Chapter 36 (Second Update)

Perhaps because she was full and had plenty of energy, Luo Yan rode very fast from school to the bike shop.

Her face flushed red, whether from the heat or the wind, she couldn't tell.

Zhou Weifang heard her breathing heavily and said, "Sit down and rest for a while."

Luo Yan held the money in her left hand in her pocket, shook her head, and said, "No, I'll just grab my car and leave."

He then took out the keys from his right pocket: "Here, take this back. Check if the car is damaged."

Zhou Weifang joked, "It's okay, if it breaks, your brother will pay for it."

Luo Yan thought it was a great idea and smiled along.

She has beautiful features, especially when she's genuinely happy.

Zhou Weifang opened his hand and let her drop the key into his palm, saying, "You can also check if it's fixed."

Luo Yan had no idea how to check. Hearing him say that, she squatted down, turned the pedal a couple of times, and looked up: "It's done."

Well, I've wasted the last two weeks of work.

Zhou Weifang replaced almost every replaceable part, thinking to himself that it was like casting a seductive glance at a blind man. He touched his eyebrows with his hand, offered no explanation, and simply said, "Okay, then you can go back now. Drive carefully."

Luo Yan estimated the distance between the two people, her left hand poised to strike, but she was caught red-handed as soon as she pulled it out a little.

Zhou Weifang: "If you're going to hand over money, I'll have to slip it under your door in the middle of the night."

Luo Yan froze, then used her parents as an excuse: "My mom said she would give it to me."

Zhou Weifang: "Then I'll put it back."

Luo Yan thought he was really capable of doing such a thing, and blinked, "That would be so embarrassing."

Zhou Weifang was about to say it was okay, but then she changed her mind and asked, "Are you in a hurry to go home?"

Luo Yan thought that the question must be because someone wanted her help, so she shook her head repeatedly: "No rush."

Zhou Weifang: "There are some parts of your book that I don't understand. Could you explain them to me?"

Luo Yan: "Of course, no problem."

She had wondered if this was some kind of "equivalent exchange" that someone had come up with on the spot, but upon closer inspection, she dismissed her doubts.

Zhou Weifang had taken many notes, which were densely packed when flipped through.

He joked, "I don't even know a little bit; I only know a little bit."

Learning takes time.

Luo Yan encouraged her, "You're smart, you'll definitely understand it right away."

Zhou Weifang noticed that she seemed to become exceptionally kind and patient when talking about studying, even being very careful with her words, as if afraid of dampening other people's enthusiasm.

He said, "You'll think I'm stupid in a moment."

This series of preambles made Luo Yan's heart pound: "Let me look at your notebook first, and organize my thoughts before I talk to you."

Zhou Weifang brought her a stool and laid out snacks and tea: "Look, I'll come over after I fix the car."

As long as he wasn't around, Luo Yan didn't feel as much pressure and could practice quietly.

She has always believed that teaching and nurturing students is a very sacred thing, and she is always very careful, even when helping students with their homework.

Zhou Weifang glanced at her serious expression and made his movements quieter. At the same time, he was glad that his two apprentices had already left work—otherwise, those two clueless people might have said something embarrassing.

Of course, the atmosphere isn't much better right now.

He had already convinced himself that it was normal for a man to have feelings for someone when he came of age, since Luo Yan was so beautiful and one of the few girls he knew well. But she was a younger sister he had watched grow up, and with Luo Hong in the middle, he could suppress his feelings.

But he never expected that his life would be completely out of his control, and that everything he did was like being possessed, including keeping the person behind.

The more Zhou Weifang thought about it, the more regretful he became, and he grabbed a handful of hair in frustration.

Luo Yan was completely absorbed in her book and had no idea what he was doing, writing and drawing on her own.

After Zhou Weifang finished repairing the two cars, she said, "I'm done looking at them."

Zhou Weifang: "I'll come right away after I wash my hands."

He spoke casually, but in reality, he was scrubbing vigorously with a brush.

Luo Yangguang felt pain just from hearing the sound, and then he saw that the skin on his fingertips was peeling. He said, "Don't you need to apply some medicine?"

Zhou Weifang instinctively put his hands behind his back and said, "No need, touching the engine oil every day won't help."

