Gao Yurong

After school in the afternoon, Wang Yi walked towards the tutor's villa complex as usual, but he had already made up his mind to end the tutoring sessions.

On the lawn, the girl looked slightly taken aback. "You don't want to continue?" she asked, her expression showing some confusion.

She then frowned and added, "Is it because the pay is too low?"

"No," Wang Yi quickly explained. "With the college entrance exams coming up soon, I'm worried I won't have enough time for tutoring, so I think it's better to end it early." In fact, the pay was already quite generous. Most students earned around one hundred per hour, but he was getting one hundred and fifty.

Gao Yurong looked at Wang Yi for a while before reluctantly saying, "If that's the case, then okay..."

Wang Yi felt relieved when she agreed. After spending so much time together, he knew that Gao Yurong could be quite stubborn, and he was worried she might object. Of course, it wouldn't have made a difference if she did, but after knowing her for so long, he didn't want to strain their relationship.

At that moment, Gao Yurong said, "To thank you for tutoring me all this time, I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Wang Yi quickly responded, "That's not necessary."

Without saying anything more, Gao Yurong simply looked at him. After three seconds of silence, Wang Yi gave in and sighed, "Alright then, where are we going to eat?"

A small smile appeared on her face. "Come to my place. I'll cook for you. You can try my cooking skills."

Wang Yi couldn't help but feel skeptical. In the almost year-long period they had known each other, he had never seen her cook. Then again, he rarely visited her house, so perhaps that was why. Still, Gao Yurong didn't seem like the type who would spend time in the kitchen.

But, of course, Wang Yi wasn't going to say that out loud.

"Isn't that too much trouble for you? Why don't we just go out to eat? I can treat you," Wang Yi suggested. Though he was tight on money, he could still afford a meal—just not at a fancy hotel or restaurant. He had been invited out a couple of times by Zhao Han and the others, but after two outings, he decided not to go again.

Gao Yurong glared at him. "Are you looking down on me? Do you think I can't cook?"

"Of course not."

"Then follow me."

"..."

In the end, Wang Yi followed her to her house. When she opened the door, a spacious, bright, and clean living room greeted him. It was larger than the one in his own home, which wasn't surprising. Her apartment had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a balcony—far better conditions than Wang Yi's place.

The room also had a faint, fresh fragrance.

Although Wang Yi had been tutoring Gao Yurong, he had never met her parents. He only knew that they were separated, with her father living in Kyoto Base City and her mother in Jiangnan Base City. Her mother seemed to be very busy, as Wang Yi had never seen her, and Gao Yurong rarely spoke about her parents.

"Make yourself comfortable. If you're bored, there's a TV and a laptop. You can use them," Gao Yurong said casually after they entered. She changed into house slippers, revealing her pale feet as they lightly tapped against the floor.

Wang Yi initially offered to help her cook, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of just sitting around while she worked. However, he realized that the two of them might feel even more awkward in the kitchen together, so he decided not to insist.

After heading to her bedroom to change, Wang Yi could hear the faint sounds of clothes rustling, thanks to his keen hearing. The image of her changing appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but acknowledge that Gao Yurong had a great figure. The thought was a bit too much for him, as a young man full of energy, but with his strong willpower, Wang Yi quickly cleared his mind.

To distract himself, he opened the laptop on the desk in the living room and browsed for a movie he was interested in.

When Gao Yurong emerged from her room, she was no longer in her sportswear. She had changed into casual home clothes and let her ponytail down, her hair now flowing behind her. She looked more relaxed and radiant than he had ever seen her before. Wang Yi was momentarily stunned, as he had always seen her as a bit reserved and cold. This new side of her was refreshing.

Wang Yi quickly lowered his head, mentally repeating to himself, Women are like tigresses, women are like tigresses... But the memory of her changing clothes still lingered, almost derailing his thoughts again.

"What are you watching?" Gao Yurong's soft voice broke his train of thought as she stood next to him. Her hair lightly brushed his arm, and her scent filled the air.

"Star Wars 6," Wang Yi replied calmly.

"Oh." She stood beside him for a moment before walking to the fridge in the corner of the living room. "I forgot to ask, what would you like to drink?"

"Anything's fine," Wang Yi said, then quickly added, "Just not mineral water."

"I made some juice last night, it's chilled," Gao Yurong said as she retrieved a slightly cloudy orange drink and placed it in front of him. "I mixed a few kinds of fruits. Let me know if you like it."

Wang Yi took a sip of the cold, sweet, and tangy drink. "It's good," he said. In truth, he preferred tea, but he wasn't going to say that to her.

Sensing his thoughts, Gao Yurong raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she asked, "What do you like to eat? I'll see if I have the ingredients."

"Whatever you want," Wang Yi replied, trying to avoid being difficult.

"Alright," she said, not pushing further. She tied an apron around her waist, her slim figure accentuated as she walked into the kitchen.

Wang Yi shook his head as he listened to the sounds of clattering in the kitchen. After a while, the scent of food began to drift into the living room.

He sniffed the air and muttered to himself, "Smells good. Looks like it'll be edible, at least."

He had been worried that he might end up eating a disaster of a meal.

Before long, Gao Yurong brought out the food. She didn't make much—just four dishes and a soup—but everything looked delicious, and the presentation was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

She even took out a bottle of red wine that Wang Yi didn't recognize.

They each poured a glass.

"Try it and see if it's good," Gao Yurong said, looking at Wang Yi with a hint of anticipation.

This time, Wang Yi didn't hesitate. After all, they were no longer strangers. He took a bite of the food and chewed, his eyebrows lifting in mild surprise.

"How is it?" she asked, a bit nervously.

"It's okay," Wang Yi replied honestly.

"That's it?" She looked dissatisfied.

Wang Yi gave her a helpless look. "Alright, it's delicious."

Satisfied, Gao Yurong nodded with a smile.