Su Yao once thought she had misheard, but looking at Zhang Li’s expression, it was clear that these words were said with sincerity.
For a moment, she couldn’t think of how to respond.
She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t bring herself to say the words she wanted to speak.
What stuck in her throat was the product of ingrained thinking, a resistance to matters that might cause interactions with others, yet there was something urging her to say it—an urge born from a deep yearning.
Su Yao couldn’t clearly tell which of these two wills held the dominant position, so she just stood there in a daze, mentally exhausting herself.
Zhang Li noticed the obvious tension in Su Yao’s fingers, her eyes flickering nervously.
These unconscious behaviors all indicated an inner struggle.
It was clear that Su Yao’s words had touched the core of her Psychological Problem.
Without needing to guess, Zhang Li also knew exactly which part.
She knew that without proper guidance in this situation, forcing Su Yao to act or outright dismissing her feelings would only worsen her mental state.
So Zhang Li quickly said something to relieve the pressure resting on Su Yao’s shoulders.
“Su Yao, Teacher isn’t asking you to do this; I’m just asking for your opinion, to see if you agree.”
After hearing this, Su Yao felt much better.
Though she still couldn’t lift her head to speak properly, she was much more relaxed than before.
Zhang Li also breathed a sigh of relief.
She silently thought, this is not easy; she wondered how Su Yao had managed before.
Setting that aside, Zhang Li explained the matter to Su Yao in more detail.
“Originally, this job was supposed to be done by Teacher, but I can’t always be free to follow along, so I had to find a Student to take photos. I happened to see you with a camera…”
“The camera isn’t mine!” Su Yao interrupted quickly.
The camera wasn’t hers, and she had no authority over it—that was one reason she couldn’t agree.
Glancing at Zhang Li in front of her, Su Yao had always thought of her as a responsible, passionate Female Teacher, typical of youth, well put together, friendly with students—a good teacher, except she loved involving herself in others’ business, which Su Yao didn’t like at all.
That wasn’t how it was back in high school.
Despite the refusal implied in Su Yao’s words, Zhang Li did not back down.
Because the refusal wasn’t absolute, it showed there was still a chance.
This event was an important bridge; if it could help Su Yao’s Psychological Problem get a good start to being resolved, the road ahead would be much smoother.
If the first attempt failed, that negative feedback would only worsen the current situation.
It was a make-or-break moment, Zhang Li smiled quietly in her heart.
Outwardly, she said gently, “Alright, you don’t have to decide now. On Saturday, we’ll organize a full rehearsal at a larger venue. Before that, I’ll check with you again. If you’re really willing then, we can talk about it. Taking photos isn’t a big deal; don’t pressure yourself too much.”
After speaking, Zhang Li checked the time, then looked at Su Yao.
“It’s just past 4:30 now, and the last class hasn’t ended yet. Su Yao, why don’t you go to the cafeteria and have some food?”
“Okay…”
Su Yao looked at Zhang Li deeply.
She knew Zhang Li didn’t want to give up on having her do the photo documentation, but Su Yao truly felt she couldn’t do it.
Taking pictures of scenery was one thing, but people—she didn’t know how to shoot people.
She had only ever taken photos of Mu Nanqiu…
She stood up from the chair, bowed slightly to Zhang Li, and then left the office.
After the room quieted down, the Female Teacher who had been eavesdropping leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.
She couldn’t hold back her gossip and asked Zhang Li beside her, “Li Zi, your class’s Problem Student? She doesn’t look like a disobedient type.”
“She’s not that kind of Problem Student…” Zhang Li shook her head with little interest, clearly not keen on the topic.
The Female Teacher didn’t pursue it and switched topics instead.
“You really care.”
“I want to.”
Zhang Li gave a casual reply while busy flipping through her phone, barely paying attention to the Female Teacher.
At most, she forced a smile to maintain collegial goodwill.
The Female Teacher, undeterred by Zhang Li’s indifference, continued to share her own thoughts and stories.
“Li Zi, you’ll find out later that you alone can’t change much. You’re just a Teacher, and you’ll only be with her for three or four years at most.
Don’t waste your time and energy only to see no change.
So, I advise you not to be too optimistic.
You’re young and passionate, but I don’t have that heart anymore. Sigh~
Let me tell you a true story.
Last year, a Female Teacher down the hall cared too much about a student’s Psychological Problem, and the little girl mistook her concern for love and clung to her.
It was a complete mess, and in the end, that Teacher quit and left.
That girl was a Rich Third Generation, pretty wealthy, and hadn’t come to school in a long time—probably detained somewhere.
The Female Teacher was quite pretty.
Her family wasn’t bad, just barely getting by.
Now all contact is cut off.
No one knows what’s going on; even the police said they were looking but haven’t found her.”
The story made Zhang Li tense for a moment, but after thinking it over, she felt such a thing wouldn’t happen to her.
Seeing Zhang Li unmoved, the Female Teacher said sourly, “I mean sometimes doing nothing is the best choice to avoid getting burned yourself.”
Zhang Li still didn’t respond, so the Female Teacher lost interest and went back to her desk to continue painstakingly grading papers.
After a careful search, Zhang Li finally found a contact in a folder and added the account on Koukou .
Su Yao entered the cafeteria.
Since class hadn’t ended yet, there were hardly any people.
Fortunately, the school cafeteria didn’t have strict rules about ordering meals before the proper time.
Though arriving early meant fewer dishes to choose from, Su Yao didn’t care at all.
She didn’t eat much to begin with and wouldn’t order much, especially nothing expensive.
“Um, that one, that one, and also that one.”
“Girl, you’re only ordering vegetables? Let me add some meat for you.”
The Cafeteria Lady looked at the overwhelmingly green tray and couldn’t bear it, so she voluntarily scooped three pieces of pork for her.
Su Yao frowned.
She wore her hat tightly wrapped and deliberately kept her voice low, sounding like a girl.
Frustrated, she carried the stainless steel tray and found a corner to sit.
Eat quickly, leave quickly.