She paced back and forth in front of the blackboard, furious, like an angry cat.
Hearing that he was criticized like this for giving a wrong answer—and he didn't even think his answer was wrong—Zhang Jingxu suddenly felt aggrieved. He countered in a low voice, "But I don't think my answer was wrong. If your girlfriend is tired from work and doesn't want to work overtime, she should quit. I can support her, or open a studio for her. That's better than her dying from lack of sleep due to constant overtime, right?"
Looking at his face, which was both docile and stubborn, Yu Wanwan tried to calm her irritable mood and explained patiently, "Your answer isn't wrong, but you missed the point. The core need of your girlfriend when she sends those messages is to have an emotional connection with you. She wants comfort when she's tired, not a solution. It's like a bird flying freely in the sky. It's just tired from flying and wants to rest on your shoulder for a bit. But you think hunting every day is too hard for it, so you trap it in a golden cage you think it will like. Your idea seems good, but have you considered that in the future, you might break up? If you break up, you'll have to let it go. Isn't it cruel to raise a bird until it loses its hunting ability and then release it back into the sky?"
Hearing her philosophical words, Zhang Jingxu was stunned and fell into deep thought. His eyes gradually shifted from confusion to clarity.
After a while, as if realizing his mistake, he murmured softly, "So... the correct approach is to listen to her fatigue and then comfort her? Or encourage her that she can handle such hard work?"
Seeing that he finally got it, Yu Wanwan nodded with immense mental exhaustion and dragged out her words: "Yes—"
Zhang Jingxu, as if encouraged, became more active in his thinking and continued, "Then I can ask her, 'What do you want to eat tonight?' If we live together, I'll cook for her. If we don't, I'll cook and bring it to her, or order delivery for her? Remind her to eat even if she's busy?"
Hearing that this guy had started to draw analogies and give correct answers, Yu Wanwan felt so excited inside that she had the relief of a mother whose foolish son had finally learned to speak properly: "You finally get it!"
It seemed he wasn't an incorrigible disciple after all.
She took a deep breath to restore the energy she had lost from anger, and said seriously, "I'll give you another question. If you get this one wrong too, I'll give up on you."
Hearing this, Zhang Jingxu couldn't help but frown: "Why?"
Yu Wanwan picked up the blackboard eraser and said ruthlessly, "Because you're too stupid. I'm afraid if I keep teaching you, I'll get breast hyperplasia from anger."
Life first, everything else second!
"That's too ungrateful of you." He began to argue, even invoking the "contract spirit" : "We agreed that if I married you, you would teach me until I learned. You've only taught for a few days and you want to give up on me?"
Seeing that Yu Wanwan was unmoved, Zhang Jingxu started to appeal to emotions and reason with a "soft approach": "I remember in middle school, there was a simple quadratic function problem that I taught you for over an hour and you still couldn't solve it. You were so dumb, but I patiently taught you until you got it. Now it's your turn to teach me, and you have no patience at all."
An impatient teacher—can that still be called a good teacher?!
Hearing him bring up old matters, Yu Wanwan shot him a sharp look, then zipped over to him like Mei Chaofeng, her voice full of chill: "Who are you calling dumb?"
Zhang Jingxu gulped and finally succumbed to her dominance, muttering softly, "I'm dumb."
She leaned on the desk, her gaze sharp: "Was it my fault that I couldn't solve that problem? You knew I'm bad at math, yet you insisted on teaching me using a high school student's approach. It was like reading heavenly scripture. How could I learn it? I'm not a genius! You taught it wrong and still dare to call me dumb!"
"Exactly." Zhang Jingxu gathered his courage and defended himself quietly, "There are no dumb students, only teachers who can't adapt their teaching methods."
"...Fine." Yu Wanwan closed her eyes and took two deep breaths to suppress the anger about to erupt like a volcano. She gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll teach you. I won't give up on you. Happy?"
She spun around, walked back to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and tapped forcefully on the board: "Listen up. Your girlfriend sends a message saying, 'I'm on my period today, it's really uncomfortable.' What do you reply?"
After saying this, she crossed her arms and looked at the "failing student" sitting at the desk opposite her.
Outwardly calm, but internally she thought: If this guy dares to give another straight-guy answer, she would charge over and beat him up!
Surprisingly, Zhang Jingxu didn't look confused or lost in thought this time. His brows lifted slightly, and he leaned back, appearing completely at ease. As if he had finally reached an area he was good at, he said slowly, "I would tell her to keep warm, then order her a hot bowl of sweet soup. Before she gets off work, I'd prepare a steak at home and wait for her."
Yu Wanwan: "Huh?"
What's going on? Why did he suddenly become so smart?
Zhang Jingxu continued unhurriedly, "Research shows that consuming meat, eggs, and dairy during a woman's period can alleviate menstrual cramps. Sweet soups like brown sugar water are actually ineffective for cramps. But eating sweets can improve mood, so I'd order a hot sweet soup to give her energy to make it home. Oh, and after she eats the steak, I can recommend some handsome guy videos or watch a romantic drama with her."
"Why?" She suddenly felt that their roles had swapped.
"Because I've seen online that girls watching handsome guys can also relieve period pain. I don't know if there's scientific basis, but I'll do it anyway. After all... even if they're not on their period, girls probably like watching handsome guys."
