[Sister Yang Zhi, how do I solve this problem?]
Yang Zhi opened the image Ding Yebai had sent.
Without a word, she immediately picked up her pen and started solving it.
Only after finishing did she begin explaining it to Ding Yebai.
She had typed so much that her hand was starting to ache.
After thinking for a while, she rubbed her chin, then called him.
Ding Yebai, who had been waiting for a message on his bed, was so startled that he immediately sat up.
He stared in surprise at the caller ID on his phone. After hesitating for a long while, he pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Ding Yebai. I'm calling to explain how to solve that problem."
"Oh... okay."
After getting out of bed, Ding Yebai sat down at his desk. He took notes beside the problem he had gotten wrong while listening to Yang Zhi's explanation.
Yang Zhi explained everything earnestly and in detail, and her voice was still as gentle as ever.
Ding Yebai always felt that simply listening to her was a pleasure.
"Ding Yebai... did you understand?"
"Mm. Sister Yang Zhi, you explained it really well and very thoroughly. I understood everything."
"That's good. If there's nothing else, I'm going to bed. Bye-bye."
"..."
There was a silence on the other end. Just as Yang Zhi was about to hang up, a loud "Good night" suddenly rang out.
Yang Zhi froze for a moment, then raised her eyebrows and glanced at her phone screen in confusion.
That was Ding Yebai, right? It was definitely Ding Yebai.
That cold, aloof boy had actually wished her good night?
Yang Zhi didn't respond for a long time. Ding Yebai swallowed, then said firmly once more, "Good night."
"Oh... you too." Yang Zhi nodded somewhat awkwardly.
After that, Ding Yebai hung up first.
Yang Zhi raised her head and stared blankly at the full moon outside the window as her heart pounded faster and faster.
What... what's going on?
Why is it beating so fast?
What am I nervous about???
That makes no sense!
Sigh... this is really giving me a headache.
The next day
Yang Zhi began sitting at the back of the classroom and listening to the veteran teacher's lesson.
Everyone had experienced having a teacher sit at the back of the classroom during their school years.
Whenever the students in a class saw a teacher from another class come in, they would always get terribly nervous.
She remembered how awkward and humiliating it had been for the students sitting at the back back then. It was especially awful when a teacher insisted on sitting beside you, taking a look at how you were doing your work, or asking how well you were following the lesson. You really wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Yang Zhi arrived midway through and went in with a large group of teachers.
Even though she was surrounded by the crowd, her tall, perfect figure and pure, delicate features still caught everyone's eye.
Who wouldn't like a young, beautiful, gentle female teacher?
She brought a small stool and sat at the back, taking notes in her notebook.
The students in the class whispered among themselves while secretly craning their necks to look at Yang Zhi.
"Wow, she's really beautiful."
"That female teacher really is."
"Does our school have someone that young?"
"She's probably from another school."
More and more people joined the discussion. Yang Zhi could already feel countless gazes landing on her. She looked up in confusion, and under everyone's watchful eyes, naturally revealed her trademark smile before giving them a sweet, gentle nod.
The intense attention only eased after the class bell rang, though a few boys still turned around to sneak glances at her.
After class, Yang Zhi walked slowly along a path on campus with her books in her arms.
She marveled at how nicely the school had landscaped its grounds.
As she walked, she heard a series of "clack, clack" sounds by her feet.
She looked down and saw that someone was throwing pebbles toward her.
"Hmm?"
Yang Zhi followed the direction of the pebbles and saw a short-haired girl.
First year of junior high? Or second year?
The girl was sitting on a two-person bench. She looked small, fair, clean, and adorable.
Holding her books, Yang Zhi walked over quietly and bent down until she was face-to-face with the girl.
Her long black hair fell from her shoulders, and every movement she made was graceful and refined, like a well-bred young lady.
When the short-haired girl saw Yang Zhi's face, her heart trembled, and the stone slipped from her hand.
Yang Zhi asked, "Student, what's wrong?"
The short-haired girl asked, "Are you a teacher here?"
Yang Zhi shook her head. "No. I'm just a college student who came here to study."
"Oh."
"Why were you throwing pebbles?"
"I was thinking about something."
"What were you thinking about? Can I hear it? Maybe I can even give you some advice."
"You're not a teacher here..."
"Ah..." Yang Zhi furrowed her brows regretfully and nodded. "I see. All right, then."
Just as she was about to straighten up, the short-haired girl quickly grabbed her arm. "So I can tell you. You aren't familiar with our teachers anyway. Besides, you're an adult, so you should be able to give me some advice."
This girl is obviously going through her rebellious phase.
Yang Zhi narrowed her eyes with a smile and sat beside her with her books in her arms.
"Go ahead."
"Big Sister, I don't think there's anything shameful about liking someone."
"Mm... that's right."
"Then why does my dad refuse to let me get a boyfriend?"
"Hmm?"
"Because of him, my boyfriend and I broke up!! Why? Why do I have to listen to him? My boyfriend treats me better than he does! At least my boyfriend would never make me do things I don't like."
"What things don't you like?"
"Eating vegetables, studying, reading, exercising, and everything else. My boyfriend would never say those things. He says being happy is what matters most."
The short-haired girl paused, then carefully pinched the corner of Yang Zhi's clothes. "I'm already fourteen! Big Sister, tell me, why do I have to listen to my dad?"
Yang Zhi smiled at her and gently stroked her head. "So that's how it is. I understand. Cute little classmate, remember this: the one who loves a princess most is always the king, not the prince."
The short-haired girl asked, "Huh?"
"Your father loves you. You can't deliberately ignore the fourteen years of love he's given you just because your boyfriend has made you happy for a while."
The short-haired girl blinked her large eyes and nodded as though she understood. It was hard to tell whether she had been captivated by Yang Zhi's face or by her words.
"Little classmate, your father must love you from the bottom of his heart. If he made you upset or angry, I wonder if perhaps his approach was inappropriate? There's really no need to get so angry. After all, this is your father's first time being a father too. There are many things he doesn't understand, and he needs to learn as well."
"And I think your father is right. Studying is a good thing. There's nothing wrong with studying. Studying and reading will give you more choices in the future. You'll see a bigger world, and you'll become—"
"Will I become as beautiful as you, Big Sister?"
The short-haired girl didn't wait for Yang Zhi to finish before asking. Girls that age really did care about beauty and their looks.
Yang Zhi froze for a moment, then curved her eyes into a smile as gentle as water.
"You'll be even more beautiful than me."
"Yay!"
Yang Zhi put a hand on the short-haired girl's shoulder and pulled her into her embrace. "Haha, all right, all right. Don't be angry or sad. Getting angry isn't good. It can cause all kinds of illnesses."
Besides, once someone became consumed by anger, they would forget why they had been upset in the first place. As long as they managed to anger someone else, forgetting the original reason only meant harming themselves.
The short-haired girl thoroughly enjoyed being held in Yang Zhi's arms.
"By the way, Big Sister, do you ever argue with your dad?"
"My father left me a very, very long time ago. Even if I wanted to argue with him, I wouldn't have the chance..." Yang Zhi smiled bitterly.
The short-haired girl immediately fell silent and took Yang Zhi's hand sympathetically.
Poor Big Sister, she thought.
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