It's the students' fault if they are too popular.

"Teacher Tong..."

"Soft."

She rubbed her eyes and went back to the living room. "I'm fine, just sleepy. I'll sleep for a while. You can go back early."

She felt sleepy, and even though the girl was here, she felt that she was harmless. She curled up on the sofa and fell asleep unknowingly.

defenseless.

Chapter 56: A New Beginning

Ruan Qian squatted in front of the sofa, watching Tong Yao sleeping soundly.

She really wanted to help Teacher Tong smooth out her slightly furrowed brows.

So, she really did it.

The soft fingertips slid down from Teacher Tong's eyebrows, copying the facial features of Sleeping Beauty, and finally stopped on the bright red lips.

Her face suddenly turned red, she retracted her hand, and pressed the finger to her lips, as if she had gained something indirectly.

If I don't see you for a day, I miss you like crazy.

She hasn't seen Teacher Tong for two days.

She has a lot to say to Teacher Tong.

She wanted to say that Chen Mo would be fine, she wanted to ask Teacher Tong to take good care of herself, she wanted to say that she missed her very much...

"Teacher Tong."

She shouted softly.

no response.

She stood up, as if to leave, then turned back suddenly and said "Hey" -

Still no response.

Teacher Tong was really sleeping soundly.

The little girl's breathing was a little rapid. She sat on the ground, not daring to even look directly at the sleeping Teacher Tong. Then, she whispered:

"Teacher Tong, I like you."

Naturally, I got no response, so I just treated it as an exercise in confession.

"Teacher Tong, will you marry me?

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your acquiescence.

"Teacher Tong, although we are both girls...I will love you very much and give you the best that I have.

"Can you give me some time..." Don't fall in love with someone else.

……

"Teacher Tong, how about we adopt a daughter in the future? That way, there will be someone to take care of us when we get old."

The little girl leaned against the sofa, and when she tilted her head, she could see Teacher Tong's profile. She moved slightly closer, holding her breath, and then shrank back when she was close.

This might be her only chance to say these words to Teacher Tong.

The road of life is very long. Some people’s paths will intersect and continue to extend, while some people’s paths will gradually move away and no longer intersect.

Where will I go?

Ruan Qian didn't know. She only knew that if she wasn't heading in the direction of Teacher Tong, she would rather give up all her efforts and return the same way.

It was already half past eleven at night.

If I don’t go back, the dormitory manager will probably scold me.

She brought bedding from the bedroom where she had slept before, gently covered Teacher Tong with it, then went out quietly, even closing the door in slow, gentle motion.

Good night, Teacher Tong.

-

-

The campus that experienced the student jumping off the building has finally undergone some subtle changes.

Although human beings do not share the same sorrow, most of them share the ability to read people's expressions. The teacher's solemn expression inevitably infected the students, and the whole school became silent.

All the teachers of Class 4, including Tong Yao, were criticized and educated by the leaders. This incident naturally alarmed the Education Bureau, which discussed in detail with the teachers the reasons for the student's suicide and the teacher's negligence of the student's mental health, saying that the social impact was extremely bad, but the teachers could only smile bitterly.

There were even tabloid reporters waiting outside the school gate.

Amidst this depression, a week later, there seemed to be a turnaround.

Chen Mo woke up.

Tong Yao rushed to the hospital right after the morning class. The ward was filled with flower baskets filled with fruits and postcards. While Chen Mo was in a coma, Class 4 organized a visit to express condolences.

"Come on, get better soon!"

"We all love you."

"Come back to us healthy and intact!"

Various handwritings express the classmates' concern and blessings.

Tong Yao stood in the ward, still panting because she had run upstairs. She was staring at Chen Mo, who was lying on the bed in a daze. She was covered in plaster and her striped hospital gown showed her weakness. The girl looked at her, not knowing whether she felt guilty or wronged, and bit her lower lip gently.

Just live.

There are only these four words in Tong Yao's mind.

She found that after becoming a girl, she became more emotional.

She raised her hands, covered her eyes and rubbed them secretly, and said with a trembling nasal voice:

"You little bitch...you scared the teacher to death this time."

Chen Mo's nose felt sore, and for some reason she wanted to cry when she heard Teacher Tong's words.

I am cared for.

Someone is concerned about you.

"Teacher Tong..." She couldn't hold back her tears and burst into tears. She choked and said, "I'm sorry..."

After waking up, she found that the world was not so bad.

Teacher Tong, Teacher Liu, classmates... everyone is willing to help her, and her father is not incommunicable. Many times, God closes the door and does not open the window for you, but maybe with a gentle push, the door will open.

But she huddled in the corner, waiting for the oxygen inside to run out.

Tong Yao sniffed, sat down on the bed, took out a tissue, wiped the tears from the girl's face, and asked in a somewhat fierce tone:

"How does it feel to jump off a building?"

The girl shrank back, but her whole body was restrained and her range of movement was limited:

“…very scared.”

