Ma Hao instantly grew nervous at Old Liu’s words.

He didn’t know Old Liu, but he figured a teacher that old had no reason to lie to a newcomer. He instinctively chose to believe him.

It wasn’t just Ma Hao; every teacher in the office was startled.

’Is Director Wang really coming for a surprise inspection tonight? But how would Old Liu know?’

Because Old Liu was known for his honesty, no one doubted him.

"I’m heading home to cook for my kid."

A female teacher grabbed her bag and left the office. Her class had lost points just yesterday, and she had no desire to run into Director Wang.

When it came to things like this, it was better to be safe than sorry. Laying low was always a good idea.

The moment they heard their superior was turning back, the relaxed atmosphere in the office evaporated.

Xue Rui was a little surprised. Old Liu was quick on the uptake.

He’d originally planned to have Teacher Guo back him up, but the moment Old Liu opened his mouth, the lie sounded completely convincing.

’He’s one crafty old fox.’

Xue Rui had assumed that since Old Liu was still a front-line teacher at his age, he must be one of those honest types who didn’t understand the complexities of social politics.

At his age, most people were either in leadership or had taken a backseat role. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.

Some people weren’t ignorant; they’d simply mastered the art of playing dumb.

That’s life. Everyone makes their own choices.

And Old Liu had chosen the easiest path.

"Sister Xiaying, let me treat you to lunch tomorrow."

Ma Hao placed a small bouquet of roses on Xue Xiaying’s desk, then scurried out of the office.

Old Liu gave Xue Rui a folksy grin, and Xue Rui smiled and nodded back.

Seeing their exchange, Teacher Guo instantly caught on. "Old Liu, you’re tricking people now?"

Old Liu didn’t answer, simply keeping his eyes on his lesson plan.

"You’re really something else."

Xue Xiaying caught on as well, playfully scolding Xue Rui as she poked him a few times.

Xue Rui picked up Ma Hao’s roses and, with a CLUNK, casually tossed them into the trash can.

Many of the other teachers saw it happen, but they just smiled and shook their heads.

It was obvious to them that Xue Rui despised Ma Hao and was trying to sabotage him at every opportunity.

Xue Xiaying, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind. She ignored Xue Rui and went back to looking at her papers.

However, Xue Rui then pulled a large bundle of roses from the cardboard box he’d brought in earlier.

"Huh?" Xue Xiaying gasped in surprise.

’Why is everyone giving me flowers today?’

Xue Rui grinned, undid the bouquet, and handed just one rose to Xue Xiaying.

Xue Rui teased, "Auntie, you didn’t think these were all for you, did you?"

"Who wants your flower?" Xue Xiaying retorted, annoyed.

Just as she was about to pretend to toss it, Xue Rui added, "It’s from Ren Jun."

"From him?" Xue Xiaying looked astonished. ’Ren Jun sent me a rose?’

’What does he mean by this?’

Before she had time to think, Xue Rui pulled out a U-shaped neck pillow and fitted it around her neck.

"It’s for your neck. Teachers are prone to neck problems," Xue Rui said earnestly.

Next, Xue Rui pulled out a box of red gel pens and set it on Xue Xiaying’s desk. "Teachers do a lot of grading. You can never have enough pens."

He dragged the large cardboard box around, placing an identical set of gifts on every teacher’s desk.

"Ren Jun said he graduated from here, too. With Teacher’s Day coming up, he wanted to send some gifts," Xue Rui explained.

But then, Xue Rui leaned close to Xue Xiaying’s ear and whispered:

"I think he likes you. Otherwise, why only give them to the sophomore-year teachers?"

He had originally planned to give the gifts himself, but of all the rotten luck, today was the day Ma Hao decided to confess his feelings.

Xue Rui didn’t have the energy to vet a good man for Xue Xiaying, so he’d use Ren Jun as a stand-in for now.

’Even though I think Ren Jun is a little beneath her... he’s still a hundred times better than Ma Hao.’

"They say when you give someone a rose, the fragrance stays on your hand. Isn’t that what being a teacher is all about?"

"Teacher Li, please take one. It’s a Teacher’s Day gift. Every teacher gets one, oh, and don’t worry, it’s not a student’s money."

"Alright, in that case, thank you," Teacher Li accepted with a smile.

"Heh, our office was just running low on red pens! This box will last for years," one teacher said cheerfully.

...

’Ren Jun likes me?’ Xue Xiaying was in a daze. Ren Qunfang had actually given her a heads-up a few days ago, so she was somewhat prepared.

But hearing Xue Rui say it so bluntly still made her cheeks flush.

