Chapter 193: Beautiful and Kind-hearted?

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Beautiful and Kind-hearted?

After the old man’s explanation, Nan Zhi and the others finally understood—

The shoes were a gift donated to the school by Miss Chang on behalf of the foundation she represented.

They had just arrived and hadn’t been distributed yet.

Chang Mu said she wanted to take some photos for the charity foundation’s promotional materials.

How could the principal possibly refuse?

She cherished and was grateful for every act of kindness the school received.

If she hadn’t been holding back, the principal would have been moved to tears.

But her eyes were red now, and a genuine smile unconsciously graced her perpetually worried face.

Chang Mu, on the other hand, offered a polite and elegant smile, flashing a picture-perfect set of teeth. She expertly found her best angle for the camera, ensuring she would look her most beautiful.

Her posturing introduced a subtle, almost imperceptible dissonance to what should have been a touching scene.

However, this dissonance was suppressed by the halo of her good deeds, making it nearly unnoticeable.

Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression unreadable.

But she didn’t let it show, simply continuing to wait quietly.

The photoshoot finally ended.

Only then did Chang Mu turn around, looking at Nan Zhi’s group with feigned surprise.

"Ah, you’re finally here? I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice you."

Her use of the word "finally" was a bit pointed.

[Is it just me, or does this rich girl seem a little hostile?]

[You’re right! I get that feeling too! She gives off this passive-aggressive, super hypocritical vibe!]

[My god, can you people get your persecution complexes checked out? Is the whole world out to get your precious idol or something?]

[Stan-brain is a disease, get real! She’s a genuine heiress. A single word from her could probably decide your favorite’s future!]

[This is making me laugh out of anger. This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone call charity work hypocritical! By your logic, everyone who does charity is a hypocrite!]

[That’s not what I meant at all! Stop putting words in my mouth, you rich girl defenders!]

[Okay, okay, stop fighting!]

...

Unlike the warzone in the comments section, the principal’s office was peaceful and calm.

Nan Zhi remained composed.

Qi Pei’er, however, was sharper than expected and immediately shot Nan Zhi a look.

But it was so quick, and their shared glance happened to be just out of the camera’s view.

So, neither Chang Mu nor the livestream viewers noticed it.

The atmosphere remained peaceful. At least on the surface.

The principal’s attention then shifted to them.

"You must be the new volunteer teachers, right?"

Nan Zhi patted the back of Qi Pei’er’s hand reassuringly and took a step forward.

"Hello, Principal Zhang. We’re the new teachers. My name is Nan Zhi."

"I’m Qi Pei’er!"

Following their lead, Nan Yi and Qi Zhang also introduced themselves.

This Principal Zhang looked to be around fifty. Her skin was rough and reddish, but she had a very warm, friendly smile and a kind disposition. She was especially enthusiastic upon seeing Nan Zhi and Qi Pei’er.

"No need to call me Principal. Just call me Teacher Zhang."

Nan Zhi and Qi Pei’er nodded and happily complied.

"Teacher Zhang."

Teacher Zhang then looked at Nan Yi and Qi Zhang with a smile.

"Then you two must be our new little ’Auditors,’ right?"

Nan Yi and Qi Zhang exchanged a glance.

In the end, it was Nan Yi who asked first.

"What’s an Auditor?"

Teacher Zhang let out a hearty laugh and was about to explain.

Chang Mu "casually" lifted her hand to check her watch.

"The children should be out of class by now. Why don’t we hurry up and deliver these surprise gifts!"

Teacher Zhang’s attention was diverted.

"Oh, yes, yes! We should let them have their happy surprise! By the way, since Teacher Nan and Teacher Qi are here, why don’t you come with us and meet the children?"

Of course, Nan Zhi and Qi Pei’er wouldn’t refuse the offer.

But from Chang Mu’s perspective, this was hardly a happy development.

’I went to all this trouble to bring so many new shoes here to build a good relationship with the school children and make a good first impression on the audience. Who would want to share this glory with my ’competitors’!’

But the cameras and the watchful eyes of others prevented Chang Mu from saying what she really thought.

She could only pretend to be magnanimous.

"Yes, the two teachers can help out as well."

This tactic was quite effective. At least, many people in the livestream were praising her, and the comments calling her a hypocrite dwindled.

In total, there were over fifty pairs of shoes, which they carried out to the schoolyard.

The children, who were playing in the schoolyard during their break, saw them and gathered around curiously.

"What’s this? Is it something to eat?"

"It’s new shoes!"

"WOOOOW!"

"..."

Some of the children quickly focused on the new faces, eyeing them shyly.

A bolder one spoke up directly.

"Who are you? Are you new teachers?"

"You’re so pretty!"

"Are you little ones here to study too?"

"You’re so cute! Are you a doll?"

"..."

Nan Zhi and Nan Yi, in particular, drew the most attention.

The reason was simple: they were beautiful.

Even in a simple white shirt and jeans, Nan Zhi was coolly beautiful, like mist over a green mountain after the rain.

And Nan Yi, with her rosy lips and pearly teeth, was like an exquisite doll in everyone’s eyes—so delicate they were afraid to touch her, yet so beloved they wanted to get closer.

Perhaps out of shyness, Nan Yi quickly darted behind her mother, hiding her small frame.

A wave of good-natured laughter rippled through the crowd.

The lively Qi Pei’er pretended to be offended.

"Hey, so you only like the pretty lady, huh? I’m one of your new teachers too, you know!"

The energetic Qi Zhang bounced beside her, acting as her hype man.

Amid the laughter, the children unconsciously began to relax and let their guard down.

They started calling out "Teacher Nan" and "Teacher Qi," and also affectionately called Nan Yi and Qi Zhang "little Yiyi" and "little Xiao Zhang."

In truth, Chang Mu was also beautiful.

But children have a natural, keen intuition, and they sensed a hard-to-approach arrogance and distance about her.

So, they subconsciously avoided Chang Mu, crowding even more tightly around Nan Zhi and the others instead.

Chang Mu gritted her teeth.

’These children are so clueless,’ she silently fumed. ’I brought all these gifts. Isn’t it obvious who the center of attention should be?’

Wanting to seize back the initiative, she couldn’t help but raise her voice.

"Children, come and see the gifts I brought, won’t you?"

Beside her, Teacher Zhang seemed to snap out of a daze and echoed her sentiment.

The children’s attention finally focused entirely on Chang Mu, just as she had hoped.

Only then did they notice the new shoes in the boxes, and pure joy lit up their faces one by one.

Chang Mu let out a satisfied breath and said with a smile,

"These are my gifts to you. I hope you will all study hard..."

Chang Mu’s assistant didn’t forget to keep taking photos with her phone.

For a moment, Chang Mu seemed to become the center of every lens.