Amid jesting and playful banter, the two shared a meal. Lin Yu, finishing his meal, went to pay the bill but found Zhang Xinran had already settled it while he was in the restroom, allowing him to experience firsthand her true generosity as a squad leader.
"Alright, give me your phone number. We'll contact each other when we have time," Zhang Xinran pulled out her phone, jotting down Lin Yu's number.
"My number is one-three-nine... Hey, what do you mean? Didn't we agree to go to your place to treat your parents' illnesses? Why change plans now?" Lin Yu scratched his chin.
"Are you eager? Alright, let's assume you can cure them. But don't experiment on my parents. They are old, even if they agree, I wouldn't feel at ease. Do you have the urge to marry me? Insisting on treating them?" Zhang Xinran playfully teased, but as the words left her lips, she regretted them somewhat. Although they were classmates, genders differed, and years had passed since they'd last met. Speaking like this seemed somewhat frivolous.
Lin Yu didn't take it to heart, just smiled wryly and shook his head. Inside, he felt somewhat defeated. It was his first attempt to offer medical help, only to be refused, which was rather embarrassing.
"Alright, since that's the case, don't blame yourself for missing the chance to heal your parents. I don't easily lend a hand," Lin Yu chuckled.
He didn't force things. After all, opportunities were quite mystical and divine. Sometimes when you actively pursue them, they evade you, but other times when you don't, they cling to you incessantly.
"Alright, miracle worker, you're amazing. Shall we? I still have a high school student to tutor. Let's part ways here. Our paths may cross again," Zhang Xinran gave a nod to Lin Yu in a somewhat gallant way and left.
Watching her departing figure, Lin Yu was somewhat absent-minded.
Wow, her figure was just too well-proportioned and sexy. Tiny where it should be—her slim waist—and ample where it should be—her perky buttocks. Her legs were long and toned, wrapped in tight shorts, each step exuded a captivating allure.
Indeed, just a glance at her silhouette was enough to make one swallow.
As for her front view, it was good too. Even if she wasn't a super-beautiful type like Lan Chu, she possessed the kind of beauty comparable to that of Liu Xiaoyan, captivating and beautiful.
Of course, they belonged to different types. Liu Xiaoyan was the girl-next-door type, always soft-spoken and shy, blushing even with a slight mention, resembling a delicate fan.
Whereas Zhang Xinran embodied a wild and unrestrained beauty. Her beauty was open and so was her personality, not meaning she was licentious, but rather approachable—a trait reflected in her figure, quite open and particularly so. If Lan Chu represented the mature and enticing elder sister type, then Zhang Xinran was undoubtedly the sizzling beauty, commanding attention with her figure.
Distracted for a moment, Lin Yu remembered to pick up his bag but froze as he stepped outside. He noticed Zhang Xinran not far away, being confronted by a middle-aged woman, leading a young girl who appeared to be in high school, looking timid behind her glasses.
The woman was berating Zhang Xinran in an unsavory manner, continuously accusing her, holding up a math test paper covered in red crosses. Zhang Xinran lowered her head, biting her lip, tears swirling in her eyes, unable to utter a word.
Lin Yu understood the situation. It seemed this woman, who had just picked up her child from school, had encountered Zhang Xinran, her daughter's after-school tutor. Perhaps her daughter's recent exam results weren't satisfactory, prompting the woman to vent her anger on Zhang Xinran.
Furrowing his brows, he hurried over, standing between the woman and Zhang Xinran. "Ma'am, can't we discuss this calmly? No need for harsh words. Besides, a tutor isn't all-powerful; the improvement in grades can't solely be attributed to the tutor."
"Who are you to interfere? Where did you come from? Oh, according to you, it's all my child's fault, and the tutor has nothing to do with it, right? Do you have your own rules under the sun? I reckon you're no good either, probably a scammer working with this tutor," the woman said sarcastically and sharply.
Zhang Xinran felt even more aggrieved. Not only had her old classmate witnessed her current embarrassing situation, but he was also being scolded because of her. She felt utterly embarrassed and wished she could vanish into thin air, not wanting Lin Yu to see her in this miserable state.
"Lin Yu, please leave. Don't bother. I can handle this myself," Zhang Xinran struggled to hold back her tears that were about to fall, pushing Lin Yu away, fearing
he might become the target of the woman's scolding and feel wronged as well.
"Xinran, I just want to ask you one thing. Did you genuinely teach this child?" Lin Yu didn't leave but pulled her aside, whispering softly.
"I treat every student as if they were my own siblings, always teaching them attentively, without any slack. And this child is smart; her grades shouldn't be like this. If I continue teaching as before, coupled with her intelligence, a twenty-point improvement in math is certain," Zhang Xinran said with a sob, finally shedding a tear that fell on her hand, shattering like crystal.
She felt a bit wronged. Did Lin Yu not believe in her? Did he think she was doing this job solely for money?