Chapter 8: Tutoring and Arguments

Two days later, 8:30 in the morning.

Tang Jing stood at the entrance of Shen Garden with his mouth slightly open, his gaze vacant.

The landscaping at the entrance was arranged with varying heights and densities, tastefully done. There was also a huge artificial fountain resembling a flower, its mist dissipating much of the midsummer heat. Beyond the dark golden fence, rows of exquisite, distinctive villas stood neatly in line. From time to time, luxury cars sped past him.

“Wow, such a handsome Aston Martin!”

Tang Jing, who rarely saw high-end cars, had already seen more than ten today, including a flashy McLaren roaring by. The engine's roar made his heart race with admiration.

“So this is where the rich gather?”

The tutoring agency had told Tang Jing that his employer lived in Shen Garden and was someone influential, advising him to be cautious not to offend anyone.

Recalling the eccentric temperaments of wealthy characters in novels, he felt increasingly nervous.

“Well, so be it. If they’re really strange, I can always pack up and run.”

He picked up his phone and dialed the number the agency had given him.

Meanwhile, inside one of the villas.

Lu You sat at his desk, reading a math research paper on his tablet, occasionally scribbling calculations on paper. Next to him, his younger sister Xiao Bao curled up, clutching his left arm, fast asleep.

Just as he finished a step in his calculations, his phone rang.

Lu You marked his place in the paper with his stylus, then answered the call, seeing it was an unfamiliar number.

“Probably the tutor,” he thought, and picked up.

A gentle voice spoke.

“Hello, this is Tang Jing, the tutor you hired.”

“Hello, Teacher Tang, this is Lu You. Have you arrived?”

“Yes, I’m at the Shen Garden community gate.”

“Alright, please wait ten minutes. I’m heading out now.”

Lu You hung up, stood, and went to the garage to get his electric scooter.

Ten minutes later.

Lu You arrived at the community gate and saw a tall, slim young man wearing casual clothes and glasses, carrying a black backpack.

To be sure, Lu You called the number again, saw the phone ringing on the other end, then rode his scooter over to the young man.

Lu You looked up at the boy, who was about a head taller than himself, his eyes deep.

So tall and lean!

“Are you Teacher Tang?”

“Yes,” the boy nodded.

Lu You patted the back seat of his scooter.

“Please sit behind me. I’ll take you to my house.”

Tang Jing didn’t want to bother him and politely declined.

“I can walk there. Just tell me the location.”

“Are you sure? Even if you find my place, it takes about 20 minutes to walk from here.”

“20 minutes? This community can’t be that big!”

Tang Jing thought Lu You was exaggerating.

Seeing his disbelief, Lu You didn’t argue.

“Come on, get on. I’ve already brought out the scooter, no need to walk.”

“Thanks then.”

The scooter carried them deeper into the community.

...

“Alright, we’re here. Get off.”

Lu You led Tang Jing into the underground garage.

“Ah... okay.”

Tang Jing was in shock. It was his first time stepping into a wealthy neighborhood, and his eyes were truly opened.

He had initially thought the community consisted of connected small villas, but deeper inside, the houses were not only larger but uniquely designed, surrounded by landscaping worthy of a scenic spot.

He realized his imagination had been too limited.

Tang Jing followed Lu You through the underground garage, then took the elevator up to the first floor. By now, he was no longer surprised.

Luxury cars he didn’t recognize were parked in the garage; having an elevator in the underground parking was entirely normal for wealthy homes.

Lu You led Tang Jing to his floor, pointed to his desk, and said, “This is where I study and where we’ll have our lessons.”

He then sat down in his original seat and gestured to the chair opposite him.

“Teacher, you can sit there.”

After speaking, he picked up Xiao Bao, still lying on the desk, placed her gently on the floor, and patted her bottom.

“Go play in your room.”

Tang Jing sat down facing Lu You.

“Have you agreed on salary and working hours?”

“Yes, all settled. The agency said we’d discuss the specific lesson content face to face.”

“Good, I’ll explain. You’ll tutor two subjects: biology and chemistry. Biology from 9 to 11 in the morning, chemistry from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. Classes run Monday to Friday, weekends off. Lunch is provided, so no need to commute back and forth. The course lasts four weeks, covering the entire first-year high school curriculum. You can arrange the pace as you like; don’t worry about me falling behind.”

