Chapter 40

Jian Fanyu was very adept at teaching, breaking down complex concepts into manageable parts and providing at least three detailed examples for each. He made the complicated seem simple, enough for even the dullest student to grasp.

Ruan Miao's admiration for him reached new heights. He marveled at how someone like Jian Fanyu could make knowledge that seemed so elusive and difficult to him appear as straightforward as adding one plus one. Clearly, there was a vast gulf between geniuses and ordinary people.

"What are you thinking about?" Jian Fanyu asked after explaining a problem when he noticed Ruan Miao's dazed look. He tapped Ruan Miao's forehead with his pen. "Don't get distracted."

Ruan Miao snapped back to attention and nodded vigorously. "I remember everything! I was just thinking, with how smart you are, you'd definitely be a great teacher."

"Teacher?" Jian Fanyu repeated unconsciously, then shook his head. "I can't be a teacher."

At this moment, the server finally brought over the two cups of coffee. Ruan Miao handed one to Jian Fanyu and asked, puzzled, "Why? Don't you like teaching?"

"It's not that," Jian Fanyu said, stirring his coffee slowly with a spoon and taking a small sip. "I just don't have the patience to teach anyone."

Ruan Miao thought he was just being modest. "But you're clearly very patient and kind with me."

Jian Fanyu gave him a meaningful glance and chuckled softly. "Yes, it's quite strange."

"Maybe it's because you're so smart that I don't need to worry too much," Jian Fanyu added.

Feeling shy from the compliment, Ruan Miao tried to hide his blush by taking a sip of coffee. However, the bitterness nearly made him spit it out. He forced himself to swallow, staring at the cup in shock. "Why is it so bitter!?"

"Is it bitter?" Jian Fanyu took another sip and remarked, "You might not be used to this kind of black American coffee. I'll have them add some milk for you."

Ruan Miao quickly nodded. "And sugar! Lots of sugar!"

Jian Fanyu had the waiter bring over some milk, and he watched as Ruan Miao added three spoons of sugar to his coffee. He couldn't help but frown and ask, "Can you really enjoy it like this?"

"Who cares if it tastes good or not, as long as it's not bitter," Ruan Miao said, adding another spoonful of sugar. "I can't stand bitter things at all. Even the slightest bit makes me cringe. When I was sick, my dad found some folk remedy that was supposed to help, and he made me drink it every day. The taste…"

Ruan Miao shuddered, recalling the unbearable bitterness. "I threw up after the first sip. The remedy had all sorts of strange ingredients, including bat droppings…"

Jian Fanyu wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Why did you have to take such weird things?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Ruan Miao sighed. "At that time, all the hospital experts said I wouldn't recover. My dad started looking for old Chinese medicine doctors everywhere, trying anything that might work. He'd spend any amount of money just to give it a shot."

"Many of those remedies were probably scams, but you know, when people are at their wit's end, they're willing to try anything, even if they know it's unlikely to work, just hoping against hope."

Ruan Miao's eyes grew misty as he recalled these memories. "Later on, my dad became superstitious. He used to be a staunch atheist, someone who wouldn't even go into a temple. But for me, he visited every so-called master he could find, and he went to almost every famous temple in the country. He prayed to every religion he could."

Jian Fanyu looked at Ruan Miao, whose eyes were red but who was trying to remain strong. He gently patted Ruan Miao's head and asked softly, "Do you miss home?"

"Yes," Ruan Miao admitted. He wanted to respond calmly, but Jian Fanyu's deep and gentle eyes made him unable to hold back. For the first time, he cried in front of someone else.

He hurriedly grabbed a tissue from the box on the table to wipe his tears, trying to cover his inner vulnerability. Jian Fanyu took his hand and gently wiped his tears with his own fingers. "Crying isn't something to be ashamed of. If you want to cry in front of me, just let it out."

"Besides, haven't I been vulnerable in front of you too?"

Ruan Miao stared at Jian Fanyu as he wiped his tears, feeling a profound sense of comfort. "You seem different from before."

"Different?" Jian Fanyu carefully dried the corners of Ruan Miao's eyes and asked, somewhat confused. "What do you mean?"

Ruan Miao mumbled, "You're like the Jian Fanyu I read about in the book."

Since he arrived in this world, Jian Fanyu's behavior had been a stark contrast to the character in the book, to the point where Ruan Miao wondered if he had turned dark. But starting from last night, Jian Fanyu seemed to have reverted to the character from the story.

Gentle, calm, tolerant, kind.

These were the qualities Ruan Miao admired most and the reasons he initially fell for Jian Fanyu.

Jian Fanyu listened to his musings, smiling gently. "If you like me this way, then I'll remain this way."

"Why should it be about what I like? You should be true to yourself," Ruan Miao said, slightly puzzled.

