"Wait for me..."
"No."
Ning Xi quickly got into the car and immediately said to Zhuang Li, the driver, "Uncle Zhuang, let's go."
"Yes!"
Zhuang Li glanced at Ye Fan, who was running from afar and couldn't help but smile to himself.
You finally got what you deserve, huh?
One word—deserved!
"Vroom—"
With the roar of the car engine, all Ye Fan was left with was exhaust fumes. He stood under a willow tree by the gate of the neighborhood, watching the car disappear in the distance, feeling quite helpless.
What should I do?
Seems like I messed up...
Why couldn't I control my mouth?
(Damn you, mouth!)
After dinner, Ye Fan was reading a book when his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Seeing the number on the screen, he frowned and declined the call.
Not even two seconds later, the phone rang again—the same number.
Declined again.
Then the phone rang yet again as if the caller was determined not to give up.
Ye Fan smirked, adding one more action this time: declined, then... blocked!
After doing this, he stretched out his arms and let out a satisfied yawn.
Finally, peace and quiet.
Back to reading!!!
...
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
In a traditional, antique-style study, Gu Yun sat at the desk. His face was slightly pale, though his eyes occasionally flashed with wisdom.
"Can't get through?"
Hearing her grandfather's question, Gu Ziyi smiled bitterly, put down the phone, and sheepishly explained, "Uh... it seems like I've been... blocked!"
After saying that, she felt speechless even at herself.
Was that necessary?
All she wanted was to express her gratitude, and she got blocked for it?
"Blocked?"
Gu Yun frowned, eyeing his granddaughter suspiciously. His tone was filled with inquiry, "What did you do to make him block you? Did you say something inappropriate?"
"..."
Gu Ziyi felt wronged, deeply wronged.
This was like eating bitter herbs in silence—no one to complain to!
She had done nothing wrong...
"Grandpa, how could I say anything inappropriate? He saved your life! How could I possibly say anything that would upset him? You know your granddaughter's character well!"
Seeing the aggrieved look on his granddaughter's face, Gu Yun smiled warmly and quickly reassured her, "I was just asking casually, no need to take it so seriously, my dear."
He knew his granddaughter well—polite, thoughtful, and careful. She certainly wouldn't do something like that.
Gu Ziyi pouted slightly, letting out a soft, dissatisfied hum.
Gu Yun sighed gently and said, "If it's not meant to be, don't force it. It's enough that you're grateful."
...
At seven o'clock in the morning.
Ye Fan arrived at the gate of his residential area, flagged down a taxi, and headed toward the Haihuang District. Today, he wore a suit, exuding a refined aura that made people glance at him twice.
The driver engaged Ye Fan in casual conversation, his tone carrying a hint of envy.
People who live in the Haihuang District are either rich or powerful. For ordinary folks like him, that world was unreachable—a distant dream, filled with imaginations of the upper-class lifestyle.
Since it was early in the day and a Sunday, traffic was light.
In less than thirty minutes, they reached their destination.
After paying and getting out of the car, Ye Fan stood to the right of the gate, and out of the corner of his eye, he froze.
A girl, wearing a mask, stood under the apricot tree on the left side of the gate. Although the mask hid her face, her exposed skin was so fair that it naturally drew people's attention.
The soft morning sunlight filtered through the branches, silently falling on the girl, adding a touch of color to her simple white dress.
The early summer breeze rustled the apricot tree's leaves, creating a pleasant, gentle sound.
The air was filled with a faint fragrance, and a few leaves twirled in the wind, gently landing on the girl's silky hair.
This scene was peaceful and beautiful.
The girl was none other than Ning Xi!
Ye Fan stood in a daze for several seconds before finally coming back to his senses, his eyes filled with warmth.
Ning Xi also noticed Ye Fan. She waved and walked over, her eyes blinking as she softly said, "You're here early. I thought you'd arrive after eight."
"Why are you up so early?"
Ye Fan gently lifted his hand and carefully removed the leaf from Ning Xi's hair, his movements as cautious as if handling a priceless treasure.
Feeling his touch, Ning Xi glanced nervously toward the gate and stammered, "I-I woke up early, so I thought I'd come out and wait for you."
Hearing this, the smile in Ye Fan's eyes deepened. He lightly took off her mask, revealing her stunning face. "There's no one around; you don't need to wear a mask."
"Got it, Teacher Ye."
Ning Xi's cheeks dimpled with a beautiful smile, as radiant as a blooming flower, making it easy to get lost in the moment.
Ye Fan chuckled softly and pointed toward the gate. "Miss Ning, shall we go?"
"Of course."
Ning Xi happily skipped toward the gate, her steps light, her joy evident.
Ye Fan followed behind, the deep affection in his eyes practically overflowing, as if it could melt anything in its path.
After passing through security, Ye Fan followed Ning Xi into the villa. As soon as they entered the living room, he noticed Ning Xi's father, Ning Xiangtian, sitting on the sofa. Ye Fan politely greeted him.
"Hello, Uncle Ning."
"Hmm."
Ning Xiangtian took a sip of tea, glanced at Ye Fan, and replied indifferently.
Ning Xi nudged Ye Fan's arm and whispered, "Don't mind my dad; he's always like that. Let's just go to the study and start the tutoring."
"Okay."
Feeling Ning Xi's concern, Ye Fan nodded slightly. He was about to follow her to the study when Ning Xiangtian called out from behind.
"It's only 7:40, you're early today, huh?"
Ning Xiangtian, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, had set down his teacup. His expression held a subtle questioning tone as he continued, "I also heard that you only scored 600 on your mock exam? That's not exactly impressive, is it?"
Ye Fan was about to respond when Ning Xi quickly jumped in.
"Dad, didn't I explain it already? Ye Fan didn't take the Chinese exam; his total score was 600 without it. He didn't lose a single point in the other subjects, which is a miracle!"
"Chinese is usually where people lose points, especially in the essay section."
Ning Xiangtian didn't take his daughter's words seriously, keeping his eyes on Ye Fan. "Typically, people lose a few points on the essay, a few on reading comprehension—it's inevitable."
"Isn't that right?"
Without realizing it, he had directed the question at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan smiled calmly, showing no sign of nervousness. He could sense the subtle hostility in Ning Xiangtian's words.
But he was mentally prepared for this.
A man knows another man's thoughts!
He knew Ning Xiangtian could sense what was going on, so a bit of hostility was normal.
If someone were trying to take his precious daughter, he'd probably react the same way.
Ye Fan's response was simple—stick to the basics and let things play out.
"Uncle, you're absolutely right."
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