"That concludes the morning's lessons. Have lunch and rest, then we'll continue in the afternoon." The male teacher closed his textbook.
Looking at the earnest and intelligent students in front of him, the male teacher felt an extraordinary sense of accomplishment.
When he first heard that he was going to spend a holiday studying a course in depth, he thought it was a joke.
Having taught for so long, I truly feel that learning geniuses do exist.
Chu Yigui can quickly learn and master anything he teaches, and now he even teaches knowledge beyond the original curriculum.
"Is the teacher's university about to start?" Chu Yigui asked.
"Yes, school will start soon, and things will get busy again. You'll be starting school soon too, right? Classes must be very boring for you, right?" The male teacher knew very well that the current school courses were just a way for Chu Yigui to kill time.
Chu Yigui smiled and replied, "Going to school is a very important process."
The male teacher sat down in front of Chu Yigui and asked, "You've spent most of your summer vacation studying. Haven't you thought about going out and having fun with your friends? It's the last few days, you should relax a bit."
"It's okay, as long as I have plenty of time to see everyone after I start school," Chu Yigui said.
"Didn't your friends contact you either?" The male teacher tried to discuss some personal matters with Chu Yigui. It was rare for Chu Yigui to be willing to discuss things outside of studies with him today.
"We keep in touch occasionally," Chu Yigui replied, then changed the subject, "The teacher should have finished teaching the courses they planned, right?"
"Yes, it's over a long time ago. What we're teaching you now is extra material. You're a very smart student, and it's very valuable to teach you." The male teacher was very confident in Chu Yigui's abilities.
"Thank you for your guidance all this time, teacher. After the start of the new semester, I won't be able to receive your careful instruction anymore," Chu Yigui said with a regretful tone.
The male teacher's expression suddenly stiffened, and he immediately said, "It's okay, I still have a lot to teach you, just come on the weekend..."
“But teachers also need personal time, don’t they? Working so hard all the time will get tiring,” Chu Yigui replied with a light smile.
“It’s alright. I’m also in the process of studying and researching right now. Teaching you is also a way for me to improve.” The male teacher suddenly remembered that he had only been hired to teach for this one vacation.
He came here to teach not just to instruct an outstanding student, but also to establish connections with the truly upper-class Chu family, even a small one would be beneficial.
He has always maintained good relationships with those around him and treated everyone with courtesy, even though he has only met the two heads of the Chu family a handful of times.
“Learning is a long process that requires patience; being too hasty is counterproductive.” Chu Yigui placed his hand on the heavy book. “What we need to learn is not just one kind of knowledge, but a much richer variety.”
When Chu Yigui spoke, she showed no disrespect to the male teacher, but gently refused him.
“Studying multiple subjects in the same field is better than being a jack of all trades and master of none. You are very talented and well-suited for in-depth study.” The male teacher tried to persuade Chu Yigui. He did not want to give up a promising student, nor did he want to lose the opportunity to have further contact with the Chu family.
Chu Yigui tilted her head, her dark pupils reflecting her contemplation of the future: "I'm not really sure what I want to do in the future, so while I still have time, I want to learn as much as possible about things I don't understand, so that when I need to make choices in the future, I'll be better able to make decisions."
The image of a student who is excellent and outstanding, but also confused about the future, and who is trying hard to think and make mistakes, is presented to the male teacher.
The male teacher wanted to offer advice, but he had no right to dictate the future of the Chu family's children. If he interfered too much, it would cause resentment.
Moreover, although Chu Yigui is very easy to talk to, it is difficult to change his mind once he has made up his mind.
For example, he has now hinted that he wants to continue serving as Chu Yigui's teacher, but Chu Yigui is clearly refusing.
“You are really talented, Yi Gui. I really like students like you. If you are interested in the future, just give me a call. I will do my best to teach you. I can even introduce you to the university I work at.”
Ultimately, the male teacher had no choice but to settle for second best.
"Thank you, teacher." Chu Yigui's gentle and polite smile was the epitome of an outstanding student in the eyes of any teacher.
"If you're interested in any other subjects, feel free to come to me. I can recommend some good tutors," the male teacher said.
