One day, Xie Sheng told Shen Yusi she thought her calligraphy had improved significantly.
Shen Yusi was overjoyed. She couldn’t wait to get recognition from Teacher Z.
Yes, she now greatly admired Z’s calligraphy.
Getting his approval was practically the same as getting the admission letter for Class B.
Island: 【Teacher, do you think I’ve improved compared to before?】
Z sent two numbers: 【21.】
Shen Yusi wasn’t satisfied with that score: 【Only one point improvement?】
Z: 【I was being generous. It’s actually 0.5.】
Wow. You didn’t need to say that out loud.
Island: 【Well, thank you. What kind of work would be considered a pass? Give me a reference.】
Z: 【Mine.】
What a stupid standard.
After knowing this standard, Shen Yusi suddenly felt that getting a 20 from Z initially wasn’t so bad.
Because by this standard, probably 85% of calligraphy works in the world were failing.
The progress in her calligraphy gave Shen Yusi a huge confidence boost. She asked Xie Sheng to get a picture of last year’s Class B student works from her boyfriend.
She sent it to Z and asked: 【With the way I’m learning, how long until I can reach this level?】
Lin Yingzhou received this message while walking to a student council meeting.
He enlarged the picture and scanned it. The handwriting looked familiar. It wasn’t until he scrolled to the signature that he understood why.
This was from a student in last year’s public service class. He had graded it the year before.
Z: 【Where did you get this?】
Island: 【A friend sent it.】
Z: 【Three months.】
That student had a much better foundation than Shen Yusi. He had also undergone a year of systematic training since then. The gap had widened. If she could keep up this pace of practice, three months with effort was possible.
Island: 【That long? I’m doomed.】
Z: 【How long did you want?】
Island: 【Of course, I want it now. Or maybe twenty days?】
Calculating the time, the Running script test was about twenty days away.
Z: 【Go to sleep.】
You’ll have everything you want in your dreams.
Island: 【I can’t. I have a test coming up soon.】
Z: 【What test?】
Island: 【Our school has this public service calligraphy class. They test to place you. I want to get into Class B.】
Lin Yingzhou remembered someone saying Shen Yusi had filled out a registration form. He just didn’t understand why she was so set on Class B: 【Class A is the best.】
Island: 【I’m self-aware enough to know I can’t get into Class A.】
Come on, the people aiming for Class A were the calligraphy freshmen this year. They were the best in the country. How could she beat them?
Z: 【Does your self-awareness also tell you that you can’t get into Class B?】
Shen Yusi choked, feeling a bitter taste at the back of her throat. She was about to cough up blood from anger.
Island: 【…Teacher Z, can you try some encouraging teaching?】
Lin Yingzhou frowned. Encouraging teaching?
Z: 【Don’t worry. With your level, you can definitely get into Class C.】
Shen Yusi fell silent. This was the encouraging teaching he came up with after all that time?
Island: 【Can’t a miracle happen?】
Z: 【What miracle do you want?】
Island: 【Like, on the test day, I suddenly get possessed by the spirit of Wang Xizhi and write the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion with heroic passion!】
Lin Yingzhou wanted to tell her to go dream, but remembering he was supposed to encourage her, he suppressed the words: 【If you really got possessed, you could get into Class A easily.】
Island: 【No, I don’t want Class A. I want Class B.】
Z: 【What happened to your ambition?】
What ambition? The ambition to hook up with a handsome guy?
Island: 【You wouldn’t understand. There’s a really handsome teacher in Class B.】
Z: 【?】
He thought he had misread.
“Yingzhou.”
Lin Yingzhou looked up, his expression a mix of confusion, shock, and disbelief. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Huaichuan asked, “I was calling you. What were you looking at so intently?”
“Nothing.” Lin Yingzhou’s face returned to its usual indifference. He put away his phone and opened the meeting minutes.
Shen Yusi kept messaging: 【Maybe you don’t understand our fangirl mentality, but he’s seriously handsome.】
It wasn’t until after the meeting that Lin Yingzhou replied: 【Are you learning calligraphy just to get into Class B?】
Island: 【Yeah.】
Lin Yingzhou asked again: 【And you want to get into Class B for that teacher?】
Class B had three teachers. The other two were over forty.
