Being a Tutor to a Rich, Psychopathic Young Lady - Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Shi Mingyue first thought it was a question about a problem, so she specifically opened the text. She stared at it for a few seconds, realized she couldn’t answer, and quickly turned off her screen.
Cheng Jin reached out to hold her hand. The moment her fingers touched, Shi Mingyue quickly pulled away and clenched her hands tightly. After walking a few more steps, she used her graduation project as an excuse to return to her dorm early.
When she got back from the walk, Shi Mingyue used the money from her tutoring job to transfer the money for the dessert soup back to Cheng Jin. After thinking for half a minute, she added a note: “I order food for myself on the way back. It’s hot, and I have a small appetite. It would be a waste. I have a tutoring job now, so things are easier. Thank you so much for helping me get it.”
After sending it, Shi Mingyue felt uneasy. She rested her chin in her hand, waiting for a reply. Cheng Jin didn’t text back, so Shi Mingyue exited the chat and opened Xiao Dengqu’s profile to look at her Moments. Xiao Dengqu’s Moments were very neat. The only things that differed were the dates. Every post was the same: (＾＿＾).
Shi Mingyue’s face still felt hot from the last text. She typed: “Are you still thirsty at night? Drink some water and put on some lip balm before bed.” Speaking of kids, she thought of her own sister. Her sister was in her second year of high school and was working in an electronics factory for the summer, making three thousand yuan a month. Just a few days ago, she said she didn’t want to go back to school, and Shi Mingyue couldn’t get her to change her mind.
Shi Mingyue messaged her sister, telling her she found a job that paid over ten thousand a month and urged her to study hard and stay in school. It was only one more year of hardship; they just needed to grit their teeth and get through it.
After she sent the message, Cheng Jin replied: “I was in the shower. Mingyue, can you please not be so distant with me?” “Just give it a try. How will you know if you don’t?”
Shi Mingyue dropped her phone with a sigh. She just… didn’t want to try. She got out of bed to work on her graduation project for a bit. She was so tired today that she fell asleep early. As she drifted off, she squinted, unlocked her phone, and confirmed that Xiao Dengqu hadn’t replied. Only then did she finally fall asleep.
The job was three times a week. She didn’t have to go on Tuesday and Wednesday, so she planned to find another part-time job during her two days off. Early in the morning, she received a message from the housekeeper. “Can you come over this morning? We’ll cover your travel costs and pay you an extra two hundred yuan for a review session with the young lady.”
Shi Mingyue immediately agreed and packed her bag to catch the bus. As she passed the school’s fruit stand, she saw some honey peaches displayed outside. They were a tender pink with a dewy skin, looking as if they had just been freshly picked. In an instant, she thought of Xiao Dengqu and went in to buy two pounds.
The villa was quiet in the morning. Under the large crystal chandelier, Xiao Dengqu was tapping on a bowl and plate with a spoon, sometimes gently, sometimes forcefully. The people around her didn’t dare to breathe. The young lady hit the spoon against the plate again with force. “When is she coming?”
When she heard the movement outside, Xiao Dengqu put down her spoon, held the bowl, and drank the remaining soup. She tilted her head and smiled at Shi Mingyue. “Teacher.”
“Good morning,” Shi Mingyue said, her backpack on her shoulders, with damp strands of hair at her forehead. She gently held up the bag of fruit.
“Good morning to you too,” Xiao Dengqu replied with a smile.
The lesson began after Xiao Dengqu rinsed her mouth. Today, the young lady was wearing a black tank top and American-style cargo pants. She sat by the window as usual, with a bunch of sticker tattoos on her arms: Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, Cutey Honey, Tom and Jerry. They were all over the place. Shi Mingyue saw some bluish-black spots on her arm and thought they were bruises, so she immediately leaned in to look.
“Do they look good, Teacher?” Xiao Dengqu leaned closer, their noses just two centimeters apart. Shi Mingyue instinctively moved back.
