Chapter 48: Teacher

To Xiahou Ming, the student union office was even more unfamiliar than the principal’s office.
She was half-pushed and half-led by Ling Yicai, and a smell mixed with new paper and ink hit her face.
The office was bustling with activity.
Several student union cadres, whose names she couldn’t remember, were gathered around a large table, carefully cutting out the program for the school anniversary celebration.
Among them, a young female teacher in a white coat was talking and laughing with the students with her back to the door.
“…Li Hao, the straight line you cut is even crookeder than the one I drew!”
“Teacher Han, please stop laughing at me. My hands are almost cramping…”
“Hahaha, hold on a little longer. After you finish your work, the teacher will treat you to soda!”
The voice was full of deliberately created vitality and intimacy, which made Xiahou Ming feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
“Teacher Han,” Ling Yicai said with a smile.
The woman called “Teacher Han” turned around.
The moment Xiahou Ming saw her face clearly, a familiar feeling of irritation suddenly surged up in her heart.
It’s her.
It’s this woman.
Han Qiuyu, who teaches biology.
In the principal’s office, the nosy young female teacher tried to use the curious knowledge in “World Wonders” to smooth over her “mutation.”
Han Qiuyu saw Ling Yicai and immediately greeted her warmly:
“Hey, here comes Yicai!”
Then, her eyes fell on the figure behind Ling Yicai with her head down and a ponytail, and her eyes lit up.
“Student Xiahou Ming is here too!”
Her energetic greeting instantly focused everyone’s attention in the office on Xiahou Ming.
Xiahou Ming felt uncomfortable under the sudden gaze and subconsciously wanted to hide behind Ling Yicai.
She mumbled a word from her throat:
“…Um.”
Han Qiuyu didn’t care about her coldness at all.
Instead, she smiled even more happily, as if she was teasing a shy kitten.
“Why did you think of coming here to help?”
Xiahou Ming was silent for a moment, and finally told the truth:
“Ling Yicai said… meals are provided.”
This overly realistic answer made the office quiet for a second.
Then, Han Qiuyu burst into undisguised laughter, trying to ease the embarrassment in this way.
“Hahaha! So honest! No problem! When I’m done with this, I’ll take you out for a nice meal!”
Ling Yicai immediately stepped forward and gently touched Xiahou Ming’s back with her hand.
“Teacher Han, please don’t mind,” she said with a smile, “Xiao Ming… has had no appetite lately and isn’t in a good mood. I asked her to come out and help because I wanted her to change the environment and relax.”
After hearing this, Han Qiuyu immediately showed sympathy on her face.
“Is that so… Well, that’s true. Adolescents are always preoccupied, and even encounter things like this.”
She nodded, looking at Ling Yicai with approval, “Yicai, you’re such a good friend, caring so much about your classmates.”
A student union cadre who was cutting paper nearby immediately echoed:
“Yes, yes, Yicai has always been very kind-hearted. Don’t overthink it, Xiahou Ming. We won’t look at you strangely.”
Another girl also nodded quickly: “Yes, yes, if you have any difficulties, just tell us and we will help you.”
Xiahou Ming listened to these cheap consolations and felt like an animal being watched.
They know absolutely nothing.
This made her feel physically nauseous.
Ling Yicai, like a perfect host, handled everything for her with a smile:
“Thank you everyone, I will take good care of her.”
Afterward, Xiahou Ming was arranged by Ling Yicai to sit at a small table in the corner of the office, responsible for folding the cut program sheets in page order.
Just when Xiahou Ming was about to become extremely annoyed by this suffocating atmosphere, the person she least wanted to face came over.
Han Qiuyu held her enamel cup and sat down on the chair opposite her with a deliberately created kind smile on her face.
“Xiahou Ming,” she began, “Actually… I’ve been wanting to talk to you. You’ve changed a lot recently.”
She glanced at Xiahou Ming’s ponytailed head and said with a smile:
“Even her hairstyle has become so… cute.”
Xiahou Ming’s body stiffened, and she buried her head even lower.
Han Qiuyu was completely oblivious to her resistance.
Instead, she lowered her voice and, in a tone that she considered very gentle and able to communicate with her students, started the conversation:
“Teacher, I’ve done a lot of research. Your condition, while medically rare, isn’t a health hazard. The book says it might be related to the dramatic fluctuations in hormone levels during puberty. So, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and don’t worry about what others think…”
“We have to be strong-minded, right?”
As she spoke, she reached out and wanted to pat Xiahou Ming’s shoulder to show encouragement.
At this moment, the office door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.
Two girls rushed in with panicked looks on their faces.
“Han… Teacher Han! Something bad has happened!” one of the girls shouted breathlessly, “There’s a fight going on in the women’s restroom!”
“What!?”
Han Qiuyu stood up suddenly, her expression instantly becoming ugly.
“Don’t be impatient, tell me slowly, who is fighting?”
Ling Yicai also stood up, with just the right amount of worry on her face.
“It’s… it’s Lin Xiaomei from Class 3!” another girl added with lingering fear, “She dragged another girl… the one who’s always alone… in there!”
Xiahou Ming’s heart suddenly shrank.
“We heard ‘bang bang’ sounds inside, and… there seemed to be crying…”
“It’s too scary, we don’t dare to go over and take a look…”
Before the two girls could finish their words, Xiahou Ming had already rushed out from beside them.
“Student Xiahou Ming!”
Han Qiuyu exclaimed in surprise from behind and immediately followed.
Ling Yicai’s eyes flickered, and she also hurried to catch up.
The corridor was filled with the sound of Xiahou Ming’s footsteps, which seemed a little messy due to her urgency.
Her mind was blank, and only one name remained—
Yu Yuhui.
Just as they were about to run to the toilet door at the end of the corridor, a thin figure slowly walked out from inside.
The collar of her school uniform was a little disheveled, and her face was a little paler than usual.
Then, everyone saw it.
There was an extremely glaring bloodstain on her bloodless lips.
“Yu Yuhui! Are you okay? Your face…”
Han Qiuyu walked forward in shock and asked with concern in a teacher’s tone.
Xiahou Ming’s footsteps also stopped.
She stared at the mark intently, feeling that her breathing became difficult.
Yu Yuhui raised her head, looked at the people in front of her, and smiled faintly.
“Teacher, it’s okay.”
Her voice was as calm as ever.
“We were just joking.”