Hmm?

Looking at the girl in front of him, whose expression was tinged with regret, Bai Ye couldn't help smiling.

"You didn't want to study a moment ago, but now you don't want to leave?"

"It's all thanks to Jingu-kun's teaching..." Sato lowered her head slightly.

"He really is a good teacher," Horikita said coldly. "Sato, do you have a problem with me? I taught you three times before you got it, but he explained it once and you understood?"

"Because..."

"That's the problem, Suzune. Haven't you noticed how our teaching methods differ?"

"I know, but I still think your method is too much trouble. If every teacher taught like you, wouldn't they be exhausted?"

"Of course, you teach different people in different ways. There's a Chinese idiom, 'teach according to the student's aptitude.' Your way of teaching only makes sense to me. A blockhead like Sato wouldn't understand it."

"That's her problem. Who told her to be stupid?"

"No, that's just your opinion. In the eyes of those geniuses, you and Sato are no different. If they used technical terms you didn't understand, would you be able to learn?"

"Um..." Sato timidly raised her hand.

"What?" They both looked at her.

"It's... nothing..."

Sato really wanted to defend herself.

She wasn't stupid!

And if you two were going to argue, could you at least leave her out of it?

She could let Horikita's comments slide, but hearing Bai Ye say it made her feel a little dejected.

She wasn't stupid!

She'd say it again.

In the end, Bai Ye won the argument, and Horikita finally gave in. She decided to try his teaching method with Sato next time.

Without realizing it, Sato had become a guinea pig.

Still, she thought it was pretty nice. For the first time, she'd seen another side of Horikita. She wasn't the kind of girl who refused to listen to anything. If you explained things reasonably, you could win her over.

But then she remembered that not just anyone could reason with her. If anyone other than Bai Ye, her boyfriend, tried, Horikita wouldn't listen at all.

Because she'd already decided Sato was stupid!

"..."

"See you tomorrow, then. Bye, Horikita, Jingu-kun."

After arranging to meet the two of them at the same spot tomorrow for another study session, Sato said goodbye and left.

Once she was gone, Horikita said coolly:

"Tell me. Why are you tutoring her?"

"Weren't you the one who offered to tutor her?"

"I decided to help because you didn't seem to mind... And from what I observed just now, I think she... might like you."

Horikita furrowed her brow slightly.

"I know, but it's not as serious as you think. People naturally like attractive members of the opposite sex. She's so close to me, so it's normal she'd feel that way. She'd feel the same about any handsome guy."

"Fine, then."

Horikita nodded and didn't ask any more.

"Let's go back. Didn't you have a 'little sister' you wanted to introduce me to?"

"Yeah. I've already asked her to wait in my dorm. Come with me."

As soon as they entered the dorm, they saw Wang Meiyu hurrying over with pattering footsteps.

She looked a little nervous. But when she saw the two of them holding hands, she puffed out her cheeks.

Bai Ye spoke first:

"Let me introduce you. Meiyu, this is my girlfriend. You can call her..."

"Hello, big sister-in-law."

"Mm." Horikita gave a slight nod and simply looked at her. She kept staring until Wang Meiyu was about to run away, then said, "He's told me about you. I'll leave you in her hands from now on."

"I wouldn't dare..."

Wang Meiyu was overwhelmed. She couldn't believe this woman, who looked down on everyone, was being so polite.

Could it be a scheme? Was she trying to win her over first, then, when she wasn't looking... snip?

Seeing Wang Meiyu's expression grow more and more horrified, Horikita couldn't help smacking her forehead.

Only then did she patiently explain:

"Don't worry. I won't do anything to you. If I bullied you, he wouldn't let me get away with it."

Actually, on the way over, Bai Ye had already told her not to bully Wang Meiyu.

She wasn't thrilled about it, but she'd agreed anyway.

She wasn't the type to control her boyfriend. As long as he didn't cross the line, she couldn't be bothered to interfere.

But when it came to Bai Ye, she felt a little differently.

She didn't like seeing Bai Ye get too close to other girls. It made her feel hollow inside, as if he might leave her at any moment.

She'd felt this way before, too, about her older brother, who had always looked after her.

She... was still immature, after all.

With all sorts of thoughts churning in her mind, she and Wang Meiyu soon became friends, thanks to Bai Ye smoothing things over.

And as she looked into those innocent eyes, she gradually began to feel a kind of tenderness toward her.

Now she finally understood why Bai Ye looked after this "little sister."

This "little sister" really was cute.

...Much cuter than her.

After Wang Meiyu left, Bai Ye looked at the aloof beauty, who seemed distracted. He led her to the chair at the desk and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong? You've seemed down ever since earlier."

"It's... nothing. I was just thinking about something."

"Then I'll tell you a joke."

"Don't... Your jokes aren't funny at all..."

"Your standards are too high. The dogs I told these jokes to used to laugh."

"You told jokes to dogs?" Horikita eyed him suspiciously.

"Yeah. I was so bored living alone, my butler found me a Tibetan mastiff. It laughed every time I told it a joke."

"You..." Horikita frowned, then suddenly realized something was off. "Wait... How could a dog laugh? Are you messing with me?"

"It could. The butler told me that when the dog was happy, it chased people around and bit them. So it must've been laughing really hard."

"..."

Horikita glared at him, then couldn't help the corners of her mouth lifting. "You're ridiculous..."

"See? You laughed."

Bai Ye winked at her.

It was sad, but he really had thought that way back then. He'd genuinely believed the dog had an unusual personality. It wasn't until he looked it up later that he found out dogs couldn't laugh.

He didn't like bringing those things up.

Still, at least he'd managed to make Horikita laugh.

"I'm going to read. Don't bother me."

Horikita took a book from his desk, one she hadn't finished reading last time, and started reading.

"Okay."

He stared at the ceiling, bored.

"..."

Perhaps she felt she'd been neglecting him a little. Horikita shifted her chair to face him. After hesitating briefly, she raised her beautiful legs, clad in black thigh-high socks, and gently rested them on his lap.

"Horikita, you..."

"Didn't you want to play? Go ahead."

Then she added coolly, "You can take off my socks, too."

"Oh."

Bai Ye nervously placed his hands on her beautiful legs and looked up at Horikita. Seeing that she didn't seem bothered, he finally relaxed and began to play with them.

Of course, he wasn't too rough. These were the legs of his beloved wife, after all. He had to examine them carefully.

At the same time, he watched Horikita's expression. Her pretty face remained calm, and she turned the pages as usual. He couldn't help admiring her composure.

But when he slowly peeled off the girl's stockings and his fingers touched the bare, soft sole of her foot, her expression finally shifted. A flush bloomed across her fair face.

As his movements grew more intense, Horikita's breathing grew heavier.

Her beautiful eyes lost their usual clarity. Bai Ye also noticed that although her gaze remained on the book, she hadn't turned a page in quite some time.

He grinned. "Suzune, you've finished this page."

"Get lost..."

Horikita immediately pulled her legs back and put her stockings on again. Under his teasing gaze, she hurriedly fled his room.

Her face was bright red.