Sister Miu had no interest in Shi Ci's straight brother, so she didn't pursue the topic for the time being, but the inquiring smile in her eyes remained unchanged.
When the wine was served, the smile in Sister Miu's eyes became even more intense.
"Louis XIII, it's really expensive, dear." Sister Miu said the word dear in a sweet voice, but her eyes were on Tang Zuo who was pouring wine for her.
"You've been eating with me too many times recently, haven't you? Poor you, no woman wants to date you." Sister Miu laughed at her, "Or are you secretly in love with me?"
Shi Ci's expression froze.
Tang Zuo, who was pouring the wine, was also stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and stepped back.
Miu glanced at Tang Zuo who was standing not far away, smiled and looked at Shi Ci, "Don't be nervous!"
"I'm not nervous." Shi Ci accepted her teasing somewhat helplessly.
"So you came here to take care of your future brother and sister-in-law?" Sister Miu took a sip of wine, and her two rows of artificially extended long eyelashes blinked seductively.
"It's just that Shi Hai likes her."
"Just?" Sister Miu drank her wine and analyzed the situation slowly, "So this girl doesn't like him, and you just said that this is not your student, but a friend of yours, emmmmm... You are in a triangle relationship?"
Miu was almost "indignant" and said, "Your circle is so messed up!"
Shi Ci: “…”
Although Tang Zuo couldn't hear clearly what they were saying, she had a feeling they were discussing her.
She lowered her eyes and looked at her shoes.
I feel a little confused.
She was now 100% sure that Shi Ci had been taking care of her.
It was when I ate last time, it was this time, and it’s very likely that it will be at the supermarket as well.
Why
She didn't know how to repay this care.
Why is Professor Shi so nice to me
Her eyes met Shi Ci's in mid-air.
Tang Zhuo was stunned for a moment.
I always feel that there is something more in her eyes today than before.
She couldn't say.
After Shi Ci and the others paid the bill and left "Little Rose", Tang Zuo retreated to the kitchen amid the envious gazes of her colleagues. Without showing any expression, she took out her mobile phone and found Shi Ci's WeChat page.
When Tang Zhao was 15 years old and her father passed away, she cried every day, every night, whenever she thought of his death, in front of her mother, and behind her mother's back.
Very painful, very aggrieved, reluctant, and very resentful.
When she was 17, her mother fell ill. She didn't have time to cry. She was worried and distressed every day.
Before she was fifteen, she was happy and carefree. Although her family was not rich, she had a lot of love.
After her mother died when she was eighteen, she was left with nothing.
For a long time, her heart was numb and she had no feeling towards the outside world.
She lowered her head and didn't care about anything else. She was driven by life and had no time to think about anything else.
In this gorgeous and snobbish city, in this spacious and lively campus,
She was poor and lonely, she was all by herself.
Not that there aren't easy shortcuts.
The greasy and rude middle-aged man of the family where she previously tutored told Tang Zuo that he could give her a five-figure living allowance every month as long as she accompanied him once a week.
She couldn't choose.
Zhang Zinan offered to help her several times. Tang Zuo didn't want their friendship to deteriorate. Maybe she was worrying too much, but she was also afraid that she would really not have any friends at all.
“It is not enough to just live, humans also need sunshine, freedom, and the company of a flower.”
When she was a child, she read Andersen and remembered this sentence.
She has just been alive these years.
Tang Zuo's index finger and thumb were suspended in the air over the screen of his mobile phone, and he pinched it again and again.
She exhaled lightly and exited the WeChat page.
After taking a few steps, the phone in my pocket vibrated slightly.
She took it out, her eyes sparkling slightly with surprise.
It was Shi Ci: "Xiao Tang, when do you get off work tonight?"
Tang Zhuo didn't understand, but she answered truthfully: "Maybe 8 o'clock, or maybe 8:30." She added, "It depends on when the guests finish their meal."
The other side immediately displayed "The other party is typing..."
Tang Zuo's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
"Okay." Shi Ci replied.
Tang Zhao waited for a while, but there were still only these two words. Her heart calmed down, and she was thinking whether to reply, "What's the matter?"
