Mistaken Canary Chapter 68 (Part 2)
Chapter 68.2
The next day, Ying Tongchen spent most of the day at school handling the transition. Aside from wrapping up administrative work, he also prepared a file detailing each student’s situation, with special notes highlighting any issues that needed continued attention.
It wasn’t until he began packing up his desk that his colleagues learned he was resigning.
Everyone in the office was surprised. When asked why, Ying Tongchen simply said it was due to personal matters, and they didn’t press further—offering their well wishes instead.
Fu Lu sighed sorrowfully. “Ah, our English department is losing its most handsome face.”
Zheng Zhinan took it the hardest. “Why so sudden? I don’t accept this! Who’s going to split breakfast orders with me now?”
Ying Tongchen chuckled. “Ask your girlfriend.”
Zheng Zhinan burst into laughter, clapped him on the shoulder, and leaned in to whisper, “Come on, the abruptness must mean you’ve got a better offer lined up. Which school hawked you? We can get together next spring semester for a meal.”
“It’s not a school,” Ying Tongchen said with a smile, pulling out a business card and handing it over. “From now on, I’ll be focusing on my own company.”
Zheng Zhinan: “.” Preposterous. F*cking preposterous.
At noon, Ying Tongchen treated his colleagues to a farewell meal and handed out some small gifts—including one for the principal, who had looked after him quite a bit when he first joined.
The principal sighed emotionally. “Actually, about this whole matter—sigh, nevermind. You know I’ve always had high hopes for you. Do your best out there—you’ve got a bright future ahead.”
“Thank you, principal,” Ying Tongchen said sincerely. “I will. Please take care of your health, too.”
…
That afternoon, Ying Tongchen took a nap at home, then tidied up the apartment. Standing on the balcony, he gazed in the direction of the school for a long while.
It was about time to move.
…
That evening, in a private room of a bustling restaurant near the school, the atmosphere was lively and spirited.
Once the holiday began and the shackles of school rules were lifted, the students let loose completely.
Everyone showed up in their preferred attire—girls dressed up in stylish outfits with makeup done to perfection, and quite a few boys had slicked their hair back like grown men and donned dashing clothes.
Shi Tiwei even went to a barbershop and got his hair styled into a pompadour just like Zhuo Shu’s. Clad in a full suit and brimming with confidence, he strutted into the private room, immediately spotting Zhuo Zi, the most radiant figure in the crowd.
As this “purchased look” walked up to her side, Zhuo Zi was chatting with her deskmate. Catching a glimpse of that dark, looming figure out of the corner of her eye, she got such a fright that she blurted out, “Ge!” Her startled outcry sent the room into an uproar, and the others began heckling them to swear brotherhood on the spot.
Shi Tiwei: “……”
The room was abuzz with chatter and laughter when Ban Zhang got a call from their homeroom teacher. Moments later, he returned with Ying Tongchen, who was holding Ban Xiaomei’s hand. The cheers in the room hit a new high.
Ying Tongchen was seated at the head of the table. Since the other subject teachers were all tied up, he was the only one to attend.
During the meal, seeing that Ying Tongchen didn’t bring up grades, everyone gradually loosened up.
Ying Tongchen observed their playful banter and laughter quietly, thoroughly entertained by the gossip—until it turned out to be about him.
Not far off, two girls were whispering about why Mr. Zheng hadn’t shown up. One of them said that Mr. Zheng had gone to drive Ms. Sheng back to her hometown.
“Sigh, so does that mean Mr. Ying and Mr. Zheng had a BE (Bad End)?”
“Exactly. But keep your voice down though, or he might hear and get heartbroken.”
Ying Tongchen: “?”
Right next to them, Zhuo Zi couldn’t take it anymore and quickly jumped in. “Stop spreading nonsense—Mr. Ying’s in a relationship.”
The once-boisterous room instantly fell silent.
Dozens of eyes turned in unison to stare at Ying Tongchen, all glittering with gossip-hungry curiosity.
Zhuo Zi covered her lips: “……”
I was just speaking at a normal volume—did you all install bugging devices or something?!
“Um...” Zhuo Zi scratched her head awkwardly. “Actually, I was kidding—”
“That’s right,” Ying Tongchen interjected calmly, completely unfazed, as he continued feeding milk to Ban Xiaomei beside him. He smiled and added, “I’m in a relationship.”
Class 2’ers: 😮
For a brief moment, no one spoke. Then followed by chaos.
“Oh my god! Teacher, are you serious? Is this info legit?!”
“How did Zhuo Zi know? As expected of the class rep!”
“Which saint is it?! Is she one of our teachers?”
“Why didn’t you bring her along, Teach? It’s just one more bowl and chopsticks, we’re not short on tableware!”
“Please, I’m begging you, I want to meet the teacher’s wife—boohoo~”
Ying Tongchen's lips curled up slightly, a never-seen-before matching gentle smile surfacing in his eyes before he could help it.
