FADE IN:

1 INT. XIAO YU’S HOME – Night

Wang Xiao Yu, a 29-year-old girl, is sitting on the leather sofa while looking directly at the camera. She wears a casual white T-shirt and blue jean with light makeup. She entered Tik Tok, names the tag “MENTOR” and click “upload video”.

Then the video pop up:

Xiao Yu

When thinking of the word “mentor” …

She begins to recall from the past.

The first image that pop up into my mind is Mr. Xu.

He is the person who accompanied me going through my whole middle school years. He is a math teacher, but what's interesting about him is that he not only teaches good Math, but I thought he knows everything, of course in a teenager's point of view.

(chuckles)

FADE TO BLACK.

2 EXT/INT. SISU MIDDLE SCHOOL – DAY

XIAO YU (O.S.)

These four years, when I now think about it, was the most memorable and precious four years that I ever experienced.

The sunlight illuminates the school immediately in the morning, and crowds full of students are heading towards the academic building from the school gate. Xiao Yu, the only transfer student in her grade, with a high ponytail first steps into her middle school. She wears a casual sweatpants and shirtsleeves, while others are wearing uniforms.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

At that time, people always asked me, how's SISU? I always said, "It is the school where nobody truly wants to go to."

I mean---Sure it's got the top students, and therefore top grades and top enrollment rates.

But as an extremely shy transferred student who knew nothing, that was a nightmare.

Xiao Yu is heading toward the classroom in the corridor with her heavy bag and her eyes always look to the ground.

3 INT. PRIVATE CAR - DAY

XIAO YU (O.S.)

At the time, from morning to night, I only did one thing: study.

Xiao Yu sits in the car, concentratively reading English while eating breakfast.

CUT TO:

4 INT. SISU MIDDLE SCHOOL - MORNING

Xiao Yu sits on the chair, reading Math and turns one page over.

CUT TO:

5 INT. SISU MIDDLE SCHOOL - AFTERNOON

Xiao Yu reads books while lining up to get lunch.

CUT TO:

6 INT. XIAO YU’S HOME - NIGHT

Xiao Yu eats dinner with books.

CUT TO:

7 INT. XIAO YU’S STUDY - MIDNIGHT

XIAO YU (O.S.)

However, ...

(Music kick in) Xiao Yu is sitting in front of the study table with confusion and a little bit angriness, and looking at her math test paper, which scored 39/100.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

So, I finally gave to my fate.

She stretches her hairs and sighs loudly. With several seconds of thinking, she aggressively marched to her mother's bedroom.

XIAO YU

(helplessly)

Mom, please... get me a math tutor.

DISSOLVE TO:

8 EXT. GUOKE BUILDING – MORNING

Several days after, Xiao Yu and her mom arrived at the teaching building of Mr. Xu. In the elevator, Xiao Yu's mom takes her shoulders.

XIAO YU‘S MOM

Remember being nice to the teacher.

With the opening sound of the elevator, they step in.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

And My story therefore began.

The decoration of the 8th floor does not match with the others. With the color of blue and white and bright light, it actually feels like it is the actual place for studying, completely different from the others' tutoring institution which always flooded with uneasy and anxiety.

Mr. Xu around his 30s appears after Xiao Yu and her mom open the door. He is a little chubby, but with a sense of literati and integrity. He wears plain clothes, always with jeans and a simple T-shirt.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

That's the first time I met him.

Dissolve to:

9 INT. GUOKE BUILDING - MORNING

MR. XU

So, now we can conclude that AB=AC, what is the angle BAC?

The classroom is enlightened by sunlight from the window. Mr. Xu is standing in front of the classroom, writing on the whiteboard. The classroom is not big but accommodates nearly 20 students. They all sit on chairs without backrests. Xiao Yu is one of them.

MR. XU

Xiao Yu, would you like to try?

(Kindly)

XIAO YU

Um...

(Looks around like a little child)

Yes?......

(embarrassed)

She believes that she can solve it out.

XIAO YU

Is this... 13 degrees?

MR. XU

I am afraid it is not. However, I'm glad that you were trying.

Mr. Xu gave Xiao Yu with a smile and continued to solve the question. At the time, Xiao Yu was even more embarrassed. She makes a fake laugh and bows her head to look at the ground. Her hands are rubbed together.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

I was embarrassed. Although now I can't remember why, maybe it's because the competitive personality came up, and the self-abasement led to conflict. Then, more embarrassedly, I cried.

The tears of Xiao Yu flowed down like river, but with no sound. She immediately tries to use hands to wipe off the tear. Mr. Xu obviously sees the reaction, but he is not pointing it out to other students, but always using eye contacts to comfort her.

10 EXT. XIAO YU’S HOME - NIGHT

Mr. Xu and Xiao Yu is sitting in the desk and start working on a problem.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

After that, he taught me at home, which in his words afterwards, is because he thought I was hardworking and polite, and he said he seldom went to other's house to teach.

He is not a normal teacher; he teaches with wisdom. I always believed that a teacher with wisdom has some strange rules.

Number one, he does not allow to cancel classes, even for himself.

No matter it's rainy heavily,

Mr. Xu rushes to Xiao Yu's home with raincoats.

he's sick,

Mr. Xu sneezes while giving the lesson.