The input started again.
Tang Zuo's heart was lifted again.
"I'll pick you up that night. Please wait a moment."
"I have something to tell you. See you tonight."
Tang Zuo bit her soft lips.
She went back to see the title Shi Ci had given her.
Little Tang.
Before speaking, he called her classmate Tang Zuo.
There was no obvious way of addressing each other in the subsequent meetings.
Last time, she asked me to call her Sister Shi.
So she calls herself "Xiao Tang"
Xiao Tang is only a little more familiar to me than Tang Zuo, but I can't be too familiar and call her sister.
The last table she received was at 7:40, and by 8:30 they hadn't paid yet. Tang Zhao was secretly anxious, and she couldn't find time to send a text message, so she could only wait.
After finally paying the bill at 8:50, she could finally leave work. After Tang Zhao finished her work with the foreman manager, she changed her clothes in the dressing room, clocked in, and hurried out.
Open WeChat while running.
Shi Ci has already sent the message.
"Xiao Tang, I'm across from the restaurant."
"Don't worry, I'll wait here. You can see me as soon as you come out."
Tang Zuo was worried and ran out quickly.
Nancheng is a city that is both modern and classical. The city center is modern and prosperous, with tall buildings and bright lights and nightlife.
The "Little Rose" area is in the city where ancient buildings are still preserved. The street lights added by the Urban Construction Bureau during construction in this area are also European-style high-pole garden lights.
When Tang Zhuo saw Shi Ci, she was under a street light, leaning against a car she had seen and scratched before. In the rich night, under the warm yellow light, it showed a very special and beautiful blue.
Shi Ci was no longer wearing the black skirt she had worn in the afternoon. With her long hair loose, she was wearing a black tight vest, high-waisted cropped jeans, and flat mules.
The chest is the chest, the waist is the waist, and the legs are the legs.
Shi Ci hadn't noticed Tang Zuo yet.
She leaned against the car, seeming to be lost in thought, the night wind blowing her hair.
Tang Zuo couldn't help but stop.
At this moment, Shi Ci looked over as if he had realized something. His expression softened when he saw her. He raised his hand to gather his flying long hair and smiled at her.
She stood in the warm orange glow, walking in the gentle night breeze, with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
The light was like honey.
The honey-like light exudes a warmth that can penetrate all the haze.
Honey-like sunshine.
A person like a flower.
A long time later, when they were together, Shi Ci smiled and asked Tang Zuo when he fell in love with her. Tang Zuo always kept her mouth shut and didn't say anything. Finally, Shi Ci used a special method and when she was overwhelmed with love, she blushed and her heart beat fast and confessed that it should be this moment.
But Tang Zuo didn't know it at this moment.
She was stunned for several seconds before walking over and said with some guilt, "I'm sorry, Professor Shi, I kept you waiting for a long time."
"I just arrived not long ago. Get in the car. I'll take you back to school." Shi Ci turned around and opened the car door for her.
Tang Zuo didn't suspect anything and obediently sat in the passenger seat.
Shi Ci didn't delay and drove away.
"Do you have to get off work at this time every day?"
“… Sometimes earlier, sometimes later.”
"Dorm curfew is 11 o'clock?"
"It's half past ten during winter and summer vacations."
After listening to this, Shi Ci looked at his watch.
From Tang Zuo's perspective, the strap was reddish-brown and he didn't know what kind of leather it was.
Rose gold watch with three diamonds inside. I didn't see the brand name clearly.
She didn't recognize the brand, but it was very beautiful, delicate yet a little gorgeous, very suitable for Shi Ci's fair and slender wrist, and also matched her temperament.
I feel like her life is very far away from mine.
What would you tell yourself
"Xiao Tang." Shi Ci's voice was neither high nor low, neither sharp nor rough, and her tone was always smiling. Even the most ordinary words could always stir up ripple-like echoes when they came out of her mouth.
"I originally wanted to go have a cup of milk tea or juice with you, and have a quiet place to chat, but we may not have enough time. Let's go back to school and find a place on campus to chat, okay?"
