Chapter 135: Like You More ③
Li Kai had Nie Qiu sit on the sofa, then he ran to the bookshelf to find the first and second-grade books. Every volume was there, and except for the names written on them, they looked like new books.
Nie Qiu was not surprised. She could recite liberal arts subjects on her own. Nie Qiu focused on explaining science subjects to Li Kai, especially physics and chemistry, which were only introduced in the second grade. So, Nie Qiu chose physics to explain to Li Kai. Like many people, boys generally have a better understanding of science subjects. Li Kai also studied seriously. Basically, Li Kai remembered everything Nie Qiu said without needing a second explanation. He would then take out the previous workbooks to do, and there were very few mistakes.
Because the explanation was fast, in less than an hour, half of the first volume of second-grade physics was covered. Nie Qiu explained it by summarizing, mostly focusing on broad categories of knowledge.
After Li Kai finished a page of practice questions, he showed it to Nie Qiu. He then walked out of the study to the kitchen to ask Li Ying to make some juice, and brought it back into the study.
Nie Qiu reviewed the questions Li Kai had done. There were no mistakes at all, which made her feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
“Nie Qiu, have some juice!” Li Kai placed the watermelon juice he was holding on the computer desk and said to Nie Qiu.
Nie Qiu nodded, put down the book in her hand, and said with a smile, “You’re learning much faster than I imagined.”
“Heh heh.” Li Kai smiled. “I remember your grades were about the same as mine! How are your grades so good now?” It felt like Nie Qiu had become a different person since she was discharged from the hospital.
“When I was in the hospital, I met a janitor auntie,” Nie Qiu said with a smile, taking a sip of watermelon juice. “I heard from someone in my hospital room that she and the hospital dean were junior high school classmates, and her grades back then were better than the dean’s. Yet, the dean became the dean, but she’s sweeping the floor at the hospital.”
“What happened next? Did you say anything to her? Did she teach you to study?” Li Kai couldn’t help but ask.
“We didn’t say anything, and she didn’t teach me anything,” Nie Qiu looked at Li Kai. “I was quite bored staying in the hospital, and no one talked to me, so I started overthinking. I thought, if I don’t work hard, when we grow up, some of you, my classmates, might inherit family businesses, some might start their own companies, some might become managers, some might become high officials, and I… might I also end up as a janitor at one of my classmates’ factories, homes, or companies? At that time, how would I face my old classmates?”
“You… thought that?” Li Kai’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Nie Qiu. He hadn’t expected the reason for Nie Qiu’s sudden hard work. Perhaps Nie Qiu was right; different people have different destinies. If Nie Qiu hadn’t changed, perhaps many years later, he might have seen such a person at his father’s company, his classmate, hunched over, holding a broom and mop, walking past him, with a fawning and timid smile. Therefore, the current Nie Qiu had changed, becoming diligent, confident, and… making him feel a heartbeat.
Nie Qiu nodded and said with a smile, “Yes! That’s what I thought.”
Li Kai swallowed, squatted down, and looked up at Nie Qiu, who was sitting on the computer chair. He suddenly took her hand, carefully, not daring to overstep. “Nie Qiu, don’t worry, you will definitely not be a janitor in the future!”
Nie Qiu looked at Li Kai earnestly saying this, and couldn’t help but let out a ‘pfft’ of laughter. The sentence ‘you will definitely not be a janitor in the future’ sounded so funny, so funny that Nie Qiu couldn’t help but be moved. She pulled her hand away and said with a smile, “Of course, I won’t be a janitor. I will do my best to get into a good high school and a good university. No matter what, I will definitely not become a janitor!”
Li Kai looked at Nie Qiu. The person before him was smiling brightly, her lips, having drunk watermelon juice, were tender and pink. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it would break through his eardrums. A few drops of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his fists were clenched tightly. He was engaged in an internal struggle, and finally, in the battle between reason and desire, desire won. So, he decided not to suppress his inner longing any longer.
He looked at Nie Qiu, opened his mouth, and finally, with trembling lips, said, “Nie Qiu, I like you.”
Hearing Li Kai’s words, Nie Qiu looked down at the crouching Li Kai and nodded, “I know!”
“Then…” Li Kai swallowed, took Nie Qiu’s hand again, and stared at Nie Qiu’s lips. “Can I kiss you?”
Nie Qiu was stunned. She looked at Li Kai, whose face was red and full of nervousness. He wanted to kiss her? This sixteen-year-old boy was tense, his limbs stiff, but his eyes held anticipation and longing as he looked at her.
Undeniably, Li Kai was one of the most handsome boys in school. His hair was a standard black, styled in the currently popular punk fashion, with bangs falling down. His sharply angled, firm eyebrows were like swords, and his dark, deep eyes were filled with nervousness. His lips seemed dry from nervousness, and he unconsciously licked them. His chiseled features, perhaps due to playing basketball, gave him a slender build. Having seen him take off his shirt while playing basketball, Nie Qiu knew that Li Kai was the type of guy who looked thin in clothes but had a good physique when he took them off – a sunny, big boy.
Many girls at school liked him. This liking was nothing more than because of Li Kai’s appearance.
Yet, this person liked her.
Nie Qiu smiled and looked at Li Kai. “Okay!”
Li Kai was nervous and then heard Nie Qiu say ‘okay’. He didn’t react immediately and instead widened his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating. He looked at Nie Qiu, his gaze seeming to seek confirmation. Seeing Nie Qiu nod, he was almost ecstatic. He closed his eyes and slowly, slowly leaned towards Nie Qiu, who was sitting on the computer chair.
Nie Qiu watched Li Kai slowly approach and smiled, extending her index finger to press it on Li Kai’s lips. Li Kai, feeling the obstruction, slowly opened his eyes and looked at the smiling Nie Qiu with a hint of displeasure.
Nie Qiu’s face was a little red. For some reason, she suddenly felt shy. She lowered her head slightly and said softly, “After finishing the first volume of second-grade physics, if the accuracy of the workbook is above ninety-five percent, then it’s okay.”
Li Kai looked at Nie Qiu and saw the blush on her cheeks. So… she was also shy. It wasn’t just him who was shy. He looked at the blush and nodded, “Okay!”
As they spoke, Nie Qiu felt Li Kai’s lips against hers. They were soft. Nie Qiu felt as if she had been electrocuted and quickly withdrew her hand. She busied herself tidying up her books on the computer desk, stuffing them all into her shoulder bag. “We’ll study up to here for today. I… I need to go back now…”
