Chapter 3

Huang Lelé hung up the phone and looked at Gu Fan with a face full of regret, saying, "Gu Fan, I'm sorry, I can't take you to meet Sister Chen. Here, this is her phone number. You call her and meet her. Remember to bring your admission notice. I'll call her again, but now I have to go home immediately!"

After saying that, Huang Lelé quickly gave Gu Fan a phone number and then rushed into her room to start packing.

Gu Fan held the piece of paper in his hand and watched Huang Lelé come out with a suitcase in a hurry. Gu Fan hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "What happened at home?"

"Nothing!" Huang Lelé forced a smile, but it seemed she had lost her previous cheerfulness and optimism.

"Sister Lelé, maybe I can help!" Gu Fan's voice was low and full of strength.

"My mom is in the hospital. The test results just came out. It's late-stage breast cancer!" Huang Lelé looked at Gu Fan, her eyes instantly turning red, and she choked out the words.

It seemed that Gu Fan's words had suddenly released her suppressed emotions.

Gu Fan was about to comfort her, but unexpectedly, Huang Lelé suddenly rushed forward and hugged Gu Fan, crying.

The fragrance, softness, and smoothness of the contact made Gu Fan's blood boil a little. His hands hovered in the air, hesitant to really hug Huang Lelé.

"Do you know, Mom has always been very, very good to me. I haven't let her enjoy life, and now, she, she is going to leave me forever. Forever gone, never to be seen again!" Huang Lelé cried even more sadly.

"Why, why did she get this disease? It's so unfair! It's all my fault, all my fault! Why didn't I take Mom for a check-up? If we had found it earlier, maybe it wouldn't have reached this stage!" Huang Lelé was filled with self-reproach.

Gu Fan's hands finally moved, gently patting Huang Lelé's back and softly saying, "Late-stage breast cancer doesn't mean death!"

Huang Lelé smiled bitterly, her tears flowing even faster.

Cancer, especially in its later stages, is equivalent to death. The only difference is how much longer one can live, but it's usually not long.

Is this how you comfort someone, Gu Fan?

"Wait a moment!" Gu Fan, seeing that Huang Lelé wasn't responding, pushed her away and then walked into his room, closing the door.

Huang Lelé finally realized she had lost her composure and quickly wiped away her tears.

However, after the emotional release, Huang Lelé's mood stabilized.

"Gu Fan, I'm leaving!" Huang Lelé didn't understand what Gu Fan was doing and didn't want to know. She just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

"Wait!" Gu Fan immediately rushed out of the room.

"Sister Lelé, do you trust me?" Gu Fan stared at Huang Lelé and asked.

Huang Lelé was silent.

"We've only known each other for a short time, so it's hard for you to answer that question. I understand. But... please take this. If there's no other way, press this on Auntie's chest. It will ensure she doesn't leave you!" Gu Fan took out a piece of paper, a white piece of paper!

Huang Lelé stared blankly at Gu Fan and the white paper in his hand. The paper was very ordinary. Then, she turned and walked away, saying, "For saving me, I won't hold it against you. But please understand my feelings and don't joke about this, okay?"

"Sister Lelé!" Gu Fan smiled bitterly but still intercepted her, saying seriously, "You said there's no hope for Auntie, right? So, why not give it a try? If you miss this chance, won't you regret it for the rest of your life? Sister Lelé, I'm not lying, I have medical skills!"

"I... I'll take it! Goodbye!" Huang Lelé took the paper from Gu Fan and quickly left.

Gu Fan smiled bitterly again. The paper seemed ordinary, but it contained a spiritual force that Huang Lelé couldn't see. Although it was hastily done, it would be enough to keep Huang Lelé's mother alive.

"You'll believe me when the time comes!" Gu Fan muttered.

Then, Gu Fan looked around the house again, feeling increasingly fond of it.

After giving Huang Lelé the paper, Gu Fan felt at ease living here. The facts would prove that what Huang Lelé had done was more than worth it.

Then, Gu Fan dialed the phone number Huang Lelé had given him.

"Who is this?" A pleasant but serious voice came from the other end of the line.

"Ms. Chen? My name is Gu Fan, Sister Lelé..."

"I know you. Lelé just called me. Come to my office, and we'll talk in person! I'll send the address to your phone." Chen Wanqing's voice was less serious now.

"Okay, I'll be right over!" Gu Fan quickly agreed.