Tang Zhuo didn't even think about the reasons to refuse, and nodded naturally. The next second she was stunned again, and heard Shi Ci laughing softly and praising her, "Good obedient child!"
Tang Zuo: “…”
She discovered what was wrong that she couldn't tell before.
At the beginning, she treated Shi Ci as her teacher and was respectful and polite to her. She always teased her without any airs and said she wanted to call her sister.
Now that she had finally adapted to this style, Shi Ci once again acted like a gentle and easy-going teacher.
Professor Shi is really hard to understand!
Tang Zuo has always been socially anxious and doesn't like dealing with people, let alone socializing with people older than her.
I have no idea what Professor Shi's routine is and can only respond based on instinct.
but…
Tang Zuo also believed her instinctively.
The campus of the University of Hong Kong is very large, with beautiful and unique scenery. Some buildings from the Republic of China period are still preserved on the campus, with blue bricks and black tiles, and corners of the eaves hidden in the shade of trees.
That's a place campus couples often go.
Of course Professor Shi had no choice, so she drove to a small garden not far from Tang Zuo’s dormitory building.
The street lamps were bright, painting the pavilion in the garden in golden orange. The small moths that were unique to the midsummer nights flew around the light bulbs.
There is a faint scent of fresh, ripe mango in the air.
Shi Ci said to her gently, "Xiao Tang, I wonder if you are willing to tutor Shi Hai?"
As if she knew that Tang Zuo was puzzled, she further explained, "Shi Hai has not passed the English Level 4 exam. This kid couldn't get along with his English teacher in elementary school, which led to him hating English for so many years. He will be a junior in the new semester, so I would like to ask you to be his tutor and help him with his studies. The price is based on that of an adult tutor, is that okay?"
Tang Zhao's eyebrows moved slightly, then locked again. She remained silent.
Shi Ci was also silent for two seconds.
There are many lakes on the campus of CUHK, and on nights like this, you can hear the croaking of frogs.
When Shi Ci spoke again, his voice was a little softer, "I know what you're worried about. You know Shi Hai has a crush on you, and now he's finally not paying attention to you. You think if you get close to him again, he'll inevitably think too much."
"How about this, I'll be there when you have class, and I'll keep him under control. Is that okay with you?"
Shi Ci said with a relaxed smile, "I can also be your student."
Tang Zhao had been listening with her inner thoughts calm. She couldn't bear it anymore. She tensed up uncomfortably, her face burning, and said hesitantly, "... How can you..."
"Don't be funny with me." Her voice gradually faded away.
Shi Ci lowered his eyes and looked at her jet-black hair. Her hair had been tied up for the whole day, and it looked a little messy when let down. It made her skin look so thin and transparent, and her face looked even smaller, as if it could be held in one hand.
Her gaze lingered for only a few seconds before moving away, but her voice became closer.
"Then I won't joke around anymore. Think about it seriously."
Tang Zuo was in mixed feelings. If she still didn't know that Shi Ci was helping her, then she would be very stupid.
She finally asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"
Tang Zhao felt confused, uneasy, touched, and upset. All her emotions surged up in an instant, and she looked at Shi Ci a little at a loss.
She couldn't accept good with a purpose.
She dared not accept good without purpose.
The young girl’s eyes are so bright. In the dark night, they are like water and stars.
Under such gaze, Shi Ci smiled and met her gaze, "I know it was you who was handing out flyers that day."
As soon as she said this, Tang Zuo's body immediately straightened, his eyes widened, and he looked uncomfortable, with his eyelashes trembling.
Shi Ci paused, and when she spoke again, she did not use Chinese, but English, "I think you must have encountered difficulties. I am an adult and I have a comfortable life. I can help you. Xiao Tang, it's okay. Everyone in the world will encounter difficulties. If you can save yourself from so much hardship through me, I am happy to do so."
Many things that cannot be said in the native language can be said in a foreign language. Similarly, many things may be easier to accept when said in a foreign language.
Tang Zuoxin was suddenly pricked by something soft. It didn't hurt at all, but it felt very real.
