Chapter Twenty

  The next day, without an alarm clock, Yu Zai, who had planned to get up early, woke up at the same time as usual and found that it was already 6:10. She quickly washed and dressed in a hurry.

  Qishu Fan had already been waiting in the living room, and Auntie's breakfast was also ready. Yu Cai felt embarrassed and said, "Mr. Qi, you really didn't have to get up so early to keep me company for breakfast."

  Qishu Fan smiled and said, "I'm used to getting up early, not because of you."

  Yu Cai sat down and saw Qi Shizhi had dressed up and came out of the room, then said "Qi Shizhi, hurry up to brush your teeth and wash your face, you're going to be late".

  He would normally arrive on time, of course, he doesn't eat breakfast.

  After washing up, Yu Cai had just eaten half a bowl of porridge when he saw him coming out of the bathroom and asked, "Are you going to have time for breakfast? I'm taking a taxi soon. Are you coming with me or not?"

  Qizhi nodded and sat down to start eating breakfast. Qishu suddenly spoke up, "I'll drive you guys there later, okay?"

  Yu Cai immediately refused, "What's with that Buick? Forget it, I don't want to be mistaken for a high-ranking official's child."

  All smiles and no perseverance.

  "How long will you stay at home this time?"

  Two days

  "Counting yesterday?"

  "Uh, I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon," Qi Shu Fan said apologetically, glancing at Qi Shi.

  Yu Cai shrugged her shoulders, "To be honest, I don't understand why you won't let Qi Shi go to school near your workplace, but I suppose you have your reasons, so never mind, let's just forget I said anything".

  "You said a whole string of words and then let people think you didn't say anything?"

  "Dear uncle, you should understand that a 15-year-old girl will always have moments when she can't calm down."

  "Qī Shū fǎn zhòu méi, 'nǐ xià cì jiào biǎo shū de shí hòu néng bù néng bié jiā qián miàn sān gè zì'".

  Translation:

  Qishu frowned, "Next time you call my uncle, can't you not add the three words in front?"

  "Is that respected Uncle?"

  "Why must you add an adjective?"

  "This is how you can tell your uncle apart from 'my family has countless uncles'!"

  "Alright, I won't argue with you, great author, have it your way".

  "Dear uncle, are you being sarcastic towards your dear niece?"

  Qishu Fan laughed and said, "I give up, okay? Let's go back home for lunch with Shizhi at noon."

  "Dear uncle, your wording is really problematic. What's with 'come back' to eat? I have to remind you that you're getting too into character!"

  Just as Qibushang was about to speak, Yu Cai raised her hand to look at her watch. "We have to go, it's been a pleasure talking to you, so pleasant that I almost want to skip class and continue chatting with you. But my rationality tells me that if I ask for another sick leave, dear Teacher Mei will never approve one again."

  "Be careful on the road, I'll pick you up at school at noon."

  Yu Cai changed her shoes while teasing, "Dear uncle, your attention always makes me feel honored, I hope you won't go to school and surprise me again, you know my poor heart is not as good as my rational brain".

  "Don't worry, I have more than enough sympathy and concern for your poor heart."

  Yu Cai grabbed her backpack and made a face at him, "We're leaving, take your time".

  To show respect for Yu Cai's poor heart, Qi Shu Fan didn't go to school to pick her up, but instead had He Qi keep an eye on her and meet up with Qi Shi Zhi, then they took a taxi together to eat at a restaurant that has meaning.

  When they arrived, Qi Shu had already been waiting for them, holding a magazine in his hand. Yu Cai swept a glance at it and found that it was "Family Friend", and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

  The dishes will be served soon. Yu Cai still had a bowl of rice, a bowl of yogurt, and she buried her head in eating, occasionally raising her head to nod seriously, indicating that she was listening all the time.

  Xia Yunyun's mood didn't seem good, and even eating was listless. Qi Shu Fan asked the reason, Xia Yunyun said that she had been brushed down from the competition. Qi Shu Fan consoled her for a while, He Qi sneered at her on the side, "Didn't you just do badly in the exam? Is it necessary to be like this?"