"Okay, thank you for your help all this time. I will cherish the last few days I have to listen to your lectures."
Although the male teacher was disappointed, the respect shown by such an excellent and humble student inspired his joy as a teacher.
Although I sometimes feel that Chu Yigui is so perfect that he is rigid, I respect him but I am not warm towards him.
The male teacher was quite certain that, given Chu Yigui's character, while he wouldn't become a father figure to her after just one day of teaching, they wouldn't become strangers and lose contact in the future.
With this in mind, terminating the contract is only a bit of a pity.
During lunchtime, the teachers' and Chu family's dining rooms are separate. The male teachers will eat with Chu Yigui, while during lunch break, the male teachers are arranged to have a separate rest room.
Chu Yigui sat alone on the edge of the bedroom balcony. The temperature was very high at noon, and it was hot even in the shade.
Chu Yigui lowered his eyes and looked in the direction of the villa gate. The temperature made him sweat even though he was sitting here, which made him very uncomfortable.
I took a sip of the herbal tea; it was refreshing and bitter, but the faint aftertaste didn't have a particularly cooling effect.
Losing interest, Chu Yigui put down the herbal tea and looked once more at the place he had been staring at.
Soon after, Wan Qiu's figure came into his view.
Wan Qiu was riding a tricycle, with a mobile phone hanging on his arm, wearing a wristband, and a sun hat on his head—probably the butler's doing.
Chu Yigui watched Wan Qiu's retreating figure as he rode his tricycle until he disappeared from sight.
The herbal tea gradually heated up, but next to it, there was only an empty rattan chair.
Around two or three o'clock in the afternoon is when the sun is at its most intense.
But this was nothing to Wanqiu.
He was used to running around outdoors in all kinds of temperatures, and it didn't matter to Wanqiu whether his back was soaked with sweat or cold wind was blowing into his trousers.
Enjoying the comfortable temperature in the air-conditioned room, Wan Qiu didn't pay much attention.
Wanqiu was already familiar with the roads around his home, and he rode his tricycle toward the gate.
Chu Yigui said that his mother would arrive home around three o'clock, and he could go to greet her.
Bring something that will make Mom happy.
For Wanqiu, making her mother happy is something she needs to do.
The housekeeper also brought Wanqiu a small water bottle filled with chilled sweet mung bean soup, which he placed in the back of the tricycle.
It didn't take Wanqiu long to ride to the gate. He parked the tricycle under the shade of a tree, where it was much cooler than under the sun.
Wan Qiu carried a small water bottle, a bright red one that looked very pretty, with a handsome photo of Chu Zhang printed on it.
While waiting, Wanqiu went to look at the flowers by the roadside again.
I sat on the stone steps by the roadside and looked up at the sky.
He looked at the gate again.
He hadn't left the house by himself in a long time. The house was so big that it seemed like he didn't need to go out; he had everything he needed.
He hasn't done anything for a long time.
But even if he does nothing, no one will blame him.
Wanqiu looked at his legs, which were still not very attractive, and there were no more bruises.
Just like Chu Yigui said.
Wan Qiu was lost in thought, his mind wandering through all sorts of random thoughts. Sometimes it was his mother's beautiful, wavy long hair, sometimes it was him holding hands with Chu Yigui, and sometimes it was all sorts of handsome photos of Chu Zhang.
All of it was happy news.
As soon as the sound of a vehicle approaching the gate came, Wanqiu immediately stood up, holding her small water bottle, and stared longingly at the iron gate bars.
The iron gate was just slightly open when the car stopped.
Wanqiu peeked out from the gap in the iron gate's fence and saw a woman in a light blue dress suddenly get out of the back seat of the car. The sun was so bright that it made the woman appear transparent.
The sound of the gate opening, accompanied by the hurried sound of high heels, suddenly pulled Wanqiu into an embrace still cool from the air conditioning.
"Baby! Mommy's home! Let Mommy hug you, waaaah! Why are you waiting here on such a hot day?"
Wan Qiu smelled a slightly different perfume scent that he didn't recognize. Yang Xiaoyu's wavy hair was also pinned up behind her head, out of Wan Qiu's reach.
