The next day, Ruan Yu found an extra sum in her account. Shen Bing had paid her tutoring salary for the month in advance, but the amount was odd – she seemed to have given an extra five hundred.

Five hundred might not mean much to Shen Bing, but to Ruan Yu, it wasn’t a small sum.

Ruan Yu quickly tried calling her, but Shen Bing didn’t answer. Then she remembered Shen Bing was abroad, in a different time zone.

What should she do?

Having received this extra five hundred made her uneasy.

After some thought, Ruan Yu sent Shen Bing a message, telling her about the extra five hundred and that she would withdraw it to return to Teng Hao. Shortly after sending the message, Shen Bing called back.

Shen Bing explained that the five hundred was a bonus, a thank you for helping Teng Hao improve so much.

“That’s just my duty,” Ruan Yu still felt uncomfortable.

“Keep it,” Shen Bing said decisively. “Also, from now on, your salary will be paid in advance each month. Please continue taking good care of Teng Hao.”

Ruan Yu expressed her thanks without asking why Shen Bing suddenly made this decision. She knew Teng Yi must have said something behind the scenes.

After hanging up, she first went to pay her remaining tuition. After clearing the fees, she still had some money left, enough for living expenses for quite a while.

At noon, she treated her roommates to dumplings at a small shop near the school. Afterward, Chen Manbai suggested going shopping, and Ruan Yu unusually didn’t refuse.

The four went to the shopping center. While Jian Xiangxiang and the others bought clothes and dresses, Ruan Yu just looked around. Though the burden on her shoulders had lifted and she felt much lighter, she still needed to be frugal with expenses, saving where she could.

Finally, at the accessories store, while Chen Manbai was choosing earrings, Ruan Yu spotted a pair of studs.

The studs were small and sparkly, with little fish designs.

She remembered Teng Yi calling her “little fish.”

“Do you like them?” Chen Manbai came over.

“Mm.”

“Try them on then.” Chen Manbai removed the plastic backs and helped put the studs in Ruan Yu’s pierced ears.

Ruan Yu had gotten her ears pierced after the college entrance exam. Afraid of the holes closing, she had kept tea stems in them, but after losing them while showering, she hadn’t bothered with them since.

The studs hurt a bit going in, but fortunately, the holes were still open.

“Looks good.”

“Beautiful.”

Jian Xiangxiang and Xia Qiaofeng also gathered around. Everyone stared at Ruan Yu’s reflection in the mirror, and Ruan Yu examined herself too. Though the studs weren’t particularly eye-catching, strangely, wearing them made her whole appearance brighter.

“Ruan Ruan, please dress up more often, don’t waste that pretty face,” Jian Xiangxiang gently tugged her earlobe. “What are you hesitating for? They’re not expensive, just buy them!”

Ruan Yu nodded.

She couldn’t bear to take them off and went to pay while still wearing them.

Perhaps because of the little fish earrings, Ruan Yu was radiant all afternoon, checking her reflection whenever she passed anything.

She didn’t take them off for her evening tutoring job either.

As soon as Teng Hao saw her, he couldn’t help exclaiming, “Top Scholar, you look different today!”

Ruan Yu was secretly delighted, surprised that Teng Hao was so observant.

“What’s different?” she asked.

Teng Hao cupped his chin, studying her for a long while. Finally, he smacked his lips and pointed at her forehead, “You’ve got a pimple, a huge one!”

Ruan Yu: “…”

What could she expect from this emotionally dense boy?