Chapter 14 "Want to come to my house?"
The exam paper covering the camera was pulled down, and Sheng Yu looked down at the lens, "Why do you care about my feelings?"
Tang Ci's back was stiff, and her fingertips off-camera were digging into the edge of the table. After a two-second delay, she murmured, "When people are in a bad mood... their learning efficiency will decrease."
Sheng Yu propped her phone up on the table, grabbed a towel from the clothes rack to dry her hair, and said, "So you won't get the scholarship this way, right?"
“Yes.” Tang Ci looked at the camera and patiently explained to him, “If you shift your attention to studying, you can forget about other things.”
Sheng Yu threw the towel on the shelf, crossed his arms, and scoffed, "You called me so late at night just to make chicken soup?"
Tang Ci felt embarrassed by his impolite remarks, rubbed her cheeks, and awkwardly changed the subject, "Let's go through the test paper again."
In the dead of autumn nights, apart from the sound of the wind passing by outside the window, there is no other noise.
Tang Ci's voice was already soft, and the electric current added an extra touch of sweetness to it.
After finishing the test paper, Sheng Yu felt sleepy before midnight, which was rare for her.
Tang Ci put down her pen and asked, "Did you understand everything?"
"Um."
When it comes to learning, Sheng Yu always speaks his mind. He says that if he understands something, then he must have a thorough understanding of it.
Tang Ci nodded in satisfaction, marveling at how efficient her evening study was. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Let's review via video every night before the mock exam."
She realized she had crossed the line as soon as she finished speaking.
Tang Ci lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, about to deny what she had said.
But then Sheng Yu hummed in agreement again.
/
With one week left before the mock exam, Sheng Yu's classmates noticed the change in her.
It seems like only a few days have passed since Sheng Yu went from sleeping on the table all day long to never having a ballpoint pen in his hand. Everyone's initial surprise has turned into acceptance.
Sheng Yu was already attracting a lot of attention, and his unusual behavior made him even more noticeable.
Soon, the news that he had reformed and was preparing for the mock exam spread like wildfire, becoming a hot topic on the No. 1 Middle School forum.
The forum is a mixed bag; besides those who praise it, those who are just watching the spectacle, there are also countless comments that are pessimistic.
While having lunch in the cafeteria, Jiang Chan opened the forum and saw a rant post, asking Tang Ci to read it with her.
"I bet Sheng Yu will only work hard for a few days. People who slack off for a long time can't really work hard."
"Perhaps just like his racing, studying is just a game for him."
...
"What's the point of studying for a rich kid like him? No matter how well he does on the exam, his family can still send him abroad to a prestigious university."
"I despise people like him the most, who do whatever they want just because their family is rich."
"He doesn't really think that cramming at the last minute will work, does he? I bet he'll fail the mock exam."
The last three comments are from the same user, ID [0219].
Jiang Chan pouted and said, "This 0219 just can't stand seeing others do well. Look at what he said, it's so sour."
Tang Ci frowned and asked, "Can I post on the school forum after registering?"
“Yeah.” Jiang Chan looked at her serious expression and asked, “You’re not going to go against 0129, are you?”
Tang Ci paused in her hand as she picked up her phone. "Let me take a look first."
Jiang Chan cautioned, "Just take a look, don't take it seriously. Anonymous forums are a mess, there are all sorts of people there. This 0129 is just looking for attention. The more you pay attention to him, the more annoying he becomes."
Tang Ci put down her phone, smiled faintly, and said, "I understand."
When Sheng Yu and Zhou Yiyang arrived at the classroom, there were still five minutes before the afternoon class.
Tang Ci, who always previews the material before class, is currently sitting in her seat with her head down, playing on her phone.
Zhou Yiyang noticed her movements and joked, "Has Tang Xueba gone astray?"
Sheng Yu glanced at him, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
Their movements and voices were not quiet, but Tang Ci didn't react at all, her fingertips clicking rapidly on the screen.
Sheng Yu raised her hand and tapped on the edge of her table. "What are you doing?"
