With that thought, he felt that Li Qiumei was making a mountain out of a molehill and being meddlesome, "What’s the big deal with Teacher Chen giving some extra help to a struggling student? Haven’t you also called students to your office for individual tutoring before?"
Li Qiumei choked, her face contorting with anger and her emotions running high, "How can that be the same?"
The students she had called for tutoring in the past were all good at their studies, and they came from very well-off families. Why would she bother tutoring someone like Shen Mianmian?
Tutoring for half a day for just a couple more points would only make her more frustrated.
To be blunt, in Li Qiumei’s mind, good students should be cultivated attentively, while someone like Shen Mianmian should be given up on directly.
Poor seedlings should be weeded out, lest they affect the better ones.
"Teacher Li, mind your words," the principal’s expression became stern. All teachers like top students, but such things shouldn’t be said openly.
Li Qiumei realized she had spoken out of turn. Lately, the principal seemed to have something against her, whereas in the past, he always sided with her.
Seeing this, the other teachers felt vindicated. It was always Li Qiumei who upset other teachers to tears; this time, it was finally her turn to taste defeat.
The more they looked at Shen Mianmian, the cuter she became; this student was simply a gift from heaven to take Li Qiumei down a peg.
Seeing that Li Qiumei had become more obedient, the principal approached Shen Mianmian with a pleasant demeanor and said, "Study hard and try to achieve good results."
Chen Jie and Shen Mianmian exchanged glances, shock registering on their faces as they blinked in disbelief; neither had expected the principal to take their side.
That day in the office, the principal’s gaze had been one of clear distaste, so why had he suddenly become so kind and approachable?
Could it be... related to Brother He Nan?
No, that’s not right.
Given He Nan’s temperament, he probably wouldn’t have said anything to the principal...
After much thought and still not understanding, Shen Mianmian decided not to dwell on it any longer and focused all her attention on her studies instead.
Shen Mianmian spent an hour in the office, picking out some difficult math problems for Chen Jie to explain. Chen Jie was very patient, clarifying each one for her.
These were problems that had been discussed before. In the past, Shen Mianmian wasn’t as bright as she was now and hadn’t understood them thoroughly. Being timid, she didn’t dare to ask questions, and there was no time for review at home. So, one thing led to another, and she had forgotten them completely.
Now, with Chen Jie’s explanations and the knowledge she had absorbed recently, if the exam questions were not too difficult, scoring sixty points wouldn’t be hard for her at all.
Back in the classroom, Shen Mianmian opened her textbooks and located the lessons Chen Jie had explained to her, showing them to Lu Siyuan with a hint of pride.
"Do you know how to do these, or should I teach you?"
It was usually Lu Siyuan who taught her like a little tutor, but this time she could finally turn the tables.
Lu Siyuan rolled his eyes and snorted, his nostrils almost flaring to the ceiling.
"These are problems I’ve aced a long time ago."
"Aren’t you clever," Shen Mianmian shot back with an eye roll, realizing that studying really does require talent.
In her previous life, she had tried hard to learn but couldn’t grasp certain concepts. She never imagined that now she could understand them just by having someone explain them once.
"Sis," Zhou Siyu approached with his math book, a look of concern on his face, "Did Teacher Chen scold you when he called you to the office?"
"Why would he scold me?" Shen Mianmian asked with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Zhou Siyu felt a bit guilty under her gaze.
"As long as he didn’t scold you, that’s good. I was just concerned. Teacher Chen didn’t scold you when he called you to the office, did he? Surely, he wouldn’t have been explaining math questions to you, right?"