Parent-Teacher Meeting

The afternoon's parent visitation day proceeded as usual.

Most students remained composed—after all, they had earned their place here through their own merit.

Just after lunch break, the students began tidying their desks.

Textbooks and other items had to be stashed away in the compartments beneath.

The first-year students weren’t as burdened as the third-years, so their desks and compartments were relatively clutter-free.

Lin Mo, however, was unfazed. She carried on as she always did, unchanged by the occasion.

Outside the corridor, parents gradually gathered, many peering through the classroom windows like curious specters.

To accommodate the visitation, the curtains had been drawn wide open, turning the parents into a gallery of prying onlookers.

The students inside squirmed under their gaze, restless as if sitting on pins and needles, their discomfort palpable.

Most of the visiting parents were mothers, with only a handful of fathers among them.

Lin Mo picked up her water bottle to refill it and had just reached the classroom door when she spotted a figure ascending the stairs.

The person wore loose, shapeless pants and a top that did nothing to flatter their frame, paired with thick black-framed glasses and unkempt hair.

It was Chu Lintian.

"Quite the fashionable look today, Sister Chu," Lin Mo teased.

Chu Lintian sighed, stepping closer before murmuring in a low voice, "You have no idea. Parent-teacher meetings used to be a nightmare for me. Back then, I dressed however I liked without a care, and afterward, I’d get messages from fathers trying to reach out privately. I never knew how to handle it."

No wonder Chu Lintian now deliberately dressed in dull, unflattering shades of black and gray—camouflaging both her figure and her looks.

All because she refused to miss a single parent-teacher meeting for Chu Miaomiao.

"Makes sense. You’re young, stunning, and have a killer figure—of course you’d attract unwanted attention," Lin Mo quipped again, pushing open the door to the break room to fill her bottle.

Chu Lintian followed her inside.

Just then, Chen Xiaoya emerged from the office. Spotting Lin Mo and Chu Lintian in the break room, she couldn’t help but ask,

"Lin Mo, is this your parent?"

Her eyes swept over Chu Lintian, scrutinizing her with a hint of judgment.

The outfit made her look like a distant relative from some remote countryside.

Lin Mo chuckled and shook her head. "This is Chu Miaomiao’s parent. Our families have been close for generations."

Chu Lintian immediately straightened up and greeted politely, "You must be the homeroom teacher, Ms. Chen."

She took a step forward, her tone deferential. "How has Miaomiao been behaving at school? We truly appreciate your guidance."

Chen Xiaoya blinked, momentarily caught off guard before slipping into a professional smile.

"Oh, you’re Chu Miaomiao’s mother! Hello, hello. Miaomiao is an excellent student—consistent in her grades, though a bit reserved. She doesn’t engage much with her classmates."

"Ms. Chen, Sister Chu here is just worried her youthful beauty might distract the fathers from their sacred duty of nurturing the nation’s future," Lin Mo interjected lazily, filling her bottle to the brim.

The room fell silent.

Chen Xiaoya’s expression froze, her gaze snapping back to Chu Lintian with newfound curiosity, as if trying to see past the drab layers to the beauty hidden beneath.

After all, she remembered Chu Miaomiao had quite the figure too.

Chu Lintian’s cheeks flushed with an unnatural hint of pink as she swiftly shot Lin Mo a glance—her eyes brimming with reproach, yet devoid of any real anger.

Clearing her throat, she steered the conversation back on track:

"Being introverted is her old habit. That child overanalyzes everything, always afraid of saying the wrong thing and burdening others. In this regard, we’ll have to trouble Teacher Chen to be patient with her going forward."

Her words were articulate, her logic impeccable, and her understanding of her daughter’s temperament thorough—far from the impression Chen Xiaoya had initially formed.

Chen Xiaoya’s opinion of her shifted instantly, her tone growing noticeably more sincere: "Don’t worry, it’s our duty as teachers. We’ll also encourage her to participate more in group activities."

Lin Mo screwed the cap back onto his water bottle, watching as the two transitioned from awkward first-meeting tension to harmonious rapport. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

He was doing a decent job as the neighbor and longtime family friend.

Leaving the two to their pleasantries, Lin Mo returned to his classroom.

Just as he reached the doorway, he spotted a woman with notably voluminous hair approaching, Xu Sheng at her side.

"Hello there! You must be Lin Mo, right? Thank you so, so much!"

Mother Xu immediately seized Lin Mo’s hand, shaking it vigorously.

Xu Sheng hurriedly introduced, "This is my mom. You know how my family’s been wanting to thank you, but I told them you don’t like fuss. So for this parent-teacher meeting, Mom insisted on thanking you in person."

"That’s right! If it weren’t for you, Lin Mo, our Xu Sheng might be lying in a hospital bed right now, completely immobilized."

As she spoke, Mother Xu’s eyes welled up, her voice trembling.

Lin Mo waved his hands dismissively. "You’re too kind, Auntie. I’d say it was Xu Sheng’s own good fortune. I just happened to have some experience in the matter, and most importantly, you were willing to trust me."

However, Mother Xu then pulled a thick red envelope from her pocket and tried stuffing it into Lin Mo’s.

The envelope was hefty—a quick scan with his spiritual sense revealed a full 10,000 yuan inside.

A substantial sum, indeed.

This money had actually been prepared earlier by Xu Sheng’s father, intended as a gift during a planned dinner with Lin Mo. But when Lin Mo declined the invitation, merely donating the shopping cards to the class instead, the envelope had remained untouched.

Today, Mother Xu decided to deliver it directly.

With a deft motion, Lin Mo intercepted the envelope, effortlessly blocking her gesture before gently pushing it back.

"Please, Auntie, there’s no need. Xu Sheng and I are classmates—my only intention was to ensure his well-being."

The commotion drew the attention of many around them.

Numerous parents watched the trio with open curiosity.

But neither Xu Sheng nor Mother Xu shied away. In fact, Mother Xu declared firmly, "Lin Mo, you must accept this money. If you don’t, our family won’t know where to place our conscience."

Some parents, witnessing the scene, even began speculating whether Lin Mo might be the son of some influential figure.

Then, hearing his name, they recalled the top spot on the school’s leaderboard at the entrance—complete with name and class.

Meanwhile, nearby students eagerly recounted last semester’s events to their parents.

As the story spread, the parents’ perspectives shifted. To them, the Xu family’s gesture seemed entirely justified.

After all, saving a child was tantamount to saving an entire family.

So everyone praised Lin Mo's actions and urged him to accept the money.

Xu Sheng also nodded emphatically.

"Please take it. This is my family's sincerity."

After careful consideration, Lin Mo said earnestly:

"Then I'll accept it. In time, I'll donate this sum to Han Lan's Loving Kindness Charity Foundation."

After all, Han Lan's foundation is truly commendable.