“Hmm. What about math, English, and physics? I can teach those too.”

Lu You smiled and shook his head politely.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can handle those subjects myself.”

He glanced at the time.

“Shall we start now?”

“Sure.”

...

At 4:30 p.m., Lu You rode his scooter to the community gate to see Tang Jing off.

“We’re here, Teacher Tang.”

Tang Jing got off the back seat as Lu You stopped.

“Thanks for the ride.”

He turned to leave, but Lu You called after him.

“Teacher Tang, do you have an electric scooter?”

“Yes, why?”

“You can ride directly to my place tomorrow. Just give your name at the gate; I’ll inform the security.”

It would be awkward to have to ask someone to guide him every time.

“I got it. Thanks for your help today.”

“No problem. Goodbye.”

Lu You waved, turned the scooter around, twisted the throttle, and sped away.

...

Half an hour later, at the Tang residence.

Tang Wan sat cross-legged on the living room sofa, watching a Korean drama on her tablet. Seeing the heroine’s short hair, delicate and capable, she touched her own hair, feeling tempted.

Suzy’s short hairstyle looks so good. Maybe I should get one tonight?

Then her best friend, who had once imitated Suzy’s student hairstyle, appeared in her mind, instantly dashing the idea.

Better not. If it turns out ugly, there’s nowhere to cry.

The same hairstyle can evoke memories of a first love for some, while for others, it just looks like a rebellious delinquent.

Lost in thought, Tang Wan heard the sound of keys unlocking the front door.

Looking up, she saw Tang Jing pushing the door open.

“I’m home.”

Tang Jing greeted her while changing shoes.

Tang Wan paused the video.

“You’re back! How was your first day tutoring?”

Tang Jing sat on the nearby sofa and took a sip of water.

“Well... completely different from what I imagined.”

“How so?”

Tang Wan leaned forward slightly.

“Is the student you’re teaching impossible to teach? Or just not paying attention?”

“No,” Tang Jing shook his head.

“On the contrary, the student is very capable and listens attentively.”

“If he’s so capable, why hire a tutor?”

Tang Wan couldn’t understand this.

“He told me he only needs help with biology and chemistry and wants to finish the entire first-year curriculum in a month.”

“What about math, physics, and English? Usually, those are more important.”

Math and English have higher weight, and physics scores tend to be low, so tutoring usually focuses on these subjects.

“I told him I could teach those, but he said he could handle them himself.”

“Ah? If he’s fine with those, why would biology or chemistry be a problem?” Tang Wan was more puzzled. “Maybe he’s just brushing you off?”

“That’s what I thought at first.”

Tang Jing recalled the scene at Lu You’s home.

“Until noon, I saw him reading a paper—completely in English. I know all 26 letters, but I couldn’t understand what it was about.”

Tang Wan: (。ヘ°)

“He must be faking it, right?”

“But the thing is, he noticed my curiosity and explained the paper to me. The craziest part is, I thought he explained it quite well. I didn’t understand everything, but at least I got the gist.”

“You... let me catch my breath.”

Tang Wan raised a hand, signaling him to stop.

“Are you sure this is the right student? You didn’t mix up the address?”

“Absolutely. I even asked him if I had the wrong person. He said no and double-checked the agency info with me.”

“Then what’s the point of hiring a tutor?”

Tang Wan was full of questions.

“I asked him too. He said he wanted an excuse to spend his parents’ money, so they’d feel involved in his growth.”

“Wow!” Tang Wan was stunned. “Your tutor’s salary must be hefty, at least tens of thousands a month. He just spends it like that?”

“He lives in Shen Garden, has the whole floor to himself. Their underground garage is bigger than ours. They’re not short a few thousand yuan.”

Tang Wan fell silent, at a loss for words.

Tang Jing added, thinking of Lu You’s looks and today’s lunch.

“Plus, he’s really good-looking and even cooks for himself. His food tastes better than Mom’s.”

“Wow, that’s unbelievable. Don’t rich people usually never touch a thing? How does he do everything?”

Tang Wan’s worldview was shaken.

“Maybe you’ll see him in high school and have a story,” Tang Jing teased.

