Ye Qingyang was deliberately keeping Ye Hong’s family waiting, so he didn’t rush to reply to their messages. He was busy tutoring Lu Jingcheng.
Watching Ye Qingyang explain with clarity, Lu Jingcheng asked, puzzled, “Since when did you learn this? When we were doing exercises together a few days ago, you didn’t know it yet.”
Ye Qingyang had to fib, “Back then I hadn’t fully mastered it. I practiced afterwards, so now I can do it a little.”
“Really?”
Ye Qingyang nodded obediently. “Of course.”
Lu Jingcheng sensed something off but didn’t press further.
Ye Qingyang exhaled in relief and continued teaching. He tutored Zhang Ye on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Lu Jingcheng on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—a fairly orderly schedule. The only awkward part was whenever he went to tutor Zhang Ye, Lu Jingcheng would watch him with the look of a husband catching his wife cheating, which made Ye Qingyang feel inexplicably guilty.
“What’s your relationship with Lu Jingcheng?” Zhang Ye asked, leaning on the desk. “Why is it that whenever you come, he’s the one sending you and picking you up on the dot, never leaving a minute’s grace? I’m not a monster, you know.”
“He just cares about me,” Ye Qingyang said. “If you want, I can let you two study together, so he doesn’t have to wait in the car.”
Zhang Ye hesitated. “One-on-one becomes one-on-two. I’m afraid he’ll distract me.”
“I’ll give you a discount—half price.”
Zhang Ye: !!!
“He’s quite valuable, you see, half price!”
Ye Qingyang smiled. “So think about it.”
“No way.” Zhang Ye refused. “I have a feeling that if we study together, you’ll focus entirely on the Crown Prince and forget about me.”
Ye Qingyang: …
He knew Zhang Ye was right—he could very well be that biased.
“Do you live in the same dorm? Do you also tutor him there?” Zhang Ye asked.
Ye Qingyang nodded.
“So he counts as my senior?”
“Something like that.”
“How much does he charge?” Zhang Ye was curious. “The same as me?”
Ye Qingyang: …
He tapped the desk. “Focus on your exercises. Questions about my teacher aren’t for you to pry into.”
Zhang Ye understood. “Oh, so it’s a friendship discount. Well, having a good relationship really makes a difference.”
“You already know we’re close. Why ask?”
Zhang Ye snorted and bent over his exercises.
On the weekend, Ye Qingyang deliberately stayed in the dorm to supervise Lu Jingcheng’s exercises instead of going home.
Lu Jingcheng looked at him helplessly. “Really? On a weekend? I’d take you to the movies.”
Ye Qingyang pointed to the math exercises. “Finish these first.”
Lu Jingcheng groaned. “I just don’t like studying.”
Ye Qingyang made a heart sign. “But studying loves you.”
“I don’t need its love.”
“Then whose love do you need?”
Turning his head, Lu Jingcheng said, “Definitely not yours.”
Ye Qingyang chuckled lightly. “Then let Sister Yan love you.”
Lu Jingcheng: …Thanks, but no.
Two days passed with exercises, encouragement, and reviewing mistakes—Ye Qingyang was thoroughly busy.
On Sunday night, Ye Hong couldn’t wait any longer and called Ye Qingyang.
“Yangyang, why didn’t you come home this week?”
Ye Qingyang replied, sounding uninterested, “Busy.”
“What’s more important than coming home?”
“You don’t need to worry. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to ask… you and your friend, how are things now?”
Pretending to be annoyed, Ye Qingyang said, “Can you stop asking me about this? It’s my business, not yours. Why are you so concerned? If I make money, it’s mine; if I lose, it’s mine too. I’m not asking you for money, so why care?”
“I just want the best for you, don’t want you to get tricked.”
“I’m not tricking anyone. If you’re worried, fine—I won’t contact him anymore. Happy now?”
Ye Qingyang hung up.
Ye Hong was dumbfounded, looking at her phone, then at her husband. “This…”
“Forget it. If he doesn’t contact, just let it go,” Wang Yue said.
“You’re taking his word? No way! If he didn’t contact, he must have reconciled with that friend but doesn’t want us to benefit, so he stays away,” Ye Hong insisted. “This kid, ungrateful.”
“Really?” Wang Yue frowned.
“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to make money? He’s been poor for so long. Now he’s wearing brand names. He wouldn’t easily let go of this chance. He must have reconciled with his friend, otherwise he wouldn’t speak like that today.”
Wang Yue agreed.
“I’ll try talking to him,” Wang Hui said. “He may be mad at you two, but maybe not at me. I might get through.”
“Go ahead. Be gentle,” Ye Hong instructed.
“Don’t worry. I know better,” Wang Hui said, dialing Ye Qingyang.
“Hello.”
“Yangyang, the perfume you bought me arrived. All my coworkers are jealous.”
Ye Qingyang smiled faintly. “As long as you like it.”
“I do! But Yangyang, why didn’t you come back this week? Weren’t you supposed to buy me lipstick too? Didn’t keep your word?”
Ye Qingyang: …If I weren’t pretending, you’d be scolded for saying that.
“Busy.”
“What business? You still gonna get me that lipstick?”
“In a few days. I don’t have much money on me now. When the next funds arrive, I’ll get it for you.”
“Okay.” Wang Hui laughed. “Then remember to come back next weekend.”
“Maybe.” Ye Qingyang hung up.