  After several people finished eating, Qi Shu Fan asked them if they were going to sit there for a while or head back to school.

  He immediately said he wanted to sit in this seat, and the class was also very boring. Of course, if Qi Shu Fan could help them ask the teacher for a leave of absence and take them out to play in the afternoon, that would be even better.

  Of course, Qi Shu Fan immediately rejected this suggestion and went to find the waiter to ask for a deck of cards, letting the four of them play cards.

  Yu Cai has been playing cards for n years, but her skills have not improved at all. She only plays for the atmosphere, so she doesn't bother to think too much about it. Fortunately, Xia Yunyun seems to be not very good either, and was beaten by Yu Cai half to death.

  A few people were playing cards when Yu Cai suddenly saw Mo Fei and Qiao Jia enter, immediately lowering her head to pretend she hadn't seen them, but unexpectedly He Qi loudly greeted them.

  Qiao Jia had been watching He Qi and a few others play cards with envy, but the young man sitting next to Xia Yunyun looked unfamiliar, so she didn't dare make any sudden moves. When He Qi called out to her, she went forward to greet him.

  Yu Cai could only stand up and smile at Qiao Jia, "Qiao Jia, it's just as well I'm not very good at it, you come over and play instead".

  Qiao Jia hurriedly declined, but Yu Cai insisted on letting her sit down, so Qiao Jia sat down with a mixture of reluctance and compliance.

  Perhaps after greeting him, he sat down beside He Qi to watch him play cards.

  Qishu Fan seemed to have noticed nothing, and politely asked the two what they wanted to drink. The two hastily declined, and Qishu Fan casually ordered two bottles of drinks over.

  Yu Cai let Qiao Jia go first, then sat beside her and watched her play for two rounds. He found that she was indeed more skilled than himself, so he joked that if she won, they would split the money half and half. Qiao Jia immediately said that if she won, all the money would be hers, but if she lost, Yu Cai would have to pay up. The two of them chatted and laughed for a while before Yu Cai got up to go to the restroom. When he came back, he made an excuse that it was too much trouble to pass by Qiao Jia, so he sat down beside Qi Shu Fan on the outer circle instead.

  Qishu Fang smiled and said, "Does Xiaocai want something to drink?"

  Yu Cai gave him a glance, "Looks like I'll have to change your nickname next time, call you R from now on".

  "Don't try to be pretentious with me, I don't understand a single word."

  He Yiqi shouted loudly on the other side, "Qiao Jia is much better at fighting than you, I suspect you deliberately let Shi Le off easy just now".

  Yu Zai originally sat under He Qi's hand, and begged for the upper hand, but due to mistakes, many times he made cards that shouldn't have been formed by Ji Shi.

  "I originally said I wasn't very good at it, you guys didn't believe me, what can I do? You know, pouring water is also a technical skill, such a profound technology, I think I still don't have the ability to grasp it."

  He Qi was once again struck by Yu Cai's serious tone, and hummed, "I'm thirsty, help me get a bottle of Coke."

  Yu Cai stood up and said, "I'll go."

  Yu Cai pressed down on him, "My dear uncle, you should take a rest. Although it's good for older people to move around more, too much movement can lead to osteoporosis!"

  Qishu Fan just sat down and said with a big smile, "Uncle Qishu, your family really has the potential to suffocate people to death".

  "Yes, Xiaozai is now enthusiastic, and three people can't outtalk her alone."

  He Qi and Mo Fei exchanged a glance, recalling Yu Cai's bold style in the past, and nodded in agreement with a tinge of sadness.

  "He Qi, are you in the same class as Xiao Cai?"

  "Uh, and there's Qiao Jia and Mo Fei, we're all in the same class."

  "You'd better take good care of her in the future," Qi Shu Fan thought back to the last time Yu Cai said something contradictory, thinking that if he could provoke that girl, it wouldn't be a small matter, and wondered if she had been bullied.

