Shen Xingruo naturally didn’t take Lu Xingyan’s words seriously. She tossed her notebook onto his desk and assigned him a task, saying, “I’ve reorganized the parts on non-finite verbs and fixed phrases for you. Even someone who has studied English for a few years can understand it. Don’t give me excuses about not understanding anymore.”
“After reading it, write the ‘Little Topic Drills.’ They’re all multiple-choice questions, and won’t take much time. I’ve already folded the pages you need to write on.”
Lu Xingyan flipped through the notes and workbook lazily, and replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Alright, cut the English. With your English level, I thought you were cursing my mom.”
Shen Xingruo didn’t look at him again, busying herself with organizing her desk.
Lu Xingyan was accustomed to her mockery. He chuckled lightly, tapped her desk, and said with interest, “Oh, by the way, Miss Shen, since your birthday is approaching, I’ve prepared a thank-you gift for you.”
Lu Xingyan had just been reminded by Li Chengfan and the others that his birthday was coming up when he subconsciously remembered that Shen Xingruo and he shared the same birthday.
Shen Xingruo also realized this—
Her birthday was approaching, which meant Lu Xingyan’s birthday was approaching too.
She glanced at Lu Xingyan and asked, “Are you trying to blackmail me?”
“Forget it, even if you give me a gift, I won’t return the favor.”
“…”
“No, why are you so narrow-minded?”
Lu Xingyan never even thought that his heartfelt preparation of a gift would be interpreted so wildly by Shen Xingru. He turned to her and asked, “Can you clarify? Do you see me as that petty?”
“…”
Shen Xingruo looked at him, considering that he was still her student, and decided not to respond.
She conveyed a very clear message with her eyes—yes, indeed, you’re even smaller in stature than the Seven Dwarfs. In the future, don’t ask for such self-inflicted humiliation.
Lu Xingyan was quite adept at interpreting eye signals. Understanding her meaning, he felt tempted to take out the white peacock he had just ordered online and smacked her in the face with it.
He had prepared such a unique birthday gift, yet this girl had no appreciation for it at all—she was simply heartless.
Shen Xingruo didn’t have time to tend to his shattered virgin heart. When the bell rang, she and Shi Qin and Zhai Jiajing went back to their dorms together.
Today, they have just received the detailed schedule for the final exams. On the way back to their dorm, Shi Qin flipped through her phone calendar, counting the days, “One, two, three, four, five… Fifteen days, no, sixteen days, ah! Only sixteen days left!”
Then Shi Qin noticed something else, “Xingru, Xingru, your birthday happens to be the day before the exam!”
Shi Qin made a note of Shen Xingru’s birthday, coincidentally, this year her birthday fell on the eve of the final exams.
Shi Qin asked, “Are you turning seventeen this year?”
Shen Xingruo recalled, “Yes.”
Zhai Jiajing glanced at the calendar in Shi Qin’s hand and suddenly stopped, then instinctively asked, “Xingru, you and Lu…”
Shi Qin and Shen Xingruo looked over at the sound of her voice.
Zhai Jiajing quickly corrected herself, “I mean, what do you like? So we can prepare a birthday gift for you.”
“Oh, no need.”
Shen Xingruo shook her head lightly.
After all, apart from money, she didn’t lack anything. She couldn’t just let people directly transfer money via WeChat or Alipay.
Before she could finish her sentence, Shi Qin interrupted, insisting, “We must get her a gift.”
Shi Qin was absent-minded, looked at her phone, and realized she still hadn’t received any missed calls that tonight.
Since she arrived in Xingcheng, Shen Guangyao called her at least twice a week.
Most of the time, she didn’t answer.
In a week, there might be one or two times when she would pick up, giving cold and indifferent responses. Shen Guangyao would briefly update her on recent events, usually lasting less than three minutes before she would make an excuse to end the call.
But this week was almost over, and Shen Guangyao hadn’t called her.
During the days of the college entrance examination, the freshmen and sophomores were on break, so both Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan stayed at home.
Lu Xingyan noticed that Shen Xingruo had been somewhat distant lately.
During lunchtime, Star City TV would broadcast news from various exam centers.
Typically, they would interview parents anxiously waiting outside, interview the candidates after the exams, and also cover stories about kind-hearted people assisting candidates and stories of confused students going to the wrong exam venues and missing the exams. Mentioning that next year it would be their turn, they showed interest in keeping track of the news.
Lu Xingyan, who was on the brink of facing the college entrance exam, was quite engrossed in the news, while the parents of candidates who were on the brink of facing the college entrance exam were still browsing the internet for leaked essay topics.
But Shen Xingruo seemed indifferent, not even bothering to glance at the TV.
Evening tutoring proceeded as usual, but Shen Xingruo seemed too disinterested to even scold him properly. At most, she would shoot him a glance that said, “You useless brat, you’re not helping at all,” and didn’t lecture him much.
It was extremely unusual.
During a break, Lu Xingyan offered a slice of pear to Shen Xingru.
She frowned and leaned back, clearly resistant.
Lu Xingyan didn’t insist and ate it himself. “Teacher Shen, why have you been so down these days? Are you on your period?”
“Eating won’t shut your mouth.”
“Of course not, just a piece of pear won’t do it, but maybe a kiss from you would.”