The Unsettling Office Tea

8:32 AM, The Office

As a frequent visitor to the office, there wasn’t a single teacher who hadn’t called me in for a lecture. I had grown so accustomed to the office tea that even if the principal himself sat before me, I could calmly chat and laugh with him.

But what was with this unsettling atmosphere?

Old Zhang, would you care to say something?

Such was the situation: in the teachers’ office, Old Zhang and I simply stared at each other, trapped in a peculiar silence.

One either explodes in silence or perishes in it. In this psychological standoff, whoever spoke first would lose the initiative. Old Zhang’s hesitant expression was a clear sign he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

“Ling Jiu…”

Heh heh, just as I expected!

Instead of immediately asking if I knew what I had done wrong, Old Zhang used a sincere, heartfelt tone to inquire about my well-being, indicating that his purpose in calling me to the office this time wasn’t to reprimand me.

I let out a sigh of relief. “Old Zhang, please speak your mind. This uncharacteristic gentleness of yours is making me a little nervous.”

Old Zhang’s gleaming bald spot, resembling the Mediterranean Sea, could practically serve as a mirror. Every time he called me in for tea, his stern face combined with that shiny bald head always made it impossible for me to feel truly nervous.

Though I wasn’t particularly fond of Old Zhang, I had to admit he was a good teacher. His bald spot was the best testament to his many years of diligent work as an educator. While Old Zhang had a stern personality, he was only ever harsh towards ‘old foxes’ like me. He was kind to all other students, seen as a father figure in their eyes. To me, however, he was my natural enemy.

Why did I say that?

I had once secretly seen him playing a game in the office, and it was the incredibly hardcore EVE—a game whose intricate system had made me quit after my very first attempt.

Moreover, from what I knew, Old Zhang seemed quite knowledgeable about games from the last century. One of my friends even told me that after Old Zhang confiscated his Nintendo Switch, he returned it with *The Legend of Zelda* already 100% completed, all shrines cleared.

In terms of gaming experience, I was simply no match for Old Zhang. He might not show off normally, but he was secretly building up a fortune of gaming prowess. I used to wonder why Old Zhang always managed to catch me playing games or pinpoint the exact reason why I dozed off in class. It wasn’t until I discovered he also played games that I realized I had met my match.

Only a gaming enthusiast could defeat another gaming enthusiast!

The true Old Zhang, who understood me so well, was my greatest concern!

Old Zhang smiled, reverting to his usual tone when speaking to me—a blend of plainness and authority.

“Indeed. I suppose I’ve just grown accustomed to criticizing you, so much so that I’m not used to speaking to you in this tone myself.”

“Old Zhang, what did you need me for?”

“Take a seat first.”

Old Zhang gestured for me to sit in the empty office chair before taking a sip of his own tea.

“Actually, I just wanted to ask if you’re feeling better now, and if you can return to a normal routine of study and life.”

‘I don’t feel better. Can I have a few more days off?’

However, in front of Old Zhang, I could only answer honestly. “I’m alright.”

Old Zhang was slender with a sharply defined face. Though he was currently the same height as me, when he became serious, he exuded an oppressive, majestic aura, like a wrathful Vajra.

His piercing gaze fixed on me, like a resolute political officer scrutinizing a traitor, filling me with the dread that no secret of mine could remain hidden.

Yet, upon hearing my words, his expression softened considerably.

“Ling Jiu, you’re a clever child, but cleverness often leads to trouble. Students often tell me they’re depressed, but in my opinion, those who can openly admit their depression are usually capable of recovering. The truly trapped, however, rarely confide their struggles to others. For instance, if your father hadn’t asked for your leave, I might never have known that someone as seemingly carefree as you could be experiencing psychological issues.”

I couldn’t help but retort, “‘Carefree’ is quite the description…”

Old Zhang chuckled, picking up his thermos and taking a sip of tea. “I know that most of the time when teachers talk to you, it goes in one ear and out the other. No matter what setback you face, you act as if nothing happened. What else would you call that but carefree? But I believe you’re actually suffering inside.”