  "Uncle Qi, you haven't seen how she is in class, I take care of her? She takes care of me just so-so."

  "Oh, what's it like?"

  He Qi's face turned solemn, and he made a cold expression. "First of all, everyone stay away from me, or else," He Qi stood up, fiercely staring at Mo Fei. "You get out of here, or else don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  Qishu Fan couldn't help but laugh, "To be honest, I find it hard to imagine Xiao Cai looking like that".

  "What's wrong with me?"

  "Oh, like a little mother tiger."

  Yu Cai thought of her own loss of control that day and immediately thought that He Qi must have said something he shouldn't have, so she glared at him fiercely.

  "What's so strange? He shouted, "Uncle Qi, did you see that?"

  Yu Cai gave it to him and handed the mineral water in her hand to Qi Shu Fan, "Mineral water, healthy stomach, drink more".

  Qishu Fan smiled and took over, "Not going to watch Jie Zhi play cards?"

  Yu Cai thought to herself that it was too tiring to take care of both herself and Xia Yunyun, so she sat down beside Qi Shi with her cup of water in hand, and soon found herself lost in thought.

  Yu Da Xiaojie's daydreaming skills gradually approached her senior fellow, and when she came back to herself, everyone had already started packing up things to return to school for class.

  "Does Xiaocai seem unhappy?"

  "Uh, no," Yu Cai said with some embarrassment, "I'm just in the habit of daydreaming."

  "Don't stay in school for self-study tonight, go home with Shì Zhī and have dinner at home."

  "It's okay" or "Never mind".

  "You can also teach me how to play computer."

  "Uh, Qiji should be more proficient than me."

  I see the helplessness in his expression as he prays.

  "You can also look for He Qi, he should be more proficient."

  "You don't want to teach me?"

  Yu Cai hastily denied it, and begged for every inch of progress. "It's settled then, I'll pick you up tonight."

  "No way, don't come."

  "Then you go home with Shi Zhi."

  Yu Cai was about to shake his head when He and the others had already hailed a taxi. Ji Shu Fan immediately added, "If you don't come, I'll go pick you up."

  Yu Cai hadn't spoken yet, but He Qi was already yelling from the other side, so she could only say one sentence, "Don't come," and hastily got on the car.

  At that time, taxis were still those van-type vehicles, which could easily accommodate six high school students.

  He Qi asked, "What was Uncle Qi saying to you?"

  Yu Cai resentfully pulled at the straps of her backpack, "What's he talking about? That's called giving orders, dead fox!"

  Qiao Jia exclaimed, "Yu Cai, are you talking about your uncle?"

  Yu Cai felt somewhat regretful and hummed a sound, no longer speaking.

  "Yu Cai, your uncle is very good!"

  Yu Cai nodded slightly, not wanting to say more on this topic, and asked, "By the way, when did our class teacher say the mid-term exam is coming? I forgot again."

  The topic quickly shifted to the upcoming mid-term exams, Yu Cai secretly let out a sigh of relief, looking at the straight back of Qi Xieying in front of her, and became even more depressed. Originally it was just a matter of money, how did it end up like this today? How could she pay it back?

  After school, Yu Cai was slowly packing up her things, struggling with what to do next, when she suddenly saw Qi Shi standing at the door, and quickly hurried out to greet him.

  When he saw her come out, he asked expressionlessly, "You don't want to go to my place?"

  Yu Cai hastily shook her head, "No, no, sigh, how can I put it, this problem is very complicated".

  Qī shì zhī biǎo xiàn chū yī fù wǒ zú gòu nài xīn de yàng zi, Yù Cǎi tàn le kǒu qì, "jiǎn dān lái shuō, jiù shì wǒ bù zhīdào gāi zěnme huí bào nǐ hé nǐ fù qīn de hǎo yì".

  "Not needed"

  "You don't need it, doesn't mean I don't want to. If I take your kindness for granted, that's called being ungrateful."

