing casually, but the moment his gaze touched Song Xinya's face, his gentle, soft eyes suddenly sharpened, glinting with excitement.
The look of a hunter spotting its prey.
"Sheng Tianjun, what are you looking at?"
The boy beside him patted Sheng Tianjun on the shoulder.
Sheng Tianjun looked away from the car that had driven past, and as he turned back to his classmate, his expression returned to its soft, mild-mannered state.
"Nothing. Just saw a stranger."
The classmate: "You get that lost in looking at a stranger? Was she pretty?"
Sheng Tianjun: "Pretty. The older-sister type."
The classmate: "Damn, so you're into older women."
Sheng Tianjun licked his lips and said, "Older women have a certain flavor."
The classmate went, "Whoa," and asked, "What do you mean by flavor?"
Sheng Tianjun: "Once you've tasted an older woman, you'll know what flavor means."
The classmate was so shocked he cursed: "Shit, the way you say that, it's like you've actually had one."
Sheng Tianjun smiled without saying a word.
The classmate: "Forget all that. We're only in our second year of high school. We're only sixteen. Oh wait, you're seventeen this year."
"Hey, Sheng Tianjun, seventeen-year-olds are usually in their third year. How come you're in second year?"
Sheng Tianjun: "I took a year off."
The classmate: "Off for what?"
Sheng Tianjun: "For reasons I can't say."
The classmate joked, "You didn't do something illegal, did you?"
Sheng Tianjun: "What if I did? Would you stop being friends with me?"
The classmate: "Damn right I would. I'd stay as far away as possible. Who wants to be friends with someone with a criminal record?"
The classmate looked ahead and suddenly his eyes lit up.
He pointed at a female student up ahead, his youthful face brimming with excitement as he gushed, "Whoa! Today's our lucky day! First day of school and we already see the school's most beautiful girl—a senior, the campus beauty queen!"
Sheng Tianjun looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a girl standing by the roadside, waiting for someone.
The girl wore a white shirt with a pretty bow tied at the collar, a navy blazer, a beige pleated skirt, and black leather shoes. Her bare legs were slim and straight, her skin a spotless, flawless cool white.
The morning light fell on her skin, casting a bright halo around her. She looked like a little glowing fairy.
The classmate stared, transfixed: "No wonder she's the school beauty. She's gorgeous. Nose is a nose, eyes are eyes, lips are lips."
Sheng Tianjun: "And you? Your nose is a mouth, your eyes are a nose, and your mouth is an eye?"
The classmate: "No, I mean—our school beauty is truly stunning. An angel come down to earth."
"Hey, Sheng Tianjun, don't you think she's pretty?"
Sheng Tianjun: "Nice legs. Perky ass."
The classmate: "You're weird. Everyone else looks at the face first. How come you're looking at legs and ass first?"
Sheng Tianjun said, with meaning behind his words, "I'm different from you guys…"
The classmate: "Different how?"
Sheng Tianjun said again, "For reasons I can't say."
The classmate knew he wouldn't get an answer, so he stopped asking and dragged Sheng Tianjun past the school beauty, whistling at her as they ran by.
Qin Yuyan, who was standing by the road waiting for someone, was speechless. Another idiot whistling at her.
Sheng Tianjun glanced back at Qin Yuyan, and she happened to catch his eye.
Who is this guy?
…
At the company, Song Xinya opened the file on Sheng Tianjun once more, pondering how and where she could get to see this kid.
While she was focused on it, Chen Siyan stuck his head over: "Still looking at that? You've read it so many times it's about to wear out."
Song Xinya: "Confucius said, 'Reviewing what you've learned can make you a teacher.'"
Chen Siyan: "Confucius also said, 'If someone won't work with you, cut your losses and move on.'"
Song Xinya: "What are you trying to say?"
Chen Siyan: "What I'm saying is, Teacher Song, why are you so hung up on Sheng Tianjun as a client? You've spent so much time on him. By now, you could have signed deals with other clients already. Sure, Sheng Tianjun pays a lot for tutoring, but 'three humble shoemakers make a Zhuge Liang.' Sign the other three clients and their combined tutoring fees far exceed his. So, from a cost-benefit analysis, I'm telling you—being fixated on Sheng Tianjun isn't worth it."
Song Xinya knew it wasn't worth it, but she wasn't getting close to Sheng Tianjun for money.
