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Chapter 5 — Instant Noodles and Hidden Pages
Dawn's soft tendrils crept through Sang Zhi's bedroom as she lay cocooned in slumber—a reluctant student lulled to sleep in the safety of her sheets. A quiet ache in her chest stirred when she heard Sang Yan's voice echoing through the hallway, calling her name with growing impatience.
She groaned, rubbing her eyes, determined to avoid the dreaded tutor awaiting downstairs. She muttered to herself, attempting to bribe her brother to let her skip it, but her feeble protest fell flat.
Descending the staircase with grumbled reluctance, she froze in surprise: Duan Jiaxu was at the kitchen table, expertly preparing instant noodles—complete with two plump sausages and a perfectly boiled egg floating on top.
"So," she said, blinking. "You're… my tutor now?"
Duan Jiaxu offered a calm smile. "Sang Yan said I've been waiting a while… You should eat first."
She stared as the savory aroma curled between them. Reluctance melted into warmth. She sat, spoon hovering mid-air, before diving in with unexpected enthusiasm—her disdain forgotten as she retrieved her textbooks.
Sang Yan soon joined, controllers in hand, absorbed in a game with Jiaxu. Sang Zhi flipped through pages, self-conscious. Jiaxu's voice drifted over, teasing, "Study after we finish." Seizing a quiet moment, she sneaked a look at his resume lying close by—discovering the proper characters of his name, deliberate yet missing a photo, an absence that intrigued her. She reached for her phone, attempting to take a picture discreetly, but he caught her mid-frame. Instead of scolding, he posed, and Sang Zhi stumbled with an excuse about a classmate finding Sang Yan handsome—blush and embarrassment swirling in her chest. He merely smiled, attributing her awkwardness to youthful pride.
When she changed his contact name on her phone, Jiaxu slid a slice of watermelon across to her. He joked, asking to see the photos she'd taken—but she swiftly shifted the topic to physics, confessing that energy conservation and Ampere's Law still tangled her mind.
Patiently, he began teaching, explaining the laws with clarity and a steady calm. He offered to tutor her three days a week—his internship filling the others. Sang Zhi, caught off-guard by how helpful he was, requested daily sessions instead.
Pulling her gaze away from her notes, she asked: "Why Nanwu?"
His eyes softened. "Gaming industry… wanted to broaden my horizons." A dream mirrored his gentleness.
On another day, Jiaxu arrived late, exhaustion tugging at his expression. Sang Zhi offered to work alone while he napped—but he jested at the idea before surrendering and resting.
Concern flickered across his face that evening: she admitted physics felt dull and forgettable. Gently, he suggested a trip to the City Museum of Science and Technology—a place where curiosity might bloom again. He arranged three tickets, prodding Sang Yan into paying for them, despite his teasing complaints that the museum was only for kids.
Inside the museum, Jiaxu brought lessons to life: the brachistochrone curve in a winding slide, the raw force behind tsunamis, and thermoelectric sensing—connecting textbook physics with tangible wonder. He spoke of her future, assuring her that her foundation now would build her dreams later. Something in her heart unfurled: Maybe dreams can start from here. She resolved to study hard and find her own passion—just like him. Jiaxu noticed her sketches and encouraged her artistic gifts to flourish.
In a sudden rush of emotion, she blurted a plea: "Promise me you won't date—or don't date someone who means… well, you know."
He paused, thoughtful. "If I ever find someone gentle… she'll treat you well too."
Her heart fluttered, heady and warm. "Can I meet her first?" she asked quietly. He nodded, soft and sure.
Later, craving the comfort of her drawings, she realized her sketchbook was missing—likely left at the museum. Panic squeezed her, but when Sang Yan showed up with it, delivered by Duan Jiaxu, guilt she didn't expect bloomed inside her. What if Jiaxu had seen her sketches of him? Her attempts to dispose of it failed as her fingers trembled. Sang Yan teased her, thinking her affections were puppy love—but Jiaxu took a gentle stand, reminding his friend that feelings in youth are real, and that Sang Zhi's emotions were natural.
Sang Zhi closed her eyes that night, heart filled with a quiet certainty—it wasn't just physics lessons that Jiaxu gave her, but a doorway into a world where affection, understanding, and shared dreams could illuminate even the darkest equations.
End of Chapter 5