To avoid keeping Chen Wanqing waiting, Gu Fan took a taxi.

Upon arrival, with less than ten yuan left, Gu Fan smiled bitterly and took a deep breath. This opportunity must be seized.

Wanqing Beauty Salon!

Gu Fan touched his nose and, despite the crowd of women, walked in with a determined look.

"Sir, can I help you?" A server approached, her voice gentle and her smile warm, clearly professionally trained.

"I'm looking for your boss, Ms. Chen!" Gu Fan smiled shyly.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, Gu Fan!"

"Please, sir, have a seat and wait a moment!" The server led Gu Fan to a sofa in the hall and then went to the service desk, clearly to inform Chen Wanqing.

Gu Fan looked around. The decoration here was luxurious. Looking at the signs, it was clear that all five floors belonged to Wanqing Beauty Salon.

Such a scale was quite large for a beauty salon.

Moreover, the women coming and going were all dressed in expensive clothing, clearly wealthy and influential.

Such a beauty salon must be very profitable.

"In fact, my master said to cultivate one's mind, but there's no need to exclude making money. As long as it's earned honestly, it should be beneficial for cultivating one's mind. Being poor is really uncomfortable. It seems I need to find a way to become rich," Gu Fan thought to himself.

"Sir, Ms. Chen is available now. Please follow me!" The server quickly returned and led Gu Fan to Chen Wanqing's office.

"Ms. Chen!" Gu Fan unconsciously changed his address. He quickly looked at Chen Wanqing, his eyes flashing with admiration.

Although Gu Fan knew Chen Wanqing was a woman and ran a beauty salon, so she should be well-maintained, he didn't expect her to look so young. She looked no more than 27 or 28 years old.

Moreover, she was extremely beautiful, with a mature charm that Huang Lelé lacked. Her black hair was tied up, and she wore a dark blue business suit, giving her a professional and capable air.

She was a successful woman!

"Gu Fan, right?" Chen Wanqing put down her documents and smiled slightly, saying, "Please sit!"

Chen Wanqing's smile made Gu Fan feel like he was basking in a warm breeze. After thanking her, he sat down.

"Lelé had to leave because of family matters. I couldn't stop her. She recommended you, and I trust her, but you need to earn my trust first!" Chen Wanqing immediately showed her professionalism, getting straight to the point.

"This is my admission notice, and here are my exam number and ID. You can check my college entrance exam scores online!" Gu Fan quickly handed over the prepared documents.

He had been looking for part-time work at Donghai University, so he always carried these documents. They had been useless for several days, but now they finally came in handy.

Chen Wanqing took them without hesitation, first looking at the admission notice and then checking Gu Fan's exam scores online.

Seeing that everything matched what Huang Lelé had said, Chen Wanqing's expression softened slightly.

"You are very excellent, but I have one concern. You haven't tutored before. Can you do it well?" Chen Wanqing stared at Gu Fan, her eyes sharp and imposing.

As the CEO of a beauty salon, she had interviewed countless people and had a keen eye that could be very intimidating.

But Gu Fan's eyes didn't waver at all. He looked straight at Chen Wanqing with confidence and said, "I believe I can do it well. Although I don't have tutoring experience, I have helped my classmates, and I have my own proven and effective study methods. I believe I can help your daughter!"

A flash of surprise crossed Chen Wanqing's eyes. Even her deputy wouldn't dare to look her in the eye when she stared like that, but Gu Fan didn't flinch and was full of confidence. This surprised Chen Wanqing.

This person is extraordinary, she thought to herself.

"You've passed my test. Starting today, you are my daughter's tutor, but I must make one thing clear. If my daughter doesn't accept you, I can't do anything, and you will be dismissed. Additionally, the fee is 100 yuan per hour, with no upper limit."

"Ms. Chen, when you say no upper limit, do you mean all study time? If so, there's no such thing as no upper limit. As long as you focus, three to four hours a day is the most effective," Gu Fan quickly got into the role.

"You arrange the study time. It's summer break, so you should have plenty of time. Actually, as long as you can prevent my son from dismissing you, all this time will be counted," Chen Wanqing said hopefully. "If you can make my daughter genuinely love learning, I can pay you 200 yuan per hour, or even 300, 400, or 500 yuan per hour!"

Gu Fan's eyes lit up, and a confident smile appeared on his face.