21. Who Is the Rival? The Head of the Wind Instrument Section Makes Their Entrance

Qin Yong paused mid-sentence, and the tension in the room was palpable.

The next two names to be announced were Tian Yu and Li An.

Both belonged to the piano teaching group: one was a veteran, representing the east-side office; the other, a newcomer, representing the west-side office. The former was widely considered a shoo-in, while the latter had earned a reputation as a workaholic since joining.

Who would fare better in Principal Qin’s evaluation?

“Li An, 4.3 points.”

“Tian Yu, 4.5 points.”

“Meeting adjourned.”

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

The meeting ended amid murmurs, and even by noon the next day, several offices were still abuzz.

...

The controversy centered around Li An.

Some believed Li An was the stronger candidate, that he had conducted Qin Yong’s lesson with remarkable clarity. Most who held this view were young teachers from the west-side office, including Lin Pengfei, who was still reeling from the results.

Others weren’t convinced; how could an intern like Li An receive such a high score? This group, largely comprising young instructors, felt the new principal was clueless, treating the scoring as a joke.

Some suspected Qin Yong was using Li An as a shield to push through reforms. These were mostly ordinary veteran staff, uninterested in Li An’s exact score but deeply concerned about the new leader’s attitude.

Others felt Qin Yong’s attitude was irrelevant; after all, training institutions had always revolved around their teachers. Let the new official make his mark however he wished—if he tried meddling in teaching itself, he’d find the doors firmly shut.

This last view was championed by He Yiming, the seasoned leader of the wind instrument group.

“All right, enough! Haven’t you analyzed this to death since yesterday?” someone finally interjected.

Listening to the endless chatter in the office, Li An felt his head spinning. Ever since yesterday, he seemed to have become a minor celebrity at Yudong; people who seldom greeted him now smiled warmly whenever they passed.

Yet everyone simply taught their own classes—no real conflict of interests. Was it exhausting to curry favor with group leaders and supervisors?

Xu Hongxin piped up, “Don’t be modest, An. You beat Old Tian, and I’ve never liked him—always grinning like some sly fox.”

Ma Tao chimed in, “He had to go.”

Li An shook his head. Their perspective was rooted in personal likes and dislikes.

He still minded Tian Yu secretly poaching Liu Fengrui, but that was a separate matter from the evaluation.

There were two spots in total, and he and Tian Yu weren’t actually in direct competition.

Both could advance together.

Yudong’s campus had always relied on piano instruction as its foundation. In recent years, with the rise of wind instrument culture across the province, Yudong’s recruitment and publicity had shifted toward winds.

Yet even a dying camel is bigger than a horse; the institution’s piano brand and student channels remained strong.

Even if Yudong gave two elite spots to the piano group, the group could easily absorb them.

He had joined as a replacement for another departing teacher; he simply hadn’t been assigned students yet.

Thus, his arrival hadn’t disrupted the internal structure of the piano teaching group.

At present, his only real competitor was Xu Nana; rumor had it that He Yiming had given Xu Nana a 4.4 after her lesson that morning.

As leader of the wind instrument group, He Yiming had every reason to promote his own staff, but this gave Li An a sense of unease.

Just then, Chen Xuan returned from class, carrying a serving of wontons and a plate of steamed dumplings.

Today, she wore a pale blue long-sleeved blouse and a dark pleated skirt that fell below her knees, the shirt tucked neatly at her waist. Her exposed calves were long and straight, lending her a slender, graceful appearance.

The black ribbon beneath her collar formed a butterfly bow, adding a fresh, sweet academic air without sacrificing elegance.

But Li An was in no mood to appreciate her style. “Judging by your expression, you must’ve taught a good class today, Teacher Chen.”

Since yesterday’s meeting, Chen Xuan had seemed out of sorts, often lost in thought. He understood—anyone would be upset to have their second-to-last score read aloud in public.

On the surface, Chen Xuan seemed indifferent to everything, but deep down she was fiercely competitive.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have looked so troubled in the elevator that day after a poor lesson.

So, before bed, Li An had sent her a message to comfort her.

He never expected their discussion about teaching children would stretch on for two hours.

During the conversation, he realized Chen Xuan had little actual teaching experience, so he shared many insights he’d accumulated over the years.

“I must thank you for your generous advice, Teacher Li,” Chen Xuan said with a gentle smile. “He Yiming gave me a 4.1.”

Li An chuckled, “He Yiming certainly has good taste.”

As she passed his desk, Chen Xuan set the food she carried down.

“No instant noodles for lunch.”

Li An wondered at the gesture, but Chen Xuan had already returned to her desk, saying calmly, “You never accepted my last transfer, so here’s your wonton back.”

Ah, just a bowl of wontons. He had truly forgotten.

Since they were there, he dug in without ceremony, quickly unpacking the meal. A warm, seaweed-scented steam wafted up.

...

He looked closely.

“Where’s my cilantro?”

...

Perhaps because he hadn’t gotten his cilantro at lunch, Li An’s afternoon class was less than stellar.

Originally, he was supposed to offer a make-up lesson Wednesday morning, but yesterday Wang Xiaohu’s grandmother contacted him, saying the child had been practicing at home and was eager for class.

Li An scheduled it for that afternoon.

He’d been waiting for Xiaohu’s grandmother’s call, but the worry he felt that morning materialized during the lesson.

He Yiming remarked that Li An’s class was systematic, but awarded only a 3.4—one full point lower than Xu Nana’s 4.4.

Li An couldn’t blame He Yiming for the low score; he could only fault himself for being too lenient with Wang Xiaohu.

The rascal hadn’t come for the lesson at all.

His mind was nowhere near the piano, refusing to answer questions, frequently distracting with talk of games.

Didn’t he notice there was an observer in the classroom today?

Ah.

After seeing He Yiming out, Li An stepped outside to speak to Xiaohu’s grandmother about the lesson.

“Grandma, Xiaohu doesn’t need to come tomorrow for now. Today’s session was fine, and the new material I assigned should keep him busy for a few days. Please supervise him closely; the exam is approaching, and we need to tighten up.”

“Don’t worry, Teacher Li. His mother will be back soon; she’ll keep an eye on him.”

Li An was relieved.

Returning to the classroom, he found Wang Xiaohu already engrossed in his phone. When Li An entered, Xiaohu looked as if he wanted to challenge him to a game.

“Class is over?” Li An asked sternly. “Who told you to take out your phone?”

Wang Xiaohu’s pretty face fell instantly. He shoved the phone away, adopting a sulky posture that only irritated Li An further.

“I’m telling you, your mother’s coming back soon—you’d better behave.”

Li An never imagined that such an ordinary remark would have unexpected consequences.

[Wang Xiaohu’s teacher-student index dropped to 11]

Li An was dumbfounded.

Was this how trouble from careless words began?