The steamed buns were warm too, and Lucy Spencer felt a bit confused. Ever since summer vacation started, she’d been sleeping in every day, and the breakfast her mom prepared was always cold by the time she got up.

Lucy Spencer was a smart girl, and she quickly realized this was Peter Thompson’s doing, which made her feel a subtle warmth from being cared for.

But that little bit of emotion was quickly wiped away by the smack on her butt.

“Hmph, you think you can just smack my butt and be done with it? No way!” Lucy Spencer muttered to herself.

Even though it was hot in the summer, having a warm breakfast still made her feel very comfortable, instantly waking her up from her drowsiness.

It had been a while since Lucy Spencer felt this way. Now she felt full of energy, and her mind was working especially fast and sharp.

“Mr. Li, just now you said that after I study for an hour, I can do whatever I want. Is that true?” Lucy Spencer asked as she walked into the study.

“Of course it’s true, but the premise is that you have to study diligently,” Peter Thompson replied with a smile.

“Then can I invite a few classmates over to play at my house?” Lucy Spencer continued to ask.

Peter Thompson began to sense a familiar whiff of mischief, because Lucy Spencer’s eyes had a strange look, and her face wore an innocent smile.

It was a bit odd—at least in Peter Thompson’s view, it was definitely not normal for Lucy Spencer to be smiling after just getting her butt smacked.

But Peter Thompson was skilled and confident; he certainly didn’t believe a little girl could outsmart him.

“Boys or girls?” Peter Thompson asked. Nowadays, many boys and girls start dating at a young age, and Peter Thompson didn’t want that happening right under his nose.

“Of course girls!” Lucy Spencer giggled. She might be a bit wild, but she wasn’t boy-crazy like some of her friends. She didn’t like boys who liked to show off just because they had some skills, and she liked boys who thought they were handsome even less. She preferred men like her dad—steady, a bit authoritative, but also with a touch of gentleness.

“Alright!” Peter Thompson nodded, settling the matter. He didn’t believe a few young girls could tie up and torture a martial arts master like himself, living incognito in a big city!

Oh yeah! Lucy Spencer cheered inwardly, her smile growing even brighter.

She laughed as she called a few girls, inviting them to come over after ten o’clock.

Peter Thompson really liked Lucy Spencer’s bright, sunny smile. A smile like that could instantly lift anyone’s bad mood—of course, it would be even better if there wasn’t a scheme hidden behind it.

Peter Thompson had to admit that Lucy Spencer was indeed smart. When she put her mind to it, she could basically understand everything after hearing it just once.

Lucy Spencer reluctantly admitted to herself that this annoying Mr. Li was truly a top-notch teacher. No matter how complicated the problem, once he explained it, it became simple.

Natural science had always given her a headache, but listening to Peter Thompson explain it, she found herself genuinely interested. That was because Peter Thompson always wove interesting real-life examples into his lessons.

“Do you know why, when gas is ignited and the pipeline is clear, you don’t have to worry about the gas pipe catching fire?” Peter Thompson asked.

Lucy Spencer was suddenly stumped. It seemed like such an ordinary phenomenon. Who would think about this when using gas to cook at home? But it was true—gas ignites easily, and every household has gas pipes, so why is it safe?

“It’s ten o’clock. Let’s stop here for today!” As soon as the time was up, Peter Thompson immediately stopped teaching, not dragging it out for even a minute.

“Ah!” Lucy Spencer couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. How did time pass so quickly?

A trace of hidden pride flashed in Peter Thompson’s eyes. He knew he had made a small step forward.

“You haven’t told me why yet!” Lucy Spencer asked Peter Thompson a bit unwillingly.

“That’s not dragging out the lesson, right?” Peter Thompson asked.

Lucy Spencer nodded again, still a bit unwilling.

“Because there’s no oxygen in the gas pipeline!” Peter Thompson said.

Lucy Spencer suddenly realized how silly and naive she’d been. She thought the problem was complicated, requiring multiple switches to control, but in fact, it was that simple. Without oxygen in the pipe, no matter how much gas there is, it can’t burn.

She sneaked a glance at Peter Thompson, who was smiling at her.

But with her guilty conscience, no matter how she looked, she felt that Peter Thompson’s kind, sunny smile was actually mocking her ignorance.

“Hmph, go ahead and be proud!” Lucy Spencer cursed inwardly, but deep down, she was actually quite happy to have learned the simple answer to a common-sense question she’d always overlooked.

Ding dong! The doorbell rang.

A bright smile instantly appeared on Lucy Spencer’s face, and her big eyes glanced mischievously at Peter Thompson.

Peter Thompson felt a bit uneasy, because from Lucy Spencer’s gaze, he had the feeling he was the prey about to be hunted.

The door opened, and in came three girls dressed in casual, slightly revealing clothes. To stay cool, they were either wearing short skirts or hot pants, showing off their fair, bare legs.