Chapter 30

Yan Can and Su Ci were both math competition students, so they attended training sessions and lectures on weekends. Su Ci usually only went on Saturdays; Sundays were reserved for her part-time job.

Yan Can wasn’t as interested in math competitions as the original owner had been. In the memories she had inherited, the original Yan Can had never gone to extra tutoring classes from freshman to senior year, and she almost never attended competition training. She mainly relied on self-study.

But Yan Can wasn’t the original owner. She hadn’t inherited the original girl’s brain, either. If she wanted to keep improving without dragging the original Yan Can down, she couldn’t rely on school classes alone; extra tutoring outside school was necessary too.

So even though she hated competitions, she still forced herself to go.

Not to mention Su Ci was there too.

…

After the coach finished writing on the board, the rest of the time was left for self-study. Some students kept working on the coach’s practice sheets; others relaxed and played mobile games.

Everyone did their own thing, and whenever they needed to speak, they did so in low voices by tacit agreement.

The competition students here came from every grade. The girl in front of Yan Can was a freshman, while the one sitting beside her was a senior.

Yan Can was biting the end of her pen and studying the problem statement, trying to infer the setter’s intentions, when the boy sitting in front of Su Ci suddenly pulled his chair around and turned to face her.

“Excuse me, can I bother you for a second?”

Su Ci looked up.

The boy said, “I still don’t quite understand the problem the teacher just explained. Could you go over it for me?”

He was a senior, and he had always had a crush on Su Ci. But Su Ci had always been cold and distant toward people; one look was enough to tell she was especially hard to approach.

So he had never dared strike up a conversation with her. The reason he had finally worked up the courage this time was that lately, Su Ci didn’t seem as cold as before.

He had seen her explain problems to her deskmate several times. She had been focused and attentive, and the relaxed, approachable way she carried herself had softened the distance around her.

And from what he had observed recently, Su Ci even acted like the other girls in class now; when break time came, she would go to the restroom with her classmates.

He had heard more than once that Su Ci’s deskmate called her to go to the restroom, and Su Ci agreed right away, without the slightest impatience.

That was something he had never once imagined before.

Su Ci’s change made him feel like spring was finally coming for him.

“Which part don’t you understand?” Su Ci put down the gel pen in her hand and picked up a pencil instead.

“Um, here. How did this step lead to this one?” The boy circled the step in the answer with his pencil.

“Here, you need to use…” Su Ci explained it clearly and logically, breaking down every related point and laying them out for him piece by piece. At the same time, she wrote the formula on scratch paper and looked up at him. “Do you understand?”

Her eyelashes were thick and long; when she blinked, they looked like fluttering butterflies.

The boy swallowed and shamelessly said, “Could you say it one more time?”

Su Ci frowned slightly. Since he was able to participate in the competition, his aptitude definitely couldn’t have been that bad.

She had already explained it very clearly; he shouldn’t have failed to understand.

But when she saw him looking at her awkwardly, she swallowed her doubts and explained it again.

At the end, she looked up and asked, “Do you understand?”

Her voice was very pleasant, clear and cool like mountain spring water.

The boy spaced out for a moment and felt that if he kept pretending not to get it, it would be going too far.

Just as he was about to thank her, the girl sitting beside Su Ci suddenly blurted out a line of poetry: “An old drunkard’s interest lies not in the wine.”

After saying that, the girl narrowed her lovely peach-blossom eyes and looked over this way.

Her gaze carried a hint of warning.

The boy thanked her guiltily, grabbed his paper and pen, and quickly returned to his seat.

“Su Ci, can’t you tell he was doing that on purpose?” Yan Can leaned over and lightly tapped the boy’s back with her pen, whispering into Su Ci’s ear. “He was trying to hit on you.”

Su Ci calmly brushed her long hair aside; her slender fingertips grazed the slightly warm tip of her ear, and the corner of her eye fell on Yan Can’s fingers resting on her cuff.

Yan Can pouted unhappily. “That’s just a blatant pickup attempt.”

“I see.” Su Ci said those two words evenly and lowered her gaze back to the scratch paper in front of her.

She picked up her pen and continued working through the problems on the paper.

Yan Can blinked twice. No, what was that supposed to mean?

She leaned in again and, frowning, whispered into Su Ci’s ear, “You absolutely have to ignore people like that in the future; don’t ever give him the time of day. Men are all the same—”

She looked as though she were speaking entirely for Su Ci’s own good, staring at the back of the boy in front as she lectured at length.

“—Give them a little attention, and they think they can set up shop. Don’t let his polished appearance fool you; who knows what kind of person he really is, or what filthy things he’s thinking…”

The boy being talked about…

“Su Ci, right now our priority has to be our studies. You absolutely mustn’t be bewitched by him. Boys at this age are childish to death; don’t pay them any attention!”

The boy…

He had never seen anyone badmouth someone else this loudly.

He was so angry he wanted to explode, but then he remembered that Su Ci was on good terms with her, and he had heard that this girl seemed to have an unusual background; she wasn’t someone he could afford to offend.

So he could only keep swallowing his anger.

But the girl wouldn’t let it go. “Su Ci, are you even listening? Don’t think I’m being naggy. I’m telling you, you’re just too innocent. That last problem was so simple, and he still had to ask you about it, and ask twice at that. Don’t you think that’s way too calculated? At his age, being that scheming already…”

The boy had only wanted to strike up a conversation with a pretty girl. He never expected to be talked about like he’d committed some crime on the level of murder and arson.

This was too much! He was just about to turn around and argue back when he heard the cool voice behind him say, “Do the test paper.”

Her tone was faint; clearly, she had not been bewitched by the girl at all.

If anything, it could even be interpreted as: enough, stop talking.

His mood immediately brightened. He picked up his pen and started working on the paper again.

