34. A Night at the Academy

Zhang Tan: -_-||

The nickname "Boss Zhang" had recently spread throughout the academy. According to inside intel, the source was none other than little Xiaobai! Much like the previous nickname, "Pee-er Hei."

"Pee-er Hei" was coined behind his back because Zhang Tan had hindered Xiaobai’s pursuit of Xiaomi. "Boss Zhang," on the other hand, stemmed from that bowl of cold noodles; it was also coined in secret and he only found out about it after it had already caught on.

Xiaobai staunchly refused to admit she had come up with "Pee-er Hei," even though every child in the academy knew it was her—after all, she was the only one who spoke with that thick Sichuan accent. But she wouldn't admit it, not even after she and Zhang Tan had made up.

She wouldn't admit to "Boss Zhang" either. Whenever asked, she would put on an innocent face, feigning complete ignorance and claiming she was just a little kid who didn't know anything.

"Pee-er Hei" had left Zhang Tan feeling sullen for a while. He couldn't tell if "Boss Zhang" was meant to be a compliment or an insult, but regardless, it didn't make him happy. After all, it really didn't sound very flattering.

Out of habit, Zhang Tan reached out to tug on Shen Liuliu’s braided pigtails, but suddenly remembered her mother was present. His hand was already mid-air, so he awkwardly shifted to patting her little head instead, saying, "Has your mom come to pick you up? Stop playing with the ball and hurry home."

As he drew closer, he noticed that Shen Liuliu’s mother looked exhausted, her face pale. Concerned, he asked, "Liuliu’s mom, are you not feeling well?"

It was his first time meeting the woman. She was about 168cm tall, slightly plump, and had the same single-lidded eyes as Liuliu.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied. "And you are?"

Clutching her ball, Shen Liuliu enthusiastically introduced Zhang Tan to her mother, calling him "Boss Zhang." As for his name, gender, age, or what he did for a living, she knew absolutely nothing.

Zhang Tan had to introduce himself: "I’m Zhang Tan. I only started here at the beginning of the month, so you might not have seen me before."

"Oh, hello. I’m Zhu Xiaojing, Liuliu’s mother..."

Zhang Tan urged little Shen Liuliu to go home with her mother, then bid the two farewell.

Little Shen Liuliu was bouncy and energetic. Having already taken a nap, she was lingering in the academy, refusing to go home. She played with her ball, then the slide, then clutched a picture book, then whispered to her doll... In short, she was unstoppable, as if she had a mainspring inside her.

Meanwhile, her mother sat there, face pale, brows furrowed from time to time, her hand instinctively clutching her stomach. She seemed reluctant to move and eventually just sat down, took a thermos from her bag, sipped some hot water, and watched Liuliu play, reminding her not to wander out of sight.

"Mom, look! Papa Horse is so cute, I'll let you sit on it," Shen Liuliu called out happily, beckoning her.

For the sake of her child, Zhu Xiaojing forced a smile. "You go ahead and play, Liuliu. Mommy will just sit here for a while."

After playing by herself for a bit, Shen Liuliu ran over, tugging at her mother’s hand and demanding she play along.

"Liuliu, let’s go home, shall we? It’s getting late," Zhu Xiaojing said. Her stomach pain was intensifying, and all she wanted now was to lie down and rest.

"Just a little longer!"

***

Zhang Tan returned to his room, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and lay down to sleep. The window wasn't shut tight, and the constant sound of cicadas in the mulberry tree was irritating. He got up to close the window and happened to see Shen Liuliu holding her mother’s hand, walking toward the yard. She was bouncing along; it seemed she had finally played enough and was willing to go home.

When they reached the academy gate, Zhu Xiaojing stopped, clutching her stomach and crouching to the ground. It was too far to see clearly, but Old Li from the guard booth ran out and began talking to her.

Zhang Tan hurried downstairs. Besides Old Li, Teacher Xiao Liu was there too.

Zhu Xiaojing looked embarrassed to see him. Old Li pulled Zhang Tan aside and said he’d leave things to Teacher Xiao Liu.

Zhang Tan guessed it was probably menstrual cramps, exacerbated by exhaustion from working overtime.

