Chapter 115: We Are Different

Wang Baoguo’s thoughts—how could Zhu Yan not understand them? Yet, she felt no fondness for this man who had made such a poor first impression. Her expression darkened slightly as she spoke bluntly, “Instructor Wang, we’re not suitable for each other.”

Wang Baoguo suddenly sat up straight, no longer showing any discomfort. “How can you be sure we’re not compatible if we don’t spend some time together?”

Zhu Yan crossed her arms and simply stared at him.

Realizing her silence, Wang Baoguo groaned softly twice before lying back down.

“Enough with the act. I like men who are a bit more mature,” Zhu Yan said, turning on her heel and heading out of the ward. No matter how loudly Wang Baoguo called after her, she did not pause.

“Mature men? Am I not mature enough?” Wang Baoguo touched his smooth chin thoughtfully, a new idea flashing through his mind...

***

The next day, as soon as Xia Yan arrived at the school, the music teacher, Jiang Min, pulled her aside for a chat.

Jiang Min was the wife of Second Battalion Commander Lu Haiyang. Although Xia Yan had met Lu Haiyang a few times, it was only yesterday that she had met his wife. Hearing Jiang Min introduce herself, Xia Yan was genuinely surprised. Lu Haiyang was the largest in build among the three battalion commanders—a kind of plus version of Li Yong—yet Jiang Min, wearing glasses and rather petite, seemed an unlikely match for him.

Jiang Min had a daughter in the same class as Lin Hongzhuo. The night before, after work, she had asked her daughter how Xia Yan’s classes were going. She had expected Xia Yan to be shy on her first day, but her daughter had nothing but praise.

Lu Haiyang was not surprised at all. He had seen Xia Yan many times and knew she spoke confidently, acted efficiently, and wore a near-constant smile that made her very likable.

It was no wonder the children adored her.

Jiang Min smiled warmly. “When you arrived yesterday, I was a bit worried you might have trouble managing those kids.”

“Not at all. They’re quite well-behaved,” Xia Yan replied.

“If you ever need any help, don’t hesitate to ask. Don’t be shy.” Seeing Xia Yan’s polite manner, Jiang Min gently patted her hand. “Lin Battalion Commander and my husband are brothers in arms, so feel free to speak openly with me.”

A smile bloomed on Xia Yan’s face. Though she had encountered many odd situations since arriving at the base, she had also met many kind people.

“Thank you, Sister Min. Don’t worry—I’ll speak up when I need to. Just don’t get annoyed, okay?”

“Of course not. Now, I must get to class.”

The weather was fine and the sun warm. Xia Yan had no plans to teach new material today.

***

Instead, she intended to play a small game with the children.

She had thought of it the night before—something from her own childhood, a timeless classic: the handkerchief toss.

Since the class was small, Xia Yan gathered the second and third graders together and enlisted PE Teacher Hu to assist.

The children were thrilled to skip lessons for a game and obediently followed Xia Yan’s instructions.

She explained the rules clearly.

“Class, listen carefully to Teacher Xia’s rules,” she said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. “See this handkerchief? This game is called the Handkerchief Toss... [explanation omitted] So, does everyone understand?”

The children’s faces lit up with innocent smiles. “Yes, Teacher Xia!”

Though they said so, it took a few rounds before they fully grasped the game.

Watching the children reveling in joy, Xia Yan joined in. At that moment, she felt as if she had returned to her own childhood—innocent and happy. The only worry was the homework waiting at home.

Everyone enjoyed themselves so much that even when the bell rang, they hesitated to stop. Only when the stern Teacher Hu spoke did the children reluctantly return to the classroom for the next lesson.

Xia Yan smiled knowingly, recalling an old saying: classics never go out of style.

She played games with other grades as well, tailoring them to age. Lin Hongzhuo seemed the happiest. Seeing him sweating profusely, Xia Yan patted the boy’s neck, damp with sweat.

“Make sure to bathe tonight.”

“Ah? Can I skip it...?”

Lin Hongzhuo dreaded bathing at home. To prevent the children from catching cold, Lin You usually took both boys to the base showers.

“No way. Look at your clothes—they’re soaked. If you don’t bathe, you’ll start to smell tomorrow.”

Seeing Xia Yan’s stern expression, Lin Hongzhuo relented. “Mom...”

“Yes?”

“Teacher Xia, can I play the Handkerchief Toss game at home?”

“Of course.”

When school ended at dusk and parents came to pick up the children, the kids still eagerly recounted the day’s games.

***

That evening, Xia Yan walked home with her two sons.

Some other students glanced at the woman wearing a large headscarf beside them, shaking their heads. How was it that this ‘real mother’ was less pleasant to look at than other children’s stepmothers?

Of course, those children who showed such looks all returned home to the same result—getting scolded.

“We’re back.”

Xia Yan saw the lights on from afar and knew Lin You was already home.

Upon entering, she saw not only Lin You but also Wang Baoguo. Lin You kept shooting him sharp glances.

“Baoguo’s here too.”

Wang Baoguo kept winking at Xia Yan, silently mouthing words. Xia Yan understood perfectly—he had found out.

Without guessing, Xia Yan knew exactly what Lin You must have learned: Wang Baoguo’s pursuit of Zhu Yan.

“Ahem... Don’t you two in First Battalion have nothing to do? Both of you home this early?”

“Yan Yan, is there something you want to tell me?” Lin You asked in a calm voice.

“You know already. Why ask?”

Xia Yan knew there was no use hiding, so she admitted it.

“Xiao Zhe, take your siblings and go play for a bit,” Lin You sent the children away before facing them. “What are you two thinking?”

“Big brother, I truly like Zhu Yan,” Wang Baoguo stated first.

“Truly like? How many times have you met her? Your last girlfriend was someone you were madly in love with. And what happened?” Lin You knocked on the table, adopting the elder brother’s demeanor.

“You didn’t marry Sister-in-law long after you got together, did you?”

“We... we’re different!” Wang Baoguo insisted.