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墨書 Inktalez
The midterm exam results were out, and my math paper looked like a battlefield bombarded with red crosses—an utterly dismal sight. My homeroom teacher called me in for a talk, and the main point was clear: if things continued like this, my chances of getting into a prestigious university were slim.
Holding that paper filled with red marks, I trudged home with my head hanging low. At dinner, my mother sighed heavily as she glanced at my score, which barely reached three digits. Then, she turned her pleading gaze toward Lu Yu, who was busy eating.
“Xiao Yu, your grades are so good. Could you… spare some time to help Wan Wan with her studies?”
Lu Yu looked up, his chopsticks frozen in mid-air. He glanced at my mother and then at my almost tearful expression.
“Sure,” he replied readily. “I actually need to review some material myself.”
Thus, my weekends were clearly scheduled by Lu Yu. Starting this Saturday, I was to go to his house every afternoon from two to five for math tutoring.
On Saturday afternoon, clutching a pile of papers and practice books, I resolutely knocked on his door.
Lu Yu answered, freshly showered with damp hair, dressed casually in a simple white T-shirt and shorts. He seemed more approachable than usual, shedding some of the distance he often maintained at school.
“Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let me enter.
His room was tidy, with various reference books and exercise collections neatly arranged on his desk—nothing like my own desk, which was perpetually chaotic.
“Have a seat,” he gestured toward a chair beside the desk.
I obediently sat down and spread out my “crime scene”—the math paper—before him.
Lu Yu pulled over another chair and sat next to me. He carried a faint scent of body wash that was quite pleasant.
The tutoring session officially began.
I had to admit that although Lu Yu could be sharp-tongued at times, he was quite skilled when it came to explaining problems. His thoughts were clear and his explanations thorough; he always managed to simplify complex formulas and theorems for me.
“You made a mistake with the auxiliary line on this problem,” he said, picking up a pen and drawing on my paper. “Look here…”
He leaned in close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath brushing against my ear as he spoke. His fingers were long and well-defined, holding the pen gracefully. Occasionally, while explaining, his fingertips would inadvertently brush against the back of my hand.
Each time we touched felt electric; my fingertips tingled and my focus wavered instantly.
I began to struggle to concentrate on what he was saying, unable to resist stealing glances at his face. His eyelashes were long, and when he looked down at the paper, the profile of his face appeared particularly soft.
“Hey, did you understand?” He finished explaining a problem and looked up at me.
“Uh? Oh… got it!” I nodded quickly, pretending to be earnest.
He narrowed his eyes, clearly skeptical. “What did I just say? Repeat it back.”
I: “…” Stuck.
Lu Yu let out a helpless sigh and lightly tapped my forehead with the pen. "Lin Wan, where has your soul flown off to?"
"It's... it's not flying away," I protested softly, covering my forehead.
He didn't press further, just shook his head and repeated the problem. "Listen carefully this time. If you zone out again, I’ll throw you out."
Despite his words, there wasn't much real reproach in his tone; instead, there was a hint of... indulgence?
The three-hour tutoring session felt both fleeting and painfully slow. Time passed quickly, but my attention was stretched thin and agonizingly slow.
Once the session ended, I packed my things to head home.
"Wait," Lu Yu called out to me. "There are a few similar problems for you to take home and work on. Bring them back tomorrow for me to check." He pulled a few sheets from a stack of papers and handed them to me.
"Okay," I replied, taking them.
He walked me to the door. "Be on time tomorrow."
"I will."
As I stepped out of his house, I felt my cheeks still slightly warm. Just moments ago, we had been sitting side by side in his room, so close that I could see the focused expression on his face as he explained the problems, along with those occasional brushes of contact...
Oh my gosh, Lin Wan, what are you thinking! That’s your brother! Well, not by blood!
I slapped my cheeks lightly, trying to shake off the thoughts. But my heart continued to race uncontrollably.
The time spent “tutoring” with Lu Yu seemed to be more unsettling than I had anticipated.
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