“Ding-ling-ling… ding-ling-ling…!” A sharp alarm jolted Zhou Nuan awake from deep sleep.
She rubbed her still-dazed head and suddenly remembered—today was the day school resumed.
In just two days, the kids would be back to report for the new term.
As a teacher, she needed to go to school today to make the necessary preparations.
After quickly getting up, washing, changing clothes, and heading out, she bought soy milk and buns from the shop downstairs, then scanned to rent a small electric scooter. Within ten minutes, Zhou Nuan arrived at school.
Sitting at her desk, she glanced at her watch—7:55. Good, five minutes early.
Five minutes was still enough to do a lot.
She gobbled down the buns and soy milk, wiped her hands and mouth with a wet tissue, and checked the time again—right on eight o’clock.
She began organizing the materials students would need for the start of the term.
A few minutes later, the phone on her desk rang.
Holding the materials in one hand, she picked up the receiver with the other.
“Teacher Zhou? Please come to my office.” It was Director Yang from the Academic Affairs Office.
“Alright, I’m coming right away.” Zhou Nuan set down the materials and headed to the office.
Director Yang was a man in his forties, wearing glasses, and looked quite kind.
“Director Yang, did you need me?” Zhou Nuan asked politely, knocking lightly at the door.
“Oh, Teacher Zhou. Come in, have a seat.” Director Yang waved her over with a smile.
Zhou Nuan sat across from him.
“This semester, a new student will be transferring in. Here’s his information, take a look.” Director Yang handed her a student registration form.
“Another transfer student?” Zhou Nuan blurted out. Last semester, two transfer students had joined her class, and now there was another.
“Yes. The child’s father specifically requested a young and outstanding homeroom teacher.”
“I thought it over and still feel you are the most suitable.” Director Yang said meaningfully.
As an outstanding graduate representative from the Normal University, Zhou Nuan had been specially recruited by the school. So whenever there were “difficult” students, the school liked placing them in her class.
“Difficult” usually just meant slightly mischievous or unruly students.
The school was located next to a civil servant housing complex, so most parents of her students held some government positions.
“Director Yang, can’t he be assigned to another class?” Zhou Nuan protested softly.
“Xiao Zhou,” seeing her reluctance, Director Yang adopted an official tone, “originally, I didn’t plan to assign this student to your class. But the child’s father requested that the homeroom teacher be a younger… female.”
He only said half of it. In reality, he had submitted all second-grade teachers meeting the requirement, and higher-ups chose her from the candidates.
“But there are other young female teachers!” Zhou Nuan muttered quietly.
Was it because she was the youngest, with no connections?
Later, Zhou Nuan learned that every other second-grade homeroom teacher also wanted this child in their class. After all, having ties with the city’s second-in-command was a dream for many.
“May I ask who the child’s father is?” Resigned, she frowned.
Who could make such a ‘ridiculous’ request?
Ridiculous—that was Zhou Nuan’s first impression of Shi Anlan.
Seeing no one around, Director Yang leaned forward and lowered his voice: “The child’s father is the newly appointed Secretary Shi, Shi Anlan.”
“What?” Zhou Nuan exclaimed, then quickly covered her mouth as realization struck.
“Director Yang, please… assign him to another class,” she pleaded softly.
Her class already had enough high-ranking parents; another one was more than she could handle!
“I can’t. The school has already reported your situation to him,” Director Yang shrugged helplessly.
Zhou Nuan felt like crying without tears.
As a teacher, she really didn’t want students with parents in high positions. Yet her class was filled with children of department heads and directors.
Sometimes, a minor quarrel among kids could escalate into a conflict between parents.
For a young teacher like her, barely two years out of school with little social experience, this was a serious challenge—more so than teaching itself.
Seeing no way out, Zhou Nuan reluctantly took the registration form and scanned the student information.
Shi Xuzhi, male, 7 years old, previously studying in the provincial city with his father Shi Anlan. The boy in the photo looked neat and well-mannered—not like a troublesome student.
This eased Zhou Nuan slightly.
No sooner had she returned to her office than colleagues gathered around.
“Have you heard? A ‘special’ student is transferring in this semester…” said Xu Hui, another second-grade homeroom teacher, with a mysterious expression.
Zhou Nuan’s office was the second-grade teaching team, with over a dozen teachers.
“Special? How so?” Curious, more colleagues approached.
“You don’t know? The student’s father is…” Xu Hui deliberately teased.
“Tell us! Who is it?” urged Chen Yao, the homeroom teacher of Class 2.
“Yes, Xu, you always get the news first, spill it!” chimed Cheng Sisi, Class 3 homeroom teacher.
“He is the new Secretary Shi, Shi Anlan.” Xu Hui glanced around, then said slowly, a proud smile on her face.
“Ah?” The office erupted in exclamations.
Although surprised, everyone trusted the news—it was almost certainly accurate, as Xu Hui’s father worked in the city government.
“Which class will he be in?” someone asked.
Second grade had eight classes, so theoretically one-eighth chance for each.
“That, we don’t know yet,” Xu Hui shrugged.
She secretly hoped he’d be in her class. Being connected to such a big shot would guarantee a bright future!
Zhou Nuan said nothing.
“Teacher Zhou, didn’t Director Yang just call you to his office?” Xu Hui turned to her, “Could it be about this?”
“No, you’re overthinking,” Zhou Nuan quickly denied.
She didn’t want to become the target of gossip.
“Really?” Xu Hui pouted, thinking such a lucky thing probably wouldn’t involve her.
She regretted only learning this now. If she’d known earlier, she could have asked her father to intervene, and maybe the child would have been assigned to her class.