Shi Ci even thought of this.
Tang Zuo certainly understood English, and so did Shi Ci. She knew he understood it, and knew that this would be more considerate of her feelings. The two Chinese people communicated in English because Shi Ci explained to her that she would not tell anyone about Tang Zuo's affairs.
How could she have deserved this
It was great that Professor Shi took this step into consideration for her.
"So the reason you asked me to tutor Shi Hai just now was also because..."
"No," Shi Ci would not reveal that this was a solution she had been thinking about for a long time. She smiled a little more, looking more convincing, "I am really troubled by Shi Hai's Level 4."
In fact, she didn't bother to care at all.
After all, Shi Hai is almost 20 years old. She can spoil him, but his studies should be left to him to handle on his own.
But in Tang Zuo's eyes, she is just an older sister who loves her younger brother very much.
"Oh..." Tang Zhao felt a little relieved. She thought for a moment, "But there's not much time left before school starts. My job at Little Rose will end in early September, so I'm afraid it won't be effective in a short period of time. I don't know Shi Hai's actual situation, so I'm afraid I can't help him."
"It's okay, you can check on his condition first."
"But… "
"I'll be right there."
Shi Ci is American English.
Tang Zuo is British English.
The two of them chatted back and forth naturally.
They didn't notice it at first, but a couple passing by heard the noise and glanced at them strangely.
They realized later that Shi Ci laughed first, and Tang Zuo also had a shy, faint smile on his lips.
The night wind blew over, and a strand of hair floated over and blocked Tang Zhuo's eyes. She raised her hand to push it away and saw Shi Ci's eyes looking at her. She spoke back to Chinese seriously, "You don't have to feel stressed. The work at Little Rose is from Monday to Friday, right? Then don't take other hard work on weekends. Look at Shi Hai's situation. If you can teach him, teach him. If you can't, ignore him."
"I want to give you some money first so you can use it in an emergency. It's okay. Just ask. I won't charge you interest, and you don't have to worry. You can pay me back slowly after you graduate and get a job."
Tang Zuo bit his lip in a daze.
It has been a long time since anyone has considered her feelings so much and thoughtfully thought out every step for her.
Shi Ci returned to his residence and called Shi Hai.
Shi Hai was not as idle as his sister thought. He had been writing for the male section since his freshman year.
Cultivate Taoism, fight monsters and change maps.
By the time I wrote the 600th chapter, I already had over 100,000 fans following me. The hero is a handsome and talented young man who is loved by everyone. He is a cool and cool writer. The heroine does not appear in the first 400 chapters. The only female supporting role is the hero's cooler sister.
Just when the comments were guessing that this was either a gay story or a story about incest between a sister and a brother, the heroine appeared. She was a cold and beautiful young lady, and was from the enemy sect of the hero.
Shi Hai spent a lot of time and effort writing about the male protagonist's secret crush on the female protagonist, and how he lost interest in practicing Taoism and only wanted to practice dual cultivation with the young lady, and how he went about pursuing the young lady.
As a result, many male fans left, but many female fans came to her.
When the hero was confessing his love to the heroine, he was rejected by the heroine. Not only was he rejected, but he was also beaten by the heroine.
The comment section exploded!
Shi Hai's writing style was clean and neat at first, but when the male protagonist fell in love, his writing style became gorgeous and literary, and all the scenery was emotional. He looked at the mountains and rivers, admired the moon and the wind, and recited poems. When he failed to confess his love and was beaten, his writing style suddenly became depressive, dark, depressed, and sad.
And it's a difficult stream of consciousness.
The male protagonist no longer practices Taoism, and is troubled all day long. The psychological description of just one river can take several chapters.
Torturing a lot of book fans to death.
In recent chapters, the hero has entered a stage of enlightenment.
When Shi Ci called, the latest chapter that Shi Hai was coding was about how the male protagonist breaks up with his lover.
As soon as he heard his sister's call, he went crazy, "What! No no no no no no! I don't agree!"
