Shen Yujing's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
He wanted independence, but certainly not in that sense!
The loudspeaker played Shen's Mother's enthusiastic voice three times in a loop. Shen Yujing reached out and said, "Stop, turn it off."
Only then did the butler quickly put away the loudspeaker and continue, "Madam also said that since you want independence, don't bother her unless it's necessary, and even then, try to bother her less."
Shen Yujing: "..."
He began to doubt one thing: was he really her biological son?
His mother treated the gorilla she adopted from abroad more attentively than him!
Forget it, forget it. He wasn't a child anymore; he didn't need this meaningless and noisy concern.
Shen Yujing took three deep breaths to calm his emotions, then lowered his head to continue eating breakfast.
Morning, school.
The teacher was explaining the test paper on the podium, and to Shen Yujing, it was like listening to a foreign language.
The more he listened, the sleepier he became, the sleepier he became, the sleepier he became—
Then Shen Yujing collapsed, falling asleep on the desk.
"Tsk." Murong Huan rolled her eyes and gripped her pen even tighter.
Shen Yujing, this good-for-nothing, had just said he wanted to surpass her, and now he was already asleep?
But that was fine, let him sleep! Let him stay at the bottom!
Unlike him, she was going to study hard and pay attention, quietly studying and surpassing Shen Yujing!
Murong Huan imagined the scene of her ranking at the top of the class and Shen Yujing still at the bottom when the final exam results came out.
Thinking about this, Murong Huan felt her mood improve greatly.
She wanted to prove her strength and let Song Yi know that she was much smarter than Shen Yujing!
Murong Huan was full of motivation, straightened her back, and raised her head higher.
And then...
Then her eyelids also grew heavy.
What were these mathematical formulas? Why couldn't she understand a single word?
After the first yawn, Murong Huan didn't last ten minutes before her head also drooped down.
Both were awakened by the bell. Looking at the full blackboard of solution steps and their blank test papers, they both fell into deep thought.
No!
This absolutely wouldn't do!
So—
After school, Song Yi looked at the two people crowding and pushing their way into Class A and asked curiously, "What are you two doing?"
Murong Huan hurriedly shouted, "Yi Yi! Yi Yi! I have something to ask you..."
Shen Yujing beat her to the punch and got straight to the point, "Hey! Tutor me! I'll pay double the market rate!"
"I'll pay triple!"
"Five times!"
"Then I'll pay ten times!"
Song Yi: "..."
Although she didn't quite understand what was going on, she felt that she was about to get rich.
So Song Yi separated them with a smile, "Why don't we find a place to talk properly?"
In the milk tea shop.
After hearing what Shen Yujing and Murong Huan had to say, Song Yi thought for a moment while biting her straw, "So, you both want me to tutor you."
Murong Huan corrected, "No, just me."
Shen Yujing: "Fifteen times the market rate, for me."
Murong Huan: "I'll pay twenty..."
"Stop!" Song Yi interrupted their argument and said, "Why me?"
Given Shen Yujing and Murong Huan's family backgrounds, if they wanted to study, they could easily hire the best teachers in the Imperial Capital.
"Because..."
Murong Huan hesitated on how to phrase it, rubbing her pink hair with her hand, clearly troubled.
Shen Yujing bluntly said, "Because it's embarrassing. We don't want others to know we don't know anything."
Murong Huan: "..."
Murong Huan exploded at Shen Yujing, "You also know it's embarrassing? Can't you be more tactful?!"
Song Yi laughed at them, "Alright, alright, I get it."
"So, will you agree?" Murong Huan clung to Song Yi's arm and cooed, "I only want you to teach me."
Shen Yujing shouted, "And me!"
"Okay." Song Yi agreed, "Since your grades are the same, let's do it together. Under the same conditions, whoever makes more progress will be easier to compare."
Hearing this, Murong Huan's competitive spirit surged, "Alright, I'll reluctantly agree. That way, some people won't have excuses next time they lose."
"Tsk." Shen Yujing sneered, "I'm also afraid you'll lose face."
Song Yi was about to say something when she looked up and was startled by a face pressed against the window.
Song Yi: "Whoa!"
Murong Huan looked over and buried her face in Song Yi's shoulder, "Whoa!"
"What are you two making such a fuss about?" Shen Yujing impatiently looked out the window and also startled, his hand shaking, "Whoa!"
Quan Le was pressed against the glass, his face almost flattened, staring at them with a very mournful expression.
Shen Yujing knocked on the window and mouthed, "Are you crazy? Come in!"
Quan Le walked in from the door and sat down in the chair next to Shen Yujing.
Murong Huan's hand was still on her chest, taking a deep breath as she looked at Quan Le, "What are you doing scaring people like that in broad daylight?"
Quan Le crossed his arms and interrogated them, "What are you three talking about? I knew it! You want to ditch me and go out to play! This time I caught you, but who knows what happened when I wasn't around!"
Murong Huan: "..."
Shen Yujing: "..."
Song Yi: "..."
Seeing the three of them fall silent, Quan Le felt even more certain that he was right, his face full of grievance, "I knew it! I knew it! You're too much!"
"That's right." Song Yi nodded, "We are going out to play."
Quan Le widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at Song Yi, who answered so boldly.
Shen Yujing was confused, "Huh? Go out to play? Where are we going?"
Song Yi looked at Murong Huan and asked, "Let's start from today."
Murong Huan was stunned for a moment, then understood what Song Yi meant.
She glanced at Quan Le and smiled, "Alright, let's go."
At the Murong residence.
Quan Le stopped his electric scooter in confusion, "Didn't you say we were going out to play? Why are we at your house?"
"You'll find out soon."