Tang Ci was startled by the sudden sound, her fingers trembled, and the phone slipped directly from her palm.
Before she could react, Sheng Yu had already reached out and taken her phone, calmly placing it back on the table.
Her gaze naturally fell on the screen of her phone; the light green forum interface displayed two clear comments.
[0129: You're so protective of Sheng Yu, are you his dog?]
[Little T: Please, have some manners when you speak.]
Sheng Yu chuckled softly, "So fierce, Teacher T."
Tang Ci's face flushed, and she tapped her fingertips on the edge of the table as she said, "I just wanted him to stop making random comments about you."
"Why bother with a rat hiding in the gutter?" Sheng Yu flicked her forehead with his fingertip. "Isn't it true that you should use studying to distract yourself?"
He didn't use much force, but Tang Ci's forehead felt numb. She rubbed her fingertips against the skin he touched and whispered, "Oh."
During the break between evening self-study sessions, Jin Ming called Sheng Yu and Zhou Yiyang in the group chat to go to the playground for a smoke.
Zhou Yiyang had long since learned to lose patience. Upon receiving the message, he grabbed his cigarette case, turned to Sheng Yu, and asked, "Brother Yu, shall we go?"
Tang Ci was explaining the last big question on the test paper to Sheng Yu.
Sheng Yu twirled the pen in his hand and raised an eyebrow: "Shall I go downstairs for a smoke?"
Tang Ci paused for a moment, then said, "...Okay."
Zhou Yiyang looked incredulous. After leaving the classroom, he teased, "What's wrong with you two? You're just like my parents, you have to report to Tang Ci even if you smoke a cigarette."
Sheng Yu scoffed: "They're very strict."
Recalling Tang Ci's previous incident of blocking the car, Zhou Yiyang smirked, "Tang Ci looks innocent on the surface, but she's actually quite sassy inside. She's really something else."
Sheng Yu raised his eyebrows and glanced at him.
Jin Ming had been waiting downstairs for a while. When he saw them, he waved and said, "Let's go to the convenience store and buy a bottle of soda first."
Zhou Yiyang nodded and said okay.
Sheng Yu tossed his wallet to him, saying, "Bring me a bottle of mineral water—"
He paused slightly, then added, "And another bottle of milk."
Jin Mingyang took the wallet from him. "Okay."
Sheng Yu went into the bathroom before putting the cigarette in his mouth. The lighter made a clear click as the flame licked the cigarette butt.
As the smoke dissipated, he heard the sound of puffing and hushed conversation coming from a cubicle not far from the door.
He hadn't paid any attention at first and started walking inside, but stopped when he heard the conversation coming from inside the cubicle.
One guy said, "Wow, you're awesome, bro. You're 0129. You really dare to say that because you're anonymous."
Zou Qiang: "Tch—I dare to say this to your face. Besides, what I said is all true. Everyone in the school knows that Sheng Yu relies entirely on his father."
The boy hesitated, "I don't think so. He was first in his entrance exam, and I heard he was always number one in his grade during junior high."
Zou Qiang sneered, "Who knows how he got those grades?"
The boy's voice was somewhat disapproving, "The vetting process at No. 1 High School is very strict; the rankings are all earned through genuine ability."
Zou Qiang became anxious, "Why are you just like those women on the forum, blindly defending Sheng Yu..."
The boy changed the subject, and the two whispered to each other for a few more minutes before finally pushing open the door to the cubicle after they finished their cigarettes.
The bathroom's motion-sensor light turned on suddenly upon sensing the sound.
Zou Qiang and the boy both saw the tall figure standing in front of the door, and their bodies suddenly froze on the spot.
Sheng Yu tapped his cigarette between his fingers, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Finished talking?"
"Hello, senior." The boy stammered a greeting before quickly slipping out of the bathroom.
Zou Qiang swallowed hard and was about to walk past Sheng Yu when he was stopped by Sheng Yu's outstretched arm.
"What are you doing?" Zou Qiang asked in a tight voice.
