At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

Su Che knew that she had drunk so much last night, and had even drunkenly carried her zither into the flower shop, seemingly intending to "play a drunken tune"...

At this hour today... whether I can even wake up is a question.

Having given up hope, Jiang Nai surprisingly replied as she entered Gu Zhi's residential area.

Su Che stared at her dancing fox avatar, narrowing his eyes as he carefully tried to discern every clue in her words—

Ah... Su Che, you're finally willing to talk to me? I thought you'd forgotten about me... What, have you changed your mind?

There was absolutely no mention of why they came to Tianjin Tianhai.

Instead, they steered the conversation toward relationships.

This situation is also recorded in the manual:

"If you absolutely must get the key information, you need to say what the other party says first, draw a circle, and achieve your final goal when she is relaxed."

Su Che thought for a moment, his fingers moving like a blur, and typed a reply:

"Yes, I have been researching band matters lately. But more importantly, I have a student who wants to learn bass from me, but I think that among all the people I've met, your bass skills are the best. No one plays bass better than you. So I just asked. If you're busy, you don't need to reply. That's all for now."

——28 Simple Conversation Techniques: "Praising and Leaving".

The effect is to elevate the other person's status to its peak with the most straightforward praise, making them dizzy, and then immediately withdrawing from the conversation.

Prerequisites: First use, first time conveying irreplaceable recognition.

as predicted……

next second.

Jiang Nai's "input" was already flashing non-stop.

He seemed so excited that he was almost at a loss for what to do.

After several minutes of back and forth, she finally managed to edit out a long paragraph:

"Su Che! You're really going to drive me crazy. You clearly think I play well, so why don't you want to be with me? Why, why? Huh? I can't even see you, I've been like an ignorant little girl, traveling thousands of miles to see you every month, and you still won't do it! What exactly do you want from me!"

Now look what's happened! You want to take on an apprentice, so you remember me, huh?! Let me tell you! There's an old saying in Tianhai: "Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever!" You know that?! Hmm? I have a temper! I…"

She complained for a long time.

Su Che hummed in agreement twice, then concluded the conversation:

"So, are you willing to help me mentor a student? I'll directly transfer her to you, give you all the tuition fees, and I won't charge a penny of the agency fee. Online classes are fine, or you can come to Tianhai and have in-person classes too, it's up to you. If she does well, we can meet in person—"

I'll come to your house to find you.

The voice message was sent in less than half a second.

Jiang Nai's temper was like air; all her grievances evaporated without a trace.

"My home... okay, oh."

……

……

Chapter 68 Clear Shadow (Second Update)

Sometimes Su Che was unsure whether he should go to such lengths for Gu Zhi.

But every time I think of the dangerous expression Gu Zhi occasionally gives during class...

Thinking about how absolutely dark and gloomy her room was,

The thought that she might be in a bad emotional state while hiding out of his sight...

The thought that without guidance and mentorship, she might go astray and gradually stray onto the wrong path—

With heavy shackles weighing on your shoulders, you'll feel that if you give her up, your future life will definitely be filled with regret.

Therefore, we must watch her grow up and fully develop.

And this key "good person"—

It was Nana.

"Once Nana agrees to my request, I will no longer need to worry about Gu Zhi's future."

"In terms of piano skills, Nana is absolutely unmatched. Her exquisite technique, honed over many years of playing, has been infused with rhythm and artistry. Her instruments are consistently superb; her music, aesthetic sense, and stage presence are all top-notch."

"In terms of character, apart from Ye Ling, Nana has never gone to places she shouldn't have in all these years. Her daily life revolves around work, practicing piano after get off work, and taking lessons, and her comment section is full of praise from her girlfriends. Although they are all classmates and online friends, it's clear that she has great interpersonal relationships."

"It's hard to say what she thinks about others, but if it's a request she makes herself, she will most likely put in 100% effort. She would never be lazy or withhold important tasks from teaching them completely."

"In terms of personality, Gu Zhi is the dark and devouring type, while Jiang Nai is the outwardly extroverted and sunny type. At least in class, they can become complete E-types, so there's a high probability that their conversations won't be awkward. They seem to be quite compatible in this respect."

【Um. 】

After careful consideration, the matter was put on the agenda and finalized.

Jiang Nai: "Baby, once I finish my own things, I can help you take care of the kids."

"Okay, I received your message on Fetion. I'll add her again when I have a long stretch of time, not just fragmented time. As for the course schedule, I can give her two lessons a week, two online and one offline lesson a month, to resolve all the issues we've summarized."