So, he was sure Shen Yusi was talking about him.
Island: 【Yeah. A golden opportunity shouldn’t be wasted, right?】
Lin Yingzhou’s spine stiffened for a moment.
Shen Yusi actually liked him.
The thought made it hard for him to breathe. It was like that first time he met her, the strand of hair that had landed on his collar hadn’t blown away. It was still there, and it was growing longer, wrapping around his neck and slowly tightening.
He reached up to touch it, but there was nothing there. Yet, the feeling of something foreign was still clear.
This discomfort drove him crazy.
Xu Huaichuan saw his tense expression. “Not feeling well? You seem really out of it today. You spaced out a few times during the meeting too.”
That wasn’t like him.
Lin Yingzhou shook his head. “I’m fine. Maybe I didn’t sleep well.”
“Been busy lately?”
As a friend, Xu Huaichuan knew how things were. Being young and holding multiple positions, Lin Yingzhou was at his busiest juggling the Medical School and the Art School, the student council, competitions in his spare time, and even family dinners.
Not even a god could handle that kind of schedule.
“A bit.”
Xu Huaichuan was puzzled. “The public service class promotion is over. The student council work has just started.”
“Just some trivial stuff.”
Shen Yusi was very enthusiastic about practicing calligraphy and had a lot of questions. He always had to take time to reply to her messages and correct her homework every day.
His precious free time was all taken up by her.
Xu Huaichuan sympathized. “Alright, make sure to get some rest.”
“Mm.”
Shen Yusi saw that Z hadn’t replied. She put down her phone and went to draw.
She thought he was just busy. But he didn’t message her that night, either.
She had already finished her calligraphy homework for the day. There was no reason to disturb him further.
But something still felt off.
Was he angry?
Z was highly skilled and young. In real life, he must have achieved a lot in calligraphy.
In his mind, calligraphy was probably a serious and sacred art.
He carefully teaches his student calligraphy, and the student’s goal from the start was to use it to get a guy.
From his perspective, she was a ‘disgrace to her teacher.’
Shen Yusi didn’t think there was anything wrong with him being upset, nor did she think there was anything wrong with her behavior.
Everything has a purpose. Making yourself happy is a purpose.
Shen Yusi had always gone after what she wanted, giving it her all, even if she eventually got bored.
She enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction she got from the chase. The pleasure it brought was lasting.
She wanted to get into Class B because of Lin Yingzhou. She practiced calligraphy to get into Class B. She was happy during her learning process.
Even if she eventually stopped liking Lin Yingzhou, she would still have the good memories and the skill she had gained.
Her goal of being happy had been achieved. She had even become good at calligraphy.
No matter how you looked at it, she wasn’t losing.
People had different opinions. If he really didn’t want to teach her, she could find someone else.
But it might be hard to find someone as young, professional, responsible, and patient as Z.
Oh well. It was late. She would go to sleep.
There was always a way.
–
At the Lin Residence.
Late at night.
Lin Yingzhou sat in his study, his phone screen still glowing. It was his chat with Shen Yusi.
—Island: 【Yeah. A golden opportunity shouldn’t be wasted, right?】
Lin Yingzhou leaned back in his armchair, his hand on his forehead. His thoughts were a mess. He was trying to untangle the knots in his mind.
Shen Yusi likes him.
So, she was at the art museum. She found him and asked for directions on purpose.
She stared at him during registration. When he noticed, she didn’t look away, but stared even more boldly.
Then she got hurt, her wheelchair went crazy, and she conveniently showed up near the psychology department, just as he was passing by, so he could rescue her.
So, was her next move to thank him and ask him out for a meal?
If Shen Yusi actually did that, would he refuse?
After all, when other girls had used that excuse to ask him out before, he had always refused.
Someone like her probably hadn’t been rejected before.
She would probably be very upset.
Would she message him to complain?
Saying something like, “Teacher Z, he dared to reject me! Ungrateful bastard!”
Thinking about the tone she would use to say that amused Lin Yingzhou.
Realizing the corners of his mouth had lifted slightly.
He was silent for a moment.
“Crazy.”
There was a knock on the door. “Yingzhou?”
Lin Yingzhou turned off his phone and called out, “Come in.”
