451. Special Tutoring for Chen Yao
Recently, Chen Yao has become increasingly serious in class.
They are in a design major, which means they study a mixed bag of stuff—hands-on courses like sketching, 3D software, and SAO software, alongside some purely theoretical courses like Mao Zedong’s thoughts (because who doesn’t love a bit of philosophy?), design appreciation, and art history from home and abroad.
The latter is typically just about memorization. The teacher does a little lecture and deconstruction, but it’s really just to help students commit things to memory. For Lin Nan, though, that’s her bread and butter.
The second class of the morning leans more towards practical work, so Lin Nan didn’t interrupt Chen Yao’s serious studying enthusiasm until it was time to head back to the rental apartment. That’s when she pitched her grand idea.
“How about I teach you every day?” Lin Nan, small and sprightly, peeked out from under her sunshade and looked up at Chen Yao.
Chen Yao held the umbrella, giving her a peculiar look. “Aren’t you pretty mediocre yourself?”
“Who said that? I’m a genius!”
“Never saw a genius running around begging for notes at the end of the semester.”
She might have been a struggling student in the past, but these days, Lin Nan had somehow developed a magic trick that let her read ten lines at once. She memorized this semester’s textbooks in no time. While drawing requires tons of practice, at least in theory, Lin Nan was unstoppable in class.
Not happy with Chen Yao’s preconceived notions, she puffed out her chest and retorted with glee, “Have you not seen how fast Pan Maoxin’s grades improved under my careful guidance? I might not be the best learner, but I have teaching skills!”
Chen Yao suspected Lin Nan only motivated Pan Maoxin by basically threatening him—after all, she barely passed English in her freshman year, and she had to cheat all through her other English exams.
She probably beat Pan Maoxin into realizing that studying mattered—study, or face the wrath!
But seeing Lin Nan’s confident demeanor, he didn’t want to deflate her balloon. Instead, he said in a mock-worshipful tone, “Then my future studies will entirely depend on you, my wise wife.”
“Call me Teacher Lin!”
Lin Nan was just brimming with pride, happily bobbing her head: “If you don’t do well, don’t blame me. My students are all geniuses! Don’t embarrass me!”
Chen Yao could only roll his eyes and say, “Teacher Lin.”
“Good boy~”
As long as you’re happy!
Seeing Lin Nan’s naive and whimsical smile, he felt his mood lighten as well.
After randomly choosing a shop at the school’s back gate and grabbing two lunch boxes, they slowly made their way back home.
Chen Yao, being the heat-sensitive person he is, ripped off his shirt as soon as they got home, then retreated to the bedroom with his lunch to cool off with the air conditioning. Meanwhile, Lin Nan yawned, munched on food, and pulled out her theory textbooks from the past two years for some organizing.
The idea of tutoring Chen Yao had seemed simple enough in theory. But when a thick stack of books landed in front of Lin Nan, she briefly regretted her decision.
This hefty pile would take at least half a month to read through, and she had to weave magic spells to make it happen…
What a hassle.
Originally, she wanted Chen Yao to be able to memorize the entire textbook like she did, but upon seeing the mountain of material, Lin Nan decided that just getting him to remember some key points would suffice.
After hastily finishing her lunch, she pushed the door open and strolled into the bedroom, only to find Chen Yao’s lunch left on the computer desk while he was clicking away at his mouse, apparently lost in some game.
“Eating? What? You still haven’t eaten and are playing games?”
“Not gaming, I’m looking up tutorials for practicing AE.” Chen Yao looked up from the screen at Lin Nan. “Done eating?”
“What’s up?”
“Check the dorm group. Are you going or not?”
Lin Nan, utterly clueless, shut the door and plopped on the bed, pulling out her phone to check the dorm group messages. She noticed Tu Junhui had proposed an outing to Zhongshan Street for the Children’s Day celebration.
But isn’t Children’s Day on June 1st? Is Tu Junhui a giant baby?
“June 1st is next Monday, isn’t there class?” Lin Nan mumbled, scrolling through the chat to see that Tu Junhui intended to push the date to Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday afternoons are typically holidays used for dorm inspections, and school events usually take place then too.
Lin Nan was a bit reluctant to go. She was already tired enough from classes, and on weekends, she had to bus it to her tutoring gigs. The only half-day off she had was that Tuesday afternoon!
But upon further reflection, she noted that they were short one person in the dorm group and that Chen Yao had already agreed to go.
“You could have said something earlier!”
“Weren’t you in the living room just now?” Chen Yao replied with a grin. “It’s rare for our dorm to go out together. Sounds like fun!”
Lin Nan was a little miffed. “Why didn’t you say anything in class? Going out is bound to cost money.”
But Zhongshan Street…
It’s a tourist hotspot. Lin Nan had heard about it back in her freshman year. Allegedly, it was filled with all kinds of delicious seafood, and the photos online looked amazing—but it was quite a trek away, so she’d never been.
After a moment of deliberation, she frowned and asked, “If we go, will we get back in time tonight?”
“Just stay at an inn nearby, then skip class the next morning.” Chen Yao leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, still focused on the tutorial video on his computer.
That sounds like it could get expensive.
She sighed softly and nodded reluctantly, feeling pitiful for her wallet.
But honestly, it was rare for her to hang out with her roommates.
Lin Nan quickly tossed the idea aside and pulled out a book on Chinese and foreign art history, assuming a serious face just like when she taught Pan Maoxin. “Class is in session.”
“You’re really going to tutor me?” Chen Yao exclaimed in shock, looking back at her.
“Why not? If I finish teaching you now, you can join in on the fun when that class comes around again.”
It sounded a bit sketchy, but Chen Yao dutifully played along, straightening up in his seat, pretending to be serious. “Teacher Lin, I’m ready for class!”
“Well then, let’s get started! I’ll read a line, and you read it back.”
It felt like they were playing house again.
Chen Yao reluctantly nodded and followed Lin Nan as she recited the text. At first, he barely paid attention, but gradually, something clicked.
He found he could easily remember what he read, or rather, what Lin Nan read.
Quietly, he shut his mouth and observed Lin Nan’s focused expression as she read, realizing that even when he wasn’t repeating after her, he could remember just as well—he even recalled things clearly even when his mind wandered.
Clearly, this was a Lin Nan thing. His memory couldn’t possibly be strong enough to absorb everything after just one hearing.
Moreover, even though Lin Nan seemed to be reading from the textbook, her gaze was wandering. She was clearly thinking about something else, more like she was trying to memorize the book.
That’s when it dawned on Chen Yao that Lin Nan was a bit out of the ordinary; her cognitive powers were a touch extraordinary too. Just never thought about it much before.
“Why aren’t you reading along with me?” Lin Nan blinked her big eyes, looking puzzled.
“I’m listening very attentively!”
Lin Nan wasn’t satisfied with his attitude and emphasized, “You have to read along to remember!”
Otherwise, the effect of this magic would be way too obvious.
“You’re so unmotivated! You’ll sleep on the couch tonight!”
