Suspect her
Zhuang Jinghao was confused by the question.
Unexpectedly, her young author looked as gentle as a windless sea, but there were reefs hidden beneath the surface of the water. He started by giving her questions to test her, and then questioned her sharply without any preparation, so directly and bluntly that she was almost unable to cope with it!
However, I seem to like her even more… Could it be that I am still an M?! Zhuang Jing thought with confusion but also excitement.
Zuo Xiao was still waiting for her answer. Seeing her eyes flickering and her mouth opening and closing, he immediately knew the answer in his mind.
"It's okay. Tell me when you want to." She generously offered the opportunity, thinking: With such a cute little face that can't hide anything, how bad can this girl do? No matter what she's up to, I'll earn her tuition first!
"Well... I saw a video of you playing guitar and singing, so I wanted to get to know you and make friends..."
When Zhuang Jinghao should have changed the topic, she chose to stay in the same pit and even lied - actually it couldn't be considered a lie, she had indeed seen the video of Zuo Xiao singing and playing the guitar, and it was absolutely fascinating!
Zuo Xiao could tell at a glance that her explanation was half-truthful and that she had hidden too much. But it didn't matter; she would have to tell it all sooner or later.
"Okay." Zuo Xiao smiled, "Do you still want to learn guitar?"
"Yes! Of course! I have to!" Zhuang Jinghao said firmly, grabbing her hand excitedly, "Let's go to the Drum Tower now!"
Zuo Xiao hadn't expected Zhuang Jing, so petite, to drive a red jeep. Even more surprising was how fast she could drive on Beijing's main roads, like a wild horse on the prairie! Several of her frantic accelerations and lane changes nearly made her vomit.
It turns out that you can’t judge a person by his appearance…
"Are you okay?" After getting out of the car, Zhuang Jinghao apologized again, "I'm sorry, I always drive like this, I just can't get it right... My brother has scolded me many times..."
Zuo Xiao waved his hands silently, reminding himself not to be fooled by this harmless face.
She helped Zhuang Jinghao choose a folk guitar for just over 2,000 yuan. While wandering around the store alone, Zhuang Jinghao spotted a guitar for 20,000 yuan and immediately agreed to buy it.
Zuo Xiao stopped him: "You are a beginner, there is no need to use such a good one for now. The one I picked for you is enough. It won't be too late to change it when you advance."
"It's not for me, it's for you." Zhuang Jing smiled and said, "This guitar is for you!"
Zuo Xiao's eyes suddenly widened, and then slowly narrowed:
There's something wrong with this guy...
He paid her a large sum of money to teach her and gave her expensive gifts. His money was flowing...
And her eager eyes, excessive physical contact...
Could it be that...
She's a lesbian?!
It wasn't the first time Zuo Xiao encountered same-sex advances, but it was the first time he was so high-profile and clumsy, which made him laugh.
"No reward without merit. It's not too late to give it to me after you have learned well." He politely declined.
It was almost dusk when they left the piano shop, so Zhuang Jinghao took the opportunity to treat her master to a meal: "Teacher Zuo, I've delayed you for half a day today, and since you won't let me pay the tuition, you should at least allow me to treat you to a meal, right?"
It was hard for Zuo Xiao to refuse such a reasonable request. Mainly because she wanted to find out more about the other party's intentions, she agreed.
"This place serves the best Yunnan steamed stone pot fish in Beijing! My brother and I come here several times a month and never tire of it!" Zhuang Jing handed over the menu like a treasure. "Take a look, what would you like to eat?"
Zuo Xiao took the menu, flipped through it, and said with a smile, "I noticed that you can't stop talking about your brother."
"Yeah!" Zhuang Jinghao said proudly, "I have the best brother in the world!"
Zuo Xiao chuckled, thinking that this girl's language inflation was even more exaggerated than Li Rong's. She said, "That's great. I've wanted to have a brother or sister since I was a kid. There's no chance in this life, so I'll have to wait and see in the next."
That's true. She was an only child, and although she had plenty of playmates, she didn't experience much family warmth because her parents were emotionally distant and indifferent. Sometimes she fantasized about having a brother or sister at home, someone who could read her bedtime stories, warm her knee when she hurt her, or stand up for her when she and Chen Liqing got into a fight and give him a good beating... If all else failed, a sibling would be just fine; at least they could be a fighting force! Unfortunately, her wish never came true until her parents divorced after she graduated from elementary school.
