Gold Medal Sweetheart

Before Tang Xin even reached the office door, she heard a seductive voice from inside, "Andrew brought me this bag from Paris!" Even without seeing it, Tang Xin could already imagine the speaker's self-righteousness. She must have been Du Meijiao from the office next door, showing off her boyfriend's extravagance to everyone else.

Then there was a burst of echoes.

"Look how fine the workmanship is!"

"Look at this style! Even in the Shi Tian Shopping Mall, which has the most luxury goods here, there's no similar one from the same brand!"

Jiaojiao's voice was noticeably higher than before, "Because it's a limited edition! It's only sold in the Paris flagship store! Only celebrities buy it!"

"Only Jiaojiao can handle such an expensive bag."

"I think even celebrities may not have the style of you, Jiaojiao!"

There was a sound of admiration in the office. Tang Xin smiled, thinking that these words must have made Jiaojiao very happy, and this scene must have made Jiaojiao very satisfied.

Still, some people complained the atmosphere wasn't hot enough. "How much does it cost?" This was probably what Jiaojiao wanted to hear the most. But the curiosity in her voice had long since faded, replaced by a hint of arrogance, as if the bag wasn't Jiaojiao's, but hers. Tang thought that the only person who could understand Jiaojiao's concerns so thoroughly was Xiaofei, Jiaojiao's inseparable companion.

"About 5000 euros, or over RMB," Jiaojiao said with disdain. "I don't know the exact price, but he was willing to spend it on me. Andrew is just like that, always spending money on these designer bags and jewelry for me."

Tang Xin listened and was about to push the door open when someone pulled her arm hard. She turned around and saw it was An Qi.

"Miss, you just arrived," An Qi said, winking at Tang Xin, "Jiaojiao has been teaching almost a whole class in there."

Tang Xin smiled, "I'm the only one who hasn't listened attentively, which is why you haven't finished class yet."

An Qi curled her lips and said, "Even though you, the heroine, are not here, she didn't let passersby like us go."

"It's a free luxury goods science class, and I save money on buying Ruili. It's great!" Tang Xin said with an indifferent expression.

An Qi, carefree and carefree, crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her right toe lightly. She already looked a bit like a tomboy, but now she looked even less feminine. An Qi said disdainfully, "I really don't know what she's thinking. She was already acting so well in front of her boyfriend, but ever since you were voted the most beautiful teacher in our school's forum, she's been even more aggressive, constantly giving you a hard time. She doesn't have any real skills, so she relies on men. She has so many boyfriends that they could form a whole class. It's just a senior citizen university, and hey, I saw one of them come to pick her up, and he could be her dad."

Tang Xin raised her index finger and gestured to her lips, "Don't let Jiaojiao hear it, he is a royal relative." Then she smiled and said, "Okay, I don't care about these. I just want to work well. It's nothing, let's go in." As she said that, she took Anqi's arm and went in.

Before they could go in, the door opened with a whoosh as if it had telepathy, and it was Jiaojiao who opened the door.

Jiaojiao can really be said to be a beauty, with a tall figure, graceful posture, and exquisite makeup. She always wears high-end clothes of different brands, which are equivalent to one or several months' salary for working-class people like Tang Xin.

But the moment they opened the door, Tang Xin and Anna were greeted by two sword-like glares from Jiaojiao, whose gazes, under her dazzling makeup, displayed an incomparable intensity. Tang Xin's figure, contrasted with Jiaojiao's impeccable figure, accentuated by her six- to seven-centimeter high heels, seemed even smaller.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Jiaojiao suddenly smiled and pretended to be affectionate and took Tang Xin's arm. Before Tang Xin could calm down from being flattered, she heard Jiaojiao say, "Tangtang, you're here. Do you think my new bag looks good?"

It was so direct, without any foreshadowing. But a quick decision was also good, so Tang Xin thought about it and said casually, "It looks really good. Did your boyfriend buy it for you?"

Jiaojiao nodded happily and said, "Holding a designer item worth tens of thousands of yuan in your hand is so different from a street vendor's item worth only a few dozen yuan. It's pure French Parisian blood." Then Jiaojiao glanced at Tang Xin, intentionally or not, then raised her head, chin slightly tilted, glared at An Qi, and said, "If you ask me, a woman should have a good home. It's better to marry well than to work well. No matter how well you work, you're still working for others, but if you marry well, you'll be the boss's wife. However, not everyone has this kind of fate. Reincarnation is also a skill. Some people are born to be slaves, and they still say the grapes are sour."

"Who are you talking about?" An Qi couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted Jiaojiao, then habitually rolled up her sleeves to her upper arms. She was a little fat to begin with, and her arms looked even fuller under the restraint of the sleeves.

Jiaojiao had obviously heard the conversation outside. She glanced at Anqi with a snort, a smile almost sympathetic on her face. "Just take it for granted. Who's in their thirties and still doesn't have a boyfriend?" Jiaojiao and Xiaofei exchanged a triumphant glance. The others were either surprised by this sudden morning drama or turned their heads away, pretending not to have heard.

