Chapter 32 Ordinary Classmates

Throughout the rest of the journey, Tang Ci paid no attention to what Zhou Yiyang and Sheng Yu were talking about.

All I could think about was Sheng Yu's aunt.

Looking back now, I find my indiscriminate remarks in the corridor truly shameful.

The car's heater was on full blast, and Tang Ci was right in front of the vent, feeling dizzy from the hot air. But she was too embarrassed to ask Sheng Yu to turn the temperature down, so she silently moved her bottom closer to the window.

Zhou Yiyang turned his head to talk to Sheng Yu, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her face flushed red from the heat. He smiled and said, "Little Tang Ci, just say so if you're hot."

Tang Ci licked her dry lips and said softly, "It's not very hot."

As she spoke, she glanced at the rearview mirror, then quickly looked away.

Zhou Yiyang rested his chin on his hand, looked her up and down for a few seconds, then winked at Sheng Yu and said, "You usually bully Xiao Tangci quite a bit, don't you? Look how scared she is, she doesn't even dare to look at you."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Yu remained silent, only letting out a cold snort.

Tang Ci lowered her head even further.

Zhou Yiyang couldn't bear the awkward situation, so he kept turning to talk to Tang Ci. Tang Ci barely understood the topics of fun and games, and the conversation kept circling back to studying.

"Tang Ci, which university are you planning to apply to next?" Zhou Yiyang asked with a smile. "Can you just choose any prestigious university in China?"

"No...it still depends on the college entrance examination results."

"You top students are just so modest." Zhou Yiyang suddenly remembered something and laughed, "I happened to sit next to Song Ke during the final exam, and I asked him if I could peek at his answer sheet. Guess what he said?"

Mentioning Song Ke, Tang Ci relaxed: "What did he say?"

“He said he could only guarantee a 95% accuracy rate,” Zhou Yiyang nudged Sheng Yu, who had a cold face, and then laughed exaggeratedly twice: “He told me to consider it carefully.”

These words fit the stereotypical image of Song Ke, and Tang Ci couldn't help but smile: "That's just how Song Ke is, he speaks very meticulously."

Zhou Yiyang was about to say something when the car suddenly made a sharp turn at a bend in the road. His upper body, which he had been twisting to make it easier to talk, was violently thrown back against the seat.

Once the car was back on track, Zhou Yiyang rubbed his shoulder and complained, "Why did you suddenly drive so fast?"

Sheng Yu didn't even lift his eyelids: "There are only three seconds left on the green light."

Zhou Yiyang didn't pay attention and turned his head to continue talking to Tang Ci.

Sheng Yu glanced at the passenger-side rearview mirror and clicked his tongue, "If you get in the way again, I'll throw you out."

Zhou Yiyang had no choice but to sit back down, take out his phone and mutter, "Young Master is really hard to please today."

When the car stopped downstairs at Tang Ci's house, Tang Ci's hands and feet were stiff from sitting in one position, and she even had difficulty speaking.

"Thank you, you all brought me back. I'm going home now."

Zhou Yiyang turned his head again, raised his eyebrows and waved to her: "Okay, little Tang Ci, let's play together again another day."

Tang Ci pursed her lips and nodded. Not hearing Sheng Yu's reply, she didn't want to keep waiting, so she got off the bus.

As she walked around the front of the car, she noticed that the driver's side window had been rolled down at some point. Sheng Yu was casually holding the steering wheel with one hand and taking out his phone with the other, perhaps to deal with a message.

Tang Ci slowed her pace and said to Sheng Yu again, "Thank you for today."

Sheng Yu's thick eyelashes lifted, and he gave a low, indifferent "hmm" in his deep, magnetic voice.

The car suddenly fell silent. The night wind rustled against the exterior of the residential building, stirring up the sand in the gaps between the floor tiles, creating a soft, rustling sound between heaven and earth.

Tang Ci's collar billowed in the wind, flapping against her collarbone, and her heartbeat gradually quickened.

She moved her lips, but Zhou Yiyang, who was inside the car, spoke first: "How about I get out of the car?"

Sensing the teasing in his tone, Tang Ci's ears burned. She quickly said "Goodnight" and ran into the dark stairwell.

Sheng Yu waited until the footsteps faded away before starting the engine.

/

The restaurant that Sheng Yu sent was not far from Tang Ci's house. Tang Ci did not ask him to pick her up and took the bus to the restaurant herself.

She arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the agreed time, and the waiting area inside the store was already full of people. She took a number and went to wait outside.

