The call was from the Class 6 homeroom teacher.
Since it was a midday call, it had to be urgent. Lin Huayan picked up. “Director Lin, please come to the girls’ dormitory right away—just the lobby.”
“Got it. Two minutes.”
Lin Huayan glanced at Lou Yixuan and apologized, “Something came up at the girls’ dorm. I need to check it out. You…”
She wanted Lou Yixuan to wait for her, but she wasn’t sure if the issue was minor or major, how long it might drag on. She worried that if it took too long, Lou Yixuan would be stuck waiting downstairs, but if it wrapped up quick, she’d just make her trek back and forth between the office and dormitory building.
Lou Yixuan smiled at her. “Go handle it. I’ll just wander around campus. Text me when you’re free, and I’ll come over.”
“Mm.”
Lin Huayan hurried toward the girls’ dormitory, her mood souring.
And what had happened there only made her more frustrated and indignant.
During the last class that morning, two girls from Class 6 had faked illness to see the school doctor.
Instead, they’d snuck back to the dorm to hide and smoke, only to get caught by the dorm supervisor.
Not only did they refuse to hand over the cigarettes and lighter, but in a fit of impulsive defiance, one had swung the metal lighter and accidentally gashed the supervisor’s forehead, leaving a scar.
What started as a disciplinary violation had escalated to assault, potentially sparking a civil dispute. Figuring out how to downplay the major issue into something minor—and the minor into nothing—would take more brainpower than just Lin Huayan’s.
Most infuriating was that one of the girls, banking on being underage with moneyed parents, was utterly unruly.
—So what if it’s just a scratch? What’s the big deal? Tell me the medical fees, and I’ll pay. Hell, I’ll throw in extra for nutrition, too?
Hearing her talk only of money, never remorse, the supervisor couldn’t swallow the insult and called her own kids for backup.
She was dead set on getting justice.
And it was the supervisor herself who refused to take it indoors and shut the door.
The parents and the supervisor’s family arrived at school one after another, right as the bell rang.
Inevitably, more and more students crowded the dorm entrance—plenty of boys rushing over to gawk, too.
Lou Yixuan hadn’t gone far. Seeing the commotion, the swelling crowd shoulder-to-shoulder, she wandered closer. Midway, she ran into Zhang Xiao and Lin Jianlu, who were carrying lunchboxes of cafeteria food back to the dorm.
Security had been called by Lin Huayan and stationed a few guards on the perimeter.
But they hadn’t sealed the entrance.
Students heading back to the dorm could still get through.
With Zhang Xiao and Lin Jianlu flanking her, the three forced a path through the impenetrable throng.
There, the three sides were locked in stalemate: the Class 6 male homeroom teacher working on the student and her parents, while Lin Huayan worked on the supervisor and her family.
“Teacher Lou, I know that girl—she’s from Class 6, super cocky. Word is her family’s got some cash,” Zhang Xiao tugged Lou Yixuan’s sleeve and whispered in her ear on tiptoes. “She never washes her own clothes or does cleaning or homework—pays other classmates to handle it. As long as it’s not outright bullying, teachers can’t do much if someone’s willing to take the cash.”
After a thought, she added, “She’s the most arrogant troublemaker in our grade. I heard Teacher Lin and the moral education director have talked to her multiple times, but she just blows them off. Ignores every warning, never reforms, totally disregards…”
Zhang Xiao’s “disregards her teachers” got cut off as the troublemaker’s voice exploded at top volume.
“Will you people ever shut up?! Lin Menopause, if you can’t handle it or don’t have the authority, go get the principal now. Ask him if the money our family’s donated to the school is enough to settle this crap!”
Her bellow stunned the packed crowd into silence for a few seconds.
“Damn!” Zhang Xiao fumed, shoving her lunchbox into Lin Jianlu’s hands and rolling up her sleeves to push forward, ready to vent for their homeroom teacher!
Lou Yixuan grabbed her. “Don’t be rash. If you break rules too, it’ll just pile more trouble on Teacher Lin.”
The next instant, the bellowing girl’s father slapped her hard across the face. “You little shit! Trying to tear the world down?!”
Her mother was the timid type, standing silently to the side, wringing her hands anxiously, not daring to challenge her husband.
Her daughter fired right back at him. “Go on, kill me! You’ve got plenty of sons and daughters—you won’t miss me…”
“You’ve gone too far—shut your mouth! Or I swear…” As the man reared back for another slap, Lin Huayan blocked him.
“Mr. Chen, calm down.”
“Teacher Lin, I’m disciplining my daughter. Please don’t interfere—you might get hurt. If you teachers could actually control her, we wouldn’t have this mess today.”
“You know it’s a ‘mess’? Then what we really need to dig into is the root of the ‘mess’—what caused it.”
Lin Huayan didn’t flinch from the man’s brute strength or biting sarcasm, holding his arm firm.
