Snatching a Quiet Moment to Arrange a Meeting

Li An had intended to slip next door to check things out, but the moment he stepped out of the classroom, Chen Xuan had already finished her conversation and was chatting with several parents. He moved aside to wait.

When Chen Xuan saw the parents off, Li An stepped forward proactively and asked with concern, “How did it go? Smooth sailing?”

“A little better than yesterday. I’ll send you the recording later.”

Chen Xuan turned to him and asked, “What about you?”

Li An tilted his wrist and pointed inside the door with his thumb. “Chen Teacher gave some pointers.”

Chen Xuan gave a light laugh and shook her head. “With so many parents, I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to go in.”

She paused. “After class, are you heading home first?”

Li An thought for a moment. “I won’t go home today. I’ll finish practicing the piano and then head to Blue Whale.”

Chen Xuan nodded. “Then I’ll leave first. Bye.”

“Chen Xuan.”

Just as he turned to leave, her name rang out from behind him. Li An rarely called her by name like this.

She turned around. The man looked at her seriously and asked, “Do you have time on the evening of the twenty-fourth?”

The twenty-fourth?

“Yes.”

Chen Xuan turned fully and answered firmly, then asked softly, “Is there something you need?”

“Let’s go out and play.”

Li An smiled gently after speaking.

Chen Xuan’s shoulders trembled slightly.

The scene seemed to freeze in place.

Then it swelled into a crescendo.

Even Old Dong, who had been peeking out from the classroom, moved in slow motion.

The last rays of the setting sun poured through the windows and bathed the entire corridor. Li An kept his hands in his trouser pockets while Chen Xuan slung her long flute case across her waist.

They stood two meters apart, gazing at each other.

Old Dong slowly extended his head. He first looked left, then labored to turn right, his hazy eyes slowly twitching the crow’s feet at the corners upward and downward. His mouth opened and closed.

Only when he spotted Li An did he speak.

“Teacher Li.”

A beat of silence.

Chen Xuan pursed her lips and nodded, then turned and hurried away.

Li An let out a long breath. His heart felt wonderfully relieved.

The only blemish was the unsightly figure of Old Dong behind him.

Just hold on for another ten seconds, okay?

“Class is about to start.”

After class, Li An said very little. He simply reminded the children to review the afternoon’s lesson content thoroughly at home tonight.

Some parents immediately asked how their children should practice when they returned.

At that moment, Old Dong suddenly chimed in, “I’ll create a group later. Have Teacher Li post the practice materials there. If the kids run into any problems during practice, they can reach out to Teacher Li directly in the group for help.”

The parents all nodded in agreement.

They scheduled the rehearsal for tomorrow afternoon. The parents took their children, said their goodbyes to Li An one by one, and left.

“Goodbye, Teacher Li.”

Che Lin shouldered her small backpack and waved at Li An.

“Goodbye, Che Lin.”

Seeing Che Lin walk away alone, Li An realized that among the seven parents who had come that afternoon, none belonged to her.

“You’ve worked hard.”

On the way back to the office, Old Dong comforted him. He had personally watched Li An busy back and forth for the entire afternoon without once sitting down or taking a sip of water.

Li An waved a hand. “It wasn’t hard at all. You accompanied me and wasted an afternoon.”

Old Dong smiled. “I’ll make a group later. Tomorrow I won’t interfere. I think the parents were quite satisfied with today’s lesson.”

Li An replied, “It was mainly because of you. Without your help, this class would never have gone smoothly.”

Even though he knew Li An’s words lacked substance, Old Dong found them comforting to hear.

No matter. His heart warmed, and Old Dong unconsciously adopted the tone of a senior leader. “Go for it, Little Li.”

Behind the words seemed to imply “this time you won’t be let down,” though he never said it aloud.

Then he patted Li An on the shoulder and headed toward Qin Yong’s office.

Watching Old Dong’s retreating figure, Li An smiled.

A truly lovable uncle.

Old Dong knocked on the door and entered Qin Yong’s office. Qin Yong asked how the afternoon class had gone.

Old Dong gave a lengthy praise.

“Teacher Li was very attentive.”

Hearing that Li An had been attentive, Qin Yong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been worried that Li An might not care.

Being attentive at least meant the other party had given some response.

A moment passed.

He didn’t ask you anything?

Old Dong shook his head. “He didn’t even drink water all afternoon.”

Back in his own office, Li An picked up the teacup from the desk and gulped down several large mouthfuls.

Only when his throat began to ache did he set it down.

He took a deep breath, grabbed his charger, and headed to Classroom 4.

After charging his phone, he sat at the piano and practiced the different parts of “My Motherland” for a while.

Once he felt comfortable, he turned on the video recording and played the keyboard.

In the afternoon, he had asked one of the children, “Have you ever heard your own part?”

The child had replied no.

This proved that Tian Yu had never given them a complete demonstration.

He found this unacceptable.

Since Old Dong had suggested creating a group, he saw no reason not to perform this good deed.

Half an hour later, the eight videos covering all eight parts were finished.

On the way to Blue Whale, Old Dong had already set up the group. Li An checked the members. All eight parents were present.

He then posted the eight videos in order of parts into the group, adding practice tips and precautions after each one.

Li An’s motivation was simple. If he had to assign himself a persona, he had established himself as a serious and responsible teacher.

From the moment parents had come to listen to his rehearsal that afternoon, he had already devised a complete plan in his mind.

Since there was an opportunity to enroll these eight children, he intended to use some strategy.

He must seize every chance to showcase himself, letting the children feel his warmth and whether his language and speaking style were vivid enough.

To make the final paying parents see his professionalism, his thinking, and his attitude.

Otherwise, why would they choose him when so many institutions and teachers existed?

Li An had no idea how Old Dong had communicated with the parents that afternoon to pave the way.

For the time being, he could only grasp every detail, reach the children’s hearts, and win the parents’ favor.

Chi Yu’s mother: [Thank you, Teacher Li / Flowers]

The phone vibrated. Li An opened the message, then various parents lined up with flowers and thumbs-up emojis.

Li An replied: Any questions, feel free to contact me / Cute