Jian Fanyu nodded and took another sip of his coffee.

In truth, pure black coffee was indeed bitter, but Jian Fanyu had grown accustomed to it. His taste buds had long adjusted to the bitterness, and he could drink it without a hint of discomfort, masking his true feelings.

Disguise is indeed his greatest skill.

What Ruan Miao faces is not the eighteen-year-old Simplified Jian but the reincarnated version who is more profound and shrewd. In front of such a person, the overly innocent Ruan Miao is entirely outmatched.

"Could you tell me about your past?" Jian Fanyu asked casually. "I'm a bit curious."

Ruan Miao felt there was nothing he couldn't share and began recounting his past experiences. Jian Fanyu listened quietly.

As expected, Ruan Miao was indeed a child who had been excessively protected and pampered by his family. His upbringing bore some resemblance to Yan Yang's, marked by innate kindness and confidence. Even when thrown into adversity, he could still shine brightly.

However, those raised in such a manner often develop many character flaws. For instance, Yan Yang, being overly indulged, lost his ability to empathize and lived solely in his own world. Alternatively, they may become willful and self-indulgent, growing into a greedy and insatiable person.

Yet, Jian Fanyu found no such traits in Ruan Miao. He retained the best qualities, and the negative effects of being pampered did not seem to have affected him.

Despite similar childhood experiences, Yan Yang and Ruan Miao grew into completely different types of people. Yan Yang ignored others' suffering, while Ruan Miao could keenly perceive the sadness of those around him.

So, in a sense, Ruan Miao might truly be an anomaly.

"Your parents raised you well," Jian Fanyu sincerely remarked. "The effort they put into you has made you someone they can be proud of."

Ruan Miao was taken aback. "Many people say that."

"Well, my parents and older brother are indeed remarkable people. With them around, I can't afford to bring them shame."

Jian Fanyu understood that Ruan Miao didn't quite grasp his meaning but chose not to correct him and continued sipping his coffee.

They stayed at the café until the sun was nearly setting before packing up to leave. Ruan Miao's trip was quite rewarding; most of his difficult questions were resolved, and his mood was so good that he couldn't help but hum a tune.

Jian Fanyu listened for a while, struggling to endure.

Such a good little angel but how could his singing be so off-key? Even one note being on pitch would have improved it.

As they walked along the road, Ruan Miao spotted his favorite milk tea shop and excitedly asked Jian Fanyu to wait for him while he dashed to buy some. Jian Fanyu waited under a bare sycamore tree.

He was already quite handsome, and standing alone on a winter evening attracted many glances from passersby. Some people, too timid, would merely gossip in groups, while bolder individuals came up to strike up a conversation.

Jian Fanyu was used to this kind of attention, skillfully fending off several people asking for his WeChat. Feeling slightly irritated, he glanced back at Ruan Miao still in line.

Forget it, he would wait if Ruan Miao liked it.

He leaned against the tree trunk, lost in thought, not noticing someone standing in front of him.

"Get lost."

Jian Fanyu didn't even look up, coldly spitting out a single word.

"Ah Ru." Yan Yang looked at him quietly. "Can we talk? Just once."

Jian Fanyu was very familiar with Yan Yang's voice. He raised his head expressionlessly, meeting the eyes of the young man before him.

Sometimes he found love to be truly elusive. Yan Yang had once been the person he would have done anything to obtain. He would destroy himself and everyone around him just for Yan Yang to turn around. The intense pain he endured was all to make Yan Yang look back.

But that fervent emotion now seemed as though it had happened hundreds of years ago. He could no longer recall his feelings for Yan Yang, nor could he understand why he had ever felt that way. Yan Yang was precisely the type of person he despised.

It seems that love is the most deceptive thing. When not in love, it is less than nothing.

"There's nothing to talk about." Jian Fanyu's tone was as cold as it had been when facing Yan Yang, "Get lost before I become disgusted with you."

Yan Yang's expression crumbled. He couldn't handle the fact that his beloved could say such things to him, standing on the winter evening street corner, unable to stop himself from crying, not knowing what to do.

When Ruan Miao returned with two cups of milk tea, he saw Yan Yang crying in front of Jian Fanyu, while Jian Fanyu remained indifferent.

Ruan Miao approached and handed a cup of tea to Jian Fanyu, hesitantly asking, "What's wrong with him?"

"It's nothing." Jian Fanyu tightened Ruan Miao's somewhat loose scarf and took his hand, intending to leave. However, Yan Yang grabbed his arm.

Ruan Miao looked back at Yan Yang, whose eyes were still wet with tears, making Ruan Miao feel very uncomfortable, as if he were some sort of third party.

"Give Ah Ru back to me, okay?"

Ruan Miao was taken aback. "Huh?"

What was this all about?