Chapter 4

I put down the binoculars, feeling that I'd seen enough for today. The haul had been substantial, and I was already impatient to see what tomorrow would bring. But for now, I needed to go home and rest.

I went to the supermarket and bought some liquor. That was a habit I'd picked up after my girlfriend left me. If I didn't drink a little every day, I couldn't sleep. Even now that I was rich, my spiritual world was still hollow. Of course, as my rescue work kept succeeding step by step, countless women would eventually fill that emptiness. In the future, I'd be very busy.

I slept soundly until a phone call disturbed my dream.

What dream? Naturally, a dream about Yingying.

I answered the phone a little irritably. "Hello, who is this?"

"Oh, hello. I saw your information on the community notice board. Could I ask what your English tutoring is like?"

I perked up at once. It looked like one of my fish had taken the bait, though I still couldn't tell whether the caller was Yingying's mother.

"Hello. I'm back from overseas, and I'm currently doing some educational work part-time at No. 5 Middle School. I also have a fair amount of free time now, so I thought I'd teach English to children who need it. May I ask what your child is like?"

"What a coincidence. My child is also a student at No. 5 Middle School. She's in the first year of high school now. Everything else is pretty good, but her English is weak. I wanted to find a tutor to help raise her grades."

The moment I heard that, I was basically sure it was Yingying's mother.

"I see. If it's convenient, could we meet and talk?"

"Of course, of course. I have time anytime. When would be convenient for you?"

"I have class at school this afternoon, but I have time in the morning. How about ten o'clock? I'll come to your place directly."

"That would be wonderful. My home is in Building 22, Unit 1, Apartment 1301."

Building 22, thirteenth floor. Everything matched. It really was Yingying's mother. You had good taste, spotting my ad so quickly. I didn't know whether she'd seen it while out for a morning run or buying breakfast, but in any case, she'd taken the bait. I was going to rescue her precious daughter.

I got up right away and carefully tidied myself. I didn't choose anything too expensive or flashy; that would have looked too showy, and how could I possibly pass myself off as a tutor dressed like that? Instead, I picked a steady, tasteful outfit that made me look cultured and composed.

After breakfast, I rested for a while, then headed to Building 22. I'd be coming here often from now on. Maybe in the daytime, maybe at night. In the bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room on the thirteenth floor, I would leave my mark there. I'd make Yingying dripping wet with desire.

I rang Apartment 1301 from downstairs.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm the English tutor who called this morning."

"Ah, hello. Please come in!"

The downstairs door opened, and I walked in with graceful ease. Thinking of how Yingying would walk back and forth through this building every day, I almost felt I could smell her fragrance.

When the elevator reached the thirteenth floor, Yingying's mother was already waiting by the door. She was a very young-looking, beautiful woman. I didn't know exactly how old she was, but Yingying was already in high school, so she had to be close to forty by now.

"Nice to meet you." I held out my hand, every bit as polite as I could be.

"Nice to meet you. Please, come in." Yingying's mother held out her hand too. I took it. Her hand was just like Yingying's, soft and tender. Their family's genes were clearly excellent. I wondered what her marriage was like; it seemed her husband wasn't home.

Yingying's mother went to pour me tea and bring me water, being extremely warm and welcoming. Even though she was wearing house clothes, it was obvious her figure was excellent, with no sign of middle-age spread at all. Her hips were full and rounded too, which made it hard to keep my composure, but I was a civilized man now. I couldn't behave too obviously.

"As I mentioned on the phone, it's my daughter. She's in the first year of high school, and her English has always been poor. But English is a required subject on the college entrance exam, so I really don't know what to do."

"Don't worry. Girls usually have better language aptitude than boys. Your daughter probably just isn't interested. If you want her to learn English well, making her memorize vocabulary all day probably won't work. We should start from another angle and get her interested first."

"That makes a lot of sense. You're back from overseas, right?"

"Mm, I came back from the United States. I work in investment. Of course, right now I'm also doing some educational work, giving back to the motherland."

"Wow, you're a successful man. Having you tutor my child, aren't we being a little... over our heads?"

