The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

Hu Xiuqiao smiled gently and spoke politely.

A smile and tone like that were certainly hard to refuse.

Gu Jiaojiao glanced at the stack of exams but didn’t reach for them. "I remember, these are from the exam given in first period this morning. A whole day has passed, and Teacher Hu still hasn’t graded them. It seems your professional skills are a bit lacking!"

"I remember we’ve always had ten teachers for ten classes, and everyone managed to get by. So how is it that Teacher Hu can’t seem to finish grading exams and homework these days? Is your workload too heavy? If that’s really the case, I can speak to the principal about adjusting your duties."

Hu Xiuqiao’s face went pale at Gu Jiaojiao’s words.

If she were to go to the principal over this, such a stern man would surely start to question her teaching ability.

Hu Xiuqiao quickly made an excuse.

"Teacher Gu, I was just asking for a favor. If you don’t want to, just say so. There’s no need to be so aggressive!"

"Besides, I just don’t feel well."

"Everyone feels unwell from time to time!"

As she spoke, Hu Xiuqiao took the exams back. Gu Jiaojiao’s words had made her realize that the other woman only looked delicate and soft; her personality was anything but.

Gu Jiaojiao scoffed. "In that case, Teacher Hu, you’ve been feeling unwell for an awfully long time. It’s been a month, hasn’t it?"

"If you’re really so unwell, you can ask for a few days off to rest. After all, if your sickness gets serious, falling behind on grading homework and exams is one thing, but it would be a real problem if it starts to affect the children’s learning."

When Gu Jiaojiao decided to confront someone, she showed no mercy. Her words left Hu Xiuqiao speechless.

However, since it was just the two of them in the room, the situation wasn’t too embarrassing for Hu Xiuqiao.

She bit her lip, her face a mask of grievance, looking as though she had been bullied.

This was especially true when she saw the man standing behind Gu Jiaojiao. The rims of her eyes reddened, and her voice filled with a sense of being wronged.

"Teacher Gu, it’s not like I wanted to be sick. You don’t have to be so pushy!"

"Besides, you’re the teacher’s assistant. Helping grade homework is part of your job."

Originally, there were only ten teachers. Later, when a female teacher got pregnant and had her baby, the school planned to hire a replacement. But the principal felt the ten teachers were already too busy, so he decided to hire someone to help out instead.

Because the work involved a variety of tasks—helping whichever teacher needed it—the position of "teacher’s assistant" was created.

Gu Jiaojiao noticed Hu Xiuqiao’s sudden shift to a weaker demeanor and guessed what was happening. In an instant, her own voice became even more fragile than Hu Xiuqiao’s.

"Teacher Hu, please don’t be angry. It’s just some exams, isn’t it? I’ll stay up all night to get them graded for you. Even though I have my own exams and homework to look over, you’re right. I’m the teacher’s assistant, so everyone should come to me when they need help. I can’t refuse to help you just because I’ve been busy subbing for Mr. An."

Hu Xiuqiao: ...

The color drained from her face.

The next moment, Leng Yuan walked in from outside. The instant Hu Xiuqiao saw Leng Yuan, she opened her mouth to explain.

But then she saw the principal and several other teachers walk in together.

Which meant they had heard that entire exchange.

Hu Xiuqiao’s face turned even paler.

She looked at Gu Jiaojiao and saw that Leng Yuan had already moved to shield her, fixing Teacher Hu with a cold stare. "Teacher Hu, Teacher Gu has been very busy substituting lately. You should handle the affairs of your own class."

"That’s not..."

She wanted to tell everyone, ’Gu Jiaojiao is just putting on an act! Before you arrived, this woman was vicious!’