One night.
Qi Shaobai was in his room, head down doing homework, when a cheerful knock sounded at the door.
Opening the door, a piece of paper was held up to his face.
Sheng Mumu peeked her head out from behind the paper, smiling widely:
"Classmate Qi, this is the supplementary study plan I made for you, take a look."
Qi Shaobai tilted his head back to look closely.
At the very top, written in colorful markers in a cute font:
【Qi Shaobai's Home Study Plan】
Qi Shaobai froze for a moment, then continued reading down:
Saturday: Chinese, Math
Sunday: Physics, English
Tutors: Sheng Mumu (Chinese, English); Qi Mo (Math, Physics)
Qi Shaobai reached out to take the paper.
He flipped it over to the back, then flipped it again to the front.
Puzzled, he asked:
"Uh...were you planning on giving up on my Chemistry and Biology?"
Before his words faded, Sheng Mumu flicked his forehead.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Chemistry and Biology can wait until later. You think your dad and I want to be worked to death?" Sheng Mumu glared at him.
"I wouldn't dare," Qi Shaobai's eyes flashed as he tilted up his chin slightly.
A smile spread across his cold and aloof face.
After Sheng Mumu finished saying what she needed to, she walked towards the door and threw over her shoulder:
"Tutoring starts tomorrow, get yourself mentally prepared!"
As her words fell, the door snapped shut.
Leaving Qi Shaobai alone in confusion.
Mental preparation?
What kind of mental preparation does tutoring require???
It wasn't until Saturday that Qi Shaobai understood what Sheng Mumu had meant as he pushed open the door to his dad's second floor study.
Qi Shaobai looked left, then looked right.
He froze in place, stunned.
He had come to his dad's study a couple times before.
What he saw before him now looked quite different from his impressions.
Recalling Sheng Mumu busily directing the butler Zhang these past couple days to work on the second floor.
Mystery solved.
She had renovated the study for his tutoring sessions.
Sheng Mumu waved her hand towards the left side, and started explaining:
"The left side is your dad's desk and work area, we won't interfere with that."
Then she pointed to the right side.
"The right side will be your learning heaven for the next month leading up to your final exams."
Qi Shaobai took a light breath as he looked over, his voice a little muffled:
"Heaven?"
Are you sure it's not hell?
The study was like it had been split into two halves, the left and right sides clearly demarcated by their contrasting styles.
The left side housed his dad's desk and towering bookshelves.
Spotless, with items neatly organized.
The right side.
A whiteboard.
Equipped with a projector screen that could be pulled up and down.
Next to it was a small lectern.
Sitting on the lectern was...a teaching rod.
Across from the whiteboard was a table and chair.
Piled next to the chair were three whole boxes of handouts and test papers.
As Qi Shaobai surveyed the scene, the butler Zhang carried in another box from outside.
But Qi Shaobai no longer had the mindset to be astonished by the sheer number of papers.
His attention was completely captured by the motivational posters for the college entrance exams that Sheng Mumu had custom-made for him, plastered on the right wall.
【Little Qi Little Qi, may your banner emerge victorious(*^▽^*)】
【It's okay to be lazy sometimes, but don't turn into a complete failure!】
【Great ambition, no right to stop】
【Fall behind, get a beating - I'm not joking】
【I"mwatchingyou(。???。)】
"...Qi Shaobai slowly turned his head towards Sheng Mumu, expression complicated.
Sheng Mumu looked back at him proudly.
Hands on her hips, extremely pleased with herself as she asked:
"Well, doesn't it look impressively legit?"
The corners of Qi Shaobai's lips tightened as he took a deep breath.
"Yeah, great. Gives me the feeling that if I can't answer a question I'm about to get electroshocked."
Sheng Mumu's smile froze as her eyes narrowed.
She threatened in a severe tone:
"If you say one more word, it might not end up being just a feeling."
"!!!" Qi Shaobai promptly shut his mouth.
Sheng Mumu strode over to the lectern.
Glancing at her watch, she solemnly announced:
"It's time, class is starting, come take a seat."
Qi Shaobai slowly walked over and pulled out the chair to sit down.
Single-handedly propping up his cheek, he started twirling a pen in his other hand.
As soon as his rear hit the seat he immediately slipped into his lazy classroom mode.
Seeing this, Sheng Mumu placed a sheet in front of Qi Shaobai with three reading comprehension questions printed on it.
"Knock knock-"
She rapped her knuckles against the tabletop.
Reminding Qi Shaobai:
"Today we'll start off targeting your weak points and focus on reading comprehension."
"I'm saying this right off the bat - once class starts, no mother-son relationship. You little punk better behave yourself."
"If I catch you spacing out or napping-"
As Sheng Mumu spoke she picked up the expandable teaching rod and pulled it taut.
Revealing a wicked grin, she didn't finish her sentence.
Qi Shaobai's pupils widened.
Sensing impending danger, his back straightened in an instant.
Snapping to full alertness.
For the entire 90 minute class period, he was given a 10 minute bathroom break in the middle.
For the first 45 minutes Sheng Mumu still felt a little unsure whether she would be able to properly teach the high school Chinese curriculum content.
But as she continued lecturing, memories of when she used to study diligently and scored 700 on the college entrance exam were awakened.
She grew increasingly at ease.
She even recalled some of the tricks she had realized herself while preparing for the exam, and passed them onto Qi Shaobai.
When there were 5 minutes left of the Chinese tutoring session, the study door was suddenly pushed open.
A long pale male hand braced against the doorframe. Qi Mo walked into the room.
He wore house slippers, his steps almost soundless against the floor.
Sheng Mumu and Qi Shaobai were fully absorbed, one in teaching and the other in listening, and didn't notice the extra presence that had entered the study.
Qi Mo silently took a seat next to the desk on the left side, casually crossing his long legs.
Since it was the weekend he didn't have to dress formally in a suit.
But considering Sheng Mumu had arranged for him to teach Qi Shaobai math afterwards, before coming over from the bedroom he had deliberately changed into a nice shirt and trousers.
The well-fitted shirt accentuated the muscular lines of the man's arms.
His collar left unbuttoned, exposing a sliver of fair skin.
Sleeves rolled up to reveal sturdy, graceful wrists.
Palms casually draped over his knees.
He exuded composure and nobility with a hint of lazy elegance.
His gaze was fixed on Sheng Mumu.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered.
Surprised to discover her mindset surprisingly aligned with his own today.
Normally on weekends at home she dressed very casually.
Yet today, she exceptionally wore formal attire.
Sheng Mumu had a slender waist, even in the relatively loose white collared shirt and midi skirt that faintly outlined her perfect figure, graceful and charming.
Her bright eyes brimmed with liveliness, captivating.
Her hair neatly tied up, swaying lightly with her movements.
Fluttering into the man's heart.
Time was up.
Sheng Mumu dismissed class on time. As she tidied up the papers she said:
"Alright, that concludes the Chinese lesson. Your dad will teach you math in 30 minutes."
Qi Shaobai pushed back his chair and stretched lazily, rotating his neck.
He suddenly stopped short when he noticed the person not far away.
In the middle of a yawn, eyes still wet, he uttered oddly:
"Dad?"
Sheng Mumu looked over towards the sound, also surprised:
"When did you come in?"
This man, why does he keep appearing and disappearing without a sound lately, like a ghost?
Qi Mo didn't answer Sheng Mumu. Instead he glanced at Qi Shaobai and instructed deeply:
"You go out first."
Qi Shaobai's eyes widened in puzzlement. ???
Before he could react, he heard his dad give a reasonable explanation.
"I need to prepare for class."