Teacher Xiao Liu took her to a room to rest for a while. When they came back out, Zhang Tan brought over little Shen Liuliu, who was glaring at him; the little rascal had still wanted to play, but she behaved after having her pigtail tugged.

"I’ll drive you home," Zhang Tan said to Zhu Xiaojing.

She had come on an electric scooter, but in her current state, she couldn't ride it. To avoid any awkwardness, Zhang Tan asked Teacher Xiao Liu to come along. The round trip took over half an hour.

On the way, he learned that Zhu Xiaojing was a journalist. She had only been on the job for three months and was still in her internship period. To secure a permanent position, she worked incredibly hard and often stayed late. Her husband had been transferred to Yuhang, over 200 kilometers away from Pujiang, and only returned on weekends. During the day, Shen Liuliu stayed at kindergarten, and in the evening, she was dropped off at the Little Red Horse Academy.

Back at the academy, Zhang Tan learned that Xiaobai had already been picked up by her aunt. He went back to his room to sleep, though it was nearly midnight and he had work the next day.

In the middle of the night, he was jolted awake by the sound of a child crying. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling in the dim light. The crying persisted—the sound of a little girl. Through the window, the shadows of the trees swayed in the breeze, creating an eerie atmosphere.

It wasn't a dream; someone was crying in the night.

Zhang Tan listened for a while. The sound was coming from downstairs. He checked his phone: 3:30 AM. At this hour, the only little girl in the academy was Xiaomi.

The crying didn't stop. Zhang Tan turned on his bedside lamp, got dressed, grabbed his phone, and switched on the flashlight. He opened his door, and the voice-activated lights in the hallway clicked on. The second-floor dormitory was empty; the children had all left.

The crying was coming from the staff dormitory, also on the second floor, at the end of the hall.

The hallway lights illuminated one by one as the sound resonated. Teacher Xiao Liu was supposed to be staying with Xiaomi tonight. Perhaps the child had a nightmare and was scared.

Feeling uneasy, Zhang Tan prepared to knock on the door, but just then, it opened. Teacher Xiao Liu stepped out in her pajamas, hair messy, eyes hazy with sleep. She let out a shriek the moment she saw a figure standing in the hall.

"It's me, it's me! Zhang Tan! Teacher Xiao Liu, don't be scared!" Zhang Tan quickly explained.

He had been startled by her piercing scream, and even Xiaomi’s crying in the room paused for a moment.

"Boss?" Teacher Xiao Liu asked hesitantly.

Zhang Tan took two steps forward so she could see him clearly.

"It’s me, Zhang Tan. I heard Xiaomi crying and came down to see what was wrong. Did she have a nightmare?"

Teacher Xiao Liu let out a deep sigh of relief. She had been terrified by his sudden appearance and immediately looked embarrassed at her disheveled state.

"I'm so sorry. Xiaomi had a nightmare and was crying very sadly. I must have woken you up."

"It's fine. What are you doing?" Zhang Tan asked.

Teacher Xiao Liu said, "Xiaomi’s doll is in the children's communal dormitory. It was a gift from her mother, and now she’s crying because she wants it."

"Do you need help?"

"No, no, thank you. Go back to rest; I’ll take care of Xiaomi."

"Alright, I'll head back then."

Seeing Teacher Xiao Liu’s embarrassment—after all, girls wanted to look their best in front of others and hated being seen without makeup—he turned to leave.

"Wait! Boss, wait a second, please?"

Teacher Xiao Liu called out to him, looking sheepish. "Could you accompany me to the dormitory to find Xiaomi’s doll? I... I’m a little scared."

Zhang Tan looked at the wide, empty dormitory. Looking in from the doorway, it felt like a black hole; it was indeed frightening in the middle of the night.

Zhang Tan found the wall switch and turned on all the lights before inviting Teacher Xiao Liu inside. They found the doll—a worn-out little girl ragdoll, but it was Xiaomi’s treasure.

Zhang Tan turned the lights off again, closed the door, and walked Teacher Xiao Liu back to her dormitory. He saw that Xiaomi had come out, wearing blue-and-white striped pajamas, standing at the doorway and crying helplessly.

Teacher Xiao Liu hurried over, pulled her into an embrace, waved at Zhang Tan, and went inside.