C46 Three Things

"The second item on the agenda is the 4x100 relay race you've registered for. You'll need to organize your own training sessions. Will that be possible?" Bai Yiming turned his attention to Yi Lanyou. "Class Monitor Youyou, it seems like you have some issues with Lin Xiaorou, don't you?" He had observed the tension between them in class and could sense the conflict, but as a male teacher, he didn't quite understand the nuances of girls' disputes, which left him somewhat troubled.

Before he could continue, the sound of Li Baoqiang's loud questioning came from outside the door: "Which class are you from? What are you doing hiding here?"

Yi Lanyou, who was nearest to the door, swung it open and saw Li Baoqiang, hand on his waist, interrogating a girl sprawled on the ground in disarray. Recognizing the girl's face, Yi Lanyou's lips curled into a faint smirk, and a glint of scorn shone in her eyes. Could Lin Xiaorou stoop any lower?

"I was just passing by," Lin Xiaorou stammered, a flicker of panic in her eyes, cursing Li Baoqiang inwardly for the hundredth time. That detestable bald man.

"What are you doing passing by here?!" Li Baoqiang demanded, his brow furrowed. "I saw you lurking suspiciously by the office door. What were you up to?"

"It's not what you think, I was just... tying my shoelaces!" Lin Xiaorou protested, giving her shoes a shake. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to untie her shoelaces while crouching to eavesdrop, providing her with the perfect excuse.

That had been her plan all along—to claim she was simply tying her shoelaces if anyone discovered her. But when Bai Yiming unexpectedly brought up her name, she became so engrossed in listening that she didn't notice Li Baoqiang approaching. His shout startled her, causing her to tumble to the ground in fright.

"Really?" Li Baoqiang was skeptical of Lin Xiaorou's explanation, yet he lacked proof. With a frown, he said, "Why are you still hanging around the office door after school? Get going."

"Oh..." Lin Xiaorou swiftly tied her shoelaces and caught a glimpse of Yi Lanyou with a peripheral glance. She noticed the disdain in Yi Lanyou's eyes and felt her face flush with heat that spread to her neck. After hastily making her exit, Lin Xiaorou angrily kicked a pebble by the roadside. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. That damned baldy!

She wasn't going to let this slide so easily. And Bai Yiming, why did he bring up her name? Was he planning to speak ill of her?

Bai Yiming, supposedly a role model for students! What a joke! He's nothing but trash! A lowlife! A disgrace!

Seething with anger, Lin Xiaorou boarded the bus home, taking several deep breaths to quell the turmoil inside her. She brushed her long hair behind her ear and thought about Han Jinxiang, whom Bai Yiming had mentioned. With poor academic performance and a penchant for trouble, having been expelled from two high schools and still managing to get into City No. 1 High School, Han Jinxiang must have an extraordinary background. With this thought, Lin Xiaorou pursed her lips and gazed out the window.

The Han family... Han...

A realization seemed to dawn on Lin Xiaorou as she muttered to herself, "Could she be the heiress to Han Real Estate?" If Han Jinxiang was indeed the heiress to the Han family's fortune, Lin Xiaorou wouldn't need to bother with Yi Lanyou anymore. The Han family's wealth surely surpassed that of Yi's Food.

With renewed hope in her eyes, Lin Xiaorou resolved to strive for her future with renewed vigor.

She straightened her hair and regained her usual poise and confidence. Lin Xiaorou was determined to rise above the rest; everyone else was just a stepping stone on her path to success.

As her hopes rested on Han Jinxiang, Lin Xiaorou grew increasingly irritated by Yi Lanyou's presence. She needed to find a way to utterly ruin Yi Lanyou's reputation. The idea struck her like a flash of light—what better chance than the upcoming sports meet?

Meanwhile, in another part of the office, Yi Lanyou had closed the door after Lin Xiaorou's departure. She turned to Bai Yiming and said, "Teacher, I believe you've found the answer to your question." Yi Lanyou had no desire to associate with such people.

Bai Yiming's brow furrowed slightly. As a teacher, he knew it wasn't his place to pass judgment on any student, yet Lin Xiaorou's actions today left him feeling both disappointed and repulsed.

"She ties her shoelaces and runs all the way to the third floor without a second thought," Zhang Ya huffed. She had never liked Lin Xiaorou, and her disdain had only grown. Recalling Lin Xiaorou's behavior during the class meeting, she nudged Yi Lanyou with her elbow. "Youyou, it seems like Lin Xiaorou has it out for you. Be careful." There's an old saying: it's better to offend a gentleman than a villain. Whether Lin Xiaorou is a villain, I'm not sure, but with such behavior, she's certainly no gentleman.

"Understood," Yi Lanyou nodded. Lin Xiaorou's targeting of her was nothing new. If Lin Xiaorou dared to provoke her, she knew exactly how to retaliate.

"I'll talk to her," Bai Yiming sighed, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. She was his student, after all, and at such a delicate age, he didn't want to see her go astray.

"As long as you're happy," Yi Lanyou replied with a forced laugh. If Bai Yiming's advice actually worked, she'd be shocked. No one knew better than her how cunning and selfish Lin Xiaorou could be.

"Teacher, you haven't mentioned the third thing yet," Zhang Ya interjected.

"The third matter," Bai Yiming inhaled deeply, steadying himself before continuing, "is about conducting home visits."

"Home visits?" Yi Lanyou and Zhang Ya exclaimed in unison, taken aback.

Yi Lanyou was perplexed. This hadn't happened in her previous life. She had hoped to keep a low profile through her high school years, and now, out of the blue, she was facing a home visit?

"This is really sudden..." Zhang Ya muttered, feeling awkward. She didn't want anyone to discover that she was the daughter of the principal of City No. 1 High School. Her status as his daughter was a source of shame for her, tied to her deepest insecurities. She preferred to keep it a secret. As she thought about this, her mind drifted back to the person she had encountered while eating braised chicken rice, and her mood grew heavy.

"Does it come as a surprise? A home visit is simply a time for me to chat with the parents, and it generally doesn't involve the students," Bai Yiming said with a smile. "Youyou, as the class monitor, I wanted to give you a heads-up that your family is first on my list. After school tomorrow, wait for me, and I'll walk you home. Please inform your parents tonight; I won't be calling them."

"Oh..." Yi Lanyou nodded in understanding. It made sense why she was unaware of this in her past life; Fang Fang must have been busy tarnishing her reputation behind her back. Despite that, Bai Yiming never abandoned her, which deepened Yi Lanyou's appreciation and gratitude towards him.

"Teacher, is the home visit absolutely necessary?" Zhang Ya asked, her lips pressed together nervously.