A row of small stools was placed against the wall by the door. Tang Ci casually picked one to sit down and took out her exercise book from her schoolbag to start working.

As I finished completing a practice paper, a pair of exquisite brown high-heeled leather shoes appeared before my eyes.

Tang Ci looked up blankly and met a bright, smiling face.

Rong Yue blinked and called her, "Tang Ci?"

Tang Ci paused for a moment, then stood up from the stool, clutching the exercise book. "Are you Sheng Yu's aunt?"

"Rongyue." Rongyue said, extending her hand to her, "You can just call me Auntie like he does."

“Okay…” Tang Ci opened her mouth, but couldn’t bring herself to say the intimate term.

Rong Yue pointed to the roadside: "He went to park the car, and when he saw you waiting here, he told me to come over first."

Tang Ci said "Oh," and showed Rong Yue the queue number ticket in her hand: "There are a lot of people today, we'll probably have to wait a while."

A gust of wind blew by, and she instinctively shrank her neck.

In the blink of an eye, Rong Yue took off her scarf and wrapped it around her, saying softly, "Auntie has been craving this hot pot for a long time, it's okay to wait a little while."

As Rong Yue spoke, she shifted her feet to block the wind blowing against Tang Ci.

Tang Ci had never been treated like this by an elder before, and for a moment she didn't know how to refuse. She felt a little awkward, and the voice that came out of her throat was particularly soft: "Thank you, Auntie."

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Sheng Yu parked his car and came over. He was wearing a thin black down jacket and a dark gray beanie, which revealed his sharp features.

As he walked along, the girls waiting for seats on the street looked up, then blushed slightly and whispered among themselves.

Sheng Yu walked over to the two of them, took the number from Tang Ci's hand, and frowned slightly as he listened to the numbers being called out in the store: "So many people?"

“When have there not been many people?” Rong Yue patted his arm. “You can’t wait again, can you?”

“This restaurant doesn’t have an online queuing system,” Sheng Yu said with a helpless expression. “The taste is just so-so, why do you insist on eating here?”

“This is my favorite restaurant before I went abroad. It’s not about the taste, it’s about the nostalgia,” Rong Yue said, sniffing the spicy aroma wafting from the restaurant with fascination.

"I'll write down the phone number this time, and see if I can make a reservation in advance next time I go back to China."

"Not bad, that's thoughtful." Rong turned to Tang Ci with a smile and asked, "Does this rascal know how to take care of others at school?"

Sheng Yu lazily lifted his eyes and looked at Tang Ci.

Tang Ciwen replied slowly, "I know."

Rong Yue raised the corners of her lips and said, "Xiao Yu has really grown up."

Sheng Yu crossed his arms and glanced at Tang Ci: "Please give me some face."

Rong Yue laughed twice, then teased, "Everyone's starting to care about saving face."

Unable to win the argument, Sheng Yu changed the subject and asked about Rong Yue's business in Australia.

Tang Ci was also pulled into the discussion, and even though she didn't understand, Rong Yue listened patiently to her.

The waiting time passed slowly in casual conversation. When the waiter called their number, Tang Ci suddenly realized that Sheng Yu had a smile on his face and was talking more in front of Rong Yue.

It turns out that in front of his close family, Sheng Yu is just a child who has just come of age.

With her mind preoccupied, Tang Ci didn't pay attention when entering the booth and stepped on a Coke bottle that another customer had dropped on the floor. She lost her footing and almost fell.

Sheng Yu held her shoulders from behind, pressed her down on the sofa before letting go, and then sat down next to her.

Rong Yue sat down opposite Sheng Yu and ordered a whole page of dishes in a lavish manner.

After the waiter left, Rong Yue looked the two of them up and down and asked Tang Ci with a smile, "Xiao Yu has never liked to talk to girls since he was little, but I didn't expect him to be so close to girls now."

Hearing this half-serious, half-joking remark, Tang Ci's throat tightened, and she responded with a muffled sound.

Sheng Yu remained extremely calm, tapping his knuckles on the table: "We're not exactly close, just ordinary classmates."

Rong Yue was surprised: "Is that so?"

Tang Ci knew that Sheng Yu was repeating what she had said before, and awkwardly scratched her earlobe: "Yes, yes, right?"

As she spoke, she grabbed the water the waiter had just poured, tilted her head back to drink, but Sheng Yu grabbed her wrist.

Sheng Yu glanced at her reddened nose and said, "This is ice water."

Tang Cixing put down her water glass: "Thank you for reminding me."

