A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Dad, are you kidding me? You want me to tutor her?"

Lu Xingzhou's handsome face was filled with the word "outrageous".

He pointed to Lu Nianci, who was blinking her innocent big eyes and had a piece of braised pork stuffed in her mouth.

"She? Needs my tutoring?"

This girl is now a famous "five-year-old prodigy" in Harbin, and she can even get full marks on junior high school exams.

As for him, Lu Xingzhou, although he was also one of the best high school graduates, his knowledge was probably not even a "side dish" compared to his amazing younger sister.

This "task" from the higher-ups is utterly ridiculous!

"Ahem," Lu Zhenguo also felt a little embarrassed, cleared his throat and explained, "The leader's point is that although Nianci is good at studying, she is still young, and we are worried that she might overdo it and hurt her health."

"Having you stay home is mainly to supervise her work-life balance, and to take her out for walks and exercise more often. Tutoring her homework... is just a side effect."

Zhou Yayun chimed in, "Yes, yes, Xingzhou, you rarely come back, so spend more time with your sister. It's a good opportunity for you two siblings to strengthen your bond."

Looking at his parents' coordinated performance, and then at the little fox next to him winking and making faces at him with a "you've got what's coming to you" look, what could Lu Xingzhou say?

He could only force out a single word through gritted teeth, his face dark.

"……good."

Thus, Lu Xingzhou's precious vacation, which he had been looking forward to for a year, turned into a sweet yet headache-inducing "torture".

The next morning, Zhou Yayun dragged him out of bed.

"Xingzhou, get up! Nianci has been studying for an hour! How can you, as her older brother, be lazier than your sister!"

Lu Xingzhou, with messy hair and sleepy eyes, walked into the living room.

Lu Nianci was already sitting upright at her desk, with a book spread out in front of her... a Russian-language edition of "Advanced Mathematics"!

Lu Xingzhou was instantly half awake.

"You...you can understand it?" he stammered, pointing at the cryptic book.

"Hmm, it's alright." Lu Nianci looked up and replied naturally in Russian, "Some of the logical deductions are not rigorous enough."

"..."

Lu Xingzhou felt like he had choked.

He silently turned around, went back to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of cold water, and gulped it down in one go.

Tutoring?

This is clearly a world of difference in knowledge!

In the days that followed, Lu Xingzhou's daily "task" was to sit next to Lu Nianci and watch her "study".

On the first day, she finished reading "Advanced Mathematics" and also "reviewed" the notes on "Relativity" left by Professor Gu Jiusi.

The next day, she began studying "Organic Chemistry," muttering various complex molecular formulas and chemical reactions, which made Lu Xingzhou's head spin.

On the third day, she pulled out another human anatomy atlas and used a pencil to precisely mark the course of every blood vessel and nerve. Her professionalism made even Lu Xingzhou, a special forces soldier who had seen countless wounds, feel his scalp tingle.

……

After a week, Lu Xingzhou completely gave up on the unrealistic idea of ​​"tutoring".

His daily tasks have now become sharpening pencils for this "little princess," pouring her tea, and... when she's engrossed in her book, forcibly dragging her out of the book and taking her to the yard for some "fresh air."

"Lu Nianci! Get up! You need to be outside for an hour today!"

With a stern face, Lu Xingzhou carried Lu Nianci, who was engrossed in a book on cryptography, to the backyard like a chick.

"Brother! I'm right at the crucial part!" Lu Nianci struggled in his hand, muttering to herself, "The encryption logic of this 'Caesar cipher' is too simple. If we use frequency analysis, we can crack it in a minute..."

"If you don't get out and about soon, your brain will rust!"

Without saying a word, Lu Xingzhou pressed her down onto the swing in the courtyard.

"Sit still! I'll give you a push!"

He stood behind her and gently pushed the swing.

The swing swung higher and higher, and Lu Nianci's clear laughter echoed in the quiet winter courtyard.

"Brother! Higher! Higher!"

Looking at her fluttering skirt and radiant smile, Lu Xingzhou's expression softened unconsciously.

He found that he preferred the girl in front of him, who could laugh and joke like a real child, to the girl who sat at her desk, deep and thoughtful like a little scholar.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, dappling his and her bodies.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

A sense of unprecedented peace and... contentment welled up in Lu Xingzhou's heart.

Perhaps my parents and boss are right.

This "task," though somewhat "outrageous," seems... quite good.

Just as he was enjoying this rare moment of tenderness, Lu Nianci jumped off the swing.

"Brother, I have something to do and I need to go to the city."

"Going to the city? What for?" Lu Xingzhou asked warily.

"I want to check out the Xinhua Bookstore and the scrap metal yard in the city," Lu Nianci said, her eyes sparkling. "The bookstore might have the new books I need, and the scrap metal yard might have some useful old books or spare parts!"

Her excited expression, like she was browsing Taobao, left Lu Xingzhou feeling somewhat helpless.

Is there nothing else in this girl's mind besides studying and her "plans"?

"No, it's too dangerous for you to go by yourself." Lu Xingzhou refused without even thinking.

Although Harbin city is more stable than the countryside, it is not absolutely safe.

Especially since this girl is so beautiful, what if she gets targeted by bad guys?

"But I really need those books..." Lu Nianci tugged at his clothes and started using her "coquettish" skills, looking at him with her big, watery eyes, making it impossible for him to refuse.

Lu Xingzhou's heart softened instantly.

He sighed, feeling that he was becoming less and less principled in front of this girl.

"You can go," he finally relented, but on one condition: "I have to go with you."

"Yay! You're the best, brother!" Lu Nianci jumped up with joy.

Looking at her jubilant appearance, Lu Xingzhou's face remained expressionless, but he felt a strange sense of anticipation in his heart.

Should I accompany her... to the city?

It seems like a pretty good "task".

He was completely unaware that he had transformed from a passive "supervisor" to an active "accompaniment".

This seemingly ordinary trip to the city, however, harbored a crisis he had never anticipated...