Shi Hai jumped up and down, "I don't want her to tutor me! I can pass the Level 4 exam by myself! Sister, please don't bother me!"
"Oh, then if you fail the Level 4 exam in December, you will have no living expenses in the future." Shi Ci said in a very nonchalant tone on the other end of the phone.
"… "
This is intolerable!
Shi Hai was so angry, "I don't need living expenses now!"
After saying this, he hung up Shi Ci's phone call with great dignity.
Are you kidding! Let Tang Zuo give him tutoring! He doesn't care about his reputation!
Damn it! His sister cheated her, and he failed the CET-4 four times. But this must have been known by Tang Zuo! It was really embarrassing!
Shi Hai was so anxious and angry that he couldn't type at all.
After a while, he calmed down and went to look through his bank card.
His parents don't give him any living expenses.
Although he can earn money, he spends more. He loves beauty, dressing up, and treating guests. If Shi Ci doesn't give him money, I can't imagine how his quality of life will be every month...
Wait, now that embarrassment has become an established reality, why not think about what benefits this incident will bring to him
If Tang Zhuo tutors him, it's one-on-one face-to-face? Wow! A few hours of alone time together! Too tempting, right
Although Shi Hai had a few dates with one or two girls during the summer vacation, he always felt that something was missing.
His sister is so thoughtful! She tried so hard to match him with Tang Zuo! Shi Hai was so touched that he immediately called Shi Ci back, "Sister! Fine, I'll go with the tutoring. Anyway, I can have some time with Tang Zuo alone, so what if English is annoying! Hehehehe!
When will it start? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Saturday? Sunday? The more I think about it, the more I look forward to it! I will go buy some new clothes tomorrow and change my hairstyle! "
Shi Ci waited for him to finish before slowly saying, "Did I tell you that I would be there when you have tutoring?"
It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head in the dead of winter. He uttered a sound in disbelief and confusion: "Huh?"
Tang Zuo went back and took a shower. He was very tired, but now he didn't feel sleepy at all.
There is a lot of rain in Qingcheng in summer. There was no rain during the day, but now there is faint thunder. I guess it is another thunderstorm.
Tang Zuo opened WeChat on her phone and found that Shi Ci had already transferred the money to her.
She bit her lip, pointed with her fingertips, and counted silently in her mind: "One, two, three..."
One hundred thousand.
Professor Shi is so proactive.
She just said to take a look at Shi Hai's situation first, she hasn't made up her mind yet.
If this money was for Shi Hai's tutoring, it would have taken several years. It was obvious that Shi Ci was helping himself.
Aren’t you afraid that she won’t be able to pay it back
Tang Zhuo was once very short of money. He was worried every day and cried every day.
When her parents were around, she never had to worry about this, so much so that she felt a little aloof, which was hard to explain.
At that time, her uncle took her everywhere to borrow money. It only took her a few days from being too shy to ask to kneeling down to beg people.
She dreamed that when the drawer was opened, stacks of thick red banknotes would fly in the air. With money, her mother's illness would be cured, her surgery would be successful, her lost hair would grow back, her appetite would improve, and her weight would return.
She even dreamed of her mother recovering and smiling at her.
She laughed out loud in her dream.
It was the nurse who woke her up—
"Wake up and make your bed. The doctor will be here for rounds soon!"
She opened her sleepy and heavy eyes and saw her mother's thin and haggard face, and her pale and gentle smile. "Chirp, what did you dream about..."
That was her hardest time.
Now...
It’s mainly about human relationships.
Did she choose to owe Shi Ci and then repay her uncle's family's kindness? Or...
When she was in distress, Shi Ci's dialog box lit up.
"Isn't that enough?" she said.
Tang Zuo almost choked on his saliva.
“No, not so much…” Delete.
“Thank you, I still…” Delete.
“I think…” No, delete it.
"I… "
well!
It should be that the message "typing" keeps showing on her side but no content is sent.
Shi Ci sent a “?”
Tang Zhao covered his face with his hands and murmured involuntarily, "What should I do..."
The author has something to say: Three chapters have been updated, please support us, thank you, love you.
See you Saturday.