Liao Yu

Biodata

Background / History

Qin An's transfer

Liao Yu was Qin An's homeroom teacher in Junior Class 68 before his transfer to Class 69. Her remark that she could not manage him, even with ginseng as an incentive, spread among the teachers and became a source of ridicule for his parents, Qin Huai and Li Qin. The transfer was settled before the school term began 1 13.

Although Qin An regarded her as the teacher who had driven him out, Liao Yu later reflected that her remark had mostly been a joke. She had expected Qin Huai to offer a few conciliatory words and reprimand his son; instead, he transferred Qin An without arguing 5 45.

In Qin An's memories of his original life, his grades improved considerably after the transfer. Liao Yu eventually asked for him to return to Class 68, but Qin Huai refused 5.

Conflict over Ye Zhulan

After Qin An's return to his school days, Liao Yu confronted him following the broadcast exercises. She criticized his attitude toward teachers, urged him to concentrate on studying, and told him to stop bothering Ye Zhulan. She believed Ye Zhulan could still qualify for No. 1 High School, while dismissing Qin An's prospects as little better than vocational or specialized secondary school 5.

Her interference also extended to Ye Zhulan's mother, whom she repeatedly encouraged to keep the two students apart because of Qin An's poor grades 44.

Qin An retaliated against Liao Yu by breaking the pot containing her balcony cactus with his homemade slingshot. She suspected him but had no evidence. His subsequent harassment embarrassed her, and he later recognized that his conduct had gone too far 19.

Marital crisis and Qin An's conditions

Liao Yu's marriage deteriorated after Luo Bofu contracted a sexually transmitted infection through an encounter with a prostitute working as an art model. During an argument in the school art classroom, she rejected his advances and questioned whether he had recovered. When he began pulling at her clothes despite her resistance, Qin An intervened with his slingshot and forced him to leave 22.

Liao Yu feared the professional humiliation that disclosure would bring, but also considered divorcing Luo Bofu because she found their life together unbearable. Qin An used his knowledge of the incident to demand two conditions in exchange for secrecy 22 23:

• She must stop interfering in his relationship with Ye Zhulan.
• If he reached the year's top ten, she must ask Qin Huai to transfer him back to Class 68. Qin An explicitly said that neither he nor his father would accept; the request was intended to restore his father's dignity 23.

Liao Yu found the first condition manageable, since Ye Zhulan's grades had remained steady despite her friendship with Qin An. The second threatened her pride, though she initially reassured herself that his reaching the top ten within half a semester was impossible 23.

Examinations and reassessment

While proctoring Qin An's Chinese examination, Liao Yu closely watched his work because of their agreement. She was shocked by his composition and told him that it deserved zero, estimating his paper's score in the forties. She deliberately made the estimate audible to the classroom, taking the opportunity to vent some of her anger 32 33.

Later, Qin An entered her campus rest room without waiting for permission while delivering homework. He found her dealing with painful breast engorgement, withdrew, and offered advice that she received irritably. The incident further undermined her sense of authority around him 42 43.

Her discomfort prevented her from marking papers that afternoon, so Qin An's composition went to Tan Datong instead. He awarded it full marks and had it copied onto the school bulletin blackboard. Liao Yu objected to its poetic form but privately acknowledged that she could not have written anything comparable 45.

Qin An also earned perfect scores in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and English. These results convinced Liao Yu that improvements in politics and history could put him in the year's top ten, making his demand for a public reversal of her judgment a realistic threat 43 45.

Appearance

• Face and hair: An oval face, fair skin, and long hair styled in large waves 5.
• Build: Tall, with long legs and a curving figure. Regular dance practice is credited with her recovery after childbirth 5 22.
• Clothing: Seen wearing high heels, a black woolen miniskirt, and a fitted light-gray dance outfit with a white shirt tied around her waist 5 22 32.

Personality

Liao Yu places considerable importance on academic achievement and respect for teachers. She initially treats Qin An's poor grades as evidence of limited prospects and views his closeness to Ye Zhulan as a potential obstacle to the girl's education 5 44.

Her pride makes it difficult for her to accept criticism or lose authority before a student. After Qin An learns about her marital troubles, she becomes apprehensive about scolding him, fearing that he will answer with something humiliating. Her greatest objection to his conditions is having to admit her misjudgment before Qin Huai 23 32 33.

Her professional conscience nevertheless limits her resentment. Despite fearing the consequences of Qin An's improvement, she is explicitly unwilling to wish for his grades to deteriorate 45.

Abilities & Skills

Chinese Teaching

• Teaches Chinese and supervises examinations 22 32.
• Rejects Qin An's unconventional composition as deserving zero, a judgment contradicted by Tan Datong's full-mark assessment 33 45.

Music

• Has a good singing voice and some knowledge of music theory 15.
• Teaches the school's music enrichment class, which Sun Sun attends 15 20.

Dance

• Teaches the school's dance enrichment class 22.
• Practices regularly, helping her maintain her fitness after childbirth 22.

Relationships

• Qin An — Former student. Their antagonistic teacher–student relationship changes when he protects her from Luo Bofu, then uses the incident as leverage over her 5 22 23.
• Qin Huai — Colleague and Qin An's father. His refusal to appease her led to Qin An's transfer; she later dreads having to ask him to reverse it 1 45.
• Luo Bofu — Husband and art teacher. His infidelity, infection, and coercive behavior leave her disgusted and considering divorce 19 22 23.
• Unnamed daughter — Infant child of Liao Yu and Luo Bofu, born shortly before the opening events 1 22.
• Ye Zhulan — Class 68 student whose academic prospects Liao Yu tries to protect by discouraging her closeness with Qin An 5 23 44.
• Sun Sun — Student in her music enrichment class 15 20.

Trivia

• Enjoys tending flowers and plants; her balcony cactus becomes a target of Qin An's slingshot 19.
• Lives in the northern Education Committee dormitory building 13 19.
• Retains a campus room originally assigned during her pregnancy, with an outer office and an inner rest area 42.