Chapter Twenty: Perhaps It Was Fate After All!
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Evening self-study at Qingshui County No. 2 High School.
Li Ye propped his cheek with one hand, turning his head to look at his deskmate Wen Leyu, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his lips.
“Look at you now, finally realizing there’s always someone better out there, huh?”
That day, Wen Leyu had kindly offered Li Ye an English test paper to help boost his grades for the foreign language institute entrance. Unexpectedly, Li Ye “returned the favor,” and from then on, they began a mutually beneficial exchange—“you give me one, I give you one.”
For example, today, Wen Leyu excitedly handed Li Ye an English exam paper, only to find Li Ye pulling out three test papers in math, physics, and chemistry.
Curious, Wen Leyu asked where the papers came from, but Li Ye just replied with a “secret” and left her to struggle in the sea of questions.
Watching Wen Leyu’s delicate face contort into a pout, Li Ye felt a subtle sense of joy, as if nurturing something precious.
Wen Leyu’s foundation was surprisingly solid. Though many question types were new to her, after deep thought, she managed to find the right methods. Even when stumped, a little guidance from Li Ye enabled her to grasp concepts instantly and apply them broadly.
[This girl is a born scholar!]
Li Ye was certain that among all the students repeating the year in Class One, no one had better academic potential than Wen Leyu. Passing the national key schools would be easy for her, and with some cultivation, she could even aim for Qinghua or Peking University.
Moreover, Wen Leyu had been successfully motivated by Li Ye’s challenges. Every time she finished a set of his test papers, she would raise her chin at him like a triumphant soldier, awaiting praise.
Her adorable and radiant demeanor stirred something in Li Ye, who, with decades behind him, couldn’t help but sigh, “After all these years, my heart flutters again.”
“Tap tap tap—”
With a gentle door opening, a figure entered the classroom and walked toward Li Ye.
It was none other than Wen Leyu’s mother, Teacher Ke.
Li Ye sensed Teacher Ke had come for him and was about to rise and greet her, but she waved him off and took out a letter, handing it to Wen Leyu.
Wen Leyu’s expression changed instantly. She hurriedly tore open the envelope and began reading.
Teacher Ke lightly tapped on Li Ye’s desk before turning to leave.
Li Ye nodded in understanding and quickly followed, while Wen Leyu was so absorbed in the letter she didn’t notice him stepping outside.
Just as Li Ye stepped out, murmurs rose behind him.
“Look, look, I knew Li Ye was doomed for daring to cozy up to Teacher Ke’s daughter. Such recklessness.”
“No way! They’re just deskmates discussing problems. Don’t you often flirt with Wang Chunhua?”
“What flirting? We discuss literature. Does Li Ye even understand literature?”
Li Ye frowned, feeling puzzled.
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If Teacher Ke wanted to stop Wen Leyu from having too much contact with him, Li Ye would understand.
After all, a phoenix fallen is still a phoenix. Li Ye’s family background was, at best, respectable within Qingshui County but couldn’t compare to someone like Wen Leyu, who seemed destined for rebirth and greatness.
But if that were the case, why would Wen Leyu even attend evening self-study sessions?
Since Teacher Ke was hired by No. 2 High School, she was given a dorm room on campus where she and her daughter lived.
Because the students at No. 2 High School generally had weak English foundations, Teacher Ke stayed in the office every evening, ready to answer questions from any eager learners.
When they first arrived at school, Wen Leyu used to study in her mother’s office, accompanying her during self-study.
But ever since Li Ye and Wen Leyu began exchanging test papers, Wen Leyu had been attending evening self-study in Class One for several days straight.
If Teacher Ke wanted to keep them apart, she could have just told Wen Leyu to return to the office to work on problems instead of coming to find Li Ye.
Someone of such stature wouldn’t resort to clumsy tactics like “I’ll pay you a million if you leave my daughter alone,” right?
“Sit down!”
Teacher Ke led Li Ye into her office and casually shut the door behind them.
This only deepened Li Ye’s confusion.