Seeing their smug expressions, An Qi became even more furious and said angrily, "Being a slave is a clean life. It's better than relying on men like a parasite."

As soon as this was said, some people covered their mouths and laughed. Actually, although Jiaojiao did have many people who complimented her at school, they were also concerned because she was the principal's niece. They privately resented Jiaojiao's habit of using self-praise to belittle others. Therefore, many people came here just to watch the fun.

Seeing herself being ridiculed like this in public for the first time, Jiaojiao, always competitive, refused to let it go. She deliberately shouted, "You, a half-and-half-woman, what qualifications do you have to criticize me!"

Before she finished speaking, the office area on the first floor fell silent. No one expected that Jiaojiao, who always paid attention to maintaining her noble image, would say such shocking words. It was really not in line with her identity as a teacher.

An Qi was so angry that she was shaking all over. She wanted to fight back, but was stopped by Tang Xin who was standing beside her.

"Jiaojiao, don't go too far. After all, we are all colleagues." Tang Xin was very unhappy to see her friend being insulted.

"Colleague?" Jiaojiao sneered disapprovingly. "Today you are, and tomorrow you're not. How can you, a bunch of poor bastards from the slums, even be able to afford me?"

Tang Xin, who originally wanted to say peace, saw Jiaojiao's arrogant attitude, and the little universe in her heart exploded.

"Yes, even if you are a poor man, you must have backbone. I would rather be a poor man than a monster." Tang Xin said slowly and deliberately. An Qi beside her turned from anger to joy, while the others covered their faces and laughed.

Jiaojiao was stunned by this sudden counterattack. She never thought that the usually good-tempered Tang Xin could say such offensive words. She didn't know what to say for a moment.

Tang Xin continued, "Being a demon is very risky. If someone's family comes looking for you one day, and you're taken in, you might not even be able to be a ghost anymore."

After that, clear laughter came from the half-open door of the office next door.

Jiaojiao's eyes widened, and her nostrils flared with anger, as if she was about to spit out fire. She sternly said, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Tang Xin continued, "Jiaojiao, we are actually very envious of your boyfriends because they all have such good conditions." When Tang Xin said this, the emphasis was not on the word "superior", but on deliberately lengthening the word "all".

"But I think that if a person is truly capable, they will have the love to help more people. We at 'Love Aid' are organizing a donation event for primary schools in impoverished mountainous areas. If your uncle's boyfriend..."

"It's Andrew!" Jiaojiao shouted angrily.

"Well, my English isn't very good when I teach politics. It's up to you. Anyway, if your boyfriend is able, please donate a few million to us. We at 'Ai no suke' would be very grateful on behalf of the children who are returning to school."

Then Tang Xin pulled An Qi and turned to leave, "Let's go, I have to go to the library to return my book." She left behind Jiaojiao, whose features were distorted with anger, and she stamped her feet and yelled, "Tang Xin, you, you come back here!"

After leaving the teaching building, Tang Xin and An Qi smiled at each other. An Qi looked at Tang Xin with shining eyes, as if she had found a lost RMB. She said excitedly, "Tang Tang, you were so awesome just now! I can't believe you, who usually tolerates Jiao Jiao, but gives in whenever possible, exploded. It was really shocking!"

Tang Xin smiled sheepishly, then said confidently, "When I explode, I'm like a miniature atomic bomb!"

"Haha, did you see that Jiaojiao's nose was crooked with anger at the end? It was really satisfying!" An Qi said happily.

"I think Jiaojiao's usual behavior doesn't matter. Anyway, I won't buy the clothes, bags, and jewelry she compares, so I don't care. But what she said about you today was really a bit too much. In fact, in the final analysis, it was all caused by me. I'm sorry." Tang Xin said guiltily.

"Silly boy, you've helped me out, and I have you to thank. I'm feeling so good right now," An Qi said soothingly, then turned to Tang Xin with a worried tone, "But have you ever thought about what to do next? Seeing Jiaojiao's usual domineering behavior, everyone is actually quite upset, but because she's the principal's niece, no one dares to speak out. It's because we're a private school, and besides the chairman, the principal is the boss."

Tang Xin finally calmed down after An Qi asked her this. True, she'd only been tempted to have a good time, but she hadn't considered how to handle the situation later. But seeing An Qi's worried expression, Tang Xin feigned a nonchalant air and said, "It's okay. Worse still, I can just quit!"

"No! Although this isn't a good job and the salary is just a pittance, it's a place to settle down before you find a good job. You should think carefully about it. But if you've thought it through, after all, you're helping me. If you quit, I won't either."

After listening to An Qi, Tang Xin felt that her analysis was very reasonable, especially the last sentence, which moved Tang Xin deeply.

"I'm just saying this, how can I not do it? I have no grudge against money. When the enemy comes, we will fight him with our soldiers and when the water comes, we will block it with earth. Let's go to the library to return the book." Tang Xin said nonchalantly.

"Are you really returning the book?"

"That is."