“Yeah, right.”

Tang Wan rolled her eyes at her brother.

“That level is out of reach. He probably has to do arranged marriages or something. I’m just a regular person.”

“And I want to study hard, get scholarships, enter a good university, and ease Dad’s burden.”

“Exactly!”

Tang Jing gave her a thumbs-up.

“Study hard. I’ll be waiting for you in the capital!”

...

Dinner time.

Having finished early, Lu You patiently fed his little sister a bowl of porridge.

“Open up, Xiao Shu, ah~”

Lu Jing Shu looked up at him with big round eyes and obediently opened her mouth.

Shen Yuyin, eating nearby, gave the siblings a strange look.

“Tsk tsk tsk, when did you start feeding your little sister? You used to be so lazy about taking care of her.”

“I’m learning! Xiao Shu’s doing well, one more bite, ah~”

“By the way, how’s the tutor?”

Lu You wiped a smear from his sister’s mouth with the saliva bib around her neck, then continued feeding her.

“Not bad. He was top ten in the province on the college entrance exam. More than enough to teach me first-year stuff.”

“Good to hear.”

Shen Yuyin didn’t ask more about the tutor and changed the subject.

“Also, there’s something about your admission to Chunhua.”

Lu You paused.

“Go ahead. What’s the news?”

“Your dad said if everything goes well, you’ll get the admission letter soon and follow the registration instructions. But they said you can’t get into their two rocket classes. They’ll put you in the best class they can, so you won’t be in the same class as Li Yu.”

Lu You shook his head, unconcerned.

“It’s okay, as long as I can study.”

At that moment, the usually quiet Lu Jianyan spoke up.

“Since you’re admitted to Chunhua, your grades should improve. By midterms, even if you don’t excel, you should at least rank above half the class. Understand?”

Shen Yuyin frowned, unhappy with his words.

“How can you pressure your son like that? You know his grades and the environment at Chunhua. How can he jump ahead of half the students in just a few months?”

Usually, Lu Jianyan would go along with his wife’s wishes, but when it came to education, he wouldn’t back down.

“It’s his choice. I’ve invested connections and resources. If there’s no result, better to invest elsewhere.”

“What do you mean 'invest'? Why do you talk like that!”

Shen Yuyin slammed her chopsticks on the table, glaring at Lu Jianyan.

“I’m telling you, Lu Jianyan, he’s your son. Don’t bring business talk home…”

Startled, Lu Jing Shu jumped, her innocent big eyes looking at Lu You. Her mouth slowly pouted, and tears welled up in her bright eyes.

Big problem!

Lu You quickly interrupted the brewing argument.

“Don’t fight! Little sister’s still here! It’s just ranking in the top 50% of the grade. I got it. Don’t worry, I’ll make it.”

He put down the empty bowl, grabbed some tissues, gently wiped the tears from his sister’s eyelashes, then lifted her up and said softly, “Xiao Shu, you’re so good, finishing your porridge so fast. Let’s go play with the kittens, okay?”

Before she could get upset, he easily distracted her.

She sniffled and hugged Lu You’s neck with her chubby little hands, speaking in a baby voice: “Kitty, play.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

After calming his sister, Lu You turned his head and gave the two adults a disdainful glance.

“You’re both parents of two kids, and you still argue in front of children over such trivial things. Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Without looking back, he carried his sister downstairs.

Shen Yuyin stood dumbfounded at the table.

“My son, he’s really that sensible?”

Lu Jianyan nodded with approval.

“Good, that’s our son.”

“Not at all!”

Shen Yuyin was still angry.

“He’s my flesh and blood, not yours!”

With the ex-lover being comforted by his own son, the rightful wife had to rely on Lu Jianyan himself.

“I was just trying to motivate him, calm down. As long as he improves, even if he doesn’t reach the top 50%, it’s fine.”

“Better be!”

Shen Yuyin’s anger lingered.

“Alright, don’t be mad. After dinner, shall we go shopping?”

“Too lazy.”

“Go to the cinema?”

“It’s Domestic Film Protection Month. What’s the point?”

“Then, the usual spa?”

Tang Wan’s interest perked up—she had been feeling tired lately, and a spa would help her relax.

“That sounds good.”

“Then let’s finish eating quickly and go.”