After Becoming the Abused Heroine in a Campus Story - Chapter 24: Teacher Little Zhou

Chapter 24: Teacher Little Zhou

At noon when school ended, Zhou Yining went to find Tian Xue, but Tian Xue said she had something to do and left first.

Zhou Yining didn’t mind too much. She actually felt more relaxed walking alone, since Zhou Yining’s core was an adult, and she didn’t have much in common with Tian Xue.

Zhou Yining returned home at noon and everything went smoothly. Because of that slap, Zhou Jiaming didn’t dare to provoke her casually now.

Zhou Yining enjoyed the peace. She took a nap and then leisurely got up to go to school.

Tomorrow was Sunday. Zhou Yining planned to use half the day to tutor Jiang Xianzhi. As for the afternoon, she needed to earn money. Submitting manuscripts to various places was one way, but passing reviews took time. Zhou Yining only had 70 yuan left. If something urgent came up, it might not be enough.

The afternoon had two English classes. Zhou Yining completed a few test papers and then started writing outlines for other short stories out of boredom.

She needed to cast a wide net now. Writing more short stories for submission would help her earn more money.

As for asking for money from her family, Zhou Yining never considered it. The original body’s parents belittled her so much that they probably didn’t even want to pay her tuition, let alone pocket money.

During the evening study session, Zhou Yining finished all her homework as usual and then worked on her outlines.

At dinner time, Tian Xue disappeared early again.

Zhou Yining’s brows furrowed slightly. Normally, Tian Xue would come to find her. What was wrong today?

She decided to find Tian Xue and ask. Zhou Yining never liked avoiding issues. Solving problems directly prevented simple matters from becoming complicated.

With this thought, she quickly walked outside. At this time, everyone was heading to the cafeteria. Zhou Yining finally spotted Tian Xue in the crowd.

She shouted at Tian Xue, “Tian Xue.”

Tian Xue heard Zhou Yining’s voice but walked even faster.

Zhou Yining frowned and pushed through the crowd, calling again, “Tian Xue, why didn’t you wait for me today?”

Tian Xue’s head lowered slightly. “I, I…”

Seeing her like this, Zhou Yining didn’t press her. “Forget it, let’s go get food together.”

“Hmm.” Tian Xue clenched her hands. She looked at Zhou Yining and, after a moment, said, “I feel the gap between us is getting bigger. You’re a good student now, not like me.”

“What’s different? Don’t overthink it. Senior year is coming. Improving grades is what matters most. Other things aren’t important. By the way, did you read that notebook?”

“I read it. The knowledge points are comprehensive, and you can find examples in the book. It’s very useful.”

“Good. If you don’t understand something, ask me. I charge snacks for others’ questions, but it’s free for you,” Zhou Yining said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Though she didn’t know Tian Xue’s family situation, Zhou Yining could tell Tian Xue was somewhat insecure and sensitive. Dealing with such people required some care for their feelings.

“Hmm.” Tian Xue’s expression relaxed a bit, and she followed Zhou Yining into the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria, Zhou Yining got a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, while Tian Xue got a chicken leg rice bowl. They found an empty seat.

Shortly after sitting, Zhou Yining felt several sticky gazes directed at her.

She looked up and saw a few boys not far away winking at her.

Zhou Yining’s brows furrowed slightly. She didn’t know these people. What did they mean?

The leader, a boy, saw Zhou Yining looking at him. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Yo, Zhou Yining, long time no see. How’d you get so pretty?”

The boy was tall and thin, but his gaze at Zhou Yining was sleazy, like it was laced with poison.

Zhou Yining’s brows furrowed slightly. She stared back without flinching.

The boy smirked. “Not bad, Zhou Yining. You’ve grown. You dare look at me like that now.”

His companions burst into laughter, their gazes at Zhou Yining unfriendly.

Across from Zhou Yining, Tian Xue’s face paled. She stared at her food, wishing she could bury herself in it.

