The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"Huh?...Me?"

Zhao Lin's thoughts were interrupted by the call. She looked up and hesitated before glancing at Qi Yu.

She didn't want tutoring, had no interest in studying, and her grades were terrible.

Even if I wanted to catch up, I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with the other students' learning pace.

I'm just sitting here because I have nothing to do and want to kill some time.

"Never mind, I'll go prepare dinner."

Wen Yao glanced at Xu Xi and gave her a questioning look.

Xu Xi thought for a moment and figured that since Qi Yu had taken the initiative to ask, he should be willing to add another student.

Besides, it wouldn't be good for her and Wen Yao to be tutoring here, leaving Zhao Lin all alone.

So she nodded.

Wen Yao grabbed Zhao Lin's arm.

"No rush for dinner, it's still early. Let's make it together after class."

"No, I've fallen too far behind, so it doesn't matter whether I study or not."

Zhao Lin shook her head, trying to break free from Wen Yao.

But Wen Yao held on very tightly, and Zhao Lin couldn't shake her off at all.

"Zhao Lin!"

Wen Yao's tone turned colder.

"Who do you think you can rely on now?"

"Studying is your only way out, don't you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin's eyes flickered, and her hands froze slightly.

Xu Xi also quickly tried to persuade him.

"Let's learn together. Brother Qi Yu explains things very well. My foundation is also very poor. I was able to get this score entirely because of Brother Qi Yu's teaching."

What ultimately convinced Zhao Lin to stay was Qi Yu's encouraging gaze.

This was also the first time Zhao Lin had seriously looked at this tutor.

His eyebrows were handsome, with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and on his forehead, and his eyes held a composure and determination beyond his years.

She nodded, took her test paper out of her schoolbag, and placed it in front of Qi Yu.

"Your subject imbalance is quite severe..."

Qi Yu frowned as he looked at it.

She can get 90 out of 100 on a history test.

And all the other subjects combined also add up to a score of 90.

Zhao Lin coughed lightly, a little embarrassed.

Over the next few hours, Qi Yu helped the three girls review the material from the first year of high school.

He spoke slowly and patiently, pausing after each point to ask if they understood.

He paid particular attention to Zhao Lin's expression, and whenever she showed even a hint of doubt, he would repeat what he had just said.

This resulted in the overall learning pace being slowed down considerably.

The amount of tutoring I did today was less than one-tenth of what I taught Xu Xi individually.

Xu Xi, however, felt it was fine; she felt more relaxed studying with her friends.

Moreover, that big jerk probably won't feel sour anymore.

Wen Yao looked very serious. She felt that the problem-solving approach Qi Yu explained was easier to understand than what her teachers at school taught her.

After explaining the knowledge points, he would completely put himself in the perspective of the test taker, carefully analyze the test points of each content, and impart techniques.

She also discovered for the first time that the questions she had struggled with during the exam were actually quite simple.

Only when night had completely enveloped the earth did Qi Yu stretch and check the time.

That's all for today. I'll come back another time when I have more free time.

"Thank you, Brother Qi Yu."

"Brother Qi Yu, it's so late, why don't you stay and have some dinner with us?"

Wen Yao stood up and sincerely asked her to stay.

She gained a lot from the several hours of tutoring.

No wonder Xu Xi's grades skyrocketed; it turns out she had such a good tutor helping her with her studies.

The three of them were going to cook dinner soon, so it would be right for them to invite Qi Yu to stay for a meal to thank him.

"Haha, thank you for your kindness, but never mind, I have dinner waiting for me at home."

Qi Yu smiled and politely declined.

Actually, he just wanted to take over Xu Nian's job as soon as possible.

After all, Xu Nian was using his rider account to run the hours he owed, and all the income belonged to him.

If you were to transfer this money to Xu Nian, he definitely wouldn't accept it.

The longer I stay here, the more favors I seem to owe.

"Oh, okay then."