Sheng Yu slowly took a drag of his cigarette. As he exhaled the smoke from his nostrils, he suddenly raised his hand and pressed the scarlet cigarette butt against Zou Qiang's face.
"!"
Zou Qiang's heart suddenly tightened, and he instinctively took a step back until his back pressed against the door of the cubicle.
The burning cigarette butt slid past his face and landed on the door panel near his ear.
Sheng Yu seemed to be observing his trembling expression with great interest, her voice deep and slow, "If you dare to utter another swear word, I guarantee you'll taste the flavor of a cigarette butt."
When Zhou Yiyang and Jin Ming arrived at the door, they saw Zou Qiang burst out of the bathroom as if he had seen a ghost.
Zhou Yiyang knew about the entanglement between him and Sheng Yu, and asked Sheng Yu, who was casually smoking, "Is he causing you trouble again?"
"Him." Sheng Yu scoffed dismissively, took the plastic bag from Jin Ming's hand, and said, "Let's go."
/
The day before the mock exam was Sunday, and the school gave them the day off as usual.
Before the holiday, Tang Ci arranged for Sheng Yu to review all subjects during the day on Sunday, and as usual, she made an appointment with him to have a video chat in the evening to explain the knowledge points.
After tutoring Sheng Yu for a period of time, Tang Ci's already solid foundation was further strengthened, so she went to work part-time at a billiards hall after school.
The billiard hall was especially busy on the weekend, and Tang Ci didn't have a break until close to closing time to check on Sheng Yu's homework.
How did you do on the test?
After the message was sent, Sheng Yu did not reply until after dinner time, and Tang Ci still left work at the originally scheduled time.
The night sky, not yet fully dark, was shrouded in dark clouds, and a chilly wind blew in gusts.
Tang Ci wrapped her coat tighter, wondering what to have for dinner. Tang Jianwei and Qin Ling had gone to Jiangcheng to inspect a project and wouldn't be home until next Tuesday.
As she approached her apartment complex, she ordered a takeout of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) from a nearby restaurant. By the time she got home, a strong wind was blowing outside.
She sat in the living room eating xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), looking out the window at the branches swaying in the wind, and felt glad she had come home early.
Because Tang Ci has been afraid of such apocalyptic weather since she was a child, she would cling tightly to her mother when she was still alive, but after her mother passed away, she could only avoid going out in this kind of weather.
Just then, my phone suddenly vibrated.
Tang Ci lowered her eyes and saw that Sheng Yu, who had disappeared for several hours, had sent her a reply.
[Sheng Yu: Where are you?]
Tang Cimu paused for a second before quickly typing.
【at home. 】
Sheng Yu quickly called via video, and Tang Ci reflexively sat down at her desk before answering the call.
Although the old phone had limited resolution, Tang Ci could still tell at a glance that Sheng Yu was outside, and upon closer inspection, she could see that there was a wound on the corner of his lip.
Tang Ci pursed her lips, then relaxed them, and asked, "Where are you?"
"On the street."
"It's going to rain soon, you should go home quickly."
As Sheng Yu walked down the deserted street, he calmly recounted to her, "I just had a fight with my dad."
Rumble—
A clap of thunder interrupted their conversation.
Tang Ci glanced out the window at the hazy view and, in a moment of anxiety, asked without thinking, "No one's home. Do you want to come to my house?"
Sheng Yu seemed completely unaffected by the lightning, asking with a half-smile, "Where are you going?"
"Math test paper." Tang Ci bit her lip. "You still have one test paper left to complete."
After hanging up the video call, Tang Ci took her keys and went downstairs. Even as she reached the entrance of the building, she was still in a daze.
She hadn't expected Sheng Yu to actually agree to come to her house to study; it seemed he really cared about the mock exam.
Tang Ci smiled with satisfaction.
The two lived not far from each other. Tang Ci waited downstairs for fifteen minutes, and then the taxi that Sheng Yu was in stopped at the entrance of the building.