He then cautiously looked up at Yu Wanwan, deliberately putting on a humble expression: "Is this answer... acceptable?"
The air was silent for a minute. Yu Wanwan, shocked by his outstanding performance, finally came to her senses and couldn't help but praise him: "You've got it! I see you've finally got it!"
She showered him with affirmation: "This answer is absolutely perfect! As long as you keep up this outstanding performance, I guarantee you'll become a model among men!"
"Then..." Zhang Jingxu tried hard to suppress the smile that was about to escape his lips. "Shall we continue?"
"Okay." Yu Wanwan was infected by his mood, and her teaching enthusiasm suddenly surged. She cleared her throat and said, "I'll give you 10 principles for getting along with a girlfriend. As long as you remember these 10 principles, I guarantee you'll never break up or get divorced in this lifetime."
Hearing this, Zhang Jingxu immediately sat up straight, picked up his pen, and waited eagerly for Yu Wanwan's 10 principles.
Yu Wanwan began to use her powerful brain cells, speaking seriously: "First: Makeup identification. After you have a girlfriend, you must be able to accurately identify the cosmetics and perfumes she uses every day within a week. For example, distinguish lipstick shades and remember her preferences. Also, know the difference between foundation and sunscreen, so when she asks you to hand her something, you won't make mistakes. Remembering the brands she likes will also help you give the perfect gifts later, creating 100% foolproof romance."
"Second: Loving someone is like tending a flower. Learning to praise your partner not only consolidates your relationship but also makes your girlfriend more beautiful. So avoid using thoughtless words like 'it's fine' or 'not bad.' You must learn to praise sincerely. For example, 'Baby, your blush today is as pleasing as the sunset—I can't take my eyes off you,' or 'This dress is plain, but when you wear it, it instantly has haute couture quality. You've given it a soul of luxury.' Of course, these are just examples. The specific praise should be creatively adapted to the situation."
"Third: Learn to take photos and edit them. When traveling or when your girlfriend needs you to take pictures, you must patiently find the right angle according to her requirements and master retouching skills. Before posting a photo of her, you must obtain her consent. Do not post unflattering photos of her, because girls care about their appearance. If you post an ugly photo without her permission, there's a 99.99% chance she'll break up with you. The most important point: do not privately send your girlfriend's photos to your buddies for them to comment on. That's disrespectful to your partner."
As Zhang Jingxu listened attentively, his fountain pen scratched notes in his notebook, showing full diligence.
"Fourth: Learn to recognize your girlfriend's emotions. Girls are creatures that often say the opposite. For example, when she says 'it's fine,' it might mean 'it's not fine.' 'Don't like it' could also mean 'like it.' Of course, she doesn't always speak in opposites, so you must clearly distinguish whether each 'it's fine' truly means 'it's fine' or she wants you to comfort her. Use your high emotional intelligence to read between the lines. The core principle is: never let your girlfriend's negative emotions linger overnight. Solve that day's problem that day."
His pen left marks on the paper as he couldn't help sighing inwardly: A girlfriend is truly a cute yet complex creature. You have to read between the lines at all times. Isn't that like figuring out the emperor's mind in ancient times?
If you misread the emperor's mind, you might get beheaded. If you misread your girlfriend's mind... would you get dumped?
So scary...
Thinking of this, he specifically added four words next to this item: Key Knowledge.
"Fifth: Learn to keep distance from the opposite sex and give your girlfriend a sense of security. If a strange woman asks you, 'What are you doing?' your correct answer should be, 'I'm with my girlfriend,' not start flirting."
After a moment's thought, she added a supplement: "To be precise, when you have a partner, there should be no strange people of the opposite sex in your phone."
"Sixth: Keep communication open. Learn to reply to her messages promptly and ensure your phone is on 24/7. If you don't answer her call due to work, you must sincerely explain the reason afterward."
"Seventh: Learn to compromise with your partner. If you argue with your girlfriend, regardless of who is at fault, you should apologize first. Only when you apologize and calm her down will she start to reflect and even admit her own mistakes. If she's too emotional to accept your apology, you must learn to show weakness—for example, apologize again after she's calmer, or cook a table of her favorite dishes and wait for her in the living room. Never be like two stubborn donkeys refusing to give in."
"Eighth: Always remember your girlfriend's menstrual cycle and anniversaries. Prepare in advance before those dates come. During her period, you must tolerate all her little tempers, because her anger at that time isn't instinctive—it's caused by hormonal fluctuations."
"Ninth: When there's a misunderstanding, learn to explain in time. Don't both stew in silence waiting for the other to guess. Don't be like the protagonists in romance novels who misunderstand each other from beginning to end without explaining. Remember: not explaining when there's a misunderstanding constitutes mistreatment of your partner."
"Tenth: When your partner shows vulnerability, learn to listen unconditionally and give her a reassuring hug. Let her feel that you can be her support."
"And one more very, very important special rule." Yu Wanwan's tone suddenly became serious, "Never speak harshly to your partner. If you stop loving her, just break up. Don't end up hurting each other."
After speaking all this in one breath, Yu Wanwan picked up her water glass and took a big gulp, then said with relief, "Alright, I've said everything important and not so important. Our 'love course' ends here. The rest depends on your understanding. If there are follow-up questions or topics I haven't covered, you can always ask me, and I'll answer seriously."