6
At the next class, there was indeed a new TA, but I didn’t pay much attention. Then I remembered that detailed lecture and started listening more closely. I was about to work on the assignment in earnest when I realized I couldn’t find my reference book anywhere.
While I was racking my brain trying to remember where I’d left it, my older sister suddenly called. She sounded busy; there was a lot of noise over the phone. “A kid asked me to tutor them in programming Friday night, but I’m out of town. Can you fill in for me?”
Me?! Tutor a kid? That had to be a joke. I was about to refuse when she went on:
“I’ll pay you. One thousand yuan per session. You in?”
I shot back angrily, “I want two thousand yuan!”
I was pretty good at programming, but I still felt a little nervous about teaching a kid. After preparing thoroughly, I arrived at the agreed-upon address, did my best to put on a friendly smile, and rang the doorbell.
The moment the door opened, my smile froze on my face. Quý Thần Dần stood there in his casual clothes, staring back at me in surprise.
He seemed to be trying to remember my name. A little awkwardly, he asked, “Tống Nghi Thanh, are you here to see me?”
I’d completely lost the ability to speak. Stammering, I explained, “I’m here to tutor a kid.”
As soon as I’d said it, I immediately backed away and apologized. “Sorry, I’ve got the wrong house.” Then I turned to run.
At that, he looked a little surprised, his eyes widening slightly as if he’d figured something out. But he quickly called after me, “Don’t run.”
I stopped and looked at him.
He rubbed his forehead and asked, “Who owns the bar?”
Still bewildered, I answered honestly, “My older sister.”
Quý Thần Dần muttered, “No wonder the receptionist kept following us when I took you away from the bar that day.”
It dawned on me too, and my eyes widened. “You know my sister, Professor?”
He nodded. When I was about to ask something else, he stepped aside to let me in. “Come in. It’s cold out.”
7
Honestly, I’d never imagined things could line up so perfectly.
After going back and forth several times, we finally cleared up one thing.
Quý Thần Dần and my older sister had been close friends since their days studying abroad. He’d gone to the bar that day because she’d invited him out, and had happened to catch me in the middle of one of my crazy schemes.
Today, watching Quý Thần Dần pour me a glass of water, I suddenly felt that the world was a very small place.
My older sister had originally agreed to tutor his younger sister, but in the end, I’d taken her place.
Perfect—a strange little loop of logic, and my brain cells were all used up.
Quý Thần Dần set a glass of water in front of me, signaling for me to drink it and warm up.
After thinking it over for a long while, I couldn’t help asking, “You’re so good at this, TA. Why do you need my sister to tutor her?”
After all, he was a computer expert, recognized as such by the whole department.
Quý Thần Dần sat down on the sofa, looking a little exasperated. “She never listens to me.”
That made sense. I remembered how, when my older sister used to teach me math as a kid, I’d often drive her so crazy she’d practically jump out of her skin.
After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “You don’t have to call me Professor anymore. Just use my name.”
Oh, right. He was still working on his Ph.D., so he probably wasn’t much older than me. I was about to say something else when the door suddenly opened.
A kid in a school uniform bounced in. The moment she saw Quý Thần Dần, the smile vanished from her face, and she said awkwardly, “Hi, big brother.”
After a brief introduction, we went upstairs to start the tutoring session.
8
The tutoring session went really well. Quý Thần Dần’s younger sister was completely different from her brother.
She was unbelievably lively. At first she called me Ms. Tống, but before long she was calling me “Big Sis.”
If only people understood what that “Big Sis” meant to me. I’d been a little sister for so long that even in my dreams I wanted to be the older sister.
Before I knew it, time had flown by. When the end-of-session timer went off, I was still enthusiastically explaining the lesson. Tiểu Vi and I chatted and laughed all the way downstairs, and we agreed to meet again next week.
To my surprise, Quý Thần Dần was still sitting in the living room reading. He hadn’t left at all.
When we came downstairs, he looked up from his book. Our eyes met for a moment before I could look away.
He was dressed casually and looked much more relaxed, nothing like his usual distant self. He seemed approachable and warm.
He walked over and handed me a glass of water. “Thanks for your hard work.”
I was still a little nervous talking to him. I didn’t dare meet his eyes, so I just nodded slightly and took a sip of water.
Quý Thần Dần checked his watch and stood up. “Let’s go. It’s late. I’ll take you back to campus.”
Tiểu Vi asked curiously, “Big brother, why are you still home at this hour? Weren’t you supposed to check in at the lab today?”
Quý Thần Dần was silent for a moment, then replied, “It was on my way, so I waited a bit.”
So he’d been waiting for me?
A sudden warmth spread through me. He seemed calm and composed, but he was actually very warm and considerate.
