Chapter 30

Ye Bai woke up early, with the clock striking 6:00 in the morning. He quickly freshened up and prepared for his routine morning run in the nearby park. This habit was instilled during his time at Bluestar, and he continued it even in this new environment.

Ye Bai read Miaomiao's message; he knew there was a big fight yesterday in Lin's household. 

Xiaobai: You must improve your grade this semester. Don't worry, I'm here to help.

Closing his phone, Ye Bai set out for his morning run. During a break in the park, he noticed a group of elderly men engaging in martial exercises. Intrigued, he observed their movements closely from a bench. A friendly grandpa from the group approached him.

"It's rare to see young people like you exercising at this time," the grandpa remarked.

Ye Bai turned to him. "Exercise is part of my routine. I like to keep my body flexible."

The grandpa noticed Ye Bai's interest in their martial arts practice. "I noticed you watching us practice martial arts. Do you have experience in it?"

"No, I don't have any martial arts background; maybe just some basic sword dance for performances," Ye Bai explained. As an actor, knowing such skills could come in handy, especially for historical dramas. "I'm interested in imitating the moves for exercise when I have free time."

The grandpa expressed concern: "Can you demonstrate the moves you were watching? I want to make sure you're not imitating anything that could cause harm."

Ye Bai stood up and tried to recall the movements he had just observed. Each action and step was precisely mimicked from the martial arts practice.

The grandpa was astonished. Initially, he thought Ye Bai was merely pretending, but as he watched closely, it was as if he was observing his own friend performing the moves. He realized Ye Bai had a natural talent for martial arts.

"Young man, you're truly imitating my friend's moves flawlessly. It's impressive. If you're interested, you can join us for practice here. I'm Grandpa Jiang," the elderly man introduced himself.

"Hello Grandpa Jiang, I'm Ye Bai. This is a great honor to join." Ye Bai expressed his willingness to join the group of old people doing martial arts.

Grandpa Jiang enthusiastically introduced Ye Bai to the other members and offered to teach him some martial arts techniques. The oldies were delighted to have young blood in their group, bringing new energy and enthusiasm to their practice sessions.

...

Lin Miaomiao woke up feeling refreshed after a restful sleep. The stress of being on the last of the list and the parent-teacher meeting had weighed heavily on her in recent days, making each day feel like torture. Now that those problems were behind her, she felt a sense of relief washing over her.

She reached for her cellphone and checked her messages, finding one from Xiaoqi asking if the storm at her house had passed.

Meowmeow: Xiaoqi, the storm has passed, but I still need to work on improving my grades for the upcoming semester.

Xiaoqi: What's your plan?

Meowmeow: I need to study diligently. If my grades don't improve, my mother will force me to quit the radio station.

Xiaoqi: Good luck, Miaomiao. I'll be rooting for you!

Miaomiao happily closed the Xiaoqi chatbox and read Ye Bai's message.

Meowmeow: Okay, I need your help. Can you come over to my house? I'm afraid to go out of my room. I feel like my mother will find fault with me again when I leave this room.

Ye Bai, who was having breakfast, received Miaomiao's message. After checking the time, he agreed to visit the Lin family. He quickly washed up, changed into a simple shirt, and headed out. On his way, he stopped by a nearby bookstore and picked up some simple and easy-to-understand study materials.

...

When Lin Miaomiao received Ye Bai's message, she jumped up from her seat and rushed outside her room. "Mom, Ye Bai is coming over to tutor me!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shengnan quickly grabbed her bag. "I'll buy some ingredients. Miaomiao, clean your room. Don't embarrass yourself when Ye Bai sees your messy room."

"Okay, Mom, I'll clean my room," Lin Miaomiao replied, grabbing a change of clothes and a towel as she headed to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Lin Dawei sat on the sofa, observing the flurry of activity caused by the impending visit of a boy. He shook his head and switched channels on the television.

...

Lin Miaomiao stared at herself in the mirror, feeling frustrated as she attempted to change her style for the third time. Her hair was too short to achieve the look she desired, and she couldn't seem to get it to cooperate. After several failed attempts, she finally settled on tying her hair into cute pigtails, a style that always seemed to suit her well.

Ye Bai arrived at the Lin Residence dressed in a simple white shirt and fitted jeans. As he stood before the apartment, memories of his past life in this neighborhood flooded back. He made his way straight to the door and knocked.

Lin Dawei opened the door, his eyes landing on Ye Bai. He couldn't help but notice how much the boy had grown, now exuding a striking handsomeness. "Come in," Lin Dawei gestured. "Miaomiao, Ye Bai is here!" he called out to his daughter's room.

