Chapter 41

"Raina, have you finished your homework?"

Bell Tong's first words on the first day of school were directed towards Raina Nan.

"Yeah, but I won't let you see it," Raina Nan probably guessed what she wanted to say.

"I didn't even say anything yet! That's not fair!"

"Isn't it?"

"Let me see it, hehe!"

"No."

"Stingy! Are we really friends?"

"It's precisely because we're friends that I won't let you see it. This semester marks the beginning of our senior year." Raina Nan sighed lightly, suggesting that they needed to put in more effort.

"Aww" Bell Tong pouted and sulked, looking out the window with a dejected expression.

"Good morning!"

A sweet voice.

It belonged to Roxie Lin, who looked a bit rushed, her hair disheveled.

"Ah, Roxie! Let me see your homework!" Bell Tong's eyes lit up like a cheetah discovering its prey.

"Eh, Xiaoling already did her homework...."

"It's okay, let me take a look. Besides, there's not enough time to finish it now!" Bell Tong coaxed Roxie Lin with a sweet voice while rubbing against her.

"I really can't do anything with you..." Roxie Lin chuckled and took out her notebook.

"Hehe, thank you!" Bell Tong beamed with a sense of accomplishment.

"You spoil her too much..." Raina Nan couldn't help but sarcastically remark. How many times had Bell Tong used "last time" as an excuse to borrow someone else's homework?

"Morning!"

A boy's voice came from the back of the classroom. It was Gu Zihang.

"Oh, hey!"

"Good morning!"

Several boys sitting at the back gathered around him.

The common sight of high school cliques emerged, and Gu Zihang seemed to be the center of this one.

He put down his backpack, chatting and laughing with the boys about the games they played over winter break.

His gaze swept over to Raina Nan's seat by the window after a few sentences.

After chatting for a bit, he stood up and walked over to her.

"Hey, good morning!"

Raina Nan heard his voice, turned her head, looked left and right, and then confirmed that he was talking to her.

"Yeah, good morning."

"What are you doing?"

Bell Tong inserted herself between the two, furrowed her eyebrows, and spoke with a hint of irritation.

"What do you mean? I'm just saying hello." Gu Zihang grinned and shrugged.

"Tsk, you're acting like you're so familiar with Raina Nan!"

"Raina Nan, please take care of me this semester." He ignored Bell Tong and addressed Raina Nan.

"Oh, um, of course."

"Hmph! How dare you ignore me?! What do you mean by 'take care of me?' Have you finished your homework?"

Bell Tong had not even done her own homework, yet spoke with such righteous indignation.

"Homework? What homework?"

"Huh? Are you really so clueless that you don't even know if you have any homework? Haha, you're so stupid~"

"... " Gu Zihang was left momentarily speechless by Bell Tong's mocking, and in terms of verbal sparring, she was in a league of her own.

Ding, ding, ding.

"Everyone, return to your seats!"

The homeroom teacher entered the classroom to the sound of the bell.

"Teacher Wei is late!"

Someone from the back started heckling, causing the whole class to burst into laughter.

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear the bell just ring?"

William Wei slapped the desk.

"Cough, let me introduce our new substitute music teacher. Say hello to Jocelyn York, everyone! It's her first time teaching, so please be patient with her."

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice.

"Hello, everyone. I am your new substitute music teacher, Jocelyn York. I will do my best, so please take care of me!"

Jocelyn York did not seem to be nervous at all. She wore a light-colored turtleneck sweater and a checkered long skirt, looking simple yet gorgeous."Huh?!" x2

Raina Nan and Bell Tong stared at each other in surprise for a few seconds. They probably didn't expect the substitute teacher to be someone they knew.

"Oh my, what a beauty!"

At this moment, a male student shouted at the top of his voice.

The whole class erupted.

"What kind of beauty?! Sit down and be quiet!!"

William Wei shouted even louder.

"Although it's just a substitute for a while, I hope to get along well with my classmates during this time. If you have any problems or difficulties, you can talk to me and I will do my best to help everyone. Of course, if there's anything I do wrong, I hope you can directly point it out to me."

"Well, that's good."

William Wei whispered behind her. He probably didn't expect her to be so calm and composed.

"Thank you."

She replied softly.

"Teacher Yun, I have a question!"

At this point, a male student raised his hand.

"Yes, go ahead."

"Does Teacher Yun have a boyfriend?"

Another burst of laughter erupted.

"I knew it...."

William Wei rubbed his temple.

"Not at the moment. Do you have any other questions?"

Jocelyn York smiled and didn't hesitate too much.

"Then, Teacher Yun, can someone like me be your boyfriend?"

As soon as one finished, another male student jumped out. The classroom immediately became a noisy mess.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in younger boys~"

She said with a helpless smile.

There were sighs from below.

"Then I'll wait until I graduate..."

"Cough, I've had enough of boys! Don't embarrass our class in front of the new teacher!"

"What are you saying! Be quiet and go to self-study!"

"Haha, Mr. Wei is blushing!"

"Really?! No way, haha...."

...

"Enough with the laughter, let's start self-study. Whoever doesn't listen to me will come to the office and have tea with me!"

After he threatened them, the class finally became quiet.

After finishing, the two of them left the classroom.

...

"I'm sorry that you had to endure that on the first day. Nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to manage the students."

On the way back to the office, William Wei said with a bitter smile.

Jocelyn York shook her head.

"I was mentally prepared a long time ago. Besides..."

She stopped in her tracks.

"Someone from before was even more reckless, right?"

William Wei followed her gaze.

It was the school's basketball court.

The paint on the court was painted over and over again, and the hoops were changed one after another, but it seemed that it hadn't changed much since they graduated.

Time passed, and the sight became blurred.

When the school bell rang at the end of each day, two boys would rush out of the classroom to participate in the basketball team's training on this court. There was usually a short-haired girl behind them, carrying water and handing towels. She couldn't play basketball, but she liked to watch them play.

She never missed any of their games.

They laughed together when they won and cried together when they lost.

This kind of afternoon was repeated many times, but they were happy.

"That's also why I came back."

Jocelyn York blushed and turned to look at him.

"I like it here."