Xiao Dengqu licked her lips with the tip of her small, pink tongue, which was just a slight curl away from moistening the rounded part of her lip. Shi Mingyue thought of the strange question she had asked. What to do when her mouth feels thirsty? Xiao Dengqu’s lips were quite moist now.
Xiao Dengqu said, “Teacher, aren’t you wearing lipstick?”
Shi Mingyue replied, “No.”
Xiao Dengqu tapped her lips twice with her finger. “I thought you said there was a filter, so you would let me see it in person. That’s a shame.”
Shi Mingyue hadn’t brought the lipstick today. She apologized. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Xiao Dengqu generously forgave her. “You look good with lipstick on. Very tempting.”
Suddenly being praised by the young lady, Shi Mingyue felt pleased. She returned the compliment. “Your lips are pretty, too.”
Xiao Dengqu held a large honey peach and took a bite. The flavor pleased her, and her eyes curved into a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
Shi Mingyue had her write down yesterday’s problem, and Xiao Dengqu wrote down the formula without even looking at the question. In the last twenty minutes, Shi Mingyue gave her a new problem to do, and using the same format as yesterday, Xiao Dengqu solved it directly.
The housekeeper, hearing that Xiao Dengqu had solved a new problem, was a little incredulous. “I’m not doubting you, but… you might not know what her grades used to be.”
“Hmm?” Xiao Dengqu asked, confused.
“She used to get only sixteen points on a test.”
Shi Mingyue was shocked. It was impossible to get only 16 points, no matter how badly you wrote. The housekeeper added, “She could only get the multiple-choice questions right, and those were all guesses…”
Shi Mingyue was protective of her student. “Maybe she just had a breakthrough. She’ll improve if she works hard.”
As she was leaving, the housekeeper gave her a hundred-yuan bonus and a bottle of perfume. After she left the villa, she searched for it online. It was Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche, 100ml, which cost over a thousand yuan on the official website. Shi Mingyue put the perfume in her bag. On the subway ride back, she looked up posts about what gifts other tutors for the rich had received. She felt at ease seeing that most of them had received expensive things.
The housekeeper didn’t message her again afterward, but Shi Mingyue still woke up early to check for messages. She wasn’t afraid of hard work; she just wanted to make more money. During the day, she studied and looked for new part-time jobs. Cheng Jin messaged her every night. This time, she bought her small snacks. When Shi Mingyue refused to accept them, Cheng Jin would just put them in her hands. She wouldn’t accept any money Shi Mingyue tried to transfer. In the end, Shi Mingyue bought her an ice cream in return once.
It started to rain on the way back to the dorm. Cheng Jin was prepared and opened her umbrella over them. The world under the umbrella felt intimate. The two of them were close, their shoulders lightly bumping together. Cheng Jin had helped her a lot recently, even helping her find a contact at a hospital to see if she could find a kidney donor for her mom.
The rain grew heavier. Cheng Jin walked her back to the dorm. The whole way, Shi Mingyue was tense and rigid, worried that Cheng Jin would take her hand. She didn’t know whether to pull away or hold on. She didn’t even notice that one side of her body was soaked.
The computer screen reflected Shi Mingyue’s appearance. Water dripped from the ends of her hair onto her narrow shoulders. The rain had soaked the top half of her body, and the poor-quality fabric revealed the color of her blue bra. She rubbed her eyes repeatedly, and the corners of her eyes turned red. She was fragile and beautiful, like a delicate wormwood plant soaked by the rain on the lawn outside the window.
The next day, the housekeeper notified her that the lesson would be earlier. After the rain, the city’s dust had been washed away, and the summer scenery looked vibrant and new. The air was fresh. Shi Mingyue took a clean outfit from her closet and went to the villa. After she showered, she put on lipstick and sprayed on the perfume.