Class 2’ers: Holy sh*t, that's the look of someone in love! It’s over. Their class’s untouchable flower has been picked! Who the hell is this siren?!
Zhuo Zi and Ban Zhang, the only two who knew the truth, exchanged a glance. Ban Zhang suddenly chuckled. Seeing this, Zhuo Zi finally let out a breath and smiled as well.
But the homeroom teacher revealing a relationship wasn’t even the biggest bombshell—the real blow came when he announced he was resigning.
The room fell into silence again.
Ban Zhang looked over at Zhuo Zi, only to see her shaking her head in surprise as well—clearly, this part was news to her too.
Ying Tongchen wasn’t one for grand speeches. Seeing everyone fall silent, he simply said, “Sorry... Dinner’s on me tonight. Eat as much as you like.”
Everyone looked around at each other, faces full of reluctance and sadness. One by one, voices began to rise:
“This isn’t about who’s paying! Boohoohoo…”
“Is it because we didn’t do well this semester? Did the higher-ups give you trouble? Or… are you disappointed in us?”
“Mr. Ying, can you not leave? I promise I’ll work harder.”
“Yeah! I’ll study properly next year, I swear. I haven’t even finished the assignments you gave me yet!”
“Zhuo Zi, do you know why he’s leaving? Try to talk him out of it, please!”
Zhuo Zi’s eyes reddened, just about to speak when she saw the trace of sorrow already present in his gaze...
Ban Zhang was thoughtful, and suddenly said, “Mr. Ying must have his own reasons for leaving.”
Ying Tongchen nodded. “Mm. I’m sorry, since it’s for personal reasons, I won’t go into detail. I just wish you all success in your studies.”
A few of the girls were already teary-eyed, and even the boys—usually loud and mischievous—fell silent, uncertain of how to respond.
Ying Tongchen had never been good at comforting others, let alone an entire roomful at once.
But he knew this grief was fleeting. In the long road ahead, they would move on. Maybe after the Chinese New Year, they’d forget this teacher who had only accompanied them for half a year.
“Alright,” he said gently, “don’t you all have a second round planned? Isn’t the KTV (karaoke) nearby?”
Ban Zhang replied, “It is. Mr. Ying, are you coming with us?”
“I have matters to take care of, so I’ll leave you to enjoy yourselves.” Ying Tongchen glanced at his phone, then turned to go. He raised his hand in farewell without looking back. “Stay safe. Goodbye.”
Not long after he left, a waiter pushed in a cart—on it sat a large cake, surrounded and stacked with layers of gift boxes.
The waiter said, “These are gifts Mr. Ying prepared for all of you—come claim yours!”
Everyone was momentarily stunned, then stepped forward for a closer look. Each gift had a name tag on it.
A girl picked up the one with her name, opened it, and exclaimed, “It’s an eye massager! My nearsightedness has been getting worse lately.”
“Mine’s a pair of sneakers I’ve wanted for ages!”
“Mine’s an insanely cute purse!”
Ban Zhang opened his own gift—one large and one small down jacket, along with gloves and socks. His eyes welled up with emotion, but he quickly forced it back down with a stiff expression.
Shi Tiwei’s eyes also welled up with emotion. “Why did I get Tian Li™ educational reference books?”
At that moment, someone by the door suddenly dashed out, and the others quickly followed.
Shi Tiwei was at the back of the group. When they reached the main entrance, he saw everyone were frozen, like statues.
“Why aren’t we moving? Where’s Mr. Ying?” He squeezed through the stunned crowd and followed their line of sight, looking toward the car waiting at the entrance.
An all-too-familiar tall, handsome man was standing by the passenger side door. He closed the door, released the handle, and turned around. When the man saw Class 2, he paused for a moment, then smiled genially and commented, “Finished eating?”
Everyone: "......"
Shi Tiwei: Zhuo da ge, why are you here?!
“Sorry, I need to borrow your teacher for a bit,” Zhuo Shu said with a wider grin, then went around to open the driver’s door.
Only then did Shi Tiwei notice that sitting in the passenger seat was none other than Mr. Ying!
When Ying Tongchen glanced back, he met the shocked gazes of a group of students.
“...”
The next moment, Ying Tongchen gave them a small smile.
It wasn’t until the car had driven away that everyone finally snapped out of their stunned confusion.
A girl at the front muttered to herself, “I can’t be the only one who saw Zhuo Zi’s gege personally open the car door for Teacher Ying, right?”
Someone nearby whispered, “And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who saw them share a quick kiss.”
Shi Tiwei suddenly recalled New Year’s Day when Teacher Ying had stepped out from behind Zhuo Shu...
Ban Zhang said, “We should probably bless Mr. Ying.”
“Yeah! Definitely.”
One after another, they nodded, then all turned their attention to Zhuo Zi.
“Zhuo Zi, you can’t hog Mr. Ying all to yourself! From now on, we’re coming over to your place often to hang out!”