Not wanting to be late, Xia Xia took a taxi directly from the subway station to Zhao Jinsong’s house.

When she got out of the taxi, she encountered Zhao Jinsong returning from his morning run with Zhao Shijie, both father and son dripping with sweat.

“Why did you take a taxi today?” Zhao Jinsong asked with a smile.

Xia Xia’s hair cascaded over her shoulders, slightly disheveled by the gentle breeze. Zhao Jinsong reached out to help smooth her hair, but Xia Xia stepped back to avoid his touch.

She fixed her hair herself and said, “I woke up late.”

Zhao Jinsong wore athletic wear with knee guards and a black headband. His well-maintained skin showed no signs of age, and his demeanor was indistinguishable from the young people passing by on the street.

He wasn’t bothered by Xia Xia’s resistance and said understandingly, “Next time if you wake up late, just give me a call. It’s fine if you’re a bit late.”

Xia Xia replied, “Thank you, I understand.”

Zhao Jinsong said, “Shijie’s English has improved quite a bit lately. I’m off today, so how about I take you both somewhere to relax and give Shijie a change of learning environment?”

Xia Xia didn’t think much of it, assuming this was just a wealthy person’s unique approach to education, always finding different ways to teach children.

Since Zhao Jinsong paid her salary, he should have a say in where she tutored. She nodded, “Alright.”

The place Zhao Jinsong mentioned was a private swimming pool located in the suburbs. The pool was adjacent to hot springs and a sanatorium, surrounded by dense forest in peaceful surroundings.

Zhao Jinsong had reserved the entire venue, leaving the massive facility occupied by just the three of them.

Zhao Shijie ran to the changing room to put on his swim shorts. Zhao Jinsong was in no hurry to go in, sitting down instead on a poolside sofa as staff brought cake and flower tea.

Looking at the surroundings, Xia Xia couldn’t help but frown, “Uncle Zhao, I don’t think this place is very suitable for studying. Maybe you should let Shijie play here while I come back another day to tutor him.”

Unmoved, Zhao Jinsong glanced at the glass tea bottles and asked, “What would you like to drink, Xia Xia? Rose, jasmine, or chrysanthemum tea?”

When Xia Xia didn’t answer, he mused to himself, “Let’s have some aged citrus tea. It’s hot today, good for calming the mind and reducing internal heat.”

As he prepared the tea, Zhao Shijie emerged in orange swim shorts and jumped into the pool, swimming breaststroke.

“Do you know how to swim, Xia Xia?” Zhao Jinsong said, “Don’t be shy, have a seat. I brought you here to have fun, there’s no need to be afraid.”

Xia Xia sat down and replied, “No, I don’t.”

“Don’t you like swimming?”

“Couldn’t afford to learn,” Xia Xia said. “Swimming classes are expensive, costing a thousand yuan for one summer – that’s more than half of my father’s monthly salary.”

She spoke matter-of-factly, without any embarrassment or inferiority about being poor.

Zhao Jinsong smiled, knowing he’d spent several thousand just to reserve the pool today, but being a well-mannered man, he didn’t show excessive surprise at the poverty he’d never experienced that Xia Xia described.

He asked, “Would you like to learn? I can teach you.”

Xia Xia refused without hesitation: “No, swimsuits have too little fabric, and learning to swim underwater with you would be strange.”

Zhao Jinsong was momentarily lost for words, but he didn’t give up. Instead, he looked at Xia Xia with interest: “Is it strange to learn to swim with someone of the opposite sex, or is it strange to learn to swim with me specifically?”

“With you,” Xia Xia said. “You’re Shanqi’s father, and I call you uncle. Wouldn’t it be odd to have too much physical contact?”

Zhao Jinsong poured her tea: “Xia Xia, I like your personality.”

He stopped beating around the bush and expressed his thoughts directly. Xia Xia looked up at him.

“From the first day you came to tutor Shijie, I felt you were different from other girls,” Zhao Jinsong said. “There have been other tutors your age before, but I’ve never paid attention to anyone the way I pay attention to you.”

