Chapter 6

Over the past few days, more of Qin Yan’s classmates had come to visit him. Qin Yan, who didn’t meet with visitors before, still refused to meet them now. When people came to the house, he stayed upstairs in his room, especially since the heroine and the class monitor were with them—he had no intention of seeing them.

However, every move the heroine made, Qin Yan would think carefully, wondering what she was plotting.

In her previous life, the heroine only started living a smooth, successful life after joining her stepfamily, and that was still some time away. Back then, she hadn’t invited the class monitor and the class committee member over. After being driven away by the nanny just yesterday, today she showed up with classmates. What was she up to?

Was she here to comfort him? Impossible. Bringing the classmates was likely just a setup to persuade him to return to school.

Qin Yan figured that the only reason the heroine wanted him back at school was to prevent him from spending all day with the nanny.

Was she afraid the nanny might steal him from her?

That woman… Qin Yan was angry and speechless. She could manipulate others like stepping stones, yet still be the heroine.

Mu Xuehui probably saw him and his mother as the late bloomers in her life. But why should he burn himself out to illuminate someone else? He only ever wanted to protect his own family.

There was an upside to the nanny being a bit naive—no one could reason with her. She let the class monitor and the committee member in but blocked Mu Xuehui from entering.

“Brother doesn’t want to see you. Why are you still here?” the nanny said.

“You’re just a nanny! How dare you act like you run the place? Move aside!”

Without saying a word, the nanny charged forward, hoisted Mu Xuehui onto her shoulder, and carried her all the way to the corner store. She put her down in the crowd and confidently told her not to come back.

The class monitor and the committee member were dumbfounded. They were two grown men, but neither wanted to be carried off by a petite nanny like that. As soon as she returned, they made a hasty retreat.

Who said the nanny was dumb? She was actually very smart. She knew this was the most effective way to deal with people. Anyone with a bit of dignity would be too embarrassed to return.

But this didn’t work on Mu Xuehui. The next day, she showed up with the class teacher.

Qin Yan was irritated, wanting to throw something and tell them to leave. But if he acted out, the teacher—who was clearly biased towards the “good” students—would just think less of him.

He didn’t care about the teacher’s opinion, but he didn’t want Mu Xuehui to gain more credit at his expense.

For the first time, Qin Yan agreed to see the teacher, though Mu Xuehui was once again blocked by the nanny, kept in the courtyard.

The teacher sympathized with Qin Yan’s situation but didn’t pity him. In her eyes, he was not a good student. She had only come because Mu Xuehui had asked her to. Mu Xuehui was so kind-hearted, she wouldn’t even give up on a bad student like Qin Yan. The teacher felt she could learn from Mu Xuehui’s kindness.

“Qin Yan,” the teacher said, “you seem to be in decent condition. Staying cooped up at home every day isn’t good for you. Since your mindset seems to be improving, it’s time you return to school. Your classmates will help you.”

Heh… Qin Yan had predicted this. Mu Xuehui’s plan was indeed to get him back to school. What did she expect? That a paralyzed student in a wheelchair would return to school to be ridiculed by everyone?

Had she ever considered how he would feel? Of course not.

Qin Yan shook his head. “Teacher, thank you for your concern, but my mindset hasn’t improved. Also, you’ve always been against early relationships, right? I don’t have a good relationship with Mu Xuehui. Now that I’m paralyzed, she’s showing too much concern. Could she secretly have a crush on me? But, Teacher, I’m a cripple without a future. You should go and talk to her, ask her to focus on her studies instead of wasting her time on someone like me.”

“Qin Yan, after all this hardship, it’s clear you’ve matured. That makes me happy as your teacher. But your family’s nanny—she’s a problem. Your mother mentioned that anyone who gives you a son gets a courtyard house. That nanny must be after your family’s house. Listen to me and get rid of her quickly. I’ll help you find a proper nanny.”

Jiang Ruan, who had driven away her brother’s annoying classmate, had been sitting quietly on the stairs outside the door. When she overheard the teacher speaking ill of her, she decided to go in and defend herself.

She knocked on the door and, with her brother’s permission, entered to speak to the teacher.

“Today is the first time you’ve met me, and you’ve already decided I’m no good based on hearsay. If I were to go outside and spread rumors that you’re scheming to steal my brother’s courtyard house by trying to introduce another nanny, would that make you happy? If it wouldn’t make you happy, then you shouldn’t say such things about me!”

The nanny’s point was clear: “Do not do unto others what you wouldn’t want done to you.” Qin Yan almost laughed. The teacher must have been left speechless.

The teacher had never been contradicted by a student before, let alone a nanny from a student’s family.

Unable to control her anger, she spat, “Qin Yan, mud can only mix with garbage. You should really return to school.”

She was calling the nanny mud and him, in her eyes, garbage stuck in the mud.

Qin Yan’s gaze turned icy, and he scoffed. “Teacher, if I’m just garbage, then I’m clearly beyond saving. Let me rot.”

…

After Jiang Ruan offended his teacher, she nervously asked, “Brother, are you mad?”

Qin Yan, who had been deep in thought, snapped out of his daze. “I want to take a bath.”

“I’ll go heat some water.”

Jiang Ruan spent ten minutes preparing the hot water and pouring it into the tub. She wanted to help her brother undress, but he refused. In the post-apocalyptic world, Jiang Ruan had often cared for injured teammates rescued from outside the base. She’d seen everything, and no one had ever been as shy as her brother.

