Chapter 32. [First Update] He Yan reminded himself to be patient...
Upon hearing this, Ye Manni's first thought was of a somewhat blurry face. She had only met He Yan once, so her impression of him wasn't very deep. She only vaguely remembered that his features were somewhat similar to He Heng's, but their temperaments were completely different.
"Is it He Yan?" Ye Manni asked Wen Xue, but her tone was very certain.
Those who know Wen Xue know that her circle of friends is not large. Her close friends are all classmates who share similar character from different periods of her life. Her best friend is someone she has known since childhood. Although they did not go to university in the same city, they have never lost touch and chat every day.
Ye Manni's intuition told her that the person Wen Xue was talking about was not her best friend.
Wen Xue nodded in agreement.
Ye Manni was quite helpless.
From her perspective, she still felt that Wen Xue should keep her distance from all people and things related to He Heng so that she could let go of her painful past and start a new life more quickly.
Besides, He Yan is He Heng's older brother. If they have frequent contact, wouldn't that make Wen Xue think of He Heng all the time?
The words of advice were on the tip of her tongue, but seeing the smile in Wen Xue's eyes, she swallowed them back. Never mind, relationships like this usually don't last long anyway…
"OK!"
Ye Manni concealed her complicated emotions and readily agreed, "How about this, I'll tell my aunt some information about you first. If we both feel it's a good match, we can meet up when we have some free time. I can't guarantee anything else, but I'll definitely make sure she doesn't take advantage of you when it comes to salary."
Wen Xue chuckled, "Thank you for your trouble. If it works out, I'll treat you to something delicious."
"You said it! I want to eat at the conveyor belt hot pot restaurant!"
"It will be all right."
Ye Manni was very efficient, perhaps because her aunt was impatient; they arranged a meeting to discuss things in detail on the third day. Since she was the one who made the connection, Ye Manni was still worried and insisted on accompanying Wen Xue on the trip herself. They had no classes that afternoon, so the two took the subway there.
Hua Junfu is in a good location, right next to the subway station. When Wen Xue left the school, she noted down the time and found that it would take about forty minutes by subway. The distance was a bit far, but considering the hourly wage offered, she could accept it.
Fang Lirong felt an instant liking for Wen Xue upon first sight.
The girl exuded a scholarly air, and someone who had spent years in the business world had developed a keen eye for character. Even if they couldn't tell at a glance whether someone was of good character, they could get a general idea after sitting down and chatting for a while.
Wen Xue held the tea that Fang Lirong had poured for her, sitting with her eyes straight ahead. Ye Manni was next to her and acted as her spokesperson, agreeing on the tutoring time: Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:30, and Sunday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00.
Most importantly, salaries are paid weekly.
Fang Lirong confessed: "I had enrolled her in tutoring classes before, but she said she couldn't understand what the teacher was saying. I found her several private tutors, but she didn't want to attend more than a few classes."
Wen Xue was taken aback and looked at Ye Manni.
Didn't Manny say that girl was exceptionally well-behaved?
"Is that so?" Ye Manni asked. "Did Lingwei say why?"
Fang Lirong gets a headache just thinking about this topic. "I've asked her, I've scolded her, but she just won't talk about it. Her personality is getting weirder and weirder. I must have owed her something in my past life."
Wen Xue had a bad feeling.
Oh no, is she going to be fired after just one class?
I lowered my head and took a sip of warm water, constantly reassuring myself that even one class would be fine, at least I'd get paid...
They agreed to meet after class this Friday. Fang Lirong picked up her car keys and insisted on driving them back to school. In the car, Wen Xue rarely spoke. It was mostly the two of them chatting casually. She didn't dare to look around. She sat properly with her eyes slightly lowered, focusing intently on the aromatherapy pendant on the air vent. The scent was very faint, but it smelled nice and wasn't pungent at all.
What brand is it?
She examined it closely, trying to remember its features so she could search for it online when she got back to her dorm.
