As soon as Mo Weiran posed the question, Qiao Qingshu spoke up, "Taking Yonghua Road is actually on the way."
Upon hearing that, Mo Weiran responded, "Ok!"
Then he started the car.
As soon as the car started, Gu Zhiqi addressed Mo Weiran, "Do you often drive girls home?"
He would have liked to, but he didn’t have a car.
A "rich second generation" with a driving license but no car – that was him.
The car he was driving belonged to his uncle; he had pestered his uncle since early morning – soft and hard tactics alike – until his uncle finally agreed to let him drive it.
Hearing Mo Weiran’s query, Gu Zhiqi advised him, "It’s good to be helpful, but don’t be overly helpful, or you may bring trouble upon yourself."
"Ah?" Mo Weiran was slightly taken aback by Gu Zhiqi’s words.
Gu Zhiqi didn’t elaborate further and just leaned back lazily in the back seat, adding, "Print out the IOU and come to me tomorrow; the hand seals and signature are both essential."
Although the fare wasn’t enough to cover a divination session, it could barely cover the interest.
Writing an IOU was still doable.
Wasn’t the topic changing too abruptly?
"Alright." Even though, he agreed, and that was that.
After the third class, Gu Zhiqi went to the office, arriving just as Teacher Mo was humming a tune while tightening his thermos.
"Student Gu, what can I do for you?" Seeing Gu Zhiqi in the office, Teacher Mo stopped humming and looked up to ask him.
"Teacher Mo, I need to take a leave of absence," Gu Zhiqi stood by the desk and handed a leave request to Teacher Mo.
"Ah? Taking a leave? Didn’t you just take one last week? If it’s nothing serious, I’m not granting leave," Teacher Mo said, glancing meaningfully at Gu Zhiqi’s forehead as he spoke.
The traffic accident from the previous Friday had left no trace under three days; the wound had healed so smoothly that not even a scar remained.
He suspected that she hadn’t been injured at all last Friday and had just wrapped up her head in gauze to feign distress.
Of course, suspicion is suspicion – one certainly couldn’t say such a thing and hurt someone’s feelings.
"Yes, a big deal, rushing for a funeral," Gu Zhiqi blurted out a preposterous excuse.
"Ah? Rushing for what funeral, someone in your family passed away?"
Gu Zhiqi nodded, "Yes, my dad died; I’m going back for the funeral."
"Second Master Gu, he..." died?
Was it really that sudden?
He had just seen him at the Lu family banquet last night!
"It’s a father from the countryside, the one called Gu Bo," Gu Zhiqi replied nonchalantly.
Using Gu Bo as an excuse didn’t put any pressure on Gu Zhiqi’s conscience.
Can’t you speak more coherently? It’s frightening otherwise.
Thinking of the girl’s biological father passing away, a sigh of sympathy tinted the depths of Teacher Mo’s eyes.
"Student Gu, stay strong," Teacher Mo said, and without looking at how many days Gu Zhiqi had asked for, he promptly signed the leave request.
"Student Gu, when will you be leaving?" Teacher Mo asked after Gu Zhiqi had put away the leave request, realizing he might have forgotten to check the dates.
"I’m leaving at noon."
"Alright, I’ll file a report for you in the academic affairs system," Teacher Mo said, turning on the computer as he spoke.
"Teacher Mo." After putting away the leave request, Gu Zhiqi didn’t leave immediately but instead called out to Teacher Mo.
Teacher Mo looked up at Gu Zhiqi, his eyes filled with inquiry.
"Wouldn’t you really consider having a divination session?"
"Child, we should not be superstitious; we must believe in science," Teacher Mo earnestly advised Gu Zhiqi.