The boys teased a bit more and soon left.

Zhou Yining didn’t have all the original body’s memories. She didn’t know who these people were, but Tian Xue’s reaction suggested she did.

Zhou Yining looked up and asked, “Who were those guys just now?”

“You don’t remember Lin Shaohui?” Tian Xue asked, her face pale.

Zhou Yining shook her head. “I don’t recall.”

Tian Xue’s eyes darted away. “It’s good you don’t remember. They’re not good people anyway. Remember they’re bad. Avoid them if you see them.”

Zhou Yining’s heart sank. Thinking of their poisonous gazes, she felt there might be more to this. The original body’s experiences might go beyond being isolated by classmates or having a love letter posted on the confession wall. There could be worse things.

“What exactly happened?” Zhou Yining asked.

“Don’t ask. Just remember they’re not good people. Lin Shaohui’s family is rich. We can’t afford to mess with them,” Tian Xue warned again.

Since she wouldn’t say more, Zhou Yining dropped it, but she kept it in mind.

Back in the classroom, Zhou Yining stopped thinking about it and continued organizing her story outlines.

After school, she left with Tian Xue, but Tian Xue seemed inexplicably nervous, constantly looking around.

“What are you looking at?” Zhou Yining asked.

“Nothing. Just be careful. If you run into Lin Shaohui and his group, avoid them,” Tian Xue reminded.

Zhou Yining’s lips pressed together tightly. She was now certain the original body likely suffered severe bullying, but what exactly happened before?

Zhou Yining could only investigate slowly. She vowed to reclaim every harm the original body endured, one by one.

At home that night, Zhao Xiuna didn’t make her a late-night snack.

Zhou Yining didn’t care. It was fine; everyone stopped pretending now.

She grabbed clean clothes and took a shower. When she came out, she received a WeChat message from Jiang Xianzhi.

Jiang Xianzhi: [Teacher Little Zhou, what time tomorrow? Where’s your house? I’ll have my driver pick you up.]

Zhou Yining’s lips curved slightly. She typed on her phone.

Zhou Yining: [No need. Send me your location. I’ll come over. See you at 8 a.m.]

Jiang Xianzhi: [Alright, see you in the morning~ (cat waving jpg)]

Zhou Yining: [See you in the morning.]

She put down her phone, feeling lighter. Chatting with Jiang Xianzhi always made Zhou Yining feel relaxed.

Since transmigrating, she’d been dealing with the original body’s issues—family and school. Everything felt like tangled threads, hard to unravel.

But things were moving in a better direction. Zhou Yining sighed. She needed to tackle things one by one, solving problems gradually. Letting things flow naturally was best.

She lay in bed and fell asleep soon. Zhou Yining set an alarm for 6:30 a.m. She checked Jiang Xianzhi’s address yesterday. It was in a villa district downtown, far from her place, requiring nine bus stops. She needed to get up early.

When she woke, Zhao Xiuna was already making breakfast.

Seeing Zhou Yining, Zhao Xiuna asked, “Why are you up so early? Don’t you rest on Sundays?”

“Hmm, I’m going to a classmate’s house. I might be back around seven or eight p.m.,” Zhou Yining said while getting ready.

Zhao Xiuna’s brows furrowed. After hesitating, she asked, “Boy or girl?”

Zhou Yining hadn’t expected Zhao Xiuna to care about this after that night’s events.

She looked at Zhao Xiuna. “Girl. Why?”

“Really? You used to stay home on Sundays, never going out with classmates,” Zhao Xiuna said hesitantly, still suspecting her daughter had a boyfriend.

“I’ve changed. I want to study and improve with friends. Time’s running out. I’m going to wash up,” Zhou Yining said, sensing Zhao Xiuna’s disbelief. She didn’t care. Believe or not, she didn’t need to prove herself.

After leaving the bathroom, Zhou Yining drank a bowl of porridge and ate an egg, then went to change clothes.