"Brother Baizhou has gone back to Xicheng now, isn't he staying at home?" Ye Manni asked curiously.
Fang Lirong, who was driving, was even more resentful when she mentioned her eldest son: "He's become too independent, he doesn't listen to us anymore. I, his mother, only found out more than half a month after he returned to China! And he's going to stay at home? I'd be grateful if he came home for a meal even once a month!"
Ye Manni said dryly, "Maybe it's because the company is far away?"
Fang Lirong sneered.
Oh no, I really brought up the wrong thing! Ye Manni realized her mistake and quickly changed the subject. After the evening rush hour, the roads were clear, and considering the difficulty of parking near the school, Fang Lirong dropped them off at the south gate and left.
After confirming that the car had driven away, Ye Manni patted her chest and said, "My aunt is a bit assertive, so please don't mind her."
"No," Wen Xue smiled. "I think Aunt Fang is a very straightforward person. As for your assertiveness, maybe it's because she has a loud voice?"
After laughing, Ye Manni shook her head: "She's actually quite capable. She started her own company, which isn't big, but she's still a boss. Some people say that she puts all her energy into the company and doesn't care about her children at all, so her son doesn't listen to her and her daughter isn't close to her... Sometimes I think it's really boring. Anyway, I'm not getting married in this life!"
"She has had a very tough time," Wen Xue said with emotion.
Starting from scratch is truly remarkable.
Thinking of those four words, she unconsciously thought of another person.
He is also remarkable.
The first thing Wen Xue did upon returning to her dorm was to go to the balcony and dial He Yan's number. He had called her during her "interview," and after she rejected the call, she quickly messaged him saying she was busy. He replied: "Okay."
The call was answered quickly, and the two said in unison, "Hello."
The soft female voice overlapped with the deep male voice.
Wen Xue chuckled and explained, "When you called me, I was in an interview and it wasn't convenient for me to answer the phone."
He Yan paused for a few seconds, "An interview?"
He was familiar with these two words, but when applied to Wen Xue, it was as if he had never heard of them before, and he was filled with doubt.
“Yes.” Although he couldn’t see, she nodded solemnly. “I found a job as a tutor for a junior high school girl.”
At this point, she sadly recalled the dismissals of several of her predecessors and added in a low voice, "Temporary."
"What's the meaning?"
"I'm not sure how many classes I'll be able to teach. Maybe I'll teach one and then... that's it."
What are you thinking?
He Yan had argued with He Heng about this before. He couldn't understand what college students were thinking. Their families weren't short of money, so why did they have to go through all this trouble to find part-time jobs? They were just bored and had nothing better to do.
Wen Xue also remained silent.
She wasn't a liar, but at this moment, she couldn't be honest. Who would announce a gift before it's even bought?
"Because other part-time jobs are too cheap," she changed the subject, "the bubble tea shops are hiring too, just a few dollars an hour..."
"Private tutoring is also inexpensive."
Wen Xue quickly told him the hourly wage, "It's not cheap. I asked other classmates, and they said this place is considered to be charging high."
"..."
He Yan reminded himself to be patient.
With He Heng's example as a precedent, he thought he shouldn't pry too deeply, shouldn't forcefully obstruct him, and certainly shouldn't have sneered and said things like, "If you have nothing better to do, you can go run a few laps on the track."
"oh."
So he squeezed out this word.
Wen Xue suddenly felt a pang of regret. If they were face to face right now, his expression would surely be quite interesting.
Just like Nana said, her mouth was praising someone, but her face was cursing them.
“I want to find something to do,” she said. “Is that okay?”
Can he say no?
He Yan was fertilizing the strawberry plants when he heard this. He paused for a few seconds, his face showing helplessness, but his tone softened considerably: "Hmm, when are we going?"
"Friday evening, Sunday afternoon."
"Nothing on Saturday?"
"fine."
"Okay, I'll pick you up from school on Saturday."
"Um!"
-
After finishing her last class on Friday, Wenxue rushed to the subway, worried that she wouldn't have time to eat dinner, so she hurriedly bought rice balls and bread from a convenience store in the subway to fill her stomach.