Or he got other things to do.

Mr. Xu uses Xiao Yu's paper writes notes for other students and communicate on the phone, while Xiao Yu is staring at him.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

This is the first time, but then I get used to it.

(Bitter smiles)

The sixth grade was the most hush year in my middle school. We take classes three times a week from eight o'clock to eleven o'clock, notice that it is p.m. but not a.m.

So, the break time was being replaced by "sleep time", we called it.

Xiao Yu is too tired so that she takes a nap on the desk during break.

11 INT. SISU CLASSROOM – DAY

XIAO YU (O.S.)

But efforts always paid off.

It is the day when doing End of Year sum-up. Students are all sitting in the classroom, waiting anxiously for their grades and rankings.

MRS. WU

(She is the teacher in charge of the whole class, around her 30s. She always wears a pair of glasses and is serious all the time.)

After announcing the general situation of this End of year exam, I will now announce some of the students that achieve great progresses in rankings in the End of Year exam.

Mrs. Wu is on the stage in front of the classroom with seriousness. Xiao Yu is sitting in the classroom, with a great extent of upset and nervous.

MRS. WU

The first student I would like to praise is Xu Xiao Dong. We can see his great progress during this term. Although...

The second student is Liu Wu Hao.

The third student is Le Shu Ming.

The fourth student......

Wang Xiao Yu's heart is beating hard. She is a little sweaty and clenches her fist.

MRS. WU

The last student that I would like to celebrate the achievement, is Wang Xiao Yu.

She has moved up 15 places in rankings compared to the test we have done when school started. I knew that she has been studying hard to get this kind of progress, and I knew her weight has been loss for 5kg because of the stress and hardworking.

Round of applause starts and Xiao Yu was shocked that she cannot move a bit. Finally, she goes up the stage and receive the "little" gift the teachers gives to her--- some sticky notes and pens, nothing special.

XIAO YU

Thank... thank you.

(With appreciation and happiness)

XIAO YU (O.S.)

This was one of the highlighting moments of me, and it also makes me realize that I am not that stupid.

After returning back to the seat, she cried. Her tears went down slowly from her eyes. It is being spotted by Mrs. Wu.

MRS. WU

Roy, your seatmate is crying, why don't you get her tissue?

Other classmates laugh out loud. Xiao Yu's seatmate embarrassedly hand her the tissue. Then they both laughed.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

This is the first time that I thought Mrs. Wu is not that scary.

CUT TO:

12 INT. SISU MIDDLE SCHOOL – DAY

XIAO YU (O.S.)

From then on, I became more confident and enthusiastic, cuz it's really important to realize how powerful you can get even when doing something you do not like and are not good at. In the future, when something come up, I always thought of this experience. In another way, it transformed my life.

We continued to have classes till the end of my middle school year. I have almost spent every second in the teaching building with him before the final examination.

However, it is not the usual "review" for exam --- although for most of the time, I was practicing exams, and he was writing the courseware. We have done lots of fun things.

I first experienced the feeling of riding a small battery car with him. We went to a printing shop to print some materials for revision.

Mr. Xu and Xiao Yu are all wearing a helmet while Mr. Xu is riding the small battery car, ad Xiao Yu is behind him. It is autumn, the weather is not that cold so that they enjoy the breeze.

I tasted the cooking of him for the first time.

With the colorful materials being poured to the pot, the fragrance of the food immediately spreads out.

XIAO YU

OMG! You are so good at cooking!

(Surprisingly)

MR. XU

Now you would know, I was not kidding you.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

We got wet in a rain together.

With the rain being poured down, Mr. Xu help Xiao Yu put on her raincoat, but with him wearing nothing.

MR. XU

Are you cold?

Xiao Yu responds by shaking her head. Actually, she is quite excited about the trip "in the rain" after they hit the road. On the road, Xiao Yu feels the raindrop on her face, open her arms to embrace.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

We celebrate the dream school together.

Mr. Xu buys Xiao Yu a cake to motivate her before the day of the selection. Xiao Yu is helping Mr. Xu to take photo to keep it to remember. Mr. Xu places a pose of "Yeah".

XIAO YU (O.S.)

The good news is --- my dream school was what I have finally been to --- one of the top high schools in Shanghai.

XIAO YU (O.S.)

I have also cried for many times to him. Whenever I was discouraged, misunderstood, and failed to get what I want and fight for, he is always the one who comes to me and encourages me.

Xiao Yu is in the classroom, ready to check the recruitment of one of the high schools she applied to.

XIAO YU

Okay, let's see.

(Nervous)

Unfortunately, she was being placed in the waiting list. She was in tears again. Mr. Xu sees what happened and comforts her.

MR. XU

I bet you deserve a better one.

13 INT. XIAO YU’S HOME – DAY

XIAO YU (O.S.)

I bet you deserve a better one.

That is the sentence that kept me going for those years.

It surprisingly applies to every circumstance---

My boyfriend cheats on me, I bet you deserve a better one.

I did not get the offer from the company, I bet you deserve a better one.

So, this is my story, what about yours?

Xiao Yu sits on the sofa, and when the recording has been done. She leaves the frame.

FADE TO BLACK.