Sheng Yu's expression remained indifferent. He touched the teapot to check its temperature and poured her a cup of warm oolong tea.

Rong Yue smiled as she looked at his stubborn yet soft-hearted appearance.

After dinner, it started snowing lightly outside. It wasn't heavy, but the temperature dropped a bit.

Sheng Yu told them to wait inside the store while he went to the parking lot to drive his car over.

Shortly after he left, he called Rong Yue, saying that his car was blocked by an SUV and he was waiting for the owner to move it.

Rong Yue hung up the phone, pointed upstairs and said to Tang Ci, "We're going to wait anyway, why don't we go shopping with Auntie?"

Tang Ci nodded and packed her schoolbag: "Okay."

The first floor of the mall was filled with expensive and luxurious luxury stores. Rong Yue picked a store that had become very popular in recent years and went in to browse. She asked Tang Ci for advice, saying that she wanted to give it to a niece.

Tang Ci picked out a flower-shaped diamond necklace, and Rong Yue nodded in satisfaction before going directly to the counter to pay.

After leaving the store, the two sat by the mall entrance and continued to wait.

Rong Yue handed the gift box in her hand to Tang Ci: "This is a thank-you gift from your aunt."

Tang Ci took a step back, surprised, and refused, "I can't accept it."

Rong Yue said patiently, "This is what you deserve for tutoring Xiao Yu."

Tang Ci also explained, "I already received a scholarship for tutoring, so I shouldn't take anything from you."

Without saying a word, Rong Yue placed the gift box in her hands: "He is him, and I am me. Your aunt is willing to give it."

Tang Ci held the gift box hesitantly, as if it were a hot potato, and asked in a low voice, "But this necklace is very expensive."

Rong Yue smiled gently: "It's just a tip for your aunt."

Tang Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The night outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was covered with a thin layer of snow, making the pitch-black night seem much softer.

Rong Yue's fingertips caressed the shoulder strap of the tote bag. Suddenly, she lowered her voice and said to Tang Ci, "Xiao Ci, can your aunt ask you for a favor?"

/

Sheng Yu, holding a black umbrella, went to the mall entrance to meet the person. As soon as he stood there, Rong Yue made a phone call, saying that she had a friend to pick her up and that they should go ahead.

"Xiao Yu, drive carefully on the road," Rong Yue instructed. "Get Xiao Ci home safely."

Sheng Yu said calmly, "You shouldn't drink today either."

Rong Yue made a vow gesture: "At most, I'll just have a late-night snack with friends."

Sheng Yu hummed in agreement, held the umbrella over Tang Ci's head, and led her down the steps.

The car was temporarily parked on the sidewalk. A thin layer of snow had accumulated at the bottom of the steps, and it was soft and loose underfoot.

Tang Ci stomped her feet before getting into the car to make sure there were no traces of snow before getting in. This time, she sat in the passenger seat.

Throughout the journey, Tang Ci's hands were constantly busy, either twisting them together or silently adjusting the seatbelt.

As the car slowly entered the residential area, Sheng Yucai asked in a calm voice, "Is something the matter?"

Tang Ci suddenly released her grip on the leather cushion and shook her head frantically: "No."

Sheng Yu parked the car in front of Tang Ci's building and glanced at her sideways: "Just say what you want to do."

Tang Ci paused, then mustered her courage and asked, "Can... I talk to you?"

Sheng Yu unbuckled his seatbelt. "Speak."

Tang Ci followed suit, unbuckled her seatbelt, and turned slightly to look at him: "Sheng Yu, have you thought about which university you will attend in the future?"

Sheng Yu repeated what she had said yesterday: "It depends on the college entrance examination results."

"It's not necessary."

Sheng Yu twitched the corner of his mouth: "What do you mean?"

“You can also apply to study abroad.” Tang Ci looked up and met his gaze. “That way you can choose a better university than the one in China.”

Sheng Yu asked in a flat tone: "Just for this to go abroad?"

Moreover, there's no need to have any further entanglement with the awful Sheng family.

Tang Ci hesitated before saying this.

She swallowed hard, considered her words for a moment, and then said in a soft, gentle voice, "I just heard from your aunt that your mother always wanted to go live in Australia with you. If you can go, your mother will be happy in heaven."

The air conditioner was still blowing warm air, but the atmosphere inside the car had already dropped to freezing.

Sheng Yu's gaze froze, reflecting a cold light. He stared at Tang Ci for a while before scoffing, "Tang Ci, what right do you have to say such things?"