The midday sun was at its peak, radiant and brilliant, but little did it know that after the zenith came inevitable decline.
Ye Fan's emotions, however, were the opposite of the sunlight. There was no such thing as fading; instead, they grew stronger.
More intense. More fervent.
The heat of the sunlight was blocked by the classroom's glass windows, leaving only its soft, gentle essence, which spilled across the room, bathing the girl inside in its warm glow.
Sitting near the window, Ning Xi basked in the sunlight like a lazy little cat. Her stunningly beautiful face radiated a soothing aura. If paired with a soft piece of music, it would surely become a memory one could cherish for life.
Every few minutes, Ye Fan would pause from his work to glance at Ning Xi, a smile constantly playing at the corners of his lips.
Fortunately, there weren't many students in the advanced prep class, and since the room was already quite tidy, cleaning wasn't a troublesome task.
After a little over ten minutes, Ye Fan put the broom and dustpan back in their place. He walked lightly over to Ning Xi's side, seeing her focused intently on her calculations. Without disturbing her, he silently sat nearby, content to quietly admire the captivating girl in front of him.
"Almost done, just give me a moment."
Recalling Ye Fan's earlier words, Ning Xi stuck out her pink tongue playfully. Normally, with her abilities, solving the physics problem in front of her wouldn't take more than ten minutes. But right now, her heart simply couldn't settle down.
The earlier scene, especially Ye Fan's words, echoed repeatedly in her mind, making it impossible for her to focus entirely on solving the problem.
"No rush. Take your time."
Ye Fan reached out and gently tucked the strands of hair scattered across the desk behind Ning Xi's ear. Unable to resist, he patted her round little head. Her silky black hair felt as smooth as the finest silk, making him reluctant to let go.
The agreement?
It was voided!
Ning Xi bit her lower lip but chose not to mention their agreement again. Forcing herself to calm her mind, she redirected her focus back to the physics problem, which was nearly solved.
"Whew—"
A few fleeting minutes later, Ning Xi put down her pen, patted her chest, and let out a deep breath.
This problem… had been pure torture!
It was her first experience like this, and she hoped it would be her last.
"All done, Teacher Ye. Care to give me some feedback?"
"Xiao Xi, I'm not too fond of that title."
Surprisingly, Ye Fan didn't respond to her topic. Instead, he spoke to himself: "Just because I'm tutoring you doesn't mean you need to call me teacher. I'm only three months older than you. You can call me 'big brother.'"
In his previous life, Ning Xi had done just that.
And he liked it when Ning Xi called him that!
Besides, Ye Fan also wanted to use this to make up for the regrets of his past life.
In the previous life, he had failed to give Ning Xi an answer, which had almost become his heart's greatest pain.
After being reborn, Ye Fan understood one thing.
If you like someone, you should say it. Unspoken affection isn't true affection!
For this reason, Ye Fan had changed his formerly introverted personality, taking every opportunity to express his feelings to Ning Xi.
"Big brother?"
Ning Xi was stunned, and a faint blush quickly spread across her cheeks. Her soft, rosy lips pressed together as she muttered, "You want me to be your little sister? I… I refuse!"
She refused to be a little sister!!!
"It's just a title. It doesn't mean anything."
Ye Fan cupped Ning Xi's delicate face in his hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll develop as we should. It won't affect anything, understand?"
"Pfft!"
Ning Xi slapped away his hands, her face now a deep shade of red, creating an image so enchanting it looked like a masterpiece of art. "Who's developing with you? I haven't even…"
"Haven't even what?"
Ye Fan's dark pupils rippled with emotion as the corners of his mouth quirked upward slightly.
"I'm not telling you!"
Ning Xi huffed softly, turning her head away to start packing her things. The crimson flush on her face, like a stubborn fire, refused to fade.
Ye Fan smiled knowingly, grabbed his backpack, and began packing up the mountain of review materials Ning Xi had piled up.
"I can do it myself…"
"With this much, can you carry it all?"
Ning Xi was about to protest when Ye Fan interrupted her with a cheerful laugh. His hands didn't stop moving, and within moments, the backpack was packed to the brim. He only left a few test papers for Ning Xi to carry herself.
"Snap—"
Ye Fan snapped his fingers, slung the backpack over his shoulder, and waved his free hand in front of Ning Xi's face. "I'll keep these review materials at my place for now. After the exams, I'll bring them back to school for you."
"…Thank you."
"Silly girl, what's there to thank me for?"
Ye Fan didn't withdraw his hand. Instead, he gestured with his eyes and smiled. "Let's go to my place. I'll cook you a meal."
"No need. I can eat at home."
"No refusing."
Seeing Ning Xi lower her head, Ye Fan grabbed her small hand and led her out the door. As they walked, he continued, "I specifically went to the market last night after school to buy a bunch of fresh ingredients. If you don't come, all that food will go to waste. You have to come."
"You…"
Faced with Ye Fan's unreasonable insistence, Ning Xi felt helpless. The warmth of his hand left her unable to voice any further objections.
Being treated to a meal… Could it really be this forceful?
Sigh!
Fine… she'd go.
After all, it was his kind gesture. Besides, it would be a shame to let food go to waste.
And just like that, the girl managed to convince herself~~~
In the living room.
Ning Xi lay sideways on the sofa, staring at the ceiling in a daze. Her two snow-white feet, wrapped in soft socks, swung leisurely in the air, her delicate ankles exposed, effortlessly mesmerizing.
However, this picturesque scene had no audience.
The only person qualified to appreciate it—Ye Fan—was busy in the kitchen. The gradually warming weather, combined with the heat from the stove, left beads of sweat glistening on his chiseled face.
When he opened the steamer, the rich aroma of crab roe filled the entire kitchen.
"Alright!"
Ye Fan squinted his eyes, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.
A few minutes later, six dishes and a soup were laid out on the coffee table, the tantalizing aroma making Ning Xi gulp instinctively. She sat upright, eagerly waiting for the meal to start.
"Here's your rice."
Ye Fan placed a bowl of rice in front of Ning Xi and smiled. "Eat more dishes, less rice."
"You made way too much food. There's no way the two of us can finish it all."
Ning Xi bit her chopsticks, already feeling satisfied just from looking at the spread of delicacies.
When it comes to food, girls usually have no resistance.
And she was no exception!
"You don't understand."
Hearing Ning Xi's remark, Ye Fan suddenly became thoughtful. He turned to look out the window, clasping his hands behind his back, and spoke slowly, "Since I was young, I've had a grand dream."
Ning Xi's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she cautiously asked, "Can you tell me about this… dream?"
Little did she know, she had walked straight into Ye Fan's carefully laid trap.
From her blind angle, a sly grin crept onto Ye Fan's face. But the smile vanished in a flash, replaced by a calm demeanor as he sat back down on the sofa. "Xiao Xi, are you sure you want to know?"
"I do," Ning Xi nodded earnestly.
"My dream is…" Ye Fan leaned closer, his tone serious, "…to grow up and fatten up the girl I like until she becomes a pig!"