But Wan Qiu felt safe in Yang Xiaoyu's arms.
Even though she had become accustomed to waiting, Wanqiu cherished every single time she was able to welcome her mother.
"Baby, let Mommy see how you've been these past few days! Mommy has missed you so much! I call you every night and it's not enough!" Yang Xiaoyu cupped Wanqiu's face in her hands and looked her around.
“I…” Wan Qiu raised his eyes slightly, carefully observing Yang Xiaoyu.
Yang Xiaoyu's overflowing 'happiness' was like a multicolored peony in full bloom, blossoming one by one without fading.
"Hmm? What's wrong, baby?" Yang Xiaoyu seemed to sense that Wan Qiu had something to say, and this small gesture immediately made Yang Xiaoyu hold her breath, full of anticipation.
Wan Qiu grabbed the phone hanging around his neck and found the photo he had taken on it.
Yang Xiaoyu looked down in confusion to examine the photo.
Perhaps because it was outdoors, the bright sunlight made the phone image less clear. Yang Xiaoyu shielded her eyes from the sunlight with her hand and had to look carefully to see it clearly.
It's a picture of a weighing scale.
Yang Xiaoyu looked at the number on the scale and blinked.
"Our baby has gained two kilograms!" Yang Xiaoyu exclaimed, her voice rising with undisguised joy.
Even if you haven't gained much weight, you've still gained weight!
Moreover, when Wan Qiu showed her the photo, he carefully studied her expression, his eyes filled with expectation.
As a mother, my heart was completely captured by my child's tiny hands; it was so adorable and moving.
"What should we do? Our little one has gained weight! We should celebrate! How about we ask the chef to add a fruit mousse for our baby tonight?"
Wan Qiu pursed her lips and let Yang Xiaoyu do as she pleased as Yang Xiaoyu 'happily' kneaded her.
However, Wan Qiu also noticed an unfamiliar gaze and looked up at it.
That was another woman who got out of the car.
The woman was of average height and build, with delicate features. Her hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head, and she wore a simple casual blazer that made her look neither too serious nor too relaxed.
The woman was looking at him.
The woman seemed to notice that Wan Qiu was looking at her, and immediately gave Wan Qiu a slight smile.
Wanqiu didn't see any obvious hints from the woman, but he clearly felt that she wanted him to respond.
Noticing Wan Qiu's gaze, Yang Xiaoyu waved to the woman beside her: "Baby, come and meet her. This is Yan Hua, a friend of Mommy."
Mom's friend?
Wan Qiu looked at the unfamiliar woman, consciously trying to discern the atmosphere between Yang Xiaoyu and Yan Hua, but it seemed like they were friends in a different kind.
Friend, is it possible to have so many expressions?
Wan Qiu nodded and said politely, "Hello."
"Let's go home first, baby, it's too hot outside." Yang Xiaoyu could feel the heat after standing there for just a short while, and she couldn't imagine how Wan Qiu had been waiting here for so long.
However, as soon as Yang Xiaoyu finished speaking, Wan Qiu raised the small water bottle in his hand and placed it in front of Yang Xiaoyu.
Yang Xiaoyu looked down at the brightly colored water bottle with Chu Zhang's photo printed on it and asked, "Why are you giving it to Mom? This is our precious thing."
Wan Qiu blinked, looked down at the kettle, and stared blankly, as if he hadn't expected it to be for him.
Yang Xiaoyu could roughly guess that this was the water the chef had prepared for Wan Qiu to drink when he came out to pick her up, but she didn't expect Wan Qiu to mistake it for water for her.
Wan Qiu withdrew his hand, holding the small water bottle, without any intention of opening it to drink.
Yan Hua stood by, smiling, quietly observing Wan Qiu.
Yang Xiaoyu was very happy.
Wan Qiu knew Yang Xiaoyu was very happy. He would always look at his happy mother, not even wanting to blink.
Wan Qiu focused most of his attention on Yang Xiaoyu, but he also noticed that Yan Hua was observing him.