“And knowing that, you still treat me this way?”

He set down his cup, his expression turning serious. “Ling Jiu, do you think I’ve been unfair to you?”

I answered truthfully. “Of course. You’re the homeroom teacher. Even though you usually tell them not to bully me, you have no intention of changing the current situation.”

Old Zhang nodded. “Indeed, I have been unfair to you, and I won’t claim it was for your own good. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down—I’m sure you understand that principle. Your history scores are the highest in the grade. I believe you can find the reason for my unfairness towards you within history itself.”

“I naturally understand, but there’s no excuse for bullying.”

Old Zhang sighed. “All I can say is that times have changed. Back then, there was no such thing as ‘school bullying.’ I favored those ‘obedient’ students because I am a homeroom teacher. I have failed you because I am a teacher. I won’t make excuses for my actions.”

I shrugged. “I like that about you, Old Zhang—that you own up to your actions. If you put on airs like other teachers, I’d find it much more difficult.”

Old Zhang let out a few hearty laughs. “Sometimes, when I talk to you, I feel like I’m not communicating with my student, but rather with a cunning little fox.”

“Why do I feel like you see me as very sly?”

“Not sly, but rather deeply hidden. The essay you wrote for the last monthly exam, we teachers all read it. Honestly, if we hadn’t known it was written by you, I would have truly thought it was a satirical commentary by some professor.”

My essay? I remembered the topic of my last monthly exam…

Oh, I recalled it now. It was the essay that received a zero.

I scratched my head. “I remember the theme of the last essay was ’98 points get a slap, 61 points get a kiss.’ What did I write again?”

Old Zhang looked rather pained. “You wrote about the mental journey from elementary school to university students, then used subtle historical allusions to fiercely criticize the education system. If the grading teacher hadn’t been your Chinese language teacher, few people might have even recognized its sharp edge.”

I suddenly understood. “So I got a zero because I angered the Chinese language teacher? I thought I had just gone off-topic.”

“You did go off-topic. Giving you a zero was a lesson. If you wrote like that in the college entrance exam, you’d run into problems.”

“I can’t write it for the college entrance exam, so my criticism is valid, right? Doesn’t our institutionalized education stifle students’ thoughts?”

Old Zhang didn’t answer, changing the subject instead. “Ling Jiu, what do you want to do in the future? Don’t tell me you want to be kept; I already chewed you out for that last time.”

‘Indeed, only I could say such a thing. Last time, I said I wanted a rich loli to keep me, and Old Zhang almost beat me up. But now that I’m a girl…’

‘I feel like Old Zhang still having any regard for me after all that is truly too kind.’

I declared confidently, “I want to be a financial vampire, to harvest the wealth of others in the future.”

Old Zhang’s mouth twitched. “So you weren’t joking when you said you were speculating in A-shares?”

“No A-shares anymore. Now I’m eyeing Nasdaq.”

Old Zhang’s expression immediately became quite a sight. “This… I don’t know what to say. I don’t understand finance well; you’re truly impressive.”

“However, I’m feeling a bit lost now. The market is a bit sluggish, and I’m somewhat inclined to give up.”

Old Zhang nodded. “As a teacher, I hope all my students have bright futures. Although you believe I’m unfair to you, you are the student in the entire class to whom I’ve dedicated the most thought. You’re an excellent student. If you studied seriously, no one would be your superior. It’s a pity your mind isn’t focused on the right path.”

“What is the ‘right path’? Isn’t everyone’s life path self-designed? For instance, with how eloquently I can spin tales, becoming a royal scholar wouldn’t be a bad option.”

“Too rigid breaks easily, Ling Jiu.” Old Zhang’s eyes deepened. He glanced around, and seeing no one else, he lowered his voice. “Do you know the grade director has always wanted me to move you to another class?”