Tan Deming watched the crowd come and go, and the stacks of the martial arts magazine kept shrinking. A store clerk would quickly come by to replenish the supply.

"Manager, it’s only the first day and so many people are buying them. Should we order another batch in advance? What if we run out tomorrow or the day after...?" The clerk had clearly noticed something was unusual, and after restocking yet again, she quietly made a suggestion to the store manager.

The manager checked the sales records from just the past two hours and made an immediate decision. "You’re right, we need to place an advance order. I’ll contact the publisher right now."

Tan You and Tan Deming both overheard the brief exchange. They glanced at each other, and Tan You smiled faintly. "Grandpa, are you going to stay here, or...?"

Tan Deming knew his granddaughter all too well. He hugged his teacup and asked, "Where are you off to?"

"I want to go check out the fourth floor," Tan You said with a smile. "I want to see if they have any books for math competitions. I’m always just puzzling things out on my own, so I’d like to find some reference materials."

Tan Deming waved her off. "Go on, then. I’ll just stay here."

Tan You said no more and headed to the fourth floor empty-handed. The fourth floor was filled with various academic and supplementary textbooks. After wandering around for a while, she couldn’t find any books on academic competitions, so she had no choice but to ask a clerk.

The clerk wasn’t surprised. "Those kinds of books are all on the fifth floor, miss. You’ll have to go up there to find them, but the selection is pretty limited. The city library should have the books you’re looking for, though."

Tan You understood. After thanking the clerk, she went up to the fifth floor. Compared to the second floor, the fifth floor was practically deserted. Tan You wandered between the shelves for a few minutes before she finally found the math competition books she was looking for.

Just as the clerk had said, the selection was truly small; she only saw two books. Tan You’s brows furrowed slightly, but she picked them up anyway. When she went back down to the second floor to pay, she couldn’t help but pause.

Although Tan Deming was usually a man of few words, Tan You suspected her grandpa was secretly a social butterfly. For example, right now, two other old men were sitting with him.

The three gentlemen were each holding a teacup, murmuring among themselves. One of them had a copy of that bestselling magazine on the table in front of him. Tan You glanced at Tan Deming, who gave her a subtle nod.

Tan You smiled, then sat down across from Tan Deming with her books.

"So this is your granddaughter? She’s very pretty." A cheerful, smiling gentleman glanced at Tan You. Though he wore thick glasses, they couldn’t hide her good looks.

"Indeed. A very fair and lovely young lady," said the man beside him, who looked more serious. The frown lines between his brows were very deep, giving him an unapproachable air.

Tan You looked at the stern-faced old man, feeling like he looked vaguely familiar.

"Old Tang, you’re always pulling that long face. Aren’t you afraid you’ll scare the young lady?" the more amiable man teased. "Don’t be scared," he added to Tan You. "Old Tang just looks fierce, but he’s actually a good-hearted person."

Tan You smiled. "I get it. A stern face but a warm heart. My ninth-grade homeroom teacher was also named Tang, and he was a lot like you."

The thought of Teacher Tang made her frown. After the high school entrance exams, he was the person she felt most guilty about. Teacher Tang had tried to talk her out of reading novels several times, but she had never paid him any mind.

Only now, with her perspective broadened, did Tan You realize how rare a teacher like him was. ’It’s a blessing to have someone who cares enough to nag you.’

Old Tang set down the magazine. "Oh? You’re a student at L Middle School?"

It clicked for Tan You. "Yes. Are you related to Teacher Tang?"

"Yes, my son is Little Tang—Tang Qingyuan. Did you also take the entrance exam this year?" Old Tang’s curiosity was piqued. His first impression of Tan You was excellent; she seemed like a quiet, scholarly girl.

Tan You lowered her gaze slightly. "I slacked off in my ninth-grade year and just barely scraped into the main high school campus. Could you please not tell Teacher Tang you saw me today?"

"I want to wait until I have good grades in my first year of high school before I go see him. Right now, I’m too ashamed to face him. Teacher Tang was always so good to me..."

Tan You wasn’t one to cry easily, but whenever Teacher Tang was mentioned, she could feel her face burn with shame. Her eyes were getting a little red now, making her look both stubborn and pitiful.

Old Tang fell silent. Tan Deming knew it was his cue to step in. He cleared his throat. "She got addicted to reading novels in ninth grade, and her grades plummeted. She used to be an excellent student, even the Chinese literature representative for her class..."

Old Tang understood. He knew his son; just as Tan You had said, a stern face but a warm heart. And she had been his son’s literature representative, so his son would have definitely paid special attention to her.

Tan Deming continued, defending Tan You, "She knows she was wrong. She hasn’t gone out to have fun once since summer vacation started, she just stays home and studies. She’s quit reading novels, too. She’s truly learned her lesson."

Old Tang glanced at Tan You. "Alright, I won’t tell him. Once you’ve started school, you can go tell Little Tang yourself. You’re still just a kid. Sometimes you take one wrong step, and it’s hard to turn back. Fortunately, your mistake wasn’t too drastic, and you’ve realized it in time."

Tan You answered softly, "I understand, sir. Thank you."

’I won’t let Teacher Tang down again.’ Of course, Tan You wouldn’t say such a promise out loud. It was enough to let her actions speak for themselves.

Old Tang waved his hand. "Don’t mention it. We just happened to run into each other. Did you bring your workbooks to the bookstore?"

Tan You composed herself. "Yes. I’m not really interested in these other books."

After that brief exchange, Tan You didn’t say much more to the two gentlemen. Instead, she lowered her head and went back to her problems. The two math competition books she’d just bought were beside her, and she would occasionally flip a page.

Seeing that Old Tang had more to say, Tan Deming followed him to another table, leaving Tan You by herself.

Old Tang was genuinely curious about Tan You now. "I thought her Chinese was good? Why is she looking at math competition books?"

Tan Deming was more than happy to praise his granddaughter. "She’s already learned most of the high school curriculum. She didn’t want to waste time, and I happened to find a math competition book for her, so she figured she’d use it to kill time."

The more amiable Old Wei was also curious. "Is she good at math?"

Tan Deming sighed. "Her skills are lopsided. She used to rely on Chinese and English to pull up her overall score. But she has a great memory. She can memorize anything after reading it just two or three times."

"She’s not planning to go the academic competition route. In her own words, ’It’s hard enough just to do well in my regular studies. I’m just an ordinary person.’"

Old Wei remarked, "She has a very clear-headed view of herself. It seems she’s really learned her lesson."

Tan Deming nodded. "Isn’t that the truth? Ever since the exam results came out, she’s like a completely different person. The novels and TV shows she used to love, she doesn’t touch them anymore. She just keeps her head buried in her studies all day."

"I was worried she’d get cabin fever staying at home, so I brought her into the city for a change of scenery."

Old Tang said, "It’s not too late for her to change, as long as she knows she was wrong. Don’t you worry, I definitely won’t say a word to Little Tang when I get back. I understand a young girl’s pride. Besides, she’s the one who has to erase her own past regrets."