  "After a moment of silence, 'What, they also often come to my home'."

  "But their parents will also invite you to their home, this is called courtesy calls."

  "You can also invite me."

  Alright, I'm so frustrated, how can I make this young master in front of me understand?

  "Hmm, let's go, are you hungry?" Anyway, it's already happened so many times, no need to make a fuss this time, forget it, the lazy and ostrich-like nature of Yu Cai took over again.

  The dinner at the Qi's was simple and didn't seem to have been specially prepared for Yu Cai, which made her feel a little more at ease.

  After dinner, Yu Cai suggested that Qi Shi give a lecture in the living room. Qi Shu was very satisfied and sat on the sofa reading a magazine.

  An hour later, Yu Cai finished her lesson and Qi Shu Fan hurriedly sent up warm water, "Teacher Yu has worked hard".

  "No hardship, no gain; serve the people."

  "Is Teacher Xiao Yu willing to serve the people again?"

  Yu Cai followed him into a study, which was originally part of Qi Shu Fan's bedroom. Qi Shu Fan had partitioned it off and opened up the door to the living room, now it was basically used as a computer room.

  She simply taught him some basic operations, and then taught him how to use the materials. Yu Cai began to help him apply for an email account and QQ, and logged onto her own QQ account, adding Qi Shu Fan as a friend, teaching him how to chat, and then stuck out his head and loudly asked Qi Shi Zhi in the living room, "Qi Shi Zhi, what's your QQ number? We'll add you!"

  Xie Ze posted a number, Yu Cai helped himself and Xie Shu Fan added it up, seeing his username was Xie Ze, couldn't help but laugh, "Indeed a guy who fears trouble".

  "Your username is quite similar."

  "How can it be like that? This is the '采' from 《诗经》《关雎》's '左右采之', and his, with two characters in between his name, are completely not on the same level!"

  "In fact, the name 'Shi Zhi' also has a literary origin. When I was young, I especially admired Wang Xizhi and wanted to become a calligrapher like him. When Shi Zhi was born, I suddenly realized that I might never become another Wang Xizhi in my lifetime, so I named him Shi Zhi, which means 'to let go of one's heart'".

  Yu Cai burst out laughing, "Ji Shu Fan, you're too funny!"

  "When he was young, I even wanted to cultivate him into a calligrapher, but who knew he had no interest in calligraphy at all."

  Yucai comfortingly patted his shoulder, "Now there are a few kids who like that one, don't be disappointed!"

  "That's also true, since he doesn't like it then forget it, Wang Xizhi is just one person after all."

  Yu Cai nodded with a sigh, "I've made up my mind countless times to practice calligraphy, but I never persisted, Wang Xizhi is not someone anyone can become".

  Qishu was amused by her little big man's appearance again, "By the way, I see that they often play games online, how do they play?"

  "Uh, I'm not very good at this either, I only know how to play cards online, come on in and take a look."

  Qizhi came in, and Yucai immediately gave up his seat to him. "Qizhi, teach us how to play games. Um, isn't CS popular now? Let's play that."

  Qí Shì heard the words and nodded, Yù Cǎi brought in a stool from outside and sat down beside her, watching with great interest. However, due to Yù's poor comprehension and the overwhelming stimulation of the scene, Qí Shū was still in a daze when she finally understood, and when they started playing, it was chaotic and pitiful.

  Qibook Fang said that she was still young and hadn't learned as quickly as the old man, Yu Cai could only hold her breath and swallow her voice, who made her always learn the basics in sports games but couldn't improve anymore.

  Three people quarreled and laughed, and the facial expressions and words of Qi Shi could be ignored. They played until 12 o'clock before washing up and going to bed. Qi Shu Fan was very satisfied with the breakthrough in his relationship with his son today, and he also made up his mind to invite Yu Cai to his home more often in the future. However, Yu Cai tragically discovered that she had become more and more used to treating this place as her own home, and she felt depressed...