When he heard Mr. Yang's voice, Shen Mochen released his grip on Peach's clothes. Raising his head, Shen Mochen saw that it was a teacher. He stood upright and replied Mr. Yang humbly, "It's her first day reporting to school. She's in the second cla.s.s of first grade, so I'm accompanying her to the cla.s.sroom."

"Oh I see," Mr. Yang nodded. He then remembered that there was indeed a new cla.s.smate joining today, so he pulled Peach over and asked, "Are you Peach Su?"

Peach raised her head and looked at the amiable Mr. Yang before nodding, "Yes."

"Well, I'm your form teacher. You can call me Mr. Yang."

"Okay," Peach replied crisply.

Shen Mochen glanced at her before heading towards his cla.s.sroom upstairs.

"Hey! Hey! Where are you going, Husband?" Peach hastily asked.

Shen Mochen stumbled and almost tripped. He was incredulous. Spinning around to face her, he commanded, "Don't call me Husband at school!"

"Why?"

"There's no reason." After instructing her, he climbed up the stairs without looking back.

Mr. Yang stared at the Peach in curiosity.

"Okay, time to follow me to your cla.s.s. Your husband should be a second-year student," Mr. Yang said with a smile. He then held Peach's hand and walked towards Peach's cla.s.sroom. Musing over Shen Mochen's behaviour, Mr. Yang concluded that he was the boy that another teacher, Ms. w.a.n.g, had been praising unceasingly.

"Can't I be in the same cla.s.s as my husband?" Peach asked Mr. Yang curiously, raising her pet.i.te round face towards him.

"No you can't. Different grades are located on different floors."

"But when I went to kindergarten, I was always in the same cla.s.s as him," Peach grumbled, feeling a little depressed. She had had the idea that after joining elementary school, she would be placed in the same cla.s.s as Shen Mochen and be able to share a table with him again. The same way as they did in kindergarten. If this was the case, there was nothing exciting about elementary school.

"Well…" Teacher Yang looked down at Peach's delicate fair face and wondered aloud, "Why do you call him Husband?"

Mr. Yang recalled Ms. w.a.n.g complaining to him about Shen Mochen previously. She had shared that there was a handsome young boy in her cla.s.s whose grades were excellent. However, he kept to himself and would not interact with his cla.s.smates. In particular, his evasion of Physical Education (P.E.) cla.s.ses left her feeling helpless as he would find various excuses to get out of it.

"Everyone says that he's my husband," Peach stretched out her stubby hands and started counting with her fingers, "Dad, Mom, G.o.dfather, G.o.dmother, Grandma Sun, Grandma Li, Grandpa w.a.n.g, and…"

"An arranged marriage since young?" Mr. Yang mumbled as he tousled her hair at the top of her head, interrupting her listing of names.

"What's an arranged marriage?" Peach asked.

"It's…"

Before he could explain, they reached the entrance of their cla.s.sroom. Mr. Yang looked at Peach and smiled, "I will explain to you later. For now, follow me into the cla.s.sroom."

"OK!" Peach nodded and obediently followed Mr. Yang into the cla.s.sroom.

"Good morning, cla.s.s!"

The students sitting in the cla.s.sroom stood up in unison and chorused, "Good morning, Mr. Yang!"

"Take your seats. We have a new cla.s.smate joining us from today onwards."