Yan Chi's smile froze. "Of course."
"Really? But teacher, you look weaker than us." The boy still grinned. "Weaker than us? Then how can you be our teacher?"
Yan Chi didn't understand his meaning for a moment. "Are you referring to physical strength or academic strength? If it's the former, I'm indeed inferior to you."
Most of the boys in the class were tall and strong; their powerful muscles were clearly visible under their thin summer school uniforms. Yan Chi had always been considered a bookworm; physical strength was his weakness.
The male student paused, giving Yan Chi a strange look.
This new teacher was unlike any they knew; he was unusually weak. If it weren't for the obvious aura of someone of their kind, he might have mistaken him for a frail human.
The new teacher also liked to smile—not a sarcastic smile, nor a fawning one. The boy couldn't describe the meaning behind this smile, but he suddenly looked at a female student not far away.
The girl's mother had that same smile on her face when she called her "darling."
"Student, do you have any questions?" Yan Chi asked softly.
Male student: "That's all."
Yan Chi breathed a sigh of relief. Before starting class, he picked up the roster and began calling roll, familiarizing himself with the students. "Raise your hand if your name is called."
"Shen Chang Le."
A boy in the back row raised his hand. "Here."
"Feng Wang."
A red-haired boy raised his hand. "Here."
"Tan Mo."
"Here."
"..."
Yan Chi read through all ten students' names, recognizing them all. He glanced at the student who had spoken to him earlier; his name was Xingluo. It was an unusual name, and he couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
Yan Chi quickly picked up his book. "Which lesson are you on now?"
A girl with a high ponytail raised her hand. "We haven't taken this lesson before, teacher, you can start from the beginning."
Yan Chi remembered her name, Mingcai. But the moment he looked up and met Mingcai's gray eyes, his head spun for a second.
Those eyes were like countless swirling vortexes, capable of sucking in souls.
Yan Chi subconsciously closed his eyes; the dizziness quickly subsided. He didn't think much of it and continued to be surprised by the previous teacher's pace. "Not even one class?"
Mingcai's expression was somewhat strange. She casually replied, "Yeah, he doesn't know either."
Yan Chi suddenly understood why the headmaster was in such a hurry to get him to work. "...Alright, students, please turn to the first lesson."
The sparse sound of pages turning filled the air.
During Yan Chi's lecture, Mingcai's deskmate nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "So, do you know who he is now?"
Mingcai, resting her chin on her hand, shook her head. "He made eye contact with me, but I couldn't access his memories. He must be very strong, definitely stronger than us."
Her deskmate shrank back in fright, pulled a cookie from her desk, and, seizing the moment Yan Chi turned to write on the blackboard, hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth. "The school must be retaliating for driving away our last teacher. This Teacher Yan must be really powerful, hehehe."
Yan Chi's ears twitched. He suddenly turned around, glanced around the classroom, and quickly fixed his gaze on a baby-faced boy. This boy seemed to be of mixed race, with blond hair and blue eyes, but his features leaned towards an Eastern softness, making him look like a delicate doll.
His name was Sethia.
Sethia had cookie crumbs stuck to his lips, his eyes were round and bright, his mouth was tightly closed, but his cheeks were puffed out.
Yan Chi didn't call him out, but just tapped him lightly, "Don't eat during class."
Sethia nodded guiltily, swallowing everything in his mouth. Yan Chi was afraid he'd choke, but with everyone watching, he couldn't remind him, so he simply turned back to continue writing on the blackboard.
Sethia cried to Mingcai, "Waaaaah, this teacher is even scarier than Feng Wang's dad!"
Feng Wang, with striking red hair, sat in front of him and glanced at Sethia speechlessly.
The class went smoothly; no one caused trouble, and naturally, no student paid any attention to Yan Chi.
Yan Chi tried calling on them to answer questions, but the students he called on just stared at him with their big eyes, not saying a word. Yan Chi patiently asked, "Is there anything you didn't understand? You can tell me, and I'll explain it again."
The student replied with utmost sincerity, "Teacher, I didn't understand anything."
Yan Chi felt a pang of anxiety. "Okay, you can sit down now."
He turned to the other students and asked, "Did anyone understand the explanation of function words I gave?"
"..."
Another awkward silence ensued. For a moment, Yan Chi felt like he was back in a university classroom, facing a group of hardened, unyielding students.
But there were still some kind-hearted angels. Mingcai raised her hand, "Teacher, we've never been to school before, we can't understand what you're saying."
Yan Chi was shocked. "Never been to school? You don't mean you never went to elementary school, never went to middle school, never completed nine years of compulsory education?"
"Yes, teacher, so teacher, could you explain it a little simpler?"
Mingcai's words immediately resonated with the other students. The students who had been glued to their phones finally raised their heads and stared intently at Yan Chi.
Yan Chi was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why, in this era where everyone was literate, there would be students who hadn't completed nine years of compulsory education. Thinking about it, the principal really hadn't lied to him; he really did teach first grade.
"...Then this textbook isn't suitable for you." Yan Chi put down his first-year high school textbook, which he had hastily retrieved from his office after seeing these students. "Bring out your previous textbooks."
Although he didn't know why this absurd situation had arisen, Yan Chi still considered a solution. Since they hadn't attended school before, he'd start with the very first lesson—learning pinyin.
Wait... many kindergartens teach pinyin.
Yan Chi asked without much hope, "Do you know pinyin?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
Yan Chi: "Sigh..."
The bell rang just then. Yan Chi felt heavy-hearted, but he didn't show it to the students. He smiled at them, "Let's dismiss class now. I'll figure out how to catch up."
