Chapter 21: Please take good care of Xiao Zhi…

Lin Zhi stared in disbelief. “What are you joking about?”

“I’m serious,” Yao Wenjing said as he listed off, “Lu Liu has good grades, I always see him in the top ten when the school rankings come out. He also seems pretty willing to help you, and the most important thing is, he’s in your class! You can ask him questions anytime you don’t understand something. Unlike me, we’re in different classes, and I have to save up questions to ask you.”

“No,” Lin Zhi chuckled. “How do you figure he’s willing to help me? People like him, the top students, have their own time management. I have so many things I don’t understand, so it’s better not to waste his time.”

Actually, if Lin Zhi thought about it carefully, Lu Liu did meet the vague criteria he’d mentioned earlier. However, it wasn’t that he really needed someone to teach him the questions. It was more about wanting “Zhi” to teach him step by step, with emphasis on the “step by step,” not the “teaching.”

Because of Yao Wenjing’s suggestion, during dinner that night, Lin Zhi couldn’t help but imagine Lu Liu teaching him. He pictured Lu Liu guiding him through problems, but no matter what, Lin Zhi wouldn’t be able to learn. Eventually, in frustration, Lu Liu would take his hand holding the pen and solve the problem himself…

Lin Zhi shook his head in disgust. What was he thinking? This is weird.

When he snapped back to reality, he saw Lu Liu taking the sauce in front of him. Lin Zhi stopped him and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you not eat cilantro?” Lu Liu asked. “Let me have this bowl, and I’ll mix you a new one.”

“I eat it,” Lin Zhi said blankly. “Cilantro is so tasty, how could I not eat it?”

Lu Liu: “…”

Yao Wenjing, sitting nearby, explained in a quiet voice, “Just now, Lu Liu helped you get the sauce and asked if you wanted cilantro. You shook your head so strongly.”

“Uh…” Lin Zhi’s ears turned a little hot. He rubbed his hand over his ear awkwardly. “I was thinking about something else. I eat everything. Thanks! Let’s go get more food.”

In the cafeteria of No. 2 High School, there was a small hotpot place that offered affordable prices. You only needed to pay for meat or meatballs, and then add 8 yuan for unlimited fresh vegetables for the day.

Lin Zhi generously chose the most expensive fatty beef broth base, and the total for the three of them was under 80 yuan.

Many students came to the hotpot shop the evening before the start of school to have dinner. Each table had 2 to 5 people, with some even combining two tables to share stories of their summer vacations in a lively atmosphere.

In contrast, the three of them barely spoke, eating quietly, as if they were just here to fill their stomachs.

After each of them finished two bowls of rice, the “dinner party” entered a somewhat awkward phase. In a typical gathering, after eating two bowls of rice, people who weren’t very familiar with each other would have observed each other enough to start talking or playing games.

Lin Zhi thought that, as Lu Liu’s classmate and Yao Wenjing’s friend, he was the mediator, so it should be up to him to break the silence.

Just as Lin Zhi had prepared an opening line, clearing his throat to speak, Yao Wenjing, the mediator, beat him to it.

“Classmate Lu Liu,” Yao Wenjing rested his chopsticks on the edge of his bowl, politely and calmly looking at Lu Liu, “Can I ask if you spend a lot of time studying?”

Lin Zhi was curious and leaned in to listen, wondering if Yao Wenjing was going to ask Lu Liu how to become a top student. He was eager to hear it, and if there was a quick method for studying, even better.

“Not really, it’s not a lot, but not too little either,” Lu Liu answered modestly. “And you can just call me by my name, no need to be so polite.”

“Hmm.” Yao Wenjing nodded, smiled awkwardly, then turned to look at Lin Zhi, hesitating for a moment.

Lin Zhi: “???”

Yao Wenjing pursed his lips and asked seriously, “Then, would it be too much trouble if you helped Lin Zhi with the things he doesn’t understand when you have free time?”

Lin Zhi: “Huh?”

Lu Liu subtly squinted his eyes.

“Lin Zhi wants to work hard in his last year, but his foundation is weak, and he probably doesn’t understand a lot of things,” Yao Wenjing said with regret. “I want to help him, but we’re not in the same class, and our dorms are far apart. Plus, my grades are just average, so could you help teach him?”

For a moment, Lin Zhi didn’t know what to say.

“Is this also Lin Zhi’s idea?” Lu Liu asked Yao Wenjing, but his gaze was fixed on Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi subconsciously shook his head.

“Yes,” Yao Wenjing said firmly, nodding. His face didn’t turn red, and he spoke confidently, “Lin Zhi is afraid of troubling you, so he didn’t want to bring it up.”

It was clear that Yao Wenjing was serious, he had stopped referring to Lin Zhi as “Xiao Zhi” in those few words.

“Is that so?” Lu Liu asked with a cryptic tone. He added, “Of course, I don’t mind. I just worry that Lin Zhi might not be willing to ask me.”

“He wouldn’t,” Yao Wenjing said with a happy smile, “Xiao Zhi really hopes someone like you can teach him, right?”

Lin Zhi looked at Yao Wenjing, who had a bright, expectant expression as if waiting for praise. Lin Zhi forced a smile and chuckled awkwardly, “Yeah, thanks.”

He really appreciated how much Yao Wenjing was worrying about him and how generous Lu Liu was with his offer to teach.

Yao Wenjing also said to Lu Liu, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Lu Liu responded with a smile.

In fact, when Lu Liu learned that Lin Zhi was bringing Yao Wenjing along for dinner, he wasn’t too happy. It was supposed to be a “date” for the two of them, but now there was a third person, and looking at it, he seemed to be more of the “third wheel.”

He didn’t expect Yao Wenjing to bring such an unexpected benefit. Looking at Lin Zhi’s expression, it was obvious that Yao Wenjing had “sold him out.”

Lu Liu lowered his head and grinned to himself, thinking that Yao Wenjing wasn’t too bad. He could bring him along when he helped Lin Zhi with his studies in the future.

After dinner, the three of them headed back to the dorm. Yao Wenjing’s dorm was on the floor above Lin Zhi’s, and they split into two groups at the stairwell.

“I’m heading up,” Yao Wenjing said as he looked at Lu Liu. “Please take good care of Xiao Zhi.”

Lin Zhi: “…”

What was this feeling? Like a father entrusting his daughter to her future husband?

It was as if Yao Wenjing was going to grab his hand and put it into Lu Liu’s palm…

Thinking this, Lin Zhi quickly put his hands in his pockets and said, “Alright, you should go up. You’re making it sound like I can’t take care of myself.”

“Hmm,” Yao Wenjing grinned. “Bye.”

Lin Zhi waved his arm. “Bye.”

There was still a little distance from the stairwell to the dorm. After Yao Wenjing left, Lin Zhi took his hand out of his pocket and squeezed it, muttering to himself, “He’s just worrying for nothing. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Don’t take it seriously, what?” Lu Liu asked, tilting his head.

“Just,” Lin Zhi smiled, “About taking care of me and all that.”

Lu Liu nodded slowly, taking Yao Wenjing’s words seriously but not Lin Zhi’s. He said, “Well, if there’s anything you don’t understand, just let me know.”

Lin Zhi: “…Alright.”

When they reached the dorms, they said their goodbyes and each headed into their own rooms.

Although the two doors weren’t far apart, they separated the words Lin Zhi hadn’t said aloud. He would ask Lu Liu if he really had no choice.

What Lin Zhi didn’t know was that Lu Liu’s words were also only half-said.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, remember to tell me. Otherwise, I’ll ask you every day.”