Chapter 22

The wooden pendulum clock on the living room wall swung back and forth. Outside the window, a light rain was falling.

It was past nine, and Xu Xieyi still hadn't come downstairs.

Lin Sheng wasn't in a hurry. He sipped his morning tea leisurely in the living room, flipping through a newspaper as he waited for her.

After a while, the soft, light sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. Lin Sheng looked up to see Xu Xieyi, now dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt covered by a loose, blue-and-white school uniform jacket.

She was bundled up tight.

"Brother Lin, I'm ready," she said, standing before him.

Lin Sheng glanced at her for a second.

Xu Xieyi braced herself—don't panic, pretend you haven't noticed anything, and it won't be awkward.

"Eat some breakfast first, then we'll talk," Lin Sheng said calmly, gesturing toward the dining table with his chin.

"Okay."

Xu Xieyi turned toward the table, feeling a slight sense of relief. Lin Sheng’s attitude was easygoing and natural, as if he hadn't noticed a thing about what happened earlier that morning.

She felt fortunate: thank goodness it was Brother Lin. He was nothing like those annoying boys in her class who loved to stir up trouble or stare at her with mischievous smiles.

Thinking of this, Xu Xieyi felt even more strongly that Lin Sheng was a truly upright and pure person, surely a result of the Lin family’s strict upbringing.

Xu Xieyi acted calm, as if nothing had happened, sitting down and picking up her glass of milk with composure. But Lin Sheng could tell from her slightly reddened eyes that she had clearly been crying just moments before.

He buried his face back in the newspaper, finding the girl’s simple thoughts rather amusing.

—

After Xu Xieyi finished her breakfast, Lin Sheng tutored her in the study.

"Let the function f(x) be equal to 2x squared minus 4x..."

Lin Sheng’s voice was steady. His gel pen moved gracefully between his clean, white fingertips, writing out a row of perfectly formed equations.

Xu Xieyi tried her best to sit straight and listen intently, but her mind kept drifting back to the awkward incident from the morning.

Lin Sheng was sitting right next to her. She noticed his hand writing on the scratch paper, his black casual hoodie, his lowered eyelashes that looked like a dark forest, and... that fragrant scent of face wash, or perhaps some kind of men’s cologne.

Ah.

Why did Brother Lin always smell so good? It was almost appetizing.

Xu Xieyi felt her heart flutter in a panic.

"What's wrong?" Lin Sheng noticed something was off.

"N-nothing."

He looked a bit more serious. He had been very busy these past two days and had even pushed aside some work to tutor her. "Focus. There aren't many days left in the holiday. You need to concentrate when you study; you can't let your mind wander, understand?"

Xu Xieyi hurriedly straightened her back and nodded.

She tried her best to ignore the presence of the tall young man beside her and focus, but the more she tried, the more distracted she became, until she was breaking out in a cold sweat.

Lin Sheng stopped his pen and looked at her, his brow knitting slightly. "Your attention seems to wander very easily."

"I'm sorry, Brother Lin... I'll do better."

"If you really want to achieve something, you must be single-minded under any circumstances. There will always be things in life that distract you, but if you want to get good grades, you must have the focus to set everything else aside. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Remember, for someone who does not want to fail, there is only one path to take: success."

Hearing this, Xu Xieyi gathered all her focus.

But the young man’s presence was simply too overwhelming. She couldn't help but steal glances at his profile occasionally.

Brother Lin’s skin was truly perfect, without a single pimple or blemish. The only imperfection was a small black mole on his cheek. It wasn't a tear mole; it was just randomly placed on the cheek by his ear.

Xu Xieyi reflected on the wisdom Lin Sheng had just shared, her gaze drifting over his profile.

*Brother Lin is truly... so wise.*

—

Though Lin Sheng was busy during the holiday, he still set aside a few hours every day to tutor Xu Xieyi. With a former top student teaching her the methods, the girl’s studies became much easier and more relaxed.

Du Juan found it particularly strange.

She knew how arrogant and cold her stepson was beneath his gentle and humble exterior. Yet, to see him "stoop" to this was simply unbelievable.

The 7th was the last day of the holiday, and Xu Xieyi had finished reviewing her work. Lin Sheng was busy today and didn't return home for dinner.

After eating, Xu Xieyi went into the courtyard to play with Xiao Hei for a while.

The German shepherd had an injury on its front left leg, making it walk with a slight limp. Xu Xieyi had heard from her godmother, Du Juan, that Xiao Hei had been retired and adopted into the Lin family after being injured by an explosion while searching for bombs in the military.

"Xiao Hei, come here, have a piece of meat."

Xu Xieyi carefully tore the meat into tiny shreds before feeding it to the dog. The dog ate happily, wagging its tail gently.

She actually quite liked animals. Back in the county town, her mother had let her keep all sorts of rabbits, cats, and dogs when she begged for them.

"Good boy, Xiao Hei. Have some more."

Lin Sheng parked his car and entered through the small iron gate, catching sight of the girl crouching in front of the dog kennel, coaxing the stoic military dog into acting like a playful puppy.

"Come on, let sister pet your head. Pet the head, then you get another piece of meat."

"Good boy, such a good boy."

Xiao Hei actually let her pet him.

"Let sister kiss your ear again, okay?" Xu Xieyi leaned down.

She was just a young girl, yet she insisted on acting like an older sister or a mother figure.

Lin Sheng leaned against the door frame, the light casting a glow on his shirt. He loosened his collar and fished a lighter out of his pocket to light a cigarette.

He wasn't in a hurry to walk over, choosing instead to lean there lazily, smoking and watching the girl with the dog, a faint, imperceptible smile in his eyes.