"Baby, Mommy has been away from home for so long, have you missed Mommy?" Yang Xiaoyu carried Wanqiu to the sofa and looked Wanqiu up and down.
Wan Qiu's eyes widened, and he nodded at Yang Xiaoyu.
"Mom misses our baby so much too." Yang Xiaoyu ruffled Wanqiu's hair. "Mom will stay at home for a while to keep our baby company."
Wan Qiu nodded, the dependence in his eyes almost tangible.
For Wan Qiu, the time Yang Xiaoyu spent away from home was not very long.
Compared to Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen, who had disappeared for a long time, Wan Qiu didn't feel anxious at all about this little bit of time.
Even though she didn't know where Yang Xiaoyu had gone, Wan Qiu felt very at ease knowing that her family was always there for her at home.
Whenever Yang Xiaoyu is home, Wan Qiu is usually nearby.
Even if you say nothing and do nothing.
When Yang Xiaoyu returned this time, she brought many small gifts for Wan Qiu. Wan Qiu didn't know what they were, but she did see that they were all sparkly.
When a pretty little cherry hair clip held up one of Wanqiu's slightly longer strands of hair, Wanqiu's face lit up with joy at seeing Yang Xiaoyu.
“Just looking at our little one is so therapeutic, isn’t it?” Yang Xiaoyu asked Yan Hua, who was smiling and watching them the whole time.
"Yes, she's a very cute child." Yan Hua smiled at Wan Qiu, her smile kind and warm.
"Baby." Yang Xiaoyu whispered in Wanqiu's ear, pointing at Yan Hua, "Mommy's friend will be very good to Wanqiu, Wanqiu must trust her."
Wan Qiu looked at the unfamiliar Yan Hua, who was always smiling, and nodded in confusion.
Even if it's a complete stranger, Wanqiu will definitely trust her mother if she says so.
Wan Qiu was not good at speaking or doing anything on his own initiative, but he could clearly feel Yan Hua's gaze always fixed on him.
But Yan Hua never asked a single question from beginning to end.
Butler Bai stood beside Yang Xiaoyu and made her a cup of tea.
Yang Xiaoyu was well aware of Wan Qiu's situation at home during this time, as Butler Bai would report to her every day.
"Wanqiu's tricycle is still parked at the door. Have someone go and ride it back," Yang Xiaoyu said. Butler Bai agreed, but then Yang Xiaoyu thought of something and asked Wanqiu, "Why did you think of picking me up, my darling?"
“My brother said that Mom will come back,” Wan Qiu answered honestly.
"Really?" As expected, it wasn't something Wan Qiu had thought of and did on his own initiative. Yang Xiaoyu concealed her slight disappointment.
"Was Wanqiu happy when he went to pick up his mother?" Yan Hua, who had been occasionally responding but hadn't spoken up, suddenly interrupted the conversation.
Wan Qiu paused for a moment, looked at Yan Hua, and remained silent for a short while.
Yan Hua didn't seem to care about Wan Qiu's slowness. Her smile was encouraging, urging Wan Qiu to confidently express his thoughts.
However, Wan Qiu could not fathom Yan Hua's thoughts, as she was a complete stranger to him and whom he could not understand.
Perhaps he can glean the answer he should give from his mother's expression.
"Wasn't Wanqiu very happy when he saw his mother?" However, just as Wanqiu was about to look away, Yan Hua once again used her voice to attract Wanqiu's attention.
This time, however, it's probably not a question, but a statement of affirmation.
"Mm," Wan Qiu replied.
Yan Hua smiled slightly, affirming Wan Qiu's answer.
"The young master just gave a hint," Butler Bai added from the side. "In the morning, the third young master took the initiative to weigh himself and was very excited when he went to pick up the madam."
Yang Xiaoyu was somewhat surprised: "Is there a video recording?"
"If it's surveillance footage, we should be able to see it." Butler Bai hadn't expected Yang Xiaoyu to want to watch the recording directly.
“Yes, surveillance.” Yang Xiaoyu thought for a moment, “Have the surveillance room make a funny and interesting montage of surveillance footage for me and send it directly to my phone.”
Butler Bai smiled slightly: "Yes, Madam."
