LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 63
On Saturday morning, Li Yue checked the virtual account balances of each student one by one. When he saw Yu Shu's account as green as the vast mountains and rivers, he asked, "Yu Shu, could you share how you managed to successfully avoid all the rising stocks?"
He had only taught for two days but had already remembered all the students' names.
Yu Shu politely answered, "Teacher Li, I analyzed it based on the knowledge you taught."
Li Yue smiled, and the maturity and elegance that came with age showed on his face along with the fine lines around his eyes. He praised, "Very good, that means you grasped the essence."
The students chuckled together, filling the classroom with a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.
Li Yue walked up to the podium and started explaining how to correctly apply theoretical knowledge in practice.
The morning passed quickly, and at lunch break, as usual, Yu Shu went to eat at a restaurant near the training institute. She hadn't made any friends in the training class. On the first day, many male classmates tried to chat her up, but after seeing her luxury car worth millions, they all beat a hasty retreat. As for the female classmates, they were even less inclined to get close to her.
Yu Shu didn't care. The more mature her psychology and the richer her spiritual world became, the less she liked to mingle.
Only sheep and cattle flock together, while lions and tigers walk alone.
Yu Shu entered the restaurant, attracting many admiring looks, putting her in an even better mood. As usual, she ordered two dishes and sat at a window table.
She was becoming more and more beautiful, not just her appearance but the charm that emanated from her bones. The etiquette course made her gestures and movements more elegant and graceful. The superior material conditions gave her ample confidence and self-assurance.
As Mencius said, "When you change your abode, you alter your moods. When you nourish your body, you improve your mind."
Yu Shu just wanted to say, Mencius was right.
Not long after she sat down, Li Yue also entered the restaurant. Seeing her, he gave a slight smile and came over to ask, "May I join you?"
"Of course, please have a seat, Teacher Li."
"Let's drop the formalities outside of class. Just call me by my name."
Yu Shu smiled and nodded, "Alright, Brother Li."
Li Yue ordered two more dishes, and they chatted while eating. They didn't talk about class but chatted freely about cuisines from all over. Li Yue wasn't actually a lecturer at the training institute but was specially invited. His main job was a manager at a famous securities firm in City S. He traveled for work all year round, staying at hotels for 300 days a year, and had tried all kinds of local delicacies everywhere, so he was very knowledgeable about cuisines.
Yu Shu listened attentively, nodding and exclaiming now and then. She did gain a lot of knowledge.
She suddenly recalled the first time she was alone with Yu Yan. Back then she still stammered when speaking. Facing an excellent man, she exuded insecurity from head to toe. In just half a year, she had transformed completely.
"What happy thing are you thinking about that makes you smile like that?" Li Yue asked. "You look very happy."
"Mm," Yu Shu nodded affirmatively, but didn't specify what she was thinking about.
Li Yue didn't probe further and naturally changed the topic, talking about the cuisines he had eaten in Kyoto. Some Yu Shu had eaten before, and some she hadn't. When Li Yue talked about the Peking duck from a private kitchen, he was full of praise, saying the chef was a master passed down from the imperial family, and ordinary people had to make reservations half a year in advance to eat there.
Yu Shu recalled the Peking duck Shen Youlin had brought her last time, which had the name of this private kitchen printed on the package. Perhaps someday, she should try the freshly roasted duck there.
"Looking at you now, I'd never have guessed you're such a foodie."
Li Yue joked, "You can just say it directly, that I'm a glutton. We work hard to earn money for happiness outside of work, right? If someone doesn't have hobbies, the rewards from working hard lose meaning."
But for many people, the sole meaning of working is survival.
But Yu Shu didn't say more to him, just nodding in agreement.
After the meal, Yu Shu felt mentally exhausted. Pretending to be a well-mannered lady and socialite was tiring. She now knew how to get along with all kinds of people but still didn't like interacting with unfamiliar people, especially at meals, having to chat while eating, with her brain running—wouldn't that cause indigestion?
The next day at noon, Yu Shu didn't go to that restaurant but drove to a restaurant farther away to eat alone—food had to be eaten in big mouthfuls to taste good. How could she let a man affect her appetite?
That afternoon, Li Yue ate lunch with the boss of this training institute, who was also his college roommate and good friend, Cheng Yu.
"I heard you were harassing a female student yesterday, so I rushed here today to see the show, but I didn't even catch a glimpse of the female lead." Cheng Yu shook his head and sighed, his face full of regret.
"She left right after class, fast as lightning," Li Yue's confidence was also deflated. "Am I that scary?"
"If you really like her, then pursue her. At your age, why play hard to get? Look at me—I have three kids, with the youngest in elementary school already, while you're still a lonely bachelor."
Li Yue smiled bitterly, "If I were ten years younger, I definitely wouldn't hesitate."
The word "old" struck Li Yue's heart like an arrow, piercing it through. His tone grew even more despondent, "She's not short on money."
Li Yue did not come from a good background. In his early years, he devoted his youth entirely to his career, remaining single for many years. By the time he was older and wanted to settle down with a family, he realized there wasn't a suitable woman around him. They were either married with children already or strong independent women who didn't need a man and were beautiful on their own.
Just when he finally met someone he was attracted to, they were separated by the gulf of age.
Cheng Yu felt bad for his good friend but was also very curious about the woman he was attracted to. During the afternoon class, in his role as class advisor, he secretly peeked in through the classroom window and immediately spotted Yu Shu—glamorously sexy and brightly elegant.
Suddenly he didn't feel bad for Li Yue anymore. A man nearing forty, who usually didn't take good care of himself either, standing next to this pretty young girl was like two generations apart.
After class in the afternoon, Li Yue called Yu Shu back. The other students who originally had questions took the cue and tactfully left.
Li Yue didn't ask about lunch but gave her an exquisite keychain with a fluffy pink fox dangling from it, the internet's hottest "celebrity" doll of the moment.
"Happy birthday."
"Thank you, Teacher Li."
It wasn't an expensive gift. Yu Shu accepted it graciously, thinking she would give him a return gift when the course ended.
"I remembered your birthday when I was looking through the student information. I hope I'm not being too intrusive."
"Not at all. This is the first gift I've received this year."
Her birthday was next Thursday. Her girlfriends had already planned to throw her a party at her apartment.