Li Li stared at the test paper in his hand, stunned.
"Where do you see that this paper is high-level?" Li Sitong glanced at her father.
Li Li chuckled. "Ahem, your dad did graduate from Huaqing University, after all. If I couldn't even read a High School paper, that degree would've been wasted."
"Wasted or not, I've never seen you teach me anything." Li Sitong pouted.
"Ahem…"
Her words left Li Li speechless.
Conversations with his daughter always ended up like this—abruptly dead.
Seeing her dad's awkwardness, Li Sitong smiled. "Alright, I know Dad works hard to support us."
"Now that's music to my ears—your Allowance doubles next month."
Li Li looked at the paper. "Si Tong, from today until the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, I'll tutor you every day."
"Huh—really?"
Li Sitong knew her father's job kept him insanely busy.
He was constantly flying across the country; she rarely saw him.
Sometimes not even once a month.
She'd never dared hope he'd help with schoolwork.
Li Sitong had lost her mother when she was little and longed for a father's love.
But she understood he had to work, so the obedient girl had convinced herself that having him around was impossible.
She stared at her father in disbelief.
She even pinched herself—it hurt; this wasn't a dream.
But was this really her dad?
Li Sitong half wondered if something had possessed him.
After hearing Ye Chen's words, Li Li had done a lot of thinking.
Li Sitong had lost her mother young, and he himself was swamped with work.
He owed his daughter far too much.
"The National Higher Education Entrance Examination decides your whole life. I've rearranged all company duties; from now on I'm your full-time tutor until the exam is over," Li Li said with a smile.
Li Sitong nodded, still a bit skeptical.
She walked into the study, picked up a pen, and started the paper.
At the very first question, her brows knitted.
Why was it this hard?
In three years of High School she'd never faced such a tough paper.
Every problem targeted her weak spots, and Ye Chen seemed to have laid traps throughout.
Li Li brought her warmed milk. Seeing sweat on her forehead, he gently handed her a tissue.
"Tired? Drink some milk and take a break."
Li Sitong set down her pen and massaged her temples.
"Ye Chen's questions are really hard."
Li Li took her paper.
A few minutes later he set it down, visibly moved.
Previously, when Ye Chen claimed he'd helped Li Sitong improve, Li Li hadn't quite believed it.
Seeing this paper, he was convinced.
"Si Tong, are you two dating?"
Li Sitong froze. "No—why jump to that from a test paper?"
She would never admit to any romance.
Her father was hypersensitive about it.
Back in junior high, a boy had worked with her on the class bulletin board; for several days she'd come home late.
Result: her dad had shown up at the school gate.
He'd dragged her home and immediately transferred her to another school.
His hard-line stance made Li Sitong terrified to confess any feelings for Ye Chen.
Li Li studied the paper. "Ye Chen knows you inside out—he's pinpointed every gap. Crafting this paper must have taken him enormous care."
Li Sitong's heart fluttered. "Maybe it's just coincidence."
She grabbed her father's arm. "Dad, tell me—what did I score?"
Li Li was soon dizzy from her shaking.
As she'd grown up, father-daughter affection had cooled; she hadn't acted spoiled in ages.
Now her sudden coquetry melted his heart.
Forgetting the relationship topic, he picked up his red pen and began marking.
As he graded, his brows creased. "Si Tong, you missed quite a bit—brace yourself for the result."
"Okay." Li Sitong nodded.
She knew exactly how she'd done, but the plan had worked—she'd diverted her father.
Secretly delighted, she watched him total the marks.
Final score: 72 out of 100.
Li Li set the paper down. "Sweetie, this won't do. Your old man was a Top Student—math was basically perfect."
"Dad, I've heard that legend till my ears blistered. Now turn your daughter into a Top Student."
Li Li nodded. "Don't lose heart. These questions target your weak spots, so the low score is normal. And cracking this paper before the National Higher Education Entrance Examination will secure your math."
At the desk Li Li patiently explained each problem.
Watching him teach, Li Sitong felt a warm glow.
She knew Ye Chen had wrought this change in her father.
After tutoring ended, Li Sitong returned to her room, showered, and changed into pajamas.
She lay on her bed.
Her phone was flooded with messages from Yu Weiwei.
"Si Tong, did you confess successfully?"
"Say something!"
"Hey, don't tell me you confessed and then rolled in the sheets with Ye Chen."
"You traitor—got a Boyfriend and ditched me, huh?"
Reading them, Li Sitong shook her head wryly.
She typed a reply.
"No. I was going to, but Dad barged in."
"Seriously? I set up the perfect chance and you wasted it."
"I couldn't help it—Dad popped out of nowhere."
Clutching her Chenchen plush, she replayed the evening.
"Ye Chen gave me a gift—and I rode on his bicycle."
"Mm, today I took the first step toward success."
"Keep going, Si Tong."
"Ye Chen will be yours."
...The next day Ye Chen arrived at school.
Li Sitong greeted him shyly.
"Ye Chen, thanks for taking me home last night."
"No problem—it's what anyone would do."
He glanced around.
"Yingluo isn't here today?"
Li Sitong nodded. "Weird—she's always early. Why the delay?"
First period ended and Xia Yingluo still hadn't appeared.
During break Ye Chen's phone rang.
On the line, Xia Yingluo's tear-choked voice came through.
"Ye Chen, could you lend me some money? I—I'll definitely pay you back."