On Sundays, she didn’t need to wear a uniform. Zhou Yining had no wardrobe at home. Her clothes were under the single bed in the dining room.

She lifted the bed board and looked at the clothes inside. All were off-brand, some even yellowed from washing.

Zhou Yining stood by the bed, laughing in frustration. They bought Zhou Jiaming branded sportswear and shoes costing at least seven or eight hundred, but her clothes were cheap stall goods. They wouldn’t even buy new stall goods. Were some people really parents?

She took a deep breath, picked a clean white T-shirt and jeans, changed, and headed to the door. She ignored Zhao Xiuna. Zhao Xiuna wasn’t a competent mother anyway.

Seeing Zhou Yining leave, Zhao Xiuna hurriedly asked, “Yining, leaving already? Are you really studying with a female classmate, or going out with shady people?”

Zhou Yining didn’t bother responding and slammed the door.

The noise woke Zhou Yuanfei. He walked out of the bedroom, annoyed. “What’s going on? Making a fuss early in the morning?”

Zhao Xiuna sighed. “Yining’s getting harder to manage. She said she’s going to a classmate’s today and won’t be back until evening. I’m worried she’s dating a boy.”

“Hmph, if she dares to be that shameless, I’ll beat her to death. Let her go out. Saves her from being an eyesore at home,” Zhou Yuanfei said, fuming at the sight of Zhou Yining.

Zhou Jiaming came out of his room. “Exactly, Mom, why bother with her? She’s like a mad dog now, biting everyone. Careful, she might bite you.”

“How can you talk about your sister like that?” Zhao Xiuna tried to mediate.

Zhou Yuanfei snorted. “Jiaming’s right. Ignore that mad dog. Without her, our family can live comfortably.”

Meanwhile, Zhou Yining left home and walked about one stop to the bus stop. From there, nine bus stops and one more stop on foot would get her to Jiang Xianzhi’s place.

The morning bus came quickly. After about five minutes, Zhou Yining boarded. Half an hour later, she got off at a downtown street.

She took out her phone and followed the navigation to Jiang Xianzhi’s house.

At the villa district’s gate, a security guard stopped her.

“Where are you going? We use facial recognition here,” the guard said, eyeing Zhou Yining’s clothes with slight disdain.

“I’m visiting my friend, Jiang Xianzhi,” Zhou Yining said, looking at the guard calmly.

The guard had resident info on his computer. He had another guard check Jiang Xianzhi’s contact, called to confirm, and said, “Miss Jiang’s house is at Villa 13. Go straight down this road.”

“Okay, thanks,” Zhou Yining said, entering through the side gate.

As she walked, she noted the nice environment. In the pricey downtown area, the greenery was impressive. Truly a place for the rich.

In her previous life, she could’ve afforded a house here. Now? Zhou Yining touched her pocket, with just over 60 yuan, and smiled bitterly, shaking her head.

She watched for villa numbers and, after about ten minutes, reached Villa 13.

Jiang Xianzhi was waiting. Seeing Zhou Yining, she waved from the door. “Here.”

Zhou Yining smiled and nodded. “Hmm, had breakfast? Shall we start?”

“I ate. You? Want something more?” Jiang Xianzhi asked.

“I ate too. Let’s start,” Zhou Yining said, here to tutor Jiang Xianzhi. Her good grades came from relentless study in her past life.

“Alright, to my study,” Jiang Xianzhi said, pulling Zhou Yining into the villa.

In the living room, only Jiang Yueyi was there. She stayed late on purpose to see her sister’s new friend.

Seeing her sister hadn’t left, Jiang Xianzhi pulled Zhou Yining over. “Sis, this is my friend Zhou Yining.”

She turned to Zhou Yining. “This is my sister.”

Zhou Yining looked at Jiang Yueyi and nodded. “Hello, Miss Jiang.”