Nana's message remains on the screen.

Su Che asked, "Are you coming to Tianhai so frequently these days? Is it for work?"

He continued to pretend he didn't know she was a makeup artist and continued to talk to her as if he hadn't paid attention to her since graduating from university, in order to minimize her wariness.

"Yeah, for various reasons. I'll be going to Tianhai more often. But it's a good thing, because once you finish your task, I won't have to bother you to fly to Beijing to fulfill your promise to me."

"........."

Su Che hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

She seems to be in a hurry...

"Hehe, I know Chebao is sincere, so I won't try to take too much at once. I don't want much. Since this is our first meeting, let's add up the tuition fee and calculate it as if you come to my house for one night and 'play a duet with me all night.' How about that? Not too much, right?"

"An ensemble...is it just playing the piano?"

"Yes, of course! What, does Baozi want to do something else?"

Jiang Nai forced herself not to reveal any flaws.

"Oh, okay, it's settled then. I'll listen to you play the piano, and we can even do a duet. Have you rented a place in Tianhai?"

"Yes, it's near Riverside Street. It's in the city center, and there's a subway to everywhere, so it's very convenient."

"I see."

Su Che nodded secretly.

"Riverside Street" is a landmark in Tianhai, not far from a small transportation hub, which can be reached in half an hour. It is a downtown commercial area where young people gather.

Given Jiang Nai's circumstances, renting a one-bedroom apartment in Tianhai for a few tens of thousands of yuan with a six-month deposit and one month's rent as a deposit shouldn't be a big deal.

Su Che didn't ask many questions, just explained all the arrangements, and then took the elevator downstairs from Gu Zhi's house.

-

……

"Brother Che, it's been a long time."

Gu Zhi seemed somewhat reserved when she opened the door today.

I turned to the side, giving way half a body space, and as we brushed past each other, I caught a whiff of a scent that was almost indistinct, like perfume.

Before I could say more than a few words to her, I heard a familiar voice coming from inside the house:

"Teacher Su is here?"

"Ah, hello Aunt Gu!"

Rarely, Gu Zhi's mother is home today.

Su Che changed his shoes, picked up his violin case, and went to the coffee table in the living room, where he saw Ms. Gu grinding cigarettes in the ashtray.

The cigarette is a blueberry burst cigarette, a thin cigarette, and there's a dark lipstick mark on the filter.

The living room windows were closed, the room was stuffy and filled with secondhand smoke.

An oppressive atmosphere enveloped him. Gu Zhi followed behind, tugged at his wrist, and whispered a reminder:

"Brother Che, let's go inside."

"Okay, you go in and wait for me. I need to say a few words to Aunt Gu."

He handed her the bass.

Gu Zhi took the zither, hesitated for a moment, and then silently walked into the dark room, turning back every few steps.

"Xiao Su, I'm really sorry to have troubled you to take care of my daughter who's not quite grown up yet."

Ms. Gu took out a new cigarette, held it between her fingers, and gestured to Su Che.

Su Che waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he didn't smoke (at other people's homes), that he was a well-mannered person who neither smoked nor drank.

"Of course, Aunt Gu. Xiaozhi is very obedient, and I never have to worry about her practicing the piano. Any problems can be solved in class. She is the most worry-free student."

"Hehe...that's good."

Ms. Gu squinted and nodded, then lit a cigarette with a flick of her lighter. Changing the subject, she said, "I heard that there are only four classes left before Teacher Su's course ends, is that right?"

"Yes, for the last month of the course, I plan to switch the guitar lessons to a beginner bass course according to the child's wishes. If Xiaozhi wants to continue learning, I have other teachers to substitute for her, which will be free."

Su Che shared his thoughts with the child's parents, but unexpectedly, from behind the door of the bedroom not far away, came the sound of sharp fingernails digging into the wood...

Although it was very subtle, Su Che's ears could still detect that a layer of leather had chipped off the door...

【…】

Aunt Gu glanced over there, then put on a smiling face and said politely:

"Oh, Ms. Su, look at you! You teach so well and you even manage to keep that girl quiet during class. I'm so grateful to you, and now you're even going to recommend other teachers for free at the end of the course. How can I possibly accept that?"

Her smile grew even brighter. "How about this? I think Gu Zhi really likes you, Xiao Su. If you don't mind, how about you spend some time with her every week?"

The auntie will pay you three times her hourly rate for classes, and her bass lessons will continue as usual. Haha, what do you think?

The voice just fell.