"No, no, please don't say that. Education doesn't have a hierarchy. I really do want to start from the ground up and teach children in school classrooms and at home."

"Then thank you so much. Although our means definitely can't compare with your income from other areas, we certainly won't shortchange you, as long as you can raise my daughter's English grades."

"Heh, money is never what I care about. I'm not short of money. A symbolic fee will do."

"Even so, we should settle it in advance. It's a little embarrassing, but could you say some English for me to hear? I'm not doubting you, so please don't misunderstand."

"No problem. XXXXX." I rattled off a string of English like a machine gun. She was obviously very satisfied, so she probably understood some English herself.

"Your English is amazing. No wonder you came back from America. In that case, how many days a week can you tutor my daughter?"

"How about this: I'll come on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, one hour each day. Would that work?"

"Yes, yes, that's fine. Thank you so much. And the fee? Please name a price, as long as it's within our means."

"Heh, then let's do this: the fee is 100 a day. Does that sound reasonable?"

"100?"

"If you think that's too much, I can lower it. It's fine."

"Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant. Someone like you tutoring my daughter, 100 is really not appropriate. How about 300 a day instead?"

"No, no, I said it already. I'm not doing this for the money. 100. Just 100, okay?"

"You're being far too kind. How did I run into such a good person like you?"

I thought to myself that she'd really hit the jackpot meeting me. I could rescue her daughter as early as possible and save her from being deceived by some man in the future. As for this beautiful married woman in front of me... maybe she needed rescuing too.

"Um, what do you do for work?"

"Oh, I run a small clothing shop. I'm usually pretty free."

"I see. And your husband?"

"He works for a state-owned enterprise. Don't worry, he just happened to be on a business trip for these past two days. Everyone in our family is perfectly normal."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. Do you need to tell your daughter? When should the tutoring start?"

"The sooner the better, of course. No need to tell her. I make the decisions."

"Heh, actually parents should communicate more with their children. Since today is Thursday, if this evening works, I can come over first and try a lesson."

"All right! Let's do that. We'll add each other on WeChat, and I'll contact you tonight."

"Sure, sure."

"By the way, do you also live in this community?"

"Yes, my place is in Building 9."

"Oh, that's convenient. See you tonight."

I left Yingying's home, already thinking about seeing that little darling again in the evening, and my mood was electric. I imagined all those tutor-and-student scenes from porn turning into reality. Was I really going to make that happen?

Of course, not tonight.

I went to eat lunch, then stopped by a sports equipment store and bought an expensive tennis racket. It was a gift for Yingying. And to make it seem less abrupt, I also bought a few pairs of basketball shoes for some students who had written that their dream was to become basketball stars.

With those gifts in hand, I went to No. 5 Middle School. When the homeroom teacher saw me, he greeted me warmly. "Mr. Hua, you're really amazing. The students kept asking me today when you'd be coming again."

"The students are really enthusiastic."

"There are fewer afternoon classes today, and the students are all studying on their own. If it's convenient for you, you can go in and teach anytime."

"All right, thank you, Mr. Wang. I'll go over now."

I walked into the classroom carrying my gifts. The moment the students saw me, they applauded and welcomed me. Especially my Yingying - she was smiling so brightly it was almost dazzling. She was just too adorable.

"Students, I saw the dreams you wrote yesterday. They're all very good. Some of you want to be astronauts, some want to study archaeology, some want to become entrepreneurs. But whatever you want to do, the first thing you need is solid knowledge, right?"

"Yes!!"

"So everyone needs to study hard first. Only then can you realize your dreams. I have a few gifts here for the children whose writing I thought was good yesterday."

After handing out the sneakers to a few students, I deliberately brought out the tennis racket. Yingying's eyes practically lit up. She really did love tennis.

"This racket is for Wang Yunying. Her dream is to become a tennis player and bring honor to the country. I think that's excellent! And that's not all - I'll also build a tennis court for our school, so all the students can learn tennis and enjoy the fun of playing!"

I saw Yingying's eyes grow wet. She clearly hadn't expected me to be so generous, not only giving her a racket but even promising to build a tennis court at the school, all for the sake of her dream.