Ye Hong tapped Wang Hui. “Why lipstick? I asked about the serious stuff, and you just care about your lipstick?”
Wang Hui shrugged. “You think I’m as naive as you? If he can afford perfume and lipstick for me, he’s obviously still working with that friend on investments. And he said he’s short on cash now; funds are incoming. Clearly, he’s still making money.”
Ye Hong nodded, understanding.
“But he didn’t tell me. Ungrateful! Always thinking about making money, never about family.”
“Well, you didn’t believe him. He never intended to tell us anyway. We kept asking; he told us. We doubted him, so he just went with the flow.”
“If you had a way to make money, would you tell others? I wouldn’t. If everyone’s rich, my wealth wouldn’t feel special.”
Ye Hong pursed her lips. “When he comes back this weekend, we need to talk properly.”
“I’ll talk about my own money. You guys do your thing. Whether you believe it or not, my money is mine,” Wang Hui said, heading to her room.
Ye Hong looked at Wang Yue. “Let Huihui try first. If she profits, we join in; if she loses, our loss isn’t much.”
“Agreed. Let Huihui try,” Wang Yue nodded.
Ye Qingyang, however, refused outright.
On Saturday afternoon, Wang Hui suggested, and Ye Qingyang immediately said no. “Impossible. My friend only helps me because I was poor. He doesn’t want to involve others. It’s already generous enough to let me share. I can’t ask for more.”
Wang Hui urged, “Yangyang, I’m your sister. You won’t help me?”
“I can buy you lipstick or perfume, but I really can’t agree to this. Forget it,” Ye Qingyang said reluctantly.
The more he refused, the more the family tried, taking turns to persuade him with logic and emotion.
Ye Qingyang collapsed. “This isn’t risk-free. My friend has lost money before. What if he loses again?”
“No problem,” Wang Hui said. “If he loses, I’ll treat it as my own loss.”
“Really, forget it,” Ye Qingyang pretended to be troubled. “I really can’t agree.”
“Just say it’s your money. Don’t mention me. If we win, we share; if we lose, I won’t blame you.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Wang Hui promised.
Ye Qingyang gave in. “Fine, just a little—one or two thousand, no more.”
“Okay.” Wang Hui transferred 3,000. “How much can we make from 3,000?”
Ye Qingyang shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t understand it; I’m just sharing. If you, like our aunt and uncle, ask me to consult him about profits, I won’t. I asked once before; he almost didn’t take me along. I won’t ask a second time.”
Wang Hui nodded. “It’s fine. Talented people have tempers. Don’t question them. Take it; next time we divide profits, I’ll get my share.”
“What if we lose?” Ye Qingyang asked.
Wang Hui was confident. “Then so be it.”
Ye Qingyang nodded. “Fine, let’s hope we don’t lose.”
“Mm.”
He stayed only one day; the next day after lunch, he prepared to return to the dorm.
Lu Jingcheng sent a driver to pick him up, helping him maintain his image.
Wang Hui saw him get in the car and told Ye Hong, “Yangyang really hit the jackpot. That car is worth millions!”
Ye Hong was shocked. “How much? Did you add too many zeros?”
“Do I not know numbers?” Wang Hui retorted. “Ah, why didn’t I go to Number One High School? If I’d met someone wealthy like this, I’d have married them on the spot. Now it’s him in the car.”
Ye Hong sighed. How did Yangyang end up with such a jackpot, and why not her son?
Back in class on Monday, Ye Qingyang overheard homeroom teacher Cheng Yan announce, “Thursday and Friday this week are the monthly exams, following the same schedule as the college entrance exam. Your weekends won’t be taken up. Work hard and do your best.”
The class groaned.
Cheng Yan smiled and, after class, called Ye Qingyang out. “You made great progress last time. I hope you continue this time.”
Ye Qingyang nodded. “I’ll try.”
Cheng Yan didn’t say more, not wanting to pressure him, and let him return to class.
Before Ye Qingyang could reach his classroom, Zhang Ye stopped him at the door of Class Nine.
“You know there’s an exam this Thursday, right?” He grabbed Ye Qingyang’s hand. “Master, please save your disciple!”
Ye Qingyang patted his head. “Don’t worry. Master will help you.”
“Can you temporarily skip tutoring my senior and focus on me Tuesday?”
“Your senior has the monthly exam too. Be mindful.”
“Senior is amazing. Even without your tutoring, Master, he’ll get through it.”
“You’re being greedy again, Bajie,” Ye Qingyang said, patting his shoulder.
Zhang Ye clasped his hands, mock crying.
Ye Qingyang reassured him. “Relax, I’ll give you a crash review. Don’t panic.”
Lu Jingcheng and Bai Le returned from the restroom, seeing this fake display of teacher-student devotion.
Bai Le said, “This scene reminds me of a line of poetry.” Turning to Lu Jingcheng, he crooned, “Holding hands, tears in our eyes, speechless with choking emotion. Passion has always been hurt by parting; how can one endure, the cold, desolate autumn season.”
Lu Jingcheng squinted and sneered, “It’s ‘Holding hands, tears in our eyes, speechless with choking emotion. Thinking of distant smoke and waves a thousand miles, the evening clouds thick over Chu sky.’ Then comes ‘Passion has always been hurt by parting…’”
Bai Le: …
“Didn’t even memorize it, and you’re showing off. Copy it 100 times at home,” Lu Jingcheng scolded and walked toward Ye Qingyang.