Yan Can hadn’t expected that after she’d said so much, all she’d get back was four words: Do the test paper. That left her feeling a little disappointed.

Actually, she had hoped Su Ci would say something.

Say what?

Yan Can herself didn’t know.

In any case, it wasn’t supposed to be “Do the test paper.”

During the break, Su Ci received a call from Wei Li.

The classroom was a little noisy, so she took her phone and went out into the corridor to answer.

The background on the other end was loud and chaotic, as if Wei Li were somewhere crowded. “A Ci, is there anything you want to eat?”

As soon as she said that, Su Ci understood. Auntie Wei’s factory was on holiday.

Wei Li didn’t have much education, nor any special skills to rely on. All these years, she had been working at a factory doing monotonous and exhausting assembly-line work.

Two shifts a day; she only got two days off each month.

Whenever she had time off, she would come see her.

“Anything is fine,” Su Ci said.

“Don’t just say anything is fine.” Wei Li pointed at the spare ribs on the stall and quietly asked the vendor, “How much per jin?”

Hearing Auntie Wei bargain with the vendor, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Su Ci’s mouth. “Then stir-fried shredded green peppers with pork? Sweet-and-sour ribs?”

“Okay,” Wei Li said with a smile. “What time will you be back?”

“After the last class. I’ll be home around 12:30.” As she spoke, Su Ci tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Alright, then I’ll wait for you to eat.”

After saying that, Wei Li was about to hang up when she seemed to remember something and added, “Oh, right. Did you mention your classmate to her? Ask her whether she has time this afternoon; invite her to eat with us.”

Last time there had been an accident, Wei Li had rushed to the hospital as soon as she got the call.

On the way there, all she could think about was the horrible scene of Su Ci’s parents’ car accident back then. She had rushed all the way over while praying to every god and Buddha she could think of, hoping they would protect Su Ci. If anything happened to Su Ci, she would have no way to answer to her deceased friend.

Fortunately, heaven had blessed them; Su Ci was fine, only slightly scraped. The classmate who had been with her, however, had been sent to the emergency room.

After learning that the classmate had been seriously injured while trying to save Su Ci, Wei Li didn’t know how else to thank Yan Can.

Her classmate didn’t lack money or medical resources, and Wei Li couldn’t think of any proper way to repay her. So she told Su Ci that when she had time, she should invite that little classmate over to their home, and she would cook for her.

The factory she worked at couldn’t easily grant leave, so she had never had the time. Now that she finally did, she brought it up again.

Su Ci looked toward the classroom. At the door, several boys were playing some childish air-basketball game.

The weather had turned, and gusts of wind kept sweeping fallen leaves into the corridor. A few of them spun down and landed at her feet.

When she didn’t answer, Wei Li looked at her phone in confusion; the call was still connected. “A Ci?”

Su Ci pressed her lips together. “I know. I’ll tell her. I’ll let you know once it’s settled.”

“Good, good.” Wei Li laughed. “Once it’s decided, ask her what dishes she likes too.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Su Ci returned to her seat.

Yan Can was playing a match-three game. Hearing the movement, she glanced over and then kept playing.

Su Ci had never mentioned bringing Yan Can home for a meal, because she knew Yan Can didn’t lack this one meal.

She had eaten several meals with Yan Can before, and the food at Yan Can’s home was made by professional chefs; it tasted even better than restaurant food outside.

She wasn’t sure whether Yan Can would like Auntie Wei’s cooking, after all Yan Can was rather picky.

Feeling Su Ci’s gaze, Yan Can shot her a suspicious look.

“Yan Can, there’s something…” It still seemed necessary to mention it; otherwise Auntie Wei would keep bringing it up. “This afternoon—”

“Wait a second.” Yan Can closed her phone and looked at her. “Go on.”

After spending a long time with Yan Can, Su Ci had learned that Yan Can was actually very easy to get along with; she was polite to others and didn’t have the slightest bit of young-miss arrogance.

Even if Auntie Wei’s cooking was only average, she felt Yan Can would still go along with it and not frown or show any sign of dissatisfaction.

She knew that if she brought it up, Yan Can would most likely agree to come to her house for dinner.

But… Su Ci was still a little hesitant.

If anything would make Yan Can feel awkward, she would never ask her to do it.

“What is it?” Yan Can asked.

“Do you want to come to my house for dinner?” Su Ci said.

“Huh?” She hadn’t misheard, had she? Yan Can’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re inviting me to your house?”

Su Ci: “You don’t want to go?”

“I want to!” Yan Can blinked several times, almost unable to believe it. “I want to go!”

She had brought it up several times before and Su Ci had never let her go. She hadn’t expected Su Ci to take the initiative this time, so Yan Can was absolutely going to seize the opportunity.

“When? Today? Tomorrow? Since it’s better to act on impulse than make plans, how about this afternoon?”

Su Ci…

Sensing that her chatter had startled the other person, Yan Can lowered her voice. “Anyway, I’m available anytime you call.”

Su Ci took out her phone and, while opening her chat history with Wei Li, asked, “What do you want to eat?”

“You’re going to cook for me?” Yan Can wasn’t exaggerating; she really felt like crying. “Oh my god, Su Ci, you’re going to cook for me?!”

Her voice was a little loud, drawing glances from the people nearby.

Su Ci closed her eyes, seeming a little helpless.

Yan Can realized she had gotten too excited and said quietly, “Su Ci, I’ll eat whatever you make.”

Su Ci…

After a pause, she said, “It’s not me cooking; it’s…”

She had never discussed her family with Su Ci before, so she chose her words carefully. “It’s my aunt… she’ll cook.”

After another beat, she added, “She’s my guardian.”

Yan Can didn’t speak.

Her mind was full of one thing only:

Meeting the parents. What should she prepare?