Song He was wearing a white shirt that had turned yellow after numerous washes. A pair of glasses perched on his nose, the thick lenses threatening to crush the bridge of his nose. His eye bags and tear troughs almost overlapped.
Hearing a noise at the door, he shifted his gaze from the computer screen and leaned back in his chair, his back resting against the chair's backrest. He raised his hand and pushed up his glasses with the back of his hand, then rubbed his eyes.
"Ruola! Are you here to see Siyan?"
Ding Ruola nodded at Song He and took a quick look around the office. There was still no one else in the room.
"He's gone out with Teacher Lin."
Teacher Lin? The only person with the surname Lin in Ding Ruola's memory was Lin Ke, a professor in the History Department in this office. As for where they had gone, Ding Ruola already knew. Even if she asked Song He, this man probably wouldn't have an answer. When Song He was working, he was so focused that he might not even notice an earthquake outside.
"Ruola! Why don't you call Siyan?"
After getting to know Ding Ruola well, this man really liked this girl. It was a pity that his son was still young; otherwise, he would have found a way to make Ding Ruola his daughter - in - law.
Ding Ruola stood in the corridor and called Fang Siyan. The other end picked up quickly, and a woman's voice came from the phone.
"Siyan! Who is it?"
The woman's voice was soft, sweet, and cloying. It was so charming that it could melt one's heart. Ding Ruola clicked her tongue. She remembered that when she went to Lin Ke's public lecture, the woman didn't sound like this.
"I'm at school. Come and pick me up later!"
Ding Ruola didn't want to hear Lin Ke's voice at all. This woman always reminded her of some unpleasant things, especially the way she boasted about herself. Ding Ruola even wanted to find this woman and tear her face apart. But such a violent thing could only be thought about.
"Teacher Song, is there anything I can help with?"
Song He looked up. He squinted at the girl standing beside him, about to say something, but then started coughing violently. He couldn't get his words out and just coughed frantically.
"Teacher Song, are you okay?"
The water dispenser was not far away. Ding Ruola rushed over to get a glass of water. She carefully placed the glass on the table with one hand and gently patted Song He's back with the other.
Song He felt a bit better. He raised his hand and motioned for Ding Ruola to sit in his seat. The documents on the table were all the papers submitted by Song He's students.
Shouldn't these things be done by the students themselves?
"Teacher, these..."
"There's not enough time. They've already gone out to work. I'll help them correct them."
Song He took out a folder from the nearby table. It contained all the students' information. The front page showed the students' class and personal details, while the back page had their work information. Song He had records of all the students who had already found jobs.
Ding Ruola suddenly understood Song He. This old man was tough - mouthed but kind - hearted. He cared about his students no less than their parents. Fang Siyan had told Ding Ruola some small details about the papers, and she finished dealing with them in no time.
"You young people really have good brains!"
If Song He were to deal with these documents, he would have to stare at the computer for a long time.
Ding Ruola sorted out these documents and put them into a special file bag from the Student Affairs Office. Just as she was about to seal it, Fang Siyan called. She immediately put down what she was doing. The voice on the phone wasn't Fang Siyan's.
"Professor Lin, where's Lao Fang?"
As soon as Ding Ruola finished speaking, there was a quarrel on the other end of the phone. Before Ding Ruola could react, the man's calm voice came from the receiver again.
"I'll come right away!"
Fang Siyan hung up the phone. He looked at Lin Ke, who was still in shock, with a cold face.
"This meal is to repay the favor. If you do anything inappropriate in the future, you know what I mean, right?"
Fang Siyan turned around and left.
Lin Ke stood there in a daze. All her efforts had come to nothing in the end. She held the spoon and stared at the little bit of coffee left at the bottom of the cup.
"I will definitely..."
Just as Lin Ke was about to leave the coffee shop and stood up, a man with unusually fair skin sat down in front of her.
"I think you have the same problem as me. I can help you!"
Looking at the man in front of her, the first word that popped into her mind was "vampire". Did all good - looking men like women like Ding Ruola? Seeing the temptation this man offered, Lin Ke was immediately tempted.
Before Fang Siyan's car reached the parking lot, he saw Ding Ruola standing with a man under the administrative building when he turned a corner.
"Who's that man?"
The speed limit in the school was low. After parking the car steadily, he immediately ran over to Ding Ruola. By the time he got there, the man beside Ding Ruola had already left.
"What was that man doing just now?"
"He was a student asking for directions."
Even freshmen who had been in this school for a year should know their way around. But Fang Siyan knew the level of some college students. There were students who still didn't know where the cafeteria was even after a year of school.
"I'll explain that thing to you when we get back!"
Ding Ruola knew what Fang Siyan was talking about. She replied listlessly with a grunt.
After they got back, Ding Ruola didn't seem to want to talk to Fang Siyan. She hugged her design drafts and went into the room. Fang Siyan busied himself around and prepared dinner for Ding Ruola. Ding Ruola had waited for Fang Siyan all afternoon without eating a single bite. After being disgusted by Lin Ke, she had even less of an appetite.
Fang Siyan cooked a small bowl of seaweed porridge. The faint, fresh aroma brought Ding Ruola, who was lost in thought, back to reality through the crack in the door.
"Ruoruo, open the door!"
Ding Ruola was happy inside. She raised her hand and patted her face to calm herself down. She even made a few funny faces to relax the muscles on her face, and then put on a straight face.
"What?"
Ding Ruola opened the door and stared coldly at Fang Siyan standing at the door. He was wearing a pink apron and yellow - duck gloves. As for why the apron was pink, the reason was simple. At first, Ding Ruola had planned to cook for Fang Siyan. She used Fang Siyan's apron, but before she had cooked for long, the apron had a big hole burned in it. Now this was the only apron left.
"For the sake of this bowl of porridge, I'll let you off for now."
Ding Ruola swaggered towards the dining table, and Fang Siyan obediently followed behind with the bowl of porridge.
"How does it taste?"
Regarding Fang Siyan's "after - sales inspection", Ding Ruola naturally wouldn't say it was satisfactory.
"It's just so - so!"
Although her words were hurtful, her actions were honest. The porridge in the bowl was already finished.
"What did you say to Professor Lin today?"
A woman's curiosity was irresistible. Ding Ruola opened her eyes wide and looked at Fang Siyan, who seemed hesitant to speak. She deliberately pretended to be angry and turned her back to him.