Chen Siyan, genuinely trying to help a friend, placed two client files on Song Xinya's desk.
"These two clients are much easier to sign than Sheng Tianjun. Teacher Song, go visit them, and you'll land contracts for sure. Also, the selection for the title of Outstanding Instructor is coming up. If you don't sign any deals, you won't make the cut."
Zhao Yinian had just come back downstairs from a meeting and overheard what Chen Siyan was saying to Song Xinya.
Chen Siyan was Song Xinya's rival, and yet here he was, giving her all this heartfelt advice. Did the man have no selfish motives at all? Was he just an idiot?
Zhao Yinian rolled his eyes and walked over.
Chen Siyan: "Oh, President Zhao, rolling your eyes again? If they don't invite you to judge the next village cow fight contest, they're wasting your talent."
Zhao Yinian: "Get lost and leave me alone. Who the hell wants to be a judge at some country cow fight anyway."
Chen Siyan: "I think it'd be perfect for you. Because cows are livestock, and you're a beast—you two are the same species."
Zhao Yinian jumped in fury and shouted: "Chen Siyan, you beast! You're the beast!"
Chen Siyan: "Madam, please don't assume that because you're a beast, everyone else in the world is too."
Zhao Yinian grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and hurled it at Chen Siyan.
Chen Siyan caught it with one hand and took a big crunchy bite: "Now that's sweet. Crisp as can be."
Zhao Yinian was fuming.
At five in the afternoon, Song Xinya was working overtime, using big data analysis to craft a personalized study-improvement plan tailored specifically for Sheng Tianjun.
Opportunity only comes to those who are prepared. Although she hadn't met Sheng Tianjun yet, she wanted to get everything ready in advance so that the moment she met him, she could immediately showcase her professional skills and win over the client.
Her phone rang. Song Xinya glanced at it—it was Qin Yuyan calling.
"Sis-in-law, our private high school lets out early. Could you come pick me up and take me home?"
Song Xinya: "Yanyan, I'm busy. Have the driver pick you up."
Qin Yuyan: "Sis-in-law, don't you love me anymore? Wuwuwu."
Song Xinya: "I love you, love you, just like mice love rice."
Qin Yuyan: "If you love me that much, why don't you come pick me up?"
Song Xinya: "And you didn't come pick me up from work either, babe."
Qin Yuyan: "True, oh, alright, alright. You keep working, sis-in-law. Bye-bye~"
After saying bye-bye, Qin Yuyan hung up and walked out of the classroom.
On the main road leading to the school gate, Qin Yuyan ran into the two sophomore boys from that morning again.
The male classmate waved at Qin Yuyan enthusiastically: "Hey, senior, hello."
Qin Yuyan: "Hello, junior. Why aren't you wolf-whistling at me anymore?"
The male classmate scratched his head awkwardly, grabbed Sheng Tianjun next to him, and unhesitatingly shifted the blame: "Senior, that wolf-whistle this morning wasn't me—it was him."
Qin Yuyan sized up Sheng Tianjun: "I don't think I've seen you before."
The male classmate eagerly chimed in: "He's a transfer student. He didn't go to this school before."
Qin Yuyan got approached by countless boys every day, so she was used to it. She wasn't interested in these two juniors, so she kept walking and ignored them.
The male classmate said dejectedly: "The school beauty is leaving. Sheng Tianjun, hurry and think of an idea for me—how do I get the school beauty to look at me just once more? If she so much as glances at me, my heart will bubble up with joy like little fizzing bubbles."
Qin Yuyan's footsteps suddenly halted. She turned around and looked at the boy beside her male classmate: "What's your name?"
The male classmate continued answering eagerly: "His name is Sheng Tianjun."
Sheng Tianjun!
He was the Sheng Tianjun her sister-in-law had been searching for all this time!
Qin Yuyan's cold, indifferent attitude changed in an instant. She said warmly: "There's still time—no rush to get home. You two juniors, let me treat you to some ice cream."
The male classmate was flattered: "Senior, you're really going to treat us to ice cream?"
Qin Yuyan looked at Sheng Tianjun: "That's right. Don't go anywhere—come with me to the ice cream shop."
No way. It took her this long to find this guy named Sheng Tianjun. She had to keep an eye on him for her sister-in-law and make sure he didn't slip away!