After riding a few stops and preparing to transfer, I received a call from Fang Lirong. She apologized, saying that something had happened at home and she didn't need to go today, but since it was a last-minute notice, she would still charge me for the class.
She quickly said, "No, no!"
Fang Lirong's laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Keep it."
Wen Xue paused for a moment, keenly sensing the weariness and helplessness in her laughter, and replied, "Okay, thank you."
After ending the call, she stood in the bustling subway station and subconsciously wanted to call He Yan, but then worried that he was busy. A few seconds later, she moved to a less crowded area, took out her phone from her bag, and searched for bus routes to the bus stop near the tenement building.
Actually, she didn't need him to pick her up; she could go by herself.
She took the subway and then a bus. When she arrived at the tenement building, the bright moon hung high in the night sky. Nana and Wannian went out to the lantern festival. Li Jingru was nowhere to be seen, and He Yan was also not there. Only a few drivers, including Lian Wangyuan, were in the building. They were all surprised that she would come back. They chatted with her happily for a few words and then went back to their own rooms.
Wen Xue opened the door. The familiar furnishings inside made her feel at ease. She nestled on the sofa, turned on the floor lamp, and felt instantly content.
He Yan has no social engagements tonight and is working overtime in the office with Wu Yuejiang.
I finally finished my work and looked up to see that it was nine o'clock.
As Wu Yuejiang walked out of the company, he yawned and made an invitation with great interest: "It's not too late, how about we go get some late-night snacks, like some barbecue and beer?"
"I won't eat."
"My treat!"
"I won't eat no matter who invites me."
"Then get lost."
The two parted ways at the company entrance. He Yan went back, while Wu Yuejiang leisurely went to have a late-night snack.
The drive was short, taking only a few minutes to reach the building. He Yan didn't rush to get out of the car. He adjusted the seat with one hand, leaned back comfortably, stretched out his long legs, and casually rolled down the window, letting the evening breeze in. He wanted to sit in the car for a while and relax.
I remembered that she said the tutoring session ended at 8:30 and it would take 40 minutes to get back to school by subway.
We should be almost at the dorm by now, right?
He unlocked his phone and sent a message: [Are you back in the dorm yet?]
After he finished speaking, he stretched his neck and his gaze inadvertently passed through the windshield. He vaguely saw that the light in the room at the end of the third floor was on. He thought he was seeing things, so he quickly got out of the car, looked up and took a closer look. It was not his hallucination.
Bang.
It was the sound of a car door slamming shut.
The corridor, which was originally pitch black from the first to the fifth floor, was suddenly lit up as if someone had cast a spell.
He Yan rushed up to the third floor, almost running, and knocked hard on the door with the light on in the window.
Wen Xue was checking her lesson plans for any oversights when she heard a rapid knock on the door. Her first thought was of Nana. She closed her book, her face beaming, and got up to open the door to greet her, "Nana—"
Hmm.
She quickly shut up. The person at the door wasn't Nana, but He Yan, who looked serious and seemed about to interrogate her.
Having not seen each other for a few days, perhaps due to a sense of estrangement, she seemed somewhat at a loss, "I..."
Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?
Wen Xue was speechless for a moment, then whispered, "The student has a family emergency."
He Yan nodded, seemingly neither surprised nor delighted by her arrival. His expression was calm, and his tone was equally composed. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"I ate a rice ball."
I forgot to eat the bread; I'm saving it for tomorrow's breakfast.
Wen Xue wondered if she should compare her rice ball with his, since it wasn't small.
"Rice ball?"
As they were talking, they could hear Nana and Wannian whispering to each other from afar. The young couple had just reached the third floor and hadn't even settled in when a male voice came from the corridor: "Wannian, ask around and see who's here. Call up anyone who's still awake and let's go out for a late-night snack."
Nana reacted even faster and more cleverly: "Brother, who's treating?!"
He Yan replied, "It's my treat."
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