After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 22

“This is your make-up. Three pieces,” Wang Fang said, counting them with her fingers in front of Xu Chacha, and putting them into her pocket. “I don’t have fruit candy, only this.”

Xu Chacha’s pocket was small, bulging with the three chocolates.

She stared wide-eyed at Wang Fang. “Does Teacher Fangfang have a lot of chocolate?”

Wang Fang thought she wanted more and pulled out the entire box from her drawer.

These were all mailed to her by her daughter who lived abroad. She often sent several boxes at a time. Wang Fang kept them in her drawer to eat occasionally for low blood sugar.

Xu Chacha put the three from her pocket into the box, bowed her head, and carefully counted them with her fingers.

“2… 4… 6… 30, 31.” She took one out and handed it to Wang Fang. “This one is for Teacher Fangfang.”

“What about the rest?” Wang Fang asked.

“The rest are for the classmates. We have exactly thirty children in our class.” Xu Chacha held the box, smiling brightly. “I’ll go tell everyone that Teacher Fangfang gave out chocolates. Everyone will be so happy!”

“You…” Wang Fang started to say something, then stopped.

She certainly didn’t begrudge the chocolate, but she hadn’t expected Xu Chacha, at such a young age, to already know how to share and be thoughtful of others. She had originally thought that coming back from the countryside, she would be a sensitive and insecure child, but now it seemed she was more mature and sensible than many adults.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Go on and share them,” Wang Fang patted her.

Xu Chacha walked into the classroom with a large box of chocolates, quickly attracting everyone’s attention, but they all remembered Wang Fang’s instruction to sit still and not move around.

Xu Chacha laboriously carried the box to the podium. Because she was too short and didn’t see something blocking her path, one piece accidentally dropped.

“Ah!” She quickly squatted down to pick it up.

The chocolate rolling on the floor was intercepted halfway. A wheat-skinned hand grabbed it and held it out to Xu Chacha.

“Your… your chocolate.” The boy pursed his lips and then said, “My name is Feng Zhuang. You can call me by my nickname, Zhuangzhuang.”

“Zhuangzhuang, is it?” Xu Chacha’s voice was sweet, and she curved her beautiful eyes into a smile at him. “Thank you, Zhuangzhuang.”

Feng Zhuang stared at her radiant smile, his eyes fixed. How could a girl be so pretty? Her voice was nice too, calling his name so sweetly, almost like she was being affectionate.

“You’re… you’re welcome.” Feng Zhuang’s face became hot, but fortunately, his skin was dark, so it wasn’t too noticeable.

Xu Chacha put the one that fell on the ground aside for herself and then clapped the box. “Teacher Fangfang is giving out chocolates to everyone!”

“Chocolate!” Chen Qianqian was the first to stand up and raise her hand. “I love chocolate.”

“Everyone gets one.” Xu Chacha counted out the chocolates and asked the student sitting first in each group to pass them down.

One chocolate wasn’t much for these children from affluent families, but the fact that Xu Chacha said the usually serious Wang Fang was treating them made a difference.

Wang Fang’s name was well-known in the school. Even parents knew how strict her teaching attitude was. While she might sometimes overlook students’ emotional needs, it had to be said that her teaching level was far ahead of the other teachers at A Primary School.

Any student in Class 1 had been somewhat instructed by their parents to listen obediently to Wang Fang and not defy the teacher. The children, being simple-minded, subconsciously regarded Wang Fang as a difficult and somewhat fierce teacher. Seeing her in person today made them even more afraid.

So, what relieved them wasn’t the chocolate itself, but the softened attitude it represented. After eating the sweet chocolate, the seemingly fierce Teacher Wang didn’t seem so scary anymore.

Chen Qianqian, sitting in the back row because she was taller, finally received the chocolate. She immediately tore off the wrapper and swallowed it whole with a loud “Aww.”

“Delicious, delicious!”

“Hmph,” Xue Miaomiao, her deskmate, lifted her chin high. “What’s so rare about chocolate? Are you here to study or to eat snacks?”

“Huh? Miaomiao, don’t you like chocolate?” Chen Qianqian looked at her with pity. “Chocolate is very delicious, and sweet. If you don’t like it, I’ll eat it for you so it doesn’t go to waste.”

Xue Miaomiao grunted and didn’t reply, but her peripheral vision tightly tracked Chen Qianqian’s movements. Seeing her truly swallow the chocolate without hesitation, her delicate brows furrowed, and she clenched her teeth secretly.

Darn it, who said she didn’t like chocolate!

…

The pace in Class 1 was very fast. They weren’t given an easy time just because it was the first day of school. The homework assigned on the first day alone could fill a backpack.

The students inevitably had some complaints, but only Xu Chacha was excitedly packing her schoolbag.

During the break, Wen Mubai called. She had only intended to ask how her first day of school was going, but Xu Chacha took the opportunity to ask her to pick her up after school. Unexpectedly, Wen Mubai readily agreed, even asking for her dismissal time and saying she would be waiting at the gate on time.

The last period was Wang Fang’s class. She managed the time perfectly; the dismissal bell rang right after she assigned the homework.

“Class dismissed. Don’t linger outside on your way home.” Wang Fang closed her book.