Wearing gloves while working is inconvenient, and he's too lazy to use them.

Luo Yan thought to herself that he had only been running this shop for a year, and his hands might be ruined in ten or eight years. She couldn't help but want to say something, but she swallowed her words back.

Zhou Weifang noticed her hesitation and asked, "Do you have some secret recipe?"

Luo Yan didn't have the secret recipe.

She took out some face cream from her bag: "This might be useful."

Even without opening the lid, Zhou Weifang could smell the fragrance. He made an excuse, saying, "It's quite expensive, you should keep it."

If it's not expensive, it won't show my sincerity. Luo Yan said, "It's okay, give it a try."

Zhou Weifang suddenly realized that it wasn't a good habit for her to look at others when she spoke, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll try."

He reached into the bottle and scooped some out, rubbing his hands together.

The tiny cracks were actually a little painful, but he endured it.

Luo Yan didn't notice anything amiss in his expression, so she turned her attention to the book, pointed, and said, "I'll start from here."

There's no blackboard here, so it's natural for two people reading the same book to stand close together.

Zhou Weifang keenly noticed that in addition to the scent of face cream, she also had a faint candy smell.

He tried to dodge to the right, but the wind that came in seemed to be blowing specifically in his direction, refusing to let him go at all.

Luo Yan noticed his distraction and tapped the table twice as a reminder.

To be honest, Zhou Weifang felt a strong sense of nostalgia for his school days, and unconsciously sat up straight.

Luo Yan was satisfied and slowly moved her finger down: "Look at this sentence now, it means that cost is only used for accounting..."

Even though Zhou Weifang was paying attention, he was still confused by her long string of words.

Luo Yan could also see that his foundation was still much weaker than that of his classmates. Thinking that the same explanation might not be absorbed, she said, "How about we stop here for today? I'll go back and reorganize my notes before we come back."

Again? Zhou Weifang was torn between his inner thoughts and his own.

On the one hand, he told himself not to get too close to people, but on the other hand, he couldn't help wanting to get closer, and he couldn't make up his mind for a while.

Luo Yan assumed he was just being shy about bothering her: "I'm on vacation, I have plenty of free time."

Looking into her eyes, Zhou Weifang couldn't bring himself to say "no need to come," and instead said, "Okay, thank you for your trouble. I'll treat you to a meal later."

He then gathered up the snacks on the table, saying, "Take these home to eat."

Luo Yan's long-planned "escape" finally came true at this moment; anyone who didn't know better would think she had stolen a car from the store.

Zhou Weifang was both amused and exasperated, and added from behind, "Slow down! I'm not chasing you."

The newly repaired bike was so smooth that Luo Yan had already pedaled for a mile.

She got home without much effort, looking very light and quick.

Liu Yinfeng saw her daughter enter the door happily and asked, "Did you find money on the road?"

Luo Yan: "Not having to buy a new car is like finding a treasure."

Liu Yinfeng didn't forget to ask, "Did you pay me?"

Luo Yan: "Let my brother marry him. I can't do this job."

Liu Yinfeng thought she had been making excuses and that's why it took so long, and said helplessly, "When will you grow up?"

Luo Yan: "Wait until my brother gets married."

Luo Hong heard this as soon as he entered the house, and said irritably, "Are you afraid that Mom won't scold me anymore?"

Luo Yan stuck out her tongue and leaned closer to him: "Let me tell you, just now..."

There were quite a few things that just happened. Luo Hong listened and felt that the development seemed to be within his expectations, but the direction seemed a bit strange. He hissed.

Luo Yan waited for him to speak, but seeing that he only hissed without saying a word, she asked, "Are you a snake spirit?"

When arguing with his younger sister, Luo Hong's mind works the fastest: "Hmm, I'll shed my skin in your bed tomorrow."

Luo Yanguang found it terrifying to even think about, and punched her brother, saying, "Don't keep scaring me!"

Luo Hong replied dismissively, "Okay, okay."

And I can't help but say, "If it's too much of a strain, then don't go. I'll tell him that."

Luo Yan: "If he really wants to learn, I won't force him."

She doesn't actively try to teach others, but she'll help with learning whenever she can.

Luo Hong asked in surprise, "You don't have a problem with them, so why are you being so enthusiastic?"

