After stepping into the inner room, Cheng Xing placed the food on the table, shook the rainwater from his umbrella, and left it outside the door. When he turned back, he noticed Jiang Luxi standing at the doorway, hesitating to come in.
"Why aren't you coming in?" he asked.
"My shoes are wet," she replied. "I'll come in in a while."
The floor in Cheng Xing's home was smooth and spotless. She worried that walking in with wet shoes would dirty it. She had already dirtied it a little earlier that morning when she entered.
"It's fine," Cheng Xing said with a shrug. "Besides, you already dirtied it this morning, so it doesn't matter anymore. But if you're really worried, you can wear my mom's slippers for now. Tomorrow, I'll buy you a pair."
Wearing slippers at home was much more comfortable.
"No need," Jiang Luxi shook her head.
Taking off her shoes in front of him felt awkward. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Alright then, just come in as you are," Cheng Xing said, sighing. "If you're still worried about the floor, you can mop it before you leave this afternoon."
He had noticed how meticulous she was about such things. Just like in the morning when she had taught for hours without taking a single sip from the water dispenser next to her. If he hadn't noticed, she might have gone thirsty without realizing it.
She was stern, yet adorably so.
Especially considering her background. She grew up in poverty, losing both parents at a young age. Many in her situation might have given in to despair or strayed down a darker path. Yet Jiang Luxi remained steadfast. She was introverted, rarely spoke, and had no friends despite the passing years. Yet she never complained about her circumstances.
She was a rare person.
As the Buddhist scripture Avatamsaka Sutra says, "To become a mighty dragon or elephant, one must first endure hardship." If Jiang Luxi hadn't been a nun in her past life, this saying would describe her perfectly.
Jiang Luxi had endured twenty years of hardship. She deserved sixty years of peace. Yet she had only enjoyed a few years of it before entering the monastery.
Reluctantly, she stepped inside.
Cheng Xing handed her a serving of steamed dumplings and wontons from the table.
Jiang Luxi shook her head.
"Not hungry?" he asked.
"I've already eaten," she said.
"Okay, but you should have a little more anyway," Cheng Xing insisted.
"No. I've already eaten," she replied coldly.
"I'm not being generous," Cheng Xing said with a smile. "This isn't a free meal. I'll deduct it from your tutoring fee. Don't be so stingy. You'll be earning over a thousand yuan a month now. A small meal won't hurt."
He opened the lids of the dumplings and wontons, letting the aroma fill the room.
Jiang Luxi hesitated. "How much is it?"
"Not much. The dumplings are two yuan, and the wontons are three yuan."
Five yuan was a luxury for her.
She hadn't eaten breakfast. Her stomach growled at the sight and smell of the food. If she hadn't seen or smelled it, she might have resisted. But now, she couldn't.
"Fine. Deduct it from my tutoring fee," she muttered, setting the steamed dumplings aside. She would eat the wontons now and take the dumplings home for her grandmother.
Cheng Xing smiled. "Fine."
Finally, she was eating.
She scooped up a wonton with a plastic spoon but hesitated. Glancing at Cheng Xing, she added, "I really ate earlier. I just thought you bought too much and might waste it. That's why I'm eating."
"I understand," Cheng Xing said, still smiling.
Jiang Luxi nodded and took her first bite.
Though the bowl was smaller than the two-yuan servings outside the school gate, the meat filling and broth had a special flavor. Rich. Delicious.
She finished every wonton, downing the soup to the last drop.
"Not eating the dumplings?" Cheng Xing asked, noticing she threw the container away untouched.
"I'm full. I'll take them home for my grandmother," she replied.
Cheng Xing fell silent.
A bowl of Shaxian wontons was hardly enough for anyone, even a girl. But he didn't comment. He realized then that girls like Jiang Luxi really did exist.
In the past, when he had seen stories like this on TV or in short videos, he had thought they were all fabricated—fictional plots. But what was happening in front of him had no script, no cameras around.
Girls who were too sensible weren't necessarily a good thing, he thought.
Such girls made people feel heartache.
After finishing his meal, Cheng Xing knew it was time to resume tutoring. He tidied up the table and pulled out his books and pens.
Jiang Luxi kept a distance of about a meter from him, holding her textbook and continuing to explain the next section.
In elementary school, other than equations, there was nothing Cheng Xing really needed help with. As long as he understood the basic concepts of equations, middle school math would be a fresh start, and with enough effort, he'd get the hang of it.
Of course, that was assuming he kept paying attention.
By the end of the afternoon, Jiang Luxi had covered all the elementary school equation content.
Around 5 p.m., just like last time, she gave Cheng Xing several problems to solve.
He answered every one correctly.
Jiang Luxi was both surprised and not.
She wasn't surprised because elementary school equations weren't difficult. Anyone who understood basic arithmetic and paid attention could get through them in a day. Cheng Xing had already mastered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
But she was surprised because Cheng Xing had genuinely stayed focused all day, never zoning out once.
"Great, the weather's cleared up," Cheng Xing said, gazing out at the brightening sky.