The late spring breeze carried shredded camphor leaves as it lazily brushed past the red brick walls of Saint Noble Girls' Middle School.
On the rubber track inside the walls, girls who had just finished PE class gathered in twos and threes beneath the shade. Their sweat-dampened uniform collars were dotted with tiny petals, and their chirping chatter bounced about like a scattering of glass marbles.
"Qingqing, I heard the school is getting a new teacher today?" Lin Xiaohua nudged the girl beside her with her elbow, lowering her voice mysteriously.
Lin Qingqing tucked her sweat-soaked bangs behind her ear and replied casually.
"So what if there's a new teacher? It has nothing to do with us. It's just a music teacher, not a core subject."
"Not necessarily. What if the new teacher is handsome?"
Lin Xiaohua's eyes sparkled as she linked arms with Lin Qingqing. "Think about it. Our school only has five male teachers total. Three are over fifty, one is married, and the other is Mr. Zhang, the PE teacher. His muscles are harder than rocks. He's totally not my type."
"Boy-crazy!" Lin Qingqing laughed and shoved her away. "You said the same thing last time. You swore the new geography teacher had to be young and handsome, but he was in his forties or fifties and nearly bald."
"That was an accident!"
Lin Xiaohua pouted.
"But think about it. Handsome guys are rare to begin with, and there are even fewer who teach. Schools definitely prefer older teachers with more experience."
"That's to guard against girls like you getting boy-crazy, ending up pregnant, and ruining the school's century-old reputation."
Lin Qingqing deliberately put on a stern face and mimicked the dean's tone.
"Lin Qingqing, you're dead!" Lin Xiaohua blushed furiously and went after her sides. The