Luo Yan: "I will do my best to teach anyone who wants to learn."

It sounds like something she would say.

Luo Hong knew his sister had a heart full of ambition and a desire to help others, so he patted her on the head and said, "Well done! Make him pay your tuition later; that'll be your first pot of gold."

Luo Yan called it a "bad idea," and with a flick of her braid, she went into the kitchen to help her mother.

Luo Hong was left to ponder the matter, but he couldn't quite figure it out. After eating, he went to the car dealership.

Zhou Wei was eating when he saw him and asked, "Want something to eat?"

Luo Hong pulled up a stool and sat down, getting straight to the point: "How much will it cost to repair Yan Yan's car?"

Zhou Weifang cursed at him: "Get lost, take it back."

Luo Hong: "I'm just going through the motions; I didn't really intend to give it to you."

Knowing his childhood friend wouldn't accept it, he continued with the second question: "Yanyan said she'd come and give you a lesson next time?"

They really have no secrets; the news spread like wildfire in no time.

Zhou Weifang paused with his chopsticks: "Well, it's fine if she can't come, no problem."

Luo Hong: "You really want to learn?"

Putting Luo Yanlai aside, Zhou Weifang said, "Yes, I'll definitely need it in the future. My foundation is too weak. Even if she explains it to me once, I'll probably have to study it again before I can barely understand it."

Luo Hong clicked his tongue twice: "Then you're doomed. Yan Yan is the kind of person who will never give up until someone is taught how to teach."

The year the college entrance exam was reinstated, he simply said, "Maybe I should give it a try too," and his sister became incredibly enthusiastic, causing him so much trouble that he almost didn't dare go home.

Zhou Weifang thought he had figured something out and breathed a sigh of relief: "I was determined to learn it anyway."

That's because he hadn't witnessed Luo Yan's methods. Luo Hong suddenly felt a bit like watching a show, and touched his nose: "You'd better watch yourself."

He further emphasized, "You must treat her well, even if you can't stand it, you have to put up with it."

Zhou Weifang tried to cover it up: "I will definitely tolerate your sister."

"That's fine," Luo Hong said after finishing his business, and then chatted with him about other things.

Before leaving, Zhou Weifang gave Luo Yan the snacks he hadn't taken, saying, "These are for your respect, teacher."

Luo Hong told him not to stand on ceremony: "You're very respectful of your teacher. Call me 'Uncle-Master' from now on."

Zhou Weifang: "Call me grandpa."

Luo Hong always tries to take advantage of everyone: "You're too kind, grandson."

Zhou Weifang kicked him, and after everyone left, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He was completely undecided at the moment, but upon closer reflection, he realized that he was worrying unnecessarily.

Even with his limited understanding of Luo Yan, he could tell what kind of person she would like in the future. He thought it was absurd to be agonizing over this, and stared at his palm, laughing at himself.

On the other side, Luo Yan was also thinking about his hand.

As usual, she applied face cream before bed. Seeing the small empty portion in the jar, she murmured:

"I should have left this here; the other person fixed my car quite well."

Others may not know, but Luo Yan rides it every day and knows it best.

Her car, which used to be practically in its twilight years, has now been rejuvenated. Although she doesn't know exactly how much it will cost, she knows that such a large item is never cheap, and she can deduce this from the construction period alone. The more she thinks about it, the more guilty she feels.

The older brother's return home only made things worse. After knocking on the door, he pushed it open and said, "These are snacks from Sanfang to show your respect."

Luo Yan was worried: "Why did you bring it back? I'm already owing you too much favors."

Luo Hong didn't take this favor seriously at all: "Just put it on my tab."

Anyway, the relationship between him and his childhood friend was never really clear-cut, and everyone was doing their best to help each other.

That's what they say, but the one who benefits is Luo Yan.

She couldn't feel at ease with herself, so she could only glare at her brother.

Luo Hong put the things on her desk: "Alright, your eyes are popping out. Take them if you want, it would be even more disgraceful to return them."

Luo Yan knew this principle, of course. She slumped her shoulders helplessly, while thinking to herself: Next time, I should bring something for Zhou Weifang too.

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Author's note: I'm torn between updating just now and updating again every day, and I really don't have many drafts left!