“You appear delicate on the surface, but you have your thoughts. I like girls who think for themselves.”

“Among many parents I’ve met, there’s a common trait – they often have a delighted attitude toward their children’s growth. They’re happy when their children are obedient, when they’re sensible when they learn to share and be considerate, and when they earn their first bucket of gold through self-reliance.”

“I don’t agree with this mindset,” he smiled. “Life is just a few decades short, and youth is even briefer. Youth should be spent enjoying and indulging, dreaming in the ivory tower. It’s not worth exhausting yourself physically and mentally every day for a bit of money.”

Xia Xia tilted her head: “Uncle, I don’t quite understand. Please just get to the point, otherwise I might think you’re planning to give me a raise.”

The girl was playing dumb, with a hint of cunning in her seemingly innocent expression.

Zhao Jinsong smiled: “Shanqi travels abroad every summer and winter vacation, she’s been to twenty-four countries so far. She doesn’t bat an eye shopping for luxury goods and jewelry, and if she weren’t so attached to home, I would send her to study at the best art academy in Europe…”

“Whatever Shanqi has, you can have too, if you’re willing.”

Xia Xia’s face showed a hint of disappointment: “Oh, so that’s it. Xie Huai always suspected you wanted to pursue me, but it turns out you just want to keep me as a mistress.”

The words Zhao Jinsong couldn’t bring himself to say were spoken so lightly by her.

She looked at him seriously: “To be honest, your offer is very tempting. If you genuinely liked me, I might be moved. But if you just want to treat me like a plaything to discard after a few years, then no thanks.”

“I’m not even twenty yet. Although I have nothing now, who knows what the future holds?” Xia Xia smiled slightly. “Maybe someday, I’ll be able to have the lifestyle you described, and the person by my side will be someone who truly likes me and whom I like too.”

“Trading my future with unlimited possibilities for what you’re offering – something you say might lead to boredom and abandonment – isn’t a good deal,” Xia Xia sipped her tea. “Besides, what you describe isn’t what I’d consider a true ivory tower. If I were to say yes to you, from that moment on, I would be leaving the ivory tower.”

She refused with grace and calmness.

Zhao Jinsong couldn’t take his eyes off her, taking in every subtle expression on her face.

“Also…” After her words of refusal, Xia Xia’s voice returned to that of a gentle young girl.

She stared at the ring on Zhao Jinsong’s left ring finger: “Uncle, please be more mindful in the future. Even if you’re just looking for a mistress, wearing a couple’s ring from who-knows-who while saying such things makes it seem very perfunctory.”

Zhao Jinsong looked down at his finger and smiled helplessly: “I wasn’t paying attention to that.”

The banquet was over.

The construction contractor had drunk to his heart’s content tonight, with laughter constantly filling the smoke-filled private room.

Xie Huai stood up to offer a final toast: “Manager Wang, then it’s settled.”

Xu Dalong also raised his glass: “It’s settled, it’s settled. Manager Wang, it’s still early, don’t rush home. I’ll take you to a good place later.”

He squinted his eyes, and Manager Wang understood, exchanging knowing looks before they both laughed.

Outside the restaurant, the moonlight was clear and the cool wind rustled.

Xu Dalong warmly put his arm around him: “Little Xie, thank you so much these days. You’re truly Xie Zhisheng’s son – I’ve been in the construction business for years but don’t understand steel materials as well as you do. Once Brother Xu signs his first contract, I’ll treat you to the best food and drinks.”

“Going to see prostitutes again?”

Xu Dalong grinned mischievously: “Don’t leave, come play with us.”

Xie Huai shrugged off his hand: “No.”

Xu Dalong: “This club definitely won’t get raided. If you don’t tell and I don’t tell, your girlfriend won’t know. Come on, we’re all men, why are you acting like this?”

Xie Huai said: “Not going, I need to check if the toilet’s been fixed.”

He hailed a taxi back to the complex, coincidentally arriving just as Xia Xia was getting out of Zhao Jinsong’s car.

