Li Li asked his daughter, "Any questions you couldn't handle in class today?"
Li Sitong thought for a moment—there had been, but Ye Chen had already walked her through every one of them.
And Ye Chen's explanations were superb; after his breakdown, even the toughest problems felt simple.
He'd even annotated every problem she'd done the day before.
Seeing her expression, Li Li hesitated. "Did you understand the problems I annotated for you yesterday?"
Li Sitong beamed, sat beside her Dad, and looped her arm through his.
She glanced at the Mountain of Practice Books on the table.
"Dad, I know you love me and want to power me through the Gaokao, but studying is something I have to do myself. Don't worry—whenever I'm stuck I'll ask you right away. You're already swamped at work; coming home to review with me is exhausting."
"Not tired. Work's nothing next to my girl's entrance exam."
Li Li looked at her, eyes brimming with adoration.
He was deeply grateful to Ye Chen; before, their father-daughter rapport had never been this good.
Li Li chuckled. "Reviewing with my daughter only makes me happy—how could I be tired?"
Li Sitong studied him. "Dad, since when did you get so sappy? Talking to you now has an extra perk."
"What perk?" Li Li asked, curious.
"Weight-loss. Just now I got goosebumps all over the floor."
Li Li: "…"
Though teased, the corners of Li Li's mouth curled upward.
Ah, chatting with your kid is endless fun.
How had he never realized talking with his daughter could be this joyful?
Thinking of how he'd always kept a stern face before—so foolish. Thank heavens for Ye Chen.
Huh, why am I thinking about that brat again?
He's clearly seducing my daughter—so why do I keep mulling over him?
Seeing her father's awkwardness, Li Sitong burst out laughing.
"Okay, I was only joking. I know Daddy loves me most."
Li Li roared with laughter at her coaxing.
He picked up a notebook from the table, crammed with densely written problems.
"This is my whole day's work—premium questions I hunted down. Do ten a day and I'll explain them; I guarantee your scores will skyrocket."
Li Sitong gazed at the thick notebook, eyes glistening. "Thanks, Dad."
She slipped a hand into her bag and mysteriously produced Ye Chen's annotations.
"Dad, take a look at this."
Li Li blinked. "What's this?"
At first he paid it little heed, but the more he read, the more stunned he became.
This was incredible.
A casual glance showed ordinary notes, yet closer inspection revealed their extraordinary depth.
Clean formulas, crystal-clear logic—a thorny problem became obvious at a glance after his notes.
A Huaqing University grad student, Li Li spotted the brilliance instantly.
Turning complexity into simplicity—amazing!
"These annotations were written by Ye Chen?"
He recognized the handwriting; it matched the earlier set perfectly.
Still, he could scarcely believe a high-schooler could produce such work.
Li Li's eyes gleamed; his curiosity about Ye Chen spiked.
After a pause he asked slowly, "Si Tong, how far have things gone between you and Ye Chen?"
Li Sitong pondered. "Hmm, probably at the meet-the-parents stage."
"What?!" Li Li froze.
He'd expected her to hide it; instead she confessed so calmly—and already wanted to meet the parents?
They were that close now?
Recalling that she'd just come from Ye Chen's house, he wondered if the two had already… Li Li's mind went blank, words failing the seasoned chairman.
His precious Cabbage had been… uprooted?
Noticing his expression, Li Sitong continued, "Actually, I was just at Ye Chen's place. We…"
"We what?" Li Li demanded, agitated.
He'd decided: if Ye Chen really had uprooted his Cabbage, he wouldn't let the kid off easy.
"Ye Chen helped me find some materials, I drank a cup of Lemon Tea, then came back— that's all."
"That's it?" Li Li stood stunned.
"Dad, what else were you hoping would happen?"
Li Li shook his head repeatedly. "Nothing, nothing—this is perfect."
He exhaled in relief.
So his Cabbage was still intact—thank heavens.
Li Sitong tugged his arm.
"Dad, relax. Ye Chen and I are just classmates—pure and simple. I promise studying will only get better with him around."
Before, Li Li wouldn't have believed it.
But after seeing those meticulous notes, he could only nod in resignation.
"All right, as long as you two keep things reasonable, I won't interfere."
Relieved that he'd dropped the matter, Li Sitong let out a long breath.
"Daddy's the best. Oh, how's my set of notes?"
"Pretty good."
"Only pretty good?"
"Really nice."
"Hmm?"
"Absolutely superb."
Li Li sighed in resignation.
"Honestly, even as a top Huaqing University grad, I can't annotate at this level. My notes aren't suited for you, but these—simple yet profound, crystal clear—are brilliant."
"That good?"
Li Sitong was taken aback.
"You haven't even looked yet. Study them—you'll gain a ton."
Li Li looked somewhat dejected.
He'd spent the whole day thinking he could help his girl, only to find she might not need him—an unexpected pang of loss.
"All right, Si Tong, Daddy made your favorite braised pork. Head upstairs and eat."
Li Sitong caught the flicker of disappointment on his face.
She curled her lips in a coquettish smile. "Dad, thanks for the gift—I love it. I'll do your problems every day, but you have to explain them, okay?"
"Deal." Li Li grinned, adoration deepening.
After dinner Li Sitong sat at her desk.
What should I say in tomorrow's Flag-raising Speech?
Yu Weiwei's words suddenly echoed in her mind.
Should I go crazy—just once?
…Meanwhile, at the Orphanage.
Xia Yingluo was chatting with her best friend Song Yuyu.
"These boys are so annoying. I told them I don't like them, but they keep pestering me."
Xia Yingluo felt miserable; today's confession had left her mortified.
"You're so pretty—of course they like you."
"But I don't want them to." Xia Yingluo sounded aggrieved.
"Hmm, you only want Ye Chen to like you, right?" Song Yuyu teased.
"No way."
Though she denied it, Xia Yingluo's cheeks blazed crimson.
"Next time they bother you, just say you already have a Boyfriend—Ye Chen's your Boyfriend, isn't he?" Song Yuyu said.
"I don't know… does Ye Chen count as my Boyfriend?" Xia Yingluo's eyes were clouded with uncertainty.