Chapter 112: Alliance Agreement
Han Yixuan and Pei Ningle each held a cup of milk tea, sitting at the window side. Their gazes passed through the glass, staring intently at the coffee shop diagonally across from them.
Han Yixuan took a sip but forgot to chew, swallowing the milk tea and sago whole, then asked in a low voice: “Xiao Le, what do you think?”
Pei Ningle bit on her straw and said: “That girl definitely likes him.”
Han Yixuan nodded: “Of course, anyone can see that.”
Pei Ningle was stunned for a moment, released the straw from her mouth, turned her head to stare at her: “What did you say?”
Han Yixuan calmly said: “I just mean, anyone can see that the girl absolutely likes him.”
Seeing Xiao Xuan staring intently in the direction of the coffee shop, Pei Ningle couldn’t help but wonder if she had been a bit too sensitive just now.
The young girl looked toward the coffee shop, watching the interaction between Wang Heng and that unfamiliar girl, and suddenly said: “We’re all wrong. This competitor isn’t a rich big sister; she’s an even younger little sister than us.”
Han Yixuan glanced at her: “Are you sure she’s younger than you?”
Pei Ningle patted her chest: “Don’t judge me by appearances; I’m fully 18!”
Han Yixuan pondered and said: “Indeed, judging by Wang Heng’s demeanor, he should be tutoring that girl in her studies, so she must be a high school student. So, does Wang Heng prefer the little sister type?”
Pei Ningle said smugly: “Then playing the little sister card isn’t a wrong strategy for me.”
Han Yixuan: “You’re celebrating too early. He didn’t say he can only have one little sister. Anyway, it’s a non-blood-related little sister; he can recognize as many as he wants.”
Pei Ningle said indignantly: “But he’s still my agent!”
Han Yixuan waved, indicating she had no interest in arguing with her. The most important matter right now was undoubtedly what was happening in that coffee shop.
Fortunately, after some careful observation, Han Yixuan could finally make a clear judgment: “That girl likes Wang Heng, but Wang Heng is still maintaining distance with her.”
Pei Ningle couldn’t help but ask puzzledly: “I feel that girl is pretty. Why doesn’t Wang Heng like her?”
Han Yixuan sneered: “Pretty? Heh, in what way is she better than us two?”
Pei Ningle: “Younger than us?”
“……Besides that?” Han Yixuan patted the table. “We can’t underestimate ourselves. In what way are we inferior to her? No matter how you look at it, she’s at best on par with you. And the current situation is, she’s one person, and we’re two.”
Pei Ningle noticed the oddity in her words: “Wait, since when did we two become one camp?”
Han Yixuan said seriously: “I think we two can set aside the controversy for now. First eliminate the other competitors, then we have a showdown. What do you think?”
“Set aside the controversy?”
“Yeah, I think as long as we two team up, we can definitely win!”
Hearing her say that, Pei Ningle felt somewhat tempted. Compared to that unfamiliar girl, this Xiao Xuan who already had some rapport with her was obviously more approachable. Moreover, the strategy of first eliminating other competitors seemed quite right.
“If we team up…”
Han Yixuan put on a very sincere expression: “I don’t know the other girls around Wang Heng now; I only know you. And I think, even if I lose to you later, I wouldn’t feel too bad. A kind and cute girl like you would definitely make Wang Heng very happy in the future, right?”
Pei Ningle was immediately somewhat moved: “Xiao Xuan, I…”
Han Yixuan took her hand and said softly: “No need to say anything. You understand what I mean, and I understand you.”
Pei Ningle nodded firmly: “Okay, we’ll first deal with the external enemies, then have a fair showdown!”
“Good!”
Han Yixuan finally suppressed the urge to let her mouth corners turn up, to avoid revealing a smile of having her scheme succeed—as long as the other competitors could be dealt with, how could a mere Xiao Le be her opponent? By then, it would be a sure-win situation.
————
In Wang Heng’s view, this afternoon’s tutoring session was still going smoothly.
Ye Xun’s talent wasn’t in mathematics. Numerical logic, spatial imagination ability, sensitivity to numbers—none of these were her strengths. In comparison, she was better at memorizing words, understanding grammar, pondering phrases and sentences. Or in other words, she was a typical arts stream talent.
But even so, as long as she studied seriously, there would always be some gains. After two hours of tutoring, Wang Heng was quite gratified by the young girl’s serious effort.
After checking the problems Ye Xun had just finished, he predicted: “Keep up this state, and by the time your third year of senior high school starts, math shouldn’t be a weak point anymore.”
But Ye Xun was still a bit anxious: “But we have a monthly exam next week…”
Wang Heng: “No way around it; the effect of short-term cramming is limited.”
Ye Xun: “Really no way?”
“Without cheating, no,” Wang Heng shrugged. “With cheating, not recommended.”
Ye Xun didn’t want to cheat either, but thinking about the impression she’d left on her classmates recently, if the monthly exam showed math grades far below the passing line, her fake top-student image wouldn’t hold up.
The young girl felt a bit down: “Then I can only cram problems intensively during this time…”
Wang Heng suddenly asked: “By the way, how’s the situation with your dad?”
The topic jumping to this direction made Ye Xun momentarily flustered. She thought for a moment and replied: “I don’t know, because he never tells me specifics. Actually, it was only a few months ago that I learned our family enterprise’s situation was getting worse, starting to incur losses.”
Wang Heng nodded thoughtfully.
Ye Xun’s family falling on hard times was a foregone event, something that happened in the first playthrough too, impossible to change. It was just unclear to what extent. If it was like the first playthrough, where Ye Xun couldn’t even go to university and had to work right after high school, Wang Heng felt it wouldn’t be right to stand by idly.
But if he wanted to help, it seemed hard to intervene… He could sponsor her of course, but wouldn’t that increase the risk of the cleaver?
Ye Xun stared at him for a while, then couldn’t help asking: “Senior, what are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” Wang Heng shook his head.
As long as he seized the opportunities of rebirth and filled up his bank account, then no matter what trouble came later, he should have more options, right?
He put away his mobile phone, stood up and said: “Let’s call it a day. I’ll send you to the subway station now. Go home and rest well.”
Ye Xun tilted her small face up to stare at him, asking softly: “Want to go grab dinner together?”
“Dinner?”
“Yeah, my treat!”
Wang Heng teased: “You can’t be so extravagant yet.”
Ye Xun gently shook her head: “Won’t eat anything too expensive. I recently found a porridge shop with light flavors; it’s pretty good.”
Should he agree to this invitation? Wang Heng hesitated slightly.
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