Little Xiang Ning walked from the office doorway over to the desk with tears glistening in her eyes. Xu Tingsheng unconsciously lowered his head, not daring to look at her. He dared not look at her tear-stained and pitiful yet just incomparably adorable appearance.

  “Does it still hurt?” Xiang Ning asked.

  “It doesn’t,” Xu Tingsheng replied.

  Xiang Ning wiped her tears away, asking, “Is Dongdong okay?”


  “It’s grown fat,” Xu Tingsheng said, “That fella cozies up with whoever feeds it, then sleeps by my feet every night. You can rest assured on that.”


  “That’s good then,” Xiang Ning sighed in relief before going over behind Xu Tingsheng and saying in a distant tone, “Mum and Dad don’t even let me go out on the weekends anymore. Sigh, I can’t even come to see Dongdong anymore.”


  “Relax, you just concentrate on your studies. I’ll take good care of Dongdong.”


  “Yeah. I’ll get back to lessons then.”


  Her mood seemed as fickle as the seasons. She had looked all pitiful when she had come in. When leaving the office, however, she did so with a spring in her step, as if she had just done something that she felt very triumphant about as she forcibly held in her mood and quickly left.

  Right before exiting the office, she turned and said, “Right, Young Miss Ye’s surname is not Xiang.”


  It was only when Xu Tingsheng went to the classroom for his third lesson that he realised what exactly Little Xiang Ning had done that had left her feeling so triumphant.

  He turned and began writing on the blackboard.

  Behind him first came fragmented voices of discussion before some slight snickers resounded. Finally, the entire room burst into laughter. He very bemusedly turned, asking blankly, “What?”


  “Teacher, there’s a word on your back,” A student stood up and told Xu Tingsheng.

  Xu Tingsheng swivelled his head with some effort, pulling his still rather loose T-shirt to the side. Finally, he discovered a piece of paper stuck to his back. On it was written the ‘Xiang’ character.

  No wonder she had said ‘Young Miss Ye’s surname is not Xiang’ earlier. No wonder her tears had turned into a triumphant look just like that.

  This was actually greatly in line with Xiang Ning’s personality. After the two of them had hooked up in his previous life, she had requested for her to be mentioned often amongst his network of friends, letting everyone know that ‘Uncle’ was already taken.

  This was the young lady’s personality. Xiang Ning said that this was called not possessiveness, but exclusivity.

  Having liked such a terrible Xu Tingsheng, she had believed him to be the best, believing that all under the heavens would also like him, being afraid that someone might fight with her over him. She had treasured and cherished him just like that, even having waited silently for him till the end.

  Xiang Ning had never been the kind of girl who possessed a so-called perfect personality. She had many little faults, often acting wilful and spoiled. Yet, she was just that lovable, tugging at one’s heartstrings.

  Xu Tingsheng felt awkward for a bit as he reached out, wanting to tear off that piece of paper. At the same time, he observed Little Xiang Ning currently gazing at him with a resentful expression on her face. If he acted according to the will of Mr and Mrs Xiang, this would be the last time the two of them would be meeting at least within the next year’s time.

  Xu Tingsheng gave up and turned back, saying nonchalantly, “Let’s continue the lesson.”


  At this moment, Xu Tingsheng witnessed a flower blooming, blooming on Little Xiang Ning’s face. Actually, she was almost sixteen. She was already 1.61m tall, no longer just a little girl.

  Xu Tingsheng was currently feeling incomparably regretful. How he wished this was the first time the two of them were meeting in this lifetime.

  At the end of the lesson, Xu Tingsheng informed the students that the lessons conducted by him would be ending that week. Because his lessons had been free anyway, apart from the students feeling dismal, there wouldn’t actually be any problems with that.

  How some stories would eventually unfold could not be known. At the current time, however, as Xu Tingsheng sat in his office now, he knew that he should be tearing off this ‘Xiang’ character.

  When the students had already mostly dispersed, Little Xiang Ning appeared at the door of his office in her Taekwondo uniform.

  The white Taekwondo garb accentuated her long, white neck and even part of her collarbone. Coupled with her red school bag and her swaying ponytail, she appeared pretty and cute.

