“What! Brother, you’re going to tutor Qin Qing?!”
In Lin Luan’s home, Lin Wan was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
“Didn’t you drop out of high school? How are you supposed to teach someone else to study?”
“Your brother’s grades in high school were actually pretty good. Even though I dropped out, a student at Qin Qing’s level is still within my ability to teach.”
Lin Luan changed into another pair of shoes at the door, getting ready to leave for Qin Qing’s house. “Don’t worry, I won’t mislead her.”
Lin Luan tapped his toe on the floor to make sure the shoes fit more snugly.
After all, he wasn’t there specifically to teach math, just to help adjust Qin Qing’s mindset a little.
“That’s not the problem, brother…” Lin Wan hesitated, not sure if she should say what was on her mind.
With her brother’s ability, teaching someone like Qin Qing—who was at the bottom of the entire grade—really wasn’t an issue…
But her brother didn’t know that Qin Qing liked him. If she just let him go to Qin Qing’s house like this, it was absolutely like sending a sheep into a tiger’s den.
“Then what’s the problem? Alright, I’m heading out.” As he spoke, Lin Luan pushed open the door.
Just as the door was about to close, he turned back to say to Lin Wan, “By the way, I won’t be back for lunch today. Just make something simple for yourself. I’ll transfer you some money in a bit.”
Lin Wan wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in her throat and wouldn’t come out. She could only watch as Lin Luan closed the door and listen to the sound of his footsteps gradually fading away.
“Okay, be careful on the way, brother.”
***
In the blink of an eye, Lin Luan arrived at the entrance of Qin Qing’s house. He carefully checked the house number Liu Minghui had given him to make sure he hadn’t gotten the wrong place.
He knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened.
The person who opened the door was Liu Minghui.
Today, she was wearing casual home clothes, her face wearing a warm smile. She lowered her voice and said, “Luan, you’re here! Come in, come in! Uh… Qing Qing is in the shower. She’ll be out soon.”
As she spoke, she handed Lin Luan a pair of slippers.
“Auntie Liu, didn’t you tell her about me coming?”
Lin Luan looked a bit helpless, but he still politely changed his shoes.
“I just told her I’d hired a tutor for her, didn’t say who. I remember she really likes you, so I thought I’d give her a surprise.”
Liu Minghui led Lin Luan into the spacious living room and poured him a glass of water.
Just then, the bathroom door clicked open.
Steamy mist billowed out first. Then, Qin Qing came out, drying her wet hair with a towel, wearing slippers.
She was dressed in loose cartoon pajamas, her cheeks red from the hot water, and she mumbled under her breath, “Mom, I told you I’m keeping up with my classes lately, there’s no need to get a tutor… And you didn’t even tell me in advance, I wasn’t prepared…” Her words abruptly stopped.
Because her gaze swept across the living room and landed on the young man sitting on the sofa.
Huh?
Qin Qing wondered if she was seeing things.
Lin Luan gave her a gentle smile and greeted her.
“Hi? I’m your new tutor.”
Qin Qing’s hand froze in an instant, and her whole body stiffened. Only when a drop of water dripped from her wet hair onto her collarbone, the chill jolted her back to reality.
“Lin—Lin Luan Brother?!” Her voice was filled with disbelief.
The tutor her mom hired… was Luan Brother?!
Lin Luan nodded at the petrified Qin Qing. “I’ll be teaching you for a while. Please take care of me.”
Qin Qing hurriedly threw the towel over her head, trying to hide her now flaming face. Her voice came muffled from under the towel:
“P-please take care of me… Lin—Lin Teacher!”
Liu Minghui watched this scene and seized the chance to slip away.
“Oh my, look at my memory! I almost forgot, I’m supposed to go shopping with Auntie Li today!” She said as she briskly walked to the entryway, picking up her pre-packed bag.
“Luan, I’ll leave Qing Qing to you! Study well, don’t mind me!” She slipped on her heels, opened the door in one smooth move, and before leaving, made a cheering gesture toward Lin Luan.
Cheer up! Do your best, Auntie will learn from you when she gets back!
That was more or less what she meant.
“Qing Qing, listen to Lin Teacher!”
With a soft “bang,” the door closed.
In the big house, only Lin Luan and the towel-headed Qin Qing were left.
The air seemed to freeze.
Lin, Lin Luan Brother… is now alone in her house with her?! And her mom just left like that?!
Lin Luan looked at the figure wrapped up in a towel like a little rice dumpling, wondering how to gently unravel this little rice dumpling.
He cleared his throat, trying to break the awkward silence:
“Um… Qin Qing? Shall we get started? Is there anything you don’t understand?”
Qin Qing shivered, as if startled awake, and frantically yanked the towel off her head. Her wet hair was a mess, making her already flushed face look even redder.
“Ah! Yes, yes! Studying! Let’s start studying!” she babbled, not daring to meet Lin Luan’s gaze. “Let’s go to my room… No! The study! Yes, the study!”
The spacious, bright study had a large desk neatly laid out with textbooks and workbooks.
“Sit—sit here, Lin Teacher.”
She pointed at the chair in front of the desk.
