Chapter 66 He stared blankly at her
The office fell silent for a moment after Sun Xiaomei said this.
Another young female teacher pushed up her glasses and looked up, somewhat disbelievingly: "Xiaomei, don't talk nonsense. Teacher Jiang has only been here for a few days."
“Exactly!” A slightly older teacher, Ms. Wang, chimed in. She had been at the elementary school for over a decade and knew the officers in the military region very well. “We may not know Teacher Jiang, but who is Staff Officer Gu? We all know him! He’s a staff officer at such a young age, with a bright future ahead of him! I heard that the leaders have high hopes for him and are planning to marry their daughters who have returned from abroad to him. How could he risk his future by getting involved with a married woman?”
The meaning behind these words is quite clear: Gu Feiyan is such a good catch, she could find any woman she wants, so there's no need for her to provoke a married military wife.
Teacher Wang put down his pen, his expression unconsciously becoming more serious: "Xiaomei, let me remind you, you can't just say things carelessly. The military region hates these kinds of unfounded rumors the most, which are specifically designed to sow discord among the troops. If the higher-ups find out, you'll be criticized and educated at best, and punished at worst!"
Sun Xiaomei was so angry that her lips twitched when she realized that no one believed her after she had talked so hard for so long, and she had even been lectured instead.
These women, being military wives, are indeed not easily swayed.
She continued to shout defiantly, "I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake? Fine! You don't believe me, right? Just wait, I'll show you with your own eyes sooner or later, and then you'll see what you have to say!"
After saying that, she grabbed her lesson plan, slammed the door, and stormed out.
Although Sun Xiaomei spent half of her class time subtly instilling in the children the idea that the new teacher, Ms. Jiang, was a bad person, her music class was still the most popular in the entire primary school.
The clear and melodious sound of the piano drifted out of the classroom, and the children sat up straight, all of them listening intently.
As the piece ended, a little girl with pigtails raised her hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her: "Teacher Jiang, I... I also want to learn to play the violin, is that okay?"
Jiang Wanqiu's heart softened when she saw the longing in the child's eyes.
She thought, teaching one child is the same as teaching two children. Anyway, Gu Feiyan is learning from scratch. It might be more lively if there are more children together.
She smiled gently: "Of course."
Seeing that his friend hadn't been refused, another child immediately raised his hand and said, "Teacher, I want to learn too!"
"I want one too! I want one too!"
Seeing the children raise their hands one by one, some even standing up from their seats in eagerness, Jiang Wanqiu smiled helplessly and said, "Well then, from now on, after school every day, those who want to learn the piano can stay for half an hour, and I'll practice with you. But not today. You have to go home and tell your families before you come back."
The children cheered immediately upon hearing this.
After school in the afternoon, not long after the children left, Gu Feiyan appeared at the classroom door on time.
He wasn't wearing his crisp military uniform today; instead, he had changed into a light gray civilian outfit. One collar button of his shirt was undone, and the sleeves were neatly rolled up to his forearms. He looked less sharp and more clean-cut and scholarly, which, combined with his handsome face, made him impossible to look away from.
Jiang Wanqiu was wiping the blackboard when she saw his attire and was taken aback.
"Officer Gu." She nodded.
Gu Feiyan walked in with a slightly embarrassed smile on her face: "Teacher Jiang, thank you for your help today too."
After practicing the basic tones for more than ten minutes, he suddenly stopped and asked hesitantly, "Teacher Jiang, do you... know how to play something else?"
"Others?" Jiang Wanqiu looked at him, puzzled.
Gu Feiyan gave a bitter smile as she said this: "It's... the kind of thing that ladies like to hear."
Seeing Jiang Wanqiu's curious expression, he explained, "The commander's daughter is coming back from abroad, and the commander specifically asked me to be in charge of receiving her. You know, those who come back from abroad are all particular about style. His daughter is especially notorious for being difficult to deal with, and the commander has been hinting that I should show off some talent... But I'm just a rough guy who handles guns all day, how would I know that? After thinking it over, it seems that only you can help me with this."
Jiang Wanqiu suddenly realized what was going on.
She named several songs, all of which were beautiful and romantic foreign tunes.
Gu Feiyan looked completely bewildered, clearly having never heard of any of them.
Jiang Wanqiu sighed and chose the simplest and easiest piece to learn, the violin version of "Für Elise".
"Let's go with this one. It's simple, and the sentiment is just right."
She put the violin back on her shoulder and demonstrated it to him first.
Jiang Wanqiu played the violin, her eyes slightly lowered, her expression focused.
Gu Feiyan just stared at her, listening to the moving melody, and for a moment she was lost in thought.
He only snapped back to reality when a fair hand waved in front of his eyes after the music ended.
"Staff Officer Gu? What are you thinking about?" Jiang Wanqiu asked.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Gu Feiyan's face, and she quickly covered it up, saying, "No, it's nothing. I'm just worried that I won't be able to learn such a beautiful piece of music, and I'll embarrass myself in front of the leader's daughter."
"No, it won't," Jiang Wanqiu smiled encouragingly. "When do you need it?"
Gu Feiyan replied, "In the next few days, I've arranged to go out for dinner together."
“There’s still time,” Jiang Wanqiu said confidently. “Don’t you come to me for half an hour every day after school? I guarantee you’ll learn quickly.”
Just then, Sun Xiaomei's figure flashed past the classroom door.
She was on her way back to the office to retrieve her bag that she had left behind when she passed by the classroom and heard voices coming from inside.
She quietly approached the door and overheard most of the conversation inside.
Things like "going out to eat in a few days" or "studying for half an hour after school every day"...
What is this if not a secret rendezvous!
Wow, you guys are really something! You actually made a date! You're incredibly bold!
Sun Xiaomei was overjoyed, feeling that she had finally found a real handle against him.
She tiptoed away, having already made her plans.
Since none of you believe me, then tomorrow I'll bring you here and catch you red-handed! Let's see what you have to say then!
The two practiced in the classroom for a while longer, and when the time was up, they packed up and left together.
As soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I saw Sun Xiaomei holding a cloth bag, blocking the doorway with a forced smile.
"Oh, so Staff Officer Gu and Teacher Jiang... have finished their lecture?" she said sarcastically. "They really are learning from each other; their relationship is quite special."
Jiang Wanqiu frowned, about to say something.
Gu Feiyan spoke first, her tone indifferent and devoid of emotion: "Instead of worrying so much about other people's affairs, Teacher Sun should take care of her own first."
He paused for a moment: "Have you finished dealing with your husband's matter? Don't bring it to the military compound again next time; it'll make everyone look bad."
One sentence made Sun Xiaomei's face change abruptly, and she immediately opened her mouth to refute, "I didn't, I was..."
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