Free Web NovelChapter 420: Chapter 420: Yanxi 28
After all, you don’t badmouth those who treat you well, and the teachers had their own sense of judgment. People who are both capable and personable are the ones who get furthest in life. Xu Yanxi already possessed the former, and after Tan You frequently flexed her "cash power," she now had the latter as well.
Xu Yanxi gathered her things. "Isn’t everyone leaving? The parent-teacher conferences are over, so shouldn’t the teachers be on break now?"
Teacher Wang looked out the window. "We were planning to, but something’s holding us up."
Xu Yanxi also looked out the window and saw Jin Xiuyu waving frantically at her, grinning from ear to ear. When he saw Xu Yanxi looking at him, Jin Xiuyu even hopped a couple of times.
Sheng Zhou stood beside Jin Xiuyu with one hand in his pocket, which only made Jin Xiuyu look more like a hyperactive monkey. Xu Yanxi couldn’t help but lower her gaze and smile. "Well, I’ll be heading out then. See you all next semester, teachers."
Teacher Wang grabbed Xu Yanxi’s sleeve. "Teacher Xu, who’s that? I heard that student call him ’Uncle.’ Do you two know each other?"
Xu Yanxi answered evasively, "We’re upstairs-downstairs neighbors. I only found out recently myself."
"Neighbors?" The other teachers’ interest was immediately piqued. After all, ever since Xu Yanxi’s breakup, she had been a "gossip-free zone" for years. Now that a man had finally appeared by her side, how could they not be curious?
"Yes, just neighbors." Xu Yanxi had clearly read their expressions. "I don’t even know his name, so you all should tone it down a bit. I’m leaving now. I’ll bring back New Year’s gifts for everyone later."
"New Year’s gifts?" The topic was instantly derailed. Teacher Wang pressed her palms together. "Teacher Xu, I’m not asking for much. How about you just tell me which stock is going to go up?"
"Same here, we want to know too."
"We’ve made a decent bit of money over the years following your stock tips, Teacher Xu. Our finances are much more comfortable now. Teacher Xu..."
Xu Yanxi found it a bit funny. "Alright, I’ll do some research tonight. How about we talk in the group chat later? I’ve been too busy this past half-month to look into it."
"Deal! You should hurry home!" Teacher Wang quickly helped Xu Yanxi pack her things. "We’re counting on you to help us make money, Teacher Xu. Whether we have a comfortable winter break depends on you."
In the end, what was someone else’s gossip compared to cold, hard cash? They were all people with families to support. Wasn’t the whole point of working to provide for them?
Xu Yanxi shook her head with an amused laugh. "Alright, I promise I’ll look into it seriously when I get home. I’m off now. Goodbye, teachers."
Everyone waved in unison. Even the sternest dean of students was smiling, because who could blame him when he’d also bought the stocks she recommended? In his opinion, for someone with Teacher Xu’s abilities, teaching at the school was purely a passion project. With her skills, what job couldn’t she do?
And yet, here she was, staying at the school, earning that meager monthly salary, and still perfectly happy about it.
Sheng Zhou watched as Xu Yanxi exchanged a few words with her colleagues. When she came out, the hint of a smile still lingered on her face. ’Is this another side of her? I’ve already seen so many different sides of Xu Yanxi so far.’
The moment Xu Yanxi came out, Jin Xiuyu took the large bag from her hands. "Teacher, I’m staying at Uncle Sheng’s place tonight. Can we have dinner together? I want to meet the cats you’re raising, too."
Xu Yanxi hesitated for a moment. "Okay, but I need to go home and get my luggage first. Why don’t you two go ahead?"
"I’ll go with you, Teacher. I can help you with your luggage." It was rare for Jin Xiuyu to get a chance to be alone with Xu Yanxi. ’How could he possibly let an opportunity like this slip by?’
’It all came down to his useless dad. If his dad had successfully wooed Teacher Xu, would he need to be so attentive right now? And all for someone else’s benefit, no less.’
Well, since it was a student offering to help, Xu Yanxi felt no burden in accepting. "Alright. I drove here today, so you can ride with me. As for this gentleman..."
"You can just call me Sheng Zhou," Sheng Zhou said, introducing himself at the right moment. ’They had already met three times, but this was the first time they had formally exchanged names. It was a rather strange feeling.’
"Are you heading back first, or...?" Xu Yanxi was in a bit of a bind. Jin Xiuyu was coming with her, so what about Sheng Zhou?
"I’ll help you with your luggage too," Sheng Zhou said, settling the matter. "If you have anything else you need to move, Xiuyu and I can take it for you at the same time."
Xu Yanxi pondered for a moment. "If you’re offering, then I won’t be polite. I don’t go downtown often, and I do have some things I need to take over. It would save me the trouble of coming back for them later."
Jin Xiuyu puffed out his chest. "Don’t you worry, Teacher! We guarantee we’ll get it done right for you."
Xu Yanxi smiled too. "Okay, then I’ll treat you two to dinner tonight as thanks for helping me move."
Following Xu Yanxi into her small apartment, Jin Xiuyu was a bit reserved at first, but he quickly relaxed. "Teacher, can I look around?"
"Of course," Xu Yanxi said, turning back. "I’m going to go pack my luggage. Make yourselves at home."
Sheng Zhou walked around the apartment, eventually stopping in front of a photo wall in the living room. There were hundreds of photos on the wall—some of her students, and some group photos of Xu Yanxi with them.
Jin Xiuyu also stopped in front of the photo wall. "This is Xiuzai, this is Song Yuan, and this is Jin Li..."
He could name them all as if they were old friends. He knew basically every student who had attended Tan You’s cram school and could talk about their stories endlessly.
Sheng Zhou looked at a photo of Xu Yanxi. "She doesn’t seem to have changed much, aside from a few fine lines around her eyes."
Jin Xiuyu agreed. "I think so too. It’s like time has a soft spot for Teacher Xu. She looks pretty much the same now as she did back then. As for the fine lines, we just think it’s because Teacher Xu loves to smile so much, which only makes her seem more approachable."
Xu Yanxi came out, pushing four suitcases. "You’re exaggerating. I’ll get old too. I’ve just chosen not to resort to cosmetic procedures."
With the fortune Tan You had accumulated for her, she could have spent every day at a beauty salon. But Xu Yanxi chose not to, instead accepting every stage of life with grace. She found this to be a very meaningful thing.
Of course, Xu Yanxi held no ill will toward those who fought to hold back time and preserve their youth. ’It was just a matter of personal choice.’
Jin Xiuyu went forward to take Xu Yanxi’s suitcase. Sheng Zhou, however, started a new topic: "Are you taking these photos with you?"
"No, I’ll leave them here." Xu Yanxi smiled and scooped up Huahua and Shuangshuang from the nearby cat tree, nuzzling her cheek against their fur. "Shall we go?"
’The next time I come back will be when the new semester starts.’
Sheng Zhou took the suitcase from Jin Xiuyu’s hands. "You help Teacher Xu with the cat carriers. Are you staying downtown for the whole winter break?"
"Not necessarily. I have to go back to my hometown for the Chinese New Year holiday to spend it with my dad."
Xu Yanxi was thinking about her own New Year’s plans. "Half and half, I guess. I’m usually busy with work, so I don’t get to spend much time with my dad."
