"She passes the test on the surface, but can she really be a good tutor?"
Lin Shuran immediately chimed in, "Of course she can. Senior is at the top of our grade, you know that, don't you?"
"I know. But if I remember correctly, Senior is majoring in Information Engineering, and I'm in Business Administration. How is he supposed to tutor me?"
Lin Shuran shot Ye Mei a strange look.
No, she had practically delivered Ji Yanxiu right to her doorstep on a silver platter. With such a prime opportunity to spend time with him, Jiang Nianxi should have eagerly agreed! Why would she care if their majors didn't match?
Ji Yanxiu looked at Jiang Nianxi's delicate and expressive little face, his throat working as he swallowed hard. "I do know a thing or two about Business Administration courses."
Jiang Nianxi smiled. "Is that so? Senior is truly diligent and eager to learn. Since you're so brilliant, let me test you."
With that, she picked up a textbook from the stone table. "I'm currently looking at Porter's Five Forces model and don't quite understand it. Can you explain it to me clearly?"
The air suddenly froze.
Ji Yanxiu hadn't expected her to test him on the spot. He had assumed the exact same thing as Lin Shuran—that Jiang Nianxi would be champing at the bit to have him as her tutor, not quizzing him with such earnest seriousness!
"This..." Ji Yanxiu's eyes darted away, and he hesitated, unable to speak.
With Grandpa right there, his sharp gaze fixed squarely on him, Ji Yanxiu felt his scalp prickle with panic!
Jiang Nianxi feigned surprise. "Senior, this is considered basic knowledge. Surely you don't know it?"
Of course Ji Yanxiu didn't know it. He had never looked at a Business Administration textbook in his life; he had just thrown it out there casually solely to get her to accept him as her tutor.
How could she actually be taking this seriously?!
Sensing things were going south, Lin Shuran jumped in to defend him. "Sister, aren't you deliberately making things difficult for him? Senior isn't even a Business Administration major."
"If that's the case, then why introduce him to me as a tutor in the first place?" Jiang Nianxi raised her voice sharply, turning the tables on her. "Did you never intend for me to study properly in the first place, hoping I'd fail my makeup exams?"
Having her inner thoughts spoken aloud like that caught Lin Shuran completely off guard.
Fearing that Jiang Bai would get suspicious, she hurriedly denied it. "Sister, how could you think that? It's not like that! Even though Senior's major is different from yours, his top-of-the-grade rank is the real deal!"
Her brain worked at lightning speed as she scrambled for an excuse. "Even... even if his textbook knowledge isn't enough to tutor you, his study methods are top-notch. You can have him teach you those instead. As long as you master good study methods, you'll get twice the result with half the effort."
"Makes sense. Then—how about you teach me instead?"
Jiang Nianxi pivoted abruptly, a hint of chill creeping into her smile. "Aren't you at the top of the grade too, Little Sister? If all it takes is good study methods, why don't you just teach me yourself? What need is there for anyone else?"
"..." Lin Shuran was left completely speechless and could only look to Ye Mei for help once again.
Ye Mei quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Nianxi, you're overthinking it. Shuran really just wants to help you. If you don't want this Senior to be your tutor, then forget it. We can help you find another one, someone until you're satisfied."
"So enthusiastic? Then I simply must accept your kind offer." Jiang Nianxi glanced sideways at them. "However, I do have standards for my tutors. Just any stray cat or dog won't do."
Ye Mei smiled. "Right, right. Go ahead."
"Male, must be over 185 centimeters tall—strictly over 185, not a single centimeter short. Sculpted face, great physique, wide shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and eight-pack abs. Good-tempered and patient. Well-versed in business school coursework, up to a professional teaching standard. Someone like Senior whose major doesn't fit? Absolutely not."
Jiang Nianxi ticked off the requirements with a straight face. "I'll trouble you and my sister to keep looking for me. Ideally within the next couple of days, please. I don't want my studies to fall behind."
Ye Mei, "..."
Lin Shuran, "..."
Ji Yanxiu, "......"
His expression darkened, and he clenched his jaw in secret.
What was Jiang Nianxi playing at? Was she seriously trying to find a proper tutor here?!
Besides, he happened to be exactly 185 centimeters tall, and now she was saying she didn't want him!
At that moment, a sudden thought popped into his head: *Could she have feelings for someone else now?*
Ji Yanxiu recalled that night at the club; she had seemed quite interested in that dark-skinned athletic guy...
The corners of Ye Mei's mouth twitched, her smile barely holding on as she forced herself to say, "Right, right, right. We'll do our best to find someone for you."
Jiang Nianxi looked over at Jiang Bai sitting nearby and purposely asked, "Grandpa, my requests aren't too unreasonable, are they?"
Jiang Bai looked rather amused. "Not at all. You are the young lady of the Jiang Family, after all. It's only right that you have high standards."
Lin Shuran and Ye Mei's expressions instantly soured even further.
This stubborn old man only knew how to dower Jiang Nianxi blindly; sooner or later, he would live to regret it!
Jiang Nianxi sat back down by the stone table and politely showed them the door. "I need to get back to my studies. Safe journey out, I won't see you off."
She flipped open her textbook, not sparing Ji Yanxiu another glance.
Once the three of them had left, Jiang Bai couldn't help asking, "Niannian, what's wrong? Did that kid do something to wrong you?"
Knowing her grandfather was just surprised by her sudden shift in attitude toward Ji Yanxiu and wanting to spare him any worry, Jiang Nianxi looked up and said earnestly, "Grandpa, I'm just tired of it. I don't like him anymore. Besides, I've discovered things much more important than chasing after a man."
Namely, exacting revenge, protecting the Jiang Family, and safeguarding those she held dear!
Astonished to hear her speak with such maturity, Jiang Nianxi's grandfather felt a wellspring of relief. "Good, good! It looks like you've really grown up and become sensible. That's wonderful! But were you serious about those requirements for the tutor?"
Jiang Nianxi let out a chuckle. "Of course not. Where on earth would I find a tutor like that?"
Yet, even as she said it, the shadow of a certain someone flashed across her mind.
She abruptly realized that the person she had just described seemed to... fit every single criterion!
***
Ji Yanxiu walked out of the Jiang Family villa burning with suppressed rage, still unable to comprehend why Jiang Nianxi's attitude toward him had done a complete 180.
He couldn't help asking Lin Shuran, who had walked him out, "Has she taken a liking to someone else?"
"How could she? She's probably just playing hard to get. She won't be able to hold out for long, you'll see. Just wait and watch. But why did you seem in such a rush this time?"
A sudden thought occurred to Lin Shuran, and she snapped irritably, "Ji Yanxiu, don't tell me you've actually fallen for her?"
Even if she didn't want to admit it, Jiang Nianxi, when showing her true face, was strikingly beautiful. Just looking at her looks, it was hard for any man not to feel a stir in his heart.
A flash of guilt crossed Ji Yanxiu's mind, and he hastily replied, "How is that possible? You're the only one in my heart; I could never like an empty-headed idiot like that. It's just that she's not playing by the rules, and it's getting on my nerves."
Hearing him say that, Lin Shuran's mind was put at ease. She comforted him, "Alright, don't be mad. We'll take it slow; you have to cast a long line to catch a big fish."
Ji Yanxiu's gaze fell upon her parting and moving lips, and for some reason, they reminded him of Jiang Nianxi's rose-petal-full, pink lips.
His throat went dry...