Xu Chacha was the first to stand up, running to her side and reaching out for a high-five. “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Fangfang! Goodbye, Teacher Fangfang!”

Wang Fang nodded, her right hand briefly touching Xu Chacha’s soft palm. “See you tomorrow.”

“Mhm, mhm. Chacha is leaving now!”

“Hey—Chacha.” Chen Qianqian grabbed her backpack and laboriously ran after her, hooking onto her arm. As she passed Wang Fang, she instinctively mimicked Xu Chacha and said, “Teacher… Teacher Fangfang, goodbye.”

Then she cautiously raised her hand to Wang Fang.

“Goodbye.” High-five x2.

Perhaps because the two of them started it, the other students felt they should all bid farewell to Wang Fang this way. So, one by one, everyone who passed by her said, “Goodbye, Teacher Fangfang,” and all held out their little arms waiting for a high-five. The little ‘potatoes’ lined up quite orderly.

Fang Yuan, the head teacher of Class 3 and also the English teacher for Class 1, had agreed to wait for Wang Fang to go out for dinner. When she arrived, she witnessed this strange scene and couldn’t help but tease her.

“Well, well, when did our Teacher Wang become ‘Teacher Fangfang’?” She put a hand on Wang Fang’s shoulder. “Honestly, with these little ones calling you that, I think you look much cuter.”

Wang Fang pretended not to hear her. After saying goodbye to the last student, she continued to tidy up her teaching materials.

“If you like it, I can call you that too, my cute Teacher YuanYuan.” She emphasized the last few words.

“Hahahaha, no, no, no! Spare me!”

…

Outside the classroom, Chen Qianqian finally caught up to Xu Chacha. She grabbed her little arm and linked arms with her. “Let’s walk together. My mom is coming to pick me up too. I’ll treat you to cake.”

Xu Chacha shook her head. “No! My auntie is picking me up today. I want to play with Auntie!”

“Auntie…” Chen Qianqian scratched her head. “Why do you seem to like Auntie more than your Mommy and Daddy?”

“My Auntie is the best to me.” Xu Chacha giggled and patted Chen Qianqian’s hand. “So I can’t have cake with you today. I’ll treat you next time.”

“Okay, then.” Chen Qianqian pouted. “See you tomorrow, Chacha.”

“See you tomorrow!”

Xu Chacha finally ran to the school gate. Wen Mubai’s tall figure and fair skin stood out noticeably in the crowd.

She wore a matte white sun protection jacket over a short dress, holding a large sun umbrella over her head. Her long legs under the shorts were slender and straight. Just leaning lazily against the car door, she attracted countless passersby to stop and admire her.

“Auntie,” she called out, running and leaping into her arms.

Wen Mubai quickly caught her, nearly dropping the umbrella. “Don’t be so reckless, be careful.”

Xu Chacha’s soft arms wrapped around her neck, seemingly having already forgotten what she just said. “I missed you so much.”

“Xu Chacha, wait a minute.” Before they could say much, a voice behind them called out Xu Chacha’s name.

The adult and the child turned around together to see Feng Zhuang’s face behind them.

He was carrying his backpack on one shoulder, one hand in his pocket, trying his best to look cool but failing to hide the awkwardness of being out of breath from running.

Wen Mubai put Xu Chacha down on the ground. Xu Chacha took a step forward. “Zhuangzhuang, is something wrong?”

“That… that…” Feng Zhuang looked up at her twice as he spoke, then immediately dropped his gaze. After a long moment, he pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket that was larger than Xu Chacha’s face. “Chacha, you’re really pretty, and you’re very nice. I… I want to be your friend!”

Xu Chacha didn’t take it. Instead, she looked up at Wen Mubai, seemingly asking for her opinion.

Wen Mubai raised an eyebrow. “Answer your classmate. Why are you looking at Auntie?”

“Thank you.” Xu Chacha took the chocolate with both hands. “We are all good friends already. You don’t need to say it specially.”

“My dad told me to make friends with people I like. I like you, so…”

“I like everyone,” Xu Chacha smiled guilelessly.

“No, I mean,” Feng Zhuang coughed lightly. “I like you very, very much, the kind where I want to be with you forever and ever even when we grow up.”

Wen Mubai, who was watching the scene, finally showed a change in expression. She shifted her weight to the other foot, looking down to observe Xu Chacha’s reaction.

Seriously. The very first day of school, and she’s already been confessed to by a little boy.

“Ah?” Xu Chacha handed the chocolate back. “No, you can’t. Auntie said Chacha can’t date early.”

Wen Mubai, who had never said such a thing, looked puzzled but was gracious enough not to expose her on the spot. She had underestimated the little one; she could lie without batting an eyelid or her face turning red.

“Right, Auntie?” Xu Chacha pulled on her sleeve when she didn’t react.

Wen Mubai finally spoke. “Simply being friends is fine, but nothing else. You are still young. You’ll understand when you grow up.”

“I’m not little.” Feng Zhuang was quite defiant. “My brother said that when you meet a girl you like, you have to be quick, precise, and ruthless, or she’ll run off with someone else.”

Wen Mubai, Xu Chacha: “…”

We should call your brother in for some education. Teaching this to a primary school student?