As Jiang Ruan leaned against the edge of the tub, watching her brother awkwardly undress, she couldn’t help but want to step in and assist.

Qin Yan wasn’t used to being watched as he undressed. He told the nanny to turn around. “You can only look back when I tell you to.”

Jiang Ruan obediently turned around, squatting on the floor and counting the tiles. “Brother, are you thinking about going back to school?”

“How did you guess?”

“That Mu Xuehui keeps bringing classmates and teachers around. She wants to get you back to school so she can be with you during the day.”

“You figured that out?”

“Of course, I’m not an idiot.” Mu Xuehui wasn’t Qin Yan’s family. Her excessive concern clearly had an ulterior motive. Jiang Ruan, having survived in a harsh world, could see through such survival tactics easily.

She added, “Mu Xuehui doesn’t want to marry you, but she’s still treating you so well. I just can’t figure out what she’s after if it’s not the courtyard house.”

What was she after? It was obvious. She wanted to inherit everything once he and his mother were gone—this two-story house, the courtyard, and the family restaurant would all be hers.

“Alright, you can turn around now,” Qin Yan called to the nanny.

…

Qin Yan attended No. 2 High School, a prestigious school, though even prestigious schools had underperforming students. Qin Yan wasn’t failing academically, but due to his reputation, he was considered one of the bad students.

Jiang Ruan found a teacher from Class Three who didn’t get along with Qin Yan’s homeroom teacher and arranged to meet her outside the school’s north gate.

“Oh, it’s Qin Yan. Why aren’t you going to your homeroom teacher? Why are you coming to me?” Teacher Qi didn’t have a good impression of Qin Yan either, but as a teacher, she was patient with all students.

Qin Yan clutched his numb legs and said painfully, “Teacher Qi, Teacher Qian came to my house today to persuade me to return to school, but she called me garbage. I don’t want to go back to Class One. Could I join Class Three? I’m paralyzed now, and I don’t plan to take the college entrance exams, but I’d like to finish high school and at least get my diploma.”

Although Qin Yan had a bad reputation, no teacher would openly call him garbage.

Teacher Qi suppressed her anger and said, “It’s a good thing you want to return to school. Of course, I’ll support that. But switching classes requires the principal’s approval. I’ll let you know when I have an answer.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Later, when Teacher Qi returned to school, she overheard a conversation in the cafeteria between a math teacher and another teacher.

“Did you hear? Teacher Qian from Class One said Qin Yan is coming back to class,” the math teacher said.

“Isn’t this a good thing, Teacher Hu? Why do you look so worried?”

Teacher Hu sighed, “I’m not worried about Qin Yan, I’m worried about his family’s nanny. My wife is distantly related to the nanny’s family, and after returning from the countryside for over a month, she’s taken on a few jobs, all of which my wife helped her get. Others may not know, but my wife understands—this nanny has had a tough life. Now that Qin Yan is going back to school, the poor girl will probably be sent off to marry someone and become a stepmother.”

Teacher Hu explained that the nanny wasn’t very bright. When she was only about ten years old, she went to the countryside in place of her sister. Life there was harsh, and she worked tirelessly, taking care of the pigs for the entire production team. The village folks, being simple and kind, helped her grow up.

Over the years, many of the young people who went to the countryside for the “Down to the Countryside” movement returned to the city, but the city didn’t have enough jobs for all of them. The nanny ate a lot, so her family wanted to get rid of the burden.

Qin Yan, realizing that the nanny was simple and pure-hearted, kept her around. But now that he’s going back to school, she’ll probably have to go home and find a husband. Given her simplicity, she won’t find a good match.

Teacher Qi felt sorry for the nanny. What kind of heartless family would send a ten-year-old child to the countryside just because she ate a little more?

She said, “I’ll talk to the principal. Maybe we can let the nanny come to school to help take care of him. That should solve the problem.”

Teacher Hu was grateful. “I’ll thank you on behalf of the nanny.”

Having the nanny at school wouldn’t be possible if Qin Yan returned to Teacher Qian’s class. It was better to have him in Class Three, where the students were more harmonious.

Teacher Qi discussed the situation with the principal, saying, “Qin Yan is already paralyzed, and he only has two months of high school left. Let’s let him live more comfortably. Our class has fewer students, and there’s space for the nanny to sit in the back. She won’t disturb anyone.”

The principal agreed.

Feeling relieved, Teacher Qi returned to her office, only to overhear Teacher Qian gossiping with other teachers. Her tone was full of mockery: “Qin Yan’s mom, just because she has a little money, actually hired a pretty nanny to have a child with her son.”

Teacher Qi was furious. Gossiping about a student’s family without knowing the truth—what kind of teacher does that? If Qin Yan returned to their class, how could he stand staying there for even a day with Teacher Qian spreading such biased opinions? No wonder Qin Yan wanted to transfer to Class Three.

Teacher Qi slammed her lesson plans down on the table, making such a loud noise that it interrupted Teacher Qian’s gossip.

Teacher Qian, annoyed, asked, “Teacher Qi, who are you mad at, slamming things around like that?”

“At you!” Teacher Qi retorted. “Why are you gossiping about my student?”

“Who did I gossip about in your class?”

“Qin Yan. He’s returning to school tomorrow, and the principal has already agreed to transfer him to my class. From now on, stop gossiping about my students. As long as I’m their homeroom teacher, it’s not your place to judge or discipline them.”