After paying the fare and getting out of the car, Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow at Tang Ci, who was still standing there in a daze, and asked, "Which floor?"
"Third floor," Tang Ci said, as if she were the guest, making way for her to go upstairs.
Sheng Yu didn't stand on ceremony with her and stepped into the stairwell.
Tang Ci followed her inside, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bare electric scooter parked outside the stairwell. She quickly called out to Sheng Yu, "Wait for me, I'll go cover the electric scooter."
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew in, penetrating the thin fabric of her nightgown.
The next second, Tang Ci suddenly sneezed.
Just as she was about to rush out without a care, a large hand grabbed the back of her collar.
Sheng Yu didn't give her time to react and pulled her into the stairwell.
Which one?
Tang Ci pointed blankly to the khaki electric scooter by the flower bed, and Sheng Yu walked over.
Realizing that Sheng Yu was going to help her, Tang Ci quickly followed, saying, "Let me do it."
Sheng Yu pointed his chin at the stairwell and said, "Wait patiently."
Sensing his unfriendly tone, Tang Ci had no choice but to stand still, her toes touching the ground.
Sheng Yu was dressed in all black and quickly blended into the night.
He had just untied the tarpaulin when the torrential rain began to fall rapidly without warning.
Tang Ci was shocked and raised her voice to remind him, "Sheng Yu, it's raining—".
"Stop talking nonsense."
Without even looking up, Sheng Yu bent down to fasten the tarpaulin and strode into the stairwell.
In just a few minutes, he was soaked to the bone, but he didn't look disheveled. The rain outlined his sharp features, and his dark eyes became even brighter when wet.
Tang Ci stammered, "Are you cold?"
Sheng Yu brushed a stray hair from her forehead. "It's not cold. Can you take a shower at your place?"
Tang Ci nodded hurriedly, "Okay." After arriving home, Tang Ci took out Tang Jianwei's new clothes and new towel and gave them to Sheng Yu before adjusting the water heater temperature.
After testing the water temperature and finding it suitable, Tang Ci thought for a moment, then filled the bathtub with warm water before going to the living room to call Sheng Yu to come and take a bath.
Sheng Yu had already taken off his soaked hoodie, revealing broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His unrefined and sparse upper body framed by well-defined, thin muscles.
Despite having a highly attractive figure, Tang Ci frowned deeply.
She noticed obvious injuries on Sheng Yu's shoulders and waist, some deep and some shallow, indicating the accumulation of countless fierce fights.
Sheng Yu didn't notice her gaze, fiddled with the wet hair, walked into the bathroom, and closed the door.
Tang Ci slowly closed her eyes, and suddenly heard a heavy thud from inside the bathroom.
Her heart leaped into her throat. She quickly walked to the bathroom door and knocked. "What's wrong?"
The bathroom was deathly silent, but if you listened carefully, you could hear heavy breathing coming from under the door.
Tang Ci tried calling Sheng Yu's name several more times.
There was no response.
With no other choice, Tang Ci gritted her teeth and quietly pushed open the bathroom door.
Sheng Yu curled up against the wall opposite the bathtub, his dark hair a mess from his grabbing.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared unblinkingly at the still surface of the bathtub water.
His rapid breathing betrayed his precarious mental state to outsiders.
Tang Ci curled her fingertips, quietly squatted down in front of him, and tentatively asked, "Sheng Yu, are you feeling unwell?"
Sheng Yu paused for a moment before turning his pupils to look at her and said something in a hoarse voice.
Tang Ci didn't hear her clearly, so she leaned closer and asked in a trembling voice, "What did you say?"
Before she could finish speaking, Sheng Yu suddenly grabbed her arm tightly.
The veins on his arms bulged as he forcefully pulled Tang Ci closer.
Tang Ci's earlobe slammed into his chest. Before she could even feel the pain, she heard Sheng Yu speak again, this time right next to her ear.
With a hoarse voice, as if using all his strength, he managed to squeeze out two weak sentences from his throat.
"Drain the water."
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