Lin Miaomiao hurriedly emerged from her room. "Xiaobai, come in quickly," she urged, attempting to pull Ye Bai into her room.

"Wait, wait!" Ye Bai halted her, placing the items he brought on a small table. "Uncle, I brought some tea and fruits," he explained.

Lin Dawei accepted the offerings gratefully, but before he could thank Ye Bai, Miaomiao pulled him away to her room.

As Ye Bai looked around Miaomiao's bedroom, he noticed that not much had changed.

"There's nothing different here, except for the computer," Miaomiao remarked, retrieving the items from Ye Bai's paper bag. She found books and snacks inside and quickly grabbed the snacks, leaving the books on the side of the bed. "Ye Bai, you always know what I want," she said, opening a snack.

"Lin Miaomiao, I'm not here for a leisurely visit. I'm here to tutor you," Ye Bai reminded her firmly, pulling out the books from the bag, which contained the subjects he had failed.

"These are the books we'll be focusing on," Ye Bai said, leading Miaomiao to the study table. Though Miaomiao's expression soured, she knew she had no choice. However, the promise of rewards if her grades improved suddenly filled her with energy, and she eagerly began listening to Ye Bai's explanations.

...

Lin Miaomiao immersed herself in Ye Bai's teachings, finding his explanations far easier to grasp than those of her regular teachers. Her gaze inadvertently lingered on Ye Bai's focused expression as he explained the lesson, prompting a smile to spread across her face.

Noticing Miaomiao's distraction, Ye Bai halted the lesson, intending to tease this kid gently. He halted the lesson, observing her with amusement to see how long she'd remain lost in thought. As their gazes locked, Ye Bai found himself studying Miaomiao's features intently, his heart skipping a beat as he noticed a faint resemblance to someone else.

*Knock*

Their moment was interrupted by a knock at the door, breaking the spell. "Food's ready; come out and eat," called Wang Shengnan from outside. Ye Bai and Miaomiao exchanged shy glances, but Ye Bai quickly lightened the mood with a playful jab. "Was I so handsome that you got lost in thought?" he teased.

Blushing, Miaomiao grabbed a book and playfully tossed it at Ye Bai to hide her embarrassment. "You!" she exclaimed.

Ye Bai caught the book with a smile. "Alright, let's go eat. I miss Auntie's cooking," he said and walked away, giving Miaomiao a moment to collect herself and to calm his own heart.

...

Lin Miaomiao returned to her usual self, pushing aside the earlier shyness. As she glanced at the dishes on the table, a hint of sourness crossed her expression at how her mother seemed to dote on Ye Bai.

"It's like Ye Bai is your true child," she muttered under her breath.

Wang Shengnan promptly knocked on Lin Miaomiao's head. "Ye Bai is like my own son when he was little. Besides, he tutors you for free. This is a small gesture for your progress. Did you wash your hands?" she asked sternly.

Lin Miaomiao rubbed the spot where her mother had knocked, feeling a bit aggrieved, but she didn't want another scolding. Quickly, she made her way to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Ye Bai observed the interaction between mother and daughter with a smile as he too headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. He couldn't help but chuckle at Miaomiao's playful antics as she sprinkled water on his face like a mischievous cat.

"Childish," he teased, taking a tissue to dry his face and hands.

Excitedly, Lin Miaomiao took her seat at the dining table, only to find that the best pieces of meat had already been placed on Ye Bai's plate by her mother.

Ye Bai settled into his seat, appreciating the food on his plate. "Thank you, Auntie," he said gratefully.

Wang Shengnan poured some soup into a bowl for Ye Bai. "Eat more. I made this soup especially for you. I remember it used to be your favorite when you were little."

Lin Miaomiao ate silently, her eyes occasionally flicking enviously towards Ye Bai. He caught her gaze and grinned, enjoying his meal with gusto.

...

After the meal, they engaged in a lighthearted quiz, exchanging playful banter as they tested each other's knowledge. Eventually, it was time for Ye Bai to bid farewell to the Lin family.

As Lin Miaomiao and Ye Bai walked side by side, Miaomiao suggested, "Next time, let's do the tutoring at the library. I swear, sometimes I feel like you're my mother's long-lost child." She playfully blacklisted Ye Bai from her house.

Ye Bai chuckled at Miaomiao's remark. "Sure, let's go to the library next time," he agreed. As they reached the bus stop, he added, "Here's the bus. See you at school."

Lin Miaomiao nodded and waved goodbye to Ye Bai. "See you at school," she called out, watching as he boarded the bus before turning to head home herself.

...