Chapter 393: Chapter 393: Yanxi 1
BRRRRING... The piercing bell rang. One by one, the teachers in the office headed to their classrooms, and soon, only a single figure remained seated.
This person was Tan You, who had just arrived. ’I never would have imagined that I’d have to become a teacher the moment I got here,’ she thought, ’or that the original owner of this body was a foreigner. Luckily, I learned Korean in Lu Wen’s world; otherwise, my cover would have been blown immediately.’
Fortunately, her class wasn’t until ten o’clock, which gave her time to familiarize herself with the lesson plan. She’d never been a math teacher before, but the very thought of one brought Teacher Shi to mind.
’I never managed to become someone like Teacher Shi. Maybe I can give it a try in this world?’ At this thought, Tan You opened the original owner Xu Yanxi’s lesson preparation notebook and began to study it carefully.
Time flew by as she focused. High school curriculum was largely universal, so even though it was in a different language, Tan You quickly got a handle on Xu Yanxi’s current teaching schedule.
This put Tan You a little at ease. As the end of the period approached, she went to the restroom to splash some water on her face. She was uncharacteristically nervous. After all, this was her first time ever teaching a class, and she had to be well-prepared so as not to lead her students astray.
At ten o’clock sharp, Tan You walked into the classroom just as the bell rang. After greeting the students, she set down her lesson plan, turned to the blackboard, and quickly wrote a series of mathematical formulas. "Today, we’ll be covering geometric and arithmetic progressions..."
The students were initially a bit listless, but they grew more and more engrossed after listening for a few minutes. ’Why does math class seem so easy today? I can actually understand what the teacher is saying!’
Seeing how attentively the students were listening, Tan You raised an eyebrow slightly. She was completely copying Teacher Shi’s old teaching style. ’Looks like... it’s working pretty well?’
High school classes were usually taught in double periods, much like in college. After lecturing for an hour, Tan You finally set down her chalk. "Time for a pop quiz. Anyone who finishes early can turn it in and do their own work, but please don’t disturb your classmates."
"Okay, thank you, Teacher Xu!"
Hearing the scattered replies, Tan You smiled faintly. "You can start now. It’s okay to leave questions blank if you don’t know the answer; I’ll go over them again later."
Fifteen minutes later, students began to turn in their quizzes. The results were quite good; there were no major problems to speak of. This was because Tan You had only tested them on that day’s lesson, and it was unlikely they would have forgotten it all so soon.
With one minute left, Tan You gathered her textbook. "Class dismissed. Please be quiet on your way out and don’t disturb the other classes."
"You’re the best, Teacher Xu! Goodbye!" one lively student shouted, before quickly lowering their voice. The rest of the students then began to shuffle and push their way out of the classroom.
Watching the students flock out of the room like birds freed from a cage, their steps light and quick, Tan You couldn’t help but sigh. ’Students are so easy to please,’ she thought. ’Getting out a minute early makes them this happy.’
Honestly, seeing these students had put Tan You in a good mood. But the moment she recalled the original owner’s miserable life, a hint of malice flickered in her eyes. ’Some people and some problems are best cut off sooner rather than later.’
Reflecting on Xu Yanxi’s short twenty-seven years, Tan You couldn’t help but think that it was no wonder K-dramas were so popular worldwide. Real life was far more dramatic than any TV show—and Xu Yanxi was a prime example.
Xu Yanxi had a boyfriend, and they were on the verge of getting married. But her life, and that of her boyfriend, Jin Taiyuan, was riddled with the kind of drama you’d only see in a soap opera. For example, Xu Yanxi’s own mother had an affair years ago, abandoning her and her father, Xu Jinwu, to rely on each other for survival.
For another example, Jin Taiyuan’s mother had been tricked and abandoned by a scumbag, leaving Jin Taiyuan with the stigma of being an illegitimate child. Perhaps because both had suffered from unfortunate family circumstances, they held themselves to exceptionally high moral standards. They had been together since high school, and with their relationship about to enter its tenth year, they had promised to get married on their anniversary.
This year marked that tenth anniversary. Yet, it was precisely this year that Jin Taiyuan—the man with a moral purity complex—cheated on her. The other woman was his direct supervisor’s illegitimate daughter. ’Hard to believe, isn’t it?’
A man who loathed his identity as an illegitimate son ended up with an illegitimate daughter. As she mulled over Xu Yanxi’s life, Tan You’s movements became rougher as she packed away her teaching materials.
A teacher next to her, who was also organizing her lesson plans, glanced over. She flinched upon seeing the icy look in Tan You’s eyes, clearly intimidated. "Teacher Xu, are you... upset about something?"
Tan You paused, then smiled. "Not at all, I’m quite happy. Thank you for your concern, Teacher Wang."
A school might be a workplace, a small society unto itself, but it was still a simpler environment than the larger corporate world. For example, the academic dean was more of a lead teacher than a boss and couldn’t just criticize people whenever they pleased.
As a result, relationships among colleagues were fairly easygoing. The female teachers often invited each other out for meals or tea. Of course, they always went Dutch; no one ever tried to take advantage of anyone else.
In the past, Xu Yanxi had joined them for these gatherings, though not too often—perhaps once or twice a month. She was very frugal, after all, and was trying to save money for a house.
Teacher Wang taught literature and was naturally more perceptive. She chose her words carefully. "Teacher Xu, you seem... a little murderous... Did something happen?"
Tan You paused, then suddenly smiled. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that it’s a lovely day—perfect for a breakup."
"A breakup?" The other teachers immediately perked up, ready for gossip. "But you and your boyfriend get along so well, don’t you? Weren’t you supposed to get married next month?"
"Yeah, I heard you’ve been together for ten years..."
They were all colleagues, and Xu Yanxi had been teaching at the school since graduating from college, so they were all familiar with her relationship. In this era of fast-food romance, few couples made it past the seven-year itch, to say nothing of a pair like Xu Yanxi and Jin Taiyuan.
In a way, Xu Yanxi and Jin Taiyuan’s love story had fulfilled everyone’s romantic fantasies. But now, the widely acknowledged "golden couple" was breaking up? Why?
Tan You simply smiled. "Yep, we’re breaking up. He’s found a better connection elsewhere, so I won’t get in the way of his bright future."
With that, Tan You picked up Xu Yanxi’s small purse and made to leave. But to her surprise, all the female teachers crowded around. "Teacher Xu, we’ll treat you to lunch today..."
Tan You looked at the other women and sighed in resignation. "You don’t have to do this. Are you all really this nosy?"
"Of course it is! Why wouldn’t it be?"
"Teacher Xu, I know a barbecue place, let’s all go for lunch!"
"Teacher Xu, tell us more."
