On a rare Saturday on which he didnāt have to go for home tutoring, having settled his matters on hand, Xu Tingsheng had just been thinking about whom he should find to go for dinner with, after which he would go take a casual look at Huchengās office in the evening, when his handphone rang. The display on the screen indicated that the call was from the Xiang Family.
āCould it be that tonightās home tutoring is still on?ā
Xu Tingsheng hurriedly picked up the call. It was Mrs Xiang who had called.
āAuntie, is it that Xiang Ning and I have gotten it wrong and thereās still home tutoring tonight?ā Xu Tingsheng hurriedly asked.
Mrs Xiang smiled, āNo, Little Ning is still rehearsing in school. Her Dad will only be going over to fetch her later on. Itās actually that the two of us would like you to come over and have a meal with us to thank you for Little Ningās great improvement in her midterms this timeā¦are you free?ā
Mrs Xiang said that they wanted to express their gratitude. Still, hadnāt they already done so last time? Xu Tingsheng had even drunk wine with Mr Xiang that day.
Xu Tingsheng felt rather puzzled. Still, the one who was asking him whether he was free was Mrs Xiang. Without a doubt, he had to be free even if he wasnāt.
That was his future mother-in-law, after all.
āIām free. Wait for a while, Auntie. Iāll be right there.ā
Xu Tingsheng hung up, changed his clothes and āextravagantlyā took a taxi straight to the Xiang Family home. Having rushed all the way there, he only realised that the atmosphere was a little strange after having reached the living room. There was an additional person sitting there, a girl who looked like a university student.
āSit, Tingsheng,ā Mrs Xiang warmly welcomed him, āLet me introduce you. This is my cousinās daughter, my niece. Sheās also Xiang Ningās cousin. Her nameās Li Meng, and sheās from the same academy city as youā¦ā
āHi, Iām Xu Tingsheng,ā Hearing that she was a relative of the Xiang Family, Xu Tingsheng greeted her politely.
āHi, Iāve heard about you before. Iām Li Meng,ā The girl said, smiling.
Standing by the side, Mrs Xiang said, āThe two of you talk first then. Iām going in to cook.ā
Then, she turned and walked into the kitchen, turning back and calling as she reached the doorway, āXiang Ningās Dad, whatāre you doing standing there? Come in and help with the cooking.ā
As Mr Xiang left, Xu Tingshengās suspicions were confirmed. He wanted to weep yet lacked the tears for suchā¦this was his future in-laws intending him to shove him over to someone else!
The girl before him, Xiang Ningās cousin, didnāt really resemble her greatly. After all, she was just the daughter of Mrs Xiangās cousin. Still, she could still be considered a beauty overall.
The problem was-what use was there being a beauty? Let alone the fact that it was merely that she could still be considered a beauty, however pretty she was, how could it compare to Apple?
āWanting to get their daughter, yet getting kicked over to their niece in the end,ā Xu Tingsheng was currently in a really heavy mood as he didnāt feel like speaking.
Yet, this girl, Li Meng, seemed to be an extrovert. She was enthusiastic as well as talkative, taking the initiative and striking up a conversation with Xu Tingsheng.
āIām from Jianhai Technological University, second year. Iāve heard many good things about you recently. Coming over to Auntieās house today, I realised how great a coincidence it is. You just so happen to be our Little Ningās home tutor. So, being able to meet you in person for the first time, itās an honour. Iām feeling very happy right now,ā Li Meng said politely.
āThank you,ā Xu Tingsheng responded in a simple, polite manner before ceasing to speak.
If it wasnāt for the fact that it was Mrs Xiang who had arranged for this, the person before him also being a relative of the Xiang family, he actually really didnāt feel like speaking at all.
Still, he actually had more words that he didnāt voice out, āWhat your Xiang Ning? Itās my Xiang Ning, okay? What coincidence? With just one look at Mrs Xiangās attitude and expression, with her having purposely asked me to come over to eat as well, isnāt it obvious that this matter isnāt normal at all? ā¦Iām in a terrible mood right now. Iām not happy. I want some alone timeā¦ā
Li Meng took Xu Tingsheng as simply feeling awkward as she continued speaking, āEveryone feels very curious about you, and itās the same for me as well. Then, apart from history and entrepreneurship, what else do you usually like?ā
āI like your cousin.ā
This was what Xu Tingsheng was inwardly roaring.
But what he really said, what he could only say was, āI donāt really have any unique interests. All of them are pretty normal, and thereās nothing I really like.ā
At the end of it, he added silently within his heart, āYour cousin aside.ā
In the kitchen, Mr Xiang cautiously tugged at Mrs Xiangās apron, asking her in a low tone, āThis isnāt good, right? The two of them are still in university.ā
Mrs Xiang appraised Mr Xiang with a glance, an incredulous look appearing on her face, āSo what? People are getting into relationships even in senior high now. What of university? It isnāt early at all. Moreover, my cousin personally called me. Could I have refused to help?ā
If Xu Tingsheng had heard this, he would probably have been overcome by emotion. So Mrs Xiang was actually so liberal-minded. Didnāt this mean that he would already be able to make his move when Xiang Ning was in senior high?
Actually, for many people, the standards they had for others and the standards they had for themselves were whole different things altogether.