Xue Xiaying clutched the box of red pens and murmured, "He’s... really thoughtful."

In her mind, she subconsciously began to compare Ma Hao and Ren Jun.

Ma Hao and Ren Jun were about the same age, but they were completely different.

The former was fair-skinned and a fellow teacher, but he was a little immature.

The latter... well, although she’d heard his reputation wasn’t the best, in her own experience, he seemed to be a kind-hearted and dependable man.

They both gave gifts, but Ren Jun had also thought of her colleagues.

Suddenly, Xue Xiaying noticed another small bag. She opened it and was shocked to find a pair of black stockings.

"Xue Rui? What is this?"

"Did... did he send this too?" Xue Xiaying asked with a frown.

’Could my sister-in-law have been right?’ she wondered. ’Is Ren Jun not a respectable man after all?’

"I gave you the stockings. I asked a doctor when I was at the hospital," Xue Rui said calmly.

He paused for a moment. "The doctor said that since teachers stand for long periods, they’re prone to varicose veins."

"Huh? What’s that?" Xue Xiaying had never heard the term before.

Teacher Guo spoke up. "You all know Teacher Yang from the freshman year, right? She’s the one who wears those strange stockings in the summer. She has varicose veins."

"Her legs... they’re pretty unsettling to look at." Teacher Guo shuddered.

Teacher Guo’s words jogged the other teachers’ memories, and they now understood what varicose veins were.

Xue Rui wasn’t too surprised by Teacher Guo’s "assist."

Varicose veins are a common occupational hazard for teachers. With so many teachers at the school, it was inevitable that one or two would have suffered from it.

"I heard stockings can help prevent varicose veins, so I bought some."

Xue Rui explained, his expression sincere and his voice filled with concern.

A warmth spread through the hearts of the teachers in the office.

’That Xue Rui,’ they thought. ’He may be a goofball and a poor student, but he actually went out of his way to go to a hospital and ask about this for our sake.’

This sudden, unexpected show of concern touched them all deeply.

Indeed. Red pens, neck pillows, flowers, and even stockings to prevent an occupational disease.

Over the years, many of them had received Teacher’s Day gifts, but they were always more for show than for practical use. Nothing could compare to these gifts.

Students usually just gave flowers, or perhaps some notebooks at most.

At first, they had been touched. But as the years went on, they’d grown a bit numb to it all.

To be honest, they didn’t really look forward to Teacher’s Day anymore.

Every September 10th, they had to put on an act for the students, and it was exhausting...

But now, Xue Rui had given them gifts a few days *before* Teacher’s Day, catching them completely off guard.

And unlike the usual gifts, which felt like just going through the motions, Xue Rui was genuinely, from the bottom of his heart, concerned about their well-being.

Even though it was just a rose like the ones they’d received in years past, many teachers felt that this particular one from Xue Rui smelled exceptionally sweet.

Xue Xiaying felt a prickle in her nose. ’Rui has finally grown up,’ she thought, her heart swelling with emotion and relief.

She tucked the stockings into her bag and called out to Xue Rui, "Now that you’re done handing things out, hurry up and get to class."

She knew Xue Rui was sharp; she didn’t want him to see how emotional she was, so she shooed him away.

"Oh, okay." Xue Rui smiled.

’My aunt, Xue Xiaying, has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She’s easily moved, which is how Ma Hao’s relentless pestering could have worked.’

’But now I’ve intervened.’

’Ma Hao? He won’t even lay a finger on her.’

Xue Rui walked out of the office and sent a text to Ren Jun: "Should be a done deal. Ask my aunt to dinner tomorrow."

Ren Jun replied instantly: "That fast? You think she’ll say yes?"

Xue Rui didn’t reply. He was completely confident.

「Inside the office.」

"Teacher Xue, your nephew... aside from his bad grades, you really can’t find a single fault with him."

Teacher Guo fitted the pillow around his neck, closed his eyes, and sighed in appreciation. He thought very highly of Xue Rui.

"Of course."

Hearing someone praise Xue Rui filled Xue Xiaying with a deep sense of satisfaction. That was her nephew they were talking about, after all.

"By the way, who’s this Ren Jun that Xue Rui mentioned?" someone asked.

"Ren Jun... He’s..."

Xue Xiaying suddenly started hemming and hawing. She really didn’t know how to explain the situation to her colleagues.

Seeing the blush creep across Teacher Xue’s face, the veteran teachers all broke into knowing smiles.

"No wonder Teacher Xue wouldn’t accept young Ma Hao. Turns out there’s a better prospect in the picture, eh?"