Chapter 16 Classroom Door
After the second period of English class in the morning, Jiang Wan was called out by the English teacher.
I suppose it's because of what happened during morning reading; now I'm here to settle scores with her.
Jiang Wan stood in front of her English teacher, head hanging low, and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, Ms. Yang, I will never do it again."
Teacher Yang was stunned for a moment, and after realizing what she meant, she frowned and pretended to be serious. "Jiang Wan, you are a good student. You were not serious during morning reading. You even held the book upside down. This is really not right."
"Teacher Yang, I know I was wrong." Jiang Wan lowered her head even further, adopting a humble and apologetic posture.
“However,” Teacher Yang changed the subject, “I called you out here not because of this.”
Jiang Wan suddenly looked up. "Is there anything else?"
Seeing her bewildered expression, Ms. Yang couldn't help but laugh. "It's the essay you wrote over the weekend. All the teachers in our English group think it's very good. It breaks out of the exam-oriented framework and we want to publish it in the school newspaper as an excellent model essay."
Jiang Wan was momentarily stunned. "Oh... I see."
"So, I'm asking for your opinion. If there are no problems, I'll report it to the school newspaper."
"Yes, no problem." Jiang Wan nodded, smiling sweetly. "Thank you for your affirmation, teacher."
"You," Teacher Yang tapped her forehead, "just because you have a good foundation in English, you're too lazy to memorize vocabulary and texts, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan wondered why Teacher Yang had brought up the topic of morning reading again.
"No, Teacher Yang, I..."
“I know,” Teacher Yang interrupted her softly. “For a top student like you, you don’t need to memorize words like everyone else during morning reading. You can have your own pace and do what you want. I have no objection.”
Jiang Wan stared blankly, her mouth agape, unable to utter a single word of her explanation.
"But you don't need to fool me." Teacher Yang crossed her arms, frowned slightly, and pretended to be displeased. "You're holding the book upside down. Are you just putting on an act for me? Studying is for yourself, not for me."
"Mm." Jiang Wan lowered her eyes and nodded sincerely. "I understand."
"Alright, I won't punish you by making you write a self-criticism or anything. Just run an errand for the teacher." Teacher Yang waved her hand. "Go to my office and get the English newspaper. Distribute it to everyone."
"Okay."
Jiang Wan accepted the task and happily followed the English teacher back to the office.
There was a long table by the office door, with stacks of 21st Century English newspapers piled on it, arranged in order of class.
Teacher Yang pointed to the leftmost stack of newspapers. "Here, when you hand them out, tell everyone to hand them in before evening self-study tomorrow."
"Okay." Jiang Wan picked up a thick stack of English newspapers. "Goodbye, teacher."
"Okay, let's go back to class."
Jiang Wan had just stepped out of the English office when she heard someone calling her from behind.
"Jiang Wan!"
She stopped and turned around, pausing for a couple of seconds, "...Qi Ming?"
"It's me." Qi Ming strode up to Jiang Wan, grinning broadly. "You remembered me this time."
Jiang Wan smiled and said, "We just met last week, how could I forget so quickly?"
Qi Ming smiled and lowered his head, touching the back of his neck. His gaze fell on the English newspaper in Jiang Wan's hand, and he found a topic to talk about, "You came to get your class's English newspaper?"
"Mmm." Jiang Wan nodded, replying perfunctorily, "You too?"
"No, I was collecting homework for the teacher, and I just handed it in."
"oh."
Jiang Wan responded, feeling there was nothing more to talk about, and continued walking forward.
Qi Ming followed behind her and said, "Let me help you carry some."
"No need, it's not heavy." Jiang Wan shook her head, declining his offer.
Qi Ming took half of it without saying a word, "It's okay, I was just going to the fourth floor to find someone, so I'll just take it back for you on the way. My hands are free anyway."
Jiang Wan looked at the newspaper in Qi Ming's hand, thought for a moment, and didn't snatch it back.
The English newspapers weren't very heavy, but they were quite large and thick, so she had to carry them with both hands, which made walking quite inconvenient.
Qi Ming was so kind-hearted that she felt bad refusing him.
Besides, what kind of image does it make to be seen pulling and tugging at a young boy in the hallway?
It's better to just ask him for help openly and thank him afterwards.
"Thank you."
Jiang Wan, holding the other half of the newspaper, kept a distance from Qi Ming as they walked up to the fourth floor, one after the other.
Back at the classroom door, Jiang Wan took the newspaper from Qi Ming. "Thank you, give it to me."
"It was nothing, no need to thank me," Qi Ming waved his hand.
Jiang Wan wasn't just being polite. "I still have to thank you. I haven't properly thanked you for giving me directions last time. You've helped me twice already."
"Then how about..." Qi Ming rolled his eyes, "you treat me to dinner next time?"
Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment; she hadn't expected Qi Ming to have such thoughts.
Even if she was slow-witted, she could still sense something was amiss.
As a 28-year-old "old auntie," although her romantic experience is very limited, she has had many boys pursue her since childhood, and she has seen all kinds of tricks.
Of course, she was also very familiar with the art of politely refusing someone.
"Let's skip the meal. Senior year is too busy with studies, I don't have time." Jiang Wan smiled faintly, reached into her pocket, and pulled out two throat lozenges. "Two lozenges, to thank you for helping me twice, is that alright?"
Qi Ming paused for a moment, but wasn't upset by the rejection. He happily accepted the two candies, "Sure, of course."
Jiang Wan maintained a polite smile, nodded to him, and then turned and walked into the classroom.
Just as she turned around, she suddenly met a familiar gaze.
Zhou Chong sat in his seat and turned to look at the classroom door.
The moment his eyes met Jiang Wan's, he suddenly turned his head away, his hand, which was tucked into the pocket of his school uniform jacket, clenched the candy in his palm.
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