"Do you dare to do it next time?"

"I don't dare anymore." Chen Mo lowered his head and said again, "Teacher Tong, I'm sorry."

"The best apology is to let me take good care of my injuries." Tong Yao raised her head and lowered her voice, "Let me tell you a story."

"story?"

Chen Mo's eyes widened.

"Once upon a time, there was a man who saw that everyone was happier than him and that his life was hopeless, so he jumped off the roof. As he jumped, he saw that the model couple on the fifth floor were fighting, the lady who wore designer clothes every day on the third floor was being harassed by debt collectors, and the man who had a good job on the second floor was suffering from illness. He finally realized that everyone has their own misfortunes and troubles, and that he thought he was desperate, but in fact, he was better than many people. But what's the use of realizing this now? Bang, he landed on the ground."

Tong Yao looked at the girl and smiled. "Look, you are still alive. You are luckier than many people who jump off buildings. You don't need to undergo a craniotomy, and your hair doesn't need to be shaved off. You are luckier than many girls who love beauty in the hospital. The teacher will help your father share the cost of the surgery. You are luckier than many people who can't afford to stay in the hospital..."

Reality may be cruel, but it is not without warmth. Get rid of the cold air around you and you will discover the beauty of the world.

"Stop it, teacher," the girl said in a sobbing voice, "I won't do anything stupid again."

"Okay, I won't talk any more," Tong Yao made a gesture to seal her mouth, "Be good."

She continued to help Chen Mo wipe her tears. The girl's eyes were red and she cried like a rabbit. They were the only ones in the ward. The spotless white walls and the faint smell of disinfectant made the environment look spotless. Chen Mo blinked, looked at the nursery rhyme in front of her, and suddenly asked:

"Teacher Tong, do you have any troubles?"

Tong Yao was startled, looked up and thought for a while, then said:

"Yes.

"My trouble is probably... that I can't be with the person I like."

Chen Mo was stunned and couldn't believe it:

"Who does Teacher Tong like?"

“Not yet.” Tong Yao smiled and raised her slender index finger, “But I can tell you a secret.”

She said softly, word by word:

"I like girls."

Chen Mo's mouth opened slightly, too shocked to react.

Teacher Tong... a perfect person in her eyes, actually likes girls. She doesn't think this is a shortcoming or a stain, but for society, many people cannot accept the outliers.

She quietly looked at Teacher Tong's face and thought, such a beautiful and gentle person, if someone really likes someone, who can refuse her?

Even if it’s a girl…

"Teacher Tong..."

"Will you keep this a secret for me?" Tong Yao smiled. "I have more worries than this. I'll tell you when I have time."

The girl nodded, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Where is your father?" Tong Yao was a little confused because she didn't see Pakho Chan.

"He went out with his mother," said the girl.

"Mother?"

"Well, they got divorced," Chen Mo lowered her head, as if she was telling someone else's story, "This time, Dad wanted to borrow money from Mom, and Mom wanted to take me in."

"What do you think?" Tong Yao took a glass of water and handed it to the girl, "Are you thirsty?"

Chen Mo shook her head, and after a while, she said:

"I don't want to go with my mother."

She knew very well that the woman had been absent every day for the nine years since she was seven years old, had not contributed a penny to her growth, and had not even come to see her. "Mom" abandoned this family and abandoned her, and then quickly remarried while she was still young and beautiful, and had no contact with her and her father. Now that she has grown up and something happened to her, the woman may have softened her heart and remembered that she had such a forgotten daughter, so she mercifully wanted to take her over.

Why bother.

Now that you've left, don't come back.

Am I that unbearable? I used to cry every day to see my mother but it was hard to get one. If that woman had loved me a little, I might not be lying on the hospital bed.

Now, that woman has a new family, and now that she's gone, Dad is all alone.

The door to the ward was pushed open.

The first person to come in was a gorgeous woman. Tong Yao looked at her. She looked very young. Only by careful observation could one see the wrinkles under the makeup. Her facial features were exactly the same as Chen Mo's. No wonder she could give birth to such a beautiful daughter. The man behind her was a little hunched. When he saw the people in the ward, he forced a smile:

"Teacher Tong is here."

The heavily made-up woman walked to the bed in high heels and coaxed:

"Momo, I've talked to your dad, but it depends on what you want to do. Do you want to follow mom or dad?"

“You…” The man turned pale, wanted to stop her, and then dropped his arms.

"You follow mommy, and mommy will take you to the United States for treatment, okay? Didn't you say you wanted to go to the United States to play when you were a kid, Momo?"

Pakho Chan lowered his head helplessly. He thought, this was retribution. He had pushed his daughter to the point of committing suicide, and now the person who was judging him was his own daughter.

The woman's hand touched Chen Mo's face. The girl turned her head away and said through gritted teeth:

"Do you remember your childhood?"

The woman froze.