She turned sternly to the girl. “If you don’t want to walk around with handprints on your face for the whole school to laugh at, go apologize to the supervisor. ‘Sorry’ won’t hurt your pride. But taking a public slap? Different story. I’ve already convinced them to talk inside. Or maybe… you actually want to hear your father say ‘sorry’ to you.”
The male homeroom teacher hadn’t laid a hand, but he watched the father’s reactions closely now, ready to act.
Men were more wary of other men.
He feared intervening might provoke the father into a clash or shove.
“Mr. Chen, you’re here to solve this, not make a scene.”
Lin Huayan eased her grip, stepping between father and daughter, taking the girl’s arm. “Only by guarding your own dignity can others respect you.”
The mother finally stirred, grabbing her daughter’s hand. “Listen to the teacher. Apologize first, then we talk the rest.”
…
Lou Yixuan never got the full story. After Lin Huayan and the others headed inside, she just reminded Zhang Xiao and Lin Jianlu—the witnesses—to keep an eye on classmates’ chatter.
Speak up with facts where Teacher Lin needed defending. Don’t let rumors spread unchecked.
They agreed with a “Got it,” then stomped upstairs fuming to eat.
Before going in, Lin Huayan had glanced outside. Lou Yixuan was sure she’d spotted her in the crowd, so she focused on resolving the parent-school conflict without texting.
And Lou Yixuan quietly slipped away, not wanting to distract her.
It wasn’t until near the end of afternoon classes, as Lou Yixuan headed to her classroom, that Lin Huayan’s WeChat came through.
Lin Huayan: Sorry about lunch. I’ll give you the stuff this afternoon.
Lou Yixuan: All sorted?
Lin Huayan: Mm.
Lou Yixuan: Dinner out tonight—my treat for Teacher Lin?
Lin Huayan: Sure.
Lin Huayan: Wait for me in the office.
After finishing her afternoon lessons, Lou Yixuan returned to the office for water and a break. During break, Zhang Xiao and Lin Jianlu popped in.
“You two followed me—what’s up?” She poured two cups of hot water and handed them over.
“Teacher Lou,” Zhang Xiao usually went formal for serious talk, “I just found out today—one of our classmates knew Chen Qingli before. You know, the girl from lunch who dissed Teacher Lin.”
“And?”
“During lunch break, she told us Chen Qingli’s been beaten by her dad since she was little—like, beaten half to death. Bruises and welts all over, even her mom got hit. Then somehow they struck it rich and moved away.”
Lou Yixuan sat listening. After a moment’s thought, she said, “So you’re saying it’s understandable why Chen Qingli turned out like this?”
Zhang Xiao sighed heavily, restless and conflicted. “I feel sorry for her… but she deserves it, too.”
“Then why tell me specifically?”
“…”
Lin Jianlu shot Zhang Xiao an exasperated look and explained. “Someone as proud as Chen Qingli wouldn’t broadcast getting beaten growing up. Her parents wouldn’t air family dirt to teachers, either.”
Zhang Xiao nudged by Lin Jianlu picked up. “Teacher Lou, we came to you hoping you’d talk to Teacher Lin about Chen Qingli’s situation. She was wrong to mouth off to the supervisor and Teacher Lin—she should apologize for that. But after? That ‘problem’ of hers won’t fix itself without treating the root. We’re just passing on info in good faith, so Teacher Lin can address it properly.”
“Since when’s Teacher Lin a miracle healer?” Lou Yixuan teased with a laugh. “Why not tell her yourselves? Make me the middleman? Or do you think Teacher Lin’s heartless?”
“No, no, not that!” Zhang Xiao waved frantically, sloshing her water.
Good thing it was warm—no burns for her or Lin Jianlu.
Lou Yixuan pulled tissues from her drawer, setting them out and handing each a few. “Easy now. Wipe up.”
“Xuan-jie, you’ve gone bad. Really bad!” Zhang Xiao grumbled while wiping her hands. “Black-bellied! Not innocent at all!”
“Black-bellied? Innocent?” Lou Yixuan leaned back, legs crossed, arms folded.
“Ah, no no, I didn’t say that! You misheard, totally misheard!” Zhang Xiao wailed, grinning sheepishly as she ducked behind Lin Jianlu.
Poor Lin Jianlu, stuck as her shield, looked awkward.
After the campus Top Ten Singers contest, she’d asked Zhang Xiao for some “Yi Yan CP” fanfic to read.
In it, Teacher Lou was Innocent Little Lou.
Teacher Lin was Cold Tsundere Lin Menopause.
Zhang Xiao wrote essays like crap—cobbled-together 800 words—but fanfic? She had talent. Thousands of words easy, with killer atmosphere, details… Lin Jianlu had kinda gotten into it.
Snap.
Lou Yixuan cracked her fingers.