"Teacher Zuo, are you an only child?" Zhuang Jinghao asked knowingly after ordering. After receiving a positive answer, he continued, "Do you feel lonely?"
Zuo Xiao paused and shook his head: "Fortunately, I have a lot of friends."
"Then..." Zhuang Jinghao leaned forward, resting her hands on the table, supporting her face. "Do you feel like there's something missing in your life?"
"What's missing?" Zuo Xiao thought seriously for a while.
If she had to say, she was currently short of money, but she didn't want to mention this in front of her new apprentice, as it would seem that she was eager to earn her money.
"I've been looking for a job recently," she admitted. "I'm a graphic designer. I've been in Shanghai for the past two years and just moved to Beijing. I want to find a job with less overtime, but I find that difficult in Beijing."
Zhuang Jinghao's eyes lit up and he almost blurted out, "That's perfect!"
No, I can't act too happy! She tried to hold her lips together, pretended to think for a moment, and then said, "Teacher Zuo, would you consider becoming my full-time music teacher?"
"ah?"
Zuo Xiao was still in a daze, and Zhuang Jinghao continued to coax him, "Being my teacher gives you complete freedom of time. You can teach as many hours as you want every day, without having to work overtime. You'll also have plenty of time to develop your hobbies..."
When she mentioned the word "hobby", she felt her heart pounding - it was even more exciting than cheating on an exam!
She was calculating in her mind: If she could just keep Teacher Zuo around, she could focus on writing and finish the article quickly! If she could coax her into becoming a live-in teacher, so she could urge her to update anytime, anywhere, that would be even better!
Faced with this unexpected proposal, Zuo Xiao didn't know whether to say yes or no... Could it be that she really had come across such a good thing as pie in the sky?
"Are you serious?" she asked, frowning.
"Of course!" Zhuang Jinghao's eyes lit up. "If you don't believe me, I'll prepare a contract as soon as I get home! What salary do you think is appropriate? Is 30,000 yuan a month enough?"
Zuo Xiao felt like she was either crazy, or the person opposite her was. Not only was a huge pie falling from the sky, but it was also flying towards her, chasing after her and trying to feed her. Just thinking about it was too magical!
Was it some kind of prank show? Or a sociology experiment? A fraud test? As soon as she nodded yes, a group of people would rush out, saying, "Thank you for participating in this experiment! Your fraud IQ is negative!"
She looked around. Since they had arrived late, they were sitting at a table for two in the corner. The people around them all looked like decent diners, not like there was an ambush...
"Teacher Zuo?" The cute girl across from her observed her cautiously and said hesitantly, "Do you think 30,000 yuan a month is too low? Is 50,000 yuan enough?"
Zuo Xiao was even more confused after hearing this: the one receiving the money hadn't said anything yet, so how could the one paying the money be raising the price? Could it be that the movie had come true - Zhuang Jinghao had inherited a large inheritance, and if she didn't spend it, it would be confiscated?
"Stop for a moment," she said sternly. "Can we not talk about money first and talk about why you came to me?"
Zhuang Jinghao's face changed when she heard this, and she was torn between her conscience and her conscience. On one side of the scale was "confess and get leniency", and on the other side was "continue to conceal it". She was torn between the two, and her heart was in turmoil. She was extremely upset!
Seeing her struggling expression, Zuo Xiao asked tentatively, "Is it inconvenient to talk about it? Is there something you can't say?"
Yes!!! Zhuang Jinghao roared inwardly: If you knew I'd chased you from the 2D world to the 3D world, investigated you, deliberately approached you, and even lied to you before, you would definitely ignore me from now on! And you wouldn't even update for me!
Zhuang Jinghao bit her lip, her face was pale, and her eyelashes drooped. This pitiful look once again made Zuo Xiao waver.
She wondered if Zhuang Jinghao was really her fan, or perhaps he had some special feelings for her. But no matter what, she couldn't detect even a trace of malice in him.