Wan Qiu unconsciously grabbed Yang Xiaoyu's sleeve. He was observing Yan Hua, and he also felt suspicious of this unfamiliar woman who had been paying attention to him all along.
Yan Hua spent the whole afternoon here. Although she spent most of the time talking to Yang Xiaoyu, Wan Qiu could always sense Yan Hua's gaze. She seemed to always suddenly look at him.
"Mommy's going to make a phone call." Suddenly, during the conversation, Wan Qiu heard Yang Xiaoyu pinch his cheek and say to him, "Baby, wait here for Mommy for a while, okay?"
"Mm." Wan Qiu nodded.
Yang Xiaoyu left, her footsteps echoing Wan Qiu's familiar rhythm.
Wan Qiu also didn't miss the brief eye contact with Yan Hua before Yang Xiaoyu left.
In the end, only Wanqiu and Yanhua remained in the living room.
Yan Hua would occasionally ask Wan Qiu some questions, but Wan Qiu would just observe without answering.
It's not that I don't want to answer, it's that I can't.
Yan Hua did not provide any hints for the answer she was looking for.
It was blurry, as if Wan Qiu was staring at a thick cloud of smoke, unaware of what was truly hidden behind it.
Wanqiu remained silent about anything he couldn't answer definitively.
“Your mother’s call might take a while. Should we come and do something?” Yan Hua said, now that only Wan Qiu and Yan Hua were left in the living room.
Yan Hua took out a huge sheet of white drawing paper and some colored pencils of various colors from her bag and placed them in front of Wan Qiu.
"I brought colored pencils, would you like to try drawing?"
It's a colored pencil.
Wanqiu looked at the pretty colored pens. He had always been interested in bright colors, and his eyes were drawn to the colored pens.
"Do you like them? You can have all of these." Yan Hua's voice came from above, and Wan Qiu looked up.
Wan Qiu knew that Yan Hua wanted him to paint.
Looking at the snow-white paper, Wan Qiu had no idea what Yan Hua wanted him to draw.
"Find a color you like?" Yan Hua pointed to the table, next to which were those beautiful colored pencils. But with so many colored pencils, Wan Qiu had no idea where to choose.
Wan Qiu tried to catch Yan Hua's hint, but found that Yan Hua's gaze was fixed on him and paid no attention to the colored brush.
Wanqiu didn't know which color Yanhua wanted her to take.
Therefore, Wanqiu would not take any of the colored pencils.
An awkward silence fell between the two of them.
"Is there anything you want to draw?"
After a moment, Yan Hua picked up the red colored pen and gave it to Wan Qiu, who obediently accepted it.
"What does Wanqiu want to draw with a red pen? What can you think of?"
However, Wanqiu fell silent once again.
The aimless communication made Wanqiu anxious.
What do you want to do?
What does she want him to do?
Does he want to paint?
What was she asking herself?
Unable to get any hints from his expression, Wanqiu could only tentatively ask in words, "What are you drawing?"
Wan Qiu's voice trembled, unable to conceal his unease, and his hand holding the paintbrush began to sweat.
But Yan Hua did not respond to him; she remained silent, smiling.
Unable to respond to Yan Hua, his growing impatience and anxiety gradually turned into fear.
Wanqiu seemed to be sitting in an hourglass, only able to watch as the constantly falling colorful sand carried away time, pressing down on him and engulfing his body.
Wanqiu's hand gripping the colored pencil tightened incessantly, his knuckles turning white.
Wan Qiu's gaze drifted, growing increasingly silent, and he even began to lose sight of Yan Hua. The bright red colored pen seemed to ignite, swirling around his fingertips and shooting into his brain.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of a key falling onto the table interrupted Wan Qiu's chaotic thoughts, and the paintbrush he was holding was snatched away.
Wanqiu stared blankly at his empty hands.
Yan Hua smiled gently, her tone reassuring, and said to Wan Qiu, "Wan Qiu, your mother is back."
At that moment, Wan Qiu felt as if he had found his pillar of support, and he immediately looked at Yang Xiaoyu.
All his anxiety was forgotten, and all he could see was Yang Xiaoyu.
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