“Classmate Lin Jianlu, what’re you thinking about now?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all.” Lin Jianlu flushed and turned away.
Damn Zhang Xiao, she grumbled inwardly, reaching back to pinch her arm until she yelped “Ow!”
Zhang Xiao, face like a bitter pill, could only hide behind Lin Jianlu, peeking out with a tilted head at Lou Yixuan.
“Teacher Lou… you know Teacher Lin’s nickname is ‘Lin Menopause,’ right?”
“…Yeah.”
Du Heming had let it slip during Teachers’ Day dinner, after Lou Yixuan fished with ulterior motives on leaving the bathroom.
Look, Teacher Lin’s got this infamous nickname: Lin. Menopause. You get it?
Students coined it, but in teacher circles? We kinda love those nicknames. Private jokes—no harm meant.
Lou Yixuan stuck to cafeteria, Art Office, Art Classroom—no way into teacher or student chats, no energy for it.
So today, Chen Qingli’s insolent roar was the first time in months she’d heard “Lin Menopause.”
No malice? It sure felt malicious.
“Teacher Lou.” Zhang Xiao twisted her fingers, stepping forward hesitantly.
“Mm?”
“Some classmates… very occasionally… use Teacher Lin’s nickname to vent or express stuff…”
Who hadn’t been a student? Who hadn’t badmouthed a teacher?
Lou Yixuan stood abruptly, looming over Zhang Xiao with feigned gravity, pinning her shoulder and asking coldly, “So? What nicknames did you give me? Spill, and I might spare you.”
“Spares you” tipped Zhang Xiao off—it was a scare tactic.
Their Teacher Lou wasn’t Innocent Little Lou. Time to rename her Black-Hearted Lou.
Zhang Xiao straightened proudly, martyr-ready. “None! Torture me all you want—the answer’s ‘none’! I won’t confess falsely!”
“Heh, getting cocky now?”
Lou Yixuan burst out laughing, pointing at the two cups. “I poured that water, and you haven’t touched it. No face for me?”
“Drinking! Right now.”
Zhang Xiao and Lin Jianlu grabbed their cups, chugging them down and flashing the empties.
“Good girls.” Lou Yixuan nodded approvingly. “Now go to class. I’ll handle what you said.”
…
In the evening, at the usual time, Lin Huayan dropped by the Art Office carrying souvenirs to find Lou Yixuan.
She was spotted by two students from Class 9.
The souvenirs—for He Huan and Du Heming—were packed in tote bags printed with the school logo, just as she had done. It avoided unnecessary trouble.
Who could blame her for changing?
One of the students spotted her and immediately gushed, “Teacher Lin, you were so badass today!”
Lin Huayan: “……”
The other, not to be outdone, piled on the lavish praise even more extravagantly.
“Yeah, Teacher Lin, in our eyes, your image is towering and majestic. Your magnanimity and tolerance are higher than mountains, vaster than the seas.”
“……Where did you learn all this flowery talk?”
“……Teacher Lou taught us.”
“She teaches you art and also gives extra lessons in the art of language?” Lin Huayan nearly lost it.
Oh, so if Teacher Lou taught it, it’s not flowery talk—it’s the art of language. No wonder she’s the CP I’m shipping. So sweet!!!
“Teacher Lou said emotional value goes both ways. We should praise our… our homeroom teacher more. When Teacher Lin soaks up the praise and her mood improves, our whole class—no, the whole grade—benefits!”
“Too much, too much.”
The more level-headed one frantically tugged at her, wishing she could record it and make her listen to her own off-the-cuff nonsense.
All that empty flattery shows a lack of sincerity!!!
Flattering the homeroom teacher like that? That’s asking for big trouble!
“Is that so? Well then, good luck to you.” Lin Huayan dropped the line and headed up the steps.
Her voice remained as cool and detached as ever.
Meanwhile, the two students in the hallway—one wailed, “We’re screwed,” while the other was still dazed.
Once Lin Huayan rounded the corner on the stairs, she shook her head with a smile.
These girls were probably the most bubbly bunch she’d ever taught—and the least likely to see her as some terrifying monster to avoid like the plague.
Lou Yixuan was a little lucky star.
Du Heming hadn’t been wrong. Lou Yixuan was a lucky star.
Accepting the art experimental class had been the best decision she’d made all year.
The office door wasn’t closed.
Hearing the click of high heels approaching from outside, Lou Yixuan set aside her work and waited by the door.
She leaned casually against the inside of the doorframe, out of sight from anyone downstairs or in the hallway.
She didn’t want to be seen because she was—up to no good.
As soon as one high heel crossed the threshold, she seized the moment. With a swift, gentle tug and hook, she pulled Lin Huayan straight into her embrace.
“Lou Yixuan.” Lin Huayan let out a low exclamation, but the one holding her only hugged tighter.
“Teacher Lin, just a hug.”