Murong Huan said, pulling Song Yi's hand and leading her inside, with Quan Le and Shen Yujing following behind.
A beautiful woman was arranging flowers at the long table. Hearing the footsteps, she looked up, "Huan Huan's back."
Murong Huan let go of Song Yi's hand and ran over to hold the woman's arm, cooing, "Mom, these are my friends. That's Shen Yujing, you've met him before, that's Quan Le, and this is Song Yi, my best friend!"
The three of them bowed politely and greeted, "Hello, Auntie!"
"Hello." The woman smiled gently and then looked at Murong Huan, "Everyone, stay for dinner tonight, okay? Mom will go prepare now."
"Okay." Murong Huan nodded vigorously and then told her mother a few dishes she liked, before coming back to hold Song Yi's hand and lead them upstairs.
Throughout the whole process, Song Yi's face was written with two big words—
Shock.
Although Murong Huan had told her and shown her photos.
But seeing Murong Huan's mother with pink long curly hair in person, Song Yi was once again shocked by this Mary Sue setting.
Until they entered Murong Huan's room, a huge princess room entirely in pink.
Quan Le's eyebrows furrowed even more, he couldn't understand at all, "Didn't you say we were going out to play? Coming to your house is fine, but why are we in your room?"
But Quan Le's doubts were soon answered.
Shen Yujing, Quan Le, and Murong Huan sat together on the same sofa, while Song Yi sat opposite them, taking out a Chinese test paper, "I've looked at your monthly exam results. Chinese is relatively your best subject, so let's start with what you're good at."
Shen Yujing nodded, "Okay."
Murong Huan picked up a pen, "Alright."
Quan Le was confused, "Huh?"
No, why?
Didn't we say we were going out to play? Why are we suddenly studying together here?
Although Quan Le found it all quite baffling, he was still forced to sit through an hour of Song Yi teaching Chinese.
His expression changed from initial confusion to concentration, and finally to admiration.
When Song Yi finally put down her pen and said, "That's about it, do you all understand?"
The three of them nodded in unison.
Shen Yujing looked at his exam paper and said, "Some of these questions are so simple, how did I get them wrong?"
Murong Huan also nodded, "Yi Yi, you explain things so well!"
Even Quan Le was deeply impressed, "I think you explain things more clearly than the Teacher. That's what a top student is like."
He had a profound realization of the vast difference between Song Yi, who was at the top of the honors class, and himself, who was at the bottom.
Murong Huan directly suggested, "Yi Yi, how about we have tutoring sessions three times a week? You can choose any time that suits you. I'll ask my mom to give you a card, and the salary will be transferred directly."
Shen Yujing added, "I'll split it with her."
Although Song Yi really wanted the money, she felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Isn't that a bit too much?"
"What's wrong with that?" Murong Huan rolled her eyes, "My dad cheated on us last year, so this money is better spent than being wasted on his mistress."
Shen Yujing also said, "Yeah, if we don't give the money to you, my mom will just use it to buy a house for the gorilla she adopted abroad."
Quan Le: "Although my dad didn't cheat, and my mom doesn't have a gorilla, I'll also be attending the classes, so I should contribute too."
Song Yi was deeply touched. Since everyone was so insistent, she reluctantly agreed.
Soon, it was dinner time.
Murong Huan's Mother personally cooked a full table of dishes and warmly welcomed them.
Upon learning that Murong Huan, Shen Yujing, and Quan Le were all taking tutoring sessions with Song Yi, she immediately agreed and instructed the Butler to handle the card.
Murong Huan's Mother was an extremely gentle woman, and her pink long curls added a touch of dreamy beauty, quite different from Murong Huan's willful and lively personality.
As Song Yi thought this to herself, Quan Le directly voiced it out, "Auntie, how can there be someone as gentle and elegant as you in this world? If it weren't for your distinctive hair color, I wouldn't even believe that Murong Huan is your daughter!"
"Quan Le!" Murong Huan glared at Quan Le with gritted teeth, pinching his shoulder, "What's wrong with me? Do you have a problem with me?"
"No, no, no!" Quan Le quickly bowed his head in surrender, "I was wrong, I was wrong! You're the most gentle and beautiful, isn't that enough?"
Even Murong Huan's Mother was amused, and the entire dining table was filled with laughter, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways.
Murong Huan's Mother specially arranged for the driver to take Song Yi home, and Murong Huan also got in the car.
The partition was raised, and the two of them chatted in the back seat.
They started by talking about some gossip and happy things, but later, they mentioned something that made Murong Huan purse her lips and say, "Yi Yi, you know, I've been instilled with a belief by my grandparents since I was young: girls should be gentle and sensible, only then will they be liked."
"I really like my mother. When I was little, I thought she was the person I wanted to become. She's really great, everyone who meets her likes her. But even so, my father still cheated on her."
At this point, Murong Huan lowered her eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "So later, I thought, my mother has done so well, yet she was still betrayed and abandoned. My grandfather scolded her, saying she couldn't even keep a man. And those who once praised her later gossiped behind her back, saying there must be something wrong with her for my father, who is so 'honest,' to cheat."
"I couldn't figure it out, and then I stopped thinking about it. My mother, who was so perfect, was still criticized. If no matter what a woman does, it's her fault, then I might as well just be myself."
So, she learned not to care about others' opinions, not to think about what others thought, and to do whatever made her happy the most.
Even if she was seen as "a disgrace to the family" by her grandfather, who refused to see her and her mother except on holidays, it didn't matter.
Living freely, even if she was disliked, it didn't matter, none of it was important.
Song Yi gently rubbed Murong Huan's pink hair and softly said, "Auntie is not wrong, and neither are you. There never was."
