Volume One, Chapter Seven: The Neighbor

Mu Yao unknowingly dozed off again and woke up to find the sun was about to set. To ensure a smooth workweek ahead, she had to go downstairs to the supermarket today to restock her empty refrigerator.

As she closed the door behind her, Mu Yao noticed a gift bag hanging on her doorknob.

Curious, she picked up the note attached to the top of the bag.

“I apologize for any inconvenience caused by today’s move. Please kindly accept this small token of appreciation.”

The handwriting was strong and elegant, dignified yet graceful. Mu Yao glanced at the tightly shut door across the hall and suddenly felt a flicker of curiosity about her new neighbor. It was rare these days to find someone who could write such beautiful penmanship.

“Hello, Director Liu, I’m Mu Yao.”

On Monday morning, Mu Yao appeared punctually before the grade director assigned to her at the school. Liu Ting glanced up from her work at Mu Yao standing there, furrowing her brows with an unreadable expression before returning to grading assignments.

Mu Yao stood awkwardly to the side until a nearby teacher, unable to bear it, handed her a stack of winter holiday homework and gave a few instructions before dismissing her.

Sitting at her desk, Mu Yao faced the thick pile of assignments, each book opening to pages that made her feel like she desperately needed a quick-relief heart medicine. She had to admit, she found herself missing the elegant handwriting from the note yesterday.

Lost in marking the chaotic scrawls, Mu Yao was suddenly interrupted by a knock on her desk. Looking up, she saw Liu Ting’s retreating figure and hurriedly picked up her notebook to follow.

Before the semester began, she had received a brief overview of the students in her class. One student had been marked as needing special attention: Gu Nanqing, a child recently returned from abroad.

When Mu Yao entered the classroom, she deliberately scanned the room but saw no foreign faces.

“Class, good morning. I’m your Chinese language teacher, surname Mu. From today onward, I’ll be accompanying you on a journey to explore the wonders of the Chinese language.”

She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote her name on the blackboard. In her imagination, eager little eyes would be looking up at her.

A faint smile appeared on Mu Yao’s face. Despite her parents’ wishes, she had chosen to pursue teaching, and this was the moment she had been waiting for.

Slowly turning around...

Suddenly, Mu Yao’s vision blacked out.

It was just after winter break, and the children were still lingering in the holiday spirit. Watching the students swaying and dozing off, Mu Yao blinked slowly and snapped the chalk in her hand.

With a sharp “snap,” she threw the broken chalk on the desk.

Most of the children’s eyes were drawn to her. Mu Yao smiled slightly and opened her textbook.

“I’m sure everyone had an unforgettable winter break. Now the teacher will check if you have carefully reviewed your winter holiday assignments~”

Her gaze swept across the classroom, finally resting on a few students in the back who were half-asleep or already dozing. With a nudge from their classmates, they groggily sat upright.

Mu Yao was satisfied.

“Alright, let’s do one-on-one recitations of the texts.”

Sleepiness vanished, replaced by a chorus of groans from below.

Not long after class ended, Mu Yao received a message from Wang Rui.

[Emoji] Yao Yao, sometimes I really want to strangle these students.

Mu Yao: ...

It’s not so bad, just a bit noisy, but it looks... really terrible!

“What are you two doing!” Mu Yao looked up to see two boys fighting on the other side of the classroom.

For a moment, she thought she must be seeing things.

Before she could react, she seemed to flash across the room with lightning speed.

The already chaotic scene only grew more chaotic with her involvement.

When the three were finally separated, each looked somewhat disheveled.

Mu Yao’s brand-new white sneakers now bore two fresh footprints.

Mu Yao: ...

Sometimes she really felt like killing someone.

Before Mu Yao had time to fully adjust, the last child in the class slung on their backpack and left.

She sighed.

No matter what, she had managed to survive her first day.

Carrying a backpack stuffed with homework, Mu Yao left work.

In her senior year of high school, her bag had never been this heavy.

Though it was early spring, the capital city was still bitterly cold.

Mu Yao hurried toward her warm little home.

At the entrance of the community, a small child was bouncing and jumping in front of the security machine.

Mu Yao passed by indifferently—it was her off-duty time.

“Teacher Mu!”

Mu Yao froze and looked toward the voice.

Before she could react, the excited child’s body trembled slightly and began reciting a text.

Mu Yao opened her mouth to interrupt but stopped, the words caught in her throat.

After confirming with her eyes, it was indeed one of her students.

But...

Half her face hidden beneath her down jacket, Mu Yao bit her lip in hesitation.

She had no memory of this child at all.

She sighed quietly—after all, this was a child who loved reciting texts.

Picking up the child, she passed through the entrance security smoothly.

Mu Yao crouched down to say a few words, but the child’s gaze trembled noticeably.

Mu Yao paused.

“Thank you, Teacher. Goodbye!”

The child bowed deeply and hurried away.

Mu Yao stood in the cold wind, reflecting on herself.

On the very first day, it seemed she had done something quite extraordinary.

Murphy’s Law was indeed a curious law.

Standing on the 32nd floor, Mu Yao exchanged glances with the small child.

What a coincidence.

“Teacher... I’ve finished all the Chinese texts for winter break. Look, can I recite some English for you?”

Fluently, the child began to speak in American English.

It was hard to believe a seven- or eight-year-old in this country could reach such a level.

Unless...

Mu Yao scrutinized the child carefully.

She raised her hand to interrupt Gu Nanqing’s English recitation.

“Thank you for walking me home, Teacher! Actually, I can go by myself; you don’t need to see me off.”

“No, I live here,” Mu Yao said, pointing to her own door. To convince the child, she even used her fingerprint to unlock it.

The moment the lock clicked open, a complex emotion flickered in Gu Nanqing’s eyes.

Mu Yao forced a smile she considered gentle.

They said goodbye again, probably for the nth time today, before Mu Yao finally returned to her cozy home.

That very night, Mu Yao received a complaint from a parent.

????

Looking over the complaint letter and surveillance footage from the school, Mu Yao couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Your own child got into a fight and dirtied their clothes, then blamed the teacher on duty?!

Is there still any justice left in this world?

The answer was no.

After all, she was a hapless worker.

Mu Yao, who had never suffered an injustice in her privileged upbringing, spent that evening groveling on the phone, apologizing to unreasonable parents until eight o’clock.

By the time she finished, the food in the microwave had gone cold, and Mu Yao had lost her appetite.