Lin Luan sat down, while Qin Qing sat rigidly on the seat across from him, hands neatly on her knees, like a primary schooler waiting to be scolded.
“Just call me Luan Brother.”
Lin Luan found her nervousness a bit funny, yet also helpless.
Am I really that scary? Why is this kid so jumpy?
“O-okay,” Qin Qing answered nervously.
“Alright, let’s get started. Which subject have you been struggling with lately?”
“Uh? Oh! Um… Math! Yes, math!” Qin Qing grabbed a math workbook at random, flipped it open, and pointed at a problem. “T-this one!”
Lin Luan leaned over to look. It was a very basic function question.
This one’s not hard. He could definitely do it.
Lin Luan picked up some scratch paper and a pen and started explaining patiently.
Qin Qing’s mind kept wandering, her gaze drifting repeatedly to Lin Luan’s profile, so close to her.
But she snapped out of it and forced herself to concentrate.
Luan Brother was being so serious teaching her; how could she let her mind wander!
Gradually, she found herself really starting to listen.
“…So, just substitute this formula here, and you get the answer. Understand?” Lin Luan finished, looking up at her.
“Y-yes, I understand!” Qin Qing nodded rapidly.
Before they knew it, the clock on the wall pointed to eleven-thirty.
Lin Luan put down his pen, checked the time, and naturally stood up.
“Qin Qing, you need to combine study and rest. Let’s take a break.” As he spoke, he walked toward the door of the study. “It’s almost noon. Are you hungry? I’ll check the kitchen and make something simple.”
“Huh?”
Qin Qing, biting her pen as she looked at the questions, didn’t react for a moment.
When she realized what Lin Luan had said, her eyes widened.
“Cook—cook? Luan Brother, you can cook?”
“Mm, I usually cook at home for Wan.” Lin Luan was already at the kitchen door, opening the fridge naturally. “Nothing special, but it’s edible.”
Qin Qing couldn’t help following him to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame.
Lin Luan had tied on her mother’s new apron, patterned with tiny flowers, and was efficiently washing the ingredients.
The apron was brand new, still showing obvious creases. Liu Minghui never cooked, always ordering takeout for Qin Qing.
“Is there anything you don’t eat? Or anything you especially want?” Lin Luan asked, still washing tomatoes without turning around.
Cherry tomatoes… Su Jin seemed to really like these.
Su Jin’s face flashed across his mind for a moment, but he quickly shook his head. Right now he was Qin Qing’s brother—no room for other thoughts.
“N-no, I eat anything!” Qin Qing answered quickly. Watching Lin Luan’s deft knife skills, she blurted, “Luan Brother, you’re amazing.”
“It’s nothing, really. First time cooking for you, so I don’t know your taste yet. I’ll just make something simple.”
“Mm-mm!”
Before long, two steaming bowls of Tomato Egg Noodles were set on the table.
Simple ingredients, yet the colors were enticing and the aroma was mouthwatering.
Golden egg ribbons, bright red tomatoes, green scallions—just looking at it made her hungry.
“I just whipped something up. Eat while it’s hot.” Lin Luan handed her a pair of chopsticks and sat down across from her.
Qin Qing carefully picked up some noodles, blew on them, and put them in her mouth.
The broth was sweet and tangy, the noodles smooth and tender…
Delicious!
Delicious enough to make her want to burst out of her clothes!
This was no ordinary home cooking—this was chef-level!
“It’s so good!” Qin Qing blurted out. “It’s a thousand times better than anything you can buy outside!”
Lin Luan smiled, “If you like it, have some more.”
Qin Qing nodded vigorously, burying herself in her noodles.
Lin Luan’s gaze casually swept the corner of the living room.
There was an inconspicuous little camera there, facing the dining and living areas.
Liu Minghui had told him beforehand: for study observation, she’d installed a small camera in the living room.
But she only put it in the public area. Out of respect for her daughter’s privacy, there wasn’t one in Qin Qing’s room.
At that moment, the tiny red light blinked. Lin Luan could almost picture Liu Minghui with her notebook, carefully taking notes on his every move.
He found it a little funny but didn’t show it.
How did that saying go?
The things I do casually, they learn like crazy.
Never thought he’d see the day he was a genius young tutor, hmph~
Lin Luan smiled. Suddenly, he noticed that Qin Qing, eating too fast, had gotten some tomato sauce at the corner of her mouth.
He naturally took a napkin, reached across the table, and gently wiped her mouth.
“Slow down, you got some on you.”
When he looked after Lin Wan, he’d do the same thing. Lin Wan would just laugh and keep eating—after all, she was his little sister.
But clearly, Qin Qing was not his biological sister.
“!!!”
The girl who’d been devouring her noodles instantly froze. The noodles she’d just picked up fell back into the bowl with a splash.
She felt the spot where Lin Luan’s fingertips touched her skin tingle, a numbing sensation spreading as a blush flooded her face again.
He—he, he… he just…?
Her mind went blank as she stared stupidly at Lin Luan, who calmly withdrew his hand and continued eating.
Luan Brother, he just touched my face!!!
Qin Qing felt like her heart wasn’t just beating like a startled deer—it was as if an army was stampeding through her chest.
Too sudden… too flustered…
Too happy.