Mr Xiang pondered on it for a while before saying that indeed, Tingsheng was really a good kid, also being sensible and capableā¦
Mrs Xiang continued, āRight? Didnāt you hear what Li Meng said to us just now? The girls in the entire Xishan Academy City who like Tingsheng could line up all the way to the door of our house. Therefore, really, we shouldnāt let fertile water flow into the fields of outsiders.ā
Xu Tingsheng couldnāt have heard this, but if he had, he would definitely have wept to the heavens and cried to the earth: Auntie, donāt you have a field yourself? While itās still a little small now, Iām willing to wait!
In the living room, however cold Xu Tingsheng was, he still had to maintain some semblance of civility at the very least. Thus, Li Meng didnāt stop. Along the way, she had already touched on all her real interests, and all her fake interests as well.
āWhat do you usually like to read? Which author do you like?ā Li Meng asked.
āI usually like playing games. I donāt usually read books,ā Xu Tingsheng answered.
āOh. I especially like Haruki Murakami. Iāve always been waiting for him to get a Nobel Prize.ā
ā¦ā¦
āDo you like watching movies? Whoās your favourite actor?ā Li Meng asked.
ā, I guess. Hugh Grant,ā Xu Tingsheng answered.
āAfter watching , I especially like Leonardo Decaprio. I feel that while heās rather obscure now, his acting skills are actually great. Heāll definitely be getting an Oscar very soon.ā
ā¦ā¦
āI hear that you like football? Iāve heard my classmates mention that football match between our universities before,ā Li Meng asked.
āYeah, I rather like it,ā Xu Tingsheng answered.
āMy Dad really likes football as well. I watch it together with him once in a while. With that, I ended up liking the Holland team. I feel that theyāre definitely going to win the next World Cup.ā
It was evident that Li Meng didnāt actually know much about football. She was just trying to find a common topic to discuss.
ā¦ā¦
At this point, even Xu Tingsheng felt a little sympathetic for Xiang Ningās cousin, āGirl, itās really destined to end in tragedy for you.ā
Having returned from the year 2015, Xu Tingsheng knew that in the upcoming years, Haruki Murakami had repeatedly failed in all his attempts for a Nobel Prize. Little Leo had repeatedly failed in all his attempts for a Best Actor award at the Oscars. Holland had repeatedly failed in all its attempts to win the World Cupā¦
āCoincidentally, you ended up liking all of them, placing your expectations on themā¦could this be the real, ultimate reason for their pain and hardship?ā
āCome, letās eat.ā
As they were feeling troubled over how to continue the conversation, Mrs Xiang called them over to eat. After having eaten, Xu Tingsheng entered the kitchen and helped Mrs Xiang out, delaying his exit from the kitchen for more than an hour.
Just a short while after he returned to the living room, Mr Xiang returned with Xiang Ning.
āUnā¦Mr Xu!ā Xiang Ning called happily.
Xu Tingsheng was very happy as well, because after that, with the little girl chattering on about her rehearsal and how Rebirth would be participating in her schoolās anniversary performance, he finally no longer had to continue awkwardly dealing with Li Meng.
Sadly, not long after, Mrs Xiang found an excuse and called Xiang Ning away.
When the two of them were alone, Mrs Xiang secretly told Xiang Ning about the reason for her having invited Xu Tingsheng today. She said that they were introducing him to her cousin, asking her not to spoil things for them. At this sudden news, Little Xiang Ning was struck by an inexplicable emotion. Anyway, she just felt unhappy.
Thus, following this, Little Xiang Ning who should have been studying by herself in the study room would run out once every few minutes.
āMr Xu, I donāt know how to do this question.ā
āMr Xu, how about I write out that passage from last time now? Iāve already memorised it.ā
āā¦ā
The fifteen-year-old girl wasnāt actually thinking too much. All she knew was that in doing so, in constantly interrupting the conversation between Uncle and her cousin, the unhappiness within her heartā¦just seemed to be alleviated greatly.
Mrs Xiang directed quite a few glares at Xiang Ning, but the stubborn girl pretended not to have seen them.
Finally, when Xiang Ning was about to ask him another question, Xu Tingsheng interrupted her, āI see that you basically donāt understand anything about this at all. How about we just go to the study room. Iāll explain all of it to you once over in detail.ā
āYeah, yeah,ā Little Xiang Ningās eyes radiated light as she happily nodded repeatedly.
Xu Tingsheng was Xiang Ningās home tutor in the first place. Now that he was being concerned about her studies, there was naturally nothing that Mrs Xiang could say about it. She could only sit there and chat with Li Meng herself.
In the study room, both Xu Tingsheng and Xiang Ning didnāt mention the living room, that cousin of hers or Mrs Xiangās super obvious intentions at all. One of them just earnestly explained that question while the other paid similarly earnest attention to it.
At this moment, their inner thoughts were really rather in sync.
Xiang Ning didnāt actually know what she was thinking, also being unwilling to think more about it. Anyway, she had been feeling unhappy earlier, but was feeling happy now. Xu Tingsheng too didnāt know what Xiang Ning might be thinking. She was still young, after all. Was it jealousy? Was it love? Or was it just that monopolisation desire of a child, much like being afraid of oneās favourite toy being snatched away?
After the lesson had ended, it was already time for Xu Tingsheng to return to school. Mrs Xiang saw him out to the doorstep.
Seeing that Mrs Xiang wanted to say something yet was refraining from doing so, Xu Tingsheng just told her outright, āAuntie, seeā¦I actually already have someone I like.ā