Xue Ranran and Wang Chengran stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then, under Wang Chengran's increasingly confused gaze, Xue Ranran suddenly flashed a bright smile, "It's nothing, you're so cute."
Wang Chengran blinked, touched his cheek, and asked, "Huh?"
After a few seconds, he scratched his cheek, seemingly a little embarrassed, and muttered in a voice only Xue Ranran and Xia Zhiyi could hear, "Although it's best not to use 'cute' to compliment a boy... but thank you anyway."
Xue Ranran: "..."
Xia Zhiyi: "Pfft."
Although those around them couldn't hear their conversation clearly, the microphone captured their every move, allowing the viewers in the live stream to hear it all clearly.
[Hahahahaha]
[You wouldn't know unless you watched this variety show; Wang Chengran has a bit of a simple-minded side.]
[Pfft, Wang Chengran indeed cute, and Xue Ranran wasn't wrong either.]
[When Xue Ranran suddenly said Wang Chengran cute, she definitely didn't mean it literally.]
[I suddenly remembered a phrase from the internet: "Cute and adorable, but brainless." I wonder if Xue Ranran thought of the same phrase.]
[Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter! I almost missed this part if I hadn't been watching Wang Chengran's live stream!]
[ Xia Zhiyi definitely heard it, right? She definitely heard it, hahaha]
Upon hearing Xia Zhiyi's voice, the two of them looked over at the same time.
Xia Zhiyi waved her hand gently and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just thought of something happy."
Upon hearing this, the two of them didn't doubt Xia Zhiyi's words at all and asked curiously what it was about.
Xia Zhiyi's mind raced, and she smiled, saying, "I found a part-time job that seems to have good prospects, so I'm a little happy."
The two blinked, and one asked, "What kind of part-time job? Is it a part-time job in town or something else?"
Another said, "Part-time job? Teacher Xia, you can tell me if you need to find a job. Oh, by the way, I've never paid your tuition yet, Teacher Xia, to become your apprentice!"
Xia Zhiyi smiled and answered Wang Chengran's question first, "There's no need for tuition or anything. I haven't taught you anything yet; those are just basic skills. I'll really teach you after you've persisted for a while and built a solid foundation."
"Besides, I also have my own selfish reasons for teaching you. If we both benefit, there won't be any extra tuition fees."
Then, Xia Zhiyi told Xue Ranran, "It wasn't found in town. Someone contacted me through Director Gong and offered me a job. I thought the terms were pretty good, so I accepted."
As he spoke, he gave a slightly embarrassed smile, "My family situation is a bit special. Currently, my sister and I depend on each other for survival. Although we still have some money at home, I'm about to go to university, and I can't rely solely on my family's money. I also don't want my sister to work hard to support me. I need to earn enough for my tuition and living expenses myself so that my sister can feel more at ease."
It wasn't to lighten her burden; it was simply to put her sister Xia Wanyi at ease.
If Qin Yue were the one talking to Xia Zhiyi right now, she would have ended the conversation at the right time, or considerately changed the subject, and would definitely not have continued the conversation.
If it were Fu Yunyi, he would probably just ask Xia Zhiyi directly if she wanted to accept his employment.
But at this very moment, the people Xia Zhiyi was talking to were Wang Chengran and Xue Ranran.
Wang Chengran: "Wow, you're earning your own tuition? You're amazing!"
Xue Ranran: "Hey? What about your parents? Did they just abandon you after you turned 18?"
[Wait a minute, I have a bad feeling about this.]
[Ahhh, Xue Ranran, you shouldn't speak at a time like this!]
[Help, the phrase "depending on each other for survival" gives me a bad feeling as soon as it's mentioned.]
[A long-time viewer who has been following Teacher Xia's live streams from the beginning said: When Teacher Xia started filming the show, only he and his sister were at home; he didn't see Teacher Xia's parents.]
[Oh, this...]
[ Teacher Xia! My Teacher Xia! So Teacher Xia is a beautiful, strong, and tragic character?! Waaaaah!]
[Don't...]
Xia Zhiyi couldn't see the ups and downs in the live chat, and when faced with Xue Ranran's question, he didn't show any unusual expression. He only paused for a moment before smiling and replying, "Don't worry, Sister Ranran, my parents aren't irresponsible people who don't care about their children. They just... can't take care of us anymore."
Xue Ranran was taken aback.
Even Wang Chengran was standing to the side, was stunned.
After a moment, Xue Ranran stammered, "I'm... I'm sorry, I..."
Xia Zhiyi gently shook her head. "It's okay, I won't feel uncomfortable about it. It's a fact, and I've already accepted it."
The reason he was momentarily distracted was because he realized that although it seemed like he had been separated from his parents for a few years, they had actually been separated for at least a thousand years.
In the long period of time that only he knew about, the memories of his parents, washed away by time, left only vague outlines in his memory.
If it weren't for the photos of her parents still at home, Xia Zhiyi might not even recognize their faces.
He sighed inwardly, then put on a smile again as he looked at Xue Ranran, who looked guilty. " Sister Ranran, you really don't need to feel sorry. My sister and I are doing very well now. Our parents left us enough assets."
"People may face separation at any time in this world. My separation from my parents was just a little earlier than expected."
"I've accepted this fact, so it's not so hard to accept when I bring it up."
Xia Zhiyi said calmly, looking at Xue Ranran, "On the contrary, if Sister Ranran feels guilty for mentioning this matter, it makes me a little unsure what to do."
Xia Zhiyi doesn't need emotions like sympathy, pity, or guilt.
His gentle words, however, brought tears to the eyes of Xue Ranran and Wang Chengran.
Xia Zhiyi: "..."
He was a little exasperated. "Okay, okay, I didn't mean to try and gain sympathy this way, please forgive me, I'm not good at comforting people."
Xue Ranran's eyes were red, she sniffed, and said, "It has nothing to do with you, it's... it's my own problem."
Xue Ranran: The calmer and gentler Teacher Xia, the more uncomfortable I feel, sob sob sob.
Teacher Xia has only just come of age, which means that her parents passed away when Teacher Xia was still a minor... Waaaaah...
Wang Chengran rubbed his eyes, and tears immediately fell down his cheeks. "Waaaaah, Teacher Xia, you're so pitiful..."
Xia Zhiyi: "..."
real.
He really didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
It's normal to feel sad when your parents first pass away.
But in Xia Zhiyi's heart, his parents had been dead for over a thousand years; it would be a miracle if he still couldn't accept it.
He really didn't mean to gain sympathy through this!
Just then, Xia Zhiyi sensed a distinct gaze fixed on her from not far away.
He looked up slightly and met Fu Chi's deep gaze.
Xia Zhiyi: "..."
No, really?