9
Tiểu Vi and I really hit it off. She excitedly insisted on seeing me home, so we both got into Quý Thần Dần’s car. On the way, Tiểu Vi and I did most of the talking, chattering away, while Quý Thần Dần remained as quiet as usual, only occasionally responding when we mentioned him.
I thought to myself, no wonder his little sister was afraid of him. He really was that cold.
We were laughing and chatting when Tiểu Vi suddenly went, “Huh?” She turned on her flashlight and shone it into the gap between the seats. Curious, I leaned down to take a look too.
We found a book wedged crookedly into the gap between the seats.
Tiểu Vi asked in surprise, “Big brother! Why are you hiding books here?”
I was puzzled too. My roommate had once told me that Quý Thần Dần treasured books as much as his own life and was extremely neat. He shouldn’t have treated a book so roughly.
Quý Thần Dần clearly looked a little confused too. But since he was driving, he didn’t turn around. He just said, “Then take it out for me and see what book it is.”
With his permission, we carefully pulled the book out of the gap. When I turned the cover over and shone the flashlight on it, I nearly froze on the spot.
Tiểu Vi slowly read the book’s title aloud. “‘Analytical Mathematics Exercises.’ Is this a college textbook?”
Me: …
If I wasn’t mistaken, that messy handwriting was mine!
Quý Thần Dần clearly remembered something too. A hint of amusement entered his voice. “Mm. It is a college textbook.”
Tiểu Vi looked even more puzzled. “Whose is it? They don’t seem to like this book very much.”
Oh, my sweet little sister, please stop asking. I’m sweating over here.
The memory suddenly came rushing back. That night, after he drove me home, he’d lectured me about taking my studies seriously. I’d been so annoyed that I’d shoved the workbook into the gap between the seats just so I wouldn’t have to look at it. No wonder I’d been searching everywhere for it these past few days.
Quý Thần Dần seemed unable to hold back a laugh. Teasingly, he said, “That’s right. Someone seems to really hate this subject.”
Enough, don’t say another word. I really did hate it back then, but I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’m a model citizen now, okay!
Tiểu Vi was about to flip through the book again, so I snatched it away before she could spot my name. Then I explained, “I probably know the owner of this book. I’ll return it to her.”
Still curious, she quickly caught on that something was suspicious. “You know her? Then why was her book in my brother’s car?”
Me: …
Kids are way too hard to fool these days. Seeing no way around it, I steeled myself and replied, “Because your brother knows her too.”
Then I turned to Quý Thần Dần for help, and in my panic, copied Tiểu Vi and called him “Big Brother.” “Right, Big Brother?”
Quý Thần Dần tapped an uneven rhythm on the steering wheel. He seemed a little flustered and said nothing. Afraid he wouldn’t play along, I was about to say more.
He cleared his throat, his voice a little awkward. “Right. I know her.”
I almost dropped to my knees to thank him for saving my life.
Tiểu Vi tilted her head and thought for a moment, still sensing something was off. Just then, a candid photo of my back, tucked inside the book, suddenly slipped out.
Tiểu Vi quickly picked it up and studied it for a while before looking back and forth between us, clearly realizing something. Excitedly, she asked, “Big Brother! This is your future sister-in-law’s book, isn’t it?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin and immediately waved my hands. “That’s not it!”
Tiểu Vi’s question flustered Quý Thần Dần too. Though a little embarrassed, he calmly replied, “No.”
Seeing how strongly we’d both reacted, Tiểu Vi gave us a knowing smile and didn’t ask anything else.
After that, while Tiểu Vi talked to me, my mind kept wandering, and I occasionally glanced at the back of Quý Thần Dần as he drove.
Maybe it was my imagination, but I kept thinking his ears looked a little red.
10
Thank goodness, we finally made it safely to the school gates. I’d never been so happy to see them. I couldn’t wait to get out. I hurriedly opened the car door, blurted out a goodbye, and dashed off as if escaping.
I wandered around campus for quite a while, waiting until I’d calmed down before slowly making my way back to the dorm. As soon as I walked in, I heard my roommates gossiping about Quý Thần Dần. They seemed incredibly excited.
One of them looked eager for gossip and said:
“Hey, that genius looked really off in the lab just now.”
I tried to act indifferent, but in reality, I was listening intently. My friend caught on but didn’t call me out, and continued:
“He kept getting his code wrong. His screen was full of bright red errors.”
I’d only just calmed down, and now her story had me all riled up again. For some reason, my face started burning.
My friend studied me for a moment, then asked suspiciously:
“Huh? Did someone write bad code on your face or something? You’re all red.”
Stop, I’m going to die of embarrassment.
I hurriedly made the excuse that I was cold, then rushed to wash my face and burrowed under the covers. But I couldn’t stop picturing Quý Thần Dần sitting in front of his computer, staring blankly at lines of code glowing red on the screen.
I really must be going crazy.