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[Chapter 045] “You could carry me.”
Uncle Li came back the next day. When Lu YunFei asked if his home affairs were settled, uncle Li smiled and assured him that everything was fine, and to not worry. Lu YunFei then told him about Bian JinYuan. As his driver, uncle Li didn’t have an opinion on this, “Sure, I’ll be in charge of sending Xiao Bian home.”
“Okay.”
The Lu family were agreeable to Lu YunFei asking his classmate to tutor him, “But would you be able to learn with two tutors? Are we retaining tutor Wang?”
Lu YunFei thought about it. He felt apologetic, but, “Then, we’ll let go of tutor Wang.”
“Sure, I’ll inform tutor Wang later.”
“He’s actually a good tutor, he’s responsible towards me, I’m just a disappointment,” Lu YunFei praised tutor Wang, “So mum, please let him down gently later and give him more compensation.”
“I will,” mother Lu smiled, “You still dare to admit that you’re a disappointment, there’s a good reason for being one now huh?”
“I’m just stating the facts,” Lu YunFei stated, “How could I say that it was because I misstepped and didn’t perform well? That would be too fake.”
Mother Lu smiled as she peeled an orange, “Oh you, you’re so smart, but your English is like this for some reason. If I only knew when I was pregnant with you, I’d have played more English articles for you to listen to.”
“Forget it,” Lu YunFei rejected, “Why would you torture me so.”
Mother Lu passed the peeled oranges over to him, chatted with him for a bit, and then let him go upstairs to do homework.
Even though Lu YunFei had someone fetching him, Bian JinYuan still rode a bicycle to school on Monday.
“You can put the bicycle in the car boot,” Lu YunFei said.
“Mmm,” Bian JinYuan replied.
He got into the car with Lu YunFei. A girl who happened to be casually chatting by the school gates quickly nudged her companion, and indicated for her to look over there.
“Didn’t Bian JinYuan send Lu YunFei home by bicycle a few days ago? Why is it now that it’s turned out to be Bian JinYuan getting into Lu YunFei’s car?”
“Why else,” Her companion crossed her arms, “Isn’t it because he’s kissing up to Lu YunFei. If he sucked up to Lu YunFei first, Lu YunFei would then treat him well. See now, he’s already gotten the private car ride.”
“Bian JinYuan shouldn’t be this type of person.”
“Who knows, no one knows what others are thinking. Bian JinYuan is so smart, he wouldn’t put himself at a disadvantage,” the girl said and laughed.
The girl standing beside her looked at the retreating car, and felt that it probably wasn’t the case.
Of course, Lu YunFei and Bian JinYuan didn’t know that they were currently the topic of discussion from other people. Bian JinYuan didn’t have much to do while in the car, and so he naturally started testing Lu YunFei on his spelling.
“It’s not tutoring time yet,” Lu YunFei pleaded, “We’ve just gotten off school, let’s rest for a bit.”
“You’ve already memorised these before.”
“Why am I being tortured,” Lu YunFei exclaimed, and could only recite each memorised word out loud.
Uncle Li heard him reciting the words despondently and chuckled. He looked at him from the rearview mirror and encouraged, “Good luck young master, I see that you’re doing a good job memorising them.”
“I thank you.”
“You’re welcome, the master and madam will be happy the day you bring home excellent results.”
“Excellent?” Lu YunFei thought that uncle Li was probably drunk driving, “I’d be thanking the heavens and earth if I can pass.”
“Slowly, there’s still more than a year until the college entrance exams.”
Lu YunFei sighed, “Only a little more than a year left huh.”
It was a smooth ride home. When they arrived, Lu YunFei and Bian JinYuan got out of the car. Uncle Li still had other matters to attend to, so he didn’t alight with them, he only said, “I’ll be back at 8pm. I’ll be sending Xiao Bian at 8.30pm, correct?”
“It’s fine if it’s earlier,” Lu YunFei looked at his watch, “8.10pm is also fine.”
“Okay, please give me a call then.”
“Mmm.”
Saying this, Lu YunFei entered his house on crutches, along with Bian JinYuan.
This was the first time that Bian JinYuan had been to Lu YunFei’s house. Lu YunFei had mentioned earlier that his parents usually return home late at night, past 10pm. His sister would come home early at times, but she usually came back at around 8 or 9pm, so he didn’t need to worry.
Bian JinYuan felt an odd feeling as if he had heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he didn’t know the reason why, he had been willing to face only Lu YunFei, and not Lu YunFei and his family.
Aunty Zhang had prepared dinner. Seeing that Lu YunFei was home, she scooped rice into the bowls and laid out the table.
“This must be teacher Bian, so handsome. Quickly sit, Aunty Zhang will bring out the food.”
“Sit,” Lu YunFei said, as he pulled him over to sit on a chair. He passed a hot towel at the table to Bian JinYuan, “Wipe your hands, we’ll be eating soon.”
Bian JinYuan saw the clean towel between his fingers and suddenly realised, Lu YunFei’s hands looked nice.
Long and fair, smooth skin over soft flesh, they endeared to whomever laid eyes on them.
He wiped his hands with the towel before him. Aunty Zhang returned and placed a bowl of rice in front of him.
Bian JinYuan thanked her. Lu YunFei picked some food with his chopsticks and placed them into his bowl, “Eat up, Aunty Zhang’s cooking is delicious. Try them and let me know which ones you like.”
