20. Princess, Is the food not to your liking?

For some reason, Qin Zhaoyi inexplicably became “the little child” in Luo Yue’s words.

She was about to argue with her, but Luo Yue had already retrieved a band-aid from her bag and placed it on the wound. After applying it, she vented her frustration by pressing on the injury a few times.

Qin Zhaoyi, experiencing some pain, couldn’t pull her arm away, afraid of hurting herself further. She questioned with an impatient tone, “What are you doing?”

To which she received a reply from Luo Yue, who was staring at her directly, “I thought you said it didn’t hurt?”

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”

Luo Yue taught her, “Lying is not a good habit.”

Qin Zhaoyi “…”

After withdrawing her hand, Qin Zhaoyi muttered, “I got it.”

It was nearly noon, but Luo Yue intended to return to school. Qin Zhaoyi didn’t ask any more questions and simply followed her.

After a short walk, Luo Yue stopped and said helplessly, “If you keep following me, you’ll end up coming to school with me.”

Qin Zhaoyi wrinkled her brow at the way she addressed her, saying, “Stop calling me that.”

Luo Yue raised an eyebrow, “Then what should I call you, Qin Zhaoyi?”

Qin Zhaoyi replied, “Luo Yue.”

Her tone carried a hint of annoyance.

Luo Yue lightly chuckled and decided not to tease her further, “Zhao Zhao, aren’t you going back home?”

“Nobody’s at home,” Qin Zhaoyi said, “Why would I go back?”

“Maybe go for a walk,” Luo Yue suggested, “The scenery on Moon Island is quite nice. By the way, if you go to the beach, don’t sit too close to the water. You can sit on the distant rocks; the view is even better.”

Qin Zhaoyi felt like she was being encouraged to leave. She furrowed her brow, “Can’t I go to your school with you?”

Was she some kind of outcast?

Luo Yue was briefly surprised, “Well, you can.”

Seeing her relent, Qin Zhaoyi’s expression finally eased a bit, “Then I’ll go to school with you.”

Seizing every opportunity and pushing boundaries, Qin Zhaoyi displayed her ability to the fullest.

“Today, I need to watch the students eat lunch,” Luo Yue said. “What can you do at the school?”

Qin Zhaoyi paused, then replied, “I haven’t had lunch either.”

Luo Yue was left without an excuse.

—

The lunch at Moon Island Elementary School was simple: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, a small portion of rice, and a bowl of soup. Students would eat breakfast at home and return to their respective homes for dinner. Since parents sometimes went out to sea, the school provided them with one free meal.

Luo Yue was in charge of a class of thirty-two students. As their homeroom teacher, she often had to eat with them and then take care of their lunch break. If she had other matters to attend to, other teachers would help out.

They arrived at the school just in time for lunch.

Luo Yue told Qin Zhaoyi to find a seat and then went to the serving window to check today’s menu. She grabbed a tray and brought a large portion of food to Qin Zhaoyi’s table.

“I’m not sure if it suits your taste,” Luo Yue said. “Just have some.”

Qin Zhaoyi glanced at the dishes: stir-fried spinach and shredded pork with green pepper. The soup was a plain seaweed and egg drop soup, with hardly any seaweed or egg visible.

Looking at the food, she furrowed her brow, “This is what you serve to the students?”

Luo Yue was momentarily taken aback by the question, “Occasionally, there are chicken legs or fruits.”

Qin Zhaoyi remarked, “…”

When she was in elementary school, the school offered self-service meals prepared by a five-star chef. After lunch, they could choose to have milk or fruit. Even dishes like braised lion’s head meatballs were as big as a child’s fist, and she often couldn’t finish one by herself.

But she hadn’t expected…

“Are they expected to grow with these meals?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Luo Yue shrugged, “There’s nothing we can do, funds are limited.”

This was not a well-off region.

Most of the residents on the island relied on fishing and farming for their livelihoods. The school’s funds came from government allocations. Last year, they built a new library and constructed music and art rooms to support the students’ holistic development. Since many students displayed talent in painting, they even purchased a large quantity of art supplies for communal use. In the end, the school had to cut back a bit on food expenses.

Qin Zhaoyi wanted to say something more, but the bell for the end of class rang. Luo Yue stepped away, giving her parting advice, “Take your time with the meal; I need to pick up the students.”

Soon, a group of children, as small as beans, swarmed into the cafeteria. Guided by their teachers, they didn’t speak and formed neat lines. This was their daily routine—collecting their food trays, getting their meals at the counter, and sitting down.

During the meal, a few mischievous children chatted animatedly. Qin Zhaoyi picked up her chopsticks, took a few bites, and then set them down. She just couldn’t muster an appetite.

However, the children ate heartily, perhaps already used to it.

Luo Yue’s class was the last to enter, and she kindly reminded each student while watching them line up for their meals.

Qin Zhaoyi stared at Luo Yue with undivided attention.

By chance, she sat in the area designated for Luo Yue’s class. A few kids, quick to finish their meal, came over to her. At first, they hesitated to talk to her.

After taking a bite of food, one child approached and asked in a hushed voice, “Are you our new teacher?”

Qin Zhaoyi, “?”

She immediately denied it, “No.”

“Stupid, she’s a friend of our Teacher Luo,” a little boy chimed in.

“I thought she was the new English teacher,” a girl pouted, then continued eating.

Luo Yue arrived just in time, smiling as she ruffled the little girl’s hair, “She’s not a new teacher; she’s my friend.”

“What’s wrong?” Luo Yue asked her, “Is it because I’m not teaching well?”

The little girl sighed, almost burying her head in her bowl, and muttered, “You teach very well, but you look so tired.”

Luo Yue smiled at her, “Teaching all of you is not tiring at all.”

Qin Zhaoyi glanced at Luo Yue, and Luo Yue happened to be looking her way.

Fearing that the children might overhear, Luo Yue typed a few words on her phone and handed it to Qin Zhaoyi to read.

Qin Zhaoyi was curious about what she wanted to say, but when she looked at the screen, it clearly said: [Princess, is the food not to your liking?]

Qin Zhaoyi, “…”