“Hmm, hello. Since you’re Zhizhi’s friend, treat this place like home. Need anything, just tell the staff,” Jiang Yueyi said, staring at Zhou Yining.

Zhou Yining met her gaze without flinching. After a moment, she smiled lightly. “Thanks for your hospitality, Miss Jiang. We’ll study now.”

“Hmm,” Jiang Yueyi nodded at them.

After they left, her smile faded. This Zhou Yining wasn’t simple. As vice president of the Jiang Group for years, her gaze could intimidate subordinates. Yet Zhou Yining met it head-on, proving she wasn’t ordinary.

Jiang Yueyi’s brows furrowed. She wanted her sister to grow up happily but not be deceived. Zhou Yining seemed calculating, beyond her sister’s ability to handle.

With that, Jiang Yueyi called her assistant. “I have something this morning, so I won’t go to the office. Reschedule my two morning meetings for the afternoon. Hmm, that’s all.”

Hanging up, Jiang Yueyi changed into casual clothes, planning to stay home and watch.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yining and Jiang Xianzhi went to Jiang Xianzhi’s study.

The study was beautifully decorated in black and white, with a wall of bookshelves and a large wooden desk in front.

Another simpler desk held a desktop computer, a laptop, and a tablet—everything one needed.

Zhou Yining pulled over a chair. “Sit. Let’s start. Get that notebook, your exercises, and test papers. I’ll guide you through a review.”

“Okay,” Jiang Xianzhi said, obediently taking out her notebook and a stack of scratch paper.

Zhou Yining opened the notebook’s first page. “I’ll explain the basic formulas first, write out examples, and have you do them. Then I’ll pick problems from your workbook or tests. This way works better.”

“Good, I’ll follow you,” Jiang Xianzhi said, nodding. She liked studying, despite the gossip in Class 1. Though her family was rich, some classmates badmouthed her.

Jiang Xianzhi excelled in English, Chinese, and humanities, but math dragged her down. She always failed, even with tutors. She sometimes felt anxious, unsure what went wrong. Math scores never hit 90 or above.

Zhou Yining took scratch paper and explained knowledge points, blending them with various problem types from memory. One point took nearly an hour.

Since it was comprehensive, Zhou Yining felt covering all basic problem types would help Jiang Xianzhi, whose math foundation was weak, understand better.

An hour later, Zhou Yining pointed to problems she marked in the workbook. “Try these. Don’t fear mistakes. Follow the method I explained. If you get them wrong, I’ll go over them.”

Jiang Xianzhi nodded, glanced at Zhou Yining, then focused on the paper.

She used to resist math, always failing. Even when she asked tutors, she forgot things. But Zhou Yining explained patiently and encouraged her.

Jiang Xianzhi gained a bit of confidence. She focused and worked on the problems using the knowledge points.

Twenty minutes later, Zhou Yining graded her paper. Of five similar problems, two were wrong.

Jiang Xianzhi rubbed her face, frustrated, feeling she let down Zhou Yining’s hour-long lesson.

She sneaked a glance at Zhou Yining, fearing impatience on her face.

Seeing her look, Zhou Yining smiled. “Don’t lose heart. Everything’s a process of accumulation. This is our first lesson. There’ll be many more. Math scores won’t jump overnight. Prepare for that.”

“It’s so hard,” Jiang Xianzhi said, looking at Zhou Yining with a small pout.

Zhou Yining smiled. “Not hard. Scores won’t rise instantly, but once you build enough knowledge, they’ll jump by dozens of points. It’ll get easier. Trust me. I’ll stick with you. We can do it.”

“Hmm,” Jiang Xianzhi felt warmed. She didn’t know why, but she trusted Zhou Yining’s words.

“I’ll go over all five problems. See if your approach matches mine,” Zhou Yining said.

“Okay,” Jiang Xianzhi nodded, waiting for Zhou Yining to explain.