Xie Huai stood under the streetlight watching her. Xia Xia stopped far away, meeting his gaze, somehow feeling guilty under his stare.

I didn’t accept Zhao Jinsong’s offer, Xia Xia thought, what do I have to fear from him?

No, wait, Xia Xia thought again, even if I had accepted Zhao Jinsong, what business is it of his? He doesn’t even like me.

Xie Huai walked to her side and asked, “Is the toilet fixed?”

Xia Xia: “…”

She finally understood where that uncomfortable feeling came from.

—She had completely forgotten about fixing the toilet.

Xie Huai could tell everything from her expression: “Not fixed, right? You…”

“Brother Huai!” Xia Xia grabbed his arm, “Do you want to go to the supermarket? We’re running low on food at home, let’s go to Walmart!”

Xie Huai was distracted and checked his watch: “It’s already eight o’clock, the supermarket closes at nine.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Xia Xia dragged him along without further discussion.

Xie Huai was selecting vegetables in the fresh produce section while Xia Xia pushed the cart to the fruit section to make a secret phone call.

“…Your toilet has a problem, not me. If you don’t fix it, who will?”

“I have to work during the day. You have nothing to do all day, is it so hard to make a phone call? I’m the tenant, these things should be your responsibility, right?”

“Please help me out, old man, my roommate is so fierce. If the toilet isn’t fixed tonight, I’m going to be dead. I’m just a young girl in the prime of life, how can you bear to do this to me…”

A hand tapped her shoulder. Xia Xia hung up the phone and turned around to find Xie Huai standing behind her.

He threw a few cucumbers and king oyster mushrooms into the cart: “Who were you calling?”

Xia Xia said: “Zhu Ziyu.”

She picked up the vegetables Xie Huai had thrown in and examined them. The cucumbers were wilted and soft with yellowing skin. She threw them back on the shelf in disgust.

“Why did you throw away my cucumbers?” Xie Huai was unhappy.

Xia Xia said: “The cucumbers are old, and the mushroom heads have fallen off. How can we eat such spoiled food?”

Xie Huai: “I’m buying these vegetables for myself to eat, put them back, who said you could touch my cucumbers?”

Xia Xia: “…”

What kind of dog is Xie Huai, Xia Xia cursed silently as she put the cucumbers back.

She casually picked up two green peppers and put them in the shopping cart, but Xie Huai was unhappy again: “No green peppers allowed.”

Xia Xia: “…They’re not for you, they’re for me to eat.”

Xie Huai said calmly: “Who said you could eat them yourself? Am I not going to share your cooking?”

Xia Xia: “……”

“What kind of dog are you?” She couldn’t hold back anymore, “You eat your vegetables alone, but you want to share what I buy?”

Xie Huai raised an eyebrow: “What’s wrong with sharing your food? I’ll pay for it later, okay? Move aside, don’t block my way.”

Xia Xia didn’t know whether to feel happy or curse his domineering attitude, so she could only put the green peppers back.

After eight o’clock at Walmart, many prepared foods that couldn’t be kept until the next day were sold at half price.

Xia Xia browsed the discount section, buying several plain steamed buns and vegetable buns, planning to freeze them in the refrigerator to heat in the microwave when she woke up late. She bought some fried chicken frames, planning to process them tomorrow morning for breakfast.

In the bread section, sliced bread with only two days left until expiration was also on sale at half price. Xia Xia took a pack.

She said somewhat regretfully: “Those were sweet peppers earlier, they would have been good in sandwiches with the bread slices.”

“Too much trouble,” Xie Huai said, “Let’s buy ready-made ones.”

He reached for the pre-made sandwiches nearby, which were twelve yuan each.

Xia Xia stopped him: “This bag of sliced bread is only four yuan. Including eggs, ham, and vegetables, we could make four sandwiches for less than twelve yuan.”

Xie Huai impatiently: “Who makes sandwiches? I’m even too lazy to cook instant noodles.”

“I’ll make them.” Seeing Xie Huai’s pouty, troubled expression like a child’s, Xia Xia couldn’t help but pinch his cheek, “You’re such a young master.”