Butler Su entered carrying a porcelain bowl. “I saw your study light was on in the front courtyard, so I made a midnight snack.”
From the time Lin Yingzhou’s mother was in elementary school until Lin Yingzhou was brought back, Butler Su had been with the Lin family for over thirty years. She had watched him grow up.
She knew how strictly he was treated, how much was on his young shoulders. The old master’s arrangements were not for her to interfere with. She could only do small daily things to help relieve Lin Yingzhou’s stress.
Reminded by her, Lin Yingzhou realized how much time he had wasted on this. He looked up at the clock. It was almost midnight.
His schedule was always regular. He had never stayed up this late.
Lin Yingzhou took a deep breath, annoyed that his routine had been broken. “Mm. I had some things I couldn’t figure out. I slept late.”
Butler Su placed the bird’s nest soup on the desk. “Eat while it’s hot. Finish your work and get some sleep. Don’t ruin your health.”
Lin Yingzhou suppressed this restless feeling and softened his tone. “Okay, Auntie Su. You should get some rest too.”
Calming incense was lit near the vent. Soon after, Lin Yingzhou fell asleep.
But even in his sleep, he was troubled by this matter.
Because.
He dreamed of Shen Yusi.
–
Shen Yusi’s sleep quality was always excellent. She had a dreamless night and woke up naturally.
She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was 8:30 in the morning.
She got up, freshened up quickly, ate the hotel’s breakfast, and checked the weather.
It was very sunny. UV levels were high. Shen Yusi tied her hair into a bun, put on her UV-protective clothing, hat, and mask, and only went out after she was fully covered.
Today was her hospital check-up. Her injuries were mostly healed.
Xia Xifan had been waiting for a while downstairs.
Shen Yusi got into the car. “Why so early? It’s not time yet.”
“It’s fine.”
Xia Xifan was afraid Shen Yusi might come down earlier. He couldn’t let a girl, and an injured one at that, wait for him in this heat. So he left twenty minutes early.
If Shen Yusi knew what he was thinking, she would have laughed. She would never do that.
She looked at Xia Xifan but didn’t say anything.
“How’s your leg now? Does it still hurt?”
“It stopped hurting a while ago.”
Honestly, the injury wasn’t serious. It was just a lot of scrapes and bruises that looked bad. The wound on her ankle was a bit deeper. It would open up and bleed again if she moved too much, so it took forever to heal.
“That’s good.” As he spoke, he handed her a jar. “I got this scar cream. Apply it after the scabs fall off. I asked around. People say it’s very effective.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Shen Yusi had been worried about scarring. She had been looking for a good scar cream herself. It was nice that Xia Xifan had already bought some. She tossed it into her bag.
From their interactions over this period, Shen Yusi had softened her attitude towards Xia Xifan.
After he took her back to the hotel that day, he quickly compensated for the damaged items.
The phone was easy to find, but her bag was a popular model. It had taken a lot of effort to reserve it through several SAs.
She didn’t know how Xia Xifan had managed to buy it, but it must have taken some work.
Later, Xia Xifan said he would order nutritious meals for her. Shen Yusi was still annoyed and deliberately gave him a hard time, listing a full page of foods she wouldn’t eat.
But Xia Xifan treated it like a royal decree. The meals he sent were impeccable.
Thinking about it now, Shen Yusi felt she might have been a bit harsh. It wasn’t like he had hit her on purpose.
But apologizing was something she rarely did. She always felt awkward about it. After a moment’s thought, she decided not to say anything. A verbal apology wasn’t as good as a real action. She would treat him to a meal when she got the chance.
The drive on the main road took an hour due to traffic. They finally arrived at the hospital.
After the check-up, the doctor said there was nothing serious and gave Xia Xifan the bill to queue up and pay.
Shen Yusi was waiting on a bench outside the department. She suddenly remembered she hadn’t replied to Xie Sheng’s morning message. Afraid she would get an earful, she felt for her phone.
Then she remembered her phone was in her bag, which Xia Xifan was carrying. She got up to find him.
Walking past a corridor leading to the elevators, Shen Yusi caught a glimpse of a familiar face out of the corner of her eye.
This face had appeared on her phone screen countless times. Realizing who it was, in an instant, she stopped and turned back.