  “Why won’t you be coming for lessons next week?” Little Xiang Ning asked Xu Tingsheng.

  “Because I’m too busy,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Too busy? Will you still be tutoring me then?”


  “Ms Li Linlin will be substituting me.”


  “You’ll come yourself when you aren’t busy then?”


  “I may be very busy for the entire upcoming period of time.”


  This had been requested by Xiang Ning’s parents. Xu Tingsheng wouldn’t be able to continue even if he wanted to, even if he felt that he could manage it. Also, he had agreed not to divulge the truth to Xiang Ning such that she would not rebel.

  “But you were also always very busy before!” Little Xiang Ning’s voice was somewhat plaintive as she asked despondently, “Hey, is it that you’re mad at my Mum and Dad? I’ll help you talk to them, okay?”


  “How is that possible? Uncle and Auntie always treat me so well.”


  “It’s because you hate me then. Is it that I’ve done something wrong recently?”


  “No.”


  Xiang Ning discovered how Xu Tingsheng was acting differently this time. He wasn’t expressing anger at her like he had in the past, and it didn’t seem feigned. He was speaking seriously this time. Only now did she discover that if Uncle didn’t spoil her and dote on her, wasn’t afraid of her feeling wronged and sad, she was actually totally useless, unable to do anything at all.

  “Xu Tingsheng, you think you’re so great! Even if you are great, does that mean you can just bully people like this? If you’re so great, why were you always shamelessly being so good to me before? Coming over and being so good to someone all of a sudden, and now all of a sudden acting like this!”


  Little Xiang Ning wanted to cry as she thought of this. Such was really the truth. She had only been an ordinary little girl originally. One day, Xu Tingsheng had suddenly appeared and held her amidst his palms, raised her aloft to the peak of the clouds……

  She had gotten used to it, and now it was no more.

  “Come, practise Taekwondo with me.”


  Xu Tingsheng felt rather bemused, but still followed her anyway.

  In the spacious classroom, the floor filled with blue protective foam pads, there were only them.

  Little Xiang Ning gave Xu Tingsheng a defensive pad, saying, “Hold it up. I’ll kick you to death.”


  Xu Tingsheng adjusted the defensive pad on his arm, shifting it slightly downwards.

  “I’ll ask you first. Have you really recovered? Does it really no longer hurt?”


  “I’ve really recovered.”


  “Good,” Little Xiang Ning clenched her little fist, her ponytail swishing within the air as she went for the run-up.

  ‘Who asked you to lie!’ She did not kick the defensive pad, instead kicking Xu Tingsheng’s leg.

  “Who asked you to bully people!”


  Another kick.

  The slender Little Xiang Ning’s kicks were actually soft and powerless. Also being barefooted, she actually wasn’t causing any damage at all. Xu Tingsheng hurriedly relaxed the muscles of his leg, making it a little softer for her to kick.

  “Does it hurt?” Xiang Ning stopped and asked Xu Tingsheng.

  Xu Tingsheng smiled, shaking his head.

  “Who asked you to lie. I’ll kick you to death,” Little Xiang Ning kicked again. She saw how Xu Tingsheng did not react in the slightest.

  “Who asked you not to teach me because you’re busy. I’ll kick you to death.”


  “Who asked you to be fierce to me. I’ll kick you to death.”


  “Who asked you to be so good to me. I’ll kick you to death.”


  “Who asked you to sing for me. I’ll kick you to death.”


  “Who asked you to cook for me. I’ll kick you to death.”


  “I’ll kick you to death for Big Xiang Ning.”


  “I’ll kick you to death for Little Xiang Ning.”


  “.……”


  She cried as she spoke, her soft, powerless kicks landing on Xu Tingsheng’s leg. She felt like she had suffered a grievance, a grievance that rivalled the heavens. She was exhausted. She sat limply on the floor, sobbing.

  Xu Tingsheng put the defensive pad away, crouching down beside Little Xiang Ning as he looked at the front of her foot that was completely red.

  “Does it hurt?”


  “It hurts.”