What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 29.1

A college class was longer than Ye Li had imagined. With nothing to do, she soon rested her head on her arms and dozed off. The office wasn’t private, and other teachers occasionally came in and out. This was a good way to avoid awkward eye contact and conversations. Besides, Ye Li really didn’t want to talk right now.

She didn’t know how long she had been napping until the bell for the end of class rang throughout the Jingchuan University campus. The girl, who was resting on the desk, lifted her head. She made sure no one else was in the office before she picked up her phone to check it. Before she could send a message, Auntie Lu’s message popped up.

[Lu Zhiyun: I’ll be back in about ten minutes.]

Ten minutes? That long? Ye Li was shocked at first. She couldn’t help but twiddle her fingers on the edge of the table. Then she thought about it. Given Auntie Lu’s speed, that sounds about right. A small smile, one she didn’t even realize, appeared on her face.

When Lu Zhiyun returned to the office, she grabbed her car keys to drive Ye Li back. When they passed the university’s A cafeteria, the woman suddenly stopped. “It’s a little too late to go home and cook. Do you want to eat lunch at the cafeteria with me?” The girl, who was about to say something, quickly closed her mouth and silently gave a thumbs-up.

Jingchuan University’s cafeteria was much bigger than the one at her high school. She heard this was only one of them, and there was another one, cafeteria B. Ye Li followed Lu Zhiyun into the cafeteria. Their appearance naturally attracted the attention of many students on the first floor. In Ye Li’s opinion, it must be because of Auntie Lu’s halo. She was a celebrity, but not an actress. She was very pretty; even Ye Li couldn’t help but admire her.

The two of them went up to the third floor, where there were stir-fry areas and two self-serve buffets. Lu Zhiyun led the girl to the buffet area to pick out their lunch, and then they found an empty table to sit at.

“Hello, Teacher Lu!” “Teacher Lu!” …

From the moment Ye Li sat down, she saw many students passing by and greeting the woman in front of her. Lu Zhiyun responded to all of them with a warm and polite smile. Ye Li held her chopsticks stiffly and shoved a piece of meat into her mouth, quietly enduring the same attention. Because every college student who greeted Auntie Lu would look at her curiously, their eyes seemed to ask, Who is she? Is she a student at Jingchuan University? What’s her relationship with Teacher Lu? Ye Li suddenly regretted agreeing to eat at the cafeteria. Although the food was much better than in her high school.

Just when she thought it was over, after a group of students left, two teachers came.

“Oh, isn’t that Teacher Lu?” “This girl is so pretty. Which department is she in?” “She’s not a student here? She’s a high school student? She looks so mature.” “She’s a senior. She has to work hard. The college entrance exam is in a little over a hundred days.” …

For a moment, Ye Li felt like a monkey in a zoo, being pointed at by people outside the fence. Finally, after lunch, she sat in Auntie Lu’s car on the way back. The girl tiredly rested her hand on her forehead. She felt like eating that one meal had drained most of her energy for the day.

The woman in the driver’s seat glanced at her and thought she wasn’t feeling well. “Do you have a headache again? Get some rest when we get back. A cold is just your body fighting a virus. The better you rest, the faster you’ll get better.” No, I just don’t want to talk and hear my own voice. The girl put her hand down helplessly, closed her eyes, and rested.

Two days later, Ye Li heard from Han Yueyue that she had finished her IELTS exam. “I don’t think it was that hard. Are you sure you’re not going to try, Ye Li? Even if you don’t plan to study abroad, it’s not a loss to take the exam. Just try it.”

“Tomorrow is the last day to register for the next test!” After her constant badgering, Ye Li ended up agreeing. “I’ll just take it for fun.” When she told this to Auntie Lu, she was completely surprised. Of course, to help her prepare, Auntie Lu spent the next half a month meticulously helping her get ready. Because of this, Ye Li, who was just going to take the exam for fun, was forced into a hellish training session.

When the results came out, Ye Li, who didn’t have any hopes, actually got a six, which was a passing score. Ye Deyou praised her a lot over the phone. Even Auntie Lu said, “It will be much easier for Xiaoli to study abroad if she wants to in the future.”

“Hahahaha, I never thought my daughter, Ye Li, could one day study abroad. Miss Lu, do you have any universities you’d recommend?” The man’s loud laughter came from the other end of the phone.

“I never said I wanted to study abroad,” Ye Li said, her one sentence pouring cold water on the two adults’ conversation.

But later, she realized that she wasn’t completely against studying abroad. She just hated having her life planned out by others. But what she said was like water that had been spilled. With her personality, there was no way she was going to take back what she said. After that, her dad and Auntie Lu never mentioned studying abroad again.

Time passed quickly. After the art school exams in February, it was already May. Since school resumed after the new year, the monthly exams were changed to every two weeks. In the last two months before the college entrance exam, it was changed to once a week. Everyone was miserable from the endless exams. It felt like the teachers had just finished going over the last mock exam when another one was given.

In the middle of evening self-study, Ye Li got a message from her dad. The girl frowned in disgust. Luckily, her phone was on silent. This old man doesn’t know she’s in class right now. He doesn’t even check the time when he sends a message. While the physics teacher was distracted at the podium, Ye Li quietly took out her phone to take a look. Of course, it was a voice message. She had to convert it to text.