Seeing Qi Yu say this, Wen Yao didn't try to stop him.

Qi Yu nodded, packed his things, and prepared to leave.

"I'll see you off."

Zhao Lin, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

If we're talking about who had the most to gain today, it has to be her.

She had almost given up on her studies, but after listening to Qi Yu's tutoring, she actually felt that one day she could catch up with the other students.

This is all thanks to Qi Yu's meticulous and attentive explanation.

She also knew that Qi Yu explained the questions at such a slow pace in order to take care of her.

At this moment, she felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Qi Yu.

Qi Yu smiled and did not refuse.

Zhao Lin is not stupid, and she learns quite quickly; she just can't compare to a prodigy like Xu Xi.

He could tell that Zhao Lin was listening very attentively and had made great progress.

This is also a very fulfilling thing for him as the instructor.

As they descended the stairs, the two remained silent, each seemingly lost in thought.

Qi Yu was calculating how much of a favor he still owed Xu Nian and when he would be able to repay it all.

Xu Nian was the first friend he made since entering society. She took good care of him in every way and always felt indebted to him. Qi Yu always felt bad about it.

Zhao Lin, on the other hand, was still reflecting on the knowledge she had just learned, trying to deepen her understanding.

Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she fell downwards.

Zhao Lin frantically tried to grab onto something nearby, but her fingers brushed against the railing, just a hair's breadth away, and she didn't touch it.

Just then, Qi Yu, who was standing in front of her, firmly embraced her.

Are you alright?

Qi Yu asked with concern.

Zhao Lin shook her head, still shaken.

She then looked down and her cheeks flushed crimson.

The two were embracing each other in a very intimate manner.

She could clearly feel the firm touch of the other person's chest coming from one of her erect parts.

This was an intimate act she had never engaged in during the year she had spent with Song Jiayi.

Fortunately, Qi Yu only managed to steady himself slightly before releasing her.

"Thanks!"

She breathed a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Qi Yu.

Qi Yu waved his hand casually: "It's alright. There's some melted snow on the stairs, so be careful when going up and down."

Zhao Lin nodded shyly.

As they walked outside the convenience store, a cold wind howled, whipping up wisps of snow that lashed against their legs.

Zhao Lin turned her head and realized that a piece of the snowman she had built was missing.

Perhaps because of the strong wind, or because of some mischievous children, two arms made of brooms fell off.

She quickly squatted down and restored the snowman's appearance.

"Did you build these snowmen?"

Qi Yu also bent down to help her repair the damaged snowman.

Zhao Lin pointed to the three little snowmen in front of her.

"I stacked these three."

Qi Yu carefully examined the shapes of the three snowmen she was pointing to, and then a look of sudden realization dawned on him.

"This is a happy family, isn't it? Dad, Mom, and the child."

Zhao Lin nodded.

Qi Yu couldn't help but praise.

"Great job! The dad on the left looks dignified, and the mom on the right looks young and beautiful."

Then, he changed the subject and asked with a puzzled look.

"But why is the face of the snowman in the middle, which represents the child, completely blank?"

"Is it not finished yet?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin's eyes dimmed.

"Because the child has failed his parents' expectations and has no face to face them."

The two fell into a long silence, with only the sound of the whistling wind remaining.

After a long while, Qi Yu gently patted Zhao Lin's shoulder.

"My parents often told me not to put too much pressure on myself, and to come home anytime if I was unhappy. They said that no matter how poor we were, there would always be food left for me."

"They don't expect me to achieve great things or make a lot of money, they just hope I grow up safely and happily."

"I think the little snowman probably didn't disappoint its parents' expectations."

......

After seeing Qi Yu off, Zhao Lin returned to the convenience store and locked the roller shutter door.

The expressionless little snowman has now been sculpted with a happy smile.

It clung to the hem of its parents' clothes, admiring together the auspicious snow that foretells a bountiful year ahead.