Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

In mid-June, the sun looked like a searchlight welded to the top of your head.

The cicadas chirped their hearts out in the willow trees, as if they were speaking out for all the students who were exhausted and had lost their temper from the sun.

Summer seems to have come exceptionally early this year.

Zhang Yifan and Zong Wen sat under a crooked willow tree on the side of the field.

The shade of the tree could barely cover two people, but half of Zongwen's shoulder was still exposed to the sun.

He was too lazy to move, so he just squinted and watched the white training car in the distance crawl slowly toward the garage.

Inside the car, Tang Xiaonuan was gripping the steering wheel tightly in the driver's seat, leaning forward so much that she was almost pressed against the windshield.

The instructor in the passenger seat had a whistle in his mouth and would blow it every now and then. Each time he blew it, the car would lurch, and Tang Xiaonuan would panic.

Then the instructor yelled in his accented Mandarin, "Turn the steering wheel all the way! All the way! Turn it all the way! Haven't you eaten enough?!"

Tang Xiaonuan bit her lower lip, her forehead covered in sweat, her hands twisting and turning on the steering wheel, wishing she could cut her arms off.

Beside the signpost outside the car, Shen Zhiyi held a parasol and was standing on tiptoe, peering inside. She was worried for Tang Xiaonuan, but also anxious for herself.

They've taken turns going through this process several times, with Tang Xiaonuan playing two rounds and Shen Zhiyi playing two rounds, and neither of them is much better than the other.

Zongwen squeezed the empty mineral water bottle so hard it made a cracking sound.

"Brother Fan, at this rate, when are we going to be able to take our driving test (Part 2)?"

"At this rate, it'll probably be July..."

"August? We can take our driving test (Part 3) right now!"

Zongwen slammed the empty bottle onto the ground, his expression one of protest against the injustice of fate.

"I can parallel park on my first try, and even my instructor praised me for my talent."

Look at Tang Xiaonuan's reverse parking; this is the sixteenth time she's done it! She's still crossing the line on the sixteenth try!

Do you know what the coach just said? He said if you cross the line again, the garage will have to be repainted.

He said he had been teaching driving for eight years and this was the first time he had ever seen a student who could press the garage lines into a wavy shape.

And yesterday, during practice driving on a curved road, she turned it into a broken line...

"Shen Zhiyi isn't much better off. Yesterday, she stalled four times while practicing hill starts."

The coach finally said, "Is this a hill start or a hill stop challenge? If you stall again, I'll have to replace the clutch plate."

Her face was flushed when she came down; I don't think she'd ever been so embarrassed in her life.

"Yes, yes, Tang Xiaonuan too!"

Zong Wen perked up and continued,

"Last time, the coach slammed on the brakes, and she was so scared that she turned the steering wheel crooked and almost drove into the flower bed."

After she got off the bus, she told me that her legs were shaking. I said, "Is it that serious?" She said, "Try sitting on it."

Then I went up and tried it, and well, it was indeed quite scary.

But to be honest, they both seem pretty clever usually, so how come they act like completely different people as soon as they touch the steering wheel?

Shen Zhiyi is the top student in the grade, and she was only one point behind you in the joint entrance exam. Have you ever seen her fail to learn anything?

Now look what's happened; after practicing reversing into a parking space for three days, I'm still crossing the line.

Tang Xiaonuan was even more outrageous; last time she asked me which was on the left, the brake or the accelerator.

I said, "You've been practicing for two days already, why are you still asking this?" She said she forgets everything when she gets nervous.

Zhang Yifan said, "I have no right to laugh at her. Do you know what Shen Zhiyi asked me the day before yesterday?"

She asked me if the clutch and brake were the same thing.

I said no, and she said, then why did the instructor tell her to press the clutch and the brake at the same time? She thought it was the same pedal with two names.

She's usually such a calm person, but she panicked the first time she sat in the driver's seat.

Zhang Yifan hesitated for a moment and then suggested, "How about we take the test first? Anyway, we don't necessarily have to schedule the second and third tests together."

"Let's go get our driver's licenses first, and they can practice at their own pace. Once they've passed their tests, we can be their driving instructors."

Zong Wen seriously considered the suggestion, then firmly shook his head: "No, no... The four of us signed up together back then. If I leave the other two and take the exam first, Tang Xiaonuan will definitely scold me."

You've experienced her sharp tongue firsthand, and think about it, if we got our driver's licenses first while they were still struggling with the second part of the test, would they even have the motivation to learn?

"That's right, let's stay up together then."

Zhang Yifan unscrewed another bottle of water, took two gulps, and casually changed the subject: "What's going on between you and Tang Xiaonuan?"

Zong Wen's smile visibly disappeared.

He leaned against the willow trunk and remained silent for a moment.

"Don't mention it. My relationship with her is getting better and better now... We have more and more to talk about."

We chat on WeChat until midnight every night, and she even told me what medication her mother takes for menopause.

She also talked to me about her dog being spayed/neutered, and we talked for a full two hours. Do you think that's normal?

"Isn't this great?"

"What a load of rubbish!"

Zong Wen turned to look at Zhang Yifan:

"She treats me like a brother, you know? Like... she comes to me with all her troubles, she tells me everything, but there's just no romantic feeling between us."

Last time she told me she felt she had gained weight recently, and I said no, you're fine. She said thank you, Zongwen, you're such a good buddy of mine.

She said I was her good buddy... her good buddy...

He repeated the last four words twice, then sighed.

"So, do you like her?"

Of course I like it!

It was because we talked for so long that I became clearer and clearer about my feelings for her.

She's different from other girls; she's straightforward, loyal, and unpretentious. When she wants to tease someone, she does it directly, and she doesn't hide her laughter.

I feel very relaxed when I'm with her. I don't have to think about what I should or shouldn't say. I just say whatever comes to mind naturally.

But... that's precisely why I don't dare to confess my feelings easily.

"If she really only has brotherly feelings for me, and I tell her the truth, we won't even be brothers anymore."

Zhang Yifan said, "If you really like her, you should tell her."

If you don't say anything, and she realizes on her own that she sees you as a brother, it will be too late for you to say anything then.

Once a girl categorizes someone as a "good buddy," it's very difficult to remove them from that category.

Zong Wen sighed again: "Let me find a suitable time."

You're right, we can't keep dragging it out, but we can't be too reckless either.

Observe first, then probe, and finally strike!

The dating guru's consistent strategy is to win steadily.

He spoke casually, but his fingers were still unconsciously picking at the willow bark.

Then Zong Wen changed the subject: "What's the situation between you and Shen Zhiyi now?"

Zhang Yifan shrugged and said, "It's the same as before."

Zong Wen sat up straight, his eyes wide: "You still haven't confessed? I've seen you two practicing driving together every day, going out to eat together, and going home together lately. I thought you were a couple!"

"Not yet, but my situation is a little different from yours."

It's not that I'm afraid to speak up; I'm just waiting for the right opportunity.

"What was the trigger?"

Zhang Yifan's lips curled up slightly as his gaze fell on the white training car that had finally backed perfectly into the garage in the distance.

Shen Zhiyi got out of the driver's seat and gave Tang Xiaonuan a high five. Their laughter came from the other side of the training field, making him feel as if something had gently bumped into his heart.

You'll find out then.