Yingying walked up to the podium and looked at me gratefully. I thought to myself that thanking me now wasn't nearly enough; in the future, she'd be even more grateful - grateful that I had helped her see through the bullshit called love.

"Thank you, teacher. This is the best gift I've ever received. Really, thank you, teacher. I'll treasure it properly."

"Heh, same as I said before - you have to use it well, otherwise wouldn't my sincerity be wasted?"

"Mm, I know. Thank you, teacher."

Yingying's breathing was a little quick. She seemed excited, her chest rising and falling lightly, as if she couldn't calm herself down.

"Go back to your seat. Today, let's talk about the stories of those athletes who brought honor to the country."

When it came to telling stories, I was exceptionally good at it. Every student was drawn in by my vivid performance, listening with rapt attention. Especially my lovely Yingying - I could see a trace of admiration in her eyes. That feeling was wonderful. It would let me create a rift between her and her little boyfriend sooner and faster.

I taught for two more periods. Under the students' reluctant gazes, I left the classroom proudly. Really, I knew that besides my stories being interesting, many students also wanted more gifts from me. And my Yingying had already received gifts from me twice, so she was the most reluctant to see me go.

I didn't leave school right away. I still had other plans for today. I chatted with the female teachers in the office for a while. Maybe because they knew I was a successful man, they were all willing to exchange a few words with me. I also noticed one very quiet female teacher who was silently preparing her lesson.

She actually wasn't interested in money. That teacher looked like she needed rescuing too, but I still didn't have that in mind yet. My target was Yingying.

Before long, the bell rang and school let out. I hurried outside first, then stood by the school gate watching until I saw my Yingying and her little boyfriend come out together.

I walked ahead a few steps, then deliberately slowed my pace and kept in front of them. Since my home and Yingying's home were in the same community, our route was the same anyway, so it made perfect sense for me to walk in front. I was certain Yingying would recognize my back.

As expected, after only a few steps I heard hurried footsteps rushing toward me.

"Teacher Hua!!"

Yingying tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around as if I hadn't noticed her. Those adorable big eyes, that slightly babyish little face, and those soft lips were enough to make me a little dazed.

"Oh, it's Wang Yunying."

"Yes, teacher. Are you going home?"

"Mm, yes."

"Then let's go together. We live in the same place anyway."

"What!? Live together?"

The boyfriend beside her was obviously jealous. That was exactly the effect I wanted. What kind of love could a petty guy like that possibly have?

"Oh, I meant in the same community! Xiao Wei, this is our new teacher, Teacher Hua. He's amazing..."

"Forget it, forget it. You two talk. I'm leaving!"

"Xiao Wei!? What are you doing?"

The boyfriend actually walked off without looking back. Yingying bit her lip, her eyes a little moist, clearly feeling wronged. She looked so pitiful that I wanted to comfort her and make her understand that little boyfriend of hers didn't really love her at all.

"Am I causing you trouble?"

"No, Teacher Hua. He's just petty. He's always like that. Let's go."

"Are you really all right?"

"It's fine."

"That's your boyfriend, right?"

"Teacher, you won't blame me for dating too early or anything, will you?"

"Heh, I'm back from America. I'm not that old-fashioned. You're already in high school; dating is perfectly normal."

"Teacher, you're really different from everyone else. You know so much, and you're so mature..."

I looked at my Yingying. Her little face seemed a bit red. Hahaha, too adorable. Of course, compared with that jealous little boyfriend of hers, the difference was obvious. Don't worry - I'll rescue you right away!

We walked back into the community, and then I stopped and pointed at a place, looking at Yingying.

"Wait a second."

"What's wrong, teacher?"

"Didn't you say you like tennis? Actually, besides building a tennis court at school, I'm going to build one here too. Construction starts right away!"

"Ah! Teacher, are you serious?"

"Of course. Happy?"

"Teacher, I... I don't even know what to say. Thank you! Thank you..." As she spoke, Yingying's eyes filled with tears, and they were clearly even wetter than when she was angry at her boyfriend just now. This child really had a rich emotional life and got excited very easily.