[Ye Deyou: Xiaoli, I’m at the Jingchuan airport. I’ll come to your school later.]

Ye Li:? Her dad was back? After quickly sending an OK emoji, the girl put her phone back in her pocket. At the same time, she started to look for the dean on patrol in the hallway. Lately, many seniors’ phones have been confiscated. Two from her class had their phones taken away.

There were fewer than thirty minutes left in the evening self-study. Ye Li opened her mock exam and buried her head in it again. She heard the bell ring throughout the school.

In the scattered crowd after school, Ye Li walked slowly with her backpack slung over her shoulder and one hand in her school uniform pocket. She didn’t expect to see her dad waiting right outside the school gate. He was wearing the same flowery shirt as a year ago, a big gold chain, and a watch. But his hair was balding, his belly was rounder, and he looked more greasy. There was a big black suitcase next to his feet with a brown travel bag on top of it.

“Dad,” the girl said, greeting him. She casually asked, “Didn’t you say you were coming back in a week?”

“I finished everything early, so I came back. Besides, your college entrance exam is next month on the ninth. I thought I would come back early to supervise you,” he said.

Ye Li frowned helplessly. “Auntie Lu’s supervision is already demonic enough. I don’t need another one.”

“Oh, that’s right. Quickly call your Auntie Lu. We’ll take her out to dinner,” Ye Deyou said, patting her arm.

“Dad, it’s so late. Let’s not eat. Let’s do it another time. I still have homework to do,” Ye Li said, rejecting his suggestion without thinking.

Ye Deyou looked down at his big gold watch. But the light was too dim, and a big tree was blocking the way. He couldn’t see it clearly, so he kept walking back and forth, trying to find a brighter spot. The scene was a little comical. Ye Li, speechless, opened her phone and put it in front of his wrist.

“Oh, it’s already after ten. Forget it then. How about this weekend?” Ye Deyou asked after squinting to read the time.

“The school has officially taken away our weekends since last month. I probably won’t have time until after the college entrance exam,” Ye Li said, shrugging.

“Well then… I’ve come all this way. I have to at least go say hello. She’s taken care of you for so many years.” Since her dad wanted to say hello, Ye Li took him.

Lu Zhiyun was also very surprised to see Ye Li’s father. She was in her room organizing Ye Li’s recent mistakes when she quickly took off her glasses and came out to greet him. As expected, Ye Li stood by and watched her dad thank Auntie Lu for her hard work and for all she had done for Ye Li to get to where she was today, even getting a good score of six on her IELTS exam. In reality, Ye Li wanted to say that a six was a very average, just a passing grade.

She could tell Auntie Lu was getting tired of the constant flattery. The girl, who had been standing with her arms crossed, finally couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward. “Dad, it’s late. You should go find a hotel and rest.”

Ye Deyou was stunned for a moment. He said, “I was thinking of staying in Jingchuan to be with you. What do you think?”

“Don’t,” the girl said, looking at him with disgust. “There’s only one month left. Besides, I’m living here just fine. It would be a hassle to move in with you and get used to a new environment.” Ye Li’s refusal was quick and without any hesitation.

“Okay, okay, I was just asking. Your old man can’t really help with anything. But you can’t get distracted in this last month. Focus on your exam.” The man added, “If you’re sure you don’t need me here, then I’ll head back to Changqing.”

After that day, Ye Li didn’t see her dad again until before the college entrance exam. It wasn’t that her dad didn’t come back to Jingchuan; it was just that their schedules didn’t match up. According to Auntie Lu, her dad would send over fruits, milk, chicken, duck, fish, and meat every now and then. During this time, Ye Li also occasionally received messages from her dad, mostly sharing things with her.

[Ye Deyou: Xiaoli, I just picked up a new BMW from the dealership. I’ll take you for a ride after your exam!]

[Ye Li: Dad, last time you came back, didn’t you say you were going to buy a Mercedes? Why did you get a BMW?]

[Ye Deyou: Hahahaha, everyone said a BMW suits a middle-aged man’s personality better.]

Ye Li: “…”

[Ye Deyou: I’m going to renovate our old house these days. You might have to stay in a hotel with me for a while after your exam.]

[Ye Li: Why are you renovating that broken house? With that money, you could buy a new one.]

[Ye Deyou: You don’t understand. This is the house your grandpa left us. Your grandma gave birth to me here, and your mom gave birth to you here. This is our legacy. We have to preserve it.]

Ye Li: “…”

Time quickly came to the day before the college entrance exam. To help the students relax, the school gave them the last day off before the exam. Ye Li had just found out last night that Auntie Lu had resigned from Jingchuan University. She was really leaving. Although she knew this was going to happen eventually, her heart still felt heavy, as if it was filled with a rock. Even when the other person called her for breakfast this morning, Ye Li said she didn’t want to eat and had no appetite.

“Then get some more rest, Xiaoli. I’m going out now. Call me if you need anything.” The woman stood at the door for a moment. When she didn’t get a response, she quietly left. After hearing the door open and close, the girl on the bed turned over in frustration.

Lu Zhiyun walked out of her apartment complex to the street. A white Highlander honked at her. Tang Qianxia was in the driver’s seat. “There are so many people on Longhua Mountain today. I saw it on my social media.” Lu Zhiyun had just gotten in the car and was putting on her seatbelt when she heard the woman next to her say this.

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