Several students waved to Yan Chi, "Goodbye, teacher."
Finally, someone responded. Yan Chi was deeply moved. "Goodbye."
During the break, few students were out playing in the corridor. Yan Chi, carrying his books, walked towards his office. Suddenly, he turned back and glanced at the classroom. Every student was still seated. Break time and class time seemed to make no difference to them; they were always oblivious to their own business.
Yan Chi was puzzled. When he reached his workstation, he noticed a male teacher sitting next to him. When he saw his colleague's face, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.
This colleague had thick, waist-length light blue hair, delicate features, and skin that was pale from lack of sunlight. His light blue eyes were like a calm sea. He naturally saw Yan Chi too, and his expression was one of utter surprise.
Yan Chi quickly snapped out of her daze. "Hello, I'm the new teacher, my name is Yan Chi."
"I know you." His colleague's voice was also very pleasant, clear and melodious. "The director told us about the new classmate and asked us to take care of you."
Yan Chi smiled shyly.
"My name is Xi Chang, I'm the first-grade music teacher." The blue-haired teacher extended his hand to Yan Chi. "Welcome to Yunzhou."
Yan Chi shook his hand, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
Xi Chang was straightforward and very caring towards Yan Chi. During the short ten-minute break, he talked a lot about various things related to first-grade students.
"Not very active? That's because they don't know each other well. It's only been half a month since school started, and these little brats are quite wary."
"They haven't been to school before, because their parents are worried. Naturally, they want to protect their little ones for safety."
"Mingcai? She's quite lively, just a bit mischievous sometimes, but be careful, don't look into her eyes."
Yan Chi was puzzled, "Why can't I look into her eyes?"
This little girl has pretty eyes.
"That's her ability. Do you want to become a puppet controlled by her?" Xi Chang saw Yan Chi staring blankly and thought he was frightened. "But don't be afraid. You're a teacher, the school will protect you. These little brats won't dare go too far."
After Xi Chang finished speaking, he turned his head and saw Yan Chi looking at him with a bewildered expression.
Yan Chi asked sincerely, "Are you joking?"
Xi Chang: "Huh?"
The two stared at each other for a while. Yan Chi was certain Xi Chang was deliberately trying to scare him, like some superstitious old teachers telling new students about school ghost stories—it was all just psychological manipulation without any scientific basis.
Yan Chi was a staunch materialist; he didn't understand why Xi Chang would think that about Mingcai.
After thinking for a while, Yan Chi's gaze towards Xi Chang began to feel strange. Looking into Mingcai's eyes would turn him into a puppet under her control… How could he say such a thing about a girl?
Yan Chi's expression darkened; his good impression of Xi Chang vanished instantly. "Don't mention these things in front of Mingcai. We're all ordinary people; don't have any prejudice against her."
Xi Chang: "?"
What was this newcomer talking about? He had a prejudice against Mingcai? How come he didn't know?
And… what did he mean by "all ordinary people"?
They weren't human.
"Ring ring..."
The school bell rang. Yan Chi picked up his books. Not wanting things to get too awkward with his colleagues on his first day, he told Xi Chang he'd see him later as he passed his desk.
Xi Chang gave a soft "hmm," and after watching Yan Chi leave, immediately called the director, getting straight to the point, "What's with that kid you brought in? Why does he call himself human? Does he have some kind of self-perception problem?"
The director asked in surprise, "He really said that?!"
"I heard it with my own ears, how could it be false?" Xi Chang was speechless, recalling Yan Chi's righteous condemnation. "He even blamed me for treating Mingcai differently. Mingcai spread the story about me being chased and bitten by a cat, and I didn't even argue with her. Now he's turning the tables on me."
Xi Chang gulped down a large mouthful of water, feeling frustrated.
The director said, "Don't worry, I'll check."
In the next classroom.
Yan Chi spent half the class teaching pinyin, and the second half letting the students digest it on their own, copying the pinyin they had learned, and giving them some practice questions.
While the students were doing their homework, Yan Chi called Mingcai out of the classroom alone.
Mingcai blinked. "Teacher, is there something you need?"
Yan Chi looked at this little girl, barely twelve or thirteen. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, and she always had a smile on her face. She was the kind of confident and outgoing girl parents adored. How could Xi Chang bear to have such strange feelings for her?
Yan Chi felt a pang of heartache for Mingcai.
Children's hearts are fragile, and Yan Chi couldn't directly ask Mingcai if she sensed any malice from Teacher Xi Chang, or if he had done anything harmful to her.
Mentally gathering his thoughts, Yan Chi asked softly, "Mingcai, what do you think of Teacher Xi Chang?"
"Very good."
Yan Chi was taken aback. "Huh?"
Mingcai smiled. "Teacher Xi Chang is so cute! Teacher, do you already know Teacher Xi Chang?"
This conversation took a bit beyond Yan Chi's expectations. He opened his mouth, "Yes, I know him."
"Then do you know that Teacher Xi Chang likes to drink?" Mingcai glanced around, then secretly leaned close to Yan Chi's ear and whispered, "But Teacher Xi Chang has a very low alcohol tolerance. Once, at a party, the headmaster was frying fish in the kitchen, and Teacher Xi Chang got drunk. He hugged his tail and cried, cursing the principal for frying his tail until it was cooked! Hahahaha, Teacher, isn't that funny?"
Yan Chi: "..."
This seemed a little different from what he had imagined.
Just as he was about to say something, a commotion suddenly erupted in the classroom, followed by a loud crash of desks and chairs falling over.
Comments
Post a Comment