novelburst-info
Chapter 78
Chapter 78
The office atmosphere suddenly turned comedic.
Chen Mo looked at Ji Nian, who was pitifully glancing at the math teacher, and thought to himself that this child was quite different from Ji Tingzhou.
Indeed, someone like Ji Tingzhou would never allow another version of himself to exist in this world.
This child would quickly win people over, and perhaps that was why Ji Tingzhou adored her.
Unfortunately, Chen Mo wasn’t Ji Tingzhou.
He disliked children who acted clueless and tried to be cute.
“The math teacher said that. What do you plan to do? Will you continue?”
Chen Mo didn’t smile, maintaining his calm demeanor as he looked at Ji Nian.
He could tell that Ji Nian had been joking earlier, and the math teacher, who seemed to have a good relationship with her, didn’t take it seriously, deliberately teasing the child.
Ji Nian, captivated by his handsome face, spoke up, “Teacher, I can handle two jobs at once!”
Chen Mo glanced at the math teacher, who was shaking her head with a smile, and said to Ji Nian, “What you just mentioned are the basic requirements for this position, not your personal strengths.”
He successfully shut down Ji Nian’s attempt to talk her way into the role.
Ji Nian thought to herself, *Huh?*
She looked into Chen Mo’s eyes, which seemed to be veiled in a layer of darkness, and pondered.
*This pretty guy seems to dislike me a bit.*
The system chimed in: *How did you figure that out? I think he treats you the same as everyone else.*
Ji Nian replied, *You wouldn’t understand.*
Though surprised, Ji Nian quickly composed herself and said, “Teacher, if what I mentioned earlier doesn’t count…”
“I can recite and write down *The Epang Palace*, *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*, *Free and Easy Wandering*, and *First Ode to the Red Cliff* from memory.”
“Would that work?”
A Chinese teacher from another grade, overhearing this, exclaimed in surprise, “Those are high school required readings. You already know them?”
Ji Nian nodded, “Yes.”
The system cheered: *Wow, you’re amazing!*
Ji Nian retorted: *Amazing, my foot. You’ll recite them for me later, and I’ll write them down. It’s been years since I graduated from high school—I’ve forgotten everything.*
The system: *………*
If Ji Nian had initially wanted to be the Chinese class representative because of Mo Chen’s good looks, now that she sensed his subtle dislike, she was determined to take the position no matter what.
If not for their brief encounter two years ago, this would be their first meeting.
Why did Mo Chen dislike her?
Or, to think more boldly, did he… know who she was?
In the end, Ji Nian didn’t have to recite all the texts. After reciting *The Epang Palace* once, she successfully became the Chinese class representative.
With a triumphant smile, she turned around and, passing by the math teacher’s desk, quietly placed a few candies on it, whispering:
“Teacher, the job market is tough these days. It’s so hard to find a part-time job. You’re really kind.”
“This time, it’s just some candies. Don’t mind them. Next time, I’ll bring some of my dad’s good wine for you.”
The math teacher pretended to be annoyed, “Go on, get out of here. Don’t ruin your dad’s collection. Gifts to teachers are strictly forbidden. If people find out, it’ll be a mess.”
Ji Nian left, laughing.
After she left, the math teacher leaned over to Chen Mo and said, “Ji Nian is exceptionally good at math, but for some reason, her Chinese is just a bit lacking.”
“Being the Chinese class representative might motivate her, and her grades could improve.”
Realizing the math teacher was speaking up for Ji Nian, Chen Mo smiled politely.
In his heart, he thought, *What a miracle. Did Ji Tingzhou kill so many members of the Ji family as a sacrifice, just to get a likable child like her?*
*I wonder who was unlucky enough to catch his eye and give birth to her.*
In the afternoon, Ji Nian came to ask about the homework.
After telling her, Chen Mo glanced at her curly hair and casually asked, “Is your hair naturally curly?”
Ji Nian didn’t expect him to make small talk with her.
She forced a smile, “Yes.”
She was the spitting image of Ji Tingzhou, except for her hair. It was fine, soft, and naturally curly—neither too dramatic nor too plain.
Ji Nian had wondered if her hair resembled her biological mother, whom she had never met.
After all, she had grown closer to Ji Tingzhou, and last year, she had mustered the courage to ask him about her mother.
The original book had been vague, only mentioning that Ji Tingzhou had been tricked, leading to her birth.
Fortunately, Ji Tingzhou wasn’t evasive about the topic. He straightforwardly told her he didn’t know.
He truly didn’t know.
Ji Nian had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Right after Ji Tingzhou had wiped out the entire Ji family, someone suddenly brought a baby girl with the same eye color as him to his doorstep, along with a paternity test.
He had investigated but found nothing.
However, the incident reminded Ji Tingzhou of how Ji Wanting had once humiliated him by forcing him to donate sperm at a hospital.
For Ji Tingzhou, that had been a true disgrace.
But following that lead had led to a dead end.
No one knew who had given birth to Ji Nian.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Ji Nian looked at Chen Mo.
She noticed that he, too, seemed lost in thought, his eyes carrying a hint of sadness he wasn’t even aware of.
“Teacher?”
Ji Nian called out to him.
Chen Mo snapped back to reality, “It’s nothing. You can go now.”
Ji Nian nodded and left.
After she left, Chen Mo didn’t stay in the office either.
The air conditioning was set too low, and the cold air was making him uncomfortable.
He decided to take a walk on the sports field.
Coincidentally, Ji Nian’s class was having PE that period.
The PE class representative had injured himself playing tennis and had been absent for a few days.
The PE teacher, Wang Dawei, decided to find a temporary replacement.
“Is there anyone who wants to be the PE class representative?”
PE at S Elementary wasn’t like at ordinary schools, where students ran a few laps and then were left to their own devices.
Their curriculum included horseback riding, tennis, golf, swimming, and more.
Wang Dawei was a strict teacher—big, strong, and with a booming voice that made him seem intimidating. The kids were all afraid of him.
For a moment, no one spoke up.
Wang Dawei’s gaze fell on the tallest boy in the group.
The boy immediately shook his head, “Teacher, my leg is injured. I can’t do it.”
Wang Dawei’s eyes moved to the next student, who shook his head like a rattle drum, “Teacher, my arm is injured. I can’t do it.”
“Teacher, my head is injured. I can’t do it.”
Wang Dawei looked furious, his eyes locking onto a skinny, dark-skinned kid at the end of the line, as if saying, *‘What about you!? What’s your excuse now?!’*
The skinny kid panicked. He didn’t want to be the PE class representative!
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as his eyes darted around desperately. Spotting Ji Nian beside him, he gave her a pleading look, as if begging, *‘Please, help me think of an excuse.’*
Ji Nian, feeling sorry for her deskmate, decided to help him out.
Just as Wang Dawei was about to point at the skinny kid and assign him the role, Ji Nian suddenly spoke up in a clear, firm voice—
“Teacher, he’s got a crack in his butt. He can’t do it!”
Wang Dawei: “……………………”
The skinny kid: ?
He didn’t quite understand what she meant, but seeing the teacher stunned, he quickly nodded, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”
Not far away, Chen Mo, who had been watching the whole scene: “………”
Well, he had been wrong.
Ji Tingzhou was pretty unlucky too.