As Scarlett finished speaking, it was Jack's turn to be on guard.
Seeing him sitting motionless on the couch, Scarlett teased him with a smile, "What are you afraid of?"
The twelve-year-old boy couldn't resist the bait. Tossing his iPad aside, he stood up defiantly, "What makes you think I'm scared?"
Despite his brave words, Jack stood in front of the box, mentally preparing himself for something frightening inside. Repeating a silent mantra of courage, he untied the bow on the box and lifted the lid.
To his surprise, the box contained no horrors, no gruesome sights. Instead... it was something incredibly cute?
Scarlett had bought two teacup puppies for Jack. Seeing him staring at them, expressionless, she smiled and said, "I thought you'd like them, considering your love for animals."
He almost blurted out his dislike, but for some reason, his mouth moved faster than his brain and he retorted, "What is this, a bribe?"
Jack tried to keep a stern face, hiding his acceptance from Scarlett.
Scarlett responded calmly, "Hey, I didn't give you any money, so it's not a bribe. You showed me your pets, so this is just a reciprocal gesture."
Suppressing the urge to reach out and pet the puppies, Jack maintained his stern demeanor, "I don't accept gifts from just anyone. It's not like I can't afford them."
As he finished speaking, the white teacup puppy in the box stood up, seemingly trying to 'escape' its confines. However, its short stature made it impossible. Not being a fool, it tried to use the black teacup puppy as a stepping stone, showing no brotherly love.
Seeing this, Jack reached in and separated the white puppy from the black one. The white one stubbornly tried to climb back on top of the black one, who just lay there, allowing itself to be trampled on.
Scarlett had already figured out that Jack liked the puppies. She feigned a pitiful expression, "I know you can afford them, but these animals are gifts and also lives. Even if you don't accept my feelings, at least pity them. They've been living a low-quality life in the pet store. They'd be so happy with you."
From then on, they would live a life of luxury, becoming the winners in the dog world, Scarlett added silently in her heart.
Jack knew that this was Scarlett's strategy to win him over, but it hit right at his soft spot. Holding the puppy in his hand, he examined it for a moment, then casually said, "Alright, I'll accept them. How much do I owe you?"
Scarlett responded seriously, "No, don't. Your parents might think I'm here to do business with you."
Jack didn't respond, focusing instead on the two puppies. Scarlett quietly pulled out a textbook and a pen from her bag, casually sharing the basic care tips she'd learned from the pet store owner. Jack agreed, even suggesting they take the puppies to the vet for a thorough check-up.
Scarlett didn't offer to accompany him. Her current mission wasn't to rush things, but to take it slow and steady. There was plenty of time.
As they chatted intermittently, they heard a knock on the door. Uncle Chan's voice came through, "Young Sir?"
Jack stood up, still holding the puppy, whether out of forgetfulness or genuine affection, and went to open the door. Scarlett didn't hear any conversation, but after a while, she heard footsteps approaching. Jack had returned.
He placed the puppies on the spacious couch and turned to Scarlett, "Do you want to get along with me?"
Scarlett looked at him, unable to decipher his intentions for a moment. She simply nodded in agreement, "Yes."
Jack continued, "Help me with something, and I'll accept you as my tutor. I won't bother you anymore."
Scarlett knew there must be a catch behind this tempting offer. She hid her suspicion and responded cheerfully, "What do you need help with?"
Jack replied, "There's a woman downstairs. I don't like her. Help me get rid of her."
Scarlett asked, "Who is she?"
Jack explained, "A woman who's been bothering my father."
It took Scarlett a moment to understand that he was referring to a woman who was bothering Lucius.
She laughed it off, "Jack, I can't help with this. I'm an outsider."
Jack stared at her and said, "Whether you're an outsider or not depends on whether I want you as my tutor."
Scarlett was momentarily speechless. She had to admit that the boy was cunning. After a pause, she tried to reason with him, "Jack, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that..."
Before she could finish, a woman's voice came from outside the room, "Jack?"
Jack was silent for a moment before inviting her in, "Please come in."
From his polite invitation, Scarlett guessed that the woman must be someone important. Who else could make this little devil act so courteously?
Sure enough, when the door opened, a stylishly dressed, beautiful woman appeared. Scarlett noted her tasteful attire, not ostentatious but clearly expensive. Her makeup was light but exquisite, enhancing her natural elegance.
The woman seemed surprised to see someone else in Jack's room. Her smile faltered slightly when her eyes met Scarlett's.
Scarlett stood up and nodded politely. The woman returned the nod, then walked in, her gaze moving past Scarlett to land on Jack. She smiled and said, "I didn't know you had a guest."
Jack, holding one of the teacup puppies, replied, "My tutor."
The woman laughed, "When did you decide on this? I heard it took a while to find a tutor for you."
Scarlett quietly moved towards the door. Before she could leave, she heard Jack's meaningful voice behind her, "The tutor wasn't my decision. My father liked her, so it's fine."
Scarlett paused, sensing someone's gaze on her. She turned around to find the woman looking at her.
Jack added fuel to the fire, "Msss Li treats me well. I'm very satisfied. No wonder my father's been persuading me to accept her."
Scarlett felt like a fishbone was stuck in her throat. She wanted to explain, but the woman turned her gaze back to Jack, smiling lightly, "I just returned. I brought some gifts for you. They're downstairs. I won't disturb your tutoring session. I'll come to see you another day."
Jack replied, "My father's not home. You can call him."
The woman said, "His phone is off. He must be busy."
Jack responded without changing his expression, "He has two phones. You probably called the wrong one." Then, he suddenly turned to Scarlett. She had a bad feeling, but she didn't know where to hide from the unknown trap. She could only brace herself.
Jack politely asked Scarlett, "Msss Li, could you please make a call and tell him that Aunt Feng is here?"
Scarlett was about to say she didn't have Lucius's personal number when Jack, as if reading her mind, preempted her, "
My father told me that you have his personal number. Could you help Aunt Feng call him home?"
At his last words, Scarlett, with her more than twenty years of life experience, couldn't help but silently applaud Jack's cunning. His words, layered with insinuations, left her almost believing for a moment that she had some clandestine relationship with Lucius.