69novels I can't explain this to you.
I can't explain this to you.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Wang Zhe appeared at Song Zhiyi's door on time.
In his previous life, he had proposed here, eaten countless meals of braised fish cooked by his future in-laws, and even discussed the decorating style of their wedding room with Song Zhiyi on that balcony. But now, standing in front of the familiar security door, his mood was not as bright as the summer sun of his rebirth.
The novelty of this temporal and spatial displacement made Wang Zhe's lips curl into a self-deprecating smile, but that smile quickly disappeared because of the red and green numbers on the phone screen.
He took out his newly bought phone from his pocket and opened the stock page.
According to his memory and common sense, the home appliance subsidy program and energy-saving subsidy policy this year should have been a huge boon. However, in this past week, instead of soaring to new heights as he expected, Gree has been like a drunkard, fluctuating around his cost line, making people uneasy.
Although he still held half of the cash, he knew that irrational actions would only wear down his patience. He could only repeatedly review the economic news from his previous life in his mind, trying to confirm from those vague fragments of memory that he hadn't misremembered the starting point of the upcoming bull market.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Wang Zhe knocked on the door.
The door opened quickly, and Song Zhiyi's pure, orchid-like face appeared through the crack. Today, she was wearing a light-colored sleeveless dress, which made her look quiet and elegant.
The young woman keenly noticed a hint of unease between his brows and asked, "What's wrong? Did your driving practice not go well? Or did your instructor yell at you?"
Wang Zhe put away his phone, shook his head, and said calmly, "Driving practice went very smoothly. I passed the second part of the test, and getting my driver's license is just a matter of time."
He couldn't very well tell Song Zhiyi that he was troubled by stocks. In the eyes of these young girls who hadn't yet entered society, his worries were clearly too worldly for them.
Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Song Zhiyi stepped aside to let him into the house.
However, when Wang Zhe walked into the entryway and changed into those familiar disposable slippers, Song Zhiyi looked down and her gaze froze on what Wang Zhe was carrying in his right hand.
It was a black men's belt, a cheap one that cost 20 yuan. The stiff material gleamed with a cold, unnatural sheen under the light.
"Why are you..." Song Zhiyi pointed to the belt, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Why are you wearing this to tutoring?"
Wang Zhe glanced at her sideways, a slightly tired, mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: "You don't understand, just stay in the living room."
After saying that, he walked straight to the study. Watching his back, Song Zhiyi felt that Wang Zhe's words, "You don't understand," carried a meaning that made her heart race yet also inexplicably irritated.
Then, with a "click," the study door was locked from the inside.
In the study, Jiang Di was listlessly chewing on her pen cap. The math test paper in front of her, which should have been filled with solutions, only had a few scattered "solutions" and a bunch of abstract doodles for rough drafting.
Hearing the door open, Jiang Di sat up abruptly, quickly stuffing the new phone in her hand into the drawer as if it were a hot potato.
There was an empty chair across the table, but Wang Zhe didn't sit there; instead, he sat on the table.
He stared down at Jiang Di.
The girl lowered her head and refused to look at him.
Wang Zhe asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
Jiang Di's voice was also soft, but it wasn't just the volume that was low; her tone also lacked confidence: "What did you say? What happened...?"
Wang Zhe: "Song Zhiyi said you're not studying properly and wants me to discipline you. Why aren't you studying properly? Is it because I'm not here with you?"
Jiang Di kept her head down, pouting, "You promised to tutor me, and that's what you told my mom too. Now you've abandoned me. What kind of nonsense is this?"
Wang Zhe remained silent for a while.
Jiang Di finally looked up at him and said, "I know I need to study hard, otherwise I won't be able to get into a university in Shanghai or Hong Kong next year and I won't be able to be with you. But if I had self-control, I wouldn't have these grades now."
Wang Zhe suddenly said, "I've already passed my driving test (Part 2). In about a week, I'll be able to help you with your studies."
Hearing this, Jiang Di couldn't help but be surprised: "You've only been at driving school for a short time, how did you get your driver's license so quickly?"
Wang Zhe smiled slightly: "It might be a little difficult for others, but for me, it's not difficult at all."
Jiang Di paused, then sighed, "I wish I were as smart as you..."
Of course, Wang Zhe couldn't say that he knew how to drive before he went to driving school, so he used a classic excuse: "It's not a matter of being smart or not, the key is to be attentive and focused."
"But I get distracted so easily..." Jiang Di suddenly blinked. "Why don't you 'discipline' me right now?"
Seeing the girl's sly look, Wang Zhe immediately understood.
He asked, "Was it you who asked Song Zhiyi to make that phone call just now?"
Jiang Di hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Wang Zhe flicked the belt in his hand: "Looks like I really made the right choice wearing this thing. You looked so pitiful just now, I thought you needed some comforting words… looks like that's not what you needed at all!"
Jiang Di lowered her face again, making it impossible to see her expression, whether it was fear or shyness.
Wang Zhe grinned maliciously, "Alright, then I, as your uncle, will have to teach you a lesson. Lie face down on the table, lie down properly!"
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Song Zhiyi was sitting on the sofa in the living room when she heard the sounds coming from the study.
That was the sound of a belt whipping.
Her hands unconsciously gripped the pages, her fingernails leaving a deep scratch on the cover.
Song Zhiyi realized that something was wrong with how the two of them were interacting, and the way their relationship was progressing was also wrong. At least, it wasn't quite the kind of couple she had in mind.
Less than ten minutes later, the study door opened again.
Wang Zhe came out carrying a belt and said, "Continue tutoring her; she probably has a lot of questions to ask you about her studies."
Song Zhiyi didn't know what kind of expression to make, so she just nodded, then pursed her lips and went back to the study.
Then, in the next hour, Song Zhiyi discovered that Jiang Di's attitude towards learning had completely changed.
She not only worked diligently, but would even proactively point out the mistakes and ask questions. Moreover, she no longer called people by their first names, but instead obediently addressed them as "Sister Song"...
After answering the last question, Song Zhiyi looked at Jiang Di's obedient appearance as he continued to work on his problems with his head down, and the strange feeling in her heart grew stronger.
She left the study and closed the door behind her.
In the living room, Wang Zhe was sitting on the sofa, holding his phone and staring intently at the financial news on it.
Song Zhiyi walked over and stood beside the sofa, looking at him.
"What's going on between you two?" Song Zhiyi asked in a low voice, her tone filled with confusion.
Wang Zhe looked up from the screen and scratched his head: "To be honest, I don't even know how to explain this to you..."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.