She doesn't think the above speculation is purely narcissistic. She's received countless confessions of love since she was a child, and she's received so many Valentine's Day gifts and chocolates that her desk couldn't even fit. Therefore, she never believed that anyone could be "beautiful but unaware of it": anyone possessing such a scarce resource as beauty will inevitably recognize their own uniqueness through the feedback from those around them. This is why attractive people are often more likely to be complacent about the complexities and difficulties of the world and life, and are more likely to overestimate human nature, taking the care, attention, and indulgence of others for granted.
She herself is like this, and Zhuang Jinghao opposite her must be the same.
She sighed and said, "Okay. As I said before: tell me when you want to."
"Yes!" Zhuang Jinghao raised his head, his eyes burning, and vowed, "Teacher Zuo, please believe me! I have absolutely no ill intentions in approaching you! When the time is right, I will definitely confess to you!"
Zuo Xiao kept her word and stopped worrying about the other party's motives. She had never been one to dwell on internal conflicts, so since she had chosen to temporarily suspend her suspicions, she would not dwell on it any further.
The two of them ate and chatted, and they had a great time.
Zuo Xiao discovered that, aside from the fact that Zhuang Jinghao had concealed the reason for his approach to her, he held nothing back on anything else. Without her even asking, he spilled the beans, spilling all his secrets.
It turned out that Zhuang Jinghao's parents divorced when she was two years old. Her mother went to a foreign country and never returned home again. Her father worked hard outside all year round. At first, they could reunite once a year, but later he also went abroad and they never saw each other again.
Although Zuo Xiao himself comes from a single-parent family, at least he still has his father by his side and occasionally sees his mother. Zhuang Jinghao, on the other hand, has been without both parents for as long as she can remember, and doesn't even remember what her mother looks like. How pitiful...
Fortunately, Zhuang Jinghao has a brother four years her senior, whom she calls "the best brother in the world." He has not only been a caring and protective parent since childhood, but also boasts a successful career, providing her with a comfortable financial situation. The year she started college, her brother moved their family from Hubei to Beijing, and shortly after graduation, she joined the company he founded.
Zuo Xiao noticed that whenever Zhuang Jinghao mentioned her brother, a look of happiness and pride would appear on her face. Even when she complained about him being too controlling in some areas, a lingering sense of attachment could be seen in her eyes. And judging by her frank and straightforward demeanor, she was indeed well protected by her brother.
Compared to the other party's proactive disclosure, Zuo Xiao was more reserved. She only shared some basic information about herself, and other than the fact that she grew up in a single-parent family, she didn't reveal any more private information.
As for the classes, at Zuo Xiao's insistence, the two agreed to take it slow for now, charging per class. The first class was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, at Zhuang Jinghao's home.
Seeing that they had almost finished eating, Zuo Xiao got up to go to the bathroom, intending to pay the bill at the same time.
When she approached the restroom, she saw a girl waiting at the door, so she stood behind her.
This restaurant has put a lot of effort into the customer experience. Even places like the restroom are exquisitely decorated, with a comfortable and quiet atmosphere and lighting, and a kind of fresh vanilla scent that is hard to name, making the waiting time not too unbearable.
Soon, someone walked out and the girl in front walked in. Zuo Xiao stepped forward and waited.
At this moment, I caught a glimpse of a tall figure walking from the other end and stopping in front of the men's restroom door.
The man knocked lightly on the wooden door, and a rough male voice came from inside: "Someone is here!" He took two steps back, stood with his head down, and was as quiet as a piece of wood.
The two of them were only two meters apart. The man stood slightly forward, his presence strong, occupying a large area in her field of vision. Even in Beijing, men of such height were rare, let alone in the south where she was accustomed. Zuo Xiao unconsciously tilted her head slightly to look at him a few more times.
He was about 1.9 meters tall, with a black buzz cut and a well-fitting black shirt and trousers, which perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. From where she was looking, she couldn't see his full face, but she could see a clear, strong jawline and his ears, which were not obscured at all, had a nice outline.
Looking more closely, his clean cheeks and neck were flushed. Combined with his slightly wobbly steps, it seemed that he had drunk some wine, but his whole temperament was still clear and dignified, as if he was not affected by alcohol, sex, money or anger at all.
Nice appearance, nice posture.
As she was judging the strange man in her mind, she was completely unaware that he could see her in the oval mirror above the sink.
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