As expected, with her cleaned-up appearance, Xiao Dengqu moved to sit beside her. “The top note is bergamot. I really like it.” “The heart note is jasmine.” She couldn’t distinguish the base note. She leaned in close, right behind Shi Mingyue’s ear, and sniffed softly. She asked, confused, “Teacher, what do you smell like now?”
Shi Mingyue had looked it up online. She said softly, “Teakwood. A very gentle teakwood.” Xiao Dengqu nodded, as if she understood. “Teacher, you smell so good. And sweet.”
Shi Mingyue’s cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”
“Now, listen carefully.”
Xiao Dengqu’s learning state was exactly the same as the first day: always distracted. But her patience was surprisingly good. She didn’t run around, play games, or make a fuss. When Shi Mingyue was tired, she would rest her chin in her hand and watch her, giving her time to rest. She never complained.
It was just that Xiao Dengqu would occasionally lean in close to suddenly sniff her. Shi Mingyue would pretend not to notice and teach her as quickly as possible.
This lesson was the final one of the week. Now it was time for Xiao Dengqu’s test. The test was provided by the housekeeper. The results would determine whether Shi Mingyue could stay on as her tutor. Shi Mingyue decided to talk to Xiao Dengqu. She had realized that Xiao Dengqu’s personality was actually quite good and she was reasonable. As long as you spoke to her softly and with a hint of pleading, she would usually think about it and secretly help.
Shi Mingyue finished packing and discussed it with her. “Xiao Qu, about that…”
“Hmm?” Xiao Dengqu turned her head to look at her.
Shi Mingyue nervously clasped her fingers together, using all her might to plead with the “bad” student like a fragile teacher. “Tomorrow… can you try to get a better score?”
“Let me think,” Xiao Dengqu said, her breath landing on Shi Mingyue’s neck. The white, taut skin contracted and pulsed, sensitive. Xiao Dengqu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of innate mischief in her expression. “Teacher, you’ll have to give me a good reward, too.”
Shi Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Dengqu was really easy to talk to. She nodded in agreement. Shi Mingyue’s lips curved into a smile. The scent of Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche emanated from the back of her neck, faint and gentle.
The young girl leaned in to take a deep sniff. It was the purest and coolest scent of summer. Her mouth was soft and wet, like a sweet fruit that had just ripened in the dense forest. Sweet. She wanted to eat it.
She leaned in and whispered into Shi Mingyue’s ear, “Teacher, what kind of lip balm do you like?”
Shi Mingyue thought this time she would receive a citrus-flavored lip balm, but when she left, she was given a Chanel outfit. Shi Mingyue didn’t dare to accept it. The price was too high, and she could lose her financial aid if it was reported. But the housekeeper handed her the shopping bag anyway. “The young lady gave it to you. She’ll get angry if you don’t accept it.”
Shi Mingyue had never seen Xiao Dengqu angry. She also needed Xiao Dengqu to help her stay on, so she accepted the gift. When she got back and opened the shopping bag, she found a pink outfit inside. The top was like a vest, very short, only covering her chest. The shorts were like underwear. It was a very sexy and alluring style.
She looked up the price online. The set was over fifty thousand yuan. The young lady was giving her too much. Shi Mingyue looked in the mirror on her wardrobe and saw that the seam on the shorts had split, and her neck and ears instantly turned a bright, shameful red.
Shi Mingyue messaged Xiao Dengqu: “I can’t wear this outfit. I’ll give it back to you next time I’m there.” She felt a little regretful. It was Chanel, after all. She could have sold it brand new online for at least fifty thousand yuan.
Xiao Dengqu didn’t reply to her today either. On Saturday, she arrived at the villa and was given the test paper. Shi Mingyue quickly scanned it. The questions were simple and didn’t require much thought.