Bian JinYuan definitely wouldn’t tell him, but he finished the food that Lu YunFei had given him.
It was only the both of them in the large dining room. Bian JinYuan surveyed his surroundings, and then looked back at Lu YunFei. Lu YunFei was eating his meal slowly. As Bian JinYuan looked on, he took a tissue out and passed it to him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Bian JinYuan said gently.
He gazed on at Lu YunFei quietly. He was the only reason for himself sitting here. And he was the only meaning behind himself existing in this space which completely contradicted himself.
After the meal, Lu YunFei prepared to study in his room.
Their mansion had four storeys. His and Lu YunShang’s rooms were on the second floor, father and mother Lu’s rooms were on the third floor, and the fourth floor was made into a private theatre equipped with a KTV and a few miscellaneous entertainment features.
Lu YunFei had already walked around in a crutch for an entire day, and so he didn’t want to continue on it, hopping up the stairs without it. Bian JinYuan looked at him hop up each stair and couldn’t help but laugh. Even though he hadn’t made a sound, he was still discovered by Lu YunFei.
“You’re laughing at me.”
“No.”
“You obviously were.”
“I just thought that you were cute.”
How was this cute?! Lu YunFei thought that his bar for endearment was strange, could he have stopped at the age where it was cute to see people jumping about? It shouldn’t be the case!
“So you intend to coldly watch as your cute student hops here and there?”
“Then what?
Lu YunFei smiled, “You could carry me.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, it’s only two flights of stairs. It’s a piece of cake for my cute student.”
Lu YunFei didn’t have a retort to that. He silently opened up both arms, “It’s time to exhibit our teacher-student bond.”
“Do we have a teacher-student bond? It’s my first day being your tutor.”
“Then it’s time to exhibit our classmate love, it’s seventy years of feelings. Can you explain not carrying me with that history?!” Bian JinYuan thought that he had a lot of excuses.
He walked over and bent at the waist in front of Lu YunFei. Lu YunFei naturally leaned on him, “Let’s go.”
Bian JinYuan carried him as he slowly ascended up the stairs.
Lu YunFei had been hopping up the stairs for so many days. Now that he no longer needed to do so, he happily expressed, “Teacher Bian, I hereby announce that you’re my favourite tutor from today onwards.”
“Because I carried you?”
“Because you’re sincere, responsible, thoughtful, and kind.”
Bian JinYuan thought that he probably wasn’t talking about himself.
“Then your standards aren’t high.”
“That’s your self-imposed standards being high, which is why you think that mine is low. There aren’t many people who display these four characteristics, alright?”
Bian JinYuan didn’t reply. When they reached the second floor he asked, “Which side?”
“Left, the right side is my sister’s territory.”
Bian JinYuan continued carrying him and headed towards the left. Lu YunFei asked him to stop in front of a room, and then he opened the door and hopped off from Bian JinYuan’s back, “We’re here.”
Bian JinYuan entered. Lu YunFei switched on the light, and Bian JinYuan looked at his room. Lu YunFei’s room was twice as large as his house.
Aunty Zhang had already placed their bags on his study desk, and even put out snacks and fruit for them. Lu YunFei pulled up a chair and patted on the chair next to his, “Sit.”
Bian JinYuan sat and looked at the Tmall Genie on Lu YunFei’s desk. It was also red in colour.
He spoke out, “Tmall Genie.”
Lu YunFei was about to say that he was here, when he heard the little dummy from his house say, “I’m here.”
Lu YunFei: 
 Fuck! I almost let it slip!
Bian JinYuan turned to look at him, “You also bought this thing.”
“Yeah, you have one too?” Lu YunFei asked in feigned ignorance.
“Mmm, Liu jie gave it to me.”
Oh, Lu YunFei nodded. He just knew that Bian JinYuan didn’t seem like someone who was into these sorts of electronics, so why would he buy something that wasn’t practical, it made sense that it was a gift from someone.
“Then what do you think of it?” Lu YunFei probed, “Is your Tmall Genie interesting?”
“It’s okay,” Bian JinYuan said candidly.
“Mine is terrible, it’s too stupid,” Lu YunFei said, “It’s such a little dummy.”
Bian JinYuan, “Mine too.”
Lu YunFei: ???!!! What did you say? Say it again! You’re the little dummy!
“Really?” Lu YunFei clasped his hands, “How is it dumb?”
Not knowing that this was a life or death question, Bian JinYuan stated, “There’s a problem with the language settings, it can’t speak English.”
“It’s dumb just because it doesn’t know English? Is English the only standard for testing intelligence? Then how many dummies would you say are in this country?”
Bian JinYuan saw how he had suddenly popped off like a firecracker and instantly realised that he shouldn’t have said that in front of Lu YunFei. After all, even though Lu YunFei could speak English, his proficiency didn’t seem much higher than his Tmall Genie’s.
“You’re right, it’s normal not to know English, it’s not much.”
“I see that you seem to despise your Tmall Genie huh.”
The Tmall Genie on his desk accurately picked up the phrase “Tmall Genie” and immediately said, “How can I help you?”
“Nothing, shut up.”
The Tmall Genie acted cute, “Why are you shouting!”
Lu YunFei: ???
Lu YunFei looked at Bian JinYuan startledly and pointed at his Tmall Genie, “Why would it even falsely accuse me? Did I shout at it? And loudly?”
Bian JinYuan smiled, “Why are you arguing with it, take out the English paper.”