In the living room, Jiang Yueyi had the staff make two fresh orange juices. She planned to bring them to Jiang Xianzhi, mainly to check what Zhou Yining was doing with her sister.

Jiang Yueyi carried a tray to the study door. She decided not to knock, wanting to see Zhou Yining’s true purpose naturally, though she knew it was impolite.

She turned the handle and gently pushed the door open.

She saw her sister and Zhou Yining at the desk, with seven or eight A4 sheets covered in formulas scattered around. Zhou Yining was explaining a problem, writing on a sheet, guiding her sister, who listened intently. They didn’t notice her.

It was awkward. Jiang Yueyi coughed lightly, catching their attention.

Zhou Yining’s brows furrowed. She disliked interruptions while teaching. She looked at Jiang Yueyi. “Something up?”

“Oh, I thought you might be tired. I brought juice,” Jiang Yueyi explained.

Zhou Yining checked her phone. They’d been at it for an hour and a half.

She looked at Jiang Xianzhi. “Sorry, I lost track of time. Tired? Grab a drink. I’ll continue later.”

“Hmm, I’m not tired. You’ve been talking for over an hour. You should rest,” Jiang Xianzhi said, smiling, then went to get juice from Jiang Yueyi.

At Jiang Yueyi’s side, she sensed something off. “Sis, why aren’t you at the company today?”

“Oh, nothing much this morning. I’ll go after lunch. Were you two studying the whole time?” Jiang Yueyi asked.

“Hmm, Zhou Yining’s grades are amazing. She got a perfect 150 in math. Her explanations are clearer than my tutors’. Sis, I think I don’t need tutors for math anymore,” Jiang Xianzhi said, carrying two juices back to the desk.

She handed one to Zhou Yining, teasing, “Teacher Little Zhou, you worked hard. Have some juice and rest.”

“Thanks,” Zhou Yining smiled, took the juice, and stood to stretch.

Jiang Yueyi curiously approached the desk to see what Zhou Yining was teaching.

She saw neat handwriting on the scratch paper, even numbered. It looked meticulous.

Was Zhou Yining really here to tutor? Or was her fox tail still hidden?

Still, this girl was likely a top student with nice handwriting, far better than her sister’s usual questionable friends. Her sister’s taste improved for once.

Jiang Yueyi looked away and smiled at them. “Don’t overwork. Rest a bit before continuing. Zhou, right? Stay for lunch.”

“Yeah, you’ve helped me so much. Stay for lunch,” Jiang Xianzhi said, eyes bright, looking at Zhou Yining.

Zhou Yining smiled at her, then at Jiang Yueyi. “I’ll impose then.”

“No imposition,” Jiang Xianzhi said, wishing Zhou Yining could stay all afternoon. Even without studying, they could watch movies or do other things at home. She just wanted Zhou Yining’s company.

This feeling was subtle. She never felt this with Shi Yuanyuan or Si Yaqing. Being with Zhou Yining felt comfortable, and she was happy no matter what they did.

Jiang Yueyi thoughtfully observed her sister, then Zhou Yining. Her sister clearly cared about Zhou Yining. Alarm bells rang in her mind.

Of course, Jiang Yueyi didn’t forbid her sister from making friends, but she feared Jiang Xianzhi getting hurt. She’d keep an eye on Zhou Yining. If Zhou Yining’s character was fine, she wouldn’t interfere.

“You two chat. I’ll rest,” Jiang Yueyi said, leaving.

Zhou Yining sipped juice and walked around the study, her gaze sweeping the bookshelves. “Have you read all these?”

Jiang Xianzhi’s ears reddened slightly. “How could I? They’re just for decoration. Some I haven’t even opened.”

Zhou Yining laughed. “Pretty honest.”

“Of course. If you like any, take them,” Jiang Xianzhi said generously, not much into extracurricular reading.

Zhou Yining smiled, shaking her head, but thought of her home in her previous life.