The housekeeper told her, “You can give her hints, but you can’t write out the solutions or the answers for her. That is, don’t spoil her too much.” Shi Mingyue nodded in understanding. She went to shower and changed into a white shirt and jeans, put on her lipstick and perfume, and went to Xiao Dengqu’s bedroom. Xiao Dengqu looked her up and down, and her smile slowly faded. Shi Mingyue, thinking she didn’t want to take the test, spread the paper out for her and gently reminded her not to be nervous.
During the test, all of Xiao Dengqu’s focus disappeared. It was the complete opposite of last time. She was lost in thought as usual. The trees and clouds outside the window seemed to have a magical pull on her. She would stare at them for ten minutes at a time. Shi Mingyue had to tap the desk to bring her back. But even that didn’t help. She would just do it again. An hour into the test, she hadn’t written a single answer.
Shi Mingyue messaged the housekeeper and got her permission. Shi Mingyue helped Xiao Dengqu gather the test papers. Xiao Dengqu looked at her in confusion. Shi Mingyue said, “Let’s go write under the tree in the courtyard.”
Shi Mingyue took the test papers downstairs. The housekeeper had set up a desk under the tree with a portable air conditioner. The wind passed through the thick leaves, and the branches were full of yellow lemons. The light cast a dancing, shimmering shadow on the desk.
It was hard to see the sky under the tree. There were pink honey peaches on a plate and a glacier cup of grape and jasmine tea. Xiao Dengqu seemed to have completely frozen. Her eyes blinked, her gaze unfixed. Finally, she looked at Shi Mingyue with a flat, emotionless expression. It was hard to tell if she was angry. Shi Mingyue sat up, her back straight, taking on the authority of a teacher. “Let’s continue the test.”
Xiao Dengqu frowned with effort. “I don’t know how to write it.”
Shi Mingyue relaxed her posture. She leaned forward, tilted her head, and looked at the problem. “What part don’t you know?”
“I don’t know whether to choose A or B.”
Shi Mingyue could see that the correct answer was A. “Do you remember the vector formula? Does it follow the triangle rule?”
“Oh.”
Xiao Dengqu was about to check A, but she wrote down the formula and chose B.
“…” Shi Mingyue took a sip of the juice.
This continued. Xiao Dengqu got every single question wrong, getting more and more ridiculous. It was almost time for the final, more difficult multiple-choice questions. Xiao Dengqu got the formula wrong, too.
Shi Mingyue couldn’t stand it anymore. She moved to sit next to Xiao Dengqu. Xiao Dengqu rested her chin in her hand, the tip of her pen tracing the pattern on the cup. Shi Mingyue’s fingers had just held the cup, and her pink fingertips were damp with condensation. She held a ballpoint pen and gently corrected the formula. Compared to Xiao Dengqu’s messy handwriting, Shi Mingyue’s script was neat and slender. “Look, this is how the function goes…”
Xiao Dengqu lightly tapped the pen on the cup, creating an ethereal sound. The vibration left a lingering echo, and a sudden chill went down Shi Mingyue’s spine. She suddenly understood something. Xiao Dengqu might just not want to learn. She was controlling her scores, deliberately trying to get a rise out of her. But Xiao Dengqu’s grades had always been terrible. She had never scored above thirty in math, so she must have been controlling her scores long before this.
It was… because she didn’t want a tutor?
The young lady’s life was simple. She only needed to daydream and watch the trees and clouds to pass the time. She was rejecting people in the most calm and gentle way possible. Shi Mingyue felt that Xiao Dengqu was about to confront her.
“Teacher.”
The noisy cicadas of summer buzzed, and the heat was restless. Xiao Dengqu spun her pen, rested her cheek on her hand, and called to her. Her voice was slightly deeper. “I secretly saw you two kissing on the day you arrived.”
Shi Mingyue was stunned.
Awkward and shy, Shi Mingyue took the test paper and continued to show her the questions. Xiao Dengqu, however, suddenly leaned in, her lips close to her ear, and said mischievously, “Can you give me a kiss for every correct answer, Teacher?”