Chapter 15

Although she didn’t understand why Shen’s mother came to the room to monitor Shen Siyan, Xu Zhilu didn’t ask further.

She simply responded with an “oh” and looked at Shen Siyan with a slightly different expression.

Noticing her gaze, Shen Siyan raised an eyebrow. “What does that look mean?”

Xu Zhilu straightforwardly replied, “It means whatever you think it means.”

Shen Siyan was speechless, trying to think of a way to explain, but he couldn’t find the words.

Forget it.

He decided not to argue with her.

–

Tutoring ended at five in the afternoon; you can’t exhaust the ox in one day. Xu Zhilu understood this principle.

She didn’t stay for dinner at the Shen house and went back to her own home.

Not long after she entered, Xu’s mother and Xu Zhijia returned.

Seeing her in the living room, Xu’s mother frowned. “Finished tutoring, Siyan?”

Xu Zhilu nodded.

Hearing this, Xu Zhijia looked at her incredulously. “Mom, what tutoring?”

She had gone to her room early last night to call her friends and knew nothing about it.

Xu’s mother was momentarily stunned before remembering she hadn’t told her. She patted Xu Zhijia’s shoulder gently. “Your Aunt Shen said Siyan’s grades were too poor, so she asked your sister to tutor him.”

Xu Zhijia frowned. “Why does my sister have to tutor him? She’s just a high school student. Why doesn’t Aunt Shen find a professional tutor?”

Xu’s mother patiently explained, “She said Siyan doesn’t like strangers at home.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhijia was dissatisfied.

“Mom.”

She looked at Xu’s mother, feeling wronged. “How could you agree to let my sister tutor Siyan? What if she doesn’t do a good job, and Aunt Shen blames us?”

Xu Zhilu silently curled her lips at this.

Such a reason, only Xu Zhijia could come up with.

She raised her eyes and looked at Xu Zhijia. “How do you know I won’t do a good job?”

She still harbored some resentment towards Shen Siyan, but resentment aside, Xu Zhilu wouldn’t allow her effort to be doubted.

Especially not by Xu Zhijia.

Xu Zhijia turned to her. “You’re just a high school student. How could you tutor well?”

Xu Zhilu smiled slightly. “Yes, I’m a high school student.”

She retorted bluntly, “But I’m a high school student with good grades. Aunt Shen trusts my ability. If you’re not happy with it, you can talk to her.”

With that, Xu Zhilu ignored the two of them and went upstairs.

Xu Zhijia stared in disbelief at her back, then turned to Xu’s mother. “Mom!”

She stomped her foot, exasperated. “Did you hear what my sister just said? How could she talk to me like that?”

Xu’s mother frowned and looked disapprovingly at Xu Zhilu’s retreating figure. “Xu Zhilu.”

Xu Zhilu didn’t look back and disappeared from their view.

Xu’s mother was taken aback, not expecting such a rebellion.

Seeing her mother’s expression, Xu Zhijia added fuel to the fire. “Mom, my sister has really changed! She doesn’t care about us anymore.”

Xu’s mother’s face darkened. “She’s gone too far.”

Xu Zhijia’s eyes rolled, and she clung to her mother’s arm, pouting. “Mom, why don’t you talk to Aunt Shen? You both can find a professional tutor. I want tutoring too.”

Xu’s mother looked at her.

Xu Zhijia pouted and pleaded, “Please? I want to have lessons with Siyan.”

Xu’s mother was silent for a moment. “I’m just afraid Aunt Shen won’t agree.”

“Ask her first. Professional tutors are definitely better than my sister.”

“Alright.”

–

It wasn’t until dinner that Xu Zhilu came downstairs.

Surprisingly, only Xu’s mother and the returning Xu’s father were there. Xu Zhijia was not.

As soon as Xu Zhilu sat down, Xu’s father asked, “Where’s Zhijia?”

Xu’s mother glared at Xu Zhilu and sighed. “She said she’s not hungry and doesn’t want to eat.”

Xu’s father frowned. “What’s going on?”

“She’s throwing a tantrum.” Xu’s mother said it softly. “I’ll make her something and bring it to her room later.”

Xu’s father frowned, his face serious. “Alright, let’s eat.”

He rarely paid attention to family matters, focusing all his energy on his business. He didn’t care much about Xu Zhijia and Xu Zhilu.

Of course, relatively speaking, he cared more about Xu Zhijia.

After dinner, Xu Zhilu quietly returned to her room.

After she left, Xu’s mother muttered, “She doesn’t even do any housework.”

Xu’s father looked at her. “Isn’t there a housekeeper?”

Xu’s mother paused, adjusted her expression, and said, “Can you talk to our neighbor about something?”

Xu’s father was surprised. “What’s the matter?”

Xu’s mother said, “Shen Man asked Zhilu to tutor Siyan.”

Xu’s father paused, digesting the news. “Isn’t that a good thing? What’s there to discuss?”

Xu’s mother looked at him disapprovingly. “Aren’t you worried she might mess it up?”

Hearing this, Xu’s father laughed. “Shen Man is a reasonable person. If she asked Zhilu to tutor, there must be a reason.”

Xu’s mother was silent for a while, then said, “But your precious daughter is so upset about it that she didn’t even eat dinner. Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

Xu’s father said, “Tell me more.”

After Xu Zhijia asked Xu’s mother to talk to their neighbor, Xu’s mother actually went over, bringing some fruit as well.

She mentioned to Shen Siyan’s mother, Shen Man, about hiring a professional tutor so they could study together. But as soon as she finished speaking, Shen Siyan rejected the idea.

Shen Siyan said he was used to studying alone and didn’t like having others around.

Xu’s mother then suggested hiring a professional tutor for him.

Shen Siyan, smiling, looked at her and said, “Auntie Pei, who gives up halfway?”

The implication was clear: He wouldn’t replace Xu Zhilu.

Xu’s mother felt awkward and instinctively looked to Shen Man for support.

Shen Man smiled and said softly, “Let’s stick with Zhilu. I think she’s doing a great job. Shen Siyan studied seriously all day today. If we had a different tutor, he would have driven them away by now.”

…

Xu’s mother, speaking angrily, said, “Why are they so stubborn?”

Xu’s father pondered it for a moment. “Then just find a professional tutor for Zhijia.”

Xu’s mother sighed. “Zhijia wants to study with Siyan. Don’t you get it?”

“…”

The living room fell silent for a moment. Xu’s father rubbed his temples and said, “There’s nothing we can do about it. You know how stubborn Shen Siyan and Shen Man can be.”

He added, “Even Shen Guangyuan can’t handle those two.”

–