Chapter 56

Happy to be punished

She raised her hand and swore. “I promise that I’ll be diligent in my studies from now on! I don’t need my father to spend money to buy me a degree, I can get one with my own capability! I’ll study hard for our national exams, alright? Don’t chase me away… I really… don’t want to leave you…”

Her little face turned red again after saying the last sentence.

He gave her a glimpse and after a pause, he nodded his head and said, “I’ll help you to persuade your dad.”

“Thanks, uncle!”

She grinned, opened the car door and alighted. “Bye—”

“Bye.”

And he sped away in his car while the girl returned to her classroom with a sweet smile on her face.

While walking back to the classroom, she could not help licking her red and swollen lips with her tongue from time to time. It was as if she wanted to savour the presence of that man for as long as possible…

So this is how kissing feels like!

It’s sweet, passionate, exhilarating and memorable…

It really made her day!

She hopped along like a happy bunny back to her class.

Her bestie was bewildered by her happy state. “Weren’t you summoned to the form teacher’s room for a scolding? Why are you so happy now? Did your uncle come to the school?”

“He did!” The beam on her face was so wide it almost reached the back of her ears. “He came to reprimand me and then left.”

“He reprimanded you?” Her friend looked at her quizzically. “And you are so happy after getting a scolding? Are you crazy, or has your brain been fried?”

As she spoke, she placed the back of her palm to Chi Yi’s forehead. “You aren’t having a fever now, either! Or your brain has been damaged by all the verbal thrashing?”

“Nonsense, get lost!” She waved her bestie away. “Class is starting now, be serious!”

She hastily took out the textbooks from her school bag to get ready for class and suddenly noticed the seat in front of her was empty. Turning to Yunhua, she asked, “Where’s Li Mi?”

“She’s not here.”

“?”

That came as a surprise to her.

“Anyway, ignore her. She may have skipped class because she has fallen out of love. Don’t get involved with the affairs between her and Lu Liye. And one more thing, stay away from that boy. That fellow spells trouble.”

“Alright!”

She nodded in acquiescence, and stole one more glance at the empty table before her.

.........

After giving the promise to her uncle that day, Chi Yi started to work really hard.

Not only did she stop skiving during lessons, she returned home in a timely manner after school each day. Once she reached home, she would hole up in Chi Zuxu’s study room to go through her school work. She would also seek help from the man when she confronted difficult questions, “Uncle, teach me how to solve this please.”

The man was an epitome of a living encyclopedia. No topics seemed to faze him, whether it was mathematics, geography or even history.

On that day…

The clock was chiming its eleventh hour at night.

The girl was still going through her exercises diligently. In front of the bookshelf, the man was sitting on the rattan chair and reading a thick volume of business digest in a foreign language, having finished with what he needed to do for some time. When he heard the chime, he looked to the hardworking girl still sitting at his study desk and said, “Child, go to sleep.”

“Let me finish this. I’m not sleepy yet,” she insisted.

He put down the book in his hands, got up, walked to her and pulled away the book that she had buried her head in. “Be a good girl and listen to my words. It’s late now.”

“Uncle…”

Clasping her hands together in front of her, Chi Yi looked at him pleadingly with a piteous look on her face. “I beg of you, alright? Please let me study for a little while more. Just a while…”