Vol. 1 - Ch. 89 - Are you two a couple?

"You really took a lot of trouble, coming all the way here with Ah Ming," the old director sighed, standing beside his wife, now casually dressed, as they watched the children play.Ye QiuXue stood next to them, also gazing at the scene.

"Director, you're too kind. It's me who wanted to come along myself. It's the weekend, and I didn't have much to do anyway. And it's fun to come over and play with these kids."

"Then, I'll trouble you guys," the director nodded gratefully before walking outside with his wife, supported by her arm.

Outside, Lan Jun opened the car door for the elderly couple and helped them in. Today, he was responsible for taking them to their check-up. Han LiTian, having known in advance that HuMing had planned this, had already arranged everything.

To Han LiTian, what HuMing was doing was meaningful, and the Han family didn't mind the small expense. As long as HuMing was happy, that was all that mattered.

The car slowly drove away from the orphanage, and the director gazed out the window, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

How long had it been since he had left this place for something concerning himself?

'This is all thanks to that boy, HuMing,' He thought.

The director hadn't realized how much had changed since their first meeting, subconsciously shifting the course of many things.

Perhaps this was fate.

Inside the orphanage, today wasn't just about letting the children play to their heart's content, learning was also necessary.

Unlike students in regular schools, due to the director's lack of energy because of his old age. Despite their hard work, their progress was often slower.

Ye QiuXue stood at the front of the classroom, organizing the key points for today's lesson. It was rare to see her wearing glasses, which gave her a more intellectual and strict demeanor---She truly looked the part of a serious teacher.

Outside, HuMing explained the day's schedule to the children, and they obediently nodded to everything he said.

As for Han YunXi, she had slipped off to the backyard, secretly working on something in the overgrown field. Despite the scorching sun, she was in high spirits.

"Alright, it's time for class!"

Ye QiuXue knocked on the door, drawing the children's attention. Seaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

They obediently filed into the classroom with their eyes peeking curiously at Ye QiuXue. The director mentioned that a skilled teacher would give them lessons today. To their surprise, she was the older sister who had come with HuMing earlier.

The children exchanged glances, noting how close Brother HuMing seemed to be with this sister, and wondered how the two had met.

Standing at the back door, HuMing watched the girl at the front of the class. Ye QiuXue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before smiling warmly at the students.

"Hello, everyone. I'm your substitute teacher for today. My name is Ye QiuXue. You can call me Teacher Ye."

"Hello, Teacher Ye!"

The children's voices were in perfect harmony, and Ye QiuXue's smile blossomed even more.

HuMing felt at ease with her handling the class. After all, Ye QiuXue could never disappoint.

Picking two bottles of water and two hats, he prepared to head toward the backyard when suddenly, a loud voice from inside the classroom caught his attention.

"Teacher Ye, are you and Brother HuMing a couple?"

HuMing froze mid-step, and he turned back toward the classroom, confused.

The bold question equally took Ye QiuXue aback. Her mouth parted slightly, and for a brief moment, she was at a loss for words. Her cheeks flushed pink as she quickly tried to calm herself.

"No, your Brother HuMing and I aren't a couple," she replied, her voice steady despite the embarrassment.

"I'm his student council president. To be precise, I'm the one in charge of him."

"Then do you like Brother HuMing?" The boy continued, his eyes wide with curiosity.

The other children, too, eagerly awaited her response, equally interested in their beautiful and kind teacher.

It was crystal clear why they were so intrigued. Ye QiuXue was attractive and had a soothing voice, making it hard for anyone not to be drawn to her.

This time, Ye QiuXue was downright flustered. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she looked helplessly toward HuMing for help.

Standing at the back, HuMing raised an eyebrow, his expression was slightly mischievous.

'Looks like our new teacher is having trouble on her first day.'

Clearing his throat, he broke the awkward silence. All eyes turned to him in surprise, shocked that he hadn't left yet.

HuMing looked at the boy who had asked the question and said,

"YouCheng, just because you're permitted to ask questions doesn't mean you can ask the teacher things like that. So hurry up and sit down."

"Okay."

YouCheng, having not received his answer, dissapointly sat down. The classroom atmosphere soon returned to normal.

Ye QiuXue lightly covered her lips and said, "Your Brother HuMing is a very good person. Everyone likes him, right?"

"Yes!"

The children replied in unison, which helped smooth over the awkwardness. Ye QiuXue looked at HuMing with a triumphant glint in her eye.

'She's not that flustered.'

Seeing her expression, HuMing shook his head with a smile and turned to leave. Soon, the sound of Ye QiuXue's teaching filled the classroom. Her clear and earnest voice echoed, guiding the children forward.

...

Under the blazing sun, Han YunXi looked cluttered. She wiped her sweat off her forehead repeatedly, but it seemed endless.

She felt her head was swamped by the sun's intense heat; even during regular physical education classes, she had never felt this hard.

The ground was covered in countless patches of weeds, all cut down by Han YunXi's relentless efforts. Though only a little over ten minutes had passed, it felt like she had been working for eons.

Han YunXi shook her head, took a deep breath, and was about to continue her work when a hat was placed on her head. Startled, she looked back.

The person, clearly displeased, exclaimed,

"Are you crazy? Working under the sun like this in this heat? What if you get heatstroke?"

HuMing pursed his lips, his expression not very happy, and handed her a bottle of water.

Han YunXi, puzzled by the sudden appearance of the hat, asked,

"Eh, I thought I forgot to bring a hat. Where did you get this from?"

"From the director's office. The old director usually does this himself," HuMing replied.

He brought her to a shaded spot and began taking over her work, putting on a hat himself.

Drinking the cold mineral water, Han YunXi felt it was the most refreshing drink she had ever had. She wiped her sweat and watched HuMing cut the grass with practiced efficiency, unlike her somewhat haphazard approach.

'Brother must have come to help here often.'

Han YunXi propped up her chin, her mind recalling her past prejudice against HuMing.