Heh.

Xiao Hei the German shepherd was living quite a lucky life.

—

That night, Lin Sheng tutored Xu Xieyi in the study until ten o'clock, marking the end of the holiday sessions.

School started the next day, and the monthly exams were scheduled for the following two days.

Xu Xieyi packed up her books and homework and went to the balcony. Sure enough, Lin Sheng was there, drinking.

She walked over, full of gratitude, and stood straight. "Thank you for these past few days, Brother Lin. I know you're so busy, yet you still made time to tutor me."

Lin Sheng looked at her. Having just showered, his short hair was slightly damp, and he was wearing a simple heather-gray cotton hoodie. He looked down at her with his chin slightly raised, looking a bit tired, his voice languid. "Do you really want to thank me?"

Xu Xieyi froze. Lin Sheng’s tired eyes held a natural, hazy laziness.

Driven by a survival instinct, she nodded obediently.

Lin Sheng walked over with ease, bent down, and placed his large hand on the artery on the side of her neck, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.

He looked down at her, his voice hoarse.

"If you really want to thank me, then do well on your exams. I’ve never tutored a girl before. If you don't do well... I will be very sad. Hmm?"

Xu Xieyi held her breath.

Lin Sheng’s eyes were so close.

"Brother is going abroad for a while tomorrow. Be good. Don't let your mind wander in class."

—

Xu Xieyi didn't even know how she made it from the balcony back to her room.

She stared at her schoolbag on the desk for a long time. It wasn't until a cold breeze blew in through the window and made her shiver that she snapped out of it.

Her entire body was still tingling.

She didn't sleep well that night. Lin Sheng’s lazy, smiling eyes and his slightly hoarse voice just wouldn't fade away...

The next morning, Lin Sheng was heading to the airport and said he would drop her off on the way.

Xu Xieyi sat in his car, still thinking about the night before: Why did Brother Lin talk like that? It was as if he was gripping her heart, making her feel panicked.

She turned to look at Lin Sheng, who was driving calmly. He was heading to South Korea for an academic conference, dressed in a formal suit and shirt. But his black ear stud was still there.

A man in a black suit, wearing an ear stud...

A demon. Xu Xieyi was shocked by the word that had popped into her own mind!

—Am I crazy???

—How could she describe Lin Sheng like that!

Actually, thinking back, from the moment she met him until now, Lin Sheng had always been steady, reliable, and wise. He was a wonderful brother. She was just being a mess, overthinking things...

Lin Sheng didn't have the time to pay attention to the girl's racing thoughts; he was on the phone the entire ride.

The world of an adult man, especially one with a career, was always full of calls and appointments. Opportunities, challenges, and temptations were endless.

The car soon reached the gate of the Second Middle School.

Relieved from her own wild thoughts, Xu Xieyi grabbed her schoolbag and got out of the car, waving goodbye to Lin Sheng outside the door. "Goodbye, Brother Lin. Drive safe, have a smooth trip."

Lin Sheng looked up from his work group chat on WeChat, only then noticing that the girl had already gotten out.

He smiled. "Right. Good luck with your exams."

"Yes!"

Xu Xieyi gripped her bag straps with both hands and smiled. "Goodbye, brother."

Lin Sheng closed his eyes and nodded in response.

The school gate was crowded with people in the morning. The guards were checking student IDs; those who had forgotten theirs were already being pulled aside in a line.

As Xu Xieyi walked toward the gate, she realized in horror that her school uniform chest was empty!

She turned around and ran back.

Luckily, Lin Sheng hadn't driven away yet. The car was parked on the side of the road, and he was leaning against the door with his hands in his suit pockets, watching her with a smile, as if waiting.

Xu Xieyi ran over hurriedly. "Brother Lin, my school ID..."

Before she could finish, Lin Sheng took a small iron tag out of his pocket and handed it to her. Xu Xieyi was overjoyed, quickly taking it and pinning it on. She was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Brother Lin! You're my savior. You don't know how strict our school guards are; if you had left, I would have been doomed!"

Lin Sheng lowered his eyes and smiled, and when he looked up again, his expression was warmer. His phone was ringing in the car, but he ignored it and beckoned to her.

"Come here."

"Hmm?" Xu Xieyi didn't understand, but she walked over as told.

Lin Sheng took a small, exquisite black velvet box out of his suit pocket and opened it.

He took out something sparkling, grabbed the girl’s thin, delicate wrist, and wrapped it around.

Xu Xieyi felt a coolness on her wrist. When she pulled her hand back to look, she saw it was a star bracelet. She was stunned. "Brother Lin, this..."

Lin Sheng leaned against the car door, his smile and voice light and casual, relaxed and comfortable. "It’s a lucky star. Good luck on your exams, you careless little fool."

—

The monthly exams were tomorrow. After evening self-study, Xu Xieyi stayed in the classroom for a while.

Halfway through her homework, her gaze drifted involuntarily to her left wrist.

The bracelet looked very expensive.

She put down her pen and rested her chin on her hand, recalling the morning—the image of the young man taking the small box out of his pocket to put it on her... Such an act felt unfamiliar, and also, a bit extravagant.

Usually, when classmates or friends gave gifts, they were stuffed animals or little trinkets; anything over a hundred yuan was considered very luxurious.

She raised her hand, and the bracelet refracted the light of the fluorescent lamps, looking exceptionally exquisite.

Thinking of this, she took out her phone and looked up the brand logo online. There was actually an official website, along with new arrivals from various collections. Then, she was stunned by the price that popped up.