Not only was it the 1980s— even in later times, when a teacher of the opposite sex calls a student into the office, the door is usually left open to avoid gossip.
“Please, sit! Don’t get the wrong idea. I just have a few things I want to ask you.”
Teacher Ke personally pulled out a chair for Li Ye, who felt unexpectedly flattered.
Once seated, Teacher Ke earnestly asked, “Were you close with Leyu before?”
“...”
[How would you not know if I was close to your daughter?] Li Ye wondered silently.
From the memories he inherited from his predecessor, there was little information about Wen Leyu. They barely knew each other.
But hearing Teacher Ke’s question, Li Ye realized Wen Leyu’s attitude toward him was somewhat unusual.
She had been at No. 2 High School for days, seemingly keeping a deliberate distance from others, and doing so quite skillfully.
Yet her behavior toward Li Ye clearly differed— from passing little notes to exchanging test questions, it almost felt like a friendship between young women.
Of course, Li Ye couldn’t say this to her mother. He only replied ambiguously, “Sorry, Teacher Ke. I wasn’t very close to Wen Leyu before. May I ask why you suddenly want to know?”
Teacher Ke smiled, paused thoughtfully, then said, “Maybe you’ve noticed—Leyu is a shy child who rarely speaks to others. But these past days, I’ve found that she seems quite fond of you. Is that so?”
Li Ye was puzzled. “Teacher Ke, we’re just helping each other with studies. Do you think... there’s something wrong with that?”
Teacher Ke looked surprised.
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She understood Li Ye’s meaning and was unexpectedly impressed by his perceptiveness.
Li Ye was essentially asking, “Do you disapprove of my contact with your daughter?”
For a boy of eighteen or nineteen to have such sensitivity and articulate manner—he was indeed a promising young man.
The more Teacher Ke looked at Li Ye, the more she liked him. She hurried to clarify, “Li Ye, you misunderstand. I don’t think there’s anything inappropriate between you and Leyu. I want this help to continue—and even... deepen.”
Teacher Ke, what exactly do you mean? Should I change how I address you right now?
Li Ye almost let his thoughts wander.
“Yesterday, Leyu told me a lot—some questions about the tests, some about you... Regardless, I hope you two can maintain this rapport.”
Teacher Ke pulled out several test papers from her desk drawer and handed them to Li Ye. “I’ve prepared some questions. You and Leyu can work on them together, learn from each other, and help each other.”
Li Ye finally understood Teacher Ke’s intentions.
Perhaps something had happened in recent years that left Wen Leyu with a habit of silence and reluctance to speak, even with her mother.
This wasn’t something cured by medicine; Teacher Ke must have been deeply worried for her daughter.
The love of a parent is boundless. Now that Teacher Ke had noticed the connection between Wen Leyu and Li Ye, she was placing her hopes on this outsider.
Taking the test papers, Li Ye smiled, “Thank you, Teacher Ke. Wen Leyu is very good at English and Chinese. I’ll learn a lot from her.”
Teacher Ke’s eyes brightened. “Thank you. But Leyu can be a bit temperamental, so please be patient.”
“Understood.”
Li Ye left Teacher Ke’s office and returned to the classroom of Class One.
Wen Leyu had finished reading the letter and, upon seeing Li Ye, wrote on a slip of paper, “What did my mother want with you?”
Li Ye replied casually, “Teacher Ke gave me some test papers to try. There are many questions I can’t solve, so I need your help.”
Wen Leyu’s interest was piqued. She took the papers, glanced through them, quickly wrote answers with her pen, and began explaining the problems to Li Ye.
Judging by her animated expression, she was clearly delighted.
After days of being overwhelmed by Li Ye’s barrage of questions, nearly bruising her pride, now the tables had turned—Li Ye was the one seeking help from the academic prodigy!
Outside the classroom’s rear window, Teacher Ke sighed softly, her gaze filled with hope.
